Red watched as the trainer who'd beaten him petted his Pokemon affectionately. The last person in living memory who had managed to defeat him so thoroughly was... well, no one. Even Gold, the first challenger to beat him since his ascension to the throne of champions, had struggled to finish him off. In fact, he, Red, probably would have won their battle had it not been for how awful he'd been feeling that day. This trainer, however, was another story. True, he had cheated a little using what was now obviously a Legendary Pokemon (Red failed to stop a small smile of amusement at the thought), but that first battle with the Water type had shown him just how decisively he could have beaten him, even with a regular team. Who was this guy?

"You do realize that everyone misses you dearly, right?" Red snapped out of his daze upon being addressed, quickly hiding behind his facade again. The trainer sighed, making his way towards him. "I know you'd normally go to the Pokemon Center to heal your Pokemon now that the battle's over, but would it be alright if I stayed and helped this time?"

The words caught Red off guard completely. People normally tried to make small talk with him, yaddling on and on incessantly about their own private lives in an effort to get him to crack, before quickly throwing in the towel. But the way this trainer had approached him was unique. He didn't shout from clear across the field, didn't force anything. Just politely asked to help in a quiet and sincere manner. The teenager stopped in front of him, and held out his hand in a gesture of sportsmanship. "I suppose if you're going to wonder about me, I should at least help you by putting a name to the face," he joked, not regretting the awful play on words. "The name's Black. It's a pleasure to finally meet and battle you, Red."

Red looked down at the hand for a moment, hesitating, before taking it into his own. He couldn't help but be shocked at how cold it was. They shook once, before quickly letting go. "So about my offer?..." Black's voice trailed off as he looked in question at Red. Just as he was about to nod, a loud, joyful squeal of Meeeeeeeeeeew! rang through the chamber, startling him. He jumped, preparing for the worst, which caused Black to giggle a little. Red looked at the trainer, confused, as something swooped down and snatched his hat away from him. His Pikachu watched all of this unfold with a single eye, too tired to do much but follow it around.

Red's hands shot to his head in surprise, scrambling for something to cover his wild and untidy hair. He wasn't used to socializing, and this, the theft of his metaphorical barrier, was only making it worst. Black gave up on trying to be polite, and started to laugh for a second, before calling out to the thief. "Okay, Mew, seriously. You're making Red uncomfortable; Give the hat back." Hold on a sec. Mew? The small, pink Legendary Pokemon appeared, looking at him apologetically as it held out his hat. He stared at it for a few, long seconds, dumbfounded. The one Kanto Pokemon he'd never been able to catch, and here it was in front of him, belonging to the same person who'd just handed him and his team a proper beating on a silver platter. Mew made a small, distressed noise in its throat, pushing the hat in front of him. Red came to his senses, taking it gratefully, and put it back on his head. He turned back to Black, who was observing everything casually, and nodded an O.K. The trainer beamed at him. "Thanks! If you could call them out, I can go get some medicine and we can begin." Red reached into his belt, sending out his exhausted Pokemon for the second time that day.

They looked warily at him for a second, waiting for some kind of reassurance. It's fine. Just relax, he told them telepathically. They closed their eyes at this, returning to their slumber. Black cried out in triumph, producing a single Full Restore. Red gave him a raised eyebrow at this, causing him to chuckle in response. "Relax, I have a ton more where this came from. Say, I've been meaning to ask, how are you a telepath?" It was getting almost tiring how easily he was getting taken aback by whatever this guy said. When Black saw the look in Red's eyes, he answered, "How do I know? Well, for one, those were some very specific instructions you gave your Pokemon earlier. Of course, it might have been an intuitive connection like I have with mine, but I've battled enough trainers with a telepathic connection between their Pokemon to know one when I see one. And, on top of that, you just confirmed my hunch with your shock and dismay."

"How perceptive," thought Red. He then voiced his answer out loud, saying, "Mewtwo." Almighty Arceus, how was his voice so hoarse and dry? The answer hung in the air like a gunshot, silencing all background noise. Red's Venusaur cracked one eye open at the name, before returning to the embrace of sleep. Black recovered from his astonishment, and merely nodded in understanding, ending the discussion. The Mew clone had provided him with a connection between him and his Pokemon—all of them—as a way of showing thanks for... what had it said at the time? "Helping me find my destiny?" Something along that line. It had been so long ago; plus, the Psychic type only ever dropped by to check in on how he was doing or to drop a cryptic note before leaving. Of course, the link had its benefits, such as a slight advantage in battling, but it also meant that his Pokemon could tune into his thoughts like a radio show. It had taken him to the point of threatening to put them back in their Pokeball (which, curiously, blocked the connection) before they stopped listening in like that.

"That's interesting," muttered Black. "Right! So, first off, I need you to get your Pokemon in a comfortable position. Then I can start applying the Full Restores." They quickly set to work, slowly coaxing Red's Pokemon into various alignments until all were happy with how they were. Black's Legendaries occasionally pitched in, using Psychic to gently readjust those who were uncomfortable. Soon, Black was spraying his Full Restores away, deep in concentration. Red watched silently as he worked, perplexed. Whenever a bottle of the medicine emptied, he just threw it to the side without a second glance, completely focused on his work. He looked exactly the same as when he was battling, which, when juxtaposed to his earlier demeanor, was amazing, to say the least.

Black suddenly stopped, turning to face Red. "Say, you don't happen to know what kind of food your Pokemon like, do you?" What sort of question was that? He shook his head no. "Pity," Black continued. "I was going to try some Poffins on them, as a snack before continuing. But okay then. Here, eat these instead." He gave each Pokemon a handful of colorful berries. Each had equal parts of each strange fruit, which caused Red's mouth to water slightly due to their enticing hues. Especially the pink one. "I also packed some food for the two of us. It's not much, but I'm sure it's better than whatever you've been eating. I'll go down to civilization and restock later." Black tossed him a sandwich bag full of salted and smoked meats. He opened it, carefully taking a bite. The tough, chewy meat was incredible—a fine blend of spices drowning in savory juice gushed out, washing away the salts that had preserved them. "How did the meat have so much liquid left inside it, despite it being practically flattened by salt?" He wondered.

Red continued munching thoughtfully while Black took a moment to sit back. He waited while Red's tired team greedily gobbled up the fresh fruits with vigor and appreciation. It had been ages since they'd had such not-mountainy produce. Finally, they finished eating. Black then looked over at Mew, who was quietly playing around with the other Legendary Pokemon in the corner. "Hey, Mew, could you help us for a sec, please?" The Psychic type flew over, cocking its head to the side in a quiet question. "Remember the Metronome you used earlier? Do you think you have the strength to do it again?" Mew nodded quickly. It seemed like it was eager to help. "Thank you. Let me just get Samurott out and we can start. Zekrom, you can join us if you want to." Zekrom. So that was the beast's name. It flew over to them, sitting down on the ground with care. Zekrom gave Red a once over, before letting its eyes glaze over, giving it an almost silly look. How did such a powerful Legendary manage to make itself appear so... petable?

Black's talking eventually caught Red's attention once more. "... Right! Everything's all set and ready. Mew, if you'd please start the Metronomes." Mew started to wave its little arms back and forth, left and right, as it sought out the move Black wanted. Red watched, wondering what attack would appear first. Mew spun its arms in a complete circle clockwise once, before stopping. A white light surrounded it before vanishing. A soft Growl escaped from it, causing Red to smile a little. Black scratched his head slowly. "We'll get it, eventually." It took almost 30 minutes' worth of Metronomes before the move Black was looking for activated. "Aha!" he exclaimed. "Behold! Heal Pulse!" A second, stronger, and more intense white light filled the room as the so-called "Heal Pulse" activated. Red watched in awe as a rainbow-colored filled the room, rippling away from Mew as waves. He followed it with his eyes, watching as it washed over the sleeping Pokemon. Their rigid features gradually loosened as the warmth of the light washed over them. Red's body seemed to fill up with a gentle heat as he too was bathed in the omni-directional technique. His fingers tingled funny, like he'd had a sip of hot chocolate after being outside during a particularly vicious winter storm. It soon struck him just how cold he'd been—not literally, per se, but in another, more indescribable sense.

Mew's Heal Pulse began to dim as the energy put forth into the attack ran out. Eventually, darkness returned to the summit of Mt. Silver as the Legendary Pokemon stopped, tumbling down like a feather into Black's outstretched arms, completely worn out. "Thanks, Mew," said the trainer, beaming at it in appreciation. He pulled out what looked like a cross between a cookie and a macaron, and a round, blue berry. The Pokemon took it gratefully, helping itself. It suddenly sprang up with renewed energy, zooming around and around Black's head for several seconds before making itself at home in his messenger bag. Red never thought he would smile so often ever again; when he'd first set foot on Mt. Silver all those years ago, he'd assumed he was trading a life of joy for one of success. He slowly relaxed his facial features back to his typical face, returning his focus to his snoozing team. Now, it seemed, fate was giving him another chance to reconsider.

"Red, I think it's best you tell them to use Rest now. The food, medicine, and Mew's Heal Pulse are all fine and dandy but a regular slumber won't be as efficient at healing them," said Black.

Red nodded, facing his team. He spoke the one word to them, knowing that they were listening in on the conversation, even in their sleep. "Rest." His scratchy order was little more than a whisper but he knew it worked when he saw Pikachu's face go completely slack in a pleasant grin. He probably could have ordered it via telepathy but he doubted it would have been as efficient. Red recalled his entire team except Pikachu, then turned to Black, nodding his thanks for the assistance. "Why, though?" he asked, curious.

Black shrugged easily. "Why not? I know you hate having to leave the mountaintop to return to society, so I thought I'd stay and help. Besides, I feel a little guilty for thrashing your Pokemon like that. This way, they'll at least be a little more comfortable before we head down for a bit." Red stopped for a moment to think on what Black was saying, before the truth began to dawn on him. We?! "C'mon, it'll be loads of fun!" Black recalled a dozing Samurott and Zekrom as he pulled out two more Pokeballs. "Hydreigon, Dragonite! Let us enact a battle of myths!"

Red was a little uncertain about the catchphrase, but said nothing as two more dragons appeared in front of the trainers. What was with all the Dragon types? Was Black a Dragon Tamer? Red immediately recognized the cream-color of Dragonite as it gazed down at him with a friendly smile. The other one—Hydreigon, Black had called it, though, was a different matter. Red inspected it, thinking to himself. It was an oddity, with three heads and no arms (or were the arms arms with heads?). It levitated several feet off the ground, using its 6 thin, black wings to stay afloat every now and then as its various jaws snapped at each other playfully. Black patted both Pokemon gently on the head, scratching their heads for a bit as they growled appreciatively. "Guys, this is Red. He's a new friend I've just made." Red was rather taken aback at that bold declaration. Could one make friends that quickly? "Red, this here's Hydreigon and Dragonite, both some of my closest. They've agreed to help us down to the Pokemon Center at the base of Mt. Silver."

Red stopped the eager trainer for a moment."Why?" he asked.

"Because, despite what I've been able to do, it won't be enough to heal things like broken bones," he answered easily. Red sighed, resigned to his fate. "You can take Dragonite, since you'll be more used to it. I'm counting on you, alright, buddy?" The last part was directed at Dragonite, who nodded its head compliantly. "Which reminds me. Is there any way directly to the summit? I figured that'd be our fastest way down."

Red nodded his head. "Follow," he said. Together, the four of them and Mew, who was still in Black's bag, made their way toward the opening that Venusaur had appeared from earlier. They passed through it, with Black looking in awe at the sparsely decorated little room that Red had set up. A flattened, rock bed full of leaves and other shrubbery lay in the farthest corner, while smaller ones surrounded it. In the center was a firepit which still had glowing embers, while Red's backpack rested in the corner across from them, which had a flight of stairs leading down. Another flight of stairs occupied the last corner, these ones leading to the summit. Red grabbed his backpack, then gestured his head for Black and his Pokemon to follow. They made their way up in silence, the only sound being their footsteps on the cold and ancient stone stairs.

Black ran ahead of them as soon as the exit to the top was in sight. He turned his head this way and that in incredulity, trying to take in all of the world's splendor at once. Red wasn't quite sure what the trainer saw, but whatever it was must have really enticed him. He shrugged, making his way to a stop beside the awe-struck teenager. Before him stretched the whole of the Mt. Silver mountain range. White clouds splashed with the dying, orange sun lay sprawled out below him, nestling the various peaks as they barely poked through the thick layer. The glimmering, twinkling snow hurt his eyes, which were accustomed to the various caves' darkness. A cool breeze blew some snow onto the two of them, peppering them in white. The hairs on Red's bare arms stood on end, as he received goosebumps due to the cold for the first time in years. He shivered at both the thought and the sensations.

"It's beautiful," whispered Black. Mew flew to a halt beside Black and Red as it too looked upon the wintery, alabaster world spread out before them.

"Mew..." it breathed. They probably would have continued to stare at the gorgeous sunset until they'd either died or night fell, had it not been for Dragonite, who approached Black and tapped him lightly on the shoulder twice.

"Hm? What? Right, I'm awake," he said in a single breath. Black, in turn, tapped Red on the shoulder, gesturing to Dragonite, who was waiting patiently. "Let's get out of this freezer." Red stared at him for a second, mouth slightly agape, before nodding. When the two of them had settled in, Black scooted forward a little to show the two Dragon types where to go. They both shook their heads, before spreading their wings and flapping once. Together, the two of them made their way off into the sunset. Red turned around once to gaze at the rapidly disappearing summit of Mt. Silver. He never looked back again.

Professor Samuel Oak looked up in curiosity as a crescendoing sound approached him. "Hm? What's that?" he asked himself.

Mew suddenly barged through the door, yelling, "Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!" It seemed to be rather happy about something. In its hands was another bundle of folded papers.

"Mew!" exclaimed Professor Oak. "How'd it go?" The Psychic type flew to a halt in front of him excitedly, nodding its head as if it were on a sugar rush. It handed him the folded bundle of letters before Teleporting off to wherever Black was. Professor Oak rushed off to call Scott, wanting to share the good news with him. He looked over at the clock and decided against calling Hanako; it was almost 9 P.M, and he somehow didn't think a run-through of Black's battle against Red would do her worn heart any good.

"You called me, Professor?" asked Scott, letting himself in. They'd been checking up on each other so often that, towards the end of the 3rd week, Professor Oak had just told him to pop in whenever.

"Yes," he replied, gesturing to Scott to take a seat. "Black's sent us another letter." He unfurled the leaves of paper, peering over them. Together, the two of them read on in silence.

Professor Oak (and Scott),

Black here, checking in to give you an update. Phase one is complete. I've challenged Red and made some careful approaches towards him. Though I knocked out all of his Pokemon (with the two you prescribed), I technically lost, considering I had to resort to the same boring tactic more than once (remember the Rain Dance-Thunder combination?). By the time Blastoise had appeared (it was the 5th), I had run out of ideas to use on him. He did really well to drive me even further into the proverbial corner's wall with his Charizard at the end. Scott, I do have to thank you for giving me some pointers before leaving. The idea of using the battlefield to my advantage probably saved me more times than I can count. It's as you two said: using Samurott first before Zekrom was probably the safest option to defeating Red. What was it you so sagaciously declared? "First respect, then understanding, and only then can friendship be born?" Anyway... We're at the Pokemon Center below Mt. Silver at the present moment, getting his team and Samurott checked out. Red took surprisingly well to my greetings.

From here on out, it's going to be pure guesswork and following the heart (you both know me well enough to realize how well that could potentially go), trying to get him to warm up to me. Oh boy~ Two socially awkward teenagers, alone on a wintery mountaintop... I'm still debating whether to check in on him every week or every other day. He really seems quite lonely. Oh well. I have a resident more-than-introvert I can consult once all is worked out here at the Center. On a side note, do you think it would be wise to throw him a Thanksgiving feast at the end of the year? Or should I stay for Christmas, instead? Please let me know with a return letter addressed to the Pokemon Center. I'll pick it up on my visits from Mt. Silver. The other pages are just a run through of the entire battle, with detailed analysis. You can use those to roast marshmallows or something, I just thought you'd like to see something exciting for a change.

One final thing before I leave: could you please get Hanako to lend me her best book on haircuts, as well as some supplies? Her son and his Pokemon could really use some pampering. Also send that on the return mail.

Regards,

-Black