There's a story that goes around Kanto and Johto. A pretty spectacular one at that.

It's a story that revolves around a vast world filled with hundreds of creatures that have powers to summon raging infernos, call upon violent bolts of electricity, and change the face of the planet as they see fit (just to name a few). A story about an amazingly talented 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 hero - a black-haired, thin thirteen-year-old boy sporting a red and white cap, jacket, and shoes, black shirt, and blue pants - was stopped from wandering into a few patches of tall grass by a kindly old man.

"It's unsafe! Wild Pokémon live in tall grass!" The aged soul, after catching his breath from his timely interference, stammered. "You need your own Pokémon for protection. I know! Here, come with me!"

The boy was taken to the elder's laboratory, for this man was none other than Professor Oak, the premier authority on Pokémon not only in Kanto, but throughout the world. Waiting for them was Oak's grandson - a brown and spiky-haired seven-year-old - with an obvious look of jealously plastered on his face. After a brief conversation between the professor and his grandson, the boy was given his own magical creature to adventure throughout Kanto with - the fire-tailed, orange lizard known as Charmander. He was tasked with completing the Pokédex, a high-tech encyclopedia with information on all known Pokémon throughout the Kanto region.

But that boy - that red cap-wearing, black-haired thirteen-year-old boy with a Charmander - did so much more.

He formed a close and inseparable bond with not only Charmander, but with so many more Pokémon that he met on his journey. He did battle with other Pokémon trainers and became stronger with every battle that he won. He inspired all those around him with his bravery, kindness, and humble nature. He took on the eight gym leaders, the second-toughest set of trainers that inspired awe in the hearts of Kanto residents, and defeated them one by one. He fought the teams of the Elite Four, the mightiest set of trainers in Kanto, and beat them at their best. And after long and hard bouts with a red-haired, cape-wearing dragon master, and 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 in glory.

But he wasn't done yet. He caught all known Pokémon in Kanto, even the legendary birds that few actually saw, fulfilling Professor Oak's dream of completing the Pokedex. And even then, there are rumors that he went not one, but two steps beyond, capturing two Pokémon that very few even know exist. Rumors that he alone climbed the so-called haunted Lavender Tower and put to rest 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 caused pain and fear through Kanto and Johto, 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. A creature that supposedly destroyed anything it touched.

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, his sometimes shy, sometimes reckless, but always reassuring manner, and his almost otherworldly skill in battle, were planted into the lore of Kanto and Johto, inspiring thousands of people to go on their own journey so that they would become as great as him. His name became synonymous with power and promise. Although he may have not been particularly fond of it, he achieved the status of a celebrity all when he was just barely turning fourteen. It seemed obvious to most people that this youth was quite possibly the greatest trainer in all of existence.

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. His own mother, as well as Professor Oak, were not able to give answers as to the boy's whereabouts. So people could only go off on even more rumors, the most prevalent one being 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. But there was also another rumor: that the boy traveled to the gargantuan Mt. Silver and climbed up to the summit to further hone his own and his Pokémon's skills, and that he still resides there to this very day. Most people disregarded this, though. After all, Mt. Silver is barely habitable, with its harsh cold, steep cliffs, and wild and savage Pokémon that would shock even the most hardened of trainers.

Regardless, after the boy disappeared, so did his reputation. Indeed, as time passed, people forgot about the feats that he achieved. His tales were replaced by new champions on the planet - champions that were often seen in public, thereby preventing themselves from being forgotten. Meanwhile, Pokémon in other regions continued to impress the human race, bolstered by the fact that ancient and mythical Pokémon also began to make themselves known to the world. It has been ten years since the boy started his journey. In that time, many things have changed. Ten-year-olds are given a choice between school and going on their own Pokémon journey. The Pokémon League's tradition of fighting through the Elite Four and the Champion was replaced by a tournament in which all qualifying trainers fight each other before the last one standing goes for the five strongest trainers of the League. All Pokédexes were completed not by trainers who went out into the world developing their own journeys, but by researchers who worked diligently in caring for, observing, or compiling tales of the many Pokémon in the world.

But that does not mean that the legacy that the protagonist of this tale died. On the contrary, it continued to grow and spread through the planet even after his disappearance. And although most forgot about him, that did not erase his existence. There are still those who have heard 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. 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 with a Pikachu who, as a seven-year-old, was stupefied by the battles shown on TV of the red-clothed boy in the Pokémon League.