Here I stand once again: Cinnabar Island. In the past, this was one of Kanto's top vacation resorts; palm trees warmly greeted you when you approached by sea, ferries dropped off tourists from near and far, merchants peddled their products for ridiculously high prices. It was like paradise on earth.
All that changed last year when the volcano erupted. Everywhere you turn, all the eye can see is nothing but the results of the unrestrained fury of nature. Everything that made Cinnabar great is gone now. This place, which was once paradise on earth, has now been reduced to a dead, scarred pile of volcanic rock.
So many people were displaced from their homes that day and who knows how many lost their lives (I know that the official reports claim that there were no casualties, but I don't believe it). Everything they had worked for over the years was undone in a single moment and no one saw it coming. It was all there one minute, and then it was gone the next. I know that I can identify with that.
I always seem to find myself down here for some twisted reason. Maybe it's because of the remoteness of this place; it's so far removed from the hustle and bustle of the mainland that you can actually hear yourself think. The only sounds you can hear are the waves crashing against the shore and the cries of the Wingulls above.
Sometimes I wonder if I should just move my Gym out here since I come here so often; the League wouldn't have a problem with it now that Blaine relocated to the Seafoam Islands. They're a screwy bunch, the Pokémon League. They only want one Gym per town since some dispute in Saffron a few years ago.
Ever since I became the Leader of Viridian's Gym, I've gained a reputation for being one of the few Gym Leaders who is rarely ever present at his own Gym. A couple months ago, I came back to town to find that a bunch of wannabe Champs had pitched tents outside the Gym, waiting for my return.
Those guys were jokes; they should've counted themselves fortunate that they even made it far enough to challenge me. I can't even begin to recall how many upstart trainers have had their big dreams of challenging the Pokémon League dashed to pieces after I was done with them.
None of them deserved to be Champion, like I was…
It always has to go back to that, doesn't it? When I was the world's greatest Pokémon Trainer, when I was flying high and felt so powerful that no mortal could dare stand against me, that sacred moment when I finally was someone in this world. I never felt so great in my entire life; all those months of training and working on my Pokédex had finally paid off. My greatest dream had been realized.
And then in walked Red.
A half-hour before, I had just defeated Lance and was crowned Pokémon League Champion. I finally felt that my life had some meaning to it, that my name would be whispered in fear among Pokémon Trainers for years to come, but then Red had to come and foul up my ambitions.
I mocked him that day, telling him how I had worked so hard on my team and how I was now the most powerful Trainer in the world. I was feeling cocksure that moment; all I had to do was beat Red in order to maintain my hard-earned title of Champion. In my mind, this was going to be a heck of a lot easier than defeating the Elite Four.
Too bad I didn't consider the possibility that Red might actually win.
Looking back at that day, I can't help but notice the parallels between our battle and the devastation of Cinnabar.
His Pokémon struck hard and fast, just like the destruction the volcano brought the day it erupted. Red stood there, his eyes burning like the lava that flowed from the mountain. Just like the volcano, he stood immovable; his commands to his Pokémon rumbled like the volcano did when it unleashed its fury on the unsuspecting island.
I can still remember the scene when my last Pokémon fainted; my knees gave out, I covered my face and started declaring my disbelief. The determination of both him and his Pokémon to win had overpowered me. Just like the volcano brought an end to life in Cinnabar, Red brought an end to my reign as Champion. He left me ruined and devastated, just as the volcano had done to the island.
A few minutes later, Gramps walked in and congratulated Red for his victory. He commended him for his deeds and then he turned to me, telling me how disappointed he was that I had lost. He went on to tell me that I lost because I had failed to raise my Pokémon with love and trust. He had been preaching that tripe to me since the day Red and I received our starter Pokémon.
I would have none of that nonsense. I ran away as Gramps led Red into the Hall of Champions. I ran back to Pallet Town, angry and ashamed of myself. I barely slept that night or the days that followed. I spent every waking moment obsessing over my defeat, thinking of how I could have changed that battle. The only bright spot during that period was that the League offered me the position as Viridian's Gym Leader. I accepted it grudgingly; better to have some title than none at all.
The months that followed were no better. I would see Red in my dreams every night, his eyes flaming as he commanded his Pokémon, his voice booming as he encouraged them whenever it seemed that I would get the upper hand. Sometimes it seemed as if I could beat him, but the dream always ended the same way, with me on my knees, devastated.
I used to come here even before the devastation. I used to come down here to forget my troubles, to immerse myself in the hustle and bustle of Cinnabar. I would try to wash away my guilt and my shame, but I could never scrub out the dirty feeling I had. No matter what I did, my defeat followed me wherever I went. It was always just a matter of time before I could hear people snickering or murmuring as I walked past.
I have my reasons why I still come down to this place, even though everything is gone. I don't just come here because of the solitude, I come here because I feel a sort of… kinship to this place. I know what it feels like to be brought down to the lowest valley, just as Cinnabar was the day when her beauty was scarred by the eruption. I know what it feels like to have everything you've ever hoped for go up in flames before your very eyes.
There is something that I have come to learn from this island that does gives me hope, though; the truth that no matter what happens in life, the sun is always going to rise again tomorrow. Even though this island is barren and desolate, I know someday its inhabitants will return. They will rebuild this place and restore it to its former glory.
Yes, Red did defeat me and did take away my title. He left me scarred and wasted to a point in which I felt that I would never recover, but I know that I will rise up again. Just like Cinnabar, I will one day reclaim my lost glory. Just like Cinnabar, I will come back stronger and better than ever.
I will defeat Red, and I will be the Champion once more.
A/N: I would like to thank my friends TheNinjaAlchemist95 and Tune4Toons for beta-ing this fic for me. I would also like to thank Farla, who through her constructive criticism inspired me to revise this story.