1: Revival
If you've already seen this with all the random characters in it, my bad. Thank you for the guest for notifying me!
Lightly based on the games and anime. Don't own Pokemon. Enjoy!
White. For as long as the eye could see, the entire world was blanketed in nothing but it. Not once in his many years at the summit did he see the ground uncovered by ice and snow. It was unchanging, unmoving, eternal. Without his Pokemon, it might've been the only color he'd see for the rest of his life.
On days where the seemingly permanent blizzard that buffeted the summit stopped, the man would descend from his makeshift cavern to where wild Pokemon lived. He had long ago defeated the rampant Tyranitar at the top, the only Pokemon which could withstand the ruthless conditions that the summit brought. It was the pinnacle of its species, an absolute monster that could have trampled even Legendaries if it fought at full power. It took all 6 of his own monstrous party, quite possibly the strongest trainer held Pokemon in the entire world, to finally lay it to rest. Even then, it hadn't been without casualties. Both his Lapras and Snorlax were buried that day, and with a third of his Pokemon killed in a single battle, the fire that burned in the former Champion's eyes only grew that much more intense.
The next day, the wild population of the Pokemon near the summit was culled by over a third.
Each one of his Pokemon, fueled by the deaths of two close comrades, went on an unprecedented rampage. From dawn to dusk they fought seamlessly, each one covering for the others' weakness; each one enhancing the others' strength. It was a beautiful, blood-stained dance. And in the heart of the battlefield, sometimes inches away from death, the man stood, barking out orders until his throat bled and his legs gave out from under. For all his detractors calling him an emotionless being, the sight of him that day would no doubt make them all believers in his humanity.
From that day onward, he and each of his Pokemon went into each day, each battle with the mentality that it would be their last. They had grown somewhat content with their own strength after destroying even the greatest trainers that Kanto and Johto had to offer. But that day was a wake-up call. They couldn't grow content with their current selves. They couldn't afford to anymore. On this mountaintop, one false step could mean death. There was no more room for complacency over the past. Only the mad pursuit for the future.
After his party's slaughter of some of Mount Silver's strongest residents, the former champion would head back to the summit for his own personal training. Not one day went by when he wasn't reminded that his own incompetence led to the deaths of two of his closest allies and that they shielded him with their lives to protect him from certain death. In regulated League battles, even the thought of attacking the opposing trainer would be absurd, but the real world was nowhere near as friendly. Intelligent wild Pokemon will certainly attack the weakest link, the trainer, with no hesitation. Usually, his Pokemon would be more than enough to counter these attacks. But that mentality got his Pokemon killed. He would never return to those thoughts ever again.
Even the strongest men in the world would certainly succumb to the natural conditions of the summit. Blistering winds, frigid temperatures, and the extremely high altitude would render most dead in mere minutes. However, something inside the man allowed him to withstand even these conditions. The former champion wasn't foolish enough to believe it was because of his passion to get stronger; something else was at play. But he would not let that advantage go to waste. So alone he trained, honing his body to the absolute peak limits of the human race, atop the snowy mountaintop far away from any human contact.
Finally, even his inhuman stamina would run dry, and the man would return to the makeshift cavern he had called home for the past 4 years. It was spacious enough to fit him and 3 of his giant Pokemon as well as a small farm, but bare enough inside that little people would consider it any type of human settlement. Unlike the absolute cold that attacked him on all fronts outside, the cavern space was warm and strongly lit by the tail flame of his Fire-type Pokemon. The running water was provided endlessly by the immense cannons of his Water-type, and the crops growing alongside the artificial stream were provided by his Grass-types massive flower and ability. But even in this relatively relaxed environment, not one living resident of it wasn't on constant guard. While the cavern had yet to be invaded by foreign enemies, the chance never truly disappeared. A cautious approach was necessary for survival.
Approaching the worn blanket that served as his makeshift bed, a small yellow creature poked out and scrambled towards the trainer. A small smile broke out on the man's face as he crouched down to pick up the little rodent. While all of his other Pokemon were constantly solemn and grim, his starter never failed to restore some emotion in him. Growing complacent was one thing, but the man never wanted to lose those emotions that made him human. There wasn't a day where he didn't thank Arceus for granting him the fuzzy yellow rodent in his arms. Without his starter, the man would likely be nothing but an emotionless husk of a former legend.
Tonight was his turn to stand guard. While the rest of his Pokemon got some well-needed rest, the former champion stood by the entrance of the cave, staring aimlessly at the field of white before him that seemed to stretch on and on for an eternity. He had seen this exact view hundreds of times before, and never once did he think anything of it. But today was different. For once, he let his thoughts wander. What if the view of endless snow never changed because he never did? What would he discover if he finally descended and saw the present world? A lot could change in the 4 years he spent isolated from any sort of human contact after all. Maybe he would discover new adventure, and relive his past. Not as the Former Champion Red, but as the boy in a small house in Pallet Town, staring at a poster of the Champion, longing to be at the top.
These thoughts were instantly dashed when he laid his eyes on the two small stones he had placed as a memorial of that day.
His curiosity of the new world and his wishfulness of new adventure would never overtake his frenzy of getting stronger to prevent that day from ever happening again. There was no better place in the world than where he was at right now to become more powerful. No people, no politics, no distractions. Just him, his Pokemon, and enemies. That was all.
An hour passed, maybe even 2. He had long since thrown away any technology that would help keep track of time. The darkened clouds above covered the sun and stars almost constantly, so he only had his internal clock to rely on, which was busted ever since he adopted the mentality of training until his body couldn't handle it anymore. But it didn't matter. Since settling into this routine years ago, his Pokemon and he knew exactly when the shifts in taking guard would take place, and they would seamlessly transition with nothing more than a nod to each other. The former champion knew that it wouldn't be long before he would head back and his burly dragon would take his place standing watch.
That time never came.
In the distance, a tiny black dot in the field of white slowly appeared in his field of view. The man squinted, trying to make out the shape of whatever it was, but it was still too far away to accurately tell. Regardless, the former champion put two fingers to his mouth and let out a low whistle. In an instant, his 3 giants stomped and flew out of the cavern's mouth and took places beside him. His fourth Pokemon soon leaped to his left shoulder, gazing in the same direction as his trainer.
The man was now acutely aware of time. It seemed to pass at a snail's pace, slower than any moment in his life besides the day he almost died. But the black dot that approached steadily grew in size, confirming his initial thoughts. He had a visitor.
His surrounding Pokemon stood with their muscles tense, ready to leap into battle at any second. He was somewhat aware of the low growls and crackling noises made by those next to him, but he was dead set focus on what was in front of him. He could soon make out the silhouette of the creature that advanced towards him, but what it was a mystery. It had the shape and look of a dragon, stood on two legs, and had a notable red midsection. A shark-like tail and spikes protruding from its thighs and arms, along with a large dorsal fin and fin-like arms further confused the man. He had never seen such a Pokemon in his life. Finally, as the Pokemon stood only a few hundred meters away, the trainer could make out a set of razor-sharp teeth, jet engine-like horns, and a prominent yellow star at his snout. Whatever it was, it was clearly immensely strong.
At this distance, however, the former champion had completely forgotten about the mysterious new Pokemon.
Standing next to it, unrecognizable at first, was without a shadow of a doubt, a real person. The first one he had seen in almost half a decade. Black clothes, black as night adorned her figure. Radiant blonde hair flowed down to her shins, and four blacks hair ornaments completed her unique look. Piercing grey eyes, even from where she stood hundreds of meters away, stared directly into his own.
The former champion knew this day would eventually come. One day, a trainer with strength equal or even greater than his own would reach the summit along with him. But he wasn't expecting it to be this soon. 4 years ago, no one could even hold a candle to him. Not Lance, not Steven, not even Blue, the only man to ever hold his complete respect. No one should've been able to reach the peak in those 4 measly years. And yet, defying all of his possible expectations, here one stood.
With each step closer the woman and her Pokemon took towards him, he could feel the tension in the air rise. The low growls from before were replaced with heavy snarls and movement. They were feeling the same excitement, nervousness, anticipation, exhilaration as he was. He could feel his starter's heart pound to the same rhythm as his. When he broke his stare away from the woman and turned to look at the yellow rodent, the man knew his expression matched the calm but agitated face that he wore.
When the black-clad woman, standing in absolute contrast to the eternal white snow surrounding her, finally reached a distance where they could speak, he spoke first.
"Who are you?"
The first words he had spoken to a fellow human being in years fell out raspy and harsh. The howling wind that surrounded the two was deafening, and yet he knew that she had gotten his words.
"Are you the Former Champion of Kanto, the one they call the Greatest Trainer to Ever Live, Red?"
Her response was clear as opposed to his, her voice like bells ringing in the air. The man didn't know if he had ever heard such a beautiful voice before in his life.
"And if I am?"
He vividly saw as her face slowly turned into a smirk.
"Come find me in Sinnoh, O Great Champion of the World."
With that, she turned on her heel and started walking away, with the shark-like dragon letting out a snarl before following her.
"Why did you come here?"
The man's voice, spoken with considerably more agitation than beforehand, stopped the woman in her tracks.
"To see if the rumors were really true. After all, no one in history has ever been recorded to reach the summit"
"You came all the way here on the basis of a rumor?"
"I needed to see with my very own eyes if it was true."
The man couldn't help but be absolutely dumbfounded. He himself had mentally prepared himself for months to go on this journey, knowing very well that it could be his last. Yet, by the sound of it, the woman in front of him did so on a whim, with no real reward for her at all.
"Were you not worried about your Pokemon's lives!?"
This came out as a borderline snarl. Making it to the top was a fool's errand, but bringing loyal Pokemon on such a foolish journey went against everything he stood for. As his two fallen brethren flashed before his eyes, he dropped into a battle stance. The rest of his Pokemon, sensing their trainer's fury, tensed even further, their piercing eyes and growling faces surely to strike fear into any lesser person. In response, the dragon shark reversed its body and hissed, a look of wrath in its eyes.
The woman turned back around, looking insulted.
"I would never embark on a journey that would risk my Pokemon."
As soon as she stated these words like they were common sense, Red came to a sudden realization.
This woman was not normal.
She was a monster like he was.
Maybe even more so.
A laugh escaped his throat. Then two. All of a sudden, a cacophony of rambunctious laughter overtook the wind as all eyes stared at the man making the noise. His Pokemon in particular looked as if they had seen a ghost. When was the last time the man had shown this much emotion? Months? Years? Ever? It was a surreal sight.
A few seconds later his laughter died down, with the woman still staring at him with a confused look on her face. Had she really said something that funny? It was really just common sense in her opinion.
"Tell me your name."
This time, there was no hidden caution or anger in his voice. If anything, it sounded like respect.
"8th Champion of Sinnoh. Cynthia Shirona." Proud, yet not arrogant. A perfect introduction to a League Champion.
"Red Ketchum of Pallet Town." Contrary to the Sinnoh Master's intro, the man opted for a much more humble and casual approach. Cynthia couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that response.
"So the rumors that you were up here were true after all."
"Shouldn't that be obvious at this point?"
"You don't exactly look the part, with the long hair and all," the blonde champion retorted.
"Please find me a barbershop up here then, if you would." The former champion immediately shot back.
Cynthia was surprised. He was more casual than the rumors and accounts of her fellow champions made him out to be. She was expecting a brief dismissal of her presence, or a full-out battle right then and there. Yet, he seemed to be relatively normal given his storied legend. Of course, she was fully confident that if it did come to a battle, she would crush him, just like everyone else in her path.
"Now that you know I'm here, what are you going to do?"
A reasonable question. Even someone as powerful as her wouldn't just decide to climb Mount Silver, even if there were some rumors that Red resides at the peak. After all, she is the Champion of her region. No leader would abandon her post without good reason.
"I want you to come down from the mountain and start a new journey in Sinnoh."
Sinnoh. 4 years ago, Red had visited the region. It was a war-torn, chaotic region, with many factions fighting for control or power. He had never heard of a Cynthia Shirona during his brief time there, and yet, here she stood in front of him. He would be a fool to not believe the word of another person who had conquered Mt. Silver.
"Why?"
"I want to see someone like you in my region."
"Again, why?"
Her signature smirk donned her face.
"I want to challenge you, on the biggest stage, for the biggest title of our lives."
"If you want a battle, I'd accept one right here." His Pokemon had already determined that the land shark dragon was a worthy opponent. They would, with no hesitation, leap into battle at his command.
"It's not the same battling here. The masses in the crowd and the thrill of millions watching your every move against a worthy opponent is a feeling I've sorely missed."
Red understood that point well. Growing up, seeing the Champion battle challengers was one of his main motivations in becoming a trainer in the first place. It was an unmatched high. Yet, as he grew more and more powerful, and the result of his matches grew more and more expected, the thrill quickly died until battling became nothing more than a nuisance.
Of course, he knew for a fact that wasn't her only motivation. While he wasn't into politics like his rival Blue was, even he understood someone so highly ranked as Cynthia wouldn't just make a treacherous journey to find him just for the thrill of battle. He also knew that no matter how much he pried, she wouldn't spill. She made the journey up the mountain in the first place after all.
"And if I refuse?" He shifted his feet once again, preparing to move at any time.
"Then I'll never accept a battle from you for as long as I live." Her response came back short but firm.
He knew she wasn't bluffing. That she was willing to give up a lifetime of battle against a living legend was a testament to her motivation. No wonder she became a champion.
A voice in his head voiced its disapproval at her proposal. You still aren't strong enough it whispered. Flashbacks of terror, dead comrades, and blood raced in his head. Look at her. She could be stronger than you. If you don't want to lose anyone or anything ever again, you need to be stronger. Stronger. Stronger. Stronger.
Red looked again at the Sinnoh Champion. Her black robe billowed in the harsh wind, a dot of black in a sea of white.
"I accept."
A genuine smile broke out on her face, the first time he'd seen her do so.
"I'll see you then, O Great Champion."
"It's Red."
A look of surprise flashed on her face before settling into another smile.
"Red it is."
He stared as she turned around and walked off, her silhouette getting smaller and smaller as her black figure disappearing in the field of white. He kept staring long after she disappeared from view, after the wind and snow cleared and the bright sun shined down on him. Only after a nudge from his starter did he finally make any movement. He turned to his 3 Pokemon, each also staring in the direction that she and her Pokemon had walked off in, before feeling their trainer's gaze on them and turning towards the former champion.
"Say goodbye to this place. We're heading down."