Ch 2: First Step

The sun was just beginning to break as Red returned to the cave he had called home for years. There wasn't much to do here, besides rolling up the makeshift bed and putting in his ragged and torn backpack, as well as packing all the other useful tools and materials he had brought on his journey up. The former champion had brought many more things on the journey up, but time and the elements quickly had left him with just the bare minimum tools to survive. On the bright side, it would be less of a hassle to carry, but that wasn't much compensation for the loss of such useful items like his coffee grinder. One of the few things he would be grateful for when he returned to civilization.

As he swept his eyes around the interior for possibly the final time, the former champion came to a realization. Although the cave was practically all he had known for over a thousand days, Red didn't feel much sentiment towards the place. Maybe it was because he thought of it just as a place to camp, however long this camping trip might've been. But the lack of memories he made was probably a bigger reason why he had no qualms abandoning it. After all, all he did there was eat, sleep and train. Maybe, just maybe, he could change that soon. Memories were a big part of what kept him going all this time, after all.

Washing his face in the makeshift pool one last time, Red set out to the mouth of the cave, where all 4 of his Pokemon stood by rigidly, awaiting his arrival. Once he stepped out, the rest dutifully followed. Not one looked back even once.

Instead of continuing down the path where Cynthia came, Red instead turned and walked closer to the summit. His Pokemon silently trailed behind, no doubt intelligent enough to realize what their trainer's objective was.

It only took a couple of seconds to reach the marked gravestones of his fallen comrades. The former champion stopped just a few short feet in front of it, then bowed his head. If he had turned around, he would've seen the rest of his party do the same. No doubt this was the only place on this massive mountain that any of them would have any attachment to.

"You both will never be forgotten."

His words, spoken lightly, were immediately drowned out by the howling wind that surrounded him. But he knew, somehow, his words had gotten through.

Bowing his head once more, Red turned his back around and began his final descent.

Luckily for the former champion and his team, descending the massive mountain was a much easier task than ascending it. The conditions got milder with each step downwards, and although even a third of the way up the mountain would likely kill most trainers in the world, it would feel like an Alolan breeze to the Pokemon and trainer who had trained at the summit for years. As such, a journey that might take months on the way up only took days on the way down. However, monster attacks were still exceedingly common, and could easily hamper any sort of journey. But soon enough, Red realized this wouldn't be much of a problem at all.

"…"

The fallen corpse of a massive Steelix laid in front of him. Easily over 50 feet in length, the mammoth of a Pokemon looked as menacing as any he had encountered on the mountain. But that's all it was, a corpse. A fresh one too, due to the metallic sheen of the gargantuan monster still being relatively clean. Red had his suspicions, only for them to be all but confirmed when he saw large slash marks on the head of the Steelix, cutting deeply into the cranium. His mind immediately went to that land shark dragon and its razor-sharp wings, before wandering to the blonde-haired woman that was its trainer. "Not bad, not bad at all," the former champion muttered under his breath, before continuing past the monster. His Pokemon, curiously looking at the corpse themselves, seemed to come to a similar conclusion, as their normally stoic faces began to show slight bits of excitement. They were itching for a grand battle, and each of them knew the blonde champion's dragon could provide it. Looking at their faces, Red cracked a small smile. Looks like he wasn't the only one raring to go.

—

Only after a few days had passed since his encounter with the Steelix, but Red was already nearing the foot of the mountain. At this rate, he'd be able to escape the hazardous no-fly zone that the mountain for some reason had and be able to make it back to civilization in only a couple of hours. He had encountered only a few Pokemon on his way down, all of which were easily taken care of by his own. Not one resident of the mountain stood any chance against his team of monsters, but there weren't that many, to begin with. Every day, Red and his team encountered far more dead Pokemon than alive, each one with an increasingly recognizable slash mark along with their newly deceased bodies. Even Golems, with their world-renowned toughness, weren't exceptions. Every encounter brought back his conversation with the Sinnoh champion, and soon, it was all that plagued his mind during the descent.

Cynthia. Cynthia Shirona, she had said her name was. Appearances aside, the look in her eyes, full of hunger, resolution, and something more, sent chills down the former champion's spine. He'd only seen that sort of expression three times in his life. Once was in the mirror, after his first crushing loss to Lieutenant Surge, where he had vowed to never, ever, suffer such a defeat again. The next instance was Blue, during their final meeting on Victory Road, moments before his rival sauntered into the Indigo League and crushed some of the strongest trainers the region had to offer. The final time was…

Death. Cries. Screams. Death. Destruction. Shouts. Death. Death. DEATH.

Red shook his head. Thinking about the past was a worthless endeavor. He had learned that lesson long, long ago.

Something about her story didn't sit right with him though. It was quite clear, even in their short interaction, that she was beyond a prodigal talent. Putting aside that she reached the summit of the harshest mountain in the world, that Pokemon of hers was a monster. Red had stared down true Legends in the world, creatures that only seemed to appear in myth. Yet, something about that dragon awoke some sort of primal instinct in him, the need to survive. Any lesser Pokemon, no matter how aggressive they were, likely would've retreated out of pure fear. The fact that it was fully obedient to the blonde woman was a testament to her own monstrosity.

That was the thing though. An absolute monster of a trainer like her should've had her name floating around the entire region, hell, the whole world. Talent like that doesn't just suddenly appear. Even at a very young age, Blue and himself had their names thrown around all over the place, as prodigies under the tutelage of the greatest Pokemon professor in recent memory. While it took until they were 15 and proper trainers to cement their names into legend, they were relatively well known much before them. So the nagging question remained. Why, even in her supposed home region, had he never heard of a Cynthia Shirona?

The former champion pondered this question for some time. It had been quite some time since he had last thought of someone other than himself. The feeling brought back times long ago, when the former champion stayed up well past his bedtime, researching well-known trainers and Gym Leaders, dreaming about the day he'd be on that stage, in front of that crowd…

…

..it was going to be a long journey down, wasn't it.

—

Due to his incessant pondering, by the time Red had stepped out of the mountain's no-fly territory, night had already befallen the area. Bright light shone on his skin, the sky littered with thousands of shining dots, the first he'd seen in ages. He had forgotten the natural beauty of the world, being bounded by the same sight for hundreds of days.

The first gulp of fresh air made him realize how stale the mountain's air was. It was like finally taking a bite of juicy meat after a month of a purely vegan diet. Pure bliss. The second gulp led to a nostalgia rush. He had breathed this same air for most of his life, from when he couldn't walk to reaching the throne, the unreachable summit that all trainers attempted to arrive at. What a journey it had been.

The third reminded him of his objective.

With a single motion, the former champion returned both his massive turtle and sauropod to their respective Pokeballs. His small yellow companion, sensing what was going to happen, leaped to his shoulder, a shine in the rodent's eyes. A grunt and a hoist later, Red was comfortably on his large dragon's back. While most wouldn't appreciate the scaly backside of the lizard and would opt for a saddle, the master trainer had long grown accustomed to this kind of flight. After all, his body had endured much, much worse. With a kick to the hide, the dragon spread its majestic wings and took off towards the east, a loud and satisfying growl escaping the beast as it took unrestricted flight for the first time in years.

"To the Indigo Plateau," the trainer whispered. Even in the blistering fast winds that whipped around him and his dragon, the beast seemed to understand. With a second, louder grunt, trainer and Pokemon alike sped off in the distance, in the direction of gleaming lights and the sound of life.

—

Mount Silver. The massive mountain known as the 'Demon Sky-piercer", situated on the border between Kanto and Johto. Every child with aspirations of one day becoming the world's best dreams of conquering the summit, a feat that would surely enshrine them as a legend. It is one of the last uncharted areas in the world, one of the only forces of nature that even our most modern technology can't begin to compete. Our innovations rapidly improve with each passing year, yet it looks like being able to aptly challenge nature's strongest is still a distant thought. However, this very nation of the unconquerable only motivates trainers even more. Some set out with their sole goal not to become Champion, but to scale the behemoth. However, if this is your goal, please reconsider. And if you know someone that is planning on climbing the mountain, please show them this video.

Do you wish to have your name etched into history after reaching the summit? Do you think that the mountain isn't as dangerous as people make it out to be, and want to give it a shot yourself? Do you wish to challenge the rumored monsters that call the mountain home to get stronger? Do you want to capture those very monsters, following the footsteps of members of the Elite Four and even Champions Lance and Steven, both of whom never even attempted to go more than a third of the way up?

If you answered yes to any of the possible questions, stop and listen.

There will be no help if you attempt to scale the Sky-piercer. Only Rangers, who will force you to return if you're not qualified. No Pokemon Centers, no nurses, no shops. The ground is constantly bombarded by hail the size of Pokeballs falling at the speed of a Ninjask. The skies are so harsh that even Articuno would have a difficult time flying even halfway up the mountain. Not even the government is foolish enough to send their own to assist potential climbers. With the Indigo League being as successful as it has in past years, this should tell you all you need to do about even the authorities' view on conquering the mountain, even if it would be an extraordinarily useful economic route in connecting Kanto and Johto. Not even the greediest corporations dare to make an actual trade route that cuts through the mountain. These same companies would start wars with other regions if it meant profit, and yet they refuse to get within breathing distance of it. Why is that?

Could it be the 10% return rate of 16-badgers, some of the most experienced trainers that Kanto and Johto have to offer, almost all of which come back with severe PTSD? How about the thousands of illegal scalers, those who bypass the legal system which allows only the most qualified of trainers to even attempt a climb, who never come back after they set out? Maybe it was the death of former Elite Four member Lorelei, who had quite possibly the team most capable of surviving in the freezing, hellish blizzards that constantly plague the mountain? Or is it something else?

Let me answer that question for you.

It is because not one man alive doesn't fear certain death. All who don't fear it are already dead.

-Excerpt from the Frozen Hell, a documentary by legendary film producer Jack Frost

—

"Fuck!"

Without any warning, a fist lashed out from above and slammed the wooden table so hard a visible splinter appeared. The man responsible stood from his chair, breathing heavily, before doing a sudden 180 and booting it across the room, where it soared through the air before coming to a final resting spot feet away. The bang from the fist and subsequent kick should've had the professional guards on maximum alert before shutting down the whole city and ushering the man to a safety bunker hundreds of feet underground, but not one man moved. In fact, they wore expressions ranging from bored to exasperated. From their faces, this was nowhere near the first time that this very event had transpired.

"Fuck that shit hurt!" The man growled out, before glaring at the table once more, where the source of his anger lay. At first glance, it was clear it was a letter. A short one at that. Upon closer inspection, it read the following:

Hi Blue,

I'm gonna be gone for a bit on a brief "excursion" for the next couple of weeks. Can u please take my place as the head of the International Champions Conference this time?

Thanks,

Cynthia

"That fucking skank refuses to sleep with me and then drops this shit on my already fucking busy ass! Does she even understand how much of a fucking logistical nightmare it is running an international conference on motherfucking economics and foreign relations?! Do I look like a fucking boomer?!" At this point, people would begin to mistake the current Kanto champion as his greatest rival due to the crimson shade of his face. But none would mistake his infamous scowl that marred his facial features. The strongest trainer in Kanto was well known for being relatively calm but arrogant, but nearly no one saw this side of him. After all, he had a reputation to hold up in public, as the face of the most prosperous nation in the world. But in his private office, far away from the media and watchful eye of the public, he could let his true feelings show. And without a doubt, at the moment, Blue Oak was beyond pissed.

"Get Red on the phone right this fucking minute, I ain't dealing with this shi-" Blue screamed out before abruptly cutting off his tirade. Four years later and he was still chasing after the shadow of that man, his only true rival. Just the thought of him and his back as he walked away from the Plateau for the final time infuriated the current champion even more. He wasn't just furious that his rival had beaten him and then dumped the responsibilities of a champion right back on him, or even that he had left when the politics were heating up to its extreme. No, those were insignificant matters compared to the feeling as he watched his sworn enemy and equal, the one man he was always running right next to, suddenly pull away as if Blue wasn't worthy as a competitor anymore. Just that thought was enough to put him into a rage. It was a large reason why the Ace Trainers that served as his elite bodyguards didn't respond to his outburst. It was a daily occurrence at this point.

Usually, these tirades would only last a minute or so before they fizzled out and the champion returned to whatever he was doing. But things were different this time. It had been 5 minutes and Blue's fists were still clenched, blood dripping down the palms from how far his nails dug into his hands. His signature scowl was full-on feral, dripping with absolute murderous attempt. Coupled with his heavy breathing and dipping shoulders and he truly looked like a wild, feral Pokemon. The Ace Trainers exchanged concerned glances between themselves. They were contracted to protect this man, but at this rate, they might need to protect themselves from him.

Blue was seeing red at this point. He had always had anger issues when his usual calm demeanor couldn't hold in his internal strife, but when he blew his top, it was like a natural disaster. It must've been in his Oak genes because his legendary anger could only be surpassed by his grandfather, who once got so pissed at how incompetent the government was that he single-handily legally changed the dominant political party's name to "Poke-fuckers". These outbursts were far and few between, but when he saw red, he saw Red. Wait, what the fuck?

Standing in his view, only feet away, was the figure unmistakable of his rival. He was taller, unkempt, and straight-up uglier, but those red eyes of his, the ones that had always kept him on his toes and eager to achieve more, were the same that haunted his nightmares.

"…" Blue muttered, slowly making his way towards the door where Red stood, casually leaning against the doorway. The latter, still donning his signature cap, stared at the former champion, before tipping his cap and nodding.

"…"

They say Sucker Punch is one of the few moves with priority. So when Blue's right fist suddenly lashed out and caught Red's cheek in the fiercest right hook that mankind had ever seen, the former champion could only blink in surprise before he was flung halfway across the room, tumbling across the wooden floor before his back slammed into the left wall.

"You chose the absolute best fucking time to came, you bastard," Blue's already feral grin seemed to grow ten times in intensity. At this point, he looked like a psychopath. It only widened when he saw his rival slowly but solidly bring himself to his feet, putting his hands into a fighting stance in the process. "Come at me! Fucking cunt, don't go cry to ur ma when I'm done beating your ass!" He shouted as he sprinted towards the former champion. Before he could throw his first punch though, he spotted the faintest of smiles coming from the former champion's face. Suddenly, the emptiness and fury that Blue had built up for many years faded away, replaced by the same thrill he had as the two of them raced through the Gym Circuit, the Elite Four, and finally, the biggest stage that the two opposites agreed was the final goal.

"This is for the bullshit championship battle, you filthy pile of Tauros shit!" Blue roared, and so began the legendary fight between champions that was never witnessed by the public.

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