The wind howled and the snow blew relentlessly, making the peak of Mount Silver one of the most uninhabitable places in the world. The cold was nearly unbearable, and the blizzards were merciless in the winter, and yet one boy had survived it; one man who now looked down upon the regions of Kanto and Johto with hollow eyes and a heavy heart.
When he stood at the peak of the legendary mountain, Red felt as if he was on top of the world. In the summer, it had the most breathtaking views of the sunset. He could see all the way across Kanto and partway over Johto, making him realize just how small the world was. Whenever Green would climb all the way to visit him, he never ceased to complain about the rugged geography and the icy climate. To Red, those were little things, and they were all worth it, just to see the magnificent view.
When he had first stumbled up the forbidden mountain that rose between the two neighboring regions, Red was only concerned about reaching the summit and conquering the glacial giant. He had had no intention of seeking near-permanent refuge atop its snowy peak, and yet here he was. In his opinion, it was the perfect escape. No one would seek him here, not unless they had the guts to climb the Arceus-forsaken mountain on their own. No one would bother him. He could be alone, alone with his pokemon, which were all he needed. Or at least that's what he thought.
Even when they were children, Green had teased him about his affection for pokemon. Red had always loved pokemon. He could hardly remember when he didn't love them. Even when he had none of his own, he was astounded by their amazing powers and absorbed in their way of life. He was completely fascinated with them. They were so pure, compared to humans, which could be corrupt and judgmental. They were creatures that he could befriend, and they would view him as he was.
Unfortunately, during his journey as a new pokemon trainer, Red was thrust headfirst not only into the pokemon world, but also into the human world. And it was very, very real. There was no escaping it. Even when he barely survived his encounters with Team Rocket, or with the corrupted Elite Four, there still were lingering memories that haunted him. After years of being on Mt. Silver though, Red had been able to push down those memories. He had no troubles, no enemies, just his pokemon.
People often speculated why he had ran away to be on the mountain, the few people who knew he wasn't dead like the rumors suggested. The most popular belief was so that he could train, to be the best pokemon trainer there ever was. Some thought that he was a pokemon prodigy, what with being the youngest trainer to ever win a regional pokemon League. Some of the other Dexholders that he had befriended over the years thought that he was simply off sulking, whether about his fabled defeat (also part of the rumors), or of his bad history with Team Rocket and the Elite Four. Red wasn't going to deny that he had lost a match, but he also wasn't going to confirm it. Rumors were rumors, and when it came to them, he'd much rather prefer for it to go around that he was undefeated. It just added to his mysteriousness.
No, the reason itself was quite simple. Red ran because of the irrelevance. For the first few years after he won the Indigo League and defeated the Elite Four, Red had been overwhelmed with praise and glory. Yes, overwhelmed was the word. From the very start of his journey, Red had never once wanted any of it. He never cared about winning gym badges like Green had. He had never even wanted to complete in the Indigo League, but he did because that's what all the trainers who aspired to be something great did. But he had never wanted to win. Not really. If anything, he was competing to be better than Green, and he was the one who stood at the end of the finish line. He wanted the championship. He wanted to be the last one standing and be the one they all praised.
But after several months, Red was reminded of the reason why he had started his journey in the first place. After returning from the horrific results of his "invitation" to challenge the Elite Four, Red knew that he didn't want to hurt his pokemon any more. His pokemon had suffered because of his overzealous attitude, and it hurt him just as badly. Wasn't the reason he had been so eager to begin his journey because he wanted to befriend pokemon? If he hurt them, then it was just the same as if he had betrayed them, and that was the last thing he ever wanted to do.
Red was past the finish line, and he knew it. As a trainer, he had done all that there was to offer that was on the straight and guided path. He had won the gym badges, beat the pokemon league, and defeated the Elite Four. In writing, he was the model trainer. And yet, he was not what he started out to be.
Red knew that he had to get away. The fame, the glory; it was all too much. And so he ran away. He had already climbed Mt. Silver once to train, and he knew that was the perfect place to be his escape. No one dared venture into its lightless caves. Insanely powerful pokemon resided there, casting away any yuppie trainers. Isolation and solitude… just what he had wanted.
Occasionally, some young trainer who actually listened to the rumors would travel up the icy slopes of the mountain in search of the "lost champion." Red supposed the title was fitting. He had broken the conventions of a crowned champion by seeking isolation. But it was rare that a trainer would have prowess enough to impress the Elite Four, so there were few challengers that would be eligible to battle him. Although Lance had disagreed with his terms, Red had settled to let those who defeated the Elite Four challenge him, the current reigning champion. They did, however, have to make it through Mt. Silver first. Only then, in his eyes, would they be deemed suitable for a challenge.
To Green, his terms seemed contradictory. 'You never cared about winning,' he said. 'Why go through all the trouble with the cat and mouse games?' To that, Red had a plain answer: to test their bond. Red knew that there were many great trainers that reached the point of success, but he also knew that a percent of those trainers viewed their pokemon only as steps to their ascension. Tools, to little extent. Trainers could challenge the Elite Four and win and set their sights on him, but they could be the ones that he disagreed with. They could be the ones that didn't value their bond with their pokemon as he did. Green would roll his eyes and call him critical, but Red saw it as a different sort of challenge. It was true; he didn't care about the wins or his battle record. What he did care about was the substance of the young trainers that were being thrown into the world of pokemon each year. He had seen what Team Rocket had exploited, and it made him sick. Pokemon trainers were taught to care and nurture their pokemon as friends, not use them as stepping-stones. Red could only hope that the trainers like those would see the difference in his battle strategy and realize that it wasn't just about winning, but also about trust.
Trust was one of the making and breaking points he had with Green. He was one of his closest friends, one who would brave the snow and ice of his domain just to catch up. And yet, he was also the one who would tell him of the home he had left behind, and their friends they had met in the past. Green was never one for beating around the bush, and he always gave him the cold truth. Red appreciated that about him, but he would never tell him in words how much pain he caused him every time he brought up his mother. It had been years since he had last seen her, and Red felt as guilty as hell about it. Green and him had had a fight about it, once, when he had been on Mt. Silver nearing five years.
'You don't think I miss her? You don't think it kills me to be up here without having contact with anyone for this long?' he had screamed into his face. Even Green had seemed frightened. Frightened, and impressed. Impressed that he had shown genuine emotion? Not likely. But that he had in fact admitted what he had kept bottled up for years? Most definitely.
Red was ashamed that he had blown off at his friend in that way, but Green hadn't seen bothered at all. He hadn't said a word after that, but Red could see it in his eyes. He was amused and content.
After that, Red had begun writing letters back to his mother. They were brief, and not very detailed, but they were something, and from the look on Green's face when he had presented him with the first one, it was something good.
Red had initially thought that he wasn't needed, and that he didn't need anyone when he had chosen to isolate himself on the mountain. Now looking back, he realized just how foolish he had been; a cocky sixteen year old who had thought that he was different from what he had been five years before. But he was wrong. As Green had noticed, one couldn't truly change no matter how hard they tried. The years of solitude had given Red time to think, which he was thankful of. He had learned his lesson and changed for the better. Had he accomplished his goal? That was up for debate. But now, after eight years of being stuck atop Mt. Silver, he felt that for the first time, he was ready to make amends.
Red stared down at the region of Kanto. It was the beginning of spring, the time for new beginnings. The snow was just beginning to melt on the lower cliffs of the mountain as fresh flowers started popping up from beneath the glistening white sheet. Just the other day, a herd of Pidgey and their more evolved forms flew out from the cave, embracing the return of the sun's warmth. It was one of the reasons why Red enjoyed the mountain so much. He loved marveling in the mysterious and beautiful wonders of the pokemon world. But now he had to take his first few steps back into his own world.
Red's hand went to a pokeball on his belt, plucking it and tossing it lightly onto the soft snow. A giant orange dragon appeared a second later, its reptilian head curling around to look at him curiously as plume of smoke coming up from its nostril. Red shifted his backpack on his shoulder, feeling Pika's claws dig into his shoulder. He glanced back at the yellow-mouse pokemon, his crimson eyes running over his loyal companion. The Pikachu stared at him for a moment, blinking its soft brown eyes. Red felt a small smile come over his face as he reached forward and scratched its head.
The Charizard snorted, drawing his attention back. Red stepped forward and slid onto the large dragon with practiced ease. He adjusted himself so that he sat between the beast's muscular shoulders, wrapping his gloved hands around its thick neck. Pika eagerly ran over Charizard's neck so it perched on its leathery head.
Red hesitated, but chose to look back at his snowy domain for so many years. He felt a pang in his heart. It then dawned on him that it was more than he had felt for something in a long time. He slowly turned away, looking ahead into the face of the glowing gold sun in the distance.
Now was the time to face his fears. Run into the sun. It was time for a change. Afterall, the key to change is to let go of fear.