Perspective
It was cold, a light dusting of snow blowing across the mountaintop and drifting off to the side of the elevated platform. Its where he always came back to whenever he left. Journeys that spanned region after region and locale after locale. All for the small red device that still sat at his side, folded over: completed. He was a completionist and a good one at that, but it was lonely work.
He was strength, tales in the three years since he abdicated. He heard it enough while wandering even distant places of being unbeatable, untouchable on the battlefield and unrivaled in strategy. Stories that he held Legends in his grasp and had the ultimate Pokemon at his side. One so powerful that it was made to be Ultimate but in reality all it needed was compassion to be a great ally.
He heard stories of gemstones that could unlock certain Pokemon and their potential and crystals that could empower moves to ridiculous degrees. He wanted to find them, wanted to try them out for himself. Wanted to have fun again. But unbeaten, unrivaled, undisputed those were what prevented him. The wandering Champion of Kanto was almost a boogeyman among the people that saw him, a ghost story like some sort of myth. He was quiet but always noticeable. He was the kid who took down Team Rocket after all, that was hard to ignore even in the far-flung corners.
In these thoughts on the top of Mount Silver, he heard something. The flapping of the wings of a great bird, and a familiar spiky haired shadow that swept over him. The snow did not bother the flier, it hadn't for some time. It was almost instinct whenever he came to this place that he'd come to visit. They had known each other since there were fresh out of diapers and had been friendly rivals just as long.
"Thanks, Pidgeot," the young man said, his boots sinking into the ground as he held out the red and white Poke Ball to call it back. In a flash it disappeared waiting to be asked to help again perhaps to leave.
"..." the young man looked at the arrival, Blue. The familiar light brown hair jostled into a series of rampant spikes, the gray jacket, khaki pants. The man he looked at had become something befitting the Gym Leader he became, but there was a strength there as well. One that had toppled the Kanto region once and could do so perhaps at any time again.
"Another new region down, huh? Red, figured you finished gramps' work there and came back," Blue waved walking over. He had mellowed in their time apart, having been humbled years prior.
"..." Red's response.
"It's going okay, actually I came here to bring you some news. You'll love to hear it," Blue chuckled standing beside his friend to look out over the snow-covered forest below. Johto was a beautiful place, he always enjoyed it.
"... ..." Another brief reply. Red's eyebrow raising beneath his red-rimmed hat.
"There's a kid from New Bark in Johto. He swept through the Gym Challenge there and made his way to Kanto. Didn't believe it at first when he beat Lance, but then he battled me and won," Blue rested his hands on his hips. A smile forming on his face as his rival looked to the side to meet him eye to eye again.
"... ..."
"He beat 'em again, Red. And well the path to Mount Silver was opened for him. He stopped back home before he'd head this way, but I'd say sooner rather than later, he'll be making for this place."
"..."
"Beat you? Don't know about that, but he's good," Blue took a moment, lowering his head for a second and then raising it.
"Say he is good enough to beat you, are you going to mope around up here? Didn't really take you for the type."
"... ... ... ..."
"I know you don't expect to lose. But you'd be heading to Kalos or Alola. I can see why, Mega Evolution, Z Crystals, never could have imagined something like that when we were going through Kanto."
"... ... ..."
"You want me to come along? Don't have to tell me twice, I could use a vacation. Plus, Pidgeot has a Mega Evolution, I want to see if he and I are close enough to use it too. And then there's a new Champion in Sinnoh, who was trying to complete the PokeDex for Professor Rowan over there. Her Garchomp is something else or so I hear."
"..."
"Yeah, her name's Cynthia. I assume you must have run into her when you were searching for yourself out there."
"..."
"Figures. Well, then, if you lose, I'll be back and we can catch the first ferry to Snowpoint or Castelia or wherever, doesn't really matter to me," Blue joked, seeing a smile form on Red's face. And his friend clenching his fists in determination.
"Well good luck to you. Don't sweat it either way, you're the world's greatest Pokemon Trainer. Smell ya later!" the same Poke Ball he had returned Pidgeot to he released into the air and in a flash he and the bird were gone.
Footsteps not even a minute later crunched into the snow, his back was turned to the young man, but a smile was on his face. He felt the gaze of determination, he felt the strength radiating from this new arrival's Poke Balls. This kid, who had beaten Blue, and became Champion, he was a worthy opponent. There was no need to worry about strength or weakness here.
He turned and looked at the young man as he stepped onto the platform, his black and gold hat shifting in the winds as he tightened the shoulder strap of his bag. A kid from New Bark was about to take on a kid from Pallet.
You are challenged by Pokemon Trainer Gold!
Just something I wanted to write for a little bit.