World Down
Author's Note: Titled after the original name for the Pokémon TCG's Darkness Ablaze / Infinity Zone expansion set, before it was renamed due to real-world circumstances. Enjoy the story and R&R.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or of the Pokémon franchise.
Pairing: Ash x Goh.
Summary:
Ten years ago, Goh died in a plane crash. Ash Ketchum, unable to cope, carries out an insane plot to bring him back.
Ten years ago, a plane headed for Wyndon was brought down by a Pokémon later identified as the Gigantic Pokémon Eternatus. Among the plane's complement were Ash Ketchum and Goh, and although Goh perished in the crash, Ash and his partner Pikachu miraculously survived and were rescued from the ocean.
This day, inspired by a name out of the Galar region's history, came to be Ash Ketchum's "Darkest Day." Over the years, as the true severity of the loss dug Dugtrio burrows through his brain, Ash explored desperate (and dangerous) avenues to mitigate the trauma, his mind going to some dark places.
Training a Ditto to transform itself into Goh was the straw that broke the Camerupt's back. The behaviour which prompted Delia to move Ash into therapy.
Nothing would bring Goh back, the councillor underlined again and again on her notepad.
Nothing, Ash challenged, besides going back and saving his friend.
So he did what any Trainer who had a statistically ridiculous encounter rate with legendary Pokémon would do! He stole a Chansey's cart at the hospital, jammed it between the emergency exit, and on Cerise Laboratory's tab before the airport could be alerted to his escape, flew to visit Sheena and Kevin in Michina Town. Once there, he talked Sheena and Kevin into leading him to Dialga, the Temporal Pokémon.
This was the flight path to undoing his Darkest Day. His only path.
With Gengar's Psychic, he impelled Dialga (not without regret) to roar a hole through time. Ash then travelled back to before the accident occurred. To before he lost Goh.
He was setting a record number of rash decisions, but Ash was done failing. He introduced the Rotom in his Rotom Phone into the plane's computers, hit the cabin lights to distract the crew, and ordered Rotom to influence the plane off course to where he knew Eternatus wouldn't crest.
The Pikachu of the past gave off sparks against the window; he, Ash, Goh, and Scorbunny caught the concealed form of Eternatus skimming the clouds. And no one was the wiser that an Ash Ketchum from the future had diverted the timeline, for he'd faded away, erased by his own actions.
The next time that Ash Ketchum opened his eyes, he was staring up into an older Goh's eyes in Alola.
"It's just like you to take a nap in the middle of the day, Ash! We're going to be late for your brother's recital!"
"Recital?"
"Remember? Lei's doing the Alola Hula today! Don't tell me I have to kiss you to get you out of bed!"
Ash closed his eyes back up.
"Please do."