A/N: So, I recently got back into pokemon when i saw this epic pic that proved the inspiration for this story. I mean the pic is so epic that it'd make any pokemon fan pick up their ds and play heart gold or soul silver. I don't own the pic or pokemon. Since I can't seem to link the pic, it depicts Red and Gold. Red is standing there looking at Gold who stops in his tracks and looks back. It's snowing and if you read along, the last paragraph and lines I used are from the pic, course i kind of changed it up a bit.

Anyway, there's more to come please review and tell me what you think!

A battle of epic proportions

by: M

Mt. Silver

An unrelenting labyrinth of passages and dead ends.

One wrong turn and you're screwed, doomed to try and find your way back out.

A resting ground for the strongest of pokemon.

A place only the most elite trainers could enter.

A place only the best of the best could even hope to survive in.

It was life or death here.

It was my kind of place.

It's black entrance loomed before me daring me to enter at my own risk. The edges of the cave and the way it was shaped made it look as if the cave was smiling a sinister smile for those that stood before it. The type of smile bad guys gave when the good guys fell for their trap. All around me was wilderness and I could hear the rustlings of the wild pokemon living in the area. No other human being was in sight. But then again, who would come to this place? The stories surrounding Mt. Silver weren't very pleasant. Aside from the stories, there were guards who made sure only those who were on another level, like me, were allowed in. And even though we were allowed to pass, the guards tried to dissuade us. They'd warn us about the wild pokemon, the harsh weather, and the darkness. The light consuming darkness that swallowed everything.

"You're walking into the jaws of a monster." One of them told me.

"It's an abyss! An endless abyss." Another said.

Standing before the entrance of the so-called abyss, I felt something within me stir. Something I haven't felt for a long time. Fear. This didn't make sense. I didn't feel fear when I took on both Johto and Kanto gym leaders. I didn't feel fear when I fought team rocket and their leader. I didn't even feel fear when I first battled against Lance and his Dragon pokemon. But now, standing in front of Mt. Silver I couldn't help but feel fear. Maybe it was fear of the unknown. But then again, throughout my journey I was always stepping into the realm of the unknown. So, what could it be? Why fear and why now? At times like this, my fear would be replaced with a surge of excitement, the kind of adrenaline pumping excitement that made anyone feel like they could do anything. But the fear lingered deep within me. Looking into the jaws of the cave I couldn't help but feel this strong presence. Like, when I first took on Lugia and Ho-oh. It was like someone or something was looking down on me, judging me from where I stood. Something so strong, so out of my league it exuded this pressure that made my knees buckle.

Suddenly, I was freaking out. This was stupid! It was just a cave. A stupid little zubat-infested cave. It couldn't hurt me. Hell, nothing could! I'm the league champion for Mewtwo's sake! But still, no matter how much I reasoned with myself my legs just wouldn't budge.

A nudge from behind snapped me out of my little episode. I turned around and looked into the eyes of my partner. I couldn't help but grin when I looked at his hardened, confident eyes. He looked at me with a look that said, "You really gonna wimp out? What the hell are you waiting for? C'mon!" He and I sure came a long way from where we once were. He used to be a timid Cyndaquil who always kept his head held down. But now he stood in all his fiery glory as a prideful Typhlosion.

"I dunno, buddy. Can't you feel that? That pressure? Something's there. Something strong. Probably a pokemon we've never faced before. Maybe we should turn back." I said, staring at the cave and back at Typhlosion.

In response, he let out a roar; his vibrant flames erupting with much more passion than ever before. He stared at me again, fire in his eyes. Typhlosion always knew what to do to get me fired up. I grinned at him, my trademark smirk-like grin and turned my cap back around. It was time to grow a pair. Whatever was there, I'd face it with Typhlosion and the rest of my team.

"Well," I said to Tyhplosion. "Let's do this!"

The minute I entered Mt. Silver, the pressure I felt standing before it just disappeared. Maybe Typhlosion was right, it was just my nerves that got me all worked up. Of course, we didn't have much time to spend talking about it. The second I took a step forward the famed pokemon of Mt. Silver made their presence known. Just as the guards said, these pokemon were much faster, wilder, stronger, much more savage. They came at me and my team with no hesitation. No matter how many Typhlosion would beat down they'd get right back up and start swinging. They were fierce and resilient, these pokemon. But my team was no joke and together we pressed on against the horde of wild pokemon that came.

As we climbed Mt. Silver higher and higher, fighting anything that stood in our way, fatigue began to creep into us. Despite my high level and well-trained team, there were just too many pokemon coming at us. With no tent or safe place to recuperate, we pressed on the way we were. The higher we climbed, the closer defeat and blacking out came. It took all I had to put my foot forward and it took all my team had to just barely make it through each battle. We were sore. We were tired. We were getting beaten by the horde of pokemon. Things weren't looking good.

Just as we were about to give up hope, to succumb to fatigue, we saw the light shining brightly. We were at the exit. We made it. We actually made it! Seeing the light flooding into the cave, my team and I gained a second wind and on we ran towards the light. Towards the exit. Towards the top of Mount Silver.

As soon as my feet touched the snowy mountain top I collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily. And while I would have just loved to knock out and catch up on rest, I had to do something first. One by one, I called my pokemon out to heal their wounds with whatever medicine I had left, to keep them up in tiptop form in case any wild pokemon came about. Once I finished, I recalled them all, Typhlosion included back into their pokeballs. The weather really was harsh up here, aside from the sheer cold it seemed a snowstorm was already brewing. The last thing I needed was to find one of my pokemon frozen or lost in the snow.

Despite the violent weather, I couldn't help but admire the sight before me. Everything was covered in a snowy white blanket. A sudden burst of wind came as I was admiring the sight and sent my hat flying a few feet. I sighed, zipping up my sweater and readjusting my pack before picking up my hat. It was really windy. See, every time I bent to pick up my hat, the wind would pick it up and blow it a little bit further. The blowing snow began to pick up the pace and it wasn't long before I had trouble seeing just a few feet ahead of me. But I'd be damned if I lost my hat!

The wind continued to push it away from me. So, I pushed against the wind and after awhile, I finally caught up to it. My hat laid on the snow and though the wind pushed against it, my hat was pushing up against something else preventing the wind from carrying it any further. It wasn't long before I was able to pick it up and notice that the wind was pushing my hat up against a slab of rock that looked like a stepping stone.

I put on my hat and as I did, the snowstorm seemed to die down and with that I was able to see things more clearly. I stood before many slabs of rock that helped to form a small stair case of sorts. The stair case led to a platform from what I could see. I thought I already reached the top of the mountain. It seemed like I was wrong. Damn it all. For a second, I almost felt the same knee-buckling pressure I felt when I was standing in front of the entrance. But it died down when I realized the minute I stepped foot on the snowy ground there were no pokemon or trainers around. I let out a breath and began to ascend the stairs one by one.

I didn't expect anyone to be there. But when I reached the top of the mountain, I saw him. Instantly, I froze mid-step. All of a sudden the knee-buckling pressure I felt when I stood before the entrance came rushing back and it took all I had to keep from trembling and falling to my knees. He wore a cap and a red polo over his black shirt. Despite the sheer cold that gnawed at us, he didn't seem bothered by it.

He stood there, silently watching as if he had been waiting all along for someone to make it this far. He hit me with a cold, glance and without a word, reached for a pokeball.

I swallowed my fear and did the same.

A/N: Anyway, first chapter done. *Cue epic battle music*