Pokémon Tears

by OnTheSpectrum

There is a legend that says that Pokémon tears can bring people back to life. But what if it was just that: a legend?

Thought / Dream

"Telepathy"

"Pokéspeak"

Something snapped inside Ash. Seeing all the Pokémon and their clones, too exhausted to continue fighting, lying all around the arena was too much for the boy to bear, so as the two powerful psychic Pokémon prepared to launch their final attacks, he ran on to the battlefield, ignoring Brock yelling at him to wait.

"You've got to stop right now!" Ash yelled as he ran, but it was too late, as the two powerful beams of blue and pink were released.

"STOP!" Ash screamed again, and he kept running.

Right into the paths of the oncoming attacks.

Right at the point where the two attacks met.

He wouldn't have been able to dodge it, even if he had tried to.

"Ash!"

"Oh no!"

Misty and Brock, who were both watching from the sidelines, looked on in horror, as they watched their friend get engulfed by the giant blast of energy.

"Pikapi!" This, of course, came from Pikachu, calling out the name of his trainer.

As the dust that had been kicked up by the blast settled, Ash could be seen, engulfed in a purple glow. Then it faded, as he dropped to his knees, then collapsed onto his stomach.

Fool! Trying to stop our battle! Even Mewtwo couldn't believe what Ash had just done. Mew, too, was confused.

"Pikapi! Pikachu!" Pikachu ran over to Ash, who was lying in the middle of the battlefield. As he got closer to his trainer, it became more and more evident that something was wrong. He wasn't moving, yet his eyes were wide open. He wasn't breathing, either. As soon as Pikachu reached his trainer, Ash seemed to turn to stone, confirming Pikachu's fears. At first, Pikachu tried to wake Ash up by shaking him, putting his paws on Ash's head, then moving to his side and trying again. Of course, this didn't work, so he tried waking him up with his thunderbolt attacks. Again and again, he tried, but to no avail. By this stage, the gravity of the situation had become clear to the others as well. Brock just stood there, unable to move, whilst Misty collapsed to her knees.

"Please no."

Pikachu continued with his thunderbolts, each one as unsuccessful as the last, until finally he'd worn himself out, unable to fire off any more.

And Ash still remained a statue.

It was at this moment that Pikachu knew that his trainer was gone. So, he began to cry. That crying evolved into wailing, as Pikachu, like Misty had, collapsed to his knees beside his trainer. Around the arena, all of the other Pokémon and the clones joined in as well, especially the ones that belonged to Ash: Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charizard. Brock's Vulpix and Misty's Psyduck were also devastated, as they both knew how close their respective trainers were to Ash.

However, Misty and Brock were hopeful, because before they had arrived at New Island to respond to this mysterious invitation from the world's greatest Pokémon master, at the ferry terminal, they, along with Ash and the other three trainers here, had heard of a legend involving Pokémon tears bringing people back to life. They were praying that it was true.

Unfortunately, it wasn't. Even with the tears of the 46 Pokémon and clones, nothing seemed to be happening. Eventually, one after the other, the other Pokémon ran out of tears to cry, and silence fell across the arena, leaving the anguished cries of Pikachu as the only sound left.

Brock and Misty shared a quick glance at each other, trying to confirm what they both refused to believe, but they couldn't ignore it anymore, so they ran to join Pikachu, who was now crying into Ash's chest. Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charizard also left the sides of their clones to join their trainer in the centre of the field, and Vulpix and Psyduck, sensing the sadness in the hearts of their own trainers, walked to join them too.

Misty was the first to reach Ash and Pikachu, and she promptly collapsed to her knees again beside Ash's body, the tears finally flowing from her eyes. Brock came next and he knelt down, and placed his hand on Pikachu's back in a futile attempt to calm the distraught Pokémon. The five other Pokémon arrived, too, and the tears that they had managed to quell earlier came back with a vengeance. Bulbasaur and Squirtle collapsed into each other, sobbing into each other's shoulders. Charizard stood back, maintaining a small distance between himself and the rest of them. His sheer size prevented him from getting too close, so it was all he could do to just stand there and stare at what was left of his trainer through his own watery eyes. Vulpix, like her trainer, was trying, and unfortunately failing, to calm Pikachu by giving him affectionate licks on his cheeks, as Psyduck was just standing beside Misty, not quite sure what to do.

A few minutes later, the other humans started to gather. Nurse Joy and Neesha, the girl who had fought with her Blastoise Shellshocker, approached the scene, each one with eyes watering. Neither of them had known the boy Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town before today, but neither of them expected this to be how their first meeting would end. Joy did vaguely remember hearing from one of her sisters of a boy named Ash, and she had said that he seemed to be a promising young trainer with a bright future ahead of him. She had also mentioned that the boy had been fairly close to Pallet Town's resident Pokémon professor, Professor Samuel Oak. She would have to call him once she returned to the Pokémon centre that she was in charge of.

The other two trainers, Fergus, the boy who had travelled to the island on the back of his Gyarados, and Corey, the trainer who had battled with his Venusaur Bruteroot, were also quite shaken. Like the others, they hadn't known Ash at all before today, and from what they had seen, they had been quite impressed. He had been the only one of them who had been brave enough to follow Mewtwo's Pokéballs after all of their Pokémon had been captured. He had been the only one of them brave enough to try to attack Mewtwo with his own two fists. He had been the only one to even attempt to stop the fighting. And now, he had been the only one to prove that he'd be willing to die to protect the Pokémon.

Of course, these were not the only humans on the island. Jessie and James of Team Rocket had been blasted back inside the giant mansion by one of Mewtwo's earlier attacks. They had missed the final attack, so they didn't know what Ash had done. They had just emerged from the hall when they saw the scene of Ash's friends and Pokémon gathered around the centre of the arena, each one of them crying. But they couldn't see Ash. They didn't know what they were all crying about, so they tried to edge closer, until they spotted Meowth. He had managed to avoid being blown away, so he knew exactly what happened.

"Meowth, what's going on?"

The look on Meowth's face told them everything they needed to know.

Back on the battlefield, Mew and Mewtwo still hovered over the trainer boxes, watching the scene from afar. Pikachu's wailing was still the loudest sound in the battlefield. Neither one of them knew how to respond.

"The human sacrificed himself to save the Pokémon. I pitted them against each other, but when they all cried together, it made me realise, that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are." Mewtwo looked around at the various Pokémon and clones still standing in pairs around the edge of the arena, each one also watching the scene in the middle of the field with leaky eyes. Like himself and Mew, they had all been fighting until Ash had stepped in, but now he could see them crying together, holding each other in comfort, as if they had never been fighting at all. He looked back at the centre, and decided that he needed to say something to the humans and Pokémon that had assembled there. Evidently, on the other side of the battlefield, Mew had had the same idea, and they both started to slowly approach the group.

Pikachu was still going. In fact, it even seemed as though his crying was getting louder. It all came to a boil as Mew and Mewtwo approached, as he let out one last heartbreaking cry.

"PIKAPIIIII!"

And then he collapsed once again into a sobbing heap of yellow on Ash's unmoving chest.

"Everyone. I am sorry for what transpired here. I never wanted to harm any of you humans, but it was my arrogance and anger that led to this. But, let it be known, that his sacrifice was not in vain. He jumped in to stop our fight, to save all of the Pokémon here, and he succeeded. He wanted to make me see the error of my ways by forcing me to see. If he hadn't done that, chances are we'd all still be fighting, or we'd have brought ourselves to our own end. Now that this human has given this opportunity, I will take the clones and leave, to find a new place to call our home. We all call this planet our home, we breathe the same air, under the same sky, but we are not the same. We are not the same, but we are not opposites. We are not enemies. We are not superior or inferior. We are simply alive. As for all of you, I shall send you back to the Pokémon Centre on the mainland, so you can do what needs to be done to honour this human."

"HIS NAME IS ASH!" This surprised him. It was Pikachu. Mewtwo hadn't noticed that the Pokémon had stopped crying during his speech and had started growling."If you're going to try to apologise about killing him, at least have the decency to use his name!" Of course, the humans, while they could certainly tell that Pikachu was angry, had no idea what he was squeaking about, but they could certainly see the effect it was having on Mewtwo. This Pokémon, who had summoned all of them to this island, defeated all of their strongest fighters without breaking a sweat, and had created an army of clones more powerful than the originals, was flinching.

"Alright. If that is your wish. Ash should be honoured as the hero he was, and I believe that you are the best people to carry that forward. I understand if you may be angry and sad, but I hope that you can forgive me. Forgive me, but never forget what has happened here. I will make sure that the memories of today will live on through me for as long as I'm here, and I'll pass these memories on to as many people and Pokémon as I can, and I hope you'll all do the same. I'd like you all to tell the story of Ash and what he did here today, so that his story lives on." Then, before anyone else could say anything else, Mewtwo began glowing white, along with every clone there. They all started levitating and they had all flown up into the sky and out of sight before anyone had a chance to react. Then, the entire arena started glowing white, surrounding every Pokémon and human there, and then, in the next breath, they were all suddenly standing in the lobby of the Pokémon Centre back in the city that they started in, still surrounding the petrified body of Ash. Every Pokémon, except Ash's, was swiftly returned to their Pokéballs. Their trainers all agreed that they had all dealt with more than enough stress for one day. Even after all that Mewtwo had said, Neesha, Corey and Fergus decided that they had also had enough for today, so Nurse Joy showed them to their rooms, before returning to the lobby. Then, along with Misty and Brock, she went to the phone to call the lab of Professor Oak.

Meanwhile, in that exact same lab, Professor Oak was about to settle down for his breakfast when he heard a knock at his door. Upon opening the door, he found the smiling face of Delia Ketchum looking back at him.

"Ah. Good morning, Delia! What brings you over here?"

"Hello, Samuel! I just made some scones, but I can't eat them all by myself, so I was wondering if you'd want to help me."

"Oh ho, is that so? Well, I'd by happy to accept such a tasty sounding offer!" With that said, Samuel gestured for Delia to come inside. Unfortunately, for the second time that morning, he got interrupted before he had any chance to eat.

This time, it was his phone. He looked at the name that appeared on the screen. Old Shore Wharf Pokémon Centre.

"Hello there, Nurse Joy. What can I do for you today?"

"Hello, Professor Oak."

Something was off.

"Is something the matter?" It was then he noticed the two other people standing behind Joy. Two people that he recognised. "Ah. Misty. Brock. I didn't know you were in Old Shore! How are you?"

Again, the Professor's cheerful demeanour was not reciprocated, and again he began to worry. Then he noticed the one person who was absent. And, he also thought that he saw the telltale flicker of a Charizard's tail flame. He was not expecting the response to his next question. He realised too late that it was not a question that he should have asked at that moment. Especially considering his present company.

"Where's Ash?" Delia noticed the immediate change of tone in the professor's voice, and she was immediately right there beside him, without even setting down the plate of scones, waiting for the answer.

On the other end of the line, they saw the faces of Brock and Misty visibly shift, and they noticed the water coming to Misty's eyes. That alone was enough to send chills through Delia's spine. She was so quiet with her next question that she may as well have mouthed it:

"What's happened to my boy?"

Misty's response confirmed her fears almost instantly.

"M-Mrs Ketchum." The girl could hardly say even her name without choking on the lump in her throat. "We-We were at New Island, a-and there was a Po-Pokémon clone there called Mewtwo. He made clones of our Pokémon and had them fight each other. His own clone showed up, and they fought an-and A-Ash tried to stop them. He-He did stop them, but-but… The attacks hit him."

Delia's eyes had shrunk to the size of pinpricks. She already felt like she knew where this was going, and she didn't know if she wanted to hear it. But, the two words she didn't want to hear had already been said before she had a chance to interject.

"He-He died."

The tears were flowing freely from Misty's eyes now, and those choked hiccups from the start had become full racking sobs. Once again, she collapsed to her knees, and tears could even be seen escaping from Brock's ever-closed eyes as he put his hand on the girl's shoulder.

However, these reactions paled in comparison to that of Delia herself. There was almost complete silence for a second, before a load crash could be heard. The sound of a smashing plate of scones. Then, she collapsed onto her own knees, not even caring about the smithereens.

Then, she screamed. And everyone else fell silent. Nobody could blame her. She had just lost her only child at the age of 10 years old. Everyone knew that her husband, Ash's dad, had left on his own Pokémon journey years ago, and nobody had heard from him since, so Ash was all she had left, except for her Mr Mime. So, nobody could blame her for this. Not at all. Samuel sat down beside her, and she immediately embraced him, continuing to scream into his shoulder. Nobody had the strength to say anything. They just let the mourning mother carry on as long as she needed to.

Even the Pokémon at the Centre could here Ash's mother through the monitor. Other than Ash's four, Brock's Vulpix was the only one out. Misty didn't want Psyduck out, because, even in her own grief-stricken state, she thought that he wouldn't be able to help, and she didn't want to get Togepi involved, for obvious reasons. As they were at the battlefield at New Island, Pikachu was still crying into the chest of his trainer, and Vulpix was still trying her best to calm the electric mouse by licking his cheek. Bulbasaur and Squirtle had calmed down, and were now just sitting there, staring at Ash, unable to move. The biggest surprise came from the biggest Pokémon there, as Charizard was lying around the others, wrapping his body, wings and tail around the others, as a sign of affection.

"Why, Pikapi?! Why did you have to do this?!" Pikachu wailed at his trainer, knowing that he would never get a response.

"It'll be alright, Pikachu." This was Vulpix.

"No, it won't. Pikapi was my first trainer. My only trainer. I-I loved him. I-I don't want to be sent to another trainer! W-Why, Pikapi?! Why did you have to go?!" He began sobbing again, and Vulpix leant in to nuzzle him.

Back in Pallet Town, Delia was finally starting to calm down. At least, she had calmed down just enough to say coherent words again. After a few deep breaths, and with a little assistance from the Professor, she stood up again and faced the monitor.

"Tha-Thank you for telling m-me." It didn't take long for her to start crying again. Samuel appeared beside her.

"Nurse Joy, is there anything I can do to help?"

"Well, I think the most respectful thing to do now would be to send Ash's Pokémon to you now. Would that be possible?"

"Yes, of course. You'd just need to get them into their Pokéballs."

"Alright. Let me just collect the— Oh no."

"What's wrong?"

"Ash's Pokéballs appear to have been destroyed by the attack. We can't use them. His Pokémon are technically wild now."

"I see. In that case, tell Misty and Brock that they should stay at the Centre for now. I can get there within a couple of days and we can see what needs to be done when I get there."

"Alright. I'll let them know. And, Mrs Ketchum, I'm so sorry that this happened." With that, the call ended, and the Professor made his preparations to leave. As he turned from the monitor, he saw Delia, staring daggers at him, even through the tears. "You meant 'we' can get there. This is my son we are dealing with here. I'm going with you."

Back at the centre, Nurse Joy had passed on the message from the professor and Brock, Misty and the group of Pokémon had been sent to a room upstairs to rest. Ash was with them, obviously. Bulbasaur had carried him using his vines and had set him down on one of the empty beds. As soon as he was down, Pikachu was instantly curled up again on his chest, still crying. Everyone else knew that there was nothing they could do to stop him, nor did they believe they should. They all knew how close those two had been. Both Brock and Misty had fought against them in their respective gyms and had seen their bond and level of trust firsthand, and all of Ash's Pokémon, as much as they didn't want to admit it, knew that Pikachu was Ash's favourite. They were like brothers. Actually, no. As far as everyone was concerned, they were brothers. Vulpix, the only Pokémon who was out who never belonged to Ash, was still concerned for Pikachu. She wouldn't tell anyone this, but she actually had a slight crush on the yellow mouse. She had been at the sidelines with Brock for many of Ash's battles, and she had always found herself staring at Pikachu as he fought. She had wanted to tell him for a while now, but she had never found the right time to do so. But now, with Ash dead, she realised that this would also probably be the end of her journey with Pikachu too. She figured that Brock and Misty would both return to their homes as soon as they could leave this centre, and she would be going back to Pewter City with Brock. She wanted to tell Pikachu how she felt, but she couldn't. Not now. Not after what had just happened to his trainer. It was all she could do to keep him company as she jumped on to the bed as well.

They hadn't been in there that long when they heard a knock at the door. Misty went to open it to find Neesha, the female trainer they'd met on New Island, standing there.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"May I come in?"

Misty didn't respond, instead just stepping to the side to allow the other trainer to enter. Brock looked up and smiled slightly before returning his gaze to Ash. Neesha knew that this mustn't be easy for any of them. She had only been a trainer for a few years now, after she had travelled to Pallet Town to the lab of Professor Oak to claim her starter Pokémon, a Squirtle that she promptly nicknamed Shellshocker. She had faced plenty of challenges along the way, as is the case with most trainers, but she had never had to deal with anything like this before.

"How are you guys holding up?"

"See for yourself." Misty simply just pointed to Ash's chest, where Pikachu was still crying with no clear end in sight. Neesha bowed her head. "I'm sorry. I can't imagine what you're all going through. Nurse Joy told me that you'll have to stay here a while, until Professor Oak comes. I'd like to come with you too. Just to see if there's anything I could do."

"Thanks. That's really nice of you."

"I just wish I could do more."

The conversation was cut short by another ear-piercing cry from Pikachu. This made all three trainers look over once again, each one feeling the tears returning to their own eyes.

"It must be devastating for Pikachu."

"Yeah. I remember how I first met Ash. He was running with Pikachu from an angry Spearow flock as I was fishing. He even stole my bike. He never told me what had happened to cause the Spearow to chase them, but he did tell me how he tried to protect Pikachu by standing between them, and how Pikachu protected him by shocking them all with a thunderbolt. After that, I don't think I've ever seen them apart. They had a real connection. I think Ash was Pikachu's first trainer, in the same way that he was Ash's first Pokémon." Misty sighed, a solitary tear escaping down her cheek. "I don't think Pikachu will ever be ok. I don't think any of us will." At this, the floodgates opened, and Misty once again began to sob. Neesha decided that she should give them their space, so she stood to leave. Before she could take even one step, however, she felt Misty grab her arm. She turned around, and was immediately engulfed in a hug. Misty sobbed into Neesha's shoulder for a minute, before finally forcing out a pained "Thank you." As she let the older trainer go, Neesha put her hand on Misty's own shoulder and smiled at her. And then she turned to leave. Then she remembered something, so as she opened the door to leave, she turned around.

"By the way, I'm Neesha." She closed the door behind her as she left.

Not much else happened that day. The only times Misty and Brock left the room was to go down for food at the cafeteria. The other trainers, whom they learned were called Corey and Fergus, and Neesha would join them, but even with five people there, there was no conversation. Nobody knew what else to say. So, they would just eat in silence, until it was time to return to their rooms. Pikachu wasn't with them. He hadn't left Ash's side since New Island. He couldn't bring himself to be separated from his trainer, even now. It was pretty common knowledge at this point amongst Ash's friends and Pokémon that Pikachu didn't like going inside his Pokéball. They thought it was because he might have been claustrophobic, or scared of the dark, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The reason that Pikachu didn't like going inside his Pokéball was because he didn't want to be separated from Ash. After that Spearow attack, he wanted to always be there for Ash, to be by his side, or on his shoulder, or fighting for him in his battles. When Ash had started his journey, Oak had only caught him a couple of weeks prior, and during that time, he had had no issue with being in his ball. Granted, he still preferred it when he was outside, but that's not abnormal. He stole a glance down towards Ash's belt, where he could see his own Pokéball, complete with a small, lightning bolt symbol above the button, completely turned to stone like the trainer who had wielded it, the same as all the others. That brought his attention back to Ash, and the tears came flooding back once again. "Why, Pikapi?! Why did you have to try and stop their battle?!" He heard the door open behind him as Misty, Brock and the other Pokémon returned from their dinner downstairs. Through his still watery eyes he turned to look at them. Bulbasaur and Squirtle looked up at him from the floor, both of them trying, and failing, to hide their own tears from him, and Charizard could only bow his head, before looking at Pikachu with a sad smile. Even though Pikachu's eyes were still glistening, he tried to smile back, but the hiccupping sobs didn't allow him to. So instead, he returned to his curled-up position on Ash's chest and continued to sob. It wasn't long before he felt Vulpix jump on to the bed to join him. Eventually, as night finally fell and the horrific day was finally over, no human or Pokémon found themselves able to fall asleep.

The only sounds in the room were the sounds of a Pikachu crying.

It wasn't until late the next afternoon when Professor Oak arrived with Delia Ketchum. They went to the reception to greet Nurse Joy, and she directed them up to the room. Nurse Joy entered first, greeted by the sight of Misty, Brock and Neesha, who had joined the others in their room to talk. All of Ash's Pokémon were gathered around the bed that Ash was on, except for Pikachu, who was in the same place he always was: curled up and crying on Ash's chest. Vulpix was with him, too. Joy addressed the room. "Everyone, Professor Oak and Mrs Ketchum are here. You'll need to be ready to go soon." It was at this point when Delia entered, her face as white as Neesha's Dewgong. She looked completely drained. Nobody could say a word. Not even the Pokémon could bring themselves to make a sound. She looked around the room, and the change in expression was as noticeable as it was heartbreaking when she spotted Ash.

"Ash." She uttered his name, before almost falling over on to his torso, joining Pikachu as they both continued to cry. Oak had entered the room by now, and Misty, Brock and Neesha had gone over to him.

"What's going to happen now, Professor?"

"Well, Misty, I don't know. None of the journeys of any of the young trainers I have sent on their way over the years have ever ended quite like this… All we can do now is get Ash and his Pokémon back to Pallet Town." With that said, he ushered everyone out to the hallway, instructing them to wait at the lobby, leaving only himself, Delia and the 5 Pokémon in the room with Ash.

"Delia, we need to leave soon if we want to make it back to Pallet Town by tomorrow." Delia ignored him, continuing to cry. "Delia, we really need to go." Delia looked up at him, tears still flowing freely, before nodding. She attempted to stand, but it only took one more look at Ash's face before her knees gave out and she fell back down to a crumpled heap on the floor. Samuel looked at her solemnly, before kneeling down beside her and helping her up. "Delia, I can't begin to understand what you must be going through, but I know it must be difficult. I imagine that if it had been Gary, then I'd likely be in a similar state. No parent should ever have to outlive their child."

"Thank you, Sam." That was all she could say.

He turned back to the boy on the bed. He looked upon the Pokémon on his chest. The same Pokémon he had given Ash to start his journey to become the greatest Pokémon master. The memories of that day brought some tears to the professor's own eyes, but he refused to let them fall. Not in front of Delia.

"Alright, everyone." He was addressing the Pokémon. "I know I'm not your trainer, but we need to go now, and you need to all follow me." Charizard, Bulbasaur and Squirtle all stole a quick look at Ash on the bed before obeying, each gathering around the professor and Delia. Vulpix, on the other hand, looked more at Pikachu, before jumping off the bed to join the others. Only Pikachu remained, and it became obvious that he wasn't moving from his spot on Ash's chest. Oak sighed and walked over to him.

"Pikachu, we need to go." He reached down to pick up the yellow Pokémon.

"PIIIIIIKAAAAA!" With an angry shout, Pikachu discharged a powerful thunderbolt, shocking Samuel, forcing the professor to release his grip on him. The message was clear: he wasn't budging. Ash's Pokémon all looked at each other, before each of them walked over to join Pikachu.

"Pikachu, come on. We all need to go." This was Charizard, the first words he had spoken since New Island. "We're all going to the same place."

"Yeah." Bulbasaur spoke next. "Oak isn't taking you away from Ash. he just needs us all to go downstairs to meet the others so we can go home."

"NO! I'm not leaving him! Not even for a minute! The last time we were separated… THIS happened! If I hadn't been trying to stop the fighting myself, I could have been with him. I should have been with him! If I had been, maybe he'd still be-"

"Pikachu, you can't blame yourself for this." This was Vulpix, who had jumped back up to the bed beside him. "This wasn't your fault."

"I know, but I just can't leave him. Not now." Those were the last things he could say before he broke down in tears again.

"I'm sorry about this, Pikachu." Pikachu suddenly found himself wrapped in vines as Bulbasaur hoisted him into the air. Of course, Pikachu discharged another powerful electric attack to counter the vine whip, momentarily forgetting that his electric moves don't affect grass types. He heard Oak say something to Delia and the other Pokémon, but he wasn't listening. He was screaming Poké-profanities at Bulbasaur, before quickly realising that it wasn't making any difference, so he started screaming out Ash's name instead. The tears were flowing at full force now, and those screams became heartwrenching wails of pure agony as everyone except Oak left Ash's room, with Bulbasaur carrying him away from his Pikapi.

"Alright Machamp. I need your help." Oak grabbed a Pokéball from inside his lab coat and threw it. The large four-armed Pokémon materialised in front of him. Oak wasn't his trainer, but this Machamp was one of the more permanent residents of Oak's ranch, so he knew the man well.

"Machamp, I need you to help me carry Ash downstairs." Machamp was about to shout his own name in agreement, but stopped short as he saw Ash. He had never met the trainer, but he knew that the statue that was lying on the bed wasn't a statue, so he understood instantly. He simply nodded and prepared to help the professor. Oak wrapped his arms around Ash's legs as Machamp wrapped his top two arms around Ash's own two arms, and as they lifted him, his lower two arms went below Ash's torso, resting under his ribs. The journey to the lobby wasn't easy, especially considering that Oak had to spend most of his time walking backwards, but eventually they made it to where everyone else, including Neesha, Corey, Fergus and Nurse Joy were waiting.

Pikachu was still wailing, both in anger and sadness. Anger at Bulbasaur because of what he did (and continued to do, as he was still wrapped in vines), and sadness about being separated from Ash. As Oak and Machamp entered the lobby, he momentarily stopped crying, before struggling even more frantically to get free of Bulbasaur's vines, desperate to get back to Ash. This was to no avail as Oak and Machamp set Ash down on the linoleum floor and Machamp was returned to his Pokéball. Oak turned to address the group.

"Alright everyone. We need to get going soon, so are any of you joining myself, Misty and Brock on the journey back to Pallet Town?"

"I am." Of course, this was Neesha. "That won't be a problem, will it?"

"Not at all. Anyone else?"

Fergus spoke next. "I'd like to, but I can't. I live in the Sinnoh region, and with everything that has happened, I need to go home. To see my family." Nobody objected to that, everyone else thinking of their own families.

"This centre has been closed for long enough." This was Nurse Joy. "Now that I'm back, it needs to be reopened." Again, nobody objected to this. Even though they had returned a couple of days ago, Joy had really been in no state of mind to reopen the centre again after everything she and the others had gone through, leaving the only people here as the ones standing in the lobby right now. She hadn't even released the centre's Chansey helpers from their Pokéballs yet.

The attention of the room turned to Corey, who promptly spoke.

"I can travel to Pallet Town on Pidgeot's back, so I'll shadow you from the sky. I'll regroup with you in Pallet Town."

"I don't know, son. That's an awfully long flight for Pidgeot. You sure they can make it?"

"I'm sure, Professor, and my name is Corey before you have to ask."

"And I'm Neesha."

"Alright then everyone. Now that that's sorted, we must be going. Corey, can you help me with Ash?" Corey looked down at the boy on the floor, then back to the professor. "Of course."

But, before they could lift Ash, Corey remembered something. "Wait, I have a Venusaur. Would that be better?"

"Ah. That actually would help. Thank you, Corey."

Corey called out Bruteroot, who, in a similar fashion to how Bulbasaur was still holding Pikachu, wrapped Ash up with a vine whip and lifted him into the air. The group said their goodbyes to Fergus and Nurse Joy, before turning and heading outside.

For the journey, Oak and Delia, neither of whom owned a vehicle, had rented a covered pickup truck as their transport. There was room inside the cab for five people, and the bed, whilst not quite as luxurious, was covered to protect its contents from the elements, so it was ideal for housing Ash and his four Pokémon. Everyone felt a small twinge of guilt placing Ash so unceremoniously in the bed of a pickup truck, but they knew they had no choice. The only problem they had now was Charizard. He, obviously, was not a small Pokémon, and even though he wasn't showing it quite as clearly as Pikachu, Misty and Brock both knew that he was devastated by losing Ash too. Ash was, after all, the trainer who had rescued the poor, abandoned Charmander from a rainstorm, so they knew that he wouldn't like to be separated from Ash by having to fly home, and they couldn't return him to a Pokéball that didn't work. So, as they opened the bed of the truck, it seemed that he decided to answer their question for them. Before anyone could do anything, he simply climbed in and curled up before grunting something at Bruteroot. Of course, the humans didn't understand, but it quickly dawned on them as Ash, being lowered by the Venusaur's vines, was laid down in the bed surrounded on three sides by Charizard's head, body and tail. Bulbasaur repeated the same action for Pikachu, who had completely forgotten his anger because of his desire to get back to Ash, which he promptly did as soon as he was free. Bulbasaur and Squirtle jumped in to join them quickly after. Corey returned Bruteroot to his Pokéball as he called his Pidgeot out, and Brock tried to return Vulpix, but she had already jumped into the bed of the truck too, quickly resuming her own post beside Pikachu. With that all sorted, Corey climbed onto Pidgeot's back and got ready to take off as the others climbed into the truck, with Oak doing the driving, Delia sitting beside him and the three young trainers sitting in the back with Misty in the middle, holding on to Togepi. Togepi was still too young to really understand what was going on, but he could sense that his trainer was sad, so he tried to comfort her with hugs, as Oak began to drive.

The silence in the truck was deafening. No music was being played. Nobody was saying anything. The only noises were the sound of the engine and the occasional sob from Delia. In the bed of the truck, the story was pretty much the same. Not even Pikachu could bring himself to cry anymore. He had finally worn himself out, and now he just sat there with his eyes fixed, unblinking, on Ash. The others watched him with sorrow and sadness. Sure, they were all devastated at the loss of Ash, but they all knew that Pikachu had been with him since the very first day he'd set off on his journey. Eventually, as night fell, and the truck kept moving, the group of Pokémon were finally reminded about how tired they were, as they fell to sleep one-by-one. Of course, Pikachu was the last one to go, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't hold back the call of sleep, as he drifted away.

He found himself in the middle of a field. It was a beautiful sunny day, and in the distance, he was able to make out a figure running towards him. As the figure grew closer, he was able to make out some more features: a blue and white jacket, a green backpack, messy black hair escaping from under a red and white cap. It was Ash.

"Pikapi!"

"Pikachu!"

The two friends continued to run towards each other, each one smiling and laughing at each other, both failing to notice the black clouds that were closing in. The rain, on the other hand they did notice. It was as heavy as it was sudden, accompanied by deafening thunder claps and brilliantly bright flashes of pink and blue lightning.

Then it happened. They were barely six feet apart when, suddenly, two beams of pink and blue energy blasted towards Ash, trapping the Pokémon trainer between them. Pikachu screamed, but this time, Ash screamed louder. As the energy dissipated, Ash was seen lying on the ground, once again turned to stone. All of the colour drained from Pikachu. He didn't want to have to watch this again. He ran over to his trainer again. He was most definitely stone again, cold and unmoving. Pikachu felt the tears welling up again. Once again, he had been too slow to save him, and now he was losing him all over again. He couldn't take it, before he let out another anguished cry.

And everything went black.

"PIIIIKAAAPIII!" The cry from Pikachu managed to wake every other Pokémon, who all initially glared at him, grumpy at being so loudly woken up, glares which turned from anger to worry once they properly looked at him. His fur was almost pure white, he was covered from head-to-toe in sweat and his eyes were red and puffy. They were all smart enough to figure out what had happened: he had had a nightmare involving Ash. Vulpix turned to look at the others. "You guys can go back to sleep. I'll look after him." She walked over to him. He had resumed his earlier position, sitting on Ash's chest, staring at his face. "Pikachu, are you ok?" She noticed him jump slightly.

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You certainly don't look fine. Now, are you going to tell me?"

"I-I had a nightmare. A-About Pikapi. I had to watch him d-d-die again." He began to stutter as the tears that had collected began their descent. "I was too slow again."

"Pikachu, we all told you. You shouldn't blame yourself for what happened. It's difficult to accept, but nothing any of us could have done could have prevented this. Not one of us would have been strong enough, or brave enough, to do what he did."

"There was something that someone could have done." She hadn't noticed, but Pikachu had stopped crying. He was now scowling. "If that bastard Mewtwo hadn't forced all of us to fight, because of his stupid ideals, then Pikapi would still be here. He's the one to blame for this. Him and Mew. It was their attacks that did this! I swear to Arceus, if I see either of them again, I'll rip their heads off!" Vulpix was shocked. She had never heard Pikachu speak like this. But, she knew that if she backed away now, she wouldn't be able to help him get through this. "Pikachu, that's enough. I get that you're angry, but attacking Mew or Mewtwo won't bring Ash back. Nothing will."

"I DON'T CARE! They need to pay for what they did to Pikapi!"

"And then what?!" Vulpix shouted in response, surprising them both. "Once you have dealt out your punishment for what they did to Ash, what'll you do then?"

"Vu-Vulpix, I—"

"Exactly! You don't know, do you? Pikachu, revenge is not the path you want to follow. Deep down you know that. And, deep down, you also know that it's not the path that Ash would want you to follow, either." They both took a moment to calm themselves down, the adrenaline from the anger wearing down. The tears from earlier took a moment to return to Pikachu's eyes.

"Why couldn't it have been me?" For the second time that night, Vulpix stared at Pikachu in disbelief. "Pikachu… you don't mean that…"

"I do mean that. Pikapi was all I had. The only trainer I've ever had. He was my brother. Without him, there's just no point. If it had been me, he'd still have Charizard, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Misty and Brock to look after him." Once again, what Vulpix did next surprised both of them.

She slapped him hard across the face.

"Don't you ever think like that again, Pikachu! Do you understand me?! Don't you ever dare!" The tears were now starting to flow down her cheeks too, as Pikachu just stared at her, unsure how to react. "Don't you think that if it had been you instead of him, you'd just be putting him in the same position you're in right now?! He wouldn't care if everyone else was still with him. He loved you, too, you know?! And, for the record, Ash isn't all you had." It was Pikachu's turn to turn to look at Vulpix, his eyes still glistening with tears. "You have me." With that, she leaned over and licked his muzzle. Despite the circumstances, it caused Pikachu to blush slightly, now that he knew the real reason behind it. That blush quickly faded when he remembered Ash again, looking over his shoulder at his face. Those tears finally managed to escape. "It's just not fair, Vulpix. Why? Why did he have to die?" Once again, he collapsed into a sobbing heap, the gravity of the situation once again hitting home. Of course, now that her feelings were out in the open, this time Vulpix crawled up on to Ash's chest to join Pikachu and she cuddled up to him. He continued crying for the next few minutes before finally settling down again. His mood hadn't lifted, but he had just run out of energy and tears to cry. He glanced over at Vulpix, before leaning over and, for the first time ever, licked her muzzle, catching her by surprise and causing her to blush this time. "Thank you, Vulpix." He wasn't expecting what she said next.

"Pikachu, I love you!"

"Vul—"

"No! Let me say this! I know it probably isn't the right time to tell you this, but if I don't say it now, then I may not have the guts to say it again! I love you." This time, they were both blushing. Vulpix continued. "I understand that you probably don't feel the same way, and that's ok, but I needed you to know before I lose my chance. Brock's probably going to go home soon, and I'll have to go with him." That caught Pikachu's attention. Of course, he knew that the humans probably would leave once everything had been sorted, but he hadn't thought about the Pokémon. Although, honestly, Vulpix and Togepi were the only Pokémon from the other trainers' parties that he had really interacted with, as the rest were usually kept in their Pokéballs. It was at this moment that he realised how he felt about Vulpix. Togepi was only a child, and Pikachu had been there when he had hatched, but the thought of losing Togepi, while it still hurt, didn't even come close to the thought of losing Vulpix. The thought of losing her scared him. She had been the only Pokémon, even including the rest of Ash's party, who had even tried to comfort him. And, he had to admit, she was cute. Pikachu had never really thought about finding a mate before, mainly because of all the travelling he did with Ash. He had never really felt the need for that kind of companionship, but again, that was likely because he had Ash. Ash had always been there for him when he had needed him, so he never felt lonely, or unloved, or frightened. But now, with Ash… gone, he felt vulnerable, alone and scared. He wasn't sure what to do. But, something about Vulpix, comforting him at New Island, at the Pokémon centre, and right here in the truck, calmed him. He hadn't noticed before, but it was true that she was always right there, trying to help him cope. He hadn't realised how much he had appreciated it.

He looked at her again in a new light. The glow from Charizard's ever-burning tail illuminated her fur so perfectly it almost didn't look real. Her brownish-grey eyes, glistening with tears because of her confession, looked like diamonds or stars, twinkling in the night. He found himself unable to look away. He knew that this was more than just a friend he was staring at. He spared a moment to think about Ash, and for a second he almost felt bad. He felt like he might have been moving on from Ash too quickly, but, after taking a second to glance down at his fallen trainer, he knew that Ash would want him to be happy, even though it couldn't be with him. So, with his resolve strengthened, he put a paw on Vulpix's shoulder and turned her to face him. He leaned in again, before kissing her on her forehead. "Vulpix, I love you too." That was all he needed to say. She immediately embraced him, which he returned. She was crying tears of joy, which stained the fur on his shoulder. But, he didn't care. He was still heart-broken over the loss of Ash, but with Vulpix here, he knew it would be a little easier. He remembered what she had told him, that she would have to leave with Brock, but until then, he was just happy that he had someone he could rely on.

The whole conversation had left both of them drained of energy so they both felt their eyelids drooping as they were once again tempted by the allure of sleep. Vulpix lay her head down on Pikachu's back, and they both fell once again to sleep, both unaware of the young man watching them from the inside of the truck.

Unbeknownst to the Pokémon, Pikachu's earlier shout after his nightmare had also woken Brock from his sleep. Everyone, except Oak, had fallen asleep at around the same time as the Pokémon had, and they all remained that way. Only Brock had been roused from his slumber. He glanced at Misty. He could tell that her sleep was less than peaceful. She was drenched in sweat and her brow was furrowed in worry. He guessed she was having a nightmare about what happened. He imagined everyone was. So had he been. He also passed his eyes over to where Ash's mother slept. He couldn't even come close to imagining what sort of nightmares she was having. For everyone else, they had all been there when Ash had died, so their nightmares would most likely reuse some elements of the real world events, like the arena, or the beams of energy, or even Mewtwo himself. But, Delia hadn't been there, so she only had her imagination to go off, and that scared him to even think about the horrific images her subconscious would be conjuring up.

"Is something troubling you?" He hadn't even noticed the professor looking at him in the rearview mirror.

"No, Professor. I'm just thinking about Ash."

"Yes. I think we all are." Oak stole his own brief glance towards Delia. "What woke you?"

"I think Pikachu had his own nightmare. I heard him screaming."

"Ah. Yes, he must be really suffering. He's lucky he has so many friends who care about him."

"But, what's going to happen to him? Now that Ash has died, he's a trained Pokémon without a trainer."

"I suppose he'll have to live with me at the ranch. I can't possibly consider sending him off with another trainer. It just wouldn't be right. And, I think Pikachu has made his allegiances quite clear already."

"That's good. I couldn't picture him with another trainer either. He will always be Ash's Pokémon."

"That's true. As for the other three, Charizard, Bulbasaur and Squirtle, I don't know. I remember the stories of how Ash came across each of them. Bulbasaur and Squirtle were both wild Pokémon before Ash caught them, so they could be released back into the wild with minimal difficulty. Charizard probably would need to stay at the ranch for a while. It's likely he wouldn't want to go to the wild and he wouldn't want to go off with another trainer, either. Although, I do know of a girl who lives in Charicific Valley by the name of Liza. As I understand it, Charicific Valley is a Nature Reserve for wild Charizard to train to become stronger. It's somewhere in the Johto region, I think. Liza is the only human there, and she's the one who maintains the reserve. I could potentially get in contact with her at a later date to see if she'll take him in." Brock frowned.

"Are you sure that's wise? You said that he's lucky to have all of his friends to support him."

"This is true, but I need to think of what's best for his other Pokémon, too. While I don't doubt that they'd all be happy in my ranch, I think they'd all be happier where they can be truly free. Besides, he'll still have you, Misty, Delia and me to look after him, too."

"Actually, Misty and I were going to travel back to our own homes. Everything that has happened has made us miss our families even more. I guess learning how abruptly it can all end puts it all into perspective…" Silence fell between the two men. Neither one of them knew how to continue the conversation, but both of them were thinking the same thing: Pikachu would be alone. If all of Ash's Pokémon were sent away to the wild, and neither Misty or Brock were around, he would only have Oak, Delia and the Pokémon of the professor's ranch as company. They both mulled these thoughts over in their heads as the silent drive continued. Then Brock heard another loud shout from the truck bed, although this time it wasn't out of fear, but anger, and it wasn't Pikachu. It was Vulpix. He glanced out through the window and watched as his Pokémon seemed to be having an emotional outburst of some kind. He could see the tears in her eyes, seemingly mirroring the tears in Pikachu's eyes. He of course had no idea what they were saying to each other, but it didn't matter. He was skilled enough as a Pokémon breeder to be able to understand their behaviour. He continued to watch as Vulpix leaned over to lick Pikachu's cheek. And he continued watching as she crawled to lie beside him, patiently waiting with him for him to stop crying.

He continued watching as Pikachu returned the sign of affection and licked her cheek. And then he knew. He knew everything he needed to know.

It seems Pikachu wouldn't be so alone after all. But then it struck him. If he went back home to Pewter City, he'd likely take Vulpix with him, leaving Pikachu with no Pokémon that he could talk to. Brock couldn't do that to him. He couldn't take another friend away from the already heartbroken Pokémon, but he didn't want to abandon Vulpix either. He'd seen first-hand with Ash's Charmander how loyal a Pokémon could be to its trainer, even if it had been abandoned. Brock could only think of three options: stay in Pallet Town, go back home with Vulpix, or leave her in Pallet Town. Each option had advantages and disadvantages. Brock hadn't visited Pallet Town frequently, but he had a generally positive opinion of the small town, and he'd certainly take advantage of the proximity to the lab of the legendary Professor Oak. He could certainly consider moving here, but he didn't want to leave his family alone. He felt as though he would miss them too much. Of course, he had left them alone when he had decided to go travelling with Ash and Misty, but after everything that had happened, he wanted to stop travelling. He didn't want to risk putting his own family through the same situation as Ash's mother currently found herself in. As for the second option, he knew that was the option he'd like the most. Vulpix was one of his strongest Pokémon, and she was definitely the cutest. He'd be more than happy to take her home with him and introduce her to his family, but he knew it wouldn't be right. He couldn't just do what he wanted without considering how it would affect others. Taking Vulpix away from Pikachu now would just be cruel to both of them.

So, that only left him with one option: going home without Vulpix. He didn't want to leave her behind, but he knew it was the best thing for her. And for Pikachu. Brock stared down at Vulpix's empty Pokéball. He briefly considered offering to take Pikachu with him back to Pewter City, but he quickly dismissed the idea, remembering what the Professor had said. It wouldn't have been fair to send Pikachu away with another trainer, even if it was someone he knew. Similarly, he couldn't do that to Delia, either. Technically, Pikachu was now the closest thing to family she had left. He couldn't take that from her too, not after everything else she had lost. So, with his action decided, he stole one last glance out the window at the two Pokémon asleep on Ash's chest, before closing his eyes and returning to sleep.

Dawn was breaking over Pallet Town as they arrived. The large truck seemed almost out of place in such a small town, but that didn't matter as they pulled into the long driveway at Professor Oak's lab. With everyone now awake, they clambered out of the truck as Corey and Pidgeot landed beside them. Corey, like Oak, had spent the entire journey awake, keeping an eye on the truck as it travelled, so it was taking a lot of concentration for him to remain standing. He returned Pidgeot to its Pokéball and walked over to join the rest of the group. They were all standing at the tail of the truck. The only Pokémon who was out was Misty's Togepi, who was still asleep in her arms. He had reached the group just as Oak had opened up the tailgate to get to the area where Ash and his Pokémon were. They were all still sleeping. None of them had moved since Brock had last seen them, with Charizard's giant figure still surrounding the group, with Bulbasaur and Squirtle lying near his tail, and Pikachu and Vulpix still lying together on Ash's unmoving chest. Nobody wanted to wake them, but they knew they'd have to eventually. Oak took it upon himself to rouse them.

"Alright, everyone time to get up." He saw some of them stir, but none of them fully awoke. He turned back to the humans. "Why don't you all just go inside? The door should be open. I'll be in once they're awake." The others nodded and turned to walk inside, except one. "Brock? What is it? Aren't you coming in?"

"Just give me a minute, Misty. I'll meet you in there." As soon as he had heard the door close, Brock spoke up again. "Professor, can you wake up Pikachu and Vulpix first? I've been thinking about something, and I need them both to hear it. And you."

"And what would that be?"

"I'd rather just have to say it once, if that's ok. I know I'm not going to like saying it."

This caused Oak to look quizzically at the boy. From his expression, he could tell he was serious, and he could swear that he saw a single tear track running down his cheek. So, without asking any more questions, he turned back into the truck to wake the two Pokémon. As he saw them, he saw how they were lying together, with Vulpix's head resting across Pikachu's shoulders. He had seen many Pokémon lying together like this during his many years as a Pokémon Professor, but this was usually only when they were mates. Nevertheless, he doubted they would be in… that kind of mood, given the circumstances, so he reached over to gently nudge them awake. "Vulpix, Pikachu, you need to get up." This time, he got a result as Vulpix's eyes fluttered open. She looked around, her eyes adjusting to the sudden change in light, before turning her attention to Pikachu, who was still sleeping. Ignoring the professor, she leant down and licked his cheek, trying to wake him up herself. Of course, Pikachu's own eyes opened almost immediately after this, and upon waking, one of the first things he did was returning the sign of affection. Both men saw this, and this small action left no doubt in either of their minds: Pikachu and Vulpix were an item. The two small Pokémon looked up at the professor and the breeder. Vulpix saw the expression on the face of her trainer, and she saw what she was pretty sure was her Pokéball in his hand. She could also swear that she could see the telltale glistens of tears in his eyes. Pikachu and Oak had now noticed as well, as they all watched Brock start to walk towards them, before sitting on the end of the truck's tailgate. Vulpix walked over to him, and with a soft whine, nuzzled his side with her head. She was still confused as to what was going on, but she could tell that her trainer was upset.

"Vulpix…" He choked up. "Vulpix, you have to stay here." Those six words sent a shock through her spine. Was he… abandoning her? Tears came very quickly to her widened eyes as she stared up at Brock. Thoughts rushed through her mind: Did I do something wrong? Am I not strong enough? Does he just not want me anymore?

"I just wanted to say that I'm really going to miss you. You are a great Pokémon. But, as you have just proved to me, your place is not with me. Your place is here, with him." He gestured to Pikachu. And now she understood. He wasn't abandoning her because she was weak, or because she had done something wrong. He was leaving her here so she could be with Pikachu. The tears didn't leave her eyes, but her expression relaxed as she once again pressed her head against Brock's chest, her way of telling him that she understands. He smiled sadly.

"I don't want to say goodbye, but I can see that this is how it should be. Thanks for all you did for me." He reached down and patted her head before moving his other hand to her Pokéball. Pokémon being released was nothing new to the professor. Many of the Pokémon living on the ranch had been released by their trainers. Oak saw what Brock was about to do.

"Are you sure about this, Brock? This isn't a decision to be taken lightly. It can't be reversed."

"I'm sure, Professor. Vulpix will be much happier here with Pikachu than she could be with me." With that, he grabbed the Pokéball with both hands and pried it open, not stopping until he heard it snap. Immediately, Vulpix was engulfed in a blue glow, indicating that she had been released. It took a second to die down, but when it did, Brock stood up before kneeling down to embrace Vulpix in a hug. "You look after him, ok?" Then he stood and went inside, where he was immediately ambushed by Misty, asking him what had happened.

Back at the truck, Oak had managed to wake the rest of the Pokémon, who were now all standing just outside the truck, except for Pikachu and Vulpix, who were standing on the open tailgate of the truck, beside Ash. Oak told Charizard and Squirtle to go inside, and asked Bulbasaur to assist him in carrying Ash into the building, which he of course did, wrapping his vines around Ash's torso, as Oak held his legs. They started towards the building, with Pikachu and Vulpix on the ground walking beside Bulbasaur. They hadn't told the others their news yet (they didn't feel like it was the right time), but it seems time wasn't waiting for them.

"You two seem close." Bulbasaur quipped. "Did something happen between you last night?" They looked at him incredulously.

"How did you know?"

"I wasn't born yesterday, you know. I met my fair share of mates back when I lived in the wild. You two didn't…?" The slight blush on his face made it clear to both of them how that question was going to end, each one responding with a blush of their own.

"No! Of course not! Do you really think we'd be that disrespectful to Pikapi?!" Pikachu was almost offended by that question.

"Fair enough. Well, in a normal circumstance, I'd congratulate you two. But, considering what we've all just been through, and who we've all just lost, I don't think now is the time. But, I'll wish you the best of luck. But, what's going to happen when Brock heads back to Pewter City? Won't you have to go with him, Vulpix?"

"No. He released me before you woke up. I'll be able to stay here." This caught Bulbasaur off guard.

"You guys must be serious then. Well, know that I wish you the best."

"Thank you, Bulbasaur." Pikachu considered Bulbasaur the informal 'big brother' of the group. He was the wisest and most level-headed Pokémon in Ash's party, and even he was able to admit that. Hearing those words from Bulbasaur meant a lot to him.

"What about you, Bulbasaur? What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know. Unlike you, Pikachu, I was a wild Pokémon before Ash caught me, so I'll probably end up being returned to the wild. Same with Squirtle. I don't know about Charizard though. But, I can tell you that we'll all likely stay here for a while. We haven't been quite as vocal about it as you have, but we're all a little shaken by the loss of Ash. Especially Charizard, considering how he came to be part of Ash's party. I suspect that this has hurt him more than he will ever dare to let on." Once again, Pikachu felt a little guilty. With all of his misery, he hadn't even considered how the others must be feeling. Bulbasaur was quick to notice Pikachu's change in attitude, and quickly spoke up again. "Hey, don't blame yourself for that. You've already beat yourself up enough about what happened to Ash. If Charizard chooses to keep it all to himself, that's his choice. You had nothing to do with it. Just… make sure you're there for him if he ever needs it."

"I will."

"So, do you guys want to tell the others your news?"

"Not right now. We're supposed to be here for Pikapi. Now wouldn't be the time."

"I understand. I'll not say anything, either."

The conversation had been a long one. So long, in fact, that by the time they were done, they were already in the building, upstairs, in one of the lab's spare bedrooms, and Oak was ready to set Ash down on the bed. Bulbasaur carefully lowered Ash down onto the mattress and unwrapped his vines. Oak knelt down to pat him on the head. "Thank you Bulbasaur." He stood up again and addressed the three small Pokémon that were with him. "Now, I need to head downstairs to get everything sorted for Ash's funeral." His face was grim, and the feelings that had been mostly forgotten flooded back to Pikachu. The professor continued. "Pikachu, I know you probably don't want to leave Ash, so you don't have to come with me. I suspect that the other Pokémon would be more at ease up here too, so I'll probably send up Charizard and Squirtle once I get down there." He noticed Pikachu's pained expression, and so he knelt down again, this time facing the yellow Pokémon that he had given Ash on the first day of his journey. "I know this isn't easy, Pikachu. But the storm clouds will pass. Just give it time. I can't tell you anything that will make the pain go away, and I can't give you anything that will make it any easier, but I've known you for a long time, and I know that you'll power through." He glanced at Vulpix. "She'll be here to help you through it, as well, but like I said, you just need to give it time. Everything will be ok." At the risk of being shocked, he embraced the electric mouse in a hug, before standing up and heading for the door. "I don't know how long this will all take, but I'll come and let you all know when we're done." And with that, he turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

It didn't take long for the door to open again, except this time it was Charizard and Squirtle. They had been sent up by Oak as soon as he had appeared downstairs. They walked into the room, each one surveying the scene. Ash was lying on the bed, Pikachu and Vulpix were lying on Ash, and Bulbasaur was resting on a small armchair in the corner. The room was surprisingly silent, despite the fact that none of the Pokémon were asleep. They had expected to enter to the sound of a crying Pikachu, because he hadn't done much else, but today he was just lying there, wide awake, in complete silence. They both looked at him, before exchanging a glance between themselves. This didn't go unnoticed, as Bulbasaur had been watching them as they entered. He decided to break the silence.

"Hey, guys. How are you two holding up?" Everyone, including Pikachu and Vulpix looked over at him.

"Considering the person lying on that bed, we're doing as well as we can be." This was Squirtle. Bulbasaur nodded in understanding.

"How are the humans doing?"

"I don't know. As we left, they were only starting the discussion about Ash's funeral. His mother and Misty were crying, and everyone else didn't seem too much better. Although, while we were waiting for you guys, we heard something interesting." Now the attention of the room was entirely on Squirtle, who, in turn, turned his attention to Vulpix. "Brock was telling Misty that he had released you, but he didn't tell her why. Or, at least, we didn't hear why. What happened?" This caused her to seize up. She agreed with Pikachu: she didn't want to tell the others until Ash had been properly laid to rest. The only reason Bulbasaur knew was because he guessed. Squirtle noticed her hesitation. "Well? What happened?"

"We-We-Well, I-I-I—" Vulpix stuttered, before shrinking back behind Pikachu, who sparked his cheeks in anger.

"Back off, Squirtle. Can't you see that she doesn't want to talk about it?"

"Hey, I'm just curious is all. No need to get all sparky on me!" Bulbasaur could sense the tension, so he spoke up again in an attempt to diffuse it.

"Hey, let's not fight now. Squirtle, now probably isn't the time. What happened between Brock and Vulpix isn't really important right now. You can ask about it later. Alright?"

"Yeah. I suppose. Don't understand why Pikachu got so hot and bothered though."

"I think the stress of the situation has affected all of us, and I'm pretty sure Pikachu is the most affected out of all of us. You shouldn't be surprised if he's a little moody." Bulbasaur glanced over to Pikachu and nodded, which the electric mouse reciprocated with his own.

During the entire exchange, Charizard hadn't said a word. He hadn't spoken since the Pokémon centre. With the tension gone, and everyone returning to lying in silence, he curled up on the floor beside the bed, facing Ash, while Squirtle took his position on the floor at the foot of the bed. Pikachu and Vulpix also resumed their position on top of Ash's chest, curled up against each other. Bulbasaur looked over the group, his eyes resting for a moment on Charizard. As he had told Pikachu and Vulpix earlier, he knew how much Ash really meant to the fire type, even if he didn't show it. When Ash, Brock and Misty had rescued him from that rainstorm when he was still a Charmander, they had saved his life. It was Ash who had carried him in his arms as they ran to the Pokémon centre, shielding him from the rain with his coat. It wasn't a battle that convinced Charmander to join Ash's party. He just wanted to be with Ash, a trainer who actually cared about him. Bulbasaur would even go as far as to say that the fire-type may as well have been in love with Ash, if he swung that way. That was how much he cared for Ash. Which is why it pained him to see his friend like this. Charizard, through all three of his evolutions, had never been afraid to talk to his friends. He'd always been confident, determined to prove he was the strongest. Who he was trying to prove it to was anyone's guess, but in that respect, he was very similar to Ash. But now, he had been reduced to this. Even the flame on his tail had grown weaker. If he continued the way he was, Bulbasaur suspected that he wouldn't last much longer. The same went for the rest of them honestly. Pikachu hadn't eaten in since Ash died, and it was starting to show. His fur was paler than usual, and even from his anger earlier, Bulbasaur could immediately tell that his electricity was draining. Vulpix and Squirtle seemed ok, but he knew that they were both low on energy. There hadn't been much time to rest recently, so they were all quite tired. But, for the moment, Charizard was the one he was most worried about. He was certain that Oak would provide them with food when he was ready, and they'd all have time to sleep tonight, but if Charizard's tail flame went out, then he was done for. So, he decided to take action. So, he jumped off the armchair, once again getting the attention of the three smaller Pokémon, and walked over to him. "Hey, Charizard. Can I talk to you for a second?"

He didn't respond, but he raised his head slightly to acknowledge his friend, prompting him to continue. "Do you actually mind if we talk in private?" Again, there was no response, but this time there was no denying the answer as Charizard slowly got to his feet and proceeded to walk to the door. Bulbasaur followed, and Pikachu and Vulpix watched them go, remembering what Bulbasaur had told them earlier. And then the door closed.

"Alright, Charizard, you and I both know that you're not ok. You've barely said anything since it happened." Charizard continued his silence.

"Char, it's not healthy. I mean, have you even seen your tail flame recently? You keep going like this, and it won't just be Ash we'd be mourning, and I don't feel like losing another friend!" This caused Charizard to look up. Not only had Bulbasaur used the nickname he gave him when he was still a Charmander, but he made a point. Charizard glanced at his tail, and for the first time realised just how bad it was. His flame was barely bigger than that of a newborn Charmander. Finally, he broke his silence.

"You're right, Bulba. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shut you guys out. It's just that… Ash was the only reason I have any trust in humans. My first trainer ditched me at the first chance he got because I was weak, I was common. You could find Charmander like me all over the place. That's why I was always trying to prove myself to be the strongest, because I was scared that Ash would do the same thing. I was scared that, if I wasn't strong enough, Ash would just leave me. But now, he's left me in a different way, and the one anchor I had that made me trust humans is gone." Having finally opened up, tears were welling up in the corner of Charizard's eyes. "Without him, I would have died in that rain, and now he's gone for good and I'm dying all over again."

"No, you're not. You're going to be fine, just like the rest of us. Char, there's nothing I can say to make you trust humans again. But, neither of us can say that Pokémon are perfect either. I mean, Ash is lying in there right now because of Pokémon. There are faults on both sides, and there is good on both sides. You just need to look for it. We're all here for you too. Pikachu, Squirtle and me. Vulpix too, and the humans downstairs. We all need to be here for each other. So, don't give the rest of us someone else to worry about, alright? Please, just talk to us." There were tears in both Pokémon's eyes now.

"Alright, Bulba." Charizard held out a claw, to which Bulbasaur extended one of his vines, their version of a high five. They smiled at each other before turning back towards the door. It may have been a trick of the light, but Bulbasaur could have sworn that he saw Charizard's tail flame flare up.

Squirtle wasn't satisfied. The brief argument from earlier still ate at his mind. Why did Vulpix not want to say why Brock released her? And why did Pikachu get so defensive? He could only assume that he was involved somehow. That Pikachu was part of the reason why she was released. Currently, he was lounging on the armchair, which he had occupied the moment Bulbasaur had vacated it, with his eyes fixed on the two small Pokémon. They each had their backs to him, so he couldn't see their faces. Come to think of it, they were lying pretty close together. Usually Pikachu would never let anyone, human or Pokémon, get that close to him, unless it was Ash. It then clicked, and he felt stupid for not seeing it sooner. It explained everything: why Vulpix had hid behind Pikachu, why he had gotten defensive, why they were so comfortable lying together. They were acting like a couple. Suddenly, using that theory, even the question that had sparked the argument had a believable answer. That's why Brock released her. So she could stay with Pikachu. He had to know for sure, so he hopped down from the armchair, and crossed the floor to the bed, before hopping up to join them.

"Hey, guys?"

"Hi, Squirtle. What's up?"

"First, I just wanted to apologise for earlier. I shouldn't have tried to force you to give me an answer, Vulpix." This honestly surprised them.

"Thanks, Squirtle. I guess I should apologise, too. I shouldn't have sparked at you." Pikachu then remembered something. "Wait, you said that was the first thing. Was there something else?"

"Actually, yeah. I've been thinking, and I think I might have figured out something. Something involving you two, so I came to confirm." And, immediately, Pikachu and Vulpix had a strange feeling they knew where this was going. "Are you two together?" And there it was. But he didn't stop there. "It's just that ever since we've got here, you've not left each other's sides. Pikachu, you stepped in earlier to defend Vulpix earlier and I don't think I've ever seen you let anyone be this close to you for this long except for Ash. And, I think it gives me the answer to the question I was asking earlier. It's the reason why Brock released you, right, Vulpix? So that you could stay with Pikachu?" The two were at a bit of a loss for words, but their silence and their blushes were good enough answers for Squirtle. "Thought so. I may have a hard head, but I'm not stupid!" He chuckled at his own bad joke. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"We didn't want to take the focus off Pikapi. Everyone's already got enough things to worry about without adding a new relationship to the mix. We were going to tell everyone after the funeral."

"Does anyone else know?"

"Other than Brock and Professor Oak, Bulbasaur's the only one that we know of. I don't know if any of the other humans know, but I wouldn't be surprised if Brock told Misty."

"What about Char?"

"We haven't told him yet."

"Not trying to interfere in your business, but I honestly think you should tell him. It'll feel better for you guys to get it off your chests. You say we've already got a lot of things already on our mind, and you're right, but why should you have to worry about it alone? It would be better if you told him, because that way you two wouldn't have to worry about keeping it to yourselves, and Char wouldn't have to feel like he's missing something. Just tell him."

"Tell me what?" Of course, it was at this exact moment that Charizard and Bulbasaur decided to re-enter the room. The first thing everyone noticed was that he was speaking again. Whatever Bulbasaur had said to him had clearly worked. The next thing they all noticed was that he was still staring at them, waiting for the answer. Pikachu looked at Vulpix, almost asking for permission. When she nodded, he turned back to Charizard. "Yeah, Char. Vulpix and I have something we want to tell you."

Meanwhile, downstairs in Oak's dining room, the six humans were sitting around the large wooden table, discussing the next steps. Oak, naturally, was seated at the head of the table, with Delia, Misty and Brock on one side of the table, and Neesha and Corey, who had been mostly quiet for the discussion, on the other. The two older trainers hadn't even known Ash for a full day before he died, so they knew that they should leave the plans for the funeral to the people who actually knew him. Misty and Brock, on the other hand, had been quite vocal, offering ideas of what they think Ash would want them to do. Although, Delia, being the only family member in the room, had the most authority here, so most of the proceedings would be handled by her. So, instead Misty and Brock were asked to think of who to invite. Some of the guests were easy, such as the gym leaders and other trainers that Ash had befriended along the way, or the many Pokémon that they had encountered (provided they knew where to find them). However, there were two certain suggestions, both of which came from Neesha and Corey, that weren't quite so clear-cut. Mew and Mewtwo. The two Pokémon that had caused this. Misty and Brock were certain that Ash would want them to be invited, but they knew that Ash's Pokémon would be far less welcoming. Especially Pikachu. And, there was the problem again that they had absolutely no idea how to find them. But, Mewtwo had displayed his telepathic abilities numerous times during the events at New Island, so maybe it worked both ways. Maybe, if they tried to call out to him in their minds, he might hear them. But, they needed to decide if they were going to invite him first, of course.

There was a knock at the door. Oak looked in its general direction. "Odd. I wasn't expecting any visitors. Brock, Misty, can you go and see?"

"Of course, Professor." The two young trainers got up from their seats and walked to the door. The window was frosted, so they couldn't get a clear image of the people standing outside, but they could tell that there were two people, one of whom seemed to have quite a lot of dark pink hair. They hesitated. They only knew of one person with hair like that. They opened the door, and, sure enough, standing before them, were Jessie and James. Team Rocket.

"What are you two doing here?"

"You aren't here to cause more trouble, are you? Haven't we been through enough already?" What happened next surprised them. Jessie handed them an envelope. It was unmarked. Just a completely blank plain white envelope.

"We aren't that heartless, you know? We're well aware of what you've all gone through. Even we have some standards." Jessie honestly looked a little offended at their comments. Misty wasn't entirely convinced, but she continued anyway.

"What is this?"

"It's a letter. What else would it be? Look, this will be the last time we'll ever have to see each other, so don't make it a waste of time." Again, Misty and Brock were surprised.

"What do you mean?"

"Long story short, Pikachu's safe from us. As I said, we have standards, and those standards aren't so low that we would try to steal the Pokémon from a kid who just died. We may have been enemies, but even we wouldn't sink that low. Besides, it's not like we have a reason to steal your Pokémon anyway." At this, Jessie gestured at her clothes. Unlike their usual white Team Rocket uniforms, both herself and James were wearing somewhat normal clothes, with Jessie wearing a white leather jacket and a denim skirt, and James wearing a striped shirt and beige chinos. Misty and Brock had assumed that they were just the villainous duos latest lame disguise. Jessie clarified.

"We've left Team Rocket. Mewtwo, the Pokémon that killed Ash, was created by Team Rocket scientists, at the order of Giovanni. We knew he was evil, but to go as far as to indirectly kill a child is far beyond what we can tolerate. So, we've walked. Meowth, too, but he's still quite shaken by it. He's the only one of us three who actually saw what happened. He needs time. We all do. But, for now, it's been fun while it lasted. And, we're sorry about what happened. Seriously." She turned to leave, but before she could get very far, she felt a hand grab her arm.

"Wait!" It was Misty. "This really means a lot. After everything you've done, I honestly never thought I'd ever say these words to you, but thank you. At the very least, you certainly made our days of walking through those endless forests interesting! But, maybe this won't be the last time we see each other. Come to Ash's funeral. At least that way you'll get to say goodbye to him properly." Misty released Jessie's arm, before reaching out with the same hand, offering it as a handshake. "You were worthy adversaries." Jessie accepted the shake.

"Likewise."

"So, will you come?"

"We'll think about it. My number's in the letter. Ciao!" And then she turned and left, James following closely behind.

The bedroom was quiet. After Pikachu and Vulpix had told Charizard about their relationship, it had taken him a while to respond. Everyone else watched him, both eager and worried to see how he'd respond. But, he'd just stood there, in silence. Pikachu was certain he saw the orange Pokémon dart his eyes to Ash's face from time to time, and he knew exactly what was going through his mind: Is Pikachu really trying to replace Ash this quickly? Char's eyes moved back to Pikachu, and his expression shifted slightly. To the others, it went unnoticed, but to Pikachu, it was clear as day. He watched as Charizard turned to look at Bulbasaur, and then lean in to whisper something into his ear. Even with his sensitive ears, Pikachu couldn't hear what he had said, but a second later, the message became clear as Bulbasaur grabbed Squirtle with vine whip and, despite the protests of the water Pokémon, left the room: Charizard wanted to speak to the two of them alone.

"Alright, Pikachu, I'm not gonna sugarcoat this, but are you serious? Our trainer's only been dead for a couple of days, and you're already moving on?! He's not even been buried yet! Do you have any respect for him at all?!" This had been what Pikachu and Vulpix had been worried about. This had been why they hadn't wanted to say anything. But, currently, Pikachu was too angry to care. Without any warning, he jumped up and struck Charizard hard in the face with an iron tail, knocking the evolved Pokémon to the ground. Before he could push himself back up, Pikachu was already on his chest, screaming at him.

"HOW DARE YOU! I AM NOT MOVING ON! Do you honestly think that just because I've found someone new that I'm trying to forget about Ash?!" The fact that Pikachu had called him Ash, rather than his usual 'Pikapi' nickname, didn't go unnoticed by Charizard and Vulpix. They had only ever heard him call the trainer by his real name once before: back on New Island, when Mewtwo kept calling him 'the human'. They both knew what that meant: he wasn't just angry. He was enraged. For the first time since she'd met him, Vulpix was actually scared of him. She tried to calm him down.

"Pikachu, stop."

"NO! He doesn't get to tell me that I don't respect my trainer, when he doesn't even know the meaning of the word!" He returned his gaze to Charizard. "Tell me, lizard. How many battles have we lost because you couldn't be bothered? If you had any understanding of respect, you would have at least tried to fight, not just to prove your own strength. How many times have you disobeyed Ash, or jumped the gun? Just to prove how tough you are. Well, let me tell you something, big guy. Being the strongest guy in the room doesn't earn you any respect around here! Especially not from me! Ash fought with strategy, not just brute strength. If you respected him at all, you might have actually known that!" He jumped off Charizard's chest, allowing him to sit up. From his new spot on the floor, Pikachu turned his back to Charizard, before addressing him again. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to spend some more time with my mate and my trainer. If I were you, I'd keep my distance." With that said, Pikachu jumped back on to the bed, and promptly crawled back to his spot on Ash's chest next to Vulpix. Even though he still had his back to him, he knew that Charizard was staring at them. If he had looked, he may have caught sight of the tears falling down his face. Pikachu's outburst had hurt him. Badly. Mainly because he knew it was true. Charizard had always cared for Ash, and everyone including Pikachu knew that, but did he really not respect him? Nothing that Pikachu had said was wrong. There had been many times when he had refused to fight, because he didn't consider his opponent worthy. There had been many times he had disobeyed Ash or not waited for his commands, because he believed he knew better. That didn't sound like respect to him. Disheartened and defeated, Charizard curled up and, for the first time since New Island, started to sob. Pikachu noticed and sighed, before getting up and walking back towards the side of the bed, a worried Vulpix watching him go. As soon as he laid eyes on Charizard, his heart softened a little.

"Look, Char." Charizard looked up, his eyes still watering. "I, of all Pokémon, should know how much Pikapi meant to you." The use of the nickname was a good sign. "I know that you were really good friends, but you have to understand. Pikapi was basically everything to me. My strength, my friends, my battles. Everything I am and everything I have is because of him. You don't just get to say that I don't respect him because I'm with Vulpix. I have nothing but respect for him." Pikachu's own eyes were beginning to water. "We were each other's firsts. I was his first Pokémon and he was my first trainer. I don't think I will ever get over him. I'm always going to miss him. But, who says I have to go through it all alone? Vulpix was there for me when you and the others couldn't be. In the same way that we're all going to be there for you when you need us to be. If Vulpix hadn't confessed to me on the truck, then she'd have likely been taken away by Brock to his home in Pewter City. I'd already lost Pikapi. I didn't want to lose her, too." During his speech, Vulpix had joined him on the edge of the bed. Charizard looked at the couple, before sighing.

"I know. I'm sorry. I-I'm happy for you two. Really, I am." He smiled at them weakly. Pikachu and Vulpix returned it, before everyone decided the conversation was over. As Pikachu and Vulpix returned to Ash's chest, Charizard walked over to the door, opening it to tell Bulbasaur and Squirtle that they could come back in.

It was only a few minutes later when Professor Oak reappeared, the arrangements for Ash's funeral apparently sorted, with Delia, Misty and Brock in tow. They were each carrying a bowl of Pokémon food, or two in Oak's case, each of which were promptly set down in front of the five Pokémon. Misty and Delia glanced at Vulpix and Pikachu, and then at Brock, which proved to the Pokémon that they knew about the new couple as well. Admittedly, the humans were surprised, and relieved, to see Pikachu eating. He hadn't eaten anything since Ash had died, and it was starting to show. As they ate, Delia moved to sit beside Ash, and Oak went over to the armchair that had been previously occupied by Bulbasaur and Squirtle. Brock and Misty sat on the floor beside Charizard as he ate, leaning gently against his side. It didn't take long for the Pokémon to be finished with their food, and they all look towards Professor Oak as he began to speak.

"Alright everyone, everything has been arranged for Ash's funeral, but it will take a few days to get everything ready. We're not planning to have a big ceremony, just a few people and Pokémon." When the professor said the word 'Pokémon', he glanced nervously at Brock and Misty, which didn't go unnoticed by Pikachu. "We'll be holding it here. We all agreed that Ash would have wanted to be buried surrounded by what he loves the most: Pokémon. As for the tombstone, we've arranged for a statue to be erected in his honour on the grounds of the lab, which he will be buried under. As I said, it should only take us a few days to get everything ready, so we should all be able to say our final goodbyes to Ash soon." He stood up, but instead of heading to the door, he walked over to Misty and Brock, the nervous look on his face returning. Pikachu couldn't hear what he said, but a grim look fell over the two trainers' faces, too, as they both nodded slowly. After he stood again, he helped Delia to her feet and they both left the room, leaving only the Pokémon and the two young trainers. They both stood up from their position at Charizard's side, and instead sat on the foot of the bed. All of the Pokémon gathered around them, watching their worried faces with caution. Pikachu hopped beside them, with a questioning "Pika?", not realising that he was the main reason for their worried, for reasons that were about to become clear. They were about to tell them who they had invited. Misty was the first of the two who was able to work up the courage to break the news.

"There's no good way to say this, but, we've decided to invite Mewt—" She didn't even get to finish her sentence before Pikachu had lost it. He was on her in a second, pummelling her with every attack he knew, through his blurry, tear-filled eyes. He didn't care that she was a friend, but she had just told him that she was inviting the Pokémon that had murdered Ash to his funeral. He was screaming at her in Pokéspeak, words that even I don't want to translate. He hadn't even noticed that she didn't react to any of it. Of course she had been expecting a reaction like this from Pikachu. It took an intervention from Bulbasaur to stop the onslaught of attacks, but nothing could stop his string of obscenities. Finally safe from Pikachu's attacks, Misty continued, although not without the addition of her own tears. Brock rested his hand on her shoulder. "We've decided to invite Mewtwo and Mew. I know you don't agree with this Pikachu, but we feel that they deserve to be here for this, just as much as we do." Pikachu interjected angrily with a loud "PIKA!" The message was clear: Then you don't deserve to be here. "I know you're angry, Pikachu, but hear us out." Brock took over.

"Pikachu, we want you to make a speech at the funeral. But we don't speak Pokéspeak, and we don't have the technology to translate. Mewtwo has the power to speak to us telepathically, and he can understand you, so he'd be able to translate what you say." That caused Pikachu to pause. They wanted him to make a speech? He was torn. He remembered what Vulpix had said on the truck: "I get that you're angry, but attacking Mew or Mewtwo won't bring Ash back." This was true, but that still didn't change the fact that he hated both of them for what they did, and he would never forgive them either. But, at the same time, he knew, that neither of them had actively tried to kill Ash. Ash died because he jumped in to stop the fighting. His death was an accident caused by his bravery. He knew he shouldn't blame either of the powerful Pokémon for what happened, but he knew that he would never be able to see them as anything except the Pokémon who caused Ash to die. The room fell silent. Everyone watched as Pikachu deliberated in his mind. The world seemed to wait with them, until finally he looked up at them again and nodded. Normally, they would have smiled at this, but they didn't. Both trainers knew how hard of a decision that must have been for him to make, so they both just nodded in return. But they weren't done. Brock continued.

"We're also inviting Jessie, James and Meowth." This didn't help Pikachu's dark mood. Those were three names he was never going to forget: the three Team Rocket scum who were constantly trying to Pokénap him. He sparked his cheeks in warning. "They came here earlier, and they told us that they had resigned from Team Rocket, as a sign of respect for Ash. We couldn't not invite them after that." He looked at Pikachu. "Don't worry, Pikachu. We'll keep an eye on them. If they even so much as look like they're going to try to steal you, we'll be ready for them." Brock and Misty remembered the letter that Jessie had handed them earlier. It read:

Dear Misty and Brock,

We're sorry for your loss. As such, we have officially resigned from Team Rocket. You shouldn't have to worry about us anymore. We are moving on to greater things, in the same way that we hope Ash is moving on to a better place. Just know that it's because of what he did that we've decided to make this change. His actions have earned him our eternal respect. Not only did he inspire all of those Pokémon. He inspired us as well.

We hope that our paths cross again one day.

With respect, Jessie, James and Meowth.

Their signatures had been followed by Jessie's phone number, as she had said, and Misty had already phoned her to tell her of the arrangements. Overall, it was an exceptionally short letter, but the message certainly had an impact. Pikachu, on the other hand, still looked unsure. And quite angry. It was perfectly clear that he wasn't a fan of the guest list so far. So, to at least help balance it out, Brock listed off the other guests. "We'll also be inviting Blaine, Koga, Aya, Erika, Sabrina, Lieutenant Surge and Misty's three sisters, Daisy, Violet and Lily. Basically, every Gym Leader we've met has been invited, except Giovanni." At the mere mention of the man whom they all knew was the mastermind behind Team Rocket, a chill ran up everyone's spines. "Todd, Duplica, Suzie and Bill have been invited too, as well as the professor's grandson, Gary. Of course, Neesha and Corey are invited too, as well as all of you, obviously, and all of Ash's Pokémon that live here, like Krabby and Muk, as well as his Tauros herd. We'd invite Butterfree as well, but we don't know where he is. The professor will be bringing in some of the other Pokémon from the lab to help with the proceedings to, such as Machamp, and Bruteroot and Shellshocker and will help as well. But, I understand that that's probably been a lot to take in, so I think Misty and I should give you a bit of space for a while. The professor should be back in a couple of hours to feed you again." With that, he stood up, holding his arm out to help Misty do the same. Pikachu looked at her for the first time since he had attacked her, and he instantly hated himself for it: her hair was singed, she had scratch marks all over her face, and her left eye looked a little bit swollen. He didn't get to stare at her for long, because they were out of the room within seconds. As they closed the door, he could hear Delia gasp, asking the girl what had happened.

Pikachu resumed his position on Ash's chest, but this time, something was different. When Vulpix had come up beside him, intent on lying with him again, he held his paw up, stopping her.

"Don't. I need to be alone right now."

"Pikachu…"

"Didn't you see Misty? What I did to her?! What sort of friend does that?!" Vulpix was silent for a moment before answering.

"You don't need to explain yourself, Pikachu. You were angry. Honestly, so was I. I don't have as strong a resentment for Mewtwo as you do, but that doesn't mean I'm ready to forgive him. But, you have to understand where they're coming from. I mean, the only other Pokémon we know that can speak to humans is that weird Meowth from Team Rocket, and I certainly wouldn't want to hear your speech through his voice!" Her joke brought a flicker of a smile to Pikachu's face, but it was short-lived.

"But that doesn't excuse what I did to Misty. She's been travelling with us since the very beginning of our journey, and I have never once done anything like that to her before, especially not intentionally!"

"Pikachu, I'm sure she understands, too. We all saw how much Ash's death hurt you at New Island, and then she suddenly announces that she's inviting the Pokémon that caused his death to his funeral. I don't think anyone would have expected any different. If it had been me, I'm sure I'd have reacted in the same way."

"I just… I just don't want to become that. I attacked her with no warning, and I honestly had no intention of stopping, and all because of the fact that she was planning to invite Mewtwo. I don't want to be that kind of Pokémon."

"You're not. Do you honestly think I'd be here if you were that kind of Pokémon? I love you, Pikachu, and that's not going to change any time soon. We all get angry now and again, and sometimes we just can't keep it to ourselves, so even if you can't see it, you are not a bad Pokémon. You're just a very sad, very angry Pokémon who needed to let that anger out."

"Isn't that exactly the same as Mewtwo?" This caused Vulpix to pause. "I heard the things he said. Everything that happened was because of his anger and sadness towards humans, and look where that brought us!" The tears in his eyes were extremely visible now. The two Pokémon hadn't even noticed that the room had fallen silent as the others watched on from the floor, opting to not get involved. "I don't want to become like him."

"But, Mewtwo had to deal with his anger alone. All he had were his clones. You don't. You have me, and all of us. All of the humans too, and all of the other Pokémon here. Everyone is here for you, Pikachu. I won't let your anger make you like him. What kind of mate would I be if I did?" Now it was Pikachu's turn to pause, as he turned to look at Ash's face, then back to Vulpix as she continued. "I'll always be here for you. You'll need to do a lot worse than that to scare me off." This earned her another slight chuckle from Pikachu, and she smiled. "Gotcha." She then leaned in to kiss him, and this time he accepted her embrace. They stayed that way for a couple of seconds before someone cleared their throat and they turned to see the others looking at them. They broke apart, each blushing profusely, causing the others to laugh, which in turn, got them started as well. In a stark contrast to the mood from earlier, for the first time since Ash had defeated Team Rocket at the Viridian Gym, his Pokémon all shared a laugh.

The next few days passed rather uneventfully and before anyone knew it, it was the morning of the funeral. The mood was neutral. Nobody was happy, but nobody had any energy left to be sad at this point. Delia still cried when she visited Ash and his Pokémon in the bedroom, and Pikachu still refused to leave Ash's chest, except to eat. The only major thing that had happened was that Vulpix had been caught by Professor Oak. This ensured that if anybody who visited his lab tried to capture her for themselves, they would be unsuccessful, so she would be safe. He had used a special kind of Pokéball, similar to the one he had used to carry Machamp at the Pokémon centre, which didn't make her loyal to him. She would be free to leave whenever she liked. He had tried to do the same to Ash's Pokémon, but had been unsuccessful to do so. Pokémon usually get released is their Pokéballs are destroyed, like how Brock had released Vulpix, but Ash's Pokéballs hadn't actually been destroyed by Mew and Mewtwo's attacks, but they had been encased in the same stone that surrounded Ash, so they had been rendered unusable. They were still, and forever would be, Ash's Pokémon, a permanent safety net to prevent them from ever being captured again, free to live out the rest of their lives as wild Pokémon or here at the lab. They had arranged for Vulpix's new ball to be buried with Ash, protecting it from being stolen. Because of her relationship with Pikachu, she was already an unofficial member of Ash's party, so this was as official as they could manage. The statue had been finished and delivered the day before and it was currently waiting in the driveway. It wasn't extravagant, at the request of Delia, and so it was only slightly larger-than-lifesize. It showed a triumphant Ash, holding his hand out in front of him, with two fingers extended in a peace sign, with a massive grin on his face. And an equally happy Pikachu on his shoulder. Ash was standing on a small platform, about the same size as an old television. There was an engraving on it, but it was covered and would remain that way until it was put into place for that afternoon. As for the guests, there were a few, like Lieutenant Surge and Blaine, who had RSVP'd to say that they would be unable to make it, but they sent their sincerest condolences. Of all the Gym Leaders they invited, most of them were the same. The only ones who were still able to make it were the three elder Waterflower sisters from Cerulean Gym, who were going to take Misty home with them, and Erika from the Celadon Gym. Everyone else who had responded, though, had responded to say that they could make it. The only guests who weren't confirmed yet were the tricky ones: the three former Team Rocket members and the two psychic Pokémon. The funeral was scheduled to start at 2:30 in the afternoon, so they would need to confirm soon. However, as Delia and Oak prepared for the funeral, Misty and Brock were busy with something else. When they were still planning the funeral, Misty had logged on to Oak's computer to send an email to the Kanto News Network, explaining everything that had happened. Of course, it hadn't been in vain, as the very next day, Ash was the main headline. In the world of Pokémon training, there had never been a story like this. The story had focused on the information that Misty had provided, including Mewtwo, the clones, the other trainers there, and of course, the importance of Ash's actions. Misty had made it a point to insist that they refer to Ash's heroics as such, and they had obliged, calling Ash a martyr. By this stage, Misty had sent a few more emails to the KNN team, including one mentioning the funeral today. So now, Misty and Brock found themselves watching the television, waiting for the news to start. They didn't have to wait long, as they heard the familiar jingle.

"Good morning, Kanto. This is KNN, I'm Samantha Wilson, it's 9:00am. Our top story: shockwaves continue to be sent through the entire Pokémon trainer community as today, we say tearful goodbye to Ash Ketchum, the young trainer from Pallet Town, who died last week as a result of an accident involving Pokémon. The Pallet Town lab of the famous Pokémon Professor, Samuel Oak, has gone into shutdown today to commemorate the life of the young trainer, as well as be the site of his funeral. The Indigo League opening ceremonies have been postponed until tomorrow, and the arena will instead host a silent vigil in honour of Ash. At the time of his death, he had recently collected the 8th necessary badge to qualify for the League by winning at the Viridian City Gym. The Old Shore Wharf Pokémon Centre has also closed its doors today as a mark of respect. The nurse in charge of this centre had been one of the witnesses of Ash's tragic death, and she had this to say."

"Ash was the bravest human there. His actions saved every single Pokémon on that island. He deserves to be remembered for that, and I intend to do just that for as long as I'm alive."

"Similar events have been happening all week at the various Pokémon Gyms that Ash had visited, with members of the public, including fellow trainers, have been gathering outside the Gyms, leaving lit candles and flowers outside. Amazingly, some wild Pokémon have also been seen at these gatherings, paying their own respects to this trainer by leaving berries. The Pokémon Gyms of both Cerulean City and Celadon City also closed their doors today as the Gym Leaders from each gym make their own way to Pallet Town to appear as guests at the funeral. The leader of the Pewter City Gym, Brock Harrison, and the youngest of the four Cerulean City Gym Leaders, Misty Waterflower, who were travelling with Ash at the time of his death, and were both witnesses, will also be attending, along with two of the other witnesses, who wish to remain anonymous, and Mrs Delia Ketchum, Ash's mother, along with a few other invited guests. Professor Oak will be presiding over the proceedings, and the Pokémon that belonged to Ash will be looked after on his ranch. The funeral, although private, is scheduled to start at 2:30pm today. From everyone here on the KNN News Team, we send our sincerest condolences to everyone involved, and we hope that you get to give Ash the farewell that he deserves. Our next story: investigations into the activities of notorious Team Rocket mastermind and former Viridian City Gym Leader, Giovanni, continue today, as more questions are asked about his links to illegal Pokémon cloning and experimentation. Here's Hayley Thompson, with more details."

The café was pretty empty. There were only a couple of occupied tables, one housing a young couple, out for their first date. The other table only had one person sitting at it, but he didn't mind. He was a tall man, about six feet or more, and he had dark, scruffy beard around his chin, to match his equally dark and equally scruffy hair. He was about 30 years old, with dark brown eyes. Around his waist, there was a belt holding six Pokéballs. He liked visiting this café. It was partially because they made the best cinnamon buns this side of Johto, but it was mostly because it was always showing the KNN coverage of the latest Pokémon Battles. He hadn't been for a couple of weeks now, and he travelled a lot so he didn't usually get the chance to watch tv, so he took every opportunity he got. Today, he thought, was the start of the Indigo League, but instead, he was greeted with the news. He was about to tune it out when he heard the name of the trainer. From that point on, he was practically glued to the screen, his face growing paler with every passing second. The second they moved on to the next story, he had thrown his money to the table, leaving an unfinished cinnamon bun, before he ran outside, where he threw one of his Pokéballs, unleashing a Dragonite. He climbed on its back.

"We need to get to Pallet Town."

Without another word, Dragonite took off with no effort and made a course for the small town.

Mewtwo was anxious. There was no reason to be, and he knew it. The day hadn't started any differently from normal, but for some reason, it felt… wrong. He thought he could hear someone calling for him, but it was impossible. There was no human around for miles.

"Mew!" As powerful as he was, Mewtwo still jumped a little when Mew suddenly materialised behind him, announcing himself with a squeak.

"Ah, Mew. What are you doing here?"

"Straight to the point, I see. The humans are having their funeral for Ash today. I think they're expecting us."

"I see. I assume you think we should go?"

"You think we shouldn't?"

"I don't think that Pikachu would be too happy to see us."

"Well, I'm going, and I think you should too. I've been speaking with the other legendaries, and Jirachi tells me that they want the 'chu to make a speech, but they'd need you to translate."

"And how did Jirachi come by this information?"

"Well, Jirachi is the wish maker, after all. Pretty sure that also includes the ability to read thoughts." Mewtwo sighed.

"Alright. I'll join you. I'll need to leave one of the clones in charge while I'm gone. Pikachutwo, can you come here please?" Pikachutwo, the clone of Pikachu from New Island, appeared in Mewtwo's cave a few seconds later. "I'm going to the funeral of the trainer from New Island now. I trust you to maintain control while I'm gone. I shall be back later on." Pikachutwo simply nodded, as Mew and Mewtwo hovered out through a hole in the cave wall and up into the clouds.

The funeral preparations were finally done. The seats for the humans had all been set up and the Pokémon that Oak had asked to help had received their instructions. The statue had been moved into position, and was currently sitting on a small trolley, ready to be positioned over the grave when Ash had been laid to rest. Delia looked at her watch. It was approaching noon. She knew the guests would be arriving soon, so she wanted to make sure everything was ready. It didn't take long for her to be proven right, because, only a few minutes later, she saw the first arrivals: the three Gym Leaders from Cerulean City, Daisy, Violet and Lily. They parked their car, driven by Daisy, outside the main entrance and walked inside. As the time progressed, the other guests arrived, and eventually, with around an hour to go before the ceremony was due to start, every human guest had arrived, except Jessie and James. Delia decided she would join them, so she made her way to the building.

In the hall, the guests had all gathered into their own small groups. The three sisters from Cerulean City were all hugging a crying Misty. Suzie was talking to Brock, who had just told her about Vulpix's release. Neesha and Corey were standing together, but neither one was saying anything. Erika was speaking to Bill, Todd was speaking to Duplica and Gary was, of course, speaking to his grandfather. Delia knew the Pokémon were still upstairs, but she didn't want to disturb them, so she swallowed the lump in her throat and walked into the hall.

Meanwhile, up with the Pokémon, the room was silent. They knew that they were less than an hour away from the time for them to say goodbye to Ash. Pikachu had been trying to convince himself that he was ready to do so all day, and so far, he'd been unsuccessful. Having Vulpix there had certainly helped, but he knew there would still be plenty of tears falling from his eyes before the day was done.

When Jessie, James and Meowth did finally arrive, it was approaching 2:00. By this stage, the collected group of people had migrated to the professor's sizeable living room. They were greeted with glares from those who had encountered them before. Erika, Daisy, Lily and Violet remembered them as the villains who had attacked their Gyms during their battles with Ash, Suzie remembered them as the people who kidnapped Misty on Scissor Street, Duplica remembered them as the people who tried to steal her Ditto, and Todd remembered them from the multiple times he had seen them during his own brief travels with Ash. Misty took it upon herself to explain what they were doing here, explaining that they were invited, that they were witnesses to Ash's death, that they left Team Rocket because of everything that had happened. The expressions changed after that.

Mew and Mewtwo arrived next, and they earned a very different reaction from the assembly. Most of them were in awe at the chance to see the two most powerful Pokémon that have ever existed, and those who had been at New Island greeted them with sad smiles. Delia, on the other hand, stared at them with pure hatred. She knew that these two Pokémon were the cause of her son's death. They were lucky that she wasn't a violent person, but in that moment, she almost wished she was. However, it wasn't long before Misty approached the two powerful Pokémon and beckoned for them to follow her out of the room. As soon as they were back in the hall, she spoke.

"I just want to warn you that Pikachu isn't that happy about you two being here. He's currently up with the other Pokémon and Ash in one of the bedrooms upstairs. Personally, I think you should go and talk to him before the ceremony starts."

"I understand that his feelings towards us are less than favourable, so we will certainly go up. However, I will leave it to him to decide whether we are to stay or to go."

"That's fair, I suppose." With that, she turned to go back into the living room, but she turned back to face the two Pokémon once more. "Good luck."

As predicted, Pikachu was less than happy when the two psychic Pokémon appeared before him. But, he was too preoccupied to get angry. He watched them warily as they approached.

"Hello, Pikachu."

"Mew."

"Good to see you again."

"Forgive me if the feeling isn't mutual." Mew looked into his eyes. They were as cold as they were sad. He glanced at Ash, who was still lying on the bed.

"Oh Pikachu, I'm so sorry. This should never have happened."

"Yes." Mewtwo spoke up, his first words since arriving in the room. "Know that I never intended for this to happen."

"Well, you two should have thought of that before it came to this." Pikachu wasn't backing down. Vulpix rested a paw on his shoulder.

"Well, I know it doesn't matter what we say, and that nothing we can do will bring Ash back, but we are truly sorry for what happened. But know that I will do everything in my power to ensure that Ash is never forgotten, and he will live on forever in the memories. Ash Ketchum will become a legend." Pikachu didn't speak. He was conflicted. One side of him respected the words of the artificial Pokémon, but the other side hated the fact that it was being said by the Pokémon that brought Ash's story to its abrupt end. His turmoil was halted when Mewtwo continued.

"However, as I understand it, the humans want you to make a speech, and they want me to translate it. I shall do my best to make sure that whatever it is you have to say is heard." Once again, Pikachu couldn't speak. Instead, he looked back to the face of his fallen trainer and began to cry again. As he wept, Vulpix turned to Mewtwo.

"Thank you."

It wasn't long after that when there was a knock at the door and the professor walked in. The expression on his face was grim, and he didn't have much to say. In fact, he only said two words:

"It's time."

He stood aside, revealing Corey and Bruteroot, and as the procession of Pokémon departed from the room, Pikachu and Vulpix leaving last, the large Venusaur wrapped his vines around Ash preparing to lift him downstairs.

Dragonite was a fast flyer, so the flight to Pallet Town was not a long one. It didn't take the man long to spot the professor's lab, so he directed his Pokémon towards the building. He flew onto the grounds with no effort, and he quickly returned Dragonite to his ball.

"Thanks, buddy. Take a rest."

From here, he could very clearly see the front door to the lab, and he could see it opening. He saw the group of Pokémon following Professor Oak away from the lab, towards the grounds, followed closely by another trainer he didn't recognise with a Venusaur, which appeared to be carrying a statue. Considering the fact that the professor was wearing a black tuxedo rather than his white lab coat that he was so well known for, he assumed that they were going to where the funeral was happening. So, he decided to follow them, making sure he wasn't spotted.

The ceremony itself was a bit of a walk away from the main lab, near a lake located on the professor's land, surrounded by trees. Normally, there would be hundreds of grass and water Pokémon in the area, but the area had been cordoned off for the funeral, so today it was silent. The humans were all seated, with Misty, Brock and Delia sitting at the front, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the professor and the Pokémon. And Ash. Delia and the others had opted for no music, but at this moment, the deafening silence was almost making them regret their decision. That silence was broken when they heard the footsteps. At the sound, Delia started to cry silently herself, as she knew what those footsteps meant: she was only minutes away from saying goodbye to her baby forever. Misty put a hand on her shoulder, trying and failing to hold back her own tears. Brock just sat there, still as a statue himself, determined not to break down. On the other side of the clearing, the Pokémon of Ash's who lived here at the lab, Krabby, Muk and his herd of 30 Tauros were also crying. They were sad that their trainer had died, but they were devastated that they couldn't have been there for him. A hush fell over the entire crowd, however, as Oak and the small procession of Pokémon passed them all to the lakeside, to where the statue was sitting. Once they were all ready, Oak began.

The ceremony was long. The sun was beginning to set as the second of three speeches began. As Delia sat down after delivering her own tearful speech, the next up was Misty. Like Pikachu, she had been with Ash since he started his journey. Or, more specifically, since he stole her bike. The humans had discussed it between themselves, and they had all decided they wanted there to be three speeches: one from Delia, as well as one of the humans who travelled with him and one of his Pokémon. The Pokémon choice was obvious, and Misty was the choice for the humans. So, here she was. She took a deep breath, and began.

"Ash and I had an interesting story. We met on a rainy day when I fished him out of a river and he stole my bike." Despite the atmosphere, this earned a small chuckle. "I chased after him, before finding my bike, burned to a crisp in the middle of the path. How we became friends is still a mystery to me, but that's the truth of it. I decided I was going to follow him around until he could repay me for my bike, and then we sort of clicked. We decided to travel together, meeting many interesting Pokémon and trainers. We made our way to Pewter City where we met Brock. I was with Ash every step of the way, watching from the sidelines through all of his battles and victories at the eight gyms he visited. We weren't always the best friends, but we were there for each other when it counted. Then we were summoned to New Island, and most of you already know the rest…" She stopped to compose herself. She knew that what she was going to say next was going to hurt. "His life was cut far too short in that one moment. One stupid accident that should never have happened. Now, he won't ever get to compete in the Pokémon League. He won't ever become the Pokémon master that he always wanted to be. But, what hurts most of all, is that he'll never know how much he meant to me. I never got to tell him that I-I loved him." And that was all she could say. She collapsed to her knees at that moment, and the floodgates had well and truly opened. Brock stood up from his seat beside Delia and knelt down beside her, allowing the distraught girl to cry into his shirt, before helping her to her feet and walking her back to her chair.

The professor returned to his spot at the front of the clearing again. "Pikachu. Mewtwo. Are you both ready?" The two Pokémon looked at each other. They nodded at each other before each standing to make their way to the front. Oak continued. "Now, I should explain that Mewtwo has the ability to communicate with us telepathically, so he will be acting as Pikachu's translator. Now, Pikachu, whenever you're ready." Pikachu watched as the professor returned to his own seat, before hopping up from the ground to the place he felt the most comfortable: Ash's chest. Ash had been laid on the ground at the feet of the statue, so it wasn't a very big jump, but the emotional impact it had on Pikachu was exhausting. He looked back at the other Pokémon, the tears already forming in his own eyes. His eyes met those of Vulpix. He needed her. As if on cue, she ran over to him and jumped on to Ash's chest to join him, and this calmed him enough to begin.

"I was stubborn when I met Pikapi." Nobody was ready for what happened next. Those who had been on New Island very clearly remembered the voice of Mewtwo to be a deep, commanding voice. They heard that voice in their nightmares, and they doubted they would ever forget it. However, the voice they heard from Mewtwo now was nothing like that. This voice was high pitched, almost squeaky, and it sounded delicate, and kind, yet somehow vulnerable and powerful at the same time. It took everyone a few seconds to realise what was going on: this was Pikachu's voice. Mewtwo wasn't translating what Pikachu was saying, he was allowing the humans to hear what he was hearing from Pikachu. Even Pikachu was impressed, allowing himself to pause before regaining his composure and continuing.

"When I first met him, I didn't like him. He was too excitable, too hands-on. But, it didn't take long for that to change. When we encountered our first Pokémon in the wild, I refused to help. I should have helped, because it resulted in us being chased by an angry flock of Spearow. We ran and we ran, we fell in the river, we stole Misty's bike—sorry about that, by the way." Like Misty's opening line, this earned a faint chuckle from the crowd, even cheering up Misty a little, who had stopped crying when she had first heard his voice. "The chase came to a halt when we hit a bump in the road and fell off the bike. Honestly, I thought my journey was over before it had even started. But, Pikapi stood his ground. He protected me, even if it meant taking the force of the attack himself. But before the Spearow could attack him, I saved him with a thunderbolt, hitting all of the Spearow. And the bike. And himself. And that was all we needed to become the great friends that we became. We each protected each other when it counted. As we continued to travel and battle with all of the trainers and gyms, our trust grew, as did our bond and our experience. We respected each other as equals. As friends. As brothers. Certainly, we found ourselves in a couple of binds." Jessie, James and Meowth could swear they saw Pikachu glance at them as he said that. "But, we always managed to push forward and find a solution. That's the kind of person he was. He was always looking for that unique angle, that one last way out. What happened on New Island was a new low for me. If you think about it, and I have, what Pikapi did on New Island was the same as what he did on that first day against the Spearow: he jumped out in front of a Pokémon to protect the others. What made this different was that this time, I wasn't able to help." Vulpix leant in to nuzzle under his chin, comforting him, although she could feel her own fur grow damp from his tears. "There was nothing I could do. But, I know there is nobody to blame here. Ash died because of who he was. He died because he was true to himself. He died because he was more concerned about the safety of his friends than he was about his own. That's who he was." He turned to face Ash, Ash's empty eyes staring back. It took all of Pikachu's willpower not to break down right then. "Pikapi. Ash, if you're listening from up there with Arceus, know that you will never be forgotten, be me or by any of us. We all love you, and we will all miss you, but know that I won't waste my life being sad. I'll keep moving forward, just like I know you would. I love you, my brother. Sayonara, my friend." He leant down and licked Ash's cheek, a solitary tear falling from his eye. He looked around at the faces of the humans, and they were all dabbing at their own watery eyes. Even Jessie and James looked like they were close to breaking down. He looked up at Mewtwo, as if to tell him he was done. Then, once Mewtwo had stopped translating, Pikachu said one last thing to him. "Thank you."

Since that was the last speech, Oak told everyone that the burial itself wouldn't happen for a few minutes, so there was a short break in the proceedings. Pikachu and Vulpix still remained on Ash's chest, and Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charizard walked over to join them. They didn't say anything, but they didn't need to. They weren't here for Pikachu. They were here to say goodbye to Ash before he was put underground. Everyone else followed suit, each rising from their own seats, forming a line. Even Jessie and James had something to say. Pikachu and Vulpix just sat there, taking in all of the tearful goodbyes from humans and Pokémon alike. Honestly, Pikachu started tearing up himself. He knew Ash had impacted many lives during his short travels, but the Pokémon had no idea just how much of an impact that was. Eventually, the last of the goodbyes had been said, and it was time to finally bring this to an end. Pikachu took one last glance around the crowd before he jumped off Ash. He saw many watery eyes, many handkerchiefs in hands, and many sad faces.

Something caught his eye. At the edge of the treeline, he saw a flicker of movement. He was certain of it. And he could have sworn he saw some raven black hair. He glanced at Ash, remembering his hair, before glancing back at the tree where he had seen the movement. But there was nothing there. If there had been anything, or anyone, there, they weren't there anymore. So, he jumped off Ash's chest to join the others as he saw Bruteroot and Machamp walk towards Ash.

The man who had arrived on Dragonite continued to watch from the forest. At first, he didn't understand why there were two statues, but it didn't take long for him to figure out that the smaller statue that had been carried in by the Venusaur was actually Ash. Now it appeared they were about to bury him under the larger statue, but that wasn't his main concern right now. His main concern was the voice that he heard in his head, that certainly wasn't his.

"Hello there. I am Mewtwo, and you are the only person who can hear me. I sensed you when I was translating Pikachu's speech. So, are you going to tell me who you are?" He was honestly too scared to respond. Mewtwo continued. "No need to be afraid. I won't do anything to hurt you." Ok, so this Mewtwo could read his mind. Good to know. "I'm waiting. Just because I won't hurt you doesn't mean I won't reveal your hiding place if you don't answer me. You can just think it, no need to speak." So, that's exactly what he did. "I see. I understand now. But, if that is the case, why do you hide?" He answered him again. "Hmmm, interesting. Alright, I'll leave you be for now then." As suddenly as it had appeared, the voice from the psychic Pokémon was gone from his head.

After a few minutes of digging, the grave was ready. Machamp backed away from the hole and Bruteroot wrapped his vines around Ash, preparing to lower him into it. As he hoisted Ash into the air, he heard a voice behind him. "Bruteroot, can you wait?" Even though the Venusaur hadn't known him for long, he knew it was Pikachu. He lowered Ash to the ground again, and everyone watched as Pikachu walked up to his fallen trainer once again. They all watched as he embraced him with watery eyes. They all watched as he cried his last tearful goodbye. This was it. The last time he'd ever see Ash. He released his trainer and watched once again as Bruteroot lifted him into the air and began to lower him into his grave. He watched from the edge of the hole as the vines set Ash down at the bottom of the pit and released him. He heard Oak approaching from behind him, so turned around, just in time to see the professor reach into his pocket and retrieve a small box and kneel down before him. "This is Vulpix's Pokéball that we'll be burying with Ash. I believe you should do the honours." The professor handed him the box. Pikachu turned to Bulbasaur, beckoning him over. "Can you lower me down?" Bulbasaur didn't say anything, but his answer was clear as he wrapped his vines around his friend. It only took a moment for Pikachu to be back on Ash's chest again. It almost felt familiar, if it wasn't for the fact that he was currently six feet underground. He set the box down gently on his chest, before tugging lightly on Bulbasaur's vines, signalling him to pull him up again. As soon as he emerged, he saw all of Ash's other Pokémon each holding a shovel, as well as Delia, Misty and Brock. Oak had one as well, but it was made clear that he had no intention of using it himself as he reached out his arm and handed it to Pikachu. Vulpix approached him. "Pikachu, we've all decided that you should be the first to refill the hole."

With all of their efforts combined, it didn't take long for the grave to be filled. While Pikachu had been the one to start, it had been Delia who had finished the job. Once the grave was full, and the dirt was flattened, it was time to seal it completely. The statue wasn't light, but it wasn't super heavy either. It took the strength of Pikachu, Charizard and Bulbasaur to move it to its own final resting place. With that done, and after a few more closing words from the Professor, the funeral of Ash Ketchum, aged 10, finally came to a close.

Of course, it wasn't the final goodbye of the day. A lot of the guests had already dispersed as the moon was just passing the horizon, leaving only those who had been at New Island and their families. The professor re-entered the hall after saying his own goodbyes to Gary, who had just left to continue his own journey. Misty and Brock were hugging. They knew that they were going their separate ways now, so the two friends were taking their time, much to the annoyance of Misty's three sisters, who had wanted to get home before nightfall. Neesha and Corey were also there, although, at Oak's request, they were going to stay there for a while longer. They were both in a similar situation to the two younger trainers: they weren't sure if they wanted to continue travelling around after everything they had seen. Both of them were very accomplished trainers, each having competed in various Pokémon Leagues, but they were both thinking about giving it up, and quitting while they were ahead. But, that left them without any clear destinations in mind, so they were staying with Oak for now so that they could plan what comes next. Delia was also in no rush, considering the fact that her home wasn't that far from the lab. As for the Pokémon, everyone from Ash's party were saying their own goodbyes to Togepi and Psyduck. But, as always, the goodbyes couldn't last forever, so eventually Misty and Brock released each other, and Psyduck was returned to his ball as Misty picked up Togepi. They did the rounds of saying their farewells to everyone else as well, Brock almost breaking down as he said one last goodbye to Vulpix, before it was finally time for them to leave. However, they weren't able to get very far as they heard Mewtwo.

"Misty, Brock, Delia, Samuel, Neesha and Corey. I know that there are likely some among you who will never be able to forgive me for what happened, but allow me to give you a gift of my own. Each of you deserves to be able to connect with your Pokémon at a far greater level than what is possible for you now, so allow me to help. I'm granting you the same gift that I displayed at the funeral, the ability to speak to and understand Pokémon. You'll be able to choose when you want to hear them, or when you don't. All you'd need to do is think. Brock, Misty, Neesha and Corey. You all deserve this because you are almost as close to your Pokémon as Ash was. I only wish I could offer him the same gift. Delia, I offer this gift to you because what I stole from you can never be returned, and now all you have left is Pikachu. Samuel, this gift from me is yours because your work helps so many Pokémon live happier, healthier lives, so I believe this will return the favour. You will not see me again. It's time for me to disappear and live out the rest of my time here far away from humans, so this gift is a reminder and an apology from the Pokémon who took so much from you and wanted to give something back." At this moment, Mewtwo's eyes began to glow, and each of the humans (except Misty's sisters, who watched on in confusion) could feel his power coursing through their minds. It only took a second, before it stopped and everything returned to normal. Mewtwo continued. "Go ahead, give it a try." They all turned to the Pokémon that had gathered on the floor. The hadn't heard what Mewtwo had said, so they didn't really know why they were all looking at them. Brock knelt down and Vulpix, almost instinctively, walked over to him.

"Vulpix. Goodbye, my friend. You'll look after him, won't you?"

"Of course I will. Goodbye, Brock. I'll miss you."

She watched as his eyes widened, as did everyone else's. Mewtwo just smirked, as Mew rolled his eyes. The other Pokémon watched as well. It took a few seconds for Vulpix to realise.

"Wait, did you just understand me?" That caught the other Pokémon's attention, their eyes all fixing on Brock. Unblinking, he simply nodded.

"Guys, they can understand us! They can really understand us!"

"Really? How did that happen?"

"It must have been Mewtwo! Who else could it have been?"

This was all too much for Delia, as she had to sit down on the stairs. Misty and Brock stared at each other, as if silently checking to make sure they weren't going crazy.

"They can all understand us." Pikachu looked at Mewtwo. Mewtwo returned his gaze before smiling. "Go on, Pikachu. Say what you need to say to them. You don't have much time." Pikachu turned to face Misty and Brock and walked towards them. They noticed him approaching and knelt down to his level.

"Misty, Brock, thank you for always being there for Pikapi. Without the two of you by his side, he never could have made it as far as he did. I'm really going to miss you." The tears falling from each trainer's eyes was confirmation enough for Pikachu, so he continued. "Just, don't forget him. Or me."

"Oh Pikachu, we never could forget either of you." This was Misty. "We all went through so much together. We were a family. We're really going to miss you too. I'll be sure to visit though!"

"Same here." Brock spoke next. "You're not going to get rid of us that easily! You'll be seeing us again." The three friends shared a laugh before the two trainers stood up again and finally walked through the door with a final wave. Pikachu watched as the four sisters from the Cerulean City drove away in their car before turning towards the forest and driving out of sight, as Vulpix watched her former trainer walk into the darkness. He was out of sight before he had even reached the gate. Mew and Mewtwo were next, as they flew away, back to wherever it was that they lived, each one of them looking back one last time before disappearing through the clouds. Delia was the last one to leave, carrying a flashlight as she turned towards town. Pikachu watched them all go before returning inside and heading up to the bedroom where Ash had been, with all of the other Pokémon following behind him.

Back at the lakeside, the man was still there. There were things he wanted to say to Ash, but there hadn't been any opportunity to do that with everyone still here. Now, he found himself alone, save for his Umbreon. His Pokémon was his only source of light, and it wasn't very bright, but it was good enough to allow him to see where he was going. Eventually, he made it to the base of the statue. He looked up at it, before sighing and speaking. "Well, Ash, it's sure been a long time, hasn't it? A bit too long, it seems. Sorry I never got to see you grow up. But, know that I'm proud of you. You were certainly braver than me, and you were certainly a better trainer than me. I wish I could have told you that in person, but I guess I was just too late." He rested his hand on the base of the statue as his Umbreon rubbed against his leg, sensing her trainer's sadness. In return, he reached down with his other hand to pat her on the head. "Thanks, Umbreon." He returned his gaze to the statue, a single tear finally escaping as he said two final words.

"Goodbye, son."

He turned to walk away, his Umbreon following close behind him. Neither one of them stopped to examine the plaque at the base of the statue. It read:

IN LOVING MEMORY OF

ASH KETCHUM

1988-1998

A HERO TO ALL

It was a nice day. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, and the sun was shining as brightly as ever. However, despite the nice weather, it was not a good day for Pikachu. Today marked the 5th anniversary of Ash's death. He had been living on Professor Oak's land with Vulpix for those five years, and he honestly didn't regret it. Living here had been amazing. It had gotten gradually lonelier over time though. Squirtle had returned to the town he was from, rejoining his friends on the firefighting Squirtle Squad, and Charizard had moved away to the Charicific Valley in the Johto region, a nature reserve specifically tailored to that evolutionary line. They both visited from time to time, but those visits were few and far between. But, they kept him up to date on how they were doing, so he didn't mind too much. Apparently Charizard had found himself a mate of his own, a female Charizard called Charla that belonged to Liza, the human who maintained the reserve. Bulbasaur, on the other hand, had stuck around, but it seemed he had a talent for breaking up violent arguments, so he spent most of his time working with Oak. Of course, even though they all had other things going on, Pikachu was never really alone. Vulpix made sure of that. They had both refused to evolve, staying as they were. Since they had both stopped battling, they didn't feel the need to evolve. Currently, they were lying comfortably in their den. They weren't asleep, but neither had the energy or enthusiasm to move right now, so they just cuddled together to enjoy each other's company in silence.

The silence was short lived.

"Mom! Dad! Hurry up! We wanna play!" They looked to the entrance of the den to see three small figures, two Vulpix pups, one male and one female and a male Pikachu kit. Pikachu and Vulpix had decided to start a family of their own almost two years ago, and these three were the result. To avoid confusion, their parents had named them. The two Vulpix pups were Ember and Flare, with Ember being the girl and Flare being the boy. The Pikachu, who had only evolved from Pichu a few months prior, was called Ashy, for obvious reasons. The three children all knew the stories of Ash Ketchum and their dad, and they were always asking to hear more, which certainly made Pikachu happy. But, right now, they just wanted to play. The two parents looked at each other. Vulpix knew that today was an important one to her mate, so she knew what she had to do.

"Now, kids, don't forget that today's not a fun one for your dad. He needs some time to himself." Three sets of ears drooped instantly. They knew instantly what she had meant.

"Oh, I did forget. Sorry, dad."

"Yeah. Sorry."

"Sorry."

Pikachu looked at them.

"It's ok, you three. But, just because I'm not having fun doesn't mean that you can't!"

"But, our games are no fun without you."

"Ashy, I'm sure you'll be fine without me."

"Come on, dad." Ashy walked up to his father, nuzzling him. "I wanna spend time with you."

Pikachu sighed. He knew he wasn't going to win this one, so he gave in.

"Alright, alright. But, I'm not going to play any games until I've paid him a visit."

"Ok." Ashy knew exactly who he meant when his dad said 'him'. He was silent for a moment. "Can I come with you?" That surprised Pikachu. This was the first time any of the kids had asked to go with him to see Ash.

"Are you sure? It's certainly not going to be that fun."

"I don't mind. I want to meet him."

"Yeah, me too." This was Ember.

"And me." And Flare. Vulpix looked at her mate, her face wearing an expression that showed she was as shocked as he was. Pikachu considered it for a moment.

"Sure, why not? It's about time you all got to say hello. Why don't we all go together?"

So, with that decided, the family all left the den and made their way to the lake where Ash's statue was. It was in fact one of the reasons why Pikachu and Vulpix had chosen that particular spot for their den. It was in the forests right on the outskirts of the professor's land, so it was pretty well protected, and there weren't many other Pokémon living in the area, so it was private. But, the main reason for this spot was that it was close to Ash. At Pikachu's request, the Professor had not reopened the lake for other Pokémon, and had instead created a new lake in another part of the forest, leaving Ash's statue mostly undisturbed, except for the frequent visits by the people or Pokémon who knew him. Of all the humans, Delia was certainly the most frequent, visiting once a week, if not more. Misty and Brock also paid frequent visits, but since they had more distance to travel, their visits were much less regular. To compensate for that, they had sent him many letters between visits, each basically saying the same thing: they had returned to their respective Gyms and continued to battle trainers looking to earn their eight badges for the Indigo League. Even the League had changed. The president of the League Competition Committee, Charles Goodshow, had renamed the arena at the Indigo Plateau the 'Ash Ketchum Memorial Stadium', despite the fact that he had never once competed in the League. Ash's story had sent many ripples through the world of Pokémon. Most notably, Team Rocket had been completely disbanded after the arrest of Giovanni because of the illegal Pokémon cloning and experimentation that had created Mewtwo. Pikachu was happy about that. Arceus knows that that man deserves far worse.

On the topic of Team Rocket, Jessie and James had gotten married, to nobody's surprise. They had moved into a small house near the centre of Viridian City, where they lived with Meowth. Apparently, they ran a semi-successful Performing Arts school, where they taught the basics of acting, dancing and singing.

That wasn't the only human couple that had happened, either. Neesha and Corey, both of whom now worked full-time with Professor Oak, had recently gotten engaged themselves, with the wedding planned for the next Spring.

Pikachu had spent so much time thinking about everyone that he hadn't even realised they had reached the clearing until he heard Ember, Flare and Ashy gasp from beside him. He looked up at the statue, and smiled.

"Hello again, old friend. There are some Pokémon I'd like you to meet. These two are Ember and Flare, and this one is Ashy. We named him after you, if you couldn't tell."

"No, really? I never would have guessed." This was a voice he recognised.

"Hey, Mew."

"Aw really? No reaction at all? I'm getting bad at this." This was a friendship nobody had predicted. Mewtwo had remained true to his word, and nobody had seen him since Ash's funeral, but Mew had been a frequent visitor, just like everyone else had. Pikachu had encountered him on one of his visits during the first year since Ash had died. Over time, he kept appearing more and more frequently, until there was basically a 50/50 chance on any given day that he'd be showing up. Initially, Pikachu had struggled to look past the fact that he had been just as responsible for Ash's death as Mewtwo had been, but as he got to know him, he realised that what had happened had hurt him too. As Ash did what he did to protect the Pokémon, Mew had only been fighting Mewtwo to protect the humans, and then one of them had died. So, gradually, the two became friends. Pikachu still couldn't forgive him for what had happened, but he was able to look past it.

Mew noticed the others.

"Well, well, this is new. You've never brought the kids to see Ash." Mew had already met Ember, Flare and Ashy before, so there were no introductions necessary.

"They wanted to meet him. How could I have said no? Come on, let's get closer." With Mew joining them, the group of six Pokémon approached the statue. Despite being here for five years at this point, it still looked in pretty good shape. It had been worn down slightly by weather and time, and there was a bit of moss growing around the base, but there were no cracks and nothing had fallen off, so that was a definite positive. They all sat down at the statue's feet. Pikachu put his arm around Ashy and brought him in for a hug. He wondered what he'd be doing now if Ash was still here. But, looking around him, he realised it didn't matter. How he'd gotten to this point hadn't been the happiest journey, but with a mate and a family of his own, along with his many friends, he was certainly happy with where he had ended up. He studied the statue again, smiling. Honestly, at felt as though Ash was smiling right back at him. Pikachu stood up suddenly.

"Alright, guys, let's have some fun. Betcha can't catch me!" Ember, Flare and Ashy all cheered as they began chasing their dad around the clearing, with Mew and Vulpix watching from the base of the statue. The sound of laughter filled the clearing. Pikachu made his way over to the statue before jumping up and knocking Vulpix over, licking her on the cheek.

"Come on, Vulpix. Join in!" She laughed, as she joined her family in their game of tag. Mew continued to watch them play, before looking up at the statue.

"Well, Ash, Arceus tells me that you were worried how Pikachu was going to cope with losing you. Well, I hope you're watching, my friend. I hope you're watching."

---

Well, this was certainly an adventure! This is the first time I'll ever be uploading a complete story at once, so I don't know how well it's going to be received, but hey, if you made it this far, at least I did something right! I recently fell in love with Pokémon, and I wanted to write a story about it as soon as possible, and this was the result. I chose this story because I knew I wouldn't be delving outside of the original Gen I Pokémon (with a couple of minor exceptions). I remember when I watched Mewtwo Strikes Back for the first time, and the ending broke me, but I remember that one of my first thoughts was "How sad would it be if the Pokémon's tears hadn't worked?" And then, I decided to write it into a story, and here we are. Before anyone who is following my other story asks, no, I haven't forgotten about Game Over. You'll be seeing more chapters coming to that story pretty soon. But I needed to get this story out there before I forgot about it.

Feel free to leave a review, and if anything in the story causes any confusion that you'd like cleared up, fire me a PM, and I'll try to answer any questions you might have to the best of my ability!

Special thanks to 'Blade the Sneasel' for helping me choose a decent title, and keeping me motivated, and thanks to 'Ivy the Snivy' for unknowingly inspiring me to even attempt a Pokémon story.

RDFAN7669