a week tops

Slender fingers curl around a ledge poked out too much, a firm grip and shift of weight hoisting his body higher on the mountain. He hadn't brought a single piece of gear to help him scale the last bit to reach the summit, his impulses controlling his recent decisions more than he wanted to admit.

For a kid at the age of twelve, he'd achieved more in his short life than most adults ever dreamed they could accomplish. He'd gotten his starter and gone directly into the League challenges, acquired each of the badges in less than a year, and he'd become the reigning Champion of the Kanto region. He had two dear best friends who would have done anything for him.

So where did it all go so wrong?

Never much for talking, Red's lips tightened into a thin line as he thought back to what was bad enough to drive him batshit crazy and think that climbing a mountain this big and snowy was a good idea.

As soon as he became Champion, the world felt like it collapsed around him. The air felt like lead, his chest hurt and his mind never stopped racing. Going from some child who lived with his mom without a dad, never really talking to anyone let alone a stranger- suddenly he was the headline of every newspaper; he was this larger-than-life legend in the form of a child. Now his friends never spoke to him, Blue too bitter about the massive loss and strike to their pride, and he hadn't heard from Leaf much since the battle either. He assumed she was pissed at him as well, and he really couldn't blame her.

He thought back to his mother at home, continuing to climb up like an amateur mountaineer. She would be heartbroken that he did this, but he really couldn't back out now. Would she see him as ungrateful for her help? Perhaps she would prefer he didn't come back at this rate. She was a caring mother, of course, but she was.. so very fragile. Mentally she was much more frail than she was physically. She picked flowers in her garden and barely left the comfort of Pallet Town. She hated open areas and almost didn't let him leave the house to adventure, but with persistence and the assurance of her son's friends, she allowed it eventually.

He sighed softly to himself, his hands feeling stiff as he finally reached a flat piece to rest on. Pulling himself up, he wasted no time at all falling backwards into the snow, tired red eyes staring up at the snowy sky. Here, the snow never stopped. Here, no other humans really resided.

Here, he would be alone and free of his worries.

His chilled hand slipped down to his belt, resting on top of his Pokeballs. His hand felt warmer almost instantly, the heat radiating from Charizard's ball felt pretty incredible. For a moment, he wondered to himself if he always felt that heat and just learned to ignore it. He lay like that in the snow for a few minutes, his bare forearms finally making contact with the snow and he pushed himself onto unbalanced feet. He was fit physically, sure, but no one was really prepared to impulsively climb a mountain like they assumed they could.

He trudged through the snow, reaching a small cave opening. Once he made it inside, he tossed out a few members of his beloved team.

Pika, being surprisingly aware of the fact that his trainer was now on top of a fucking snowy mountain without a single piece of warm clothing, made a small squeak, rushing outside of the cave to scavenge for sticks. Charizard nudged Red into Snorlax with a gentle snout, the warmth of his big tummy feeling quite nice right about now.

Returning with the sticks, Pika placed them down a couple feet away from Red, Charizard using the flame of his tail to light the fire. Red sank down a bit into the floor of the cave, the remaining members of his team still tucked away in their balls. He knew they would be much warmer there than in this chill.

Carmine eyes fixated on the fire, a bitter smile on his face. Was this really just a way to escape the newfound fame that smothered him suddenly, a way to be alone for the first time in what felt like ages? Or was this some sort of sick punishment on himself for taking something his two best friends had always dreamed of becoming and then being too weak to handle it? This, he considered briefly, was basically the ultimate act of isolation, sugar-coated with flakes of snow and icy tears.

Sighing to himself, his lips curled into a frown, which elicited a small squeak from his yellow companion. Red had many regrets up to this point: not saying goodbye to the people he loved, not bringing a better jacket with him, and perhaps not taking his position as Champion seriously. He'd resigned to Lance before coming here, an exhilarating rush to the battle and Lance proved himself worthy to take the title. Lance didn't win, but neither expected him to. He fought a good battle and Red deemed that worthy enough in his eyes. He'd held the title for about a month, which he did give himself some sliver of credit for.

Everything would work out. Everything would be okay. He'd be up here for a week or two, come down, and give everyone a proper apology for being this selfish. He'd patch things up with Blue and Leaf, hug his mom really tight, and tell the reporters to fuck off.

He'd do that in a week or so.

Right?