Former Rival

He deliberated on his current situation for a few more days before he came to a decision; he would take a brief break from his role as an active Gym Leader. He had filled out all of the necessary paperwork from the Pokémon League, more than he really liked; It had seemed to him that things had been much easier when he was younger. He left his most loyal underling in charge of the Gym until his return.

Journeying through Kanto, filling out pages on his Pokédex to aid his his grandfather's research, encountering people and places across the land. Those days were done, merely a slowly fading memory imprinted in his mind, but that wasn't to say that no new adventures couldn't be out there waiting for him. He turned back, looking over his shoulder at Viridian City's Gym one final time before he started heading North in the direction of Viridian Forest.

He had considered heading South and visiting home, but he had ultimately decided against it. Last he had heard gramps was in Sinnoh on business and his sister had left home about two years earlier. And certainly his old rival, Red, would be nowhere to be found in Pallet Town. Red had become a ghost ever since he had given up his position as Pokémon League Champion. Last he'd heard Red was training at Mt. Silver, but that had been two years ago. He supposed he could be anywhere now.

Shrugging such thoughts off he pushed onward.