Author's note: So, erm, I didn't think I would ever write a crossover fic because one universe is usually already more than enough to keep track of, but I've been playing Pokémon Sword for a couple of weeks now (while waiting for my cats to eat their dinner) and basically I've fallen straight back into my obsession for it (Did I ever stop being really obsessed with it? Who knows)

Because my friend is evil and should really stop encouraging my brain, this idea popped up: a crossover between Pokémon and Naruto. Yes, you read that right. Pokémon and Naruto. This is either going to go really well or tank very badly LMAO We'll see what it will be.

Warnings: Mimikyu's pov for now; Naruto's pov in the rest of the story; typical Pokémon violence; Mimikyu angst; Mimikyu is baby and is precious but nobody sees it like that except for one person

Later on this will also have SN slash and something else as a surprise, but those are the main warnings for this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Kishimoto owns it. I also don't own Pokémon, that belongs to Satoshi Tajiri and The Pokémon Company.

I hope you'll like my first attempt at a crossover!

Chapter 1

He didn't understand why nobody loved him.

Wherever he went, doing his best always to stay close to the shadows because sunlight would hurt him, he was ignored at best and chased away or hurt at worst. They called him ugly, creepy, freaky, scary … Never once did he hear someone calling out to him, choosing him. It was his form, he knew. He didn't dare to look at himself in any kind of reflection because what he saw scared him and his scary form was freaking out everyone else too. It was why they didn't want to look at him, why they ignored him or ran away shrieking at the sight of him.

But even as ugly and creepy as he was, he wanted to be loved. He wanted to be someone's favourite Pokémon, he wanted someone to look at him in joy and excitement as they chose him to battle someone else. He wanted to be thought of as cool, like he often heard people talking about Charizard. He wanted to be considered as pretty as Ninetales or Gardevoir. He desired to be thought of as cute like Eevee or as strong as Steelix.

He wanted to be adored by everyone like Pikachu was.

It was when he was watching a shopkeeper hand over a Pikachu doll to a small girl that he got a great idea, the best idea he had had so far! He would disguise himself as Pikachu and then people would love him! Because they all loved Pikachu, they all adored him, and if Mimikyu looked like Pikachu, then surely people would love him too!

It took time to gather the right type of cloth – it had to be yellow, the perfect shade of yellow, couldn't be something ugly, not ugly like him – and then even more time to find the right colour of crayons: black for the eyes, red for Pikachu's cheeks. He needed to find something for the tail as well, because his own appendages weren't right, they were wrong, just as wrong and freaky like he was.

But Pikachu wasn't freaky. Pikachu was cute and strong and cool and had fans in every region. Every year, Pikachu ranked high in the popularity polls, Mimikyu heard, that was how popular and loved Pikachu was.

If Mimikyu looked like Pikachu, then he would be loved too.

And so he did his best to stitch the cloth in the right shape and get the eyes, mouth and cheeks done in exactly the right way. This costume would be his ticket to eternal love after all. It would hide his ugly, terrifying form and then people would surely come to love him and trainers would want him to join their team!

Oh, wouldn't it be great to find a trainer and join their team and travel the world? How amazing it would be, to be chosen by his personal trainer, hear her or him call out, "Mimikyu, I choose you!" and then he would appear and he would make his trainer so proud! He would do his best each and every time, grow as strong as possible so that his trainer would be proud of him, so that he would also get to hear "Good job, Mimikyu, you did so well!" like he heard other Pokémon being told whenever they won a battle.

He would be just like every other non-ugly Pokémon and this time the others wouldn't run away from him. They would welcome him in their team, in their little family, and they would all like him and he would like them back, and everything would finally be perfect!

Excitedly, he pulled the costume over his body and slithered towards the small lake quickly, eager to see how he looked like now that his disguise was finished.

The moon was full tonight, but there were still some Goldeen frolicking in the water, apparently not ready yet to go to sleep. Their play caused the water surface to wrinkle, small circles which grew bigger and bigger as they spread towards the edge of the lake. It made Mimikyu's reflection blurry, not as clear as he would have liked, but what he saw, made him happy.

Because right there in the lake, Pikachu's face and form greeted him, smiling back at him from underneath the water surface.

He had done it. He had finally found a way to get close to others, to earn the love he so desperately craved. He was just as cute as Pikachu now and he couldn't wait until morning came and the first trainers would arrive, eager to find new members for their team.

His loneliness would finally come to an end, he just knew it!

The sound of dead leaves rustling underneath a couple of pairs of sneakers had Mimikyu perking up the next morning. He didn't do so well with daylight hours, because the sun tended to sap his energy, but perhaps his costume would protect him now.

Even if it wouldn't protect him properly, though, he didn't care. This was his chance to show how cute he was! And maybe, maybe the trainer would think he was so cute that he wanted to keep him!

Eagerly, he wriggled himself out of the hollowed out tree that had become his home a little while ago. He had been forced to find a place for himself, because even the other Ghost type Pokémon didn't want him near them. He shuddered as he thought about the last time he'd crossed a Gengar and the Gengar had grown so frightened by him that he'd used Lick to hurt Mimikyu. It had left him paralysed for hours while Gengar had flown away, cackling.

So yes, his own home had become a must when even his own Type didn't want to be near him.

But that didn't matter now. He must not think about it, because today was not the day to be sad any longer, oh no. Today was the first day of his brand new life, a life where he would be adored and loved just like everyone else.

"Who are you hoping to catch?" a human boy asked curiously.

Mimikyu perked up, hurrying to the bushes from where he could hear the voice.

"I don't know, man. I'm not particularly picky at the moment. Maybe a Fairy type or a Water one? I heard there are supposed to be Goldeens here somewhere," a second boy answered casually. "I've been mainly focusing on getting Koffing to evolve, but I need other Types. Supposedly the third gym uses Fire Pokémon, so I really need to get myself a Water Pokémon. Although I really want a Fairy type too … But I guess we're too far off from where they live, aren't we?"

Mimikyu was partly a Fairy type! That meant he had a chance with this boy, didn't he? Growing more and more excited at the thought that he might be chosen today, he slipped from between the bushes and scuttled over to the two boys, who were standing close to a Berry tree. He had no idea which trainer wanted a Fairy type, but he'd find out soon! The second they would lay eyes on him, the right one would –

"What is that?!" the boy on the right exclaimed, pointing straight at Mimikyu.

Mimikyu paused, uncertain what to think of the tone. Why was the trainer so shocked? He thought his disguise was marvellous! Wasn't it obvious who he was?

"That looks like a Pikachu, but that can't be one," the boy on the left muttered confused, resting his hands on his hips. "You think the Pokédex will know?"

Okay, so maybe his disguise wasn't a perfect replica of Pikachu, which made him a bit disappointed, but! They still hadn't started to scream or run away in fright, so his disguise was still great!

"How on earth can the Pokédex know what it is when it's wearing that cloth?" the first boy asked incredulously.

Mimikyu decided it was time to say something, because you couldn't start forming a bond if you didn't talk, right? At least, that was how he saw other Pokémon doing it when they approached a trainer instead of being startled into a battle. You talked to the trainer, let them know who you were and then if they liked you, they accepted you as theirs. Simple as that.

Shuffling a bit closer, feeling shy now because he'd never get this close to someone before, he straightened up as much as the heavy cloth would allow him and said hopefully, "Mimi – Mimikyu?" Hi, how are you?

The two boys froze, their eyes growing as big as a Qwilfish grew when they felt threatened.

"That's – that's a Mimikyu?" the first boy said aghast, looking so pale Mimikyu worried he was going to faint. That wouldn't be good, not with a pack of Tyrogue living nearby. They could be quite nasty if they came across trainers.

"Mimikyu!" Yes, that's me!

"Since when do they show up here?" the second boy panicked. "I'm out of here, I've heard enough of the stories!"

"Don't leave me here alone with him!"

Mimikyu could only stare incomprehensibly as the two boys ran away, rushing through the bushes, not even reacting when several Farfetch'd were startled and started pecking at them in anger.

The little Pokémon didn't understand what had happened. Why had they run away? One of them had been looking for a Fairy type – wasn't he a good fit?

Well, maybe he would have better luck with the next trainer, he tried to reassure himself, scuttling back into his home for the time being. Not every Pokémon was chosen from the first time, he knew, with some it took several times of them going up to trainers before they were chosen.

He just needed to bide his time. Now that he was nearly as cute as Pikachu, someone would surely want him.

He just needed to be patient a little bit longer.

It grew worse.

Instead of people looking at him in awe and adoration, they started to jeer at him, calling him nasty names, taunting him for trying to be someone who he was not. They called him ugly, a second-rate Pikachu, not even capable enough to stitch the cloth right.

Pokémon and humans alike tried to tear the cloth – his costume, the only thing that made him not think that he was ugly for at least a little while, the only thing that gave him a resemblance of being a normal Pokémon for once – away from him, attempting to reveal his ugly self.

Night after night was spent repairing the tears and holes in the fabric as he tried to ignore how wet his eyes felt, how much they stung as if he had been hit with the poisonous gas of a Koffing.

He just wanted to be loved, what was so wrong with that? He couldn't help it that his real form was scary and ugly! He tried so, so hard to be accepted, tried to act as cute as an Eevee, tried to be as elegant as Ninetales or Gardevoir or Clefairy. No matter what he did, no matter how many times he tentatively reached out, hoping fruitlessly that this time, this time, the trainer in front of him would finally accept him … He was shunned every time.

They tried to crush him by sending an Onix after him, tried to flatten him by attempting to get Snorlax to drop down on him, he had his costume be pulled at by overeager Impidimps …

Why could nobody love him? Was he that unlovable, that much of an ugly freak that people preferred to look at a Stunfisk instead?

"Look, I found him, the ugly one!"

Mimikyu tried to hurry to the edge of the forest, where he knew his home was, where he would be safe. He shouldn't have gone out at this time of the day, but he had just wanted … he'd just wanted …

He screamed when the sharp claws of the Talonflame dug into his back. They tore right through his cloth, ripping it to shreds and only temporarily released him when one of his arms shot out to defend himself. Talonflame screeched and soared up high in the sky, but Mimikyu knew that didn't mean he was safe.

Talonflame belonged to one of the trainers chasing after him and he would keep attacking him until Mimikyu was finally finished. He wasn't naïve; these trainers weren't trying to catch him to bring him to their team – they wanted to hurt him.

Hurt him because he was ugly. Hurt him because he was a freak and stupid for thinking he could ever be loved.

That thought made him freeze just right outside the edge of the rest. He didn't move when Talonflame dove down, and started pecking him, the cloth burning from where the Pokémon touched him. He didn't do anything to defend himself even when Talonflame swooped down again and engulfed him in his large claws, taking him high up in the sky again where he might consider dropping him.

Why would he keep trying to defend himself? Nobody would ever love him, that had become more than clear by now. No matter what he did, no matter what he wore, they would forever think of him as the ugly one, the creepy freak they needed to avoid. Never would he know how it felt like to have someone be proud of him, never would he get to experience the tightknit feeling of a family that a team was. He would never be chosen, because he wasn't wanted.

Why did he exist if nobody would ever love him? What was the point of remaining alive when his existence was void of love and would forever remain that way? It was just as Dusknoir always hissed at him: Mimikyu wasn't meant to be loved. Nobody would ever choose him, so it would be better to just disappear. Be gone.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!"

A large jet of water hit Talonflame right in his stomach and the Pokémon screeched, the power behind the water making him crash down. Mimikyu smacked down on the ground hard and he saw stars for a moment before his vision focused and he realised –

His home was right there!

Dragging his aching body to the hollowed out tree, hot tears dripping down his ugly form, he barely paid attention to the argument happening behind him.

"And don't even dare to come near here again, because I will make you all regret it!"

"Of course a freak would defend another freak!" one of Mimikyu's attackers shouted, but there was a stampede of feet then, as if the whole group was running away. "You'll be sorry!"

Mimikyu basically fell into his home, shuffling towards the furthest corner of his little home. His cloth was ruined, ruined so badly! There were tears everywhere, his ugly form leaking outside the torn threads, and no, no, no! This couldn't be happening, this mustn't be happening! His costume couldn't be ruined, not when it was the only thing still keeping him together, when it was the only thing that made him feel cherished still.

But it was ruined and he hurt so much, and how was he going to fix this, how was he going to fix himself, when going outside meant being hurt over and over and over again, where people were waiting to hurt him, to attack him, because they all hated him, they all hated him, and why couldn't anyone just love him, he just wanted to be loved, just wanted to be loved once in his life, why couldn't –

He froze when a shadow fell through the opening of the tree and he squeezed his eyes shut, doing his best to prepare himself for another round of pain.

"Oh, you poor thing, your cloth is torn," the boy, young man?, murmured and then a hand was reaching into the hollow and Mimikyu couldn't help but flinch, trying to bury himself even deeper into the wood.

He just wanted to be left alone, he wouldn't bother anyone anymore, he swore! He'd never go outside again if they would just leave him be!

The hand paused and for a moment neither one of them moved. "You need something to fix your costume, right?" the young man said unexpectedly. "All right, wait here, I'll get you what you need, I promise. I won't take long, you'll be safe, I swear!"

And then he was gone and Mimikyu was left wondering whether this was just another cruel trick of the humans, making him think they cared about his costume and his well-being, when really, they were just waiting for the right moment to hurt him again.

He stayed in his hollow even when silence had returned to the forest and remained there, huddled and aching when footsteps approached the tree again.

"I'm, erm, I'm back," the same voice of earlier called out cautiously. "I've got you some cloth, some thread and needles – do you use needles to make it? I wasn't sure – and erm, also a Potion and something to eat. I'm going to leave it here, okay? I promise you'll be okay."

Mimikyu waited until the footsteps faded away before he slowly uncurled, whining when that made his body hurt even more, and even more slowly, his entire body screaming in protest, he crawled to the opening and peered down.

Tears filled his eyes anew when he saw what the young man had left behind: a pile of cloth in a similar colour to what he wore now, crayons, thread and needles, a spray bottle with Potion, three Oran berries and even a box with curry.

Nobody had ever brought him curry or berries before …

He had no idea what this meant, whether this was just another cruel trick, but he didn't care.

For just one moment, he let himself believe that he was worthy of being cared for, just like any other Pokémon in need.

For just one moment, in which he ravished the curry – it was so delicious! He'd never eaten anything like it! – and inspected the cloth, he believed that someone out there really had cared for him, even if it was just for a short moment.

For just one brief moment, he was like any other Pokémon.

Loved and cared for.

He spent the next couple of days, huddled up in his home, only slipping out in the dead of night to pluck some berry of a tree in order to eat. It wasn't anywhere near as delicious as the curry or the berries the young man had left behind for him, but it was something.

His costume was fixed once more, no tear in sight, keeping his ugly body together, and even in spite of everything that had happened, he liked touching the new cloth, remembering over and over again that one human hadn't been mean to him.

One human had treated him like any other Pokémon, at least for that one moment. It made him wish the young man had stayed a bit longer, just so he would know how he looked like.

And maybe, because he was clearly very stupid and naïve and dumb to still hope for it, he dreamt of finding the young man again, of presenting himself for him and being accepted by the trainer. Because the trainer had seen his pitiful, ugly state when he'd rescued him from those awful humans, had seen his ugliness when he'd peeked into the hollow, and hadn't run away. He'd cared for him instead, bringing him food and new cloth to repair his old one, and nobody had ever done that for him before.

It would be so nice to be this trainer's Pokémon …

Ah, but he probably already had a full team. Mimikyu hung his head down despondently. A wonderful, caring trainer like him probably had his pick of Pokémon eager to become part of his team. He wouldn't want a creepy freak like Mimikyu to join him. He probably had cool Pokémon like Gyarados or Charizard or Sceptile in his team, Pokémon strong and cool enough to handle everything.

He had no need for pitiful, ugly Mimikyu …

A shout startled him out of the doze he'd fallen into and he raised his head, frowning slightly. That didn't sound like a Pokémon …

"Five against one, that's how scared you are of taking it up against me?" a voice barked angrily.

Even through the angry tone, Mimikyu recognised the voice: it was the young man who'd saved him!

Hurrying out of his trees, he ran as quickly as he could, following the noise of shouting. There was blood in the air when he sniffed and that only made him run faster, worry for the kind trainer filling him.

He was right to be worried: when he arrived at the open field, he saw a young man trying to hold back three Sandslash' at once while Talonflame was circling above him, his beady eyes gleaming in anticipation.

"That's what you get for trying to stick your nose into our business!" a boy Mimikyu recognised as one of his attackers, taunted with a grin. "Not so tough now, huh?"

One of Sandslash' claws swiped at the young man's arm, breaking skin and spilling even more blood.

They were hurting the kind trainer.

The only person who'd ever cared for Mimikyu, the only one who'd ever looked at him without fear or disgust, the only one who'd offered him food and medicine and cloth – they were hurting him.

Attacking him until he bled.

Mimikyu couldn't let that happen, wouldn't let that happen! Not to his saviour! Vision growing red, his shadowy arm rapidly stretched out across the field.

[Mimikyu uses Shadow Sneak!]

AN2: So what do you think of it? I'm going to be real upfront about this: if this story gets enough response, I'll continue it. I know they say that you should write for yourself and not for others, but frankly, if that was true, then really none of the fanfics would ever be posted and they would just remain saved on a laptop. I like to write, but that doesn't mean anything if I don't get feedback for it.

I know this is a rather unusual crossover, so like I said, this is either going to go well or tank very badly. I leave that up to you to decide. I don't think this will have that many chapters, but to be honest, after so many years, I've given up on giving a chapter count before the actual end, so *throws hands up*

Please leave your thoughts behind in a review; should you spot any mistakes, please point them out to me.

I hope to see you all back in the next chapter if there's enough interest! Please stay safe and take care of yourselves!

Cuddles

Melissa

P.S. For more information about my upcoming and posted stories, please visit my profile.