(fan art in media by Serena-Daniels)

"Well, this means you're the new champion," Blue whispered as he looked down at me with his russet eyes, his fingers laced though his ginger hair as he gave me a lopsided smile.

I was in the midst of returning Venusaur when I craned my head to face him, "Weird. You can keep the champion name, I mean... It's not like I am going to be here for much longer," I babbled, tucking back Venusaur into my bag. "I just have to capture Mew and beat Red now... Well--- get his pokemon. And his items. I can't do that from a champion throne. And after I'm done I can go home, right?"

I smiled, but it quickly fell as I saw something flash in Blue's expression. His eyes swam as his smirk seemed to melt for a moment. "Yeah... I guess you're right. You'll be going home soon."

My first impression was that the trainer was saddened by those facts. Until something told me different.

He's lying, a voice whispered in my ear. It was my own. I couldn't tell what he was lying about at the time, though. Weather it was he thought I was right or I would be going home. I felt my heart sink, his eyes were disappointed. That stare you never wanted to feel, the one that makes you feel sick of yourself. Quickly, he snapped into a smile.

Both of his eyes were shut, "Well! I guess it's time to show you the entrance to Mt. Silver," the Ginger cleared his throat, taking grasp of my hand. His hand radiated a warmth while his callus skin brushed my palm, "Your hand is soft..." He hushed softly while he tugged me though the elite four chambers.

I said nothing as my feet dragged across the floors that glistered in the lights. People who the news had reached about my victory were already lined up. They applauded, their hands smacking against one another were like helium balloons popping in a barrage. Faces of people I met on my journey smiled with a sunny demeanor and waved. My "mother" was cheering at the same moment of dabbing her eyes with a lily white handkerchief, her dark hair tumbling over her shoulder.

My gaze ran over the whole scene as we passed though the commons of the Indigo Plateau, Nurse Joy even clapping at her station. We passed even them, Blue not moving his head from his directed path. The double glass doors were pushed open by some of the people to let us though.

Blue was determined to keep going but I stopped in my tracks, causing him to be yanked back. He gave me a sharp gaze, "I need to heal my Pokemon," he rolled his deep eyes before releasing his grip on my fingers. Stretching my hands out, I trotted over to where Nurse Joy was, bordering the right side of the entrance to the elite four.

Her cotton candy hair that was tied up into two buns matched her cheeks as her blue eyes blinked at me, "Well hello, Miss Leaf! Would you like me to heal your pokemon?"

No, I came here just to be friendly with you... With nothing else really in my bag, I flipped my maize bag upside down so that the six pokeballs tumbled out, Vulpix's rolling off of the plastic counter top. Nurse Joy caught it and smiled, "I'll take that as a yes!" her voice squeaked like a Skitty, placing each pokemon capsule into her rectangular healing machine behind her.

After a few lights flashing, a Bing! sounded and she took the pokeballs out, "All done!" she exclaimed, softly handed me my team with a beautifully fake smile. "I hope to see you again!"

I wanted to turn back to Blue. I was dying to continue on my journey to escape. But my feet stayed super glued to the pink marble floors while questions sang though my mind about the woman who smiled too brightly.

Do the nurses have dreams of their own?

Do they secretly hate people?

Why are they always smiling? Well. They're paid to.

A hand sunk on my shoulder, "Come on Leaf. Time to go," a hot breath brushed my ear, yet I yielded a flinch as I turned to finally follow Blue out. The mountains leading to the entrance and exit of Indigo Plateau were glowing as the sinking red sun melted in the sky like ice cream down a child's hand. The evergreen pines that grew around us densely were hit with the golden light just slightly while the silver arches that lead down the way were gleaming with a blinding illumination.

My eyes drooped while staring at the entrance to Victory Road. Or exit technically. "Do I have to walk through that again?"

Contrary to his mood only seconds ago, Blue broke out into laughter. He pressed his big hand down onto my head, the white hat I always wore sliding past my eyes. I spent a few moments in a panicked darkness as Blue's voice rumbled with amusement, "Or you could just fly with me to the beginning of Victory Road." I heard the popping of a pokeball opening and a gentle cooing of a majestic avian pokemon. A coarse but warm as a pizza box hand grasped mine, "Come on, Pesky girl."

With my open hand, I slicked my hat back, "I have my own Pidgeot. Why am I riding yours?" I pointed out as the trainer recommenced to drag me to where his bird was. Plus, I'll be the first to admit, heights really aren't my thing. Before I could even get another word out, he silently scooped me up bridal style. My legs swinging over his left arm as his right wrapped around my shoulders like a cozy blanket. I looked to give him a crooked gaze to find him staring down at me; once his dark eyes swam in my brown ones he shot his gaze away. Gingerly, he set me onto the end of his pokemon's back. The Pidgeot's beige feathers ruffled up against the skin of my legs and red skirt. I fidgeted my fingers around the delicate quills. The bird twisted back its head and opened his ivory beak to chirp happily.

"Because mine is faster," Blue boasted arrogantly as he sung up onto his flying-type in the space in front of where I rested. And, that thought was not any more comforting to me, "Now, I would suggest you hold onto me," he cocked his head to me and winked one of his eyes, smiling in an odd way.

Why do I feel like I am being undermined? I wondered.

Straightening my spine I cleared my throat and spoke with the highest authority I could, "I've ridden a Pidgeot before. I don't need to hold onto you to stay on."

"Suit yourself," he shrugged with a nonchalance, "use Fly, Pidgeot." With that command, both of Pidgeot's wings were unfurled. With great pumps of the two airfoils, the pokemon's body lurched with every foot we rose. Once we were in the melting sky, the winds that swept around the bones of earth lapped though my hair. I could feel as the Pidgeot expanded his rib cage to take in a gulp of fresh air before taking off.

He shot like a missile across the sky, my arms flinging around Blue's torso while a sinking emotion bubbled in my gut screaming I was going to be thrown off, "I am going to die!" I shrieked involuntarily. Despite the high air currents that screamed past my ears, I could hear Blue laughing at my reaction. I purposely tightened my grip around his stomach so that he started to cough.

As the minutes passed by, Blue leaned so that we would circle a large mountain. It was made of dark charcoal rock as the tops were laced with veils of snow. Even from the distance where we glided on the winds, you could see the swirling blizzards that blasted against the mountain. I expected any moment for it to come tumbling down to shambles as the avalanches rolled down its rocky arms. Still the mountain stood defiant as at the tip a clearing was prevalent, a cave entrance leading to it. "Mt. Silver!" Blue called over to me, "Red is at the peak!"

"Oh my Arceus! That place looks like it could kill people!"

"It has!"

I swallowed down a thick ball of saliva that gathered at the back of my throat. An aftershock that traveled from the storms flung at us while we rounded the mountain peak. Pidgeot was thrown back roughly, in fear I wrapped myself closer to the Pidgeot's master while I felt my hat being torn off my head. My neck swiveled my neck around to watch it float off like a dandelion fluff in the air, almost in slow motion as it ran off into the mountains, "My hat..." I mumbled under my breath, words and air being sucked from my very lips from the winds around us.

In the next moments of silence between the Ginger and me, Pidgeot took his landing. Roughly 16 of his tawny feathers fluttering beneath us as he sunk into a landing; his sharp claws clacking against the hard rock at our feet. Slipping off from the pokemon's back, I found we were in the center of four paths.

"That one leads to Johto," Blue said from behind, setting a hand on my shoulder. I angled my head to gaze up, seeing that his towered about 5 inches above my nose. "Behind is the Indigo Plateau. And to our right is Kanto and finally... On our left would be the path to Mt. Silver."

With a jubilee feeling burning like a flame in my chest of the mere idea of coming close to being home, I trotted over to the path leading to the mountain, "Well, thanks for the ride! Remind me never to fly on that pokemon ever again! See ya'!"

I spun on my heel to the route but a voice spoke, "Wait!" my shoulders sulked as I turned back around. Blue rummaged around his bag and said, "While I find some stuff, why won't you ride again? You ride your Pidgeot all the time."

I let out an exasperated huff, both my arms crossing. "I only fly on him occasionally. I don't like heights or speed. I kinda was a shut-in before, well," I motioned with my hands around the world I stood in, "this."

"Found it!" Blue exclaimed, completely dismissing how I just told him one of my fears. He calmly strode over to me and pulled out a pair of white ear-muffs. They were as fluffy as a Furfrou with a black head band connecting the two muffs, "Once Daisy found out you were going to go to Mt. Silver she cried out, 'Oh my poor baby will be so cold! All she ever wears is that tank top and skirt! She'll freeze to death before the Pokemon can even get to her!'" he imitated in the poor shrilled voice of what he believed his sister sounded like. "Then she ran off to find you some warm clothes. She really cares about you," he chuckled nervously as I fit the ear-muffs over my head.

Both of my ears grew with warmth at the same time that the fur brushed my skin. "Ah--- and one more." He continued to rummage through a bag he brought, pulling out a black jacket. Once accepting it, I found that it had a thin down interior while the outside was a rough polyester shell; there was a breast pocket on each side of the zip up jacket.

Carefully, I ran my arms though the sleeves and zipped up to the collar. The winter-made jacket was large, hung over past my fingertips; the bottom half way down my skirt and the collar brushing just under my nose. Almost afraid to, I took a sniff of it, oxygen filling my lungs while a familiar scent lingered in my nostrils. It smells like Blue. Those were the words my mind said, my mouth staying pressed shut, Though it's odd... I don't remember him ever wearing it. Not in other games.

Blue gave a disappointed look at how it draped over me, "Ugh. It doesn't fit," he monotoned. But I could tell he was somewhat irritated, "I'll take it back and return it, Daisy bought it and---"

Liar! I laughed in my head while I leapt back when his hand reached out, "I like it." he flinched for a brief moment, "It's kinda like a big hug. It's really warm too. Tell Daisy thank you for me!" I beamed before skipping back down the path, tapping my fingers against my pokeballs. "Ah," I nearly forgot to say one more thing that day. And if I didn't, I might have regretted it. My head spun back around while I waved my arm in the air wildly, "thanks for the jacket, Blue!"

Though he was facing away to board his flying pokemon, his steps were frozen to the ground. The tips of his ears turned a dark crimson. I couldn't help but to let out a small giggle before dashing into the mountain. "Smell ya' later, Pesky girl..." I could hear him breath, just watering my blossoming smile.

After that, I would spend long lonely days on that mountain. I would trudge through blizzards that shot snow at me that were like needles slamming into my body. Some days the winds would be so powerful, I could barely take a single step. Pokemon scarcely would be on the outsides of the mountain, obviously to shelter themselves from these conditions.

On the other hand, the inside was made up of cave systems which crawled with pokemon with the capability to kill me with one swing of their paws. It wasn't much warmer in there either. Still, when the sun sank on the horizon I would drag my freezing ass into the caves and sleep with a pokemon or two. Most of the days they would slumber in their pokeballs while I braved the swirling storms around us, at night they acted as my guardians.

I would usually be curled up with Vulpix while the others rotated hourly as protection. Not like I actually got much sleep there though. My mind would run with many different ways to approach Red when I eventually would found him.

Or some nights it was the paranoia that my pokemon would be defeated and I would be killed. Or that the next day I would freeze to death in the storm. Or the next avalanche would be the end of me. My heart picking up, fear throbbing in my blood.

My arms, each time a thought like that came to me, would grip harder around the small fire fox in my arms. In turn to calm my nerves, she would swing her head around and lick my cheek with her fiery warm tongue. It was hard like sandpaper, but I felt like a weight was momentarily taken from my mind each time.

And after I lost count of the days passing, the cold biting, the lonely silence set in. My throat grew stiff from disuse as my mind raced to talk with itself. My pokemon would sadly glance to me occasionally, receiving a dazed nod from me. I only knew it was night when my body grew too tired to carry me, for the storm thrashing around the monuntains never gave up for even a moment to let me see the sky. To see the thousands stars. The silver moon. Or the blazing sun. And when I rested, I didn't know if it was the third time that day or that week.

Then the day, or was it night, came.

My skin was bluer than the oceans as I pushed my face further into Blue's old jacket. Though, my hot breath still became a hot steam into the vapors around us. Both my ungloved hands were jammed under my armpits as I shook though the cave. Travelling any further on the outside would have killed me. The bluffs had become too steep for scaling without proper climbing equipment. The blizzard outside became fearfully fierce, the ice in the spiraling winds would probably have pelted me unconscious. And then I would be buried alive in snow.

Then I wouldn't be alive for much longer.

Each time a wild pokemon came, I would send out Hitmonchan to knock them out. That was when, I found a pile of blankets beside a cave exit. A stack of manga magazines spilled all over on the dark stones. This must be it. I mused, pulling myself towards the stone way.

Once I stepped out, the blinding midday sun dazzled me with its bright smile at the same moment a gentle breeze sped by me. I took a moment to inhale the crisp air, feel the sun beat on my frost bitten skin. I haven't seen the sun for who knows how long at that point. It was refreshing, maybe it was the world telling me that if I keep though the storm, I will find the brightest sun...

Maybe that was too psychological.

With a hand I pulled from my under arm, I streaked it across my nose to wipe away snot. Each step I began to take forward crunched under my beaten running shoes, flakes breaking into other flakes. Standing at the edge of the cliff point was a boy, his curls of hair tucked under a red and white baseball cap. The boy's cherry red jacket fluttered in the wind as his yellow backpack had a layer of frost wrapped over it.

"Excuse me..." My voice cracked. I found it hard to speak since I hadn't even spoken a word to my own pokemon for those days, Had they found it lonely too, trekking up here? He stood unmoved as the sun silhouetted his shape. Abruptly seeing him, I was overcome with an anxious sense. How could have I confronted him?

"Hello! My name is Leaf and I am the reason you are banished to this frozen and abandon hell! I'm the reason you will probably never see your mother's face again! The... The reason why you will rarely ever find another person to talk to you. "

Yeah--- no.

He gradually pivoted, his face rounding into view. Our determined eyes became locked for what felt like an eternity as the frigged gust howled past against the mountain's bluffs. Like a feather sinking to the earth, Red drew a pokeball from his belt.

There were no more time more words.

So I followed his exact actions, folding my hand around my partner's pokeball. The one from the very beginning.

And thus our battle began.