"I'm here, Brock," Red spoke to himself, a sense of nostalgia and longing in his voice as he walked into the Pewter City Gym. The gym had changed considerably, it was now bigger, with towering rocks and boulders scattered around, giving it a more imposing and formidable appearance. And on one of the walls was a photo of Brock and Ash, smiling and victorious, a reminder of the past and the journey that had led Red to this point. Red couldn't help but smile as he looked at the photo, feeling a surge of determination and resolve. He then strode confidently towards the gym leader.

"Hello, my name is Forrest, the gym leader of Pewter City Gym," a young boy, about 16 or 17 years old, introduced himself to Red with a confident smile.

"My name is Red," Red introduced himself, his voice steady and strong.

"Trainer Red, are you here for a battle?" Forrest asked, a glint of excitement and challenge in his eyes.

"Yes," Red replied, his eyes locked on Forrest's, ready for the battle to begin.

The rules were explained and the battle began with Forrest sending out his Onix. Red released his Lucario, ready to take on the giant rock snake. The battle was intense, with Forrest's Onix quickly finding itself outmatched. Lucario was simply too powerful, its moves were too fast and too strong for Onix to handle. Forrest's Onix was quickly defeated, leaving Forrest in awe of the power that Lucario possessed.

Red's Lucario then took on Forrest's other Pokémon with ease, quickly defeating each one with powerful moves and overwhelming strength. Forrest couldn't help but be in awe of the power and skill of Red's Lucario. In the end, Red emerged victorious and earned the Boulder Badge.

"Your Lucario was a formidable opponent," Forrest compliments Red.

"Thank you, I appreciate it," Red responds with a sense of calm and humility.

"If you're looking for your next challenge, I suggest heading to the Cerulean City Gym. You might even get the chance to meet my brother, the former Gym Leader of Pewter City Gym. He's currently working as a Pokémon Doctor in Cerulean City," Forrest suggests with enthusiasm.

"Interesting, I'll keep that in mind," Red thinks to himself. "Thanks for the battle, it was truly enlightening," Red expresses with a bright smile and genuine gratitude as he turns to leave the Gym. With renewed determination, Red sets off on his journey through the forest, making his way towards Cerulean City. As he walks, he can't help but feel a hint of excitement as he wonders what challenges and adventures await him. Suddenly, he hears rustling in the bushes, and he can't help but wonder what wild Pokémon might be lurking nearby.

STAND TALL

As Red walked towards the bushes, a sense of curiosity and intrigue-filled him. "Who could be hiding there?" he wondered to himself. Suddenly, a Spearow burst out of the bushes, followed by a giant bird, a Fearow.

"Some things never change," Red thought to himself with a hint of nostalgia as he quickly reached for his Pokéball. "Lucario, use your Aura and defeat the Fearow," Red commanded with a sense of determination, releasing his trusty companion. But it was too late, the Fearow had already taken flight.

"PIDGAW!" a powerful and majestic bird, Pidgeot, let out a mighty cry, scaring away the Fearow.

"Some things never change," Red chuckled, amused by the unexpected turn of events. He continued on his journey, with Lucario by his side, feeling a sense of camaraderie with his companion. As he reached the Cerulean Cave, he felt a sense of peace and serenity wash over him. He decided to spend the night in the cave and make it his temporary home.

The next morning, Red woke up to the sound of cheerful chirping and found all the Pokémon in the cave standing by his side. He felt a sense of warmth and gratitude fill his heart.

"Happy Birthday Ash!" Mewtwo said to Red, its voice filled with a sense of brotherhood and friendship.

"Oh, thank you, Mewtwo," Red replied, feeling touched by the sentiment.

"Happy Birthday Master!" Lucario spoke to Red through its Aura, its voice filled with loyalty and respect.

"Thank you, Lucario," Red replied with a smile, feeling a deep bond with his companion. All the other Pokémon in the cave were rejoicing, adding to the festive atmosphere. "Happy Birthday Greninja," Red spoke to Greninja through his mind, feeling a sense of connection and understanding with the Ninja Pokémon. Greninja responded with a greeting and a sense of gratitude.

Meanwhile, in Pallet Town, Gary made his way to Ash's house, filled with a sense of nostalgia and longing. As he greeted Delia, he couldn't help but think about Ash and the memories they shared.

"Hello, Mrs Ketchum," Gary greeted her, his voice filled with warmth and respect.

"Hey, hello Gary," Delia greeted him back, her voice filled with fondness and familiarity.

"You know, it's Ash's birthday today, isn't it?" Gary said in a low voice, filled with a sense of melancholy and longing. Delia's smile slowly faded as tears gathered in her eyes, reflecting the sadness and longing that Gary felt.

"Yes," she said, releasing the tears from her eyes. Gary also felt a sense of sorrow and sadness wash over him.

"I'm here to invite you for dinner tonight, Gramps said he'll cook," Gary told Delia, his voice filled with a sense of comfort and care.

"Thank you, Gary, I'll be there," Delia replied, her voice filled with gratitude and appreciation.

Meanwhile, Red had already reached the Cerulean City Gym and was now locked in an intense battle with Misty. The Gym Leader's fierce determination and expertly trained Pokémon were putting up a formidable challenge for Red, but his Lucario was unlike any other, its abilities far surpassed that of the average Lucario.

"You sure are a tough opponent, and your Lucario is truly remarkable," Misty exclaimed, her voice filled with admiration and respect. Red had already managed to knock out two of Misty's Pokémon with ease, and his Lucario's Aura was so powerful that it weakened her Gyarados before the battle even began. Just as the battle was reaching its climax, Brock entered the Gym.

"Now, Lucario, finish it off with Aura Sphere," Red commanded, his voice filled with determination and confidence. Lucario obeyed, and with a powerful burst of energy, Misty's Mega Gyarados was defeated with one hit, Brock could do nothing but clap in awe at Red's abilities.

"You remind me of my friend," Misty said to Red, her voice filled with nostalgia and longing.

"Well, I've heard that seven times before, from three different Gym Leaders and four champions," Red replied with a shrug, his tone nonchalant but his eyes betraying a hint of sadness.

"Here, the Cascade Badge," Misty said as she handed the badge to Red, her voice filled with respect and admiration. Red placed it in his badge holder, and Misty couldn't help but notice that it looked familiar to her. All Ash had left after the explosion was his old badge holder, but Misty pushed the thought out of her mind. She turned to Brock.

"Hey, what's up?" Misty asked Brock, her voice filled with curiosity and concern.

"Remember, today is Ash's Birthday?" Brock reminded Misty, his voice filled with sadness and longing.

"Yes," Misty replied in a low tone, her head facing down, her voice filled with sadness.

"Professor Oak called us for a gathering, everyone is coming," Brock told Misty, his voice filled with excitement and anticipation.

"Oh," was all Misty could say, her voice filled with a sense of longing and sadness.

"We better start now, or we'll be late," Brock told Misty, his voice filled with a sense of urgency but also trying to hide his sadness. As they both started to leave, Red was still standing in the Gym, lost in his thoughts.

"They still remember my birthday," Red spoke to himself, his voice filled with a mix of sadness and longing. Misty looked back at Red, her expression filled with empathy and understanding.

"Hey, you," she called out to Red, her voice filled with kindness and generosity. He turned towards her, and she continued, "why don't you join us? You'll find plenty of Pokémon at Professor Oak's lab," Misty invited him, her voice filled with a sense of camaraderie and friendship.

"Thanks," Red replied, his voice filled with gratitude and appreciation. He walked towards Misty and the three of them set off for Pallet Town. They kept walking in silence, the only sounds were the crunching of leaves underfoot and the distant chirping of birds. The tension was palpable until Misty finally decided to break the silence.

"So, Red, meet Brock, and Brock, meet Red," Misty said warmly, introducing the two men to each other.

"Hello Red, my brother told me about you," Brock said, smiling widely and extending his hand for a shake.

"Hello Brock," Red replied, returning the smile and firmly shaking Brock's hand.

"So, Red, where are you from?" Brock asked, his expression curious and friendly. Red hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to tell him. He didn't want to reveal too much about his past, so he quickly made something up.

"I don't know, as far as I remember, I was lost in a forest and it was a Riolu who helped me. Since then, the Riolu and I have become good friends," Red said, his voice tinged with a hint of sadness.

"I see," Brock said, his eyes filled with understanding, "I once knew someone who looked a lot like you, but his eyes were different, and he never got a proper haircut. He was my best friend, I think you've heard of him, Ash Ketchum."

"Well, yes, I have, and I wanted to become like him," Red told them, his voice filled with admiration and longing. As they were talking about all this, the two of them noticed Misty. She was shivering, her eyes wide with fear.

"What happened to her?" Red asked, his voice filled with genuine concern.

"Well, how should I tell you? She's terrified of Bug-type Pokémon," Brock replied, his voice filled with empathy. He could see the fear etched on Misty's face and he couldn't help but feel for her.

"Misty, don't worry. If it would make you feel better, we can hold hands," Red said, offering her his hand, his voice filled with kindness and understanding. This reminded Misty a lot of Serena, and it made her feel a little bit better.

"Thanks, Red," Misty said, gratefully accepting Red's offer. The three of them walked through the forest, as the evening sky began to darken. They reached the outskirts of Pallet Town.

"Long time," Red whispered to himself, his eyes taking in the familiar sights of his hometown. But inside of Pallet Town, two eyes opened as the meditating Pokémon opened its eyes. Red felt it. "Greninja, I'm back, but you still have to keep the secret to yourself," Red spoke to the Pokémon through their minds. Brock observed that Red had stopped walking.

"What happened, Red?" Brock questioned Red, his tone filled with curiosity.

"Uh, nothing. I'm fine. It's just that this place is new to me," Red said, trying to cover up the strange moment. He caught up with Brock and Misty, and Greninja closed its eyes once more. Red continued walking towards the town, with Misty leading him to the Oak Laboratory.

"Hello, Professor Oak!" Misty greeted Oak with a warm smile.

"Hello, Misty! How have you been?" Oak replied, his eyes crinkling with genuine pleasure at seeing her again.

"Great! And you?" Misty asked, her voice filled with genuine interest.

"Doing well for my age," Oak replied, chuckling. His eyes roamed over to a small creature behind him, Pikachu.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu looked at Misty, wide-eyed with wonder and happiness.

"Hey, Pikachu!" Misty replied, her voice filled with fondness. Pikachu clambered up Misty's shoulder, nuzzling her affectionately. Red looked at his old companion, tears welling up in his eyes, but he quickly swallowed them down, not wanting to show any weakness.

"I see you've brought a guest," Professor Oak said, his eyes scanning over Red with curiosity.

"Yes, Professor. Meet Red," Misty introduced Red to Oak, her hand gesturing towards him.

"Well, we must make sure he gets proper attention and food. He looks so thin," Oak replied, his voice filled with concern. Pikachu kept staring at this mysteriously familiar trainer as if trying to place him in its memory. Red felt his nerves rising, but he tried to hide them.

"Yes, Professor. Professor, where's Gary?" Misty asked, her voice laced with curiosity.

"Oh, he's in the yard with the others," Oak replied, his eyes scanning the yard.

"Oh, let's go, you two," Misty said, turning back to Red and Brock. "Where's Brock?" she asked, her eyes searching for her other companion.

"He went towards the kitchen," Red simply replied, his voice devoid of emotion. Misty grabbed Red's hand, her fingers intertwining with his, and led him to the yard. Red looked around at all his friends, his eyes taking in the familiar faces. Everyone was there: Delia, Grace, Principal Oak, Tracey, Gary, Max, May, Dawn, Bonnie, Clemont, Cilan, Iris, Alain, Paul, Trip, Kiawe, Sophocles, Professor Birch, Professor Sycamore, Professor Kukui, Professor Burnet, Lillie, Gladion, Lana, Mallow, and finally, Serena. Everyone seemed moody, their expressions heavy with something unspoken. Serena had changed a lot appearance-wise. Brock joined Misty and Red again, his eyes scanning the yard with curiosity. The three looked around, taking in the familiar sights and sounds of Oak's laboratory. Professor Oak came and joined them, his eyes scanning over the group with a sense of pride and nostalgia.

"Hello everyone, present here. We're here to celebrate Ash's birthday. Ash wouldn't want us to be moping around like this," Brock says, trying to brighten the mood with a smile on his face. No one changed expressions, except Gary.

"Everyone, did you hear what Brock just said?" Gary questioned, his voice filled with hope. Slowly, everyone started lifting their heads, looking around at each other.

"Yes, I agree with him," Dawn replied, her voice filled with a hint of determination.

"Ash wouldn't want us to be sad," some of them replied in unison, their voices growing stronger. Delia and Serena smiled, their eyes shining with love and pride.

"Ash has such wonderful friends," they thought to themselves, their hearts feeling full. Some time into the party, it was finally time for the cake to be cut. Greninja took the privilege to cut it. No one knew it was Greninja's birthday too, but on this day, Greninja was always the one to cut the cake. Red looked at all this and felt his heart swell with happiness.

"Even if I died, they're still celebrating my birthday, like always," he thought to himself, feeling a tear roll down his cheek. From a distance, Infernape was watching this mysteriously similar man, its eyes filled with curiosity. After the party was over, everyone started to go into the Oak lab for the night. But Gary invited Red to his house. They both entered the house, and Gary locked the door behind them.

"You can stop hiding now, Ashy Boy," Gary said out of the blue, his voice filled with a mix of emotions. Ash was shocked, his eyes wide with disbelief. How the hell did Gary know it was him?

"Wait, Ashy Boy, do you mean Ash Ketchum? I'm not Ash. My name's Red," Ash replied, stammering and covering up his fear, his voice filled with panic.

"SHUT UP!" Gary yelled, his voice echoing through the room. "Four years, four fucking years. Did you ever think about how much we missed you? Okay, put us aside, how much Serena and your mom missed you?" he continued, his voice trembling with anger and hurt.

"I did. I was always checking on you people," Ash replied, his voice filled with guilt and remorse.

"Then why did you leave us? Why did you let us believe you were dead?" Gary demanded, his voice rising with each word.

"I had to," Ash replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "I had to protect the ones I loved."

"When you died or pretended your death, I had a glimpse of all the corpses. All I could find were corpses of people wearing clothes with the R emblem on them. I held onto a glimmer of hope that you had somehow survived. And then, after around three years, I heard rumours about a trainer who was chasing after the same dream that you were. Recently, Gladion told me about this 'Red.' And today, when I looked into your eyes, I finally knew it was you," Gary exclaimed, his voice filled with a mixture of emotions, anger, hurt, shock and hope. "Now tell me, what is all this about?" he asked, his voice trembling as he waited for Ash's explanation.

"I'm sorry, Gary. But I had to, and I still have to. I can't tell you why. Please, promise me you'll keep this a secret," Ash replied, his voice filled with remorse and guilt, his eyes pleading with Gary to understand.

"I knew it, I knew it was you. But why?" Gary's voice grew louder, his confusion and hurt reaching a boiling point.

"I told you not to ask about it, but please, promise me that you'll keep the secret," Ash pleaded, his voice growing desperate as he saw Gary's expression harden.

"If that's what I can give my childhood friend on his birthday," Gary replied, his voice filled with a mix of understanding and anger.

There was a tense silence for a few moments, as the weight of Gary's words hung heavily in the air.

"Happy Birthday, Ketchum," Gary finally broke the silence, his voice filled with a mix of love and sadness as he hugged Ash tightly.

"Thanks, Gary," Ash replied, his voice filled with gratitude and relief as he hugged Gary back, knowing full well the weight of the secret he was keeping, and the cost it would have on his relationships.

Meanwhile, at Oak Laboratory, all of Ash's other friends are just sitting and talking about their new adventures.

"So, uh Clemont, did you battle this guy who came to the party today?", Cilan asked, his voice filled with curiosity.

"My brother didn't, I did," Bonnie replied, her voice filled with excitement.

"Yeah, and he was tough," Clemont added, his voice filled with admiration.

"I battled him too, and that's just today," Misty continued, her voice filled with awe.

"Add me to the list," Gladion chimed in, his voice filled with a hint of mystery.

"Did you guys notice something similar in him, anything?" Cilan questioned, his voice filled with intrigue.

"His battle strategies," Misty and Clemont both replied in unison, their voices filled with understanding.

"His attitude reminded me of an old friend," Gladion added, his voice filled with a sense of familiarity.

"And his eating habits, he ate like there's no tomorrow," Brock chimed in, his voice filled with amusement.

"Well, maybe he could be," May started, her voice filled with hope.

"Ash!" Dawn continued, her voice filled with excitement.

"Come on you guys, we all saw him die, in front of our own eyes," Kiawe interjected, his voice filled with a sense of finality. The Alolans just nodded in agreement, but Gladion didn't seem to be convinced.

"Hey, just snap out of it. There could always be another guy like you," Max joined in, his voice filled with a sense of optimism.

"Well that's true, even you eat just like Ash," May giggled, teasing her brother, her voice filled with playful sarcasm.

"Hey!" Max yelled at her sister, his voice filled with mock outrage.

"Let's not think about it. There is no chance Ash is still alive. Goodnight, guys," Clemont said, yawning, his voice filled with exhaustion.