Hello, my name is Red. My dream was to become a Pokemon Master, and I achieved it very early into my career. At a price that I dearly wish no other would pay in their lives.
It all started in Pallet Town, the place of my birth. On an ordinary day, just like any other, I decided to take a walk outside. As I had stepped out into the nearby path of Route 1, the local Professor stopped me. After explaining that I shouldn’t have been there because a wild Pokemon could attack me, even though all that lived around here were docile Pidgey and Rattata, he invited me over to his laboratory to obtain a Pokemon of my own.
Me, being excited for adventure, happily followed him foolishly. Once we entered his lab, the first person I saw was that no-good stuck up Blue, the professor’s grandson. This guy used to be the bane of my existence, yet nowadays he’s the only one who understands what I’ve gone through. After a short dialogue from Oak, the professor, we were shown to the three starting Pokemon.
Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. As any kid knew, Bulbasaur was the smartest choice for anyone to take, and if I had the foresight to what I’ve seen I would have most likely taken it… If it hadn’t been for the innocently cute look on the Charmander’s face. Walking around to the table I silently looked into the Charmander’s eyes and after a short period I lowered my hands and it climbed on.
After Oak told me the Charmander was female, I distinctly remember having a small smile and naming her Cinder. Not paying attention to anything else, I held the small reptilian Pokemon in my arms as we stared into each other’s eyes. Next thing I know as I try to leave, Blue challenges me to a battle with his Squirtle.
It was a hard fought battle, and after several minutes of Cinder clawing away at Squirtle’s shell we finally won. Blue recalled his Pokemon and left pouting. About to leave once more, the Professor stopped me again and pulled me aside to ask me to go grab something for him in Viridian City. After informing my mother and leaving, I quickly grabbed the parcel from the mart and left for the Professor’s Lab. After delivering the parcel, Oak gave Blue and I a Pokedex to record information about Pokemon and a set of Pokeballs.
As I went to Route 1, I immediately spotted a Pidgey and decided to capture it… I regret bringing that poor creature to its fate. Cinder soundly defeated it and I caught it with on throw of a pokeball. I named the Pidgey Falco, for one of my favorite video game characters. As I went along the path, dodging grassy patches the best I could, I eventually bumped into a Rattata.
Figuring nothing of it, I sent out Falco to fight it. Immediately, I noticed something was off. The Rattata had a crazed look in its eyes and immediately shot forwards and bit Falco before I could give out an order. The look on my face must have been astounding, as the Rattata bit right into Falco’s neck and a loud snap was heard. Falco had died not even 5 minutes after I captured him.
In my grief, I ran away with Falco’s body in my arms. Cinder and I dug a small grave nearby and buried Falco, tears streaming down my face. Cinder softly pat my sides in comfort and I hugged her as I cried. Little did I know, this would become a common occurrence in our time together.
As we journeyed on, we kept on trying to capture Pokemon to join us and yet they all were repeatedly killed by their foes. Only Cinder seemed immune to this carnage as she comforted me in my darkest times.
As Cinder and I buried our latest team member, Victor the Bellsprout, I had a horrifying realization. I, for once, didn’t cry when we buried him.
I remember now, how distraught I had become at this revelation. I remember how I stared upon Victor’s dead body with a blank look as Cinder and I started shoving soil over his form. Cinder had pat me like usual to try and comfort me, and I had hugged her fiercely. She was my rock. My small, adorable, yet stable rock.
Not even a week later, Cinder evolved into Charmeleon and single-handedly dismantled the Cerulean City gym, known for giving Fire Types like her a hard time. The two of us went forwards from that day, slowly but surely defeating our foes.
Soon after, Cinder had become a Charizard and the two of us vanquished gym after gym, until we reached the end of the line. I had become increasingly uninterested in showing any emotions to anyone but Cinder, to the point where even Blue himself looked concerned for me after Cinder had blown apart his team. Not even Team Rocket could do anything, as the two of us broke down everything they built up like the world did to all my other Pokemon.
Climbing up the Silph Co building, Blue himself confronted me. He desperately tried to stop me and convince me to go down, but Cinder and I wouldn’t back down. Team Rocket was responsible for so much damage, so many lives lost. They were like the world I needed to prove wrong. I would stop them from taking anything else, and maybe the world would forgive us.
I challenged Blue to a battle, and he was forced to comply. His Rhyhorn was put down first, being very effective against Cinder doing nothing to stop us. Soon after fell his Pidgeot, Exeggutor, and Alakazam before he sent out his Blastoise. It was no contest at all. Cinder blew Blastoise away with her mightiest Blast Burn, shaking the whole building.
Returning his Pokemon, Blue looked at me with that concerned look of his and left while I pushed my cap down to cover my eyes. Walking forwards towards the Silph Co. Director’s office, a Team rocket Grunt tried to stop us but Cinder grabbed the man by his throat and slammed him into the ground, denting the concrete floor.
As we reached the office, one look at the metal door was all it took for Cinder to carve right through it with Metal Claw. Giovanni, for his benefit, didn’t look afraid as I battled him. One after another, Cinder claimed Giovanni’s Pokemon until it came out. A Rhyhorn of his own. Unlike Blue’s, however, it was properly trained. One Rock Type move later, and Cinder was on her last wind.
I remember my eyes tearing up before they disappeared as Cinder’s ability, Blaze activated. Shrouded in a cloak of intense fire, Cinder unleashed a Blast Burt so powerful that an entire portion of the building was evaporated in the blast. I had won the battle just barely…
After I left the Silph Co building, I went on to my final challenge, the Viridian City gym. Upon entering the building, my fist clenched so hard the floor was stained with blood (Blue, the current leader of the gym confirmed this to me as I write this) as I saw the man almost responsible for ending my dearest partner; Giovanni.
The battle was grand, Cinder blitzing all his Pokemon in a torrent of flames so intense that the floor itself melted (Didn’t need Blue to check that for me, I watched the construction team remove the floor afterwords). With a final Metal Claw, Cinder ended Giovanni’s Rhydon.
Not so long after that, I went up to Victory Road to take on the Elite Four, and long story short, Cinder and I utterly destroyed any and all competition that we encountered.
Now, up to the Indigo League, Cinder and I began our challenge of the Elite Four. The first one, Lorelai, would normally challenge a Fire Type like Cinder with her Water Types, but since she was my one and only partner, she had far superior training and utterly destroyed her Pokemon.
Next up was Bruno, who was even easier than Lorelai. The next match went exactly like that. And then, I reached Lance. His Pokemon were fearsome and held an awesome power about them, nearly finishing Cinder, but like with Blue’s Blastoise, a Blaze boosted Blast Burn sent his Dragonite packing.
Now, we faced the final hurdle in our journey before I could settle down with Cinder somewhere nice so we could end all the pointless deaths… The Champion. Blue Oak.
If I hadn’t been so determined to finish this journey, I bet Blue would have looked down on me from his spot. But he only shook his head in pitty and sent out his Pidgeot to fight Cinder. It was a complete and utter stomp. One after another, Cinder and I dismantled his Pokemon. Right before Cinder could finish off Blue’s Blastoise, Blue recalled the Water Type and gave up.
Immediately I healed Cinder with our supplies before I entered the Hall of Fame, registering Cinder and I as the current Champions of Kanto. Out of all portraits of previous champions, I was the only one to have claimed that title with only one Pokemon.
After Cinder and I had started going to home, I’m not ashamed to say that I had broken down into tears when we passed by the grave of our first companion, Falco. And just like all those months ago, Cinder comforted me as I let out all my emotions.
It’s been a whole year since then, and I have retired from Pokemon Battling so as to not lose my most faithful friend. Cinder was the only Pokemon I ever needed, and I’m just glad we didn’t drag anyone else down like those before I wisened up. My name is Red, a sad boy from Pallet Town who’s truest companion is a dragoness whose scales glow a bright orange under the bright sunny skies of today, tomorrow, and all other days following. The world may try and kick me down, but as long as she is with me, I doubt it if anything can go wrong.
Fin