"Everyone hurry up the match is going to start!" The brunette May shouted as the Pokemon League came back on from its commercial break.
Quickly a horde of people hurried out of the kitchen with drinks and snacks and sat down on and around the sofa in front of the television.
"Who's battling next?" A thirteen year old teal haired Trainer with large glass asked excitedly.
"A girl named Daniel and Shay!" May squealed excitedly.
"Shay's awesome and so cool and strong I want to be just like him!" The boy replied enthusiastically.
"Quiet down Max, the introductions are about to begin!" The blunette Dawn said seriously as she turned up the volume on the television. Her, May, Brock, Tracy and the Professor knew that Ash was about to compete and they wanted to see every second of it. Gary, Max, Drew, and Paul, were unaware of the upcoming revelation and were waiting patiently. Well everyone but Max that is.
"But Dawn, I-"
"Listen kid, take it easy, we get you have a crush on this Shay guy but you need to quiet down for when they say his name!" A spikey haired male brunette said coolly.
"But Gary-"
"Quiet down all of you!" Professor Oak shouted irritably! "All you have done is bicker, bicker, bicker and you haven't been quiet since you woke up. Now if you will please be quiet they're about to begin!"
Everyone in the room stared wide eyed at the irritated Professor before silently turning their attention to the television.
'The weather may be awful, but today's match will be nothing short of spectacular between the Red Trainer, from Goldenrod City who uses her beauty, charm, and skills as a Trainer to send her opponents Pokemon packing, Daniel Flower!' The announcer on the TV cheered.
'Here it comes…' Five people in the room thought simultaneously.
'And for her opponent who has taken the League by storm, by his unique tactics and mysterious ways to win the hearts of many; Please everyone welcome the Green Trainer from Kantos own Pallet Town, As-' They stared at the screen with anticipation.
"Who from Pallet Town is com-" Gary was cut off as the announcer continued.
'A-Ash K-Ketchum from Pallet Town…'
The room silenced as they heard the name.
"Wha-Wha-WHAT!" Gary shouted in disbelief staring at the screen as if it was crazy.
No one replied, they just waited in shock for the impending arrival of Ash.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
[Deep in a Forest in Kanto]
"Come on Jess pass me a can of soup I'm starving here!" A blue haired man whined as he reached desperately across the forest floor to a red head with long hair and a scowl on her face.
"No James this is the last can and its mine, go find food elsewhere!" She said triumphantly as she held the can of soup away from James.
"You's two be quiet, I'm tryin ta watch the League here!" A catlike Pokemon shouted as he moved the antenna around on a small portable television.
Jessie and James moved over to where Meowth was messing with the television, '-Opponent who has… unique tactics and…'
"Come on Meowth get this thing fixed," Jessie shouted irritably.
"I'm tryin here, I don't see's you two's helpin-" Meowth stopped as the sound and picture became clear. The trio of villains huddled together around the small screen and watched intently.
"The Green Trainer from Kantos own Pallet Town, As-"
"Oh it's just some farmer from-" Jessie stopped as the announcer finished.
'A-Ash K-Ketchum from Pallet Town…'
"THE TWERP!" The three shouted simultaneously as they leapt to their feet in surprise.
"Bu-bu-but!" James stuttered.
"The Twerp… It's…. It's the freaking Twerp!" Jessie exclaimed in delight!
"Waits you guy's he ain't even come out yet, how's we know it's really him!" Meowth stated as he turned up the volume.
"But if it's the Twerp we can go capture his Pikachu! We couldn't do it before because it didn't feel right… But now. Meowth ready the balloon!" Jessie ordered excitedly.
"Oh sit down Jess we can do that after, lets watch!" James grinned delightedly.
"Oh fine, but afterwards… Meowth ready the balloon!"
"Yeh yeh, maybe aftawards…" Meowth replied waving his paw dismissively.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
[Indigo Stadium]
Not a word was spoken; the only sound was the pouring rain that pelted the stands and field of the stadium.
Then in a second. It was in an uproar.
"Lies!"
"He's dead!"
"Who's this imposter?"
The crowd was in a frenzy, they had all seen the accident five years ago and they knew of the death of Ash Ketchum. There had been a memorial held for him the following year at the Indigo, and Sinnoh League in his honour.
The fact that after five years he would comeback from the dead was impossible.
The uproar ceased in an instant as a lone figure could be seen down the tunnel of the Green entrance. The scoreboard lit up with a picture of Ash in his Kanto attire and six green boxes underneath. However the person who walked out was not dressed in those clothes.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Ash took a deep breath, he didn't speak because his voice would come through microphone and that would ruin his entrance. He heard the crowd silence before becoming rowdy; he knew the reaction would be less then welcoming, but that didn't deter him.
With one last determined breath Ash and Pikachu finished the walk down the hall and stepped into the pouring rain. The crowd gasped.
"It's him!"
"That's his Pikachu!"
"What's he wearing?"
The crowd was shocked by the appearance of Ash, but now they were even more shocked to see the Rocket uniform he currently donned.
"Domino." Ashs voice was cold as it echoed through the stadium silencing everyone in a heartbeat. The atmosphere changed to match the weather; it was dark, cold, and unsettling.
Domino smirked, "Your Highness," She bowed to him as he stepped up to his box.
Ash grinned, but it never reached his eyes. "I'm sorry, but it's not the same if I'm not at the Academy." he stated.
"So what's with the get up?" She jerked her thumb at his clothing, "Thought you had your kiddy clothes to wear for the big day?"
"I thought about it, I'm going to end it the way it started." He stated as he reached for a Pokeball at his side.
"Oh and how might that be?"
"As who I am, a Rocket."
Domino grinned evilly as she reached for a Pokeball at her side.
Ash turned his gaze from the blond to the stunned wide-eyed Referee. "Are you going to start?"
"O-Oh…Ye-ye-Yes… The-The following is a six on six b-battle between Daniel Flower a-and Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town… Are bo-" He didn't finish as Ash and Domino tossed their Pokeballs into the air and released their first Pokemon.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
[Indigo Plateau-Elite Suites]
Lance opened the door to his suite and went over to a nearby desk and sat down dropping a stack of papers onto it as he did so. He had just gotten out of a meeting with the other members of the Elite Four, and now he had paper work to fill out.
Sighing, he took a document and began to fill out the necessary information and stamping his seal of approval. Ten minutes in he got a phone call. Getting up from his chair he walked over to the videophone and turned it on.
"LANCE ARE YOU SEEING THIS!" A blond woman with strange black hair clips in her hair yelled on the other end.
Lance pulled the receiver away from his ear as he was deafened by the screech.
"Cynthia what are you yelling about?" He asked as he brought the phone back to his ear.
"Are you not watching the League? You have to get down there!" She exclaimed.
Lances eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "No I just got back from a me-"
"WELL TURN IT ON!" Cynthia shouted cutting him off.
Lance did as told and turned on the television before switching to the current match. His eyes widened as he saw a member of Team Rocket.
"Cynthia a member of Team Rocket is competing!" He asked incredulously!
"Yes, but it's Ash Ketchum!" She exclaimed in disbelief running a hand through her long blond hair.
Lance gaped, "The one you wanted to take as an apprentice, the one from the Sinnoh Attack?" He asked seriously to clarify.
"Yes Lance it's really him you have to go get him to safety quickly!"
Lance nodded, "Alright, I'm an hour away. When I get there I'm bringing him back to Indigos Head Quarters and I need you and Steven to get here ASAP!" Lance said as he reached into his cape and pulled out a Pokeball.
"Good luck Lance." Cynthia said in farewell as she shut off the call. Lance hung up and ran for his balcony, pushing open the glass door he tossed his Pokeball into the air and materialized was his faithful yellow Dragonite.
Lance swung onto its back, "Dragonite full speed to the Indigo League, don't hold back!" He shouted as Dragonite lifted off the ground and shot off into the horizon at an incredible speed.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Neither Rocket called the first move; Ash had called out his Gabite while Domino had released a Raticate. The pairs were staring each other down.
"Gabite Slash!" Ash ordered!
Gabite sprinted down the field with its claws glowing white and began slashing away at the normal type.
"Raticate, counter with Bite." Domino said nonchalantly. Raticate dodged then began snapping at Gabite's arms with its massive front teeth.
"Gabite dig down, then take it out!"
Gabite dodged a bite by digging into the ground, disappearing in a cloud of dust. Raticate looked around frantically, while Domino picked at something on her jacket.
'She's not even trying…'
The silent field erupted underneath of where the Raticate stood and sent it flying as an orange sphere shot into the air and shattered into dozens more that plummeted down towards the injured rat.
Raticate was pelted mercilessly with the powerful Dragon type move, while Domino stood smiling. The Referee ran forward and raised a green flag.
"Raticate is unable to battle, point to the Green Trainer!" The referee announced. No one cheered, no one said a word, leaving the stadium in an eerie silence. Domino hadn't even tried to take out Ashs Pokemon and had left it to fend for itself. And Ash was a case himself, he was dressed as a member of Team Rocket, and had said he was a member of them.
"If you're not going to try, then get this over with Domino. Don't delay this." Ash called out to the girl.
"And why would I do that?" She asked smirking as she tossed another Pokeball out onto the field. The Pokeball opened and in a flash of light emerged a large purple cobra.
Ash sighed, "Gabite return," He stated as he recalled the Dragon Type, and tossed out another. Staraptor emerged onto the field.
"Staraptor Brave Bird!" Ash ordered. Staraptor sped off quickly towards the Arbok and spun being engulfed by an intense blue energy.
Domino watched as Staraptor drove headfirst into the purple cobra and sent it sailing into the wall of the stadium.
"Aerial Ace!"
Staraptor U-turned and accelerated back towards the heavily damaged Pokemon. Staraptor drove its beak into the midsection of Arbok and speared it back into the wall.
Domino yawned as the Referee stepped forward and raised his Green flag, "Arbok is unable to battle, point to the Green Trainer!"
Ash scowled, "So how does this go down Domino? You lose, then when I walk out you put a bullet in my back?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about; I'm waiting for the right time to go on the offensive." She replied casually.
"What if I can give it to you?"
Domino raised an eyebrow and smirked, "And how by chance would you do that?"
Ash smirked, "These Pokemon you sent out aren't the ones I'm interested in. You send out one of the special ones and battle, and I'll give you that chance." Ash bargained.
"I don't think so, why-" Ash cut her off.
"You'll have to send one out eventually, so we can continue at the pace we're going and I slowly take out your team. Or you send one out and we end this."
"How do I know you're telling the truth?" She asked tapping her chin thoughtfully.
"I've accepted the outcome of this match. I just want to see what I've been trying so hard to stop, that's all."
Domino smirked, "Alright, but how will you allow me to do this?"
"Don't worry, I've planned for this." Ash replied.
"Alright, you got yourself a deal your Highness!" She bowed mockingly and took out a Pokeball. Ash quickly recalled Staraptor and Pikachu ran out onto the field.
"Pikachu you're not battling, return!" Ash ordered forcefully as he pulled out a Pokeball. Pikachu solemnly returned with his head lowered and ears dripping with rain.
Domino removed a Pokeball from her side, and tossed it into the air. The ball burst open and in a flash of light emerged a black dog Pokemon that Ash was all too familiar with.
As soon as it came out, Ash could feel the dark Aura that clouded it. The Houndoom was cold, heartless, vicious, a machine made for the purpose of killing.
"This is what you trained for!" Ash called out as he tossed his Pokeball into the air, in a flash of light a large orange dog appeared on the field snarling at his opponent.
"Are you ready Arcanine?" Ash called out. There was a growl of assent from Growlithes evolutionary form as it pawed the ground in anticipation.
"Th-The follo-" The announcer was cut off.
"Houndoom Flamethrower!" Domino ordered.
Houndoom opened its jaws and unleashed a scorching torrent of flames towards Arcanine.
"Block!" Ash shouted.
Arcanine countered by releasing a barrage of flames that collided with the upcoming attack. The attacks met in the center of the field and were evenly matched for power as the streams of flames steamed from the rain.
The Flamethrowers ceased and the two Fire Types glared at each other snarling. "Arcanine use Crunch!" Ash ordered eying the Dark type at the other end of the field. Arcanine dashed off with incredible and snapped its jaws shut on the Houndooms throat.
"Slash no holding back!" Domino ordered grinning evilly. Houndoom twisted and slashed its claws deep into Aracaines chest, tearing into its skin drawing a trickle of blood.
Arcanine let its hold go on the Dark Type as it yelped in pain staggering back.
"Arcanine, Stomp followed by Thunder Fang!" Ash shouted clenching his hand into a fist.
Arcanine winced as it brought its massive paw up and slammed it down onto the spine of Houndoom, forcing it onto its stomach. Arcanine quickly followed by its fangs sparking with electricity and biting down onto the neck of the Dark Type electrocuting it.
Houndoom instinctively retaliated by turning its neck and unleashing a devastating point blank range Flamethrower into the face of Arcanine. Arcanine jumped back as the flames passed through its fur turning it a shade of black.
"Arcanine Extreme Speed then use Flamethrower!" Ash ordered as he watched the Dark Type closely. Arcanine disappeared from sight and slammed head on into Houndoom who slid back at the impact but shook off the blow seemingly unaffected.
As Houndoom slid back, flames propelled out of Arcanines jaw and engulfed the Dark Type.
The flames continued for ten seconds before the attack ceased,
Ash eyed the black dog with extreme curiosity, 'It should have been takin down by now. Even tho it was a fire attack that hit it was still extremely powerful.'
"Houndoom Hyper Beam!" Domino smirked.
"Block with Fire Blast!"
Arcanine opened its jaws and unleashed a massive jet of flames that rocketed off towards the incoming orange beam of energy.
The two attacks collided and the Hyper Beam cut cleanly through the flames and impaled Arcanine sending it somersaulting through the mud.
"Arcanine, can you continue?" Ash asked worriedly as he saw the Fire Type painfully get to his feet. Arcanine growled flaring its fangs in acknowledgement.
Ash pursed his lips, was it worth it? Put Arcanine through more pain just to see how far the Houndoom would go?
"Alright try a Flamethrower!
"Bite!" Domino ordered.
Arcanine unleashed a torrent of flames towards the Dark Type who was sprinting across the field. Houndoom dove through the blaze and straight at Arcanines leg, driving its fangs deep into the Fire Types flesh.
The stadium physically winced as they heard Arcanine yelp in pain.
Ash gritted his teeth together as he saw blood begin to soak into Arcanines fur coat, "Arcanine Thunder Fang no mercy!" Ash barked angrily.
With tremendous effort Arcanine snapped its jaws down onto the back of the neck of Houndoom, driving its teeth deep into the soft flesh and drawing blood. Houndoom winced, which made it tighten its grip on Arcanines leg.
Seconds later Arcanines teeth crackled with sparks before electricity was sent coursing through the Dark Types veins and through its body, which was amplified by the wetness of its fur coat.
Houndoom continued to bury its sharp fangs into Arcanines leg, which was now dark red with blood.
Ash couldn't take it anymore; he reached for his belt and took out Arcanines Pokeball, "I forfeit this match, Arcanine return!" Ash shouted as the red beam of light engulfed the bleeding Fire Type, and returned it to safety.
"Time for your end of the deal Ketchum." Domino stated as Houndoom slowly walked back to its side of the field.
Ash closed his eyes, and reached for another Pokeball. Unclipping it from his belt, he enlarged it and looked back at Domino.
"I know," Ash said as his other hand moved to the scabbard on his side and removed the throwing knife.
Domino grinned as she saw the motion, "You won't be fast enough."
"I make the first move got it?" Ash state firmly.
Domino smirked, "Fine."
Ash tossed his Pokeball over the field, and switched the knife over to his right hand. The Pokeball burst open and Charizard materialized onto the field, glaring menacingly at the injured Houndoom.
"Charizard. It's time."
Charizard snapped its gaze from the Dark Type to Ash and shook its head. "You will do this Charizard. If you don't Gabite will."
Charizard growled at Ash, and shook its head. "Are you going to do it?" Ash asked as he raised Charizards Pokeball to point directly at him.
Charizard scowled and looked back at Domino, after a second Charizard returned its gaze to Ash and grunted.
Ash nodded, and replaced the red and white sphere onto his side. Charizard moved to Ashs right so there was no obstacles between the two Rockets.
The world was watching uneasily between the interactions of the two battlers. There hadn't been a match where Pokemon had been driven to the point of bleeding in more than ten years. The brutality shown in the previous match, and the discussions between Ash and Domino had been fairly unsettling.
"You ready?" Domino asked as she reached into her jacket.
"Never been more ready in my life. Charizard use Sand Storm!" Ash ordered.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Alyssa lay prone on the roof of the Stadium watching Ash and Domino carefully through the scope of the sniper rifle.
Ash spoke, "I forfeit this match, Arcanine return!" Alyssa watched as the red beam of light contacted Arcanine and returned it to the safety of its Pokeball.
"Time for your end of the deal Ketchum." Alyssa had to restrain herself from touching the trigger as she aimed the rifle at Domino's skull.
Alyssa pointed the gun at Ash and watched as he removed his throwing knife from his side and released Charizard onto the field.
"You ready?" Alyssa returned the barrel to its previous position and flicked off the safety.
'I'll be damned if I lose him here.' Alyssa thought as she removed the safety. She had never killed a person, and her adrenaline was coursing through her trying to make her pull the trigger prematurely. She had to wait for the Sandstorm and use it for cover so her shot couldn't be traced back to where she lay.
"Never been more ready in my life. Charizard use Sand Storm!" Alyssa held her breath and waited.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Delia what's he talking about… I-I don't like this." Misty stuttered worriedly. As soon as she saw Ash in the Rocket uniform she knew something was wrong.
"I… I dunno sweety but I don't like this. I don't like this one bit…" Delia whispered as she nervously played with her jacket.
Misty saw Ash reach to his side and remove something, "He! He's going to try and Ki…" She stopped; she didn't want to believe what she was witnessing.
Charizard appeared on the field and Delia saw Domino reach into her jacket. Delia paled as she realized what was about to happen, "Oh God no, oh God please no… They're going to…" She was shaking, as Ash argued with Charizard.
Misty paled as she saw was Delia realized, "We-We need to get down there, now. We have to get him out of there!" Misty shouted as she got up from her seat.
She stopped as Delia grabbed tightly around the wrist with tears in her eyes, "We can't stop this Misty. We won't make it in time, and-and what would we do if we made it down there in time?"
Misty was close to panicking, "We, we, we, I don't know! We stop it!" She shrieked.
"Sit down it's… Up to Ash." Misty stared disbelievingly at Delia, she was going to watch her own son be gunned down and she was acting as if it was inevitable.
"I-" She didn't get a chance to continue as the field and stadium were engulfed into a thick cloud of sand and dust that blinded everyone from seeing a meter ahead of them.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Charizard flew a meter of the ground with its wings glimmering an irony white. Charizard stopped flying and fell to the ground landing firmly on it's to feet starting a dust cloud around it.
Charizard flapped its powerful wings and a large twister of dust spawned in front of it and soon enlarged and covered the stadium in a thick deafening cloud of dust. It stopped flapping when it heard a feint snapping sound through the storm.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
The stadium coughed as dust and sand filled their lungs, after a minute, the deafening storm slowly began to fade. The crowd watched the field curiously as it was still engulfed by a thick cloud of dust.
After a minute, there was a sound.
A terrified shriek echoed through the silent arena.
It was soon followed by hundreds more as everyone could see a body that lay unmoving on the field below.
"Oh God no!" Delia shot up from her seat and pushed through the shocked crowd and over to the stands entrance. She bolted through the stadium and found her way over to the doors of the field entrance.
Pushing through the field doors she sprinted as fast as she could over to the prone figure on the ground. She fell to her knees as tears streamed down her face as she saw the blood soaking through Ashs shirt.
"Ashy why, Ashy no please no…" She hiccuped as she watched her dying son shakily reach into his pocket and grip the envelope tightly.
"Oh God no, no, no…" Misty sobbed as she reached Delia and saw the pale Ash. She fell to her knees, but was quickly pushed aside by a frantic Alyssa.
"Move!" She shouted as she took Ashs knife from his belt and cut from the collar down so she could examine the wound.
She heard footsteps rapidly approaching, but she didn't remove her eyes from the bloody wound. The bullet had entered three inches underneath the heart.
"Get him on the stretcher!" Nurse Joy ordered hurriedly as she saw the blood gushing from the pale boy. Two men lifted the limp body and placed him on the stretcher.
Alyssa hopped onto the stretcher and sat herself over top of Ashs chest and pressed firmly on top of the wound with both hands to try and stanch the blood flow.
Misty and Delia watched terrified as Ash was wheeled through the doors of the stadium and out of sight. Misty returned a furious Charizard to his pokeball and picked up a shaking Pikachu before the two females sprinted after the departing stretcher.
Leaving a paled, scared, shocked, and terrified world.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
[Four Hours Later]
Misty, Alyssa, Delia, and Pikachu waited in uncomfortable silence in the hospital waiting room. Three hours ago Ash had been moved to the hospital unconscious and losing blood fast. They had arrived at the hospital and Ash had been immediately taken to the Emergency Room for surgery.
Misty and Delia held each mother's hands tightly as tears ran down their cheeks. Alyssa was holding Pikachu tightly to her chest, staring at the white tiled floor without blinking, and Pikachu kept his face buried in her hoodie trying to remove the images he saw.
He had been right beside Ash when he hit the ground. He saw the shocked Ashs expression when the bullet took him in the stomach. The images were imprinted in his mind, and they wouldn't be going anywhere.
The red Emergency Room sign turned green with a quiet ding. The three females snapped their gaze to the door with anxiety.
Time seemed to slow down for them for the seconds seemed like hours before a doctor arrived. The man wore a light blue short sleeved t-shirt that was tucked into the matching pants. He had a face mask and short brown hair.
Delia watched in suspenseful worry as he approached her, "Mrs. Ketchum?" He asked softly.
"Ye-Yes…" She couldn't continue.
He took of the face mask, "Your son is alive."
Those four words sent an unimaginable amount of relief and happiness over the four occupants in the room.
"Oh thank god…" Delia cried, "Can we see him?" She pleaded.
The doctor shook his head, "Unfortunately no, he is still under careful observation, but he will be moved to a room shortly which is when you can see him." He informed.
Delia nodded shakily, "Thank you doctor, thank you so much…"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Fifteen minutes later the doctor came back to the group and brought them into a small room square room where a shirtless Ash was on a bed hooked up to IV bags, and a heart rate monitor.
The four didn't say a word; Pikachu hopped out of Alyssa's grasp and onto the bed and carefully approached Ash and gently snuggled up by his side.
Delia, Misty, and Alyssa sat in silence as they watched the unmoving boy. "Alyssa what happened out there?" Misty whispered.
"I wish I knew… He told me on the roof, that they knew he would be at the League… That they were there to kill him…"
"But… But why did he go if he knew that they wanted him…" Delia didn't finish, she couldn't bring herself to say those words.
Alyssa shook her head sadly, "He's gone through too much… He doesn't want to keep running, hiding, being alone. He just wants it to be over, and if that means by him sacrificing himself so that Team Rocket is stopped… Then that's what he'll do." Alyssa fought with every ounce of strength to keep her tears in.
"Excuse me?" A quiet voice spoke from behind them. The three females turned around and saw a red haired man with a cape.
"Mrs. Ketchum?" Lance asked softly.
Delia stared wide eyed at the Champion, "Ye...Yes?"
Lance stepped into the small room, "I'm sorry that you have to go through all this, my name is Lance." Lance nodded to Delia and turned to Misty, "It's nice to see you again Misty… I just wish it could be under better circumstances," Then turning to Alyssa, "and your name?"
"Alyssa…" Alyssa stared curiously at the Champion, why would he be here…
"It's a pleasure to meet you Alyssa. I guess you three wonder what I'm doing here?" He asked. The three nodded.
"I came for Ash, I tried to get to the Stadium sooner, but I was too late."
"What do you want with Ash?" Misty asked worriedly turning to look at the sleeping raven haired boy.
"He could have important information regarding Team Rocket, I came to-"
"Ash and I have the information you need. It's all back at our cabin at the League." Alyssa stated as she went around to Ashs side.
"What" Lance asked curiously?
"Ash was a former Team Rocket trainee, and I'm-"
"And you were not supposed to shoot remember?" A weak voice spoke. Everyone snapped their gaze to Ash who was trying to sit himself up.
"Ash!" The three females chorused together in delight.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu snuggled against Ashs side.
"Ash lay back down your too weak!" Misty scolded as she gently pushed Ash back down.
Ash looked offended by the remark, "I've been shot before, it's not like I'm dead or anything… Lance it's nice to see you again." Ash greeted.
"Hello Ash, how are you doing?"
"I couldn't help but over hear your conversation…" Ash stopped as he reached into his pocket and produced the envelope.
"This is your information here." Ash extended the envelope over to Lance who took it shocked. "This is all the information?" He asked in surprise.
"There's more back at the lodge like Alyssa said, but that's a rundown of what Team Rocket is doing. I don't know how much you and the G Men know, but I doubt it's as much as I know…"
Lance opened the envelope and took out a sheet of folded paper, he began to read the writing on it and after a minute he finished.
"You're sure about this?" Lance asked seriously.
"Yes, we have the important details back at the lodge and you can have full access to those. On one condition."
"And what's that?" Lance raised an eyebrow at Ash.
"You kill that son of a bitch Giovanni." Ash stated coldly.
"The G Men don't kill-" Ash cut him off.
"This won't end until he's dead. If you capture him and keep Giovanni alive, Team Rocket won't stop. You have to take out the leader, then without anyone leading them they'll panic. And once they panic they disband. Then you arrest every single one of their sorry asses's and put them behind bars, and charge them for murder."
Lance eyed Ash curiously, "We'll see… What about you what are you going to do?"
"Go home. My war is done, and so is Alyssa's, they think I'm dead so I change my name, die my hair and move to Orre…"
"As long as they think I'm dead, my friends and family will be safe and I'll be free. Slightly restricted, but free…" Ash trailed off as he saw the looks he got from the three females.
"Good luck to you then, but do you think once you're out of here you could come with me to the Indigo League Head Quarters?"
"Why?"
"There is possible information that could be useful to us that you know that isn't in the lodge back at Indigo."
Ash nodded, "Deal."
Lance nodded, "Alright, I'll take my leave then. Get well soon Ash." With that the Champion turned and left the room.
"So what happened to Domino, did I get her?" Ash asked curiously.
There was silence before an answer, "We don't know, her and her Houndoom were missing from the field, they were gone..." Alyssa answered.
"Dammit..." Ash ran a hand through his hair in annoyance and laid back down closing his eyes so he could rest. Getting shot hurt like a hell, and he was tired after the last few days.
"Honey what did you mean when you said you're going back to Orre?" Delia asked nervously.
"I can't stay at home, I have to go somewhere where Team Rocket wouldn't suspect anything, I'll stay in Orre for a year or two then move into a house in Pallet… I can't compete in Leagues anymore, so I have to stick with Coliseums. So in Orre I'll make my money there and then come back to Kanto..." Ash trailed off and fell silent as his breathing became slower.
"Ash?" Misty asked worriedly.
No answer.
"Ash?" Alyssa shook him once.
No answer, Delia looked at the heartbeat monitor and gasped. The numbers were depleting and the bar was getting smaller and smaller, "NURSE!" She shouted hoarsely, she ran out the door and screamed for help.
"HELP!"
Two nurses ran to the frantic Delia and looked into the room. They saw the now even paler Ash and the heartbeat monitor. One nurse ran to his side and took his wrist and checked his pulse.
"His pulse is growing weaker; we need you to step out now!" She commanded as she took Pikachu off the bed and handed him quickly to Misty. The trio of females watched horrified as they saw the nurses bring out a defibrillator
"Out of the room now!" The three girls hesitantly left the room shaking, the door was shut behind them and they stood terrified at what just happened.
"What… What happened?" Misty whispered.
Neither Delia nor Alyssa answered; both were in shock of the event that just occurred. After ten minutes of standing outside the door, the trio hesitantly returned to the lobby and waited nervously.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
It was another fifteen minutes before anyone came to see them.
The nurse who checked Ashs pulse came through the doors of the lobby and over to the three females and Pikachu.
"Mrs. Ketchum?" The nurse spoke quietly.
Delia looked up at the nurse, "Is he alright?" She asked hopefully.
The nurse didn't answer immediately, "Mrs. Ketchum I'm afraid that your son has passed away."
The world stopped. Those words, were never supposed to be spoken. Not again, not after… Not after he came back, not after everything they've been through.
"No he's not." Delia said shaking her head refusing to believe what she just heard.
"Mrs. Ketchum he-"
"HE"S NOT DEAD DON'T LIE TO ME!" She shrieked as tears streamed down her cheeks. "HE IS NOT DEAD!"
"WHERE IS HE?" She yelled as she grabbed her hair with both hands. She was shaking, not believing any of this for a second.
"You can come see him, but only for a short time…" The nurse trailed off sadly and motioned for the group to follow her.
Delia stormed after her in near hysterics, while Misty and Alyssa remained seated staring blankly ahead in shock. Alyssa shakily got to her feet, barely able to stand with Pikachu in her arms. "C-Come on M-Misty…" She whispered as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Misty almost fell over as she stood up, this was too much for her to handle, he couldn't be gone. not again, not after everything that's happened.
The three slowly made their way back to Ashs room and felt their hearts wrench at the sight, Delia was sobbing, as she shook Ash by the shoulders calling for him to wake up, pleading for him to open his eyes and tell her he was alright, but he never did.
But he never did…
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
[One Month Later]
Hundreds of people stood at the Pallet Town Cemetery, the sun was out and light glistened through the branches of the trees. Two rows of Pokemon, and people dressed in suits and black dresses, stood together and watched as four men carried a wooden casket through the aisle.
Tears streamed down the faces of all those at the Ceremony. The casket carried by Brock, Gary, Professor Oak and Tracy slowly made its way down the aisle and stopped at the end of the line and positioned the casket over a rectangular hole that had a grave stone at the end of it.
The only sound at the cemetery was sniffling, crying, and the slight wind that ruffled the tree branches.
A lone figure stepped out of the lineup and slowly walked over to the casket. Tears ran down her pale cheeks and onto her black dress as she placed a red and white baseball cap onto the lid. She instantly burst into tears and returned to her place in the line and was brought into a tight hug by a large group who hugged the poor girl.
Everyone turned their gaze to the casket for the final time as the four men gently lowered the casket and hat into the ground.
With the casket laid gently into the hole, three Pokemon left the line and over to a dirt pile beside the hole. Brock, Gary, Tracey, and the Professor slowly made their way over to the lineup where they were taken into a hug as tears streamed down their cheeks.
A bell echoed through the cemetery, drawing everyone's attention to the hole, the casket was laid in. After the third ring, the three Pokemon, Gabite, Infernape, and Arcanine pushed the dirt neatly into the hole, and with one final glance at the grave they returned to their friends and closed their eyes.
All those that were assembled lowered their heads, and removed their hats as they closed their eyes in silence. They knew of the sacrifice the boy had made, but was it worth it? Some would say yes… Others no.
After ten minutes of silence, those furthest from the grave quietly turned and began to walk away towards the exit. Slowly others followed their example until there were only eleven that remained in a semi-circle around the grave.
These were his closest friends. No, they weren't his friends… They were his family, and he was theirs. One by one, they left the circle and placed a flower with white petals gently on top of the grave with a few final parting words.
With the final Lilac placed, the group began the heart wrenching walk to the gate of the cemetery. Pushing open the short gate, they all turned back and had one final look at where their friend was laid to rest.
After one last moment of silence, the group slowly departed. Only remembering the words that had been engraved on the gravestone.
Ashton Jay Ketchum
(May 22, 1994 - October 16, 2012)
A Loving Son, Friend, and Hero To All
Sacrificing Himself For The Safety Of Others
He Brought Happiness and Friendship To All
His Legacy Lives On And Is To Never Be Forgotten
As He Is Truly The Pokemon Master