Hi guys…

So, I didn't update for a long time 'cause of stuff. Then I updated yesterday and was a terrible, evil author, as you all know. So I decided to be nice and give ya another chapter today! This should make you all feel better about Gary.

Hopefully.

Misty: *still crying from last chapter* KIT YOU ARE EVIL! EVIL EVIL EVIL!

Be quiet, Misty. This chapter is good! You'll like it! Maybe.

Gary: *reads last chapter* Kit, you have GOT to be kidding me.

Eheheh…

Brock: *ignoring everyone while reading a book*

What the! *reads book title* How to Make a Girl Like You…?! ARE YOU SERIOUS, BROCK?!

Brock: Let's see… give her chocolate…? Kit, this is random, but do you want my half-melted Hershey bar?

…!

Misty: *hits Brock with mallet* She is SO out of your league, Brock!

*sneaks away quietly while they are fighting* o-kaaaay, on with the chapter?

…

Max's hands shook. This could not be happening. He did not just see that. No, no, no…

"G-Gary…" Ash whispered. Gary and Ash had been close friends from the time they were very young, and Max could hear the devastation in Ash's voice.

Paul had never really known Gary (though Ash had certainly mentioned him before), but it still shook him to see someone only two years younger than himself so viciously attacked in front of the entire Napaj nation. For a few moments, the camera focused on Giovanni's face, then on the unmoving body of Gary Oak. Suddenly, something clicked in Paul's mind. He had an idea.

Max tore his eyes away. He couldn't look. This was too much, just too much…

Paul reached out and tapped a few buttons on the PokéNav.

'Idenitfying location shown.'

Max looked up, realizing what Paul was doing.

'Location found.'

The PokéNav switched to the map feature, and a little red marker appeared at a spot not two miles from where they were now.

"That's it." Paul stated. "That's where Team Rocket is. That's where Gary is."

Ash promptly stood. "We need to go, now."

May nodded, as did Max. Drew had seen Gary before, but he didn't really know him; nevertheless, Drew understood exactly what was going on. Team Rocket had used Gary somehow. Apparently, they didn't need him anymore, and decided to use him to make a statement to the people of Napaj. Drew grimaced. Team Rocket had used a kid – just an ordinary Trainer – and tried to kill him just to show their power? It was just sick.

Quickly, Drew called out his Flygon. Ash reached for a Pokéball but stopped when he realized he had none. Dawn called out Togekiss, and Paul let out his Honchkrow – because Gliscor was already exhausted – and the kids quickly boarded the Flying-types. Drew rode with Ash on Flygon, Paul alone on Honchkrow, and Dawn rode Togekiss with May sitting behind her, Max on her lap.

"It's that way," Max directed, pointing. Dawn, Drew, and Paul each had their Pokémon head that way.

Ash was trying not to cry. He didn't cry often, but with what had just happened, he couldn't hold back the tears. Drew looked back at the raven-haired Trainer for a moment, but quickly turned back to face forward. Ash's teeth were gritted and his fists clenched, and tears trickled down his face, one by one. Gary…

Suddenly, Dawn gasped. She pointed up ahead. There was a small clearing. There was no sign of Team Rocket – they were long gone by now. But in the middle of the grassy area was the unmoving body of Gary Oak.

Honchkrow, Togekiss, and Flygon zipped toward the ground and landed quickly. The six Trainers stumbled off of the Pokémon and rushed over to the horrible scene in front of them. Ash's face was pale as he dropped to his knees beside Gary and hastily felt for a pulse. It was there, thank Arceus.

Gary opened his mouth as if to say something, but couldn't seem to make out the words. His breathing sounded labored, and Gary's body shuddered as he coughed up blood.

Gary's shirt was soaked with the blood. Ash could hardly bear to look at Gary's abdomen – it was horrible. Practically shredded.

"Gary…" Ash whispered. "I-it'll be okay… you'll be okay, I promise…"

Gary shook his head. "I-I…" he choked out. "Ash…"

Ash's breath shook as he listened.

"B-best of… of f-friends…" Gary's voice was fading. "Till… till the… e-end…"

Fresh tears welled up in Ash's eyes. "Yeah. Best… best of friends. Best of friends till the end." His voice cracked on the last word, and he reached out to clutch Gary's hand tightly. "St-stay with me, Gary. Please!"

May was holding Max close. Drew gave May's hand a squeeze, as if to comfort her – or try to. Dawn was shaking as she watched. And, as Paul watched Gary slowly, painfully dying while one of his best friends begged for him to hold on, the mauve-haired Trainer felt something inside him crack.

Gary's breathing was getting shallower. "B-best… best of… friends…" Gary's eyes seemed to focus on something in the distance. "Best… b-best… of… friends…"

Ash shook his head. "G-Gary, please… please, Gary!" His voice rose slightly. "Y-you'll be fine, Gary! You'll be okay!" There were tears in his voice and tears falling down his face. He was sobbing now. "Please, Gary, please! Don't do this!"

Gary's breathing slowed to a stop. His torn body twitched once, then fell still.

That was it.

"No! NO!" Ash yelled. "Gary! No! Gary, come back, please! Gary!"

Max was crying into May's hoodie. She caressed him and petted his hair gently, while tears of her own flowed down her face. Paul looked away. Dawn's face was in her hands. Drew gritted his teeth and clenched his hands, trying not to let the tears come. Nevertheless, his eyes began to mist.

Gary Oak was gone.

…

Professor Oak's hands trembled. This couldn't happen… no, no, no… not his grandson. Not Gary. Just when the Professor thought he would see Gary again, this happened.

Professor Oak gritted his teeth. He had lost the only family he had, just like that. And it was all because of…

…Team Rocket.

Professor Oak clenched his trembling hands into fists.

Team Rocket.

He hated them.

They had taken everything from him. Gary was everything to him, just like Ash was everything to Delia. Now Gary was gone. Gary was dead. There was nothing left.

Delia sat beside him, tears in her beautiful eyes. She rested a cool hand on his fist, and he relaxed slightly. She had a way of knowing just what to do.

But there was nothing she could really do now.

He stood abruptly and walked out of the living room and down the hall. Then he flung open the door to Gary's room.

Pokémon plush dolls. Gym badges. A Pokéball alarm clock that was just like Ash's. The blankets on his bed decorated with images of racecars and Pokéballs. The Professor's breathing quickened. All of Gary's things. It was too much, too painful to be in here right now.

"G-Gary…" Professor Oak whispered hoarsely. "I can't lose you, Gary… why, Arceus? Why Gary?! Why my only grandson?! Tell me why!" His voice rose with each word and finally cracked. He just couldn't take this any longer.

…

"Ash?!"

Brock stared at the scene before him in utter horror.

After seeing the news report on TV, Brock had flown on a plane to Sinnoh and proceeded to search for Ash and his little group. He hadn't seen any sort of TV, news reports, or anything of the like yet that day, though, so the situation was new to him. And this was what he saw:

Gary Oak, his clothes soaked with blood, his body torn and useless, lying unmoving on the grass. Brock couldn't see much detail, but he could tell something nasty had happened.

Ash, crying and holding Gary's hand, teeth gritted in fury. Brock knew that whoever had done this wasn't going to be forgiven easily by Ash. Normally, Ash forgave anyone just like that, but if you hurt one of his friends, that was a different story.

Dawn, May, Max, Drew, and Paul, all reacting differently to the scene in front of them – most with tears.

"Brock…" Ash looked up at his friend, eyes red from crying. He seemed surprised, but didn't appear to have the energy to give Brock a better greeting. Brock rushed over to him and his eyes widened in horror when he saw Gary.

"Is he…" Brock couldn't bear to finish the question.

Ash nodded, and fresh tears spilled down his face. "Y-yes. Gary… Gary is…" his voice cracked. "Gary is dead."

Brock dropped to his knees beside the boy's unmoving body. His face showed grief and some shock, as well. Gary's eyes had a blank, glassy expression in them as he stared into the distance. Brock reached out and gently closed them.

He looked somewhat at peace. save for his shredded, destroyed torso, Gary could almost have been sleeping. Part of Brock hoped he was, that he would get up and say, "Psych! Gotcha, Ashy-boy!" or something else like that, maybe make an arrogant comment. Brock would do anything to hear one of those arrogant comments right then. Gary had only been fourteen. He had his whole life ahead of him. And now all that was gone.

Brock looked away and felt tears in his own eyes.

Why couldn't it just be simple again? Why did this have to happen? Why did Gary have to die like this, in such a horrible, painful, bloody way?

These were questions that Brock knew would probably never be answered.

…

Gary watched the Persian's claws coming at him. In an instant he knew what would happen. He was going to be torn apart by that Pokémon's attacks. He was going to die.

As the unbearable pain raced through his body, Gary let out a tortured scream. He felt himself go limp, and he felt his torn, useless body be flung to the ground. Gary only groaned when, for nothing more than pleasure, Persian slashed its claws across his body again, shredding his skin; he had no energy left to scream.

He heard Giovanni's laugh, and the applause of the many Rockets watching. To them, this was just a good show. They whistled and cheered. Some even laughed. Gary heard it all in somewhat of a daze.

As he lay there dying, Gary couldn't do a thing. He could only lie there in a painful daze, waiting to die. He knew it would come. He knew he could in no way survive this. He only hoped that his grandfather could cope.

Eventually, the Rockets left. Gary couldn't tell how long it was. Minutes? Hours? Then he heard voices, and there was Ash, leaning over him.

Best of friends, till the end.

They were the best of friends till the end. And even though Gary knew the end was already close for him, he was grateful that he'd had that friendship with Ash – at least, while it lasted.

Slowly, the world began to fade. The pain faded, too, giving him relief. He felt his breathing slow to a stop, and a dazzling, bright light engulfed him.

Then he saw it.

Arceus.

The Alpha Pokémon.

It is not yet your time. You are Chosen by the Legendaries. You have a long, hard journey ahead of you.

Gary could hardly make sense of what Arceus was saying. Chosen… Legendaries… journey… this didn't make sense!

Arceus continued:

There will be sixteen

Chosen by the Legends.

Who shall discover the power

That they hold within them.

The Chosen ones will save this world

And discover their true path.

They will find the secret to the Legendaries,

And be bonded forever and aft.

As Arceus announced the strange-sounding prophecy, Gary felt something stir within him. This prophecy… it was meant for him.

And what Gary felt next was even more amazing and strange.

He felt warmth spread within him, and he began to tingle. He felt a burst of overwhelming joy, and suddenly, his eyes snapped open.

He was lying on the grass in the clearing where Giovanni killed him.

Slowly, Gary sat up. Ash, Dawn, May, Max, Brock, Drew, and Paul were just staring at him.

"G-Gary?" Ash stammered.

Gary nodded. "Yeah… it's me."

"Did you just…" Brock trailed off, not sure how to voice the question.

"…come back from the dead? Yeah, I think so." Gary deadpanned.

Ash slowly began to smile. His face lit up with the joy of realizing that Gary was, in fact, alive.

And Ash gave Gary a hug.

…

Okay, NOW you'll all be happy. Right?

Misty: *has stopped crying* THANK ARCEUS!