Author's note: I actually had some good things happening this week! For once I had some luck, which probably means that next week life will find a way to screw me over again, but eh, at least some good things finally happened! I also know that this chapter is shorter than the previous one, but I like the way I ended it, so, yes LOL

Thanks to the following reviewers: PinkiePieParty122894; swordsmanwielder; SarahNThatcher; leighd1314; Pen-Woman; JaiJayce; Weebio

Warnings: Mimikyu's pov; Mimikyu's canonical self-loathing; some angst; references to canon typical violence; injury

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 this chapter!

Chapter 28

The ground trembled as if an earthquake hit when the heavy colossus body of Golem collapsed, out for the count for now.

Lucario stepped back with a huge sigh; his shoulders drooping. Vaporeon approached the Golem carefully, but it was truly passed out, not even twitching when he smacked his tail against its huge body.

'I'll drag it out,' Toxtricity announced and used the Golem's rotund body to roll it out of the cave and down the corridor.

'How is Master doing?' Vulpix asked worriedly, padding over on silent paws.

Pidgeot – because he was no longer Pidgeotto, having evolved to deal with the Onix – ceased fluttering his wings, allowing Mimikyu to check for Master's temperature. Mimikyu winced when Master's forehead felt as hot as fire, showing no improvement whatsoever.

'Still a fever,' he announced morosely and used his shadows to brush some coldness against Master's forehead.

'It's not going down,' Pidgeot muttered frustrated and started flapping his wings once more, offering a cool breeze.

No, it wasn't and even as unknowledgeable as Mimikyu was when it came to matters like healing, he realised that this fever was not a good sign.

They had to have been stuck for several days at least in this cave already. After Vaporeon, Pidgeot and Lucario had driven the Onix away, they had all gathered around Master; Vulpix and Toxtricity escaping their balls as well. They had hoped that Master would wake up soon, but as the hours passed, it became abundantly clear that something was wrong. Master's leg was clearly injured to the point of bleeding and Mimikyu had worked together with Lucario to bandage the leg as best as they could, using the scarf Master had donned before to carry Lucario around when he had still been an Egg. The fever had started very slowly a while later, creeping up without any warning.

Vaporeon and Pidgeot worked in shifts to cool Master down and it only seemed to help a little bit. Whenever Vaporeon wasn't spraying water over Master, he was fighting off wild Pokémon that stumbled into the cave and wanted to attack Master. Lucario often jointed him, together with Toxtricity and Vulpix. The four of them kept wild Pokémon from advancing further, though it was a near call sometimes. The ground as well suffered underneath the onslaught of heavy Rock Pokémon slumping down; dents and cracks littered the ground, visible whenever Vulpix used a Fire Attack to provide some light.

Mimikyu had lost count of the amount of Geodude, Golem, Onix and even Ursaring who had tried to launch attacks once they had come across this cave. With their Master unconscious, the wild Pokémon considered them to be easy pickings and tried to overwhelm them. They hadn't managed it yet, but the others were getting worn down, bit by bit. They tried taking turns to give the others time to rest, but that wasn't always possible. Sometimes the wild Pokémon was too furious or too strong to handle alone and they had to work in teams.

Mimikyu and Pidgeot were the only ones who didn't regularly battle wild Pokémon. Mimikyu didn't exactly have the ideal Type for this environment. Neither did Vulpix, but her Fire attacks looked at least threatening enough to make several Pokémon think twice. Pidgeot didn't really possess the ideal Type either, so he used his wings to cool Master down. Mimikyu in the meantime checked on Master's injured leg regularly and tried to get at least some water past Master's lips. That wasn't always a huge success, but he had to keep trying. Going that long without water and food would be dangerous!

'We have to move soon,' Toxtricity said, stalking back into the cave. 'We can't stay here, it's becoming too dangerous.'

'Where to?' Vaporeon questioned, lying down to rest. He was panting slightly, having used multiple Water Pulses to aid Lucario in taking down Golem. 'Master is still unconscious.'

Even though it was not meant as a reprimand and in fact none of the others had shown any signs of blaming Mimikyu for this situation, Mimikyu nevertheless hung his head in shame. 'I'm sorry, I should have been faster.'

Because if he had been faster, Master wouldn't have needed to goad an Onix into breaking through the fallen rocks. If he had been quicker, Master wouldn't have been attacked by Onix and subsequently wouldn't have been lost in a delirium now as he suffered through a fever. Mimikyu had run as fast as he could, but in the end he had still been too slow and he had become trapped in the collapsed corridor.

Ah, but it wasn't only his slowness which had caused this situation. He could have taken off his costume, he knew. If he had left it behind, he could have wriggled through the gaps between the rocks and that way Master wouldn't have needed to free him. It was just … He couldn't have. Leaving behind his costume meant abandoning the first present Master had ever given him. This costume had been made with the cloth Master had left so thoughtfully behind even before Mimikyu became a part of his team. It was what kept Mimikyu safe, what offered him comfort and it was what kept the others from looking at him in fear or disgust. How could he abandon that which ensured he remained part of the team? If the others were to see him without his costume …

Mimikyu shuddered. He didn't want to know how the others would look at him. His true form was horrifying, disgusting and he couldn't let others see it. He finally had a place in a warm team with an amazing Master and he didn't want to lose that.

But that fear had led to Master becoming hurt …

'Don't beat yourself up,' Vulpix soothed, pawing at his cloth.

'No, he was too slow,' Toxtricity said ruthlessly.

Mimikyu flinched, but didn't protest, because it was true. He had been too slow and now Master was hurt and they were stuck in this cave.

'You can work on it, though,' Toxtricity went on, a tad brusquely. 'I can teach you if you want.'

'Really?' Mimikyu asked hopefully.

'Everyone can improve as long as they train hard enough,' Toxtricity said and shrugged. 'Everyone can become stronger, faster, more flexible … You just need to train a lot.'

'Can't do that here,' Pidgeot pointed out, dragging them all back to the main issue at hand. 'We need to leave.'

'How?' Lucario asked, pulling his head out of the corridor. 'We have no idea where the exit is. Master had already been wandering for days before we got stuck here.'

'We can't stay here,' Vulpix sighed; her tails swishing back and forth in agitation. 'We don't know the way out, but Master is getting worse. He won't become well if we stay here.'

'And we're going to run out of food eventually,' Vaporeon reminded them all.

It was true. They were rationing what Master had in his bag and so far they should be able to eat for quite a while still, but if they remained too long here they would run out of food and water eventually. Not to mention that none of them had managed to rest decently; they were either busy taking care of Master or defeating the wild Pokémon who tried to take over the cave.

'We can't stay here, so we have to leave,' Toxtricity decided. 'Lucario and I can take turns carrying Master. Vaporeon can assist. The rest of you can return to your shelter and keep the others from acting up."

The others. Geodude and Zweilous. The two Pokémon Master had caught in this mountain. They had attempted to break out of their shelter before, but fortunately Vulpix and Lucario had managed to restrain them. None of them had any idea how those two would act once released and Mimikyu recalled all too well just how vicious Zweilous had been during their fight. With Master incapable of training them, the team had collectively decided that Geodude and Zweilous could not escape their shelter under any circumstance. Perhaps they might have been an aid in defeating the others, but just as well they could turn against them.

All that said, Mimikyu wasn't quite ready to return to his shelter yet. He didn't want to let Master leave his sight, but truly what could he do? He wasn't big or strong like Toxtricity and Lucario were, so it wasn't as if he could carry Master around. He didn't have the Type advantage necessary for the mountain like Lucario and Vaporeon either, so he wouldn't be able to do much during a fight. Perhaps he could blind wild Pokémon with his Dazzling Gleam, but even that wasn't certain.

Best not to make even more trouble for Master.

'I'll carry Master first,' Toxtricity offered, but right as he bent down and the others prepared to return to their shelter, an odd noise made them all tense up.

In the time they had been stuck here, they had become used to the noises that meant the mountain was settling around them and the sounds the various wild Pokémon produced as they either meandered past in the corridor, fought each other or challenged others. This particular noise, however, did not belong to any of the sounds that had become familiar to them.

It was the sound of human voices.

And they were getting closer.

They all kept quiet and remained as still as a Shedinja when the voices neared. Mimikyu couldn't decide whether they should try to gain their attention or not. On the one hand, other humans meant that Master might receive the help he so desperately needed. On the other hand, what if those humans belonged to the same group as the one who had tried to steal Lucario when he had still been Riolu? If they attracted the attention of that kind of people, they would be in real trouble then!

"What are you planning to do if you do happen to find this Pokémon?" one male voice asked curiously.

"Not sure yet," another man replied. "It will depend on how violent it is – or they are. We aren't sure yet whether this is just one Pokémon doing all that, or multiple."

"Should we really interfere, though?" the first man questioned sceptically.

Mimikyu tilted his head to the right and frowned. He thought those voices were starting to sound quite familiar. A suspicion Vulpix appeared to share, because she perked up next to him, sitting up straighter.

"I normally wouldn't, but the amount of injured Pokémon fleeing this mountain doesn't appear normal either," the second man retorted. "Plus you have seen those scorch marks, right? I doubt Fire Pokémon would feel at ease in this setting, so why are those wild Pokémon all carrying burn marks?"

"And signs of a poison attack," the first man mused. "Perhaps Pokémon forgotten by their Trainer?"

"I hope not, but it would explain their presence – but not why they attacked so many Pokémon," the second man said.

"Defending their new territory, I guess," the first man spoke lightly.

"Maybe, but …"

A sudden beam of light had everyone jumping in shock before they all scurried around Master, keeping him hidden and safe from the unexpected intruders.

One of the humans stepped forwards. "Well, look what we have here. Quite the odd ensemble to be defending a territory with," he said critically.

The second human stepped forwards as well, activating his own torch. Mimikyu raised his shadows threateningly when the beam of light paused right in the gap between Lucario and Toxtricity, allowing the humans a peak of both Mimikyu and Master. Mimikyu didn't care what the consequences might be if they attacked these humans. If they tried to harm Master, they would defend him with all their might!

The second human hummed thoughtfully. "Hey now, haven't we seen two of these before?"

"What do you mean?"

The second man came closer, ignoring Vulpix' warning growl and Pidgeot's hiss. "Yeah, thought so," he murmured. "Vulpix and Mimikyu; a combination you don't see often. I guess he managed to build up his team pretty well since we last saw him."

"Wait, this is the kid your Snorlax harassed for food back then?" the first man questioned perplexed.

"Snorlax didn't – never mind," the second man sighed and shook his head. He moved his torch around, shining its light on every single one of them. "But yeah, I'm pretty sure this is him. Mimikyu, Vulpix and now he's got a Pidgeot, a Lucario, a Toxtricity and a Vaporeon too, huh. Quite a balanced team."

"It doesn't seem to have helped him much," the first man snorted when he dared to come close enough to get a look at Master's sweaty and slack face. Ignoring their offended screeches and growls, the man asked, "Is he badly hurt?"

A tense moment followed in which neither of them replied, before Lucario took the lead. 'Master was injured by Onix when rescuing one of us. He has not woken up in a while.'

"He looks pretty banged up," the second man muttered. "Did you get lost?"

'We have been lost for a while,' Pidgeot explained begrudgingly.

The two men shared a look with each other. Their faces were cloaked in the shadows of the cave, making it hard to discern which look they carried, but Mimikyu now recognised them as the Trainers who they had come across back when their team had been small still. The second man's Snorlax had appeared out of nowhere to eat their food, Mimikyu recalled and scowled. The man also had a –

'You got lost?' Pikachu jumped on top of the man's head out of nowhere, regarding them curiously. 'How did you manage that?'

"Things like that can always happen, Pikachu," his Trainer said. "The mountain is fairly large and has a lot of caverns and corridors."

Mimikyu eyed Pikachu warily, not wanting the Pokémon to get much closer. It was easy to see why Pikachu was so popular, though. He looked both cute and strong, and ugly jealousy burnt within Mimikyu. If only he possessed a tenth of Pikachu's cuteness …

"Well, we best get him out of here," the first man decided. "Staying here will be too risky."

Instinctively they all snarled, Toxtricity even raising his hands to prepare to launch an attack. Letting two strangers near their Master? Were they crazy?

"Look, I get that you don't like that," the second man said soothingly and sat down on his haunches, which was a pretty brave move considering Toxtricity looked ready to rip his head off. "But your Trainer can't stay here either. He needs proper medical help and you all need time to rest up as well. I can see that you have done your best to keep him safe and take care of him, which is good. But now it's time to let someone else take over, okay?"

"I think this is the most I have ever heard you say in one sitting," the first man muttered. "I would almost start feeling jealous."

"Oh, shut up," the second man said and rolled his eyes.

'Don't trust this,' Toxtricity hissed agitatedly.

'We don't have much choice,' Vaporeon said resignedly.

Sadly it was true. If they stayed here, there was no saying what would happen. Wild Pokémon would keep trying to attack them and chase them away and they had no idea when Master would heal enough to wake up again. These strange Trainers were their best hope, which stung. Master had taken such good care of them, healing them and making sure they always rested enough – why could they not return the favour now and help him for once?

'You stay with him,' Toxtricity surprised Mimikyu by pointing at him. 'Keep an eye on them!'

'Me?' Mimikyu asked surprised.

It made sense, of course, for someone of their team to remain out of their shelter so that the two Trainers couldn't try anything funny, but he had thought Toxtricity or Lucario or even Vulpix would have been appointed for that. They were all more impressive than he was.

'Yes, you. Keep Master safe,' Toxtricity growled.

'I will!' Mimikyu nodded vigorously. Warmth filled up his chest at the trust his team put in him, even after his own stupidity had caused Master to get hurt. He would not let them down!

'I can carry Master,' Pidgeot announced, spreading out his wings.

"I can understand why you want to," the first man said, "but I have to disappoint you. The way we will use to travel out of the mountain is going to be too narrow for you. You're only going to damage your wings when trying to carry your Trainer."

Pidgeot narrowed his eyes. 'Watch me.'

"So stubborn," the first man sighed and clucked his tongue. "If you don't want to believe me, listen to him."

He threw something in the air and the red light filling the cave alerted them all that a Pokémon had been called up. The red beam quickly took the shape of a second Pidgeot, who flapped his wings and released a short, but powerful cry.

"Pidgeot, tell him that this terrain isn't suitable for your sort," the man instructed his Pokémon.

'It's true,' the other Pidgeot said soberly. 'Our wings are too large to fit through the corridors. I know, I tried before. Best to let Master take care of yours. He's really good!'

'Mimikyu stays with Master,' Lucario announced after a short, tense silence.

"We can work with that," the second man reassured them and looked up at the first man. "Right, Blue? That should be fine."

"If it gets them to allow us to move him, fine," the first man, Blue, groused. "Now, don't panic, but I'm calling Pidgeot back and then I'll release my Machamp, all right? He's best suited to carry your Trainer outside where we can help him."

Mimikyu had no prior experience with Machamp, but couldn't help but cramp up slightly when Pidgeot was replaced by the hulking mass of Machamp, who braced his four thick arms before throwing them all in the air with a loud grunt.

"Machamp, I know you normally don't do this, but I need you to carry this Trainer outside, okay?" Blue instructed his Pokémon calmly. "He's in need of medical help, so try to be as gentle as possible."

'Will be,' Machamp grunted in reassurance.

His hulking, massive, powerful silhouette was anything but reassuring, but one by one Mimikyu's team returned to their shelter; one red light after the other filling the cave until in the end only Mimikyu was left, seated on Master's chest where he had been the whole time.

"His leg probably got infected, leading to the fever," the second man mumbled as he ran his torch across Master's body. "Yep, looks like quite the nasty bite."

"I'm surprised the bone wasn't snapped through," Blue murmured before cocking his head to the right. "Okay, time to go, it seems. I think we're going to get some company soon. Red, you good with letting Blastoise take the lead this time?"

"Fine with me," the second man, Red, agreed before he released the equally hulking mass that was Blastoise.

Blastoise barely spared Mimikyu a glance, already turning in the direction of the cave opening.

"Okay, just hold on tight, Mimikyu," Red smiled and rose up, stepping aside so that Machamp could bend down and pick up Master. "We'll take care of your Trainer, don't you worry."

As Mimikyu tightly clung to Master's chest, focusing on the heartbeat within it, he could only hope that he and his team hadn't just made a very big mistake.

AN2: The speech of the Pokémon is more articulated here, because I figured that there is no distortion taken place. I imagine that even though humans can understand Pokémon to a certain degree, there is still some "noise" interfering with the understanding, aka why the grammar and vocabulary is off when Naruto hears his Pokémon talk. Amongst Pokémon themselves, however, there is no "noise" so they can understand each other perfectly.

Question: in which order would you put Naruto's team if you were to rank them in order of favourite? :)

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! 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.