Disclaimer: I do not own any of this! Sherlock and Pokemon are not my idea and belong to their rightful and respected owners! Enjoy!
Things to mention: This takes place in the Virtu league, and the starter pokemon used are the ones from Sinnoh. Also, I don't really know the Unova region that well so I'm not using pokemon from it.
Okay so that's it, enjoy the story!
Ch. 1-A Day to Re-Ember!
"Turtwig?"
"Check."
"Piplup?"
"Check."
"Chimchar?"
John gulped as he turned to Professor Rowan, who was still looking at his clip board. As the Professor's helper, John was used to checking the starter pokemon to make sure they were all there when the trainers came for them, but today he was caught off guard by Chimchar's empty cell.
"Professor, Chimchar's not there!" John exclaimed. "He must have escaped!"
The Professor looked up from his clipboard, eyes widening when he looked over to where Chimchar should have been, but wasn't.
"What? But where could he have gone?" Rowan shouted. "This is terrible! We have three trainers coming today! John, I need that Chimchar! Go find it!"
"Right away sir," John hurriedly left the pokemon storage rooms and ran through the lab, searching it in case Chimchar was still in the building. He looked through all of the rooms, but to no avail, because Chimchar didn't appear to be in any of them. The boy was about to cry out in frustration when he saw Chimchar through a window. The little monkey was heading up a nearby hill where a cave was placed on top. Quickly sprinting out of the lab, John ran to the hill, only to see the Chimchar enter into the cave. After climbing up the hill, John ran into the cave, calling out Chimchar's name.
"Come on Chimchar! You have to come back, there are trainers coming today!"
Unfortunately, Chimchar didn't return to John, and he was forced to go deeper into the cave. It grew darker and darker, until he could barely see, and he had to use the walls as a guide.
"Chimchar!" John called. "Please Chimchar, show me where you are!"
Just as he was about to lose all hope, a small light appeared about fifty feet from John. Walking cautiously over to the light, John smiled.
"Chimchar, you should know better than to-
Suddenly the cave erupted, and from the debris rose a giant monster, with piercing black eyes and massive claw-like hands. John's blood froze as the monster roared and turned to face him. He tried to back up, but ended up tripping in the darkness and falling onto his back. The monster began to move toward him, and John could hear malicious voices all around him, laughing and hissing and growling at him, and it was all he could do to scream before the monster lunged.
"NO!" John lurched out of bed, effectively shooting from his sheets into the air and landing on the ground was a painful "umph!" Before he could right himself completely, the light in his room turned on and two steady hands were lifting him upright.
"Was it the nigthmare again, John?" Professor Rowan asked softly, looking at the scared child. John breathed deeply for a few seconds before nodding his head. Sighing, the Professor stood up and placed John on his bed in a sitting position.
"Don't worry John," the older man smiled, a rare occasion as Rowan wasn't the smiling type. "Your nightmares will go away soon." John forced a small smile in return, but his heart was still beating furiously. He watched defeatedly the Professor nod at him and leave his small room; Rowan had been saying that ever since the nightmares started, and that was a year ago. At least they had gone from being daily to being monthly. John had actually been hopeful that they had stopped, because he hadn't had one in two months. Sadly, it appeared that wasn't the case.
Not wanting to go back to sleep, John prepared to get ready for the day. The sun was already starting to form over the horizon, and he would have to get to work soon anyway. Working at Professor Rowan's assistant was sometimes hard, but John liked the work, especially when it came to healing pokemon. The professor always let John work with the injured pokemon that trainers brought to them, because (although the older man wouldn't admit this) John just had a way with nursing pokemon back to health.
Today was not a healing day though, because the Professor was getting visited by two pokemon trainers who were getting their starter pokemon. Everything had to go perfectly, and John silently prayed that there would be no incidents like in his nightmares. After putting on his uniform, John slipped out of his room and walked slowly over to the main lab, where no doubt Rowan would be starting up all of the machinery and getting it ready for today's activities. Wincing, John noticed that his limp was worse than usual, as it was whenever he had the nightmares. Upon entering the lab, John smiled as he spotted all three starter pokemon already sitting on the table.
When the Professor spotted him, he walked over to the older man and stood by the Professor's desk. Looking at the desk, he cocked an eyebrow when he saw his own pokedex (partly dismantled) on the surface, and Rowan working on it.
"Sir is that my-
"Of course," Rowan finished putting all the pieces back into place. "I just updated it to the National Pokedex." After handing it to John, he embraced the boy and exclaimed, "Happy Eleventh Birthday!"
John grinned as he took hold of the pokedex and hugged Rowan. "Thank you Professor! This gift is wonderful!"
Suddenly a loud slam echoed throughout the lab, and the two parted and looked up as the chatter of two young boys could now be heard.
"The trainers!" Rowan quickly rushed over to the table where Piplup, Turtwig, and Chimchar sitting. John rushed to grab the two new pokedexes that no doubt both trainers would require, and then joined the Professor by the table. The door opened and a boy a little taller than John with short, peppered hair rushed in, a wide grin on his face.
"Wow, this is so exciting!" the boy shouted. "My first pokemon! So cool!"
The other boy, looking at the first with a look of revulsion, walking in, and upon spotting Professor Rowan and John, walked up to the table.
"So you're Professor Rowan?" the boy hissed, a little rudely.
"Yes, young man, and are you Seb-
"Who's this?" the boy turned his hateful gaze on John, who looked down at his feet, intimidated by this harsh boy.
"I'm John," he spoke. "I'm Professor Rowan's assistant."
"You're his assistant? That's so cool!" the first boy was suddenly at the table, leaning over it so that he was an inch from John's face.
"Uh...yeah...very cool," John smiled hesitantly.
"My name's Greg. You must be an expert on pokemon then," the boy continued to chatter. "Which one of these starter pokemon do you think is the best?"
"Um, well Greg...all of them are pretty good," John stuttered. "Turtwig is a very smart pokemon and really loyal, Chimchar's got amazing fire power, and Piplup's technique and execution of moves makes it a strong pokemon, although I'm not a particular fan of water types-
At this last statement, the other boy interrupted.
"So you don't like water types huh? Think they're weak? Show's how good of an assistant you are!"
"No, that's not what I meant!" John tried to explain, but the boy had already turned to Rowan. Piplup, with it's pride having been hurt, glared at John.
"I want the Piplup," he hissed at Rowan, who narrowed his eyes but gave the boy Piplup's pokeball.
"Very well," the Professor stated and handed him the pokeball and his pokedex. "Raise it with care-
"Don't tell me how to raise my pokemon!" the boy snapped, then turned to John. "Hey assistant, why don't you put your money where you mouth is and battle my so-called 'weak' water pokemon?!"
"Th-that wasn't what I meant and I...I don't have any pokemon," John's cheeks got beat red and he looked down again. He felt so ashamed and embarrassed; all he wanted to do right now was go back to his room. This boy was berating him in front of the Professor and another trainer, and there wasn't a thing he could do about it.
"I'll battle you," Greg stated.
"What?" the other boy turned, and glared at him. "Why would I want to battle you?"
"Battling makes pokemon and their trainers stronger," Greg replied. "And it would be a great way for me to try out my new Turtwig. Is that alright with you Professor?"
"Are you saying you choose Turtwig?" Rowan asked. When Greg nodded, Rowan handed him Turtwig's pokeball and a pokedex. Turtwig jumped from the table enthusiastically and landed next to Greg. Piplup leaped from the table and landed next to the other boy, but he was still looking at John.
"I don't want to battle you, Greg," the boy hissed. "I want to battle him. He insulted my pokemon!"
"Piplup!" Piplup let out a battle cry.
"I already told you, I don't have any pokemon!" John cried, getting more upset. He took a step back, but his leg gave out from under him, and he landed flat on his back.
"Hm...looks like you're just a pathetic person after all!" the boy mocked, and Piplup turned it's head up in pride. Tears welled in John's eyes and he was about to cry when out of nowhere, fire spewed all over Piplup and the boy.
"Chim...CHAR!" Chimchar roared as he used Ember again and again, continually pelting the boy and Piplup with the small pellets of fire.
"Ch-chimchar?" John pushed himself off the ground and carefully stood up. The monkey stood in front of John protectively, glaring at the boy and Piplup.
"Oh yeah?" the boy dusted himself off. "Piplup, use bubblebeam and don't disappoint!"
John froze as Piplup launched an impressive bubblebeam, but Chimchar was already firing Ember again. The two attacks collided with an explosion that erupted with smoke.
"Please, leave my lab at once!" Rowan yelled at the boy once the smoke had cleared. "You've gotten your pokemon and you're already causing trouble!"
The boy glared at John as he put Piplup into his pokeball without a word and went toward the exit. After opening the door, he cast Greg, the Professor, and John one final glare and spoke,
"This isn't over."
Greg was very nice in offering to stay and help repair the damages that John and the boy's battle had done to Rowan's office.
"Who was that guy?" Greg asked as he helped lift a fallen bookcase with John.
"Sebastian Moran," Rowan answered, looking at a clip board. "I was told that a Sebastian Moran and Gregory Lestrade would be coming today, and since you're Gregory, or Greg, I can only assume that the other boy was Sebastian."
"You'd think you took his lunch or something," Greg turned to John, "the way he was yelling at you."
"Yeah, luckily Chimchar was there for me," John smiled at Chimchar, who had been at his heel ever since the battle.
"I'm surprised," Greg continued. "You'd think with the compatibility you two have, you would be out battling. Don't you want to battle gyms and enter the Virtu league?"
"I don't know...I'm a bit nervous leaving Baker Town," John replied.
"Come now John," Professor Rowan spoke up. "I think it would be a good opportunity. You're eleven now, and you have this Chimchar that I'm sure would love to accompany you on your quest through the Virtu region."
John looked at the Professor, with a look in his eyes that said,
Professor, you know why I can't go.
But the Professor looked back at John with his own look, that John knew meant,
John, you need to let go of what happened a year ago. You'll be alright.
Looking at the Chimchar, John remembered his nightmare that morning. He was very afraid that what happened last time he tried to start a pokemon quest would happen again, and he already had a limp to remind him of it. However, then he thought of the morning, and how Chimchar had protected him. Maybe he could journey through the Virtu region. Besides being a pokemon doctor, John did always have a secret wish to become a champion battler.
"Well...alright," John decided, and turned to Chimchar. "Chimchar, will you join me on my journey?"
"Chim, chimchar!" Chimchar squealed with excitement and hugged John, who smiled and hugged the pokemon back. The moment was perfect, except it was interrupted as the four of them hear footsteps. Turning to the door, John met the startling, icy blue eyes of a boy with curly black hair and a Zubat perched on his shoulder. Before he could ask for the boy's name, the boy spoke first,
"I need to speak with Professor Rowan."
Alright so I don't know if anyone will actually read this or if it's too bizarre but I sincerely hope you guys like it and if you could please let me know with a review I would be so grateful!