Prologue
Although the land of Kanto has endured a great deal of triumphs and tragedies, the legend of Red remains eternally unchanged. Every inhabitant of the land, temporary or permanent, has the story etched into their heads. It became ritualistic for those within the confines of Kanto's borders to learn of the legend of Red. Although little thought of it, Kanto's entire identity remained based on the idea, no matter if fictitious or true, of a singular person, being Red.
Of course, no one knew of his true name. Red was merely a nickname, a temporary phrase to coin the legend with. Many tried to seek out any relatives of the fabled youth, and although many claimed to be born of his blood, no truth emerged from the countless leads. All witnesses to his countless triumphs and journey claimed they remembered little of the boy, passing him off as another of the many naive challengers.
Despite the people of Kanto being so heavily obsessed with Red, it was Blue that they paraded and treasured the most dearly. He was the only one, for as long as the people considered to be so, that claimed legitimate correlation with the boy. While the idea of Red was the ultimate prize in the general public's heads, it was Blue that presented that figurative thought with a physical host. A face that one could see, a voice one could hear, a hand one could touch. Blue was not the boy of legend, but it mattered little. To the people, he was one of the same.
Despite Red being nothing but a series of spoken words, and a blurred and hazed one at that, he had brought upon Kanto decades of prosperity, or disgrace, depending on who you ask.
The sport of Pokémon training had reached its international apex in terms of popularity only a year after Red had become the Indigo League Champion. Millions of people, ranging from ten to upwards of sixty years of age, flocked to the region in search of the prominence and fortune that Red had supposedly accrued as a result of his victory. Gyms were filled to the brim, so much so that a battle with the resident Leader would take months to open. A hefty portion soon left the region in mass exodus, burdened by the reality that they simply could not achieve. In their wake, they left a region marred by the few months it had to provide for the hungry people.
Investors had packed cities with infrastructure, ranging from stores, hospitals and hotels in hopes to rake in a vague sense of profit. However, since the frenzy had quelled after approximately two months, thousands of these establishments barely completed construction. Out of those that did, even fewer opened with their original purpose in mind. Out of these few, all filed for bankruptcy within the year. By the time the winter snow had started to fall from the sky, over half of Kanto's metropolitan areas were abandoned.
As the new year dawned, Kanto's economy was near collapse. Investors had left much as the challengers had, and inflation of the Pokémon Dollar left with the remaining populace in poverty. The government of the region, along with the Pokémon League, in an attempt to prevent a total economic downfall, started a massive advertising campaign for the sport that brought them to the position they were in, Pokémon training.
While only those that responded to the campaign were a mere fraction compared to the amount that had festered in the region several months beforehand, it brought the results that the government so desperately needed. Through extensive taxation of the Pokémon Gyms, as well as common Pokémon merchandise and equipment, the sport became limited in popularity, but heavily profitable. The Indigo League became a government subsidiary, and all revenue generated from it were to be absorbed into the federal income and subsequent budget.
While this move was unpopular with those who were employed in the Indigo League, especially since their private tax exemption had been revoked, it had saved the region of Kanto from becoming financially and physically destitute. It was deemed undesirable, but necessary. The abandoned cities were soon filled with seasonal travelers and challengers, and the economy returned to normalcy.
Remarkably, Red received no ire from the general public. Despite the fact that it was his journey that had sparked such an insatiable hunger, his legend remained unchained in terms of reception. Some credited Blue, who was the main public face of the advertising campaign, for this change not occuring. Others blamed the people that had rushed into the region beforehand as the aggressors.
Regardless, the legend of Red remained true. Despite the years, and the countless events that nearly brought his place of origin to social anarchy, his story stood still. Having no body, Red fought those who sought to bring disorder. Having no voice, he spoke for everyone. Red was somebody that no one knew, but something that everyone could remember.
