Of Letters And Peaks

Red held tight to his Charizard, weeping and trembling with cold. He knew that he was close to the summit of Mt. Silver for the rain had turned into snow. Again, the memories of him and Leaf flashed; this time it was a recollection of events that occurred a year after his first victory against the Elite Four:

"Catch me if you can," said Leaf, swimming to a small island. Red had no mind to swim after her; instead, he chased her on his Lapras. Leaf felt a wave pushing her forward, and then she felt something dive under her. Suddenly, she was lifted onto the back of a large Pokemon. Upon reaching the island, the Pokemon was stored back in its ball.
"No fair!" exclaimed Leaf. "But since it's you, I'll let it slide," she added with a wink.
"But did you have fun?" retorted Red rhetorically, "Well, if you want a spot to sunbathe, here's the perfect place. I'm going for a swim."
Red stripped to his swimwear; Leaf was visibly blushing, but Red took no heed. Red swam in the water with seven Pokeballs on his belt: one to catch a worthy Pokemon. An uninvited guest would soon interrupt his activity: a guest who was also a friend, but uninvited nonetheless.
"So the Champion wastes his morning by swimming with his girlfriend," said Gary, wolf-whistling at Leaf. She was wearing a blue bikini and a pair of sunglasses, "How cute."
"I'll have you know," he added, "That I've collected all one hundred and fifty Pokemons now. You see, I've been busy catching these critters in the Sevii Islands while you two were-" he paused, "—doing whatever is it you do."

Gary then steered his Gyarados back towards the mainland, "Smell ya later!"
After Gary's departure, Red ascended back to the island and approached Leaf. "I'm going to Johto, and maybe catch all the Pokemon there as well," he said, "I'm not letting that bastard get ahead of me ever again."
Red began to don his previously discarded clothes when Leaf interrupted, "I'll come with you."

Red opened his eyes; he was now close to the summit. He beckoned Charizard to land so he could seek shelter, which he found in the form of a small cave. With Charizard back in its Pokeball, Red entered the cave, released Pikachu from its ball and lit a small fire. He was wet, cold and exhausted. Knowing that he was alone in the mountaintop, he stripped himself of all articles of clothing, wrapped himself in a warm towel, and slept next to the fire. Another dream came to him.

"You really are leaving, huh?" said Gary at the doorway, watching Red packing his bag. Red nodded in answer.
"So all your endeavors, all your dreams," said Gary, "You really want them to come true? You are madder than I thought."
Red frowned. After all, was Gary not the one hell bent on becoming the Champion and defeating his rival – now friend – four years ago?
"Alright, alright," Gary yielded, "I'll do my best to insure that only the worthiest of all gets the Earth Badge. Smell ya later."

With that, Gary left and returned home.

The visions shifted and Red saw a Growlithe fighting a rival for territory; its offspring was behind it, seeking shelter and beseeching its parent not to fight. But the Growlithe paid no heed and sprang at its opponent; a fierce fight followed. When the dust cleared, Red saw that the juvenile Growlithe, caught in the crossfire, had perished. The visions shifted again, and the adults were caught in a sudden snowstorm not different from the one in his previous dreams. Unable to fend off the cold, both froze to death.

Red heard a voice in his dream; a voice he knew but could not quite put his finger on it. The voice tethered him back to reality, it was then that he recognized the voice.
"Pika," said Pikachu tenaciously; the fire had died down, but the cave was still warmer than outside in the snowstorm.

Red put on his now dry clothes and explored the cave. He found that the cave was only a few meters deep and ended in a shelf. 'This would serve well as bed,' he thought. And he found a small short shelf where he thought that he could use as a desk. Feeling rested, Red unpacked his bag and put the contents in place: his laptop, books, clothing, and Pokeballs. Finally, he put Leaf's hat on his desk, and started to write.

Dear Leaf,
I have successfully reached Mt. Silver and am now residing in a cave at its summit. As of the time of writing, the storm is raging heavily outside; I cannot go out for god knows how long. Now I have bought a laptop with me, but since I know that you prefer sending handwritten mails to e-mails, I have decided to send mail by Pokemon. I shall eagerly wait for my adversary here atop this mountain. Wish me luck.

Best regards,
Red.

PS: I have your hat with me, I shall send it to you along with this mail once this accursed storm calms.

As he wrote those words, he could hear that the storm had indeed calmed. Quickly he went outside. To his surprise, he found a Pidgeot standing in front of his door, shaking from the cold. He recognized the Pokemon immediately – it was Leaf's.
In the creature's mouth was an envelope, he quickly snatched it. 'A letter?' he thought, 'This soon?'

He tore the envelope open and read it; the letter was smeared with teardrops.

Dear Red,

I know this is too soon to right, but I can't stop myself from doing it. Now that you're out of sight and out of reach, I feel like I'm helpless to save you from whatever you're facing (even though you have always been the one saving me). I saw that you have my hat with you, but I ask you to keep it; keep it as something to remember me by. I hope you find a worthy opponent soon, as I look forward to your return.

I'll miss you.

Love,
Leaf.

Red felt saddened by the letter. Never once, until his departure, did he consider the feelings of his friends and family; nonetheless, he shrugged the feelings, for he thought that they, as his closest acquaintances, should be happy for him.

Red quickly added another two postscript to his letter:
PPS: I have read your letter and, obliging your request, will be keeping the hat.
PPPS: Your Pigeot would soon die from the cold and it is unwise to send him up here again. I shall send you my Articuno to as a messenger.

Red booted up the laptop, transferred Articuno's data and sent it to Leaf with the Pigeot, bearing the letter.

He then exited the cave via the small opening he came in earlier. 'I should build a door,' he thought, 'To protect me from the cold and unwanted pests.'
Trudging through the snow, joined by Pikachu, Red explored to get himself accommodated to his new home. The mountain was bare: Red could see no sign of civilization. Yet, as he explored the caves of the mountain, Red was assailed by hosts of hungry Zubats. Though none could stand against his team, Red decided to traverse the caves only in dire need. While he was exploring, Red realized a single problem with his plan: food. On the summit, difficult would it be to forage for berries (of which, none can be found). He would need to rely on his Venusaur's leaves to survive. In hopes of escaping boredom, Red wandered the mountain to train – battling wild Pokemons.

Red sat on the edge of a cliff, looking down from afar, hoping to catch a glimpse of Pallet Town. But he was not homesick. Nay, for it was too early to be homesick when one had already been sick of his home. Here, Red could find silence and peace: no more deriding insults from Gary, no more cries of concern from his mother, no more flirtatious remarks from Leaf. Then he stopped. Suddenly Red felt a sharp concern from Leaf, whom the boys of Pallet town would often pick on. 'Gary will protect her,' he shrugged, but the concern did not leave him. Red got up from the edge, but the snow beneath him gave way and he slipped and fell, dangling on the precipice. With help from his Pikachu, Red managed to pull himself up and to safety. It was then that Red realized how little prepared he was.

Red went back to his cave and composed another letter; this one he meant to send tomorrow.

Dear Leaf,

I thought I had come prepared, but it turns out that I had not. I explored the caves of the mountain only to find them swarming like Zubats (not unlike the caves back at home .Then I hunted for wild berries to eat when I realized that none could be found on this mountain. And just now (at the time of writing), I nearly fell down a cliff! What a way to end an adventure, right as it had started! I realized that I haven't brought any kind of hiking gear other than a backpack and a few escape ropes. I understand now why this mountain is reserved for only the strongest of trainers. Not only is the climate harsh and the Pokemon wild, but the terrain itself could kill you. But I have hope that a worthy opponent is on his or her way; anyone who can survive the climb (by Pokemon or – god forbid! – by foot) would certainly prove a strong adversary and an excellent challenger. However well he or she might fight, I will defeat him and wait for a worthier foe. But should he best me, I shall return in shame to Pallet Town.

Who am I kidding? I'll probably win anyway, so I think I'll come home. But not so soon, I suppose, as I have much to explore.

Bes regards,
Red.

Red put his letter on the stone desk and exited the cave; darkness was falling and he had to find a door to further protect him from the cold. He bade his Charizard cut down a tree and bring its trunk to him. When he acquired the tree trunk, Red began chopping the trunk and skinning its bark. He then nailed the wood together and covered it with the bark he had skinned and took it inside the cave. After positioning the door at an angle where it would not get knocked over by the wind, Red felt relieved and comfortable. He walked to the sleeping sack at the far end of the cave and slept. Another dream came to him: once again the far-off memories of the time he and Leaf had together.

"Don't play in the rain hon, you'll get sick!" said a woman to her daughter, "And be careful of wild Pokemons, they get more dangerous every year!". But Leaf took no heed. After all, what safer place is there to be than with the League Champion. It was raining; not a raging storm like the one Red would fly in, but a warm summer shower. Three years after their first adventure and two after their second, Red and Leaf began to develop feelings for each other. A regular impulsive teenage love, it might seem to all but them. Now the fourteen-year-old-girl ran to meet with her friend: a boy in red a red jacket. He led her under a tree - their favorite tree - and asked her to dance with him in the rain.

Red remembered what happened well: they danced to the rain and the sound of the frogs, then they kissed. But the dream was different: as he leaned on for a kiss, Leaf disappeared in thin air, and instead of rain, it snowed.
Dawn, it came to the snowy tips of the lofty mountain but brought little warmth with it. Red woke up and called to his Articuno to bear his letter to Leaf. No letter came that day, and no dream came to visit him.

Strangely, three days passed and no letter came. On the fifth day, the letter came:

Red woke up not to the calls of his Pikachu, but the sound of a bird. His Articuno came, bearing another letter. Red opened the door to his cave and took the letter from the Pokemon's mouth. He tore the envelope and read Leaf's letter. To his surprise, it was speedily written and was smeared with many teardrops, even more than the last.

Dear Red,

I have bad news to tell: while I was receiving a letter from you, a wild Arbok slithered into my house and bit mom. I was able to fight it, but we couldn't get her to the hospital in time. Her funeral was held yesterday and I now live with your mother (God bless her. I can't go over how much I am thankful of her for her kindness.). I know that I should have told you earlier, Red, but if I did, you might have come down from Mt. Silver and forfeit your training and give up your dreams. I'm sorry, Red, but I feel so alone right now and though I need comfort, I can't crush the dreams of my closest friend on a selfish whim.

Love,
Leaf.

Red clenched his fists; he was angry. He reduced the letter to a crumpled ball of paper and threw it outside the cave. He ran outside, cursing and falling to his knees. Red looked up at the bright sky and screamed. He thought of how he could and should return to Pallet Town and comfort his grieving friend. But he knew that it would be in vain, for Leaf's mother now lies in her grave, and all the tears in the world could not bring her back. Not less vain would be to defy Leaf's wishes and forfeit his training. Thrice more Red cursed at the sky for their misfortune. Thus passed the first days of Red's sojourn – one that started with tears, and would end with tears.

Poor girl. Loosing her friend and her mom within one week. Don't worry, people, there's more where that came from. And if you wish to know the meaning of the dreams, how Red came by them and any "mystery" you might have, you'll have to wait.