Hello, everyone! Welcome to the sixteenth part of the greatest Pokeshipping story marathon in terms of the sheer length of it! Now, today's chapter is going to be a sad one, as it will revolve around Ash's death in the first movie. (Yeah, I am in a Mewtwo mood this week. I captured a Mewtwo in Pokemon Go on Leap Day, making it the 151st and final Kanto Pokemon in my Pokedex in that game. I also watched Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution. And let me tell you: this is the worst Pokemon movie ever! No, scratch that. Worst movie ever conceived period. The Pokemon Company clearly never learned its lesson on remaking fabulous classic material. And that is never to do it! First, they decided to exclude Misty from a movie based on her own season in M20. Then, they remade "The Power of One," which is the anime equivalent of Citizen Kane in M21. And now this?! A 3D shot for shot remake of the first film, a film that defined my childhood, for M22?! It's going to be a long time before I watch another Pokemon film again!) Now, where was I? Oh yeah, in this AU, Ash wasn't revived like he was in the original. It will center around Misty visiting his grave a year after he died. Anyways, I hope you got your tissues ready! Let's get going with Part 16!


It was November 6th, and the weather outside was overcast. Most people who lived in the town were inside for the day, but that was not the case for a redhead girl who was making a visit to the town's cemetery. One year ago today, she lost her best friend in the world when he got hit by an attack from a legendary Pokemon. The last thing she told him before he died was that he shouldn't get in the way of the attack, but he said it would be for the best. And his sacrifice paid off, as the fighting between the original Pokemon and clones stopped, but at what cost? There were tears from everyone who witnessed the death, human, clone, and Pokemon alike, but nothing could be done to save the boy. She has fallen into a deep depression since that day she watched her best friend be taken away from her. She never even got to tell him how she truly felt about him! She walked towards his grave with a depressed look on her face and saw a Pikachu looking at the cemetery. The Cerulean resident knew this Pikachu, as he was the first Pokemon her friend ever befriended.

"Hello," the girl said to the little electric mouse.

Pikachu looked up at her, confused. What brings her over to Pallet Town? But when he saw the sad look on her face, he knew why. Aside from his trainer, this girl was the human he was closest to. He gave a slight smile. "Pika, Chukapi," the Pikachu said to her.

Misty picked the mouse Pokemon up and hugged him, "Here to morn Ash as well?"

Pikachu nods. Many people and Pokemon witnessed Ash's death. His Pikachu took was the one who the worst. Ever since the funeral, he has rarely left his fallen friend's graveside. His fur was starting to fall out, what remained was turning brown from being outside for so long. He lost a lot of weight because he refused to eat much, and his ordinarily cute brown and black eyes have become red and grey from crying so much. While the rest of Ash's Pokemon found new trainers (his Squirtle and Krabby going to Misty), he refused to let anyone catch him. For Pikachu, Ash was his trainer, and always will be. No matter if he was six feet under the ground.

"Well," Misty said, "I brought this just in case I ran into you here…" She reached into her backpack and pulled out a bottle of Pikachu's favorite food: ketchup. Pikachu smiled for the first time in a year and opened the bottle before sucking the ketchup out of it.

"Pichu," Pikachu said as he continued to drink it. Misty smiled before looking at Ash's grave and reading what was written on it.

"Here lies Ashton Satoshi Ketchum: Great son, trainer, and friend. Born May 22nd, 1986. Died November 6th, 1998. Aged 12 Years, 5 months, and 15 days."

Misty felt tears roll down her eyes as she recited a poem that was sung at the funeral of her parents when they died while she was only six. The mood she felt the same feeling then as she did now.

"How will I start tomorrow without you here?

Whose heart will guide mine when all the answers disappear?

Is it too late, or are you too far gone to stay?

Best friends forever should never have to go away!

What will I do? You know that I am only half without you,

How will I make it through?

If only tears could bring you back to me,

If only love could find a way!

What I would do, what I would give if you

Returned to me someday, somehow, someway!

If my tears could bring you back to me!"

Pikachu looked at Misty, confused. "Pikachu Pikachu Pikachu?" he asked the girl with tangerine hair.

"Oh," Misty said, "It is a song that was sung at the funeral of my parents…"

Pikachu looked up at her, confused about how they could have died.

"It's a long story," Misty said, "But I will never forget how I felt the day that I found out the news…"


Misty was swimming in the pool with some of her sister's Pokemon. Her sisters were bating in the sun that was shining through the glass above the water. It was a relaxing day. Their parents left them alone as they were out on their sailboat, The Shiny Vaporeon, for a private cruise together. They said they would be back in three hours, but it has been three hours already. But as the Wateflower girls were too busy relaxing in and by the pool, they did not care. However, the calm would soon be interrupted, and their lives would never be the same again…

There was a knock on the door. Daisy, who was reclining with her sunglasses on, looked up. "Misty, can you, like, go and answer the door for us?"

Misty sighed, "I will be right back, Seel." Misty said to the white sea lion that belonged to her oldest sister.

"Seel!" Seel said as Misty got out of the pool and covered herself with a towel. She made her way to the front door of the gym to see Officer Jenny standing in the doorway. Misty gasped and threw her hands into the air.

"Officer Jenny, I did not do anything that is against the law, I swear! Please don't arrest me!" Misty pleaded to the blue-haired police officer.

"It's not that, Misty," she said.

Misty gasped, confused. If no crime was committed, then why was she coming to the Waterflower house slash Cerulean City gym? "What is it?" the six-year-old asked the woman.

Officer Jenny stood there for a full minute, not sure how to address the situation to a girl who wasn't old enough to begin her Pokemon career yet. But eventually, she took a deep breath and said, "Your mommy and daddy, they are gone…"

Misty looked at her and nodded, "Of course they are! They said they would be back three hours ago! They will come back, I am sure of it!"

"No, Misty," Jenny said, "I don't mean gone as in not present, I mean gone as in dead… Your mother and father… they are not coming back."

Misty gasped, trying to comprehend what the cop said to her for a minute before gulping and running off to her bedroom to cry.


"I cried for the rest of the day, and it took me a long time to recover," Misty told Pikachu, "But not as long as recovering from Ash's death…" She felt a tear roll down her cheek as she continued reciting the song that was sung at the final farewell of her parents.

"I will cry you a whole ocean if you sail on home again.

The waves of emotion will carry you back, I know they can.

Simply let your love guide you, and your heart will chart the course,

Pretty soon, you will be drifting back into the arms of your true north!

Look into my eyes, and you will see that one million tears have flown by,

And they are still not yet dry! (and they never will be)

If only tears could bring you back to me,

If only love could find a way!

What I would do, what I would give if you

Returned to me someday, somehow, someway!

If my tears could bring you back to me!"

By now, the rain was starting to come down really hard as the girl and mouse continued to cry over the loss of their best friend. It might have been a year ago, but seeing the only trainer he had ever known turn to stone by Mewtwo's attack still hurt the weak electric Pokemon very much. It was the same case for Misty. Soon, it was raining so hard that the tears careening down the sides of their faces were becoming indistinguishable from rain. It was as if the weather above Pallet Town was crying alongside the two. It was if as if they mourn the loss of one of their brightest lights that were extinguished way too soon, too. Misty and Pikachu had so many questions they wanted to ask. But there was only one that could come out of their mouths: "Why?" Misty sung the penultimate verse of the melody that was a part of the goodbye of her parents.

"I would hop on an airplane, so I can see you in heaven,

If I could see you again, it will end this great depression!

Just for a moment, I would be happy to again see you,

And even more comfortable if I have a chance to free you!

Without you here I don't think that I will be able to get by,

But I will undoubtedly try…

If only tears could bring you back to me,

If only love could find a way!

What I would do, what I would give if you

Returned to me someday, somehow, someway!

If my tears could bring you back to me!"


As the tears seeped into the ground, they reached the petrified body of Ash, who was deep inside of the earth. Unknown to everyone, he was not dead. He was still 100 percent conscious, but he could not move, talk, or do anything. But he could certainly feel what was going on around him. Wet drops were landing on his skin. He assumed they were raindrops. But after thinking about it longer, he realized they weren't raindrops, but teardrops!

"What is going on?" Ash thought to himself, wondering who was visiting his grave. Just then, he heard another voice in his head.

"Hello, my chosen…" It was a genderless and ageless voice, but a fatherly one as well.

"Who is this?" Ash asked, "Who are you, where are you, and why and how are you talking to me?!"

"This is Arceus," the other voice said to the petrified trainer.

"Arceus?" Ash asked, "As in THE Arceus?"

"Yes," Arceus said, "And I came here for a special reason…"

"What is that reason?" Ash asked the god of all Pokemon.

"I think it is time for you to get another chance of life," Arceus said, "After all, two of your friends missed you deeply…"

"But, I am already dead!" Ash explained, "And dead people cannot be brought back to life!"

"But here is something that you forgot, young one," Arceus said, "I have ultimate power over all of the universe, and that includes who lives and who dies and when they do so…"

"Alright then," Ash said, "Bring me back to life."

"Very well then…." There was a flash of bright light as Arceus started the revival process…


A bolt of lightning went across the dark sky as Misty and Pikachu continued to cry. But even though it would be harmful to be out during a thunderstorm, the two were not ready to leave Ash's grave yet. After all, Misty still had one final verse of the song to sing before it was done.

"Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh!

I will hold you really close and will shout those words

That I have only whispered before!

For one more chance for one last dance,

There is absolutely nothing that I will not endure!

If only tears could bring you back to me,

If only love could find a way!

What I would do, what I would give if you

Returned to me someday, somehow, someway!

If my tears could bring you back to me!"

Misty wiped the last of her tears off of her face.

"Ready to go, Pikachu?"

Pikachu nodded, "Pika!" he said as they got up and took a final look at the grave before leaving it behind. However, as they were walking out of the cemetery, a bolt of lightning appeared right in front of them! Pikachu jumped into Misty's arms as their eyesight returned to normal. And they saw the last person they expected standing in front of them. That person was none other than Ashton Satoshi Ketchum himself.

"ASH?!" Misty exclaimed, "IS THAT YOU, ALIVE?!"

"Yes," Ash said with a smile on his face.

Misty gasped as tears developed in her eyes. But these were not sad tears. No, these were HAPPY tears! She rubbed them out of her eyes and pinched herself to see if it was a dream or not. She felt it, and Ash was standing right in front of her!

"I don't believe it!" Misty said.

"Me neither Mist." Ash said, "I would have never guessed that Arceus would allow me to come back to life to see you again!

"Oh, Ash!" Misty said, "I have three words I had meant to say to you before you died!"

"And what might they be?" Ash asked.

"I LOVE YOU!" Misty said as the two pulled into their first kiss. Misty was happy to have her best friend back. And Ash was delighted to be with her back in the living world.


And that is part 16 completed! I am sorry for bumming you guys out with this chapter. But I will promise. The next one will be a lot funnier than this one! Anyways, the question of the day is whose death is the most impactful to your life? For me, the answer is Grandma Northstar, who died of breast cancer in October of 2015. She was the one who prayed for my safety the most. She was also one who hosted all of the parties on my dad's side of the family. And she helped care for me when I was little. I am eternally grateful for all of that. I miss you, Grandma Northstar! I miss you dearly! If only tears could bring you back to me, I would give you anything! Anyways, I will see you all next time, don't take the ones you hold close for granted, and dare to Pokeship!