Red has lived in in the shadow of others his entire life. His father, Lance the Pokemon Champion and Blue, his childhood rival only add to his anxiety and lack of self-worth as he cannot hope to compete with them. Red is mocked and ostracized for not living up to his father's expectations he has only his Charmander, Cinder, to comfort him. Despised for his lesser ability in Pokemon battle he takes the Kanto Gym challenge to prove his worth as a person and finally gain some respect from the world that thought of him as a joke.

However, this comes at the cost of his friendship with Cinder and morality. As Red becomes more and more obsessed with gaining respect to be seen as the true prodigy of his father, the Pokemon under his care suffer from abuse. His Charmander grows to question Red's state of being, causing the trainer to question himself at every turn as it puts a greater and greater strain on their once glorious friendship.