Soft, blindingly white snow shifted softly under my feet as I made my way swiftly over the almost-hidden mountain path. The small snowflakes glittered in the orange setting sun.

My footsteps in the snow were muffled, almost inaudible, and the wind was still. Not a single Pokémon was on the stretch of trail that I traveled. The silence in the deepening dusk was almost as chilling as the air seeping into my coat. I stopped for a moment, watching the sun begin to sink lower in the sky - the night was almost here. I rubbed my gloved hands together, and reached up to shake the melting snow out of my sandy hair.

On a whim, I pulled out a Pokéball from my bag and tossed it into the air - a bright flash of light sparkled across the snow and my Arcanine landed gracefully on the trail. He barked, annoyed with the cold, which was the very reason I had let him stay in his Pokéball most of the day. I went over to him, huddling close to his flickering fur, enjoying the warmth but being careful to not get burnt.

"Hey, Arcanine."

Another bark, more docile and content this time.

"Let's go find a cave."

I traipsed up the trail a fair bit more, Arcanine padding his fiery paws ever so silently at my side, scanning the dark gray mountainside for a suitable cave to be sheltered in. As I walked, I let my mind drift to Red. Red - the the very boy that I had traveled up this damned mountain for in the first place. I must be insane. Mt. Silver, a frozen wasteland, and the highest mountain in the Kanto region, and I had perilously shrugged my way through biting cold and dizzying hights for Red?

I sighed audibly, confused as ever with myself. Arcanine looked around, and then continued to shuffle forward, melting the snow in front of him so that I had an easier path to walk.

Everything I did was just so damned illogical. First, I lose the biggest battle of my life to my rival - and then, after moping for half a year, I forgive him like it's nothing. After he walks out of my life - no, he gets a life of his own - I make my way up a bitterly cold mountain because I fucking miss him.

The Definition Of Love, I find myself thinking before I can avoid it. I mentally slap my own face, and then concentrate again on finding a cave for shelter - the sun was beginning to slip past the horizon.

Up ahead, as the mountain cliff to my side seems to begin a slow, sloping descent, the mouth of a large cave looms over me. The silence was only broken by a small gust of wind, sending a flurry of snowflakes into the dark entrance. Just visible from the mouth were long, shimmering icicles, forming a jagged line around the cave opening like a curtain.

Arcanine and I looked at each other. I nodded, and he bared his teeth in a canine, almost human-like smile. He went forward ahead of me toward the cave, his glimmering flames illuminating the entrance. As I walked in behind him, I couldn't help but notice - with slight apprehension - how some of the thickest icicles had been snapped in half, and how the broken tips of them lay shattered on the rocky ground at the front of the cave.

I stepped farther into the cave, pulled into its dark depths by a sense of both curiosity and dread in equal parts. Arcanine's fire glistened off the icicles that joined the stalactites hanging from the ceiling. I kept close to him, trying to keep warm.

The snow that had covered the outside in a thick blanket began to recede as the cave's entrance grew fainter. The cave was giant - much bigger than I had anticipated. I knew I should probably stay close to the entrance, both to avoid getting lost and to avoid wandering into a Pokémon's den, but something kept me moving farther into the dark cavern against all sense of precaution.

As if on cue with my thoughts, I heard several Zubats shuffle and skitter up in the high ceiling, and I looked up to see several fangs shine faintly back at me. I shuddered, and continued on my way, hoping for dear life that I could steer clear of any Golbats.

As I walked farther into the dim, I swear I saw a shadow dart away from the light cast by Arcanine's fire out of the corner of my eye. I spun around, dirt flying into the air, but there was nothing behind me. Breathing heavily, I glanced at the cave entrance, now far away. The amber glow of the setting sun was just visible behind several icicles.

I turned back to the cave path that I had been following, and continued on it, hugging close to Arcanine. He didn't seem bothered by anything.

Psh, I wasn't scared. I don't get scared.

The cave path slowly sloped downward, and the ceiling sloped upward, and before I knew it I was standing in a huge cavern. Icicles and stalactites covered the ceiling, and stubby stalagmites littered the floor, making walking a straight path rather difficult. Arcanine growled, impatient at having to make his away around them. I pet his glowing fur, trying to keep him happy.

Then, I heard a noise.

It was faint, just a small whispering sound carried on the not-so-still air of the cavern, but in my uneasy state I heard it loud and clear.

It was a voice.

I caught my breath, eyes staring around in the cave, both into the patches illuminated by Arcanine and the large gaps of pitch-black. I stiffened palpably, every muscle in my body tense and rigid so that I wouldn't make a single sound. Arcanine seemed to notice my - all right - fear, and he tensed too, a low growl issuing from between his sharp teeth.

"Shh!" I warned, afraid that whatever had spoken could hear him.

The voice came again. It was quiet, but this time I could make out what it was saying.

"Go make sure."

Go make sure? I was clueless.

Then, I heard soft paws behind me, and I swiveled around, only to be greeted by a small brown Raticate, its tiny black eyes glowing in my Arcanine's firelight. It looked at me for a moment, clearly as confused as I was. What was a Raticate doing in a cave on Mt. Silver?

But then, it bared its teeth and hissed - before I could prepare for battle, however, it scampered back the way it came.

And then it hit me.

A voice? An odd Pokémon? Clearly I was not the only trainer in this cave. I sighed, slightly relieved, but then became nervous again - just because this mysterious person was a trainer didn't mean I wasn't in danger.

After a moment's thought, I followed the Raticate through a tunnel in the cave wall, leading a bit away from where I had come in. It was just tall enough for me to stand in, but Arcanine was annoyed by the small space. His flames licked the ceiling, leaving a burnt streak on the rock in his wake.

Eventually, the tunnel opened up into another cavern, bigger than the last. I noticed other footprints in the dirt around us - large, dragonish footprints, which looked rather new. My breathing grew uneven, and I stayed tense as I followed behind the small Pokémon.

The Raticate led us to the end of the cavern, a steep cliff face with rocks littering the ground, as if they had broken off from the top of the cliff. Looming in the darkness was a fierce-looking Charizard, the flame on it's tail glowing bright. It growled at me, and bared its sharp teeth. I gasped.

I knew that Charizard.

I looked around quickly, knowing who I would find nearby. And then, staggering into the collective firelight, came a boy with dark hair and ruby-red eyes. Surprise flashed over his features, and his eyes seemed to glint like flame.

I stared into them, an impossible mix of feelings suddenly filling me, and only one word came to my mind. One word I hadn't spoken in three years.

"Red."