It's a beautiful day in Kanto, and two researchers from the Cerise Laboratory are on a morning stroll outside a forest, enjoying the lull in World Coronation Battles or research assignments.
"So, you got any plans for today, Goh?" Ash asked his partner.
"Not really. I guess I'll explore the forest, see what Pokemon we can bump into."
Suddenly, a massive form crashed out of the forest. It had a black body, a red belly, claw-tipped wings, and a jaw full of sharp teeth. "GAAARR!"
"Woah! A Garchomp! You rarely see one fully evolved, much less here in Kanto!" Goh cried out, and suddenly readies a Pokeball. "Pokeball go!"
"No wait!" Ash tried to grab Goh's hand, but too late. The Pokeball hit Garchomp, and immediately exploded, releasing the Pseudo-legendary. "AAR" It roared angrily and glared at the two trainers.
"What? But that usually works!" Goh said in disbelief.
Ash grabs Goh's shoulder and looked him in the eye. "You think a Pokemon as powerful as Garchomp will just let itself be captured like that?! You need to battle a Pokemon before catching it! That's trainer 101!"
"B-but you caught Dragonite without battling it! And almost all my Pokemon are caught without battles!"
"That's because Dragonite wanted to come with me! And most of the time you just got lu-grrrhk!"
Ash was stopped mid-sentence as the Garchomp lunged at him with its claw.
SHHK!
The sound of flesh being impaled. Ash felt magma like pain in his abdomen. He felt blood burst into his mouth, it's salty, metallic taste causing him to gag. His vision blurred, with Goh being just a gray splotch in front of him.
"ASH!"
"PIKAPI!"
Goh and Pikachu's voices were muffled, with all of Ash's senses being focused on the now bloody claw through his torso. Pikachu hits Garchomp with Iron Tail, sending it back a small distance, and Ash collapsed to his knees.
"Ash! Speak to me, pal!" Goh got down to help Ash up. Ash's vision cleared. He shook his head and looked at the Garchomp, which looks even angrier if anything. It looks like it can't be talked down.
"Run…" Ash croaked, his voice almost a whisper.
"What?"
"Run. I'll hold it off."
"Ash, no! I'm not leaving you here!"
Ash looked up and stared Goh in the eye. "Look, as much as I trust Pikachu, he won't be able to take down a rampaging Garchomp, and I don't have any of my other Pokemon with me. And neither do you!"
"No, Ash, we can help you escape! Don't do this!"
"Pikachu! Protect Goh and get the hell out of here!"
"Pika?"
Pikachu looked at Ash in disbelief. He is not willing to leave his trainer.
"NOW! THAT IS AN ORDER!" Ash grabbed Pikachu and tossed him to Goh, and pointed in the opposite direction, indicating to them to run. Both Pikachu and Goh have tears in their eyes, but Pikachu, as a Pokemon, cannot disobey a direct order from his trainer, and ran away.
Goh stood still. "Are you deaf Goh? Run! Run and don't look back!" Goh ran, but in his mind he promised to get help.
With his friend and partner out of earshot, Ash stood up, adrenaline coursing through what's left of his veins. Garchomp glared at him menacingly, and Ash glared back twice as fiercely. He whipped out a hunting knife he keeps for emergencies, and stared down his opponent.
"Alright, you overgrown land shark. Come get your treat. Be careful though, I sting."
"GAAARR!" Garchomp lunged, its claw glowing. Ash charged straight at the attack, and at the last second, jumped on Garchomp's claw, and stabbed it in the torso, drawing blood. Garchomp roars in pain and swipes it's wing across. Ash ducks, the attack missing. He lands on his back and jams the knife deep into Garchomp's knee, causing the Pokemon to buckle in pain. Garchomp glares at Ash, but before it can do anything, Ash kicks it in the jaw. While it did little damage, it left Garchomp's throat completely exposed. Ash swung the knife with all his strength, creating a massive gash followed by an equally massive spurt of blood, turning the grass red. Garchomp roared again, this time with fear in its voice. Ash rolled out from underneath and climbed onto it's back, and drove the knife into the back of the Dragon-type's neck. Ash pulls the knife out, and stabs Garchomp in the back at a random spot. Again, and again, and again, and again. Ash leapt off the Pokemon's back right as it fell, the ground thudding from the impact. But Ash wasn't done. He walked over to the Garchomp, who is now roaring uncontrollably in agony. Ash looked at it, his eyes a mix of pity and contempt. He then drove the knife, with both hands, right into the Pokemon's heart. It then became silent, and stopped moving.
Ash suddenly feel a surge of pain hit him at once, as his adrenaline faded. He looked at his wound. It was the size of a golf ball, but the blood spot around it is the size of a basketball. He didn't feel any sense of victory from the fight. He didn't have the time to. Ash trudged away into the forest, his eyes heavy, each step felt like stepping on a nail. "Water… I need water…"
10 minutes later…
Ash was now deep in the forest, and still bleeding from his wound. Suddenly he came across a small clearing, with a beam of sunlight illuminating it. He sat down against a tree, his eyes getting heavier and heavier every minute. There were no sounds, just the wind blowing through the trees. Suddenly, he can hear his own heartbeat, and starts seeing visions, all of them quite familiar to him.
Ba-dump
"Pika-chu!"
A chubby little Pikachu sits on a table in Oak's lab, having just been released from its ball.
"Its name is Pikachu." Oak explained.
"Woah, it's so cute! I got the best one!" Ash picked up Pikachu.
"You'll see."
"Hi, Pikachu, my name is Ash!"
"CHUUU!"
Ash receives a painful Thundershock for the first time. Suddenly, the lab, Professor Oak, and Pikachu fade away, and once again all Ash can see is forest.
Ba-dump
"Hey Ash, why are you so down?" a voice asked. Ash looked up. In front of him stood Misty, looking at him curiously.
"Huh?"
"Cheer up Ash, Brock's making us some lunch!"
Behind Misty, Ash can see Brock stirring a steaming pot over a fire. The air smells of Brock's curry. Brock then ladles some into a bowl, handing it to Misty. She then offers it to Ash, a smile on her face. "Careful, Ash, it's still hot!"
Ash reached out for the bowl, and before he could grab it, it disappeared, along with Brock and Misty.
Ba-dump
"Hey Ash!" Tracy waved to him, a sketchpad and pencil in hand. "Congratulations on winning the Alola league! Hang on, strike a pose with that trophy! This moment has to be memorized in both mind and paper!"
Tracy sat down and started drawing. Then, he disappeared
Ba-dump
"Ash! What are you dozing off for? It's the middle of the day! Besides, you promise we'd train after lunch!" May called out to her mentor, her Pokemon all by her side, jumping about excitedly.
"Come on, May. Even with Ash training you, you still don't know barely anything about how Pokemon work!" Max's snarky voice called out.
'Hey! At least I have Pokemon!"
May and her Pokemon then ran after Max's voice, and disappeared.
Ba-dump
"Hey Ash, congratulations! You sure showed that jerk Paul!" Dawn's bubbly voice called out, congratulating Ash on his victory. She sat down next to him and looked at the sky. "I'm so glad you finally made him taste defeat! Maybe now he'll stop being such a jerk to everyone."
She looked at him, and her face started to worry. "Hey, what's wrong? Are you still stressed from that battle?" Suddenly, a lightbulb lit up near her head. "I know! I'll do a little dance for you! Just let me get my cheerleader outfit on! Just wait right here!"
Dawn ran off, but she didn't come back.
Ba-dump
The sound of cooking can be heard. The scraping of a spatula against a pan, the cracking of a fire, the sizzling of food against hot metal. A few minutes later, Cilan stepped into the clearing, wearing a chef's hat and apron, holding a plate of food. "Hey Ash! I've been trying out this new recipe! It uses ingredients originating from your home region of Kanto, I'm sure you'll love it!" He offers the plate to Ash, but like the others, he went poof, and was gone, like he was never there.
Ba-dump
"Woah, you're the Alola champion, Ash?" Iris yelled in shock. "You never told me! Now I absolutely have to battle you! Champion vs Champion!"
She ran towards another end of a battlefield. "Come on! I can't wait forever! Even as champion, you're still a little kid!" She giggled, and then was gone, along with the battlefield.
Ba-dump
"Wow Clemont! Look at this! A Pikachu! And what a cutie!" Bonnie hugged Pikachu tightly, causing him to give her, Ash, and Clemont all a powerful Thunderbolt. "AAAAHHHH!"
Ba-dump
"Hey Ash! Want to have one more battle before you leave?" Clemont asked, holding a Pokeball.
"Alright Clemont, let's end this how we began! Pikachu! I choose you!"
Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder, and stood proudly and confidently on the battlefield.
"Bunnelby, let's go!"
Bunnelby was released from its ball, and stared Pikachu down.
"Electro ball!"
"Mud shot!"
Ba-dump
The scene shifted to an airport, at an escalator.
"Next time we meet, you're going to like the person I've grown into!" Serena winked, before stepping down the elevator. "Hey Ash! There's just one more thing!"
Serena ran up the escalator, and suddenly, kissed Ash on the lips. It lasted barely a second, but that was one of the most magical seconds of his life. The escalator pulled Serena away, her face blushing red. "Thank you!"
Then Serena, the escalator, and airport, disappeared.
Ba-dump
"Lycanroc is unable to battle! That makes Ash, the winner!" Professor Kukui announced.
The crowd cheered and applause. Lillie, Lana, Mallow, Kiawe, and Sophocles joining in, all cheering for Ash's first ever league victory. Ash watched in disbelief, as after nearly 8 years of traveling he finally won!
Ash walked across the battlefield, and shook hands with Gladion.
Ba-dump
"Hey Ash! Check it out! They say some rare Pokemon has been sighted just outside the city!" Goh cried out excitedly, looking at his phone. "Lets go see them! I might even be able to catch some!"
"Woah, woah, slow down there Goh! I'll be coming!"
Goh charged out the door, and as Ash was leaving, he looked back. "Hey Chloe! Want to tag along as well?"
Chloe stood up, with Eevee by her side. "Sure, it's the weekend after all. What do you think, Eevee?"
"Eevoi!"
Ba-dump
Now, Ash is dragged back to the forest clearing. His face is now pale, his breathing uneven. He looked at the sky, where suddenly, a golden bird flew past. Ho-oh. He remembered seeing it after him and Pikachu fought off that flock of Spearow at the beginning of his journey. What was a mesmerizing sight almost 10 years ago, seems like the legendary Pokemon mocking him, and all the times he died to save them. Realizing that he really is dying, Ash started to cry, remembering all the promises to his friends he won't be able to fulfill.
"I'm sorry, Misty. I couldn't see you become a water type master."
"I'm sorry Brock. I never saw you become a doctor."
"I'm sorry May, I never saw you surpass me."
"I'm sorry Max, we never will be able to battle."
"I'm sorry Dawn, I'll never be there to see you become Top Coordinator."
"I'm sorry Iris, I can't battle you again."
"I'm sorry Bonnie, I will never see you become a Pokemon Trainer. Who would you have picked as your starter? Froakie, like me? Fennekin, like Serena? Or Chespin, like your brother?"
"I'm sorry Lillie, I'll never know if you found your father or not."
"I'm sorry Goh, I hope you will catch Mew eventually."
"I'm sorry Chloe, I hope you will find your own path."
"And…" Ash choked on his tears. "I'm sorry, Serena. I'll never see, the kind of person you've become after so long…"
Ash coughed more blood. "Mom, help me, I'm scared…"
Suddenly, the bush rustled and moved.
"Ash? Ash, where are you?"
Suddenly, a girl walked out of the bushes.
Ash blinked. "Serena?"
The honey-blonde looked exactly as Ash remembered, which he didn't mind at all. She looked at Ash and smiled. "There you are! We've been searching everywhere for you! Come on! Clemont and Bonnie found this cave we can camp in!" She then looked at Ash with concern. "Is something wrong?" She then noticed Ash's wound. "Oh my! Let me patch you up real quick!" She took out a first aid kit, and brought out a roll of bandages, wrapping it around Ash's wound. She then waved her hand, and said "Feel better, feel better, right away! Sounds familiar?" Suddenly, the pain became numb, and his breathing eased. "Stand up and follow me, Ash!" Ash tried to stand, but stumbled, falling on his butt. "Ugh." "Come on Ash, you can do it! Remember your own words, don't give up until it's over!" She then offered her hand to Ash, and he took it. The two walked out of a clearing, and into a cave. In there, Clemont and Bonnie sat around a campfire. "Guys! I found Ash!" Clemont and Bonnie looked up, and their faces lit up with bright smiles. "There you are, Ash!" Clemont said. "I was just preparing to cook dinner! Sit down here!" Clemont patted a rock. Ash sat down and Serena sat right next to him. Ash laid his head on Serena's shoulder, and said "Hey, guys, I'm really tired right now. I'll take a nap." Bonnie nodded. "Alright, I'll wake you up when dinner's ready!" Warmed by the fire and Serena's body, Ash closed his eyes, for the last time. His breathing stopped, his heart, shortly after.
Ash S. Ketchum has died, age 19.
One hour later…
Goh and Pikachu returned to the spot outside the forest, with Professor Cerise, Chloe, and Officer Jenny following him. "Here's the spot and… and…" At the spot, there was no Ash. All they saw, was a dead Garchomp, a knife embedded deep in its heart.
"Where did Ash go?"
"Pika!"
Pikachu pointed at a trail of blood, leading into the forest. "Everyone! Pikachu found a blood trail! Let's follow it!" Everyone ran after the trail, into the forest. Into a clearing, where they slowly followed it into a cave.
"God, this cave is so dark. Are you sure Ash went in here?" Chloe asked. Goh turned on his flashlight. "We have to try, Chloe. If there is any hope of finding Ash, I'll-"
Goh stopped, his flashlight clattering on the floor. "Is something wrong?" Chloe, Professor Cerise, and Officer Jenny stood next to Goh. Chloe covered her mouth, trying not to gag. The professor's face was struck with horror. Even Jenny was in shock. Lit up by the flashlight, was Ash's body. He sat on a rock and leaned against a stalactite. His eyes were closed, and he had a peaceful smile on his face. Goh dropped to his knees, sobbing, with Chloe doing her best to comfort him. Pikachu ran to Ash's body, nudging it, desperately hoping his trainer would wake up, like he always had. Officer Jenny inspects his corpse, and declared, "I'd say he's been dead for about an hour. We were too late." She took off her cap. "I'm sorry."
Professor Cerise turned around, and got on his phone. "Delia, this is Professor Cerise… it's about your son…"
Two week later…
It has been a week since Ash's funeral. Delia was inconsolable, Professor Oak, Gary, and Pikachu doing their best to comfort her. Tracy did his best to console Ash's Pokemon, who all felt shame they hadn't been there to protect their trainer. Misty closed down her gym to mourn, Brock took a break from doctor's school to visit Delia. May and Dawn stopped their coordinator activities out of respect. Max ended up staying home at Petalburg for weeks. Bonnie locked herself in her room for a week, only coming out to eat or take a shower. Clemont buried himself in his inventions trying to build a "Ash-reviving machine". He has yet to be successful. Professor Kukui and Burnet closed down their school, all flags in Alola flew at half mast to show respect for its deceased Champion. Lillie stopped searching for her father, and returned to Alola to help comfort her friends. Even baby Lei, who was barely a year old, seemed to know something was wrong with Big Brother Ash. Goh stopped researching and catching Pokemon for over a month, having developed a case of Survivor's guilt. Chloe regret not spending time to get to know Ash better, feeling shame on how cold she was to him in their first few weeks together. And Serena…
Vaniville Town, Kalos
"Serena, please! You haven't been out of your room for a day! At least come out and eat!" Grace knocked on her daughter's door, but she knew it was no use. Serena has been crying uncontrollably for the last 2 hours, and only now has she calmed down enough for Grace to approach her door.
"SHUT UP MOM! He's dead! And he's never coming back!"
Grace sighed "I'm saddened about it too, but please, you need to take care of yourself! What would Ash think if he was here to see this?"
"That's the thing mom! He… he isn't here to see this!"
"Please, Serena! Did you forget what he used to say? Don't give up until it's over! Life is full of sadness, but we need to move on!"
This seemed to do the trick, as a few moments later, Serena walked out of her room. Her hair a mess,her eyes red from crying. She sat down at the table and ate in silence. When she finished, she immediately went back to her room and fell asleep.
That night, in Serena's room, footsteps, very faint footsteps can be heard. A translucent figure with raven black hair and a red cap walked over to Serena's bedside. It stroked her hair lightly, but it's hands simply went through her. The figure seem to sigh in sadness and frustration, and then left a note on Serena's nightstand, then disappeared as suddenly as it appeared.
The next morning, Serena woke up. She noticed the note, and read it.
Hey Serena, I'm sorry I could never fulfill the promise of seeing the kind of person you've become. But no matter what, I'm sure I would have loved it. I'm sorry I had to go so soon, and I hope you understand. But don't worry, I'm always there, watching your progress, watching you grow, because that's what we promised to each other! I'll be waiting patiently for you, for we will one day reunite on the other side! Until then, always remember, don't give up until it's over!
I love you and will always be with you,
Ash
Tears glimmered in Serena's eyes, as she hugged the note tightly. "Thank you, Ash. Thank you. I promise I won't disappoint." Serena ran down the stairs, and ate breakfast quickly. "Wow, you seem to have gotten better!" Grace remarked. "I did, mom! I'm going through the performer circuit again, to become Kalos Queen! Ash is watching me from above, I need to make sure I don't disappoint him!