Mt. Silver.
A young man was slowly walking deeper into the mountain.
At his side padded a yellow-and-blue, beast-like Pokémon. Heat radiated steadily from its back, wisps of steam rising into the air, keeping its Trainer warm.
Unlike the forests and rocky terrain near the mountain's base, the deepest part of Mt. Silver opened into a strangely bright, snow-white clearing.
This was a towering snow mountain, blanketed in a raging snowfall.
As he continued forward, the boy finally reached his destination.
The summit of Mt. Silver.
There, with his back turned, sat a man wearing a red cap.
His clothing was simple, almost ascetic, like that of a lone practitioner in seclusion. He sat quietly atop a raised platform, unmoving.
This was Red—the secret legend Gold (Ethan) had learned of after becoming the Johto League Champion.
It was said that a being far stronger than any League Champion had been training here in solitude.
While traveling through the Kanto region, Gold had heard countless stories about him.
Defeating eight Gym Leaders.
Crushing Team Rocket.
Overcoming the Pokémon League Champion.
A living legend.
"Hey! Battle me!" Gold shouted, immediately raising a Poké Ball.
At his side, Typhlosion stood upright, claws clenched, back arched as an unprecedented torrent of flames erupted behind it.
The mysterious man said nothing.
He turned around slowly. His face was cold and emotionless, his eyes utterly devoid of color.
Ever since Blue ( the female Pallet Town rival is Leaf known as Blue in some adaptations)had exposed his whereabouts, countless no-name Trainers seeking fame by defeating him had swarmed Mt. Silver.
Yet not one of them had ever forced him to reveal a second Pokémon.
Perhaps it was the loneliness of the snowy peak.
Or perhaps it was because his level far exceeded that of ordinary Trainers—lonely at the top.
He had grown stronger.
And more withdrawn.
But today, as this boy arrived, something in his gaze finally shifted—like a clash decreed by fate.
"…Come."
The first word he had spoken in years emerged, his voice eerily calm and mechanical.
He tossed a Poké Ball.
A flash of red light burst forth, and a small, round-faced electric mouse appeared atop the snow.
"Pikachu—a very common Pokémon. Nothing special."
The Pokédex announced automatically.
"Then try mine!" Gold said, throwing his own Poké Ball.
The next instant, a massive silhouette appeared upon Mt. Silver.
The falling snow froze midair, as though time itself had stalled. An overwhelming pressure crushed the battlefield.
Silver-white skin.
A sleek, majestic body—part beast, part bird.
Broad wings shaped like giant hands.
The Guardian of the Seas—Lugia!
Red's eyes finally lit up.
In front of him, Pikachu licked its lips as golden lightning erupted violently from its cheeks. The battle was about to explode.
"Are people really using legendaries like Nokia phones now?" someone muttered sarcastically.
Neither Trainer noticed that a blurry figure was floating high above them.
Calm eyes watched the battle silently. The face bore a faint resemblance to the mysterious man below.
Like a ghost.
Like an existence beyond this world.
His name was Red.
Hours earlier, Red had been training in the frozen wasteland, honing his will.
And then—he awakened.
Red realized that he was nothing more than a fictional game character.
He remembered receiving his starter from Professor Oak.
His first Gym battle.
His first fight with Blue.
Battles against Team Rocket.
Battles against the Elite Four.
Even memories of traveling to Alola with Blue and Leaf remained.
Yet all the details were missing.
Only then did Red understand.
This world was nothing more than a constructed digital reality—every plotline already written in code.
Even though he was now nearly invincible, he was still just a puppet in a game.
And when he realized this, Red transcended.
His soul shed its physical shell.
But could a line of code truly possess a soul?
Below him, his former body—the puppet named Red—was now acting as the final boss, battling the protagonist of another era.
This was a clash at the peak.
Freed of all shackles, Red almost wished he had a bucket of popcorn.
The battle raged on.
Pikachu versus Lugia—golden lightning colliding with compressed air blasts, the impact cracking the foot of Mt. Silver itself. The fight ended in a perfect stalemate.
Then came Snorlax versus a crimson Red Gyarados.
Venusaur versus Entei.
Lapras versus Suicune.
Charizard versus Ho-Oh.
Red felt his scalp tingle.
Players these days really love legendary-heavy teams…
How shallow.
Only those who train ordinary Pokémon to their absolute limits deserve to be called true Trainers.
At last, Gold's ace entered the field—Typhlosion.
Flames surged skyward like a volcanic eruption, raising the temperature of Mt. Silver itself.
"Go—Mewtwo!"
The puppet Red released his final Pokémon.
Boom!
Crash!
After a fierce exchange, Gold barely claimed victory.
High above, Red laughed softly.
A laugh of release.
The puppet turned away, falling into an eerie silence.
Suddenly, a blinding white light erupted from Mt. Silver's peak, overwhelming Gold's vision.
When the light faded, the puppet Red was gone.
This had been a battle of legends.
And a curtain call.
Red had completed every task assigned to him by this world—and thus vanished.
The soul above knew that if he hadn't awakened, he would have disappeared as well.
"So… where do I go now?" Red wondered.
He had become a surplus existence.
A vortex tugged at his soul from the horizon.
Color drained from the world, leaving only black and white.
He was pulled in.
Darkness followed.
When Red awoke again, brilliant light stabbed at his eyes.
He found himself floating above a vast forest.
It looked familiar—yet alive in a way he had never known.
Vitality.
This was a real world.
"…Did I transmigrate?"
Still in spirit form, Red drifted effortlessly.
Before he could decide his next move, frantic bird cries erupted from the forest.
A massive flock of Spearow burst into the sky.
Curious, Red floated after them.
Rain began to fall.
From a cliffside, he saw a boy pedaling a bicycle wildly.
In the front basket lay a battered Pikachu, barely conscious.
"A rookie Trainer angered a Spearow flock and got hunted down?" Red guessed.
Then—
Crash!
The boy lost control and tumbled into the mud. Pikachu was flung aside, landing hard on rocky ground.
The Spearow surrounded them.
Red's eyes widened.
Now this is entertainment.
But then—
The trembling boy stood up, arms spread wide, shielding Pikachu.
"What do you think I am?!"
"I'm going to be a Pokémon Master!"
Then, in a whisper:
"Pikachu… get into the Poké Ball. Now."
The Spearow attacked.
Red watched silently.
Then—
"Pika…"
Pikachu stood up.
Gathering its last strength, it ran.
"Chu!"
It leapt off the boy's shoulder into the sky.
"PIKACHUUU—!!!"
Lightning exploded.
A massive thunderbolt fell from the heavens, detonating Pikachu's electricity into a catastrophic blast.
The Spearow were obliterated.
The storm clouds split apart.
The recoil dragged Red's spirit toward the lightning.
His final thought:
Silence.
The rain stopped.
A rainbow appeared.
A radiant, rainbow-feathered Pokémon flew overhead—Ho-Oh.
Sacred light rained down, restoring both boy and Pokémon.
"…What Pokémon was that?" the boy asked blankly.
"Spearow—common Flying-type Pokémon. Bad temper."
The Pokédex chirped.
A feather drifted down.
The boy—Ash Ketchum—caught it, eyes wide.
"So that's a wild Spearow? Traveling really is amazing!"
Red scoffed.
"Just Ho-Oh. My Charizard could take it."
Ash froze.
"…Am I hallucinating?"
"You hit the jackpot," Red replied.
PS :
A Note on Characters and Continuity:
This story blends elements from the Pokémon games, anime, and manga. Key character relationships include:
Ash Ketchum (anime protagonist) – shares his body with the spirit of Red (game protagonist).
Gary Oak (anime rival) – shares his body with the spirit of Green (game rival, also known as Blue).
Blue (Pallet Town Trainer) – Ash's childhood friend who shares her body with the spirit of Leaf (the female game protagonist, also known as Blue in some adaptations).
This is a crossover fanfiction that respects both canons while telling a new amazing story.