Hello everyone!

For those who never played the games, this short story is based off of the final battle between Red and Ethan in Heartgold/Soulsilver. Though the fight is canon, I did add a few things to make it more interesting.

This will be my first published story, so it'd be great if you could take the time to give me some feedback!

I do not own Pokémon. All rights go to Nintendo and Creatures Inc.

Enjoy!

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Mt. Silver

"Tyranitar, use Rock Climb!"

Ethan clung to the rock/dark hybrid as it scaled the wall of the cave. Bits and pieces of rubble broke free and fell to the ground below as Tyranitar jammed its claws into various crevices. At one point, Tyranitar faltered in its ascent and began to fall. Before it could go too far down, the Pokemon managed to thrust its appendages into the wall and regain its footing.

Ethan, however, had lost his grip and let out a shout as he began to plummet to the ground below. Thankfully, Tyranitar quickly thrust out his thick tail, catching Ethan by his bag strap. Ethan couldn't help but notice as he looked down how catastrophic it would've been if Tyranitar hadn't caught him.

"Thanks a lot, buddy," Ethan said, looking back up to meet Tyranitar's eyes. It let out a low noise that sounded like an apology. For a fierce looking Pokemon, Tyranitar had always been caring and sympathetic. It was one of the reasons Ethan liked to keep him around so much.

"Nah, don't worry about it," Ethan responded, chuckling. "If you hadn't caught me, it would've been the end for all of us."

Tyranitar continued up the wall until it reached the ledge. At the top Ethan hopped down beside his Pokemon and adjusted the black and yellow cap on his head.

Strange to think how this hat has been with me the whole way, Ethan thought, Right up to the very end.

Ethan took Tyranitar's Pokeball out from his bag. "Nice work," he said as Tyranitar went back inside. Ethan took another ball out from his back and replaced it with Tyranitar's. He let the ball roll out of his hand. As the Pokeball hit the ground, it bounced up and popped open, revealing another one of Ethan's Pokemon. His first Pokemon.

"Typhlosion."

The Volcano Pokemon straightened, and flames shot up around the base of his neck. He was Ethan's most powerful Pokemon and the one that had been by his side since he had started his journey in his own hometown, New Bark. Back then, it had been a tiny Cyndaquil, timid and nervous at the start of every battle. But through his bonding with Ethan through battle and travel, it had grown and evolved into an immensely powerful Pokemon.

Ethan turned to his right, where the moonlight shone through an exit in the wall. It was nighttime; Ethan had spent all day climbing to the top of Mt. Silver, the large divider between the Kanto and Johto regions. He could see snow falling through the air and resting on the ground outside. He turned back to Typhlosion, who was watching him expectantly.

"You ready?" He asked.

Typhlosion responded with a grunt, followed by the flames on his neck flaring for a moment. Ethan grinned.

"Let's go then."

Ethan stepped out of the exit and immediately felt the cold breeze around his exposed shins. He had not thought to dress for the weather, as it was not snowing at the base of the mountain he was on. Ethan didn't think it would affect him too much; he knew he would quickly be warmed up by the thrill of battle.

Ethan had been traveling for about a year before he had gotten to this point. It had all started when Professor Elm had given him Cyndaquil, asking him to do research for him. The Professor had wanted to see if having a Pokemon walk beside their trainer increased the bond between trainer and Pokemon and the overall happiness of the Pokemon itself. After that, he had met Professor Oak from the Kanto region, who wanted Ethan to complete the Pokedex, a device designed to be an encyclopedia for Pokemon.

Ethan promised to complete the Pokedex as he left New Bark town to go on his journey. Along the way, he battled other trainers and gyms, where he received badges. He met another boy called Silver, who had stolen the Pokemon Totodile. Ethan was angry at how Silver treated his Pokemon as tools. After their first battle, the two quickly acknowledged each other as rivals.

Ethan met the criminal gang known as Team Rocket and worked to stop their plans. He battled each grunt and each executive until they finally claimed defeat and disbanded. It was the second time, apparently.

Ethan caught a variety of Pokemon and battled plenty of trainers. He even managed to catch Pokemon that were considered one of a kind, such as the three dogs and Lugia, the guardian of the sea. Finally, he was ready to challenge the Elite Four and the Pokemon League Champion, Lance. He beat them all and became the League Champion himself. Afterward, he was told about a whole other region where even more Pokemon and challenges awaited.

Throughout this whole time, Ethan had found Silver at different locations and battled him each time. Some he lost, like the first time he battled Silver. Each time he won, he tried to explain that Pokemon were friends and partners, not tools. Finally, after going on a tremendous winning streak, Silver began to question whether or not Ethan was right. The next time they fought together, Ethan lost, but he was proud. Silver had changed his ways and was treating his Pokemon with kindness and compassion.

On his journey, Ethan had come across many other skilled trainers and masters, but their skill was nothing compared to what he had heard about one trainer in particular. Ethan had heard many stories about him, such as how he had beaten Team Rocket's previous leader and Silver's father, Giovanni. He was also the Pokemon League Champion of Kanto, as he had been told by Kanto's Elite Four after he had defeated them. He was considered the strongest trainer in the world. Red.

It was said that he stood here, at the top of Mt. Silver, waiting for trainers skilled enough to make it past the strong Pokemon inside the mountain. So far, Ethan had not heard of a trainer who had come back from this place victorious.

As Ethan trudged through the snow, he could make out a figure standing by the cliff, facing away from him, looking out into the distance. It was a beautiful view, and he imagined it looked even more beautiful from where the figure was standing.

Ethan began to make out clothes and colors, such as a red hat and blue jeans. Red's backpack looked empty, as if he had spent so much time up here that he run low on supplies. His arms were uncovered, yet he didn't seem to be affected by the cold.

Red must have heard Ethan's and Typhlosion's feet crunching in the snow. He turned his head slightly in their direction. Ethan stopped, and Red turned all the way around. His head was tilted down so that the brim of his hat covered his eyes. The distance between them was more than large enough for a Pokemon battle.

Red seemed to understand exactly what was happening. He tipped up his hat to meet Ethan's eyes. They were filled with determination and challenge, yet they had a sense of calm to them. They seemed to be examining everything there was to see about Ethan. Without a word, Red took out a Pokeball and tossed it into the open space. A large green Pokemon sprung out and roared. Venusaur, a grass type.

Typhlosion looked to Ethan, who held out his arm to stop Typhlosion from walking out to meet Venusaur. Typhlosion gave Ethan a look of confusion. Grass type Pokemon were weak against fire types, so it would be logical for Ethan to send out Typhlosion. Red must have known this too. Almost all trainers would send out a Pokemon with an advantage.

He's trying to see how I'll handle this. Ethan had known what he was going to do before he had climbed the mountain. He had gathered up the perfect party of Pokemon, based on what he had heard about Red's party. He wanted to fight on equal footing.

Ethan lowered his arm to take a Pokeball out of his bag. He removed it and threw it towards Venusaur.

"Go, Meganium!"

With a flash of light, another Pokemon had materialized in front of its opponent. It looked very similar to Venusaur, as they were both grass types. As a matter of fact, Meganium was the Johto equivalent of Kanto's Venusaur.

Ethan saw Red straighten and raise his eyebrows. Obviously, he had not expected that. Ethan grinned.

"This a how we'll battle," Ethan called out. "I have a matchup for each Pokemon you use. There will be no type advantages."

Red remained silent, though Ethan thought he saw the corner of his mouth twitch. Both trainers focused on each other's Pokemon, which were poised to strike or defend at any time. A drop of sweat ran down Ethan's temple despite the cold. They were both ready to make a move. The question was, who would be first?

"Meganium, use Body-!"

Red threw his arm out to the side before Ethan could finish his words. Venusaur moved at what seemed to be the exact same time as Red moved. Before he knew it Meganium had been hit with Take Down and was stumbling backward. Venusaur leaped away and sprouted vines from his back. The Seed Pokemon then began a follow-up attack.

How can he move that fast? Ethan wondered, astonished.

"Reflect!" Ethan frantically shouted.

A screen came up just in time before Venusaur's vines struck. Meganium was still hurt from the impact, but at least it wouldn't be as effective. Venusaur once again prepared another attack. Bits of light were being absorbed by the plant on its backside, meaning it was charging up Solar Beam. The move would be weakened by the weather conditions, but given Meganium's condition at the moment, it wouldn't matter. However, this gave Ethan a chance to make his counterattack.

Ethan knew that his next move would most likely be Meganium's last, so he needed to deal as much damage to Venusaur as possible with his next attack. He had just the move for that.

"Double Edge!"

Meganium charged forward and tackled Venusaur with all of its might. Venusaur cried out as it fell backward before releasing Solar Beam. Meganium was blasted backward as it was hit. It fell in the snow, unconscious. Ethan took out its Pokeball and returned Meganium to it.

"You did great," Ethan said as he smiled sadly. That would be Meganium's last fight today. Ethan would hold off on using his revives or potions until the battle was over. He expected Red would do the same.

Red had been moving his arms and hands with each movement Venusaur had made. Ethan examined his opponent and formed his strategy.

His commands are incredibly fast. If I didn't know better, I'd say Venusaur acting on his own. I almost have that kind of bond with Typhlosion, but it seems like Red has it with all of his Pokemon. I need to be able to keep up with him. I have to focus on his movements and associate them with the different attacks he uses. Ethan took out another Pokeball. Now I need another Pokemon without an advantage.

Tyranitar emerged from its Pokeball ready to fight. Ethan would try hard not to make any more mistakes. He would give this match everything he had.

"Alright," he said. "Let's go!"

Red nodded, and the battle continued.

It could be called the greatest match in history. Ethan quickly adapted to Red's methods and Tyranitar was able to defeat Venusaur with a final Crunch. Snorlax was the next Pokemon Red sent out. Both the Armor Pokémon and the Sleeping Pokémon used Hyper Beam at the same time, instantly knocking each other out. Red sent out a Pikachu next, while Ethan sent out his Eevee. Eevee barely managed to knock Pikachu out first, and Red's Lapras took it out immediately as it was released with Ice Beam.

Ethan was proud to show off the red Gyarados he had caught in the middle of the Lake of Rage. He quickly became annoyed, as Red's Lapras managed to hit Gyarados with Sheer Cold on its first try before Ethan could do anything at all. Ethan's Feraligatr was next. He had gotten it from an egg that had been given to him by Silver, who had bred his own Feraligatr. The Big Jaw Pokémon took Lapras down with Hyper Beam.

Red's Blastoise used Outrage at the same time Ethan's Feraligatr used Blizzard. Both were damaged heavily, though Feraligatr fell first. Luckily for Ethan, however, Blastoise became confused from its Outrage and knocked itself out from its confusion.

Both trainers had one Pokemon left, and both knew what the other one had. Red knew what Ethan had because Typhlosion had been standing beside him this whole time. Ethan knew what Red had from the stories about him. Apparently, it was Red's first and strongest Pokemon. Just like Typhlosion was to Ethan.

Red sent out his final Pokemon. Charizard spiraled into the air and let a few flames free from its mouth, seemingly excited to battle. Ethan looked at Typhlosion and nodded. The fire type bounded out onto the battlefield and let out a mighty roar into the sky, where Charizard responded with his own roar.

This is it.

Charizard stopped flapping its wings and tensed its body, dropping toward the ground like a rock. Ethan saw what it was going to do and prepared a counter.

"Earthquake!"

Typhlosion slammed its foot into the ground just before Charizard landed. Both Earthquake attacks met in the middle and sent out a shockwave, knocking Ethan to the ground. Red remained standing. Ethan quickly stood back up on his feet and tried another attack.

"Eruption!"

Typhlosion hunched over as it prepared the attack. Red saw what was happening and signaled to Charizard. The winged Pokemon swiftly towards Typhlosion to stop it before it could attack, but it arrived too late. Typhlosion opened its mouth to spew out molten rocks at Charizard. Charizard's speed allowed him to dodge most of the rocks, but one found its mark and sent it sprawling backward on the ground.

Seeing his opportunity, "Earthquake!" Ethan shouted.

However, Charizard got up much faster than Ethan would have anticipated and was able to fly into the air before the attack hit. Charizard then used its own opportunity to fly towards Typhlosion and slam into it. Typhlosion fell backward and Charizard landed beside it.

Now that the two were in close combat, Ethan told Typhlosion to use Shadow Claw. Typhlosion's claws turned a ghostly purple as they swiped at Charizard, who's claws were glowing blue as it was swiping back. Dragon Claw. Typhlosion wasn't able to get as many slashes in as Charizard was. Typhlosion and Ethan were on the losing side of the battle. They had to turn the tables, and quickly. Ethan knew what he needed to do.

On his journey, Ethan had come across an old man by the Lake of Rage. He had offered to teach one of his Pokemon a move called Hidden Power. Ethan had agreed, allowing his Quilava to learn it before it evolved into Typhlosion. The old man had been confounded when Quilava tested it out. Apparently, it was impossible for a Pokemon's hidden power to be a normal type move, or for it to be as powerful as Quilava's was. Apparently, it was even more powerful than Hyper Beam. Ethan had just shrugged at his words and considered himself lucky.

Ethan didnt use Hidden Power very much in his other battles; it often made winning too easy. Hidden Power served as Ethan's ace in the hole. Now he would need that move to win. He just needed to create an opening. Red wouldn't know how powerful it was, so it would be likely that he might have Charizard try to absorb the blow. Typhlosion looked at him between strikes as if it could read his mind.

"Typhlosion, get out of there and use Eruption!"

Typhlosion responded immediately, jumping out of the fray and spitting out molten rocks. The move wouldn't be as powerful since Typhlosion had lost a lot of health, but Ethan didn't need it to be. He just needed to distract Charizard. Charizard leaped back and reared its head. It spat out a Fire Blast, which connected with the rocks, causing flames to form a barrier between itself and Typhlosion. The wall of fire obstructed Charizard's view.

"Hidden Power!"

Typhlosion roared, and energy burst out in every direction. Charizard looked like it wanted to take the hit, but Red made it move backward, avoiding the attack. Ethan's heart sank. Red must not have been wanting to take any chances, and Ethan may have just lost his last chance.

Red moved his arm and pointed at Typhlosion. Charizard flapped its wings and flew towards him. Ethan's eyes widened. Red was trying to end it fast. Fire Blast traveled to slow, and it could easily be dodged, but Fly hit fast. Charizard needed to get to Typhlosion before it could use Hidden Power again.

"Typhlosion! Hidden Power! Quickly!"

Typhlosion roared one last time as Hidden Power burst from it. Energy washed over Charizard as it slammed into Typhlosion, bringing them both to the snowy ground. Flakes of snow were pushed everywhere; it looked like a blizzard. Ethan covered his face with his forearm.

When the snow settled, Ethan could see Typhlosion and Charizard both lying on the ground. The flame on Charizard's tail was burning weakly and Typhlosion's flames were out. Ethan sank to his knees. Red didn't move. He looked as if he were waiting.

Waiting for one of them to get up. Ethan realized. Whoever gets up first wins.

Ethan closed his eyes concentrated hard, pleading for Typhlosion to get up. Everything they had worked towards wouldn't matter if it stayed down.

Charizard's tail twitched, and the flame on its tail began to grow brighter. Shaking, Charizard stood up. It was breathing heavily, and it was badly injured, but in the end, it had risen from the ground. Red had won. He pulled the brim of his hat back over his eyes. Charizard lifted its head and opened its mouth to let out a roar.

Red suddenly tensed and opened his mouth. Before he could get any words out, the flames around Typhlosion's neck burst to life. Charizard didn't have time to react as it used Hidden Power again. The energy released itself from Typhlosion's body and enveloped Charizard. The Flame Pokemon collapsed. Red closed his mouth as Typhlosion stood. The flame on Charizard's tail was even weaker than it had been before. It would need a revive before it got back up again.

Ethan stood back up, dumbfounded. He and Typhlosion had won. They had beaten Red. They had beaten the strongest trainer. Red walked over to Charizard and returned it to his Pokeball. He then walked towards Ethan. Ethan still couldn't believe it. He stared at his Typhlosion, who was beaten and weak, but proud and victorious. Red stopped right next to Ethan. He stood there for a while without saying anything. Then he continued on, leaving Ethan and Typhlosion standing by themselves at the cliff.

Ethan walked to where Red had been standing before and looked out over the Kanto region with Typhlosion. He could see each landmark and town that he had visited during his journey. The lights in each town were glowing like hundreds of stars, and the moonlight reflected off of the various lakes and rivers.

I was right, he thought. It does look even more beautiful from here.

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