This was a funny—if grim—little crackpot idea that spawned in my mind after completing Battling on the Whims of Eight!

I suppose it should be clarified that this is indeed canon to my other Pokémon work.

Hope you enjoy!


Darkrai, the Pitch-Black Pokémon and servant of Yveltal, generated a clipboard out of thin air and began checking off the names present on the attached list. Once he got close to the end of it, Darkrai muttered, "Hm... Irene Ibis, mother to two children in Alola. Passed away recently due to pneumonia. Unfortunate, but a part of life nonetheless. She was guided across the River Styx mere days ago."

Looking further down the list, the Dark-type's brow furrowed as a new name appeared on it: Ash Ketchum. As if on cue, something began to shimmer into existence in Darkrai's void, revealing itself to be a boy and his Pikachu as they came into focus. In spite of that, however, the two of them faded out of existence just as quickly, which confused Darkrai even further. Generating a crystal ball, Darkrai swiped left a couple of times to find Ketchum's exact time of death, zeroing in on a night in Lavender Town's Pokémon Tower.

Home to many a Ghost-type, Darkrai mused as he began to look for the bodies of the kid and his Pikachu. Eventually, Darkrai found them pinned under a chandelier, unmoving and surrounded by a Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar, the trio of Ghost-types looking rather concerned. After a moment, however, the Haunter pulled Ash's soul out of his body, and the Gengar did the same to Pikachu. Darkrai watched as the two of them gradually became ghosts themselves, and he made the crystal disappear, muttering, "Pranked again, it seems..." as Ash's name vanished off his list.

With a shrug, Darkrai looked through the list again to see if anything else had happened while he was watching the boy, and he noticed that at least twenty new names had appeared in place of Ash's, finally ending with the name Hideo Fuji Jr.. Curious, Darkrai checked the cause of death for all of them: all but one had perished in a laboratory fire. Looking towards Fuji, the sole name that was not described as being immolated, Darkrai grimly noted that the doctor's cause of death was described as, 'murdered by a rampaging Pokémon.' Pulling out his crystal ball once more, Darkrai swiped over until he found the place of Fuji's death: a burning laboratory in the middle of the ocean.

Impassively, Darkrai watched as Dr. Fuji, surrounded by the burning corpses of his colleagues, was approached by a humanoid shadow. The shadow raised a three-fingered hand, and an eerie blue pulse filled the room as Fuji was lifted off his feet and began frantically clawing at his throat. At that, Darkrai ended the transmission and vanished his crystal ball.

"Looks like there's some lost souls to guide to their final judgment..." At that, Darkrai snapped his fingers, causing the void around him to reshape itself into a dark underground cavern with a long, murky river flowing through it. Standing at the bank, the Pitch-Black Pokémon faced the new arrivals and said, "The Deadlord awaits. Come gently, and your suffering will end," gesturing towards a barge on the river that he stepped on. One by one, the souls all filed onto the boat, and once Darkrai took a headcount, the boat began its journey along the river.


Sometime later, Darkrai was standing by the riverbank, having finished guiding an elderly man along it. Pulling out his clipboard, the Dark-type muttered, "Alright, do we have any new arrivals...?"

Sure enough, one name appeared at the very bottom: Ash Ketchum.

"Again?" Checking the list again, Darkrai noticed that this time, Ash's name did not vanish from the list immediately. "Kid's really kicked the bucket this time, then..." As he floated along the riverbank, Darkrai pulled out his crystal ball and focused it on Ash, the orb eventually zeroing in on his moment of death: getting petrified by a clash between Mew and the unknown Pokémon that was responsible for Fuji's death. Perplexed, the Pitch-Black Pokémon muttered, "I don't know whether to call him brave or idiotic for trying that, but... in any case, Ho-Oh did not choose the correct Trainer."

Darkrai made it to the beginning of the riverbank, where sure enough, Ash Ketchum was standing, albeit this time without his Pikachu. The Dusknoir that served as Darkrai's guide gave a curt nod, vanishing into another section of the realm between life and death to find any lost ones.

Rubbing his nape, Ash groaned, "Ow, my head..." before taking in his surroundings. "Where am I?"

"There are many ways to refer to this place, but 'the afterlife' should suffice."

"Wait, I'm dead?!" The horror on Ash's face partially faded into confusion as he looked up to where the voice had come from. "Who are you?"

"I am but the loyal servant of Yveltal, the Lord of Death... Darkrai. Come with me, Ash Ketchum. Your final judgment awaits." Darkrai stepped onto the river barge and beckoned for Ash to board, and the boy did. After a moment, the boat began to float down the river.

After several tense seconds of silence, Ash asked, "What about Pikachu? My friends? The clones? Mewtwo and Mew? What's happening to them?"

So its name is Mewtwo, Darkrai realized. Pulling out his crystal ball, he asked, "Do you truly want to know, Ketchum?" After receiving a nod, Darkrai continued, "Very well," and the orb let out a low thrum as it began focusing on the current happenings on New Island.

Ash's petrified form lay still at the center of the arena, all the violence between the Pokémon and their clones having ceased. A lone figure that Darkrai identified as the boy's Pikachu stepped towards Ash's body, and gently nudged him, hesitantly saying, "Pikapi..."

That was a heavy blow towards Ash, and he tried to focus on the other people and Pokémon there to not have to see the pain that Pikachu was going through. Unfortunately, no one else's reactions did anything to ease his worries, with Team Rocket all staring towards his prone form with similar expressions of shock. Hesitantly, he turned towards Brock and Misty. Brock hadn't moved since Ash got hit, his arm extended and his face frozen in horror.

Misty, on the other hand, had rather quickly pieced together what happened, and with tears in her eyes, she fell to her knees, one hand over her mouth as she sobbed, "Ash... no, please..."

Hesitantly, Ash looked back towards Pikachu, who was unsuccessfully attempting to shock him back to life. Eventually, Pikachu couldn't focus his electricity anymore, and with all options exhausted, the Electric-type began to cry, tears glistening in his eyes as he leaned over Ash's body.

"Will that be all?" Darkrai asked, though not unkindly as he looked towards Ash, who seemed close to tears himself. Ash silently nodded, and Darkrai vanished his crystal ball, musing, "The knowledge of what you leave behind in life is a heavy burden to bear- what?"

Ash's chest had begun to glow with a gold light, and both he and Darkrai could only stare in confusion as the light engulfed his body, turning his vision white. When the light faded, Ash had vanished, much like he had the first time he had shown up.

Confused, Darkrai pulled out his crystal ball again and watched what was going on in the world. There, he saw that Ash had been restored to life, hugging his Pikachu as two other people around his age ran over to him. The boy, who appeared a little bit older, pulled him off the floor and pulled him into a quick embrace, followed by the redheaded girl flinging her arms around Ash's neck and hugging him as tight as she could.

"Hm. Yveltal is not going to be happy when he finds out about this," Darkrai muttered as he vanished his crystal ball.


A couple of years had passed since New Island when Darkrai found Ash's name on his list again. Tsking, Darkrai shook his head, thinking to himself, Well, at least I don't have to explain everything to him again... Floating along the riverbank, Darkrai was greeted with the familiar visage of Ash Ketchum... except this time, he wasn't alone. Accompanying him was the older boy Darkrai had seen with Ash at New Island and a pair of siblings, the sister protectively placing a hand in front of her little brother. Looking at his clipboard, Darkrai began, "Let's see who we have here... Brock Slate, May and Max Maple, and Ash Ketchum... again."

"Again?"

Fixing his gaze onto Brock, Darkrai asked, "Tell me, Slate, does the name 'Mewtwo' ring a bell?" Brock looked towards Ash, aghast, and Ash averted his gaze with a nervous chuckle.

Max interrupted with the obvious matter at hand. "We're dead, aren't we?"

"Rather blunt of someone so young, but yes, the four of you are dead." Looking at his list once more, Darkrai continued, "Your causes of death have been reported as, 'consumed by the Tree of Beginning's defense system.' Come now, your final judgments await." At that, Darkrai boarded the river barge, the boat having materialized in the midst of their conversation. Ash was the first to board out of the new arrivals, followed by Brock and the Maple siblings.

As the boat floated down the river, May broke the silence by hesitantly asking, "What happened to our Pokémon? They're not dead... are they?"

"It seems that the defense system stopped once the four of you were consumed. Why they stopped though, is an entirely different question. I strongly suggest that you refrain from requesting a look at the realm of the living, however, knowing what you left behind in life is a heavy burden for the departed."

"He's right."

Ash had finally spoken, and everyone turned towards him as he looked up at the Pitch-Black Pokémon. Steeling himself, he asked, "Do you know if the Latios from Alto Mare passed through here when he died?"

"He did pass through here upon his death, but his judgment was swift. As I'm sure you saw, Yveltal consigned him to become Alto Mare's new Soul Dew, not as punishment, but out of necessity." Upon noticing an odd pulse in front of him, Darkrai took out his crystal ball and looked back into the Tree of Beginning, where the Mew residing within it was doing... something with the crystals that littered the place, causing them to glow a gentle green. The same green glow illuminated the corner of Darkrai's field of vision, and he sighed, "Again?" Turning back to the four, he said, "It appears that Mew is pulling some strings to bring the four of you back to the land of the living." Pointing towards Brock, May, and Max, Darkrai continued, "You three will be brought back, albeit with no memories of what you saw here. However..." Darkrai trailed off, his gaze fixating on Ash. "Before you go, there are some things you must know."

At that, Brock, May, and Max vanished in a flash of green light.

Now alone with Ash once again, Darkrai began, "Your nature as Ho-Oh's chosen makes you rather unique. Are you aware of the legend of Johto's Burned Tower?" Ash nodded, and Darkrai continued, "Given Ho-Oh's connection to death and rebirth, I can only assume this is why you've retained memories from your last visit to the afterlife, and will likely retain memories of these encounters when you return to the land of the living. That being said, knowledge of the afterlife is something that cannot be shared. You understand why, don't you?"

Ash, remembering Tracey's fascination with the classical stories of heroes and their Pokémon, nodded. "I promise to not tell anyone."

"Very good, Ketchum. Now, before I let you go back, I must give you a warning of sorts: though Yveltal is normally a fair and reasonable ruler of the afterlife, he has no patience with those who have evaded his grasp multiple times. Try not to show up here too often while performing your heroics, otherwise Yveltal will know how to track you down when he awakens in the land of the living."

Ash nodded, and the green glow surrounding his body got even brighter.

"Farewell, Ash Ketchum. Hopefully you don't come back here for a long time," Darkrai said as Ash vanished.

Moments later, a Lucario appeared where Ash had been standing, the Aura Pokémon murmuring, "So this is the afterlife... it's only a matter of time now, Sir Aaron."

"Cause of death: Aura depletion. Am I correct?"

"...Yes. I do not regret it in the slightest, though. Sir Aaron's bloodline lives on through Ash Ketchum."

"Interesting you mention that boy, he was here only recently when the Tree's defense system consumed him." After a brief silence between the two, Darkrai said, "We are almost at the end of the River Styx, your final judgment awaits beyond the river."


Darkrai heard a splash as he finished guiding a young man who had lost a long battle with illness across the river. After making sure that his recent charge hadn't fallen into the Styx, he floated back to the start of the river to find a sopping wet Ash Ketchum standing by the bank, taking in a large breath of air. "Back so soon, Ketchum?" Darkrai asked, pulling out a clipboard. "Let's see... cause of death, drowning in Samiya." Glancing back up at Ash, he continued, "Do you remember what I told you after the last time we met?"

"To not come back here?"

Darkrai gave him a quiet nod. "And yet I find you here once again, mere months after the incident within the Tree of Beginning."

Ash indignantly asked, "What was I supposed to do, let Samiya sink?"

"Perhaps it would've made more sense to let the Prince of the Sea return the crystals to the Sea Crown himself?" Darkrai countered. Ash had no response to this, and Darkrai shook his head, muttering, "That was too harsh. But nonetheless, my warning to not come back here too often still stands. Yveltal will have no trouble detecting the stench of death on you in the realm of the living should he awaken." As soon as Darkrai finished his sentence, however, Ash's body began to glow a gentle pink, and the Pitch-Black Pokémon sighed. "It seems that once more, you are being pulled back to the land of the living." His eyes narrowing, Darkrai finished, "I had better not see you back here within the next year, Ketchum," watching as the pink glow enveloped Ash and spirited him away.

Shaking his head, Darkrai grumbled, "I'm going to see Ho-Oh," creating a portal and disappearing into it.

Darkrai materialized on the roof of Ecruteak City's Bell Tower, high above the clouds. Looking up, he saw that sure enough, the Storm's End was perched on the roof's golden tower, and Darkrai floated up to face the Rainbow Pokémon.

"Ah, Darkrai. To what do I owe the pleasure of being visited by Yveltal's most loyal servant? Surely it's not because he wants me to stop producing my Sacred Ash again, is it?"

Darkrai shook his head. "Yveltal has accepted the compromise you proposed, that being that the Sacred Ash may only be provided to the mortals every half-millennia. But that's not why I'm here. I'm aware that you chose Ash Ketchum as your champion four years ago-"

"Is this about his supposed ability to cheat death?" Darkrai nodded, and Ho-Oh laughed, letting out a melodic sound that sounded like the twinkling of a thousand bells. "Oh, I'm not involved in that at all, despite what you may think. If I'm being frank, I think the boy is simply incredibly lucky, but he carries out my will extraordinarily well nonetheless. As for why he retains his memories in the underworld... that may have to do with that feather I left him all those years ago."

Darkrai nodded, saying, "Thank you for your time," as he created a portal back to the realm of the dead. Once he was back by the riverbank, Darkrai pulled out his crystal ball, watching as Samiya began to float on the seas once more.

"That boy is a confusing one," Darkrai muttered, watching as Ash, enveloped in gold light, flew above the water.


"May I know why you've shown up here in this state?" Darkrai asked, an eyebrow furrowed as he looked at the frost-coated Ash.

Teeth chattering, Ash answered, "S-S-Sword of the Vale flew up into t-t-the sky-"

Darkrai snapped his fingers, using Will-O-Wisp. The small ring of bluebell flames danced around Ash, gradually melting the frost off his body. Once Ash was mostly thawed, the Pitch-Black Pokémon asked, "Better?"

"Much better, thank you."

"Don't mention it, Ketchum. Now, can you tell me what happened that caused you to show up here once again?" Darkrai listened intently as Ash recounted the events of his day, which involved a trip to Eindoak Town that had gradually escalated into the Sword of the Vale shooting itself into the sky.

"...and after wrapping Pikachu in my jacket, I blacked out and found myself back here again."

"I see." Generating his crystal ball, Darkrai focused on Pikachu and Victini, the Victory Pokémon desperately shaking Ash to try and get him to wake up. After getting no response, her face hardened and she decided to use Searing Shot, focusing the flames on the Pillars of Protection. However, the attack proved to be ineffective, and Victini slumped down on the floor.

Noticing that a gentle red aura had formed around Ash's body, Darkrai said, "It seems that your visit is already over. Victini's Searing Shot must have warmed your body and exposed you to some of her infinite energy. Tread carefully, as your name has become infamous among the denizens of the realm of the dead." Before Ash had completely faded away, Darkrai said, "Oh, and Ash?"

"Yeah?"

"Nice job beating my cousin from New Moon Island at the Lily of the Valley Conference a few months ago," Darkrai chuckled. "Hopefully when we see each other again, it won't be until your time has come proper." Once Ash had faded away, Darkrai began floating along the river, musing to himself, Five times he's died, and five times he's been resurrected... could Arceus also be extending some of His divine protection for the boy?

Eventually, Darkrai found himself in front of Yveltal's perch, the Destruction Pokémon leering down at him as if he were a Mandibuzz. "Greetings, Darkrai," Yveltal said, his imposing voice reverberating across the underworld. "What do you have to report for today?"

"Just the usual deaths... and Ash Ketchum appearing and disappearing again."

"Ketchum again, you say?" Darkrai nodded, and Yveltal continued, "If the boy knows what's best for him, then he shall not come anywhere near the Allearth Forest when I awaken, lest I finally claim his soul. Any other news?" Darkrai shook his head. "Very well, you're dismissed... but before you go, check up on Hellgar and see if he's caught any potential escapees."

"Until next time, Lord Yveltal." Darkrai ventured back to the gates in front of the River Styx, where Hellgar, the three-headed Houndoom who served as the guardian of the gates of the dead, stood vigilant. Darkrai silently looked up towards the Fire-type, who answered by shaking all three of its heads before resuming its watch.

Satisfied, Darkrai began the journey back up the river, arriving at the riverbank in time to see a new arrival. Once he and the recently departed had boarded the river barge, Darkrai set sail, guiding his new charge to the afterlife, as he had for millennia before and would for millennia to come.


It might not be like my usual fare in the slightest, but it was fun to write nonetheless. Serves as a bit of a lore-dump as well.

The first death Darkrai records is more-or-less a brief Easter egg, hats off to you if you can guess who it's supposed to be.

As for why this idea came up? I wanted to give myself a little bit of a break before I properly tackle the Masters Eight.

Like always, reviews are always appreciated!

-Krosshair