Chasing After A Legend

Prologue

Updated: 4/10/2022

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There's a story that goes around Kanto and parts of Johto.

It's a story that revolves around a vast world filled with hundreds of creatures that can summon raging infernos, bolts of electricity, and land-warping powers as they see fit (just to name a few). A story about a hero who befriended a multitude of these magical beasts and worked with them to emerge victorious in the harsh and difficult battles that they were thrust into. A story about a noble youth who was the very best, like no one ever was.

It all started when that youth was stopped from wandering into a few patches of tall grass by a stern old man.

"It's unsafe! Wild Pokémon live in tall grass!" The aged soul lectured. "You need your own Pokémon for protection. Here, come with me!"

The boy was taken to the elder's laboratory, for this man was none other than Professor Oak, known as the premier authority on Pokémon throughout the world. The boy was given his own Pokémon to adventure throughout Kanto with, tasked with completing the Pokédex, a high-tech encyclopedia with information on all known Pokémon throughout the region.

But that boy - that red capped, black-haired eleven-year-old - did so much more.

He formed inseparable bonds with the Pokémon he left home with along with the many more that he met on his journey. He did battle with other Pokémon trainers and became stronger with every fight that he won. He took on the eight specialized trainers – Gym Leaders, they were called – and defeated them one by one. He fought the Elite Four, the mightiest set of trainers in Kanto, and beat them at their best. And after a long and hard bout with an old rival that used to always be one step ahead of him, he became the renowned Champion of the Pokémon League, cementing himself and his Pokémon with a place in history.

But he wasn't done yet. He caught all known Pokémon in Kanto, even the legendary birds that were seldom seen by mortal eyes, fulfilling Professor Oak's dream of completing the Pokédex. And even then, there are rumors that he went not one, but two steps beyond, capturing two Pokémon that very few even knew existed. Rumors that he alone climbed the so-called haunted Lavender Tower and put to rest the numerous spirits that terrorized the town. Rumors that he not only encountered, but nearly destroyed the notorious Team Rocket, a wicked band of criminals that spread fear and terror across Kanto, and brought its powerful leader to his knees. And even a silly rumor that along the shores of Cinnabar Island he encountered and drove away some sort of bizarre thing that shouldn't have even come into the world to begin with.

All of this when he was not even of age yet.

His stories - both the facts and the rumors - became known to many. His prodigious reputation, his unique relationship with his Pokémon, and his almost otherworldly skill in battle, were planted into history, inspiring thousands of people to go on their own journey so that they could become as great as him. His name became synonymous with power and pride. He became a celebrity. A living legend.

Then one day he just disappeared.

No one knows exactly what happened or when it happened. All that is known is that at some point, the boy quietly left the limelight and was nowhere to be found, not even in his hometown of Pallet. Neither Professor Oak nor his own mother could give answers as to the boy's whereabouts. So, people could only go off on even more rumors.

Many assumed that he died. The circumstances of his death varied; sometimes it was from drowning, other times it was from getting dragged into a Pokémon battle himself, and other times it was from an assassination. There was also the rumor that he ran away: that the boy traveled to some unknown land to further hone his own and his Pokémon's skills, and that he still resides there to this very day.

As time passed, people forgot about the feats that he achieved. His adventures were overshadowed by new trainers - champions that were often seen in public, and not soon to be forgotten. Meanwhile, Pokémon in other regions continued to be discovered, even ancient and mythical Pokémon thought only to belong to legend.

It has been ten years since the boy started his journey. In that time, many things have changed. Ten-year-olds are now given a choice between continuing school and going on their own Pokémon journey. Digital storage of Pokémon through PC boxes was deemed unethical and banned worldwide, forcing trainers to store their extra or unwanted Pokémon elsewhere. Machines that would supposedly heal injured Pokémon instantly ceased to operate in favor of traditional and more precise treatment carried out by nurses and doctors. And so-called "technical machines" that could instantly teach Pokémon new moves were discontinued due to the ever-increasing costs to make them.

But even though the world went on and changed, and the protagonist of our tale disappeared, that does not mean that his legacy died. On the contrary, it continued to grow and spread even after his disappearance. And although most have forgotten about him, there are still those who know of his legend, those who try to decipher the mystery behind both his unbelievable triumphs and his sudden disappearance, those who believe that he is still alive and have set out to try and find him – even to this very day.

And there are those who aim to be just like him - to be the very best, like no one ever was. One of these people is a seventeen-year-old trainer who, twelve years ago, was in total awe of the battles shown on TV of this red-clothed boy in the Pokémon League.