Lars's character development is second only to Peridot's. Seriously, it takes a lot of work to make an absolutely despised character like the old Lars and make him one of the most honorable characters just like that, and I have to give credit to the writers. You probably already know what's going to happen next with our old friend Lars, but what about Ash and his companions? Let's find out shall we? *I DO NOT OWN EITHER STEVEN UNIVERSE OR POKEMON*

"I'm so sorry, but he's dead"

Ash felt Clemont's words stab him straight through the heart. Choking back tears and feeling nauseous, he ran to his friend's corpse, May and Dawn running behind him.

"LARS!" Steven screamed as he joined them, holding the teen's limp body in his arms. "No, no please, no" he cried.

"Oh Arceus, please no" Ash prayed, burying his head into May's shoulder, who did her best to consult him.

Steven rested his face into Lars's chest, his eyes turned red and was crying hysterically over his deceased friend. As he cried, his tears fell from his eyes onto Lars's body, creating a small pool of tears on his chest.

Ash felt Pikachu leap onto his shoulder and hug onto his head, but he didn't acknowledge his loyal pokemon as he was still crying into May's shoulder, his half gem friend holding him tightly as she to was getting teary eyed at Lars's noble sacrifice. But a bright pink light suddenly caught everyone's attention. Once he had turned around, he saw the source of the light was the small puddle of Steven's tears that had collected on Lars's chest. Sceptile, Dawn and the off color's all backed up with confusion and fear on their faces, while Steven stayed on the ground still holding Lars with a look of astonishment. After the light faded, Lars's body had turned pink. Not pink like Greg's permanent sunburn, but a deep pink color, with the exception of his hair as it was a much lighter shade of pink. Then to everyone's shock, Lars began to stir, and opened his eyes.

"Woah, what happened?" he weakly asked

"Oh my! Something incredible is going to happen to Lars!" Padparadscha exclaimed

"LARS!" both Ash and Steven screamed with overwhelming joy, tightly embracing him.

"You saved us!" Steven explained "you took on the robonoids, but one of them exploded, and, and then you weren't moving. And then after I started crying" he choked out before he came to a realization. "And I brought you back to life! It was an accident, but I mean, I totally would've done the same thing on purpose if I'd known I could do it. But I didn't really ask your permission to do it, so I'm sorry!"

"Back to life?" Lars asked, still confused, "so you mean I was like, away from life?" he asked with a shrug. After looking at his newly colored hands, he gasped in surprise "I'M PINK!"

"No kidding" Ash finally told him "how do you feel?"

"I, I don't know"

"But your body?" Steven then asked "are you sore?"

"No"

"Are you tired?"

"No"

"Do you feel good?"

"No"

"Do you feel bad?"

"No! I guess I feel, really freaked out" Lars finally answered Steven's constant badgering. That's when he noticed May and Dawn, having not seen their change of heart a few minutes ago, he gasped again and backed up as quickly as possible to the back of the wall.

"Lars it's alright" Ash reassured him "They helped us"

"We, we can trust them?"

"Yes" Dawn answered for both of them, "yes you can"

After Lars relaxed himself, a familiar noise came from the cavern's entrance

"Oh, come on" Ash responded

"THEY'RE BACK! THOSE SHATTERING ROBONOIDS ARE BACK!" Rhodonite panicked

"Quickly. Block. The. Entrance" Fluorite declared

Steven, Rhodonite, and the Rutile Twins all ran towards a large boulder and began to push it into the northern entrance of the cave, while Ash, May and Dawn pushed another boulder to the southern entrance, Ash taking note on how easily the three of them were able to move the easily six hundred pound rock together.

"Is this gonna be enough?" Rhodonite asked

Her question was answered by the sight of the red lights of the robonoids seeping through the cracks in the wall. Completely passing the group in the process.

"They. Seem. To. Have. Overlooked. Us. For. The. Time. Being." Fluorite evaluated.

"Quickly! Block the entrance!" Padparadscha again proclaimed

"As long as me and Ash are here they're gonna keep coming after us" Steven realized

"It's true. This was a horrible plan" Rhodonite agreed

"Think we should try to find a new hiding spot?" Ash suggested

"NO! If we leave this cavern we'll be completely exposed!" Rhodonite cried

"But. If. We. Stay. Here. They'll. Find. Us. For. Sure." Fluorite retorted

"So we can all either stay here and get caught" the left Rutile placed on the table

"Or we go out there and get caught" the right Rutile compared

After a brief pause, Lars came to a realization "so wait, am I a zombie now!?"

"What?" Ash asked him, not expecting to hear him ask the ridiculous question

"No, well, no!" Steven reassured him "you can talk, zombies can't do that. I must've healed you. I mean, I've healed severe stuff before, like Clemont's legs, but I had no idea that I could bring people back from the dead like that"

"Just admit it Steven! I'm a zombie!"

"Lars calm down you're not a zombie" Ash shouted back to him

"Here, a zombie wouldn't have a heartbeat" Steven told him as he pressed his ear against his chest. After listening for a few seconds, he widthdrew his head from Lars "it's uh, pretty slow. But I think we can rule out pink zombie"

"Thank the stars" right Rutile replied

"What's a zombie?" the left asked it's twin through a whisper

"I can't believe humans can just turn color like this" Rhodonite stated

""They don't" Steven answered her "well, I guess if you get really cold you can turn blue. And if you get embarrassed you can turn red"

"So what does pink mean? Is Lars going to explode?" she panicked

"So maybe Lars will then reform with a different color" right Rutile suggested

"I'm. Sure. Whatever. Color. Lars. Choses. Will. Be. Lovley." Fluorite added to the conversation

"Yeah, but why pink?" Lars asked again

"I heard stories of how Rose Quartz could heal injuries," Dawn stated "but I had no idea that she could've brought people back from the dead"

"Man, even your hair is different" Ash said as he reached over to his awkward friend's hair. To his surprise, as he placed his finger onto his hair to examine it, Lars's hair glowed at his touch. Both boys gasped at the sight and backed up.

"What, what was that!?" Lars screamed and rubbed his hand through his hair "it just lit up! You saw it to right? Do it again!" he demanded.

Ash complied to his request and lightly touched Lars's hair. Just like before, his hair glowed and this time Ash's finger went through his head

"Why is it doing that?" Lars asked

Steven approached the two "Lars, I think I know what this is. I know there's something I can try, but I don't want to have to go into your head"

Steven had told Ash about an incident earlier in some weeks where Steven had accidentally used his dream reading powers and possessed Lars, but that was all he knew.

Lars just looked at him in thought "well, I trust you. And I'm not going to get mad at you, if you can help me out here I'd appreciate it. If I've got magic hair now, I need to know"

Steven took a deep breath, "alright, everyone stand back"

Ash, Fluorite, Rhodonite, May, Dawn, and Sceptile all took a step back. After three seconds Padparadscha followed them. Then Steven turned to Lars "alright, just bend down"

Lars knelt down on his knee and bent his head down "like this?"

Steven nodded "alright, just relax and just to let you know, you might feel a slight foot in your head" with that, he stepped into Lars's hair, and climbed into Lars's head.

"Oh my goodness! THEY'RE FUSING!" Rhodonite screamed in her whiny voice "they're fusing right?" she then asked the group.

After Steven had disappeared, Lars just stared at the group in awe. "Ash what the heck just happened!?"

Ash approached him, followed by May and Dawn, "Lars, I've seen something similar to this before. I think Steven just got home, and you're the way back. But I can't be sure."

"What?"

"Are you sure Ash?" May asked as they sat together in a circle

"What I know about Rose Quartz is that she had many abilities" Clemont suddenly spoke up. Ash turned to see his friend was now on his feet and gingerly walking towards them.

"Good to see you back up on your feet" Ash joked, moving over slightly to allow Clemont to sit down with them.

"Rose Quartz had the unique ability to heal any injury, and I guess even death counts as an injury" Clemont continued "speaking of gems, I'm surprised how easily the three of you were able to fuse" he said, bringing up Fire Opal, "in fact, I'm surprised that you three were able to fuse at all. Yellow Diamond tried to make me design you guys to not be able to fuse, saying something along the lines of "fusions always become too attached."

"Well obviously you were wrong" May retorted "what abilities did you leave us?"

"Obviously you three posses the ability of fusion, although I can't be sure if you can only fuse with artificial gems or not. I also left you your typical gem powers, storing items in your gems, enhanced durability and strength, hence why you three were able to move that boulder so easily. But the Diamonds didn't want for you to change your forms, so I have removed your ability to shapeshift."

Clemont's words flashed through Ash's mind, if he could fuse with May and Dawn now, could he possibly fuse with Lapis? Before he could ask however, Steven leapt out from Lars's hair holding a brown paper bag.

"STEVEN!" he exclaimed taking his brother into a relieved hug.

"What happened? Where did you go?" May asked

"Home"

"What?" the humans all asked

"Everyone! I've made an amazing discovery! I just traveled to the planet Earth by going through Lars's head!"

"Wait, is my head like a wormhole or something?"

"No, it's much simpler than that. See I've got a pink pet lion who belonged to my mom when she was still here, and as it turns out I can go through his mane, and it transports to a magical dimension where my mom left a bunch of artifacts on a hill with a tree, and for some strange reason I can't breathe in there. But anyway, when I went into Lars's head I got transported to the dimension, but there was a new part of it, and the two parts were connected. Which meant I could go through the dimension and into Lion's mane!" Steven tried his best to explain. "Oh, here I brought you guys some food" he then said presenting the bag.

Ash, May, Clemont and Dawn immediately snatched the sandwiches Steven made for them out of the boy's hands and scarfed them down as if someone was going to take them from them, as it had been a few days since any of them had eaten.

"Lars, don't you want your food?" Steven asked him after seeing that he hadn't touched it.

"Thanks, but I'll save it for later"

"Lion dosen't eat a lot to, but he occasionally eats magical lizards every now and then. Do you want a lizard?"

"What? No I don't want a lizard"

"What is this box?" Rhodonite asked the group, picking up the durian flavored juice box that Steven dropped off the ground.

"That's juice, we drink it back on Earth"

All of the off colors looked at them confused and shocked.

"That can't be!" right Rutile told him

"I'm incredulous!" her twin continued

"Why can't it be?" Ash asked

"Everyone. Knows. That. The. Earth-"

"WAS DECIMATED BY THE DIAMOND ATTACK!" Rhodonite interrupted Fluorite "sorry"

"That's not true, sure the Diamonds did attack, but there are still gems living on Earth, and the planets full of life." he said removing a bag of chips from his sack "it grew the potatoes that became these chips. And it grew the wheat that became the bread that eventually became this sandwich!" Steven explained to them.

"Sand-"

"-wich?" the two Rutiles finished each other's sentences

"But, why would gems still live there?" Rhodonite asked

"Because Earth is a place that you can be free, be yourself" Ash explained to them. "There is nobody to tell you who or what you have to do with your life. Look at me, I'm in a committed relationship with a Lapis Lazuli on earth and I'm an organic human"

This newfound information excited the off colors. "That. Sounds. Wonderful." Fluorite answered for all of them.

"It is. And now that we have this portal, we can all go there" Steven told them

"All? Steven how am I supposed to go through my own head" Lars asked. Steven pondered that question for a minute and paced back and forth, but finally Lars stepped up. "Look, I get it. Everyone, just go and I'll stay here. There's no other way it, and I'm it. Earth is way better than this. There's no homicidal robots flying around, just seagulls that fly in front of the sunset and it's beautiful. Just go, you'll see, I took it all for granted, so don't pass up this chance."

After everyone looked at Lars in awe of his selflessness, Rhodonite finally spoke up, "well if you insist"

"We. Won't. Do. It. Not. If. It. Means. Leaving. You. Behind." Fluoride told him

"What? No you guys have to go, I'm trying to preform a beautiful act over here!"

"We. Know. This. Planet. We've. Been. Hidding. In. These. Tunnels. For. Eons. You'll. Need. Us. To. Help. You. Get. Around. Besides. Us. Off. Colors. Stick. Together"

"We'll get to Earth another way" left Rutile told him

"We'll find an alternate route" right Rutile agreed

"But you guys have to go back" Lars then told the others

"We can't just leave you here with no protection!" Steven told him

"That's why they'll have me" May suddenly spoke up

"And me" Dawn agreed with her

"What?" Ash attempted to protest

"The Diamonds ruined everything for us. We're gonna have to take the fight to them, destroying them from within. Once we get a ship of our own, we'll come back to Earth" Dawn explained

"Steven, you said it yourself that everyone, save for those people who helped Ash, is out to get you and him. You guys won't be safe until you're both back on Earth. Besides Ash, you've got a wedding to plan" Lars again warned them.

"But Lars-"

"Don't argue with me guys! You guys are always trying to help me. You brought me back to life. You made me realize how bad of a guy I used to be! It's my turn to help you. You guys gave me this second chance, let me prove to you that I deserve it"

"Alright, we'll tell everyone you're alright. We'll come back for you"

"And my wedding isn't happening until all of you are back home safe. I don't care how pissed Lapis will be, I promise you that you're gonna be guests of honor, well maybe not guest's of honor because I'd have to discuss things with Lapis, but you get the idea" he said hugging May and Dawn goodbye "take care of yourselves"

Lars hugged Steven and Ash goodbye and began to kneel down, ready for Steven, Ash and Clemont to climb in, then everything changed as an explosion rocked the entire cavern.

"Hello everyone" Jasper announced with an evil smile as she marched through the entrance.

"Watch out! We're about to be attacked!" Padparadscha announced too late.

"Ja-Jasper!?" Steven stammered, having not known of Jasper's reformation.

"How did you find us!?" Ash demanded

"You honestly do think we wouldn't place a tracker onto the Clemont? Or our two elite soldiers? So kind of them to inadvertently lead me not only to my sworn enemy Ash Ketchum, but also towards Rose Quartz. Bravo"

"Get behind us guys!" Ash told Lars and the off colors as Pikachu took his stance against the gem and his trainer, to to Ash's horror, Jasper just started laughing.

"Your little trick won't work this time" she laughed as she drew her own pokeball. Jasper's pokemon revealed itself to be a Golurk.

With Pikachu being absolutely useless against the ground type, Ash summoned Greninja and he and Steven quickly fused into Stash while May and Dawn became Coordinated Opal to begin their attack.

"Golurk use earthquake!" Jasper exclaimed, a tone of furry in her voice at her annoyance of the act of fusion bringing back memories of her obsession with Lapis and Malachite. The ground violently shook with the attack as Stash swung his sword in Jasper's direction and Coordinated Opal fired her light arrows.

"Greninja use water shuriken!" Stash told him while slashing at Jasper.

"Golurk use protect!"

Because Ground types were extremely weak to water attacks and Jasper was being ambushed by two powerful warriors at once and being distracted by her pokemon, the two fell at once to the ground.

"Get out of here!" Coordinated Opal told everyone as she began to fire a barrage of arrows at the grounded gem.

Rhodonite, Padparadscha, and the Rutiles had mounted Fluorite and had retreated deeper into the cavern, but Lars and Clemont still hid together in one of the holes, not being able to escape as they were cornered by Jasper and Golurk. Stash and Pikachu removed the rubble trapping them and ran inside the hole.

"YOU CAN'T ESCAPE FROM ME ROSE QUARTZ AND ASH KETCHUM!" Jasper screamed as Coordinated Opal ran towards them, still keeping the insane Gem at bay with her arrows. "JASPER'S KEEP GOING UNTIL WE GET WHAT WE WANT! AND I WANT TO BE MALACHITE AGAIN, AND YOU DEAD!"

"I'll keep this psycho busy and get Lars and those off colors to safety! You guys go!" Coordinated Opal told them with a quick hug.

Stash immediately tossed Pikachu into Lars's hair, Clemont quickly following them. Stash took one last look at Jasper trying to get up with uncontrollable rage.

"Take care of yourself Lars" he told him as he took the leap of faith into the pink teen's hair, taking a deep breath in.

Stash was greeted to the sight of a brightly lit, open, pink tinted field of tall grass. Just as Steven told him, there was a beautiful, pink oak tree sitting on a hill in the distance. Using Steven's memory, Stash lead Clemont and Pikachu towards a second tree similar to one found in the african safari, before he ducked into the grass, and popped out of Lion's mane into the living room of the Temple beach house.

Stash immediately defused and Ash fell onto his hands and knees, thanking Arceus that he was home safe, even though Lars, May, Dawn and the off colors weren't.

"WE'RE HOME!" Steven exclaimed laughing with relief, Clemont welcome to the Crystal Gems!"

Clemont himself couldn't respond, as what he just encountered was more than enough for him to handle and collapsed onto Lion's soft body, who grunted in annoyance at being used as a pillow.

"Where is everyone?" Ash asked, looking around the empty house with worry.

His question was immediately answered by the warp pad being activated, illuminating the dark room. Standing on the pad was everyone the Gems, Ash's pokemon trainer friends, Connie and Greg, looking either defeated or angry.

"IT'S HOPELESS!" Pearl shouted as she began to pace the room in a circle, sounding even more anxious than usual, not even noticing them in the living room "we'll never get that dropship to fly, and we're losing time! Who knows what they're doing to the boys!? Hi boys. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO D-" she again began to hysterically scream before she finally realized what just happened.

Almost instantly, Greg shoved past everybody on the warp pad and grabbed his boys in the tightest hug Ash had ever received in his life.

"I thought I'd never see my boys again!" he cried

"ASH!" Peridot shouted, squishing into the trio's hug, then she noticed Clemont still resting on Lion "who's that clod?"

"CLEMONT!" Bonnie screamed from the group and ran to her brother, crying her eyes out as she tackled herself into him.

After Ash received his hug from Brock, Misty, Serena and James, and then from Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl and Connie, he noticed the most important person was missing

"Where's Lapis?"

Amethyst and Peridot then looked at each other with concern as if they knew something he didn't.

"Where's Lapis!?" he again demanded, this time sounding much more angry.

"Ash," Pearl began to try to explain to him

"Don't sugarcoat it Pearl, tell me where she is!"

"Ash, she's at the barn" Misty began to tell him "but you need to know she's-"

But Ash was having absolutely none of it. He ran past everybody and forced his way through the front door, desperately scurrying down the beach to get to her. As he ran, he felt the ground squish under his feet, soaking wet. As he got closer to his home, he was greeted to the sight of an enormous wall of water surrounding his home.

"LAPIS!" he screamed as he pounded his fists against to wall "LAPIS IT'S ME! PLEASE LAPIS IM HOME! LAPIS!"