It was cold.

The temperatures around him were far below what any other person - or pokemon - could tolerate. With snow that constantly pelted the peak at a steady pace, blown into a flurry from the harsh gale-force winds, and the lack of any notable shelter at all, anyone would have been hard pressed to survive atop of Mt. Silver.

To him however, the snow was barely felt, and the cold was ignored. Even his pokemon, who gathered around him, barely noticed the freezing weather around them. They were a well-trained bunch, that much was obvious from a first glance. They hung around him like silent sentinels, steadfast in their watch. Strong and loyal beyond any expectations, they were his team.

Unmatched and unbeaten.

He wondered how long he had been here this time. Time was hard to track when your surroundings remained unchanged day or night. He supposed that it must have been a couple of months by now, judging by the sharp increase in snow. The weather up this mountain was always hard to predict, but he could count on it rising before falling, like clockwork.

Many nights, he wondered what he was still doing up here. He had long since surpassed his original goal when he had first set his sights upon this mountain. A lifetime ago, when he had been newly crowned.

A Champion, they had called him, and a Champion he was crowned. Rumours and speculations circulated like wildfire, as everyone had wondered what the youngest Champion in history would do. He supposed that many had fell into shock when he had set his sights on the mountain. They had been confused, some of them worried. For Mt. Silver was a place that was unconquerable, and dangerous. Certainly not a place for the highly dignified champion.

They did not know him.

Very few did, and he liked it that way. For as long as he could remember, he did not connect well with others. He saw things in a different way than most, preferring to observe rather than interact. It had been surprising, to everyone and to himself, when he had signed himself up to become a Pokemon Trainer.

He supposed he had Green and Blue to thank for that. The three of them... they had been an unlikely trio of friends. Blue was the outgoing and mischievous girl that had forced her way into his heart. Green... he was the rival that had helped him find himself. Without either of them, he doubted he would be where he was at the moment.

Where am I? He thought to himself. For a long time now, he has wondered about the answer to that question. Atop a mountain that was shrouded in perilous danger, awaiting challengers that were growing ever less frequent as the days dragged by. Even worse, was the caliber of the challengers willing to ascend to the peak.

They all came for one reason: to battle the one trainer that was said to be above all else. To fight against the champion of legends.

The Red Champion.

It was pointless. The number of challengers that ascended to the top without suffering significant injuries along the way could be counted on one hand. And of those... they all fell in the end. His Pokemon would not be defeated, and he would not allow it.

Defeat was a foreign concept to him. Every one of his opponents fell in the end, no matter how strong or talented. Maybe that had been why he was here in the first place... to await a trainer that could take his vaunted crown away from him. He did not know if he feared that idea, or liked it. Either way, it was unlikely.

Soon, there would be no more challengers, as the seasonal change would make the climb simply too treacherous. He supposed that he would come down soon enough... the thought dampened his mood. With every passing day, he was reminded of just how pointless his remaining presence here was.

Perhaps it was time for a change.

Almost as if sensing his thoughts, a yellow mouse-like Pokemon ran up his leg to sit on his shoulders. He smiled faintly, reaching a hand to pet the small creature that was his partner. Pikachu sighed happily as the hand reached all of its sweet spots. The electric mouse type should have been freezing in such weather, but it was quite warm to the touch. Pikachu was on a whole different level compared to others of his species.

He was proud of all of his pokemon, but his Pikachu was special. The one who had been there with him, at the start. The one who had stood by him, steadfast and unflinching, all of these years. He was his best friend, his trusted companion... and his strongest. Though in sheer power, his Pikachu fell short compared to his bigger pokemon, but it was his inner strength that was unmatched. PIkachu had a fighting spirit that was unlike any of his kind.

All of his pokemon had a fighting spirit that he had sensed. Having trained and nurtured them to their full potential, he was prideful of their current status. A Pokemon team unlike any other. A team as strong as his would have been something to be proud of. And he was proud of them, but... he was saddened at the same time.

For all of their growth and progress, they had yet to meet a challenge worthy of them. He had long since stopped hoping for a challenge these days. It had been so long since there was anyone worthy of his attention. The last one had been an eager league champion from Johto, but he had been headstrong and tactless, relying on the strength of his pokemon rather than skill. Over the years, there had been many challengers that he had been excited to battle. A few of them even proved to be his match.

Lance. The leader of the Kanto Elite Four, said to be the strongest dragon trainer in the world.

Green. His rival since the beginning, and the league Champion for a time.

Blue... she had been there near the end of his journey. Another brief Champion before Green defeated her.

The Kanto Elite Four.

The Gym Leaders.

...Team Rocket.

There were many challenges in his day. Yet, they all fell. All of them, from the weakest grunts to the most powerful prodigies. All fell to Red.

A journey to the top, and here he was. Alone. Standing atop the most dangerous mountain in the world, waiting. Simply waiting.

But he was growing tired of waiting. Of challengers that did not meet his expectations. Of the solitude that he had enveloped around himself. He missed...

He missed his friends. His mother. And he missed... her.

A sudden change in the air alerted him to another presence. He tensed slightly in preparation, eyes squinting off into the distance, peering deep into the budding snowstorm. A shadowy outline was all he could see at first. There was no doubt that it was a pokemon, considering the size of the creature.

A Dragonite, he noted with some surprise. It made a bit more sense, as there were very few pokemon capable of flying through the harsh weather of the mountain. His Charizard could do it, but even then, it would be a treacherous journey best left unattempted.

As for the reason why a Dragonite could be coming for him so far away from all known civilization... well, he could only think of one.

Dragon Mail.

A highly expensive courier service that was unmatched in their range of access. They would deliver anywhere in the world if you were willing to pay the fee. And with a Dragonite delivering the parcel, you could bet that the item would be delivered safe and sound.

He signalled for his Pokemon to back down, sensing their reactive preparation at the sight of a potential battle. He had a good idea of what this particular situation was about, and a part of him dreaded and anticipated it at the same time.

After a fumbling dive and renewed drive at seeing his target, the Dragonite finally landed a short distance away from him. The poor creature was out of breath and looked immensely tired as it rested briefly on the snowy ground.

It reared its head up warily as he approached, but happily squealed as it saw the offering in the approaching trainer's hands. Several expensive and delicious berries later, the Dragonite was back on its feet and seemingly full of energy.

Red looked on in amusement as the large dragon Pokemon did some light stretches. At last, the dragon seemed to have realized its purpose here, and after scanning Red's appearance carefully, it reached into its side pouch and brought out a single sealed envelope. If Red was disappointed by the small parcel, he did not express it. Instead, he offered the large Pokemon a thanks, and gestured to a nearby cave where it could rest.

The large Dragon shook its head, and mewled loudly before turning steadfast to the edge of the mountain. With a strong running leap, it was back into the air, fighting against the gale-force winds briefly before coming up victorious and angling downwards down the mountain.

Watching the Pokemon go with a surprised expression, he shook his head in amusement before turning his attention back to the package in his hand. It was dutifully wrapped with careful consideration, the sender definitely had the location in mind when he or she prepared it. Unwrapping the heavy-duty envelope took some time, but as the package came undone, a single letter was all it contained.

Taking care not to loosen his grip, less the thin letter be carried off in the harsh winds, Red walked the short distance into the cave opening. Inside the cave, there was protection against the wind and snow, but little against the cold. Red didn't mind, picking out a familiar round shaped boulder and sitting down. His Pikachu squeaked in question as his trainer seemed contemplative.

Reaching a hand up to scratch his yellow Pokemon almost absently, Red began to read through the contents of the letter. His lips almost quirked up in a grin as he read through the colourful words the sender constantly used. It was almost nostalgic, as if the sender was speaking directly into his head.

Despite the abrasive, and teasing tone the letter seemed to give off, he continued until the end, and as he finished, he found himself at a lost.

The Pokemon World Tournament.

A new tournament that was said to be the most challenging and prestigious Pokemon tournament yet. Set in the newly allied Unova region, it was supposed to be a way to promote unity among the regions. To do that, the tournament would offer a place for any and all challengers that wanted a shot, whether they were complete rookies or seasoned trainers. And to top it all off, the key feature of the tournament was that all of the Champions and Elites of each region were being invited.

A sudden chill ran down his spine. This feeling... it was almost foreign to him.

Anticipation.

Putting down the letter, he carefully folded it before placing it back into the sealed envelope. Adjusting his red cap, he headed back out into the harsh weather, gathering the attention of his pokemon almost immediately. They could all sense the change in him, and all of them were eager to hear what had happened.

Meeting each of their eyes with his own, Red smiled.

"What do you all say to a tournament?"

The sun's warm rays were soothing in an almost unnatural way. Living atop of a freezing mountain had skewed his sense of temperature immensely. And as the sun continued to bathe him in its warmth, he almost dozed off. Shaking his head, he kept his gaze forward atop of his Charizard. They were flying at a leisurely pace, as he wanted to give his Charizard a chance to warm up his wings after all of the inactivity atop the mountain. He did not fly very often atop of Mt. Silver after all.

He recalled his descent from the top of the mountain earlier. It had been a very quiet and undisturbed climb, as the Pokemon that lived there knew by now not to bother the trainer who had conquered their home. They knew better than that.

But along the way, he couldn't help but feel that he was leaving something behind... and he did not know if it was for the better or worse. Regardless, he had made up his mind, and if there was one thing that he was good at, it was being resolute.

He would see this to the end.

Carefully signalling for his Charizard to slow his pace as they neared the city, he braced himself as the large Fire Pokemon angled himself downwards for a sharp descent. A short moment later, they landed harshly onto the streets of the city, startling the citizens and travelers immensely. They relaxed as they saw that it was merely a rough landing rather than a crash landing.

But as they calmed down from the surprise entrance, they were quickly drawn to the Pokemon before them. It was an immensely large Pokemon for its species. The natives of Kanto had never seen such a large Charizard before, whether on television or in real life. They gawked and stared as the trainer lept off his Pokemon with a regal flourish, and stood up unfazed amidst the questioning stares.

Angling his cap downwards, shadowing his eyes, he thanked his Charizard before returning him to his Pokeball. Pikachu peeked its head up from inside of his shirt, and quickly ran up to its favourite position at his shoulders. He stood there awkwardly for a few moments as the crowd now had a clear view of the trainer of the rather amazing Charizard. Seeing a crowd was forming, he quickly made his way out of the circle of onlookers, brushing past them hurriedly.

He did not need a repeat of the last time he was in a major city.

Turning into an alleyway, he made his way through familiar paths before he ended up before a white and red building. It had been a long time since he had been before a Pokemon Centre, and as he stepped inside, he was hit with a sense of nostalgia. Long had past since the days where he had needed one of these. After all, a journey to a Pokemon Centre usually meant a hard Pokemon battle.

He wasn't here for the healing, and gave the Nurse Joy at the counter a friendly nod before heading towards one of the PCs available. There he stood, hesitating slightly before entering the number that had been scribbled on the end of the letter. He did not have to wait long before the call was connected.

"Hello?"

He was startled as the voice came out from a blank screen. The screen only indicated the numbers he had entered in, instead of the usual visual of the person he was contacting.

"...Hello?" He answered back in a quiet tone.

"Red? Is that really you...?" The girl's voice was startled and excited at the same time.

"Yes. How come I can't see you?"

"I'm using a C-Gear right now, Red. It's like a mobile PC- Oh, hold on."

Red listened on in a mixture of amusement and exasperation as he heard the tell tale sounds of a Pokemon battle in the background.

"Ahem, anyway, you still here?" The girl asked slightly out of breath.

"Yes... what are you up to now, Blue?" He asked warily.

The girl giggled from her end, and he could just imagine her twirling her locks with a coy expression. "Why, Red, that's no way to talk to a friend like that. One would think that you were saying I get into trouble a lot."

He sighed, but did not bother refuting her. "You know why I called?"

There was a brief pause from her end, and he could still hear the echoes of battle and what sounded suspiciously like a Hyper Beam.

"Yes! I knew you would accept, fufufu~ I can't wait to see the smug faces wiped off those stupid, arrogant, Unova- Uh oh."

She was suddenly cut off and several rather loud explosions rang out in the background.

"...Blue?" He asked with slight apprehension and worry. The mischievous girl loved to stir up trouble, and he had always worried that she would end up in a situation way over her head one day.

"Red?" She asked gasping and with notable exertion. "Err, I can't really talk right now, so I'll condense this. I'm really really glad you're back... and you know I... ah, never mind, I'll see you soon- Bye!"

He blinked once, then twice. Sharing a look with his Pikachu, he sighed before turning off the PC. She was as reckless and unstoppable as always, yet somehow... he couldn't stop the smile from forming on his face.

On the outskirts of Viridian City, well away from any of the roads and routes that were familiar to the natives, was a well-traveled path that lead to the very edge of the area, and almost into the Viridian Forest.

This path was familiar to him, as was the surrounding area. The surrounding Pokemon were almost docile to his approach, all of them lacking the aggression of typical territorial pokemon. They let him progress without hassle, knowing his destination, and understanding his presence among them.

On his shoulders, Pikachu twittered in nervous anticipation as the duo finally emerged out of the forest path and into a clearing. The path changed into cobblestone steps that were neatly arrayed in neat little steps. The stone path led towards a small cottage, which was very homely in its appearance. Surrounding the cottage was a few well-kept garden that gave off a myriad of different beautiful colours. The forest seemed to open up on this very location, as the sun's rays lit up the area like a personal light.

He could see several Pokemon playing around the cottage and the gardens. As he approached, they stopped in surprise but quickly turned to happiness as they saw him. They chittered and squeaked in happiness as he walked down the familiar cobblestone steps to the door. Even before he arrived at the door, he was filled with a sense of tranquility and peace that was a far cry from his usual standard atop of Mt. Silver.

There was always something about this place that served to calm him down and soothe him. He did not know if it had anything to do with the location, as the nearby river stream bathed the area in a rythmic and gentle melody. The gentle breeze rustling through the large trees and the various Pokemon that lived in harmony with their surroundings, undisturbed by humanity. Maybe it was something to do with the fact that there was no one else around him except...

Standing before the door, he felt a sudden nervousness fall over him. It was a foolish feeling, as he knew exactly what the person inside would feel at the sight of him. But he couldn't help it, as every time he came here, he felt guilty at the thought of leaving once more. Pikachu nudged him on the head almost hastily, and he swallowed his nervousness before knocking on the wooden door.

Two short, gentle knocks echoed throughout the clearing. He heard a series of soft footsteps and felt his heart catch as he felt the presence of the person on the other side of the door.

The door was swung open with a flourish, and he felt himself face to face with those vibrant green eyes that never failed to captivate him each time.

The girl before him was no longer the lithe, petite figure that he had at first mistaken for being a boy at first. Now... she was the epitome of beauty in his eyes. Her hair flowed down her back, held up with a single ponytail. She did not wear any makeup or accessory, she was a girl that was natural as the very forest she lived in. But what made her perfect in his eyes had to be the way she seemed to light up his world.

Her eyes teared slightly, and she brought her hands up to her mouth in a soft gasp. "Red...?"

And as she smiled up at him, he felt his heart stop, and the world turn to standstill. There was something mesmerizing about the girl before him, in the way she could affect him so much when nothing else could.

He fell back into reality, as the girl came barreling into his chest, hugging him tightly as if she was scared he was going to disappear. Her soft sniffles brought a pang to his chest, and he reached around to embrace the girl tighter around him. Closing his eyes, he relished in the sensation of the girl in his arms. The one place where he could feel free from any expectation and pressure.

A place where he could simply be himself.

"I'm back, Yellow..." He whispered next to her ear, hands smoothing her silky smooth hair back.

The girl loosened her hold so that she could gaze up at him. Her eyes were tinged red with a stream of tears, yet she was still so happy that he could barely understand. Yellow had only one emotion for him, and that emotion was something that he still struggled with to this day.

"I'm so glad," She whispered, nuzzling into his neck. "I missed you so much, Red."

He smiled sadly, gently smoothing her back. "I've missed you too, Yellow."

More than you could imagine.

"Hey..."

"...Hmm?"

"You are going back again... aren't you?"

"..."

"You know I... I really wish you wouldn't."

"Yellow..."

"...But It's okay, Red. I understand."

She really didn't. Even he didn't. There really was no need to continue going up that dreaded mountain anymore. He had long since achieved his goal, long since proved himself to the world. But yet...

"I'm sorry."

The girl turned around in his embrace, facing him on the bed. Her hair was undone, and cascaded down her back in smooth, luscious waves. And as the moonlight shone onto her from the opened window, he was reminded of a goddess. This feeling of home... this feeling of warmth was unlike any other. Yet...

"Don't be..." She reached out with a hand, gently caressing his cheek. He met her hand with his own, cradling her smaller hands in his own.

"Because you know, Red... I..."

She peered into his crimson eyes with her own vibrant emeralds, and he found himself captivated once more. Entranced by the eyes which held such love... such care... that he found himself at a lost.

A/N: Thanks for reading.

This is another experimental fic. The main focus will be on Red, being Red, in the Pokemon World Tournament. The actual legend himself coming into life right before the worlds' eyes. There's a reason why the Kanto region is the strongest after all.

As for the setting this is in, I went for a mixture of the game and mangaverse. Though again, this is still pretty adjustable.

Pairing is not set in stone, though leaning heavily towards Red/Yellow.

See you next time.