Disclaimer: We do not own Pokemon or its original characters, just so you know.
Author's Note: This story wrote itself, assuming you know what Pokemon is, and who regular characters like Oak and Ash are.
Professor Oak had seen many things during his long career as a Pokemon researcher, but he wasn't quite prepared for the picture that a visiting police officer slid across the counter to him one summer morning. He looked at it once, twice, then back up at the officer as his hands fumbled in the pockets of his white lab coat for his reading glasses.
"Er, what did you say your name was again?"
"Krutch," the police man said. "I was referred to you by our mutual friend, Officer Jenny. She assured me that you would be able to tell me what I want to know."
The Professor chuckled nervously as he pulled on his glasses. "I see. Well, Mr. Krutch—excuse me, Officer Krutch—I'm not sure what exactly you need me to tell you about this, um, photograph. All I see is a little girl playing in the grass with some Chansey."The policeman narrowed his eyes, the very edges of his mouth lifting in amusement. "Not just a little girl, Professor. A naked little girl. And from what I can tell, she looks six or seven years old, and very, shall we say, Pokemon-like. As if she was abandoned by her parents and was raised by animals."
Professor Oak reddened. "Well, I suppose...er, do you know who she is? I assume you've alerted CPS."
"I did," Krutch replied, leaning over the counter so he was face to face with the Professor. "And the strange thing is, when they went to find her, she had vanished without a trace. It's like she knew how to disappear without leaving any evidence of her existence behind...no hair, no footprints, nothing. Or maybe she was never there to begin with." He stood straight and shook his head. "But this picture is legitimate. I'm the one who took it, after all. I know what I saw."
"Well, I still don't see how I can help you," the Professor said, taking care to look away from the picture.
"I think you can," Krutch said, finally returning the photo to a pocket inside his dark jacket. "I know for a fact that you, the oldest and most renowned of the Pokemon researchers, have seen and studied all Pokemon species in existence—or at least all known species. With your knowledge, I expect you'll be able to help me figure this out. You see, not long ago, I'd heard that there are Pokemon that can mimic the appearance of humans...Ditto and Zorua and the like. Now, none of those species are local to the area where I saw the little girl—that is, not that we know of. But I was hoping that a great researcher such as yourself could tell me if it is possible for such a Pokemon to live or migrate there. If it isn't possible, then I will be looking for a very elusive and wild little girl, or a ghost of one. I just want to know the possibilities before I press forward with this investigation."
"I understand," the Professor said, suddenly turning serious. "But before I can make any recommendations, of course, I need to know where the picture was taken."
Krutch hesitated, but after a moment he murmured, "Cinnabar Island."
The Professor's face lightened a shade. Years ago, Cinnabar Island had been a pristine, luscious tourist spot in the seas south of Pallet Town. Tourists flocked there to enjoy the subtropical environment, the warm beaches and pleasant sunshine. Trainers had flocked there, too, to challenge the Cinnabar Gym and battle against the unique Pokemon that lived on the island. Another local curiosity had been the burned-down mansion that had once been a research facility where Oak himself had worked, how many years ago had it been...he cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"Cinnabar was destroyed by that volcanic eruption, wasn't it? I imagine only fire Pokemon survived that."
"It's been years since the eruption," Krutch said, appearing to study Oak's face. "Plants have grown back, attracting Pokemon to the island. Those Chansey, for example. And I can assure you, they were very real. I was sent down there to observe them, as a favor to the Safari Game Warden back in Fuchsia City. The Cinnabar Chanseys may have escaped from the Safari Zone, but the Warden wants this wild population to thrive on its own." He grinned dryly. "You can only imagine my surprise when I went there and found—or thought I found—something more uncommon than Chanseys."
"Indeed," Oak murmured thoughtfully. He glanced past the officer out a large window that overlooked Pallet Town, as if the answer he wanted was somewhere down there. Finally he spoke, but continued looking out the window. "Given the stories of Cinnabar's destruction, and the rumors of haunting at the burned mansion before that, an ordinary person might conclude that there are ghosts on the island now. But I am not given in to superstition, Officer. In my professional experience, I have found that what are thought to be spirits or supernatural in nature, are actually very tangible under the right circumstances. Like Ghost type Pokemon. They seem supernatural, and have abilities that go beyond our understanding, yet we can touch them—even capture them! So do not worry about tracking down a spirit, Officer Krutch. At the very least, you are looking for a Ghost-type Pokemon or, God forbid, an abandoned child."
"I would rather find the Pokemon," Krutch agreed. "The idea of a lost child, well. There are few worse things I can think of." He offered his hand. "Thanks, Professor."
Professor Oak nodded and shook his hand. "I do hope you get all this resolved. In fact, I have half a mind to assist you. I rather miss doing fieldwork, and your case is intriguing, but my research is here..."
"Professor Oak?!" a voice called distantly from the back entrance. "It's Ash! Where are you?"
The Professor flashed Krutch an indulging smile. "On second thought, my research can wait. Let's go!"
By the time Krutch's Fearow alighted on a rocky slope on the southern side of Cinnabar, Professor Oak had remembered why he usually preferred to work in the lab. He had a difficult time prying his death grip from the giant bird's copper-brown feathers, but with a little help from Krutch and an impatient growl from the Fearow, he managed it in the end. Now on solid ground, he smoothed his grey hair back and surveyed the area. The hill they stood on was the smallest of three hills, the highest covered the northern end of the island, and was made up of jagged, black rock. The second hill sloped down from the extinct volcano and was covered in tall grass. If Oak remembered correctly, the old Cinnabar gym used to stand there. The hill where they stood was rocky, but sloped further down past them to meet the sandy shore where palm trees were growing, and orange Krabby sidestepped in the shallows. Krutch returned his Fearow to its Pokeball and looked at the Professor. "Well, this is it. What do you think?"
"It's a lot different than when I watched the eruption on the news. I'd have to say it's undergone a drastic improvement since then." He stooped down to examine the dirt. "I see tracks—a good sign for ecological recovery. Rattata over here, and a Pidgey over there. And look, a Growlithe passed by not long ago!" He stood up, dusting the sand off his hands. "But I'm not seeing any Chansey tracks."
Krutch snorted. "Well, they aren't classified as rare for nothing. Besides, I didn't see them come over here. They were on that slope further up, in the grass." He gestured toward the grassy hill above them.
"I guess we might as well take a look," Oak said, picking up a long stick to help him maintain his balance as he walked up the incline. Krutch walked beside him, and before long they made it to the top of this hill. After a bit of searching, they found nothing but tracks left by common Pokemon. Oak found some footprints that were the right size for Chansey, but after close examination, they turned out to be made by a Raticate.
"Hey, Professor…you might want to see this!"
Oak rushed over as quickly as the sloping ground would allow, scrambling over a rocky stretch of dirt to get where Krutch was standing. They were at the point where the grassy slope met with the third hill, which was really the dead volcano. Krutch pointed toward a jagged mound of the black rock, and now Oak could see where rainfall had eroded a large, downward-sloping hole. It was large enough for a grown man to go into, and Oak nodded to Krutch. "Let's check it out. She...or it...could be down there." He paused, peering into the darkness. "You didn't happen to bring a flashlight, did you?"
"No, but I brought the next-best thing." Krutch pulled a Pokeball off his belt and released a Charmeleon, whose tail tip glowed with a brilliant, orange flame.
"Ah, a Charmeleon," Oak said in approval. "A fine Pokemon to have around."
"Thanks, but...you didn't bring any Pokemon with you, did you Professor? I noticed you don't have any Pokeballs. Unless they're in your pockets..."
Oak smiled thinly. "I haven't needed to carry a Pokemon in years. I don't get out of the lab much these days...and besides, we rushed out of there too quickly for me to grab one."
"Right," Krutch grunted. "You better stay behind me, then. I don't know what kind of Pokemon could be hiding out down there, but we'll keep you safe. Let's go."
They stepped down into the hole, with Krutch and his Charmeleon in the front and Oak following closely behind them. The hole opened up into a tunnel that was just tall enough for them to stand up in. There was black rock on all sides, glistening with moisture. The only sound was a faint dripping of water, the crunch of their footsteps, and a faint crackling from the charmeleon's tail. After several minutes of walking down this narrow tunnel, the rocky walls gave way to smooth, grey walls that curved away to create a cavernous space that was mostly hidden in shadow. Professor Oak felt his stomach turn cold when he caught sight of a once-graceful stone pillar, blackened by time and fire. It stretched high into the darkness to reach the ceiling somewhere overhead.
"We're in the burned mansion," Oak murmured.
Krutch turned to look at him so quickly, his neck popped. "How do you know that? Have you been here before?"
"A long time ago," Oak said softly. "When I was a different man." He was quiet for a moment, caught in the memories of that past life.
"Well," Krutch said briskly, "maybe you should be the one to navigate us, then. Which way should we go?"
"Depends on what corridors are still open," Oak replied. "If the columns are here, then the stairs should be...this way." He led Krutch and the Charmeleon through the dimness until, at the very edges of their vision, they could see a flight of stairs. Once there had been a flight of steps going up to what used to be the second floor of the mansion; now it was a broken-down pile of rubble. The flight going down, however, appeared to be in working order. The party descended the steps and came out into what looked like a long, wide corridor. The walls here looked like they were made of metal, as they glinted dully beneath a layer of grimy film. The floors were cracked tile, and the ceiling, which was lower, showed broken light fixtures and messes of frayed wires. They walked along the hall until they came to a gaping doorway, the door having gone missing ages ago. Passing through it, they found a large room with cracked counters and rusty metal tables and yawning metal containers that looked like they each had once held something as large as a man. Krutch noted this without a word, but his face and narrow gaze said everything.
"What the hell was this place?"
"It's a laboratory," Oak said suddenly.
Krutch looked back at him. "Yes, but for what?"
Oak smiled ruefully, running his hand along one of the dusty tables. "Pokemon research. I used to work here, doing that."
"Back when you were a different man," Krutch said, remembering his earlier words. "Why didn't you tell me that before, when I first mentioned Cinnabar?"
"You didn't ask," Oak said simply, shrugging. "Besides, it's history. All the top minds in Johto and Kanto came here to do research. Dr. Fuji. Yakaima. Sakura. Rowan. The things we discovered here were groundbreaking and, in my opinion, nothing short of spectacular." He sighed, shaking his head. "But knowledge taken too far, unfortunately, often brings about destruction."
"I assume you mean when the mansion burned down."
Oak nodded grimly. "That's right. It was Sakura's fault, really. He pressured the other researchers to support his project, in spite of the ethical and hazardous implications associated with it." He chuckled spitefully, looking about the decimated laboratory. "I could've stopped it, but I didn't. I was too proud; too zealous in research. Our project was the integration of Pokemon DNA into humans. Sakura believed it could solve humans' problems with rapid ageing and diseases, and give us abilities to channel the elements. He said it would help us evolve as a species. And we...I...believed him." He turned to face Krutch, a look of remorse on his face.
"That girl you saw, the one you have a photo of...she is a direct result of that project. I had tried to forget about all this, about my part in it, and about her. But you brought it back."
Krutch's stony expression did not waver. "Who is she, Professor? What did you do to her?"
Oak lowered his head. "Her name is Holly. She was the granddaughter of Dr. Fuji. When she was seven years old, she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. In a last-ditch attempt to save her, Dr. Fuji allowed Sakura to experiment on her—using Pokemon DNA. The end result was that her cancer was cured. But, like a Pokemon, she seemed to age more slowly, if at all. She could also use elemental powers, but could not control them. The last time I saw her, she was surrounded by the flames she had created...the very flames that killed Sakura and burned down this mansion. The rest of us thought she had died…"
Krutch's face hardened further. "You never went public with his story, have you?"
Oak shook his head grimly. "Like I said, I was a different man back then. When the mansion burned down, I thought I could..."
"You aided in experimentation on humans!" Krutch growled. "You hurt them, and you hurt Pokemon!"
Suddenly a dark look flashed across Oak's face, and he grabbed Krutch's neck faster than humanly possible. The Charmeleon snarled and tried to attack him, but the Professor kicked it with the strength and precision of a martial artist, sending it flying.
"Everything I did was worth it," Oak said to Krutch as the officer tried to pry himself free from Oak's sudden iron grasp.
"Pokemon and people alike died for the knowledge I gained, but their legacy and contributions will live on. Holly will live on. I thought she had died. All these years, I thought our work had been in vain. But now I know our research saved her life." He scowled. "You, however, cannot have that privilege." With that said, he threw Krutch so hard that the officer's body impacted the nearest wall with a sickening crunch. Oak rubbed his hands together as if dusting them off, and stepped over the unconscious Charmeleon into the dark corridor. He wasn't bothered by the darkness, though he had pretended to be. He could see just fine. He had the DNA of all Pokemon, after all. And that made him the very best, like no one ever was.