Chasing After A Legend

Scorched Mountain

"Human talking"

'Human thinking'

"Talking in a Flashback/Memory"

"Pokémon talking"

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Mount Silver, border of Kanto and Johto

He was disappointed.

A certain red-eyed man walked silently through a corridor surrounded by cave walls and lit only by the flame of a large creature following behind him. He had walked this path a few months ago, except in the opposite direction and while carrying the frame of a young woman.

That girl... she was strong, but nothing to write home about. When that girl chased his Pikachu out to the summit that day, he expected a worthy challenger – or, if not that, a wild Pokémon who was out for blood, and his specifically.

After all, it wasn't often that he encountered other humans atop Mt. Silver. And for good reason – it was a bitch of a climb. First of all, you absolutely needed a Pokémon by your side, preferably a full party, if you were making the ascent for the first time. The wild Pokémon that called the mountain home... well, they were monstrously strong, but that was only half the problem.

No, the problem was that they were truly wild. Sure, the Pokémon closer to the base of the mountain were used to humans, but the higher the altitude, the more isolated – and by extension, vicious – they were. The only chance that any Trainer (well, any normal Trainer) had to defend themselves was if they had their own decently strong Pokémon for protection. And even then, you would have to pray that you and your Pokémon were strong enough to last a full day, for the creatures that roamed the higher slopes knew nothing of restraint, nothing of mercy. They slaughtered and maimed, not out of malice or spite, but because the only thing they knew was survival, that anything that moved could be a threat to their existence, that it was killed or be killed.

So yeah, not the most reasonable place to go for a hike.

That wasn't even counting the terrain. Rugged, sharp ground and rock. Steep slopes and crumbling cliffs. And of course, the weather. Mount Silver wasn't the tallest mountain in the world, but it was damn sure the most inhospitable, no matter what time of the year it was. On the one hand, temperatures could get so low that even Ice-type Pokémon would have second thoughts (actually, there seldom was an Ice-type around in general). Blizzards were all but the norm during this season, pounding the slopes with layers upon layers of snow and biting winds that even a Golem would have trouble resisting. In fact, the only reprieve was that most of the Pokémon hibernated during this time, sparing you from the inconvenience of getting, well, fucking mauled.

On the other hand, it could get so hot that your skin would melt off like ice cream would if it was held in front of a Magmar that ate a jalapeno. And even if you didn't succumb to the weather, you still had to worry about the already savage Pokémon being even more on edge due to the blistering heat.

But there were absolutely gorgeous sides of the mountain, too. In fact, unsuspecting travelers would probably think it would be the perfect time to hike on the mountain trails, what with the beautiful scenery, whether it was the lush greens or light pink petals in spring, or the brown hues and cool breeze in autumn. It was the perfect time to come out – especially for Pokémon. Pokémon who weren't even fans of each other, much less humans.

The bottom line was, climbing Mount Silver and making it to the very top was more than just impressive – it meant you or your Pokémon were freaks of nature.

...

Or did it mean that he was?

He spent eight years on this mountain alongside his Pokémon. Each year used to bring a new challenge, a new threat, a new horror to endure. When one chapter of survival ended, another was just around the corner.