Prologue: The Place Between Life and Death
*At the peak of Mount. Silver, between Kanto and Johto.*
The snow and ice swirled around him in the freezing cold, an eternal blizzard which chilled him to his bone. Not that he cared. Nothing mattered anymore, nothing but waiting for his inevitable death. There was simply nothing more to life. Not after what he'd done. The images, the nightmares, it all came flooding back. Her body lying still in a pool of blood. His mortal enemy, standing there, knife in hand, smug smirk upon his face, damn the bloody bastard.
"Flashback"
"Well, Red, I've done it. I've broken you. So tell me, champion, what will you do? Will you kill me? I place my life in your hands. You are free to do as you wish. I've achieved what I wanted with you, my dear s—."
"Flashback ends"
Footsteps behind him brought him out of his memories. Without looking back, he threw the Pokeball of his trusty Pikachu behind him. He heard the pop of another Pokeball, the roar of the trainer's Pokemon. The newcomer yelled, "Typhlosion, use Flamethrower!"
On impulse, Pikachu dodged the attack and countered with a Thunderbolt. He heard the cry of the Pokemon named Typhlosion, heard its body hit the snow in a quiet thump. Too easy. Far too easy. Can no one really defeat a long forgotten champion? Pikachu would need no assistance or direction in this battle. He then settled back into his thoughts, as yet another of the challenger's Pokemon fell to Pikachu's Thunderbolt. His thoughts wandered to when it all began. To the day he started his journey.