1 The Loss of a Champion

His eyes open, He saw someone walk up to him. He was the person challenging the Champion.

"I deserve to be champion, not you! Do you understand?!" The male towered over the body of him.

It was a normal day in London. Ash Ketchum was just challenging people at London Stadium. How could this happen to him? This was going to end badly for him if he didn't do anything.

But he couldn't move, The challenger, Jamie. Used his Pokémon on him! He didn't want to battle him. No, this was much worse!

He wanted to kill the World Champion.

Ash Ketchum, So strong, brave. Sure he has ADHD, but he is capable of accomplishing the things he wanted or needed. But now…

But now he was scared. Scared that he wasn't going to make it out of this alive.

"How do you like me now, Ketchum?!" Jamie smirked at him.

"Y-your a cheater…." Jamie stepped on his arm, Ash tried to grab his ankle but he was too tired to fight. Too tired to get up.

He was in pain from this man, He was going to die right here! Ash tasted something metallic in his mouth. He spit out the blood. Ash was starting to get dizzy. But he managed to pull himself up, dusting off his uniform, wich was ripped and his left sleeve was torn too.

Ash didn't even hear the crowd, some of them were yelling to call off the battle, Some were yelling to put the man in his place. No one does that to the World Champion and gets away with it!

Ash successfully got up, His hat was to the side of the battlefield. He looked up and saw the glass box. His friends were witnessing the aftermath of this nightmare. This was a horrible display of sportsmanship!

Jamie was about to take another shot at him. Ash didn't realize that Lucario was standing over him. Ash could feel the aura from his pokémon. Lucario had more fight left in him.

"L-Lucario, use…" Ash stammered and stopped talking, His hands were shaking.

He's hurt… I have to get him before there's too much damage.

Leon Williams — the former champion ripped off the headset and jumped up from his seat. He sprinted downstairs and went down into the stadium, He raced out of the tunnel and raced to the boy.

Leon's head was racing with so many thoughts and emotions. But the thing he feels now is sorrow and hatred.

Sorrow because of what happened to Ash.

And hatred because some stupid twat would do this! He glared at Jamie and clenched his fists. He wanted to knock this guy out! But, he couldn't. He had to attend to his friend.

Leon knelt beside him. He took off Ash's blood covered uniform and tossed it to the side. He then took off his shirt and wrapped it around the eighteen year old's body. He checked his pulse. It was faint. He sighed in relief.

Then one of his friends ran to him, Goh. A man who grew his hair out, He wore a gray T shirt black jeans and gray Addas. Goh knelt to Ash.

"I called the ambulance! they're heading here now!" The man told Leon.

Leon nodded, He looked down at Ash, He knew that he was going to pass soon. Goh looked at the man — Jamie, Jamie had no remorse whatsoever, He stood there with his Braviary, Jamie's Braviry felt bad, She looked on with a look of sadness in her eyes, she could hear the cries of Pikachu, who was standing by Ash. The bird Pokémon looked at the two men near him trying to perform CPR on the fallen trainer.

Ash's friends were in the glass box. Everyone was holding their breath. Serena, Ash's girlfriend, was holding onto Clemont, Bonnie was scared.

Iris and Cialn looked out onto the battlefield in horror.

"Where is the ambulance?!" Leon asked. Goh carried Ash's body in his arms. Leon looked around, the fans were staying, some were bowing their heads in respect for the champion. The cameras were even shut off for the LIVE broadcast for the world.

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Everyone at the Pokémon school was terrified. Students, around the age of nine to twelve were trying to get out in a panic. All around them riots ensued. A brown haired boy, of the age of eight. He had short brown hair like his father and yellow eyes like his mother, He had a white G-Shock watch on his left wrist.

The eight year old boy ran back to his house, professor Brunette his mom, was in the front yard.

"Mom! we need to leave, everyone is going berserk!"

"I know, Lei. But we need to wait until your dad gets home."

"I'm scared…. How can this happen?" He asked.

"Well, since your brother was champion, he was…." his mother trailed off, being careful of the words she used around her son. "He wasn't liked by everyone and some people wanted his title… Don't get it the wrong way, your brother will always and forever be loved by the Pokémon battling and training communities alike"

Lei nodded and hugged his mother. Burnet hugged him back. She missed Ash. Now, she can never get the images of Ash's blood covered body out of her head. Thankfully the feed was cut out.

Kukui ran inside. "Guys, we need to leave, it's a mess out there!"

"I agree! we need to head somewhere safe or, we need to get out of the region!"

"Aren't the planes delayed?" Lei asked his parents.

Kukui and Burnet looked at each other in horror. They can't leave Hawaii

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London was a mess. Leon followed the ambulance to the hospital. Thankfully he didn't get lost. Serena, Goh, Clemont and Bonnie were in his car.

The hospital was coming up. When he parked they made a run to the building. Ash's friends sat in the waiting room for what felt like hours. A few minutes pass. A doctor walked up to them.

"Are you Ash's friends?"

"Yes, can you tell us what's wrong with him?" Bonnie asked.

"Well—" As soon as the doctor was about to speak, his other friends, Iris, Cilan, May Max, Dawn, Misty and Brock were there. Misty and Brock saw the match on TV. And the aftermath as well. They were terrified about what would happen to Ash.

What felt like an eternity, The doctor told them what was wrong.

"Your friend has cracked ribs, fractured his left arm, and his right lung has collapsed. And his face has third degree burns. The bleeding was caused by the other trainer's Pokémon using a series of moves on him." The doctor took a breath and continued. "I do not know how much time he has left but… It's short."

"Can we visit him?!" Bonnie asked.

"Yes you guys can."

They all went into his room which was in Intensive Care. They all saw it, it was a horrible sight. Ash was hooked up to wires and monitors, His Pokémon were standing next to him all worried about their trainer, Pikachu was scared. Very scared.

Serena looked at the bandages covering up his body. She looked at him resting peacefully, She grabbed her boyfriend's hand gently. She looked at him, an oxygen max was over his nose and mouth. Ash's breathing sounded bad. Goh clenched his fists. He was the first one to say something.

"When I find that trainer…. I will personally end him!" Goh said enraged, still clenching his fists. He wanted to hit something. If he passed away then…. Goh would have to be alone again, and he didn't want that. Sure he had Ash's friends, but Ash Ketchum was the first person to….

He was the first friend he'd had. He's never had any friends growing up. Goh was an outcast. He never had anyone to talk to in school, play games with, go out to movies with. None of that like a normal kid experiences, ever since he'd met Ash hos life changed for the better.

These past eight years for Goh have been one big roller coaster, a huge adventure with his friend Ash. Sure he has other friends before him, but….

Goh looked around the room. He looked at the heart monitor, it was dropping.

This was it…

Goh looked at Serena, she was crying and holding his hand.

He couldn't stand it anymore. Goh couldn't look at him anymore. He ran out of the room. He ran out of the hospital and went to a park in London, Goh sat on a bench and he put his hands on his chin and sighed helplessly, he looked at the sky, in hope he would get something, anything from Arceus. Goh released Cinderace. Cinderace stood there and looked at his trainer.

He hugs his trainer. Goh accepted it as he cried on the Striker Pokémon, Cinderace hugged his friend back. He wished Pokémon could talk. So he wouldn't be so lonely. Goh has the realization that he wouldn't have a person to talk to… Sure he has Ash's friends, his parents and even his grandma. But it's not the same, he needs a friend to talk to. He does have Chloie, But Chloie is in New York City with her family.

Goh sat on the grass, Cindrace sat on the grass with his trainer, The rabbit crossed his legs and sat there with Goh. He needed his support right now and that's what friends are for, to support each other. After a few minutes of silence, Goh spoke;

"You know… this is hard for me. Very hard… I lost the only one who I called a friend." Goh sighed.

"After watching him fall and trying to get up… I never gave up on him. I never lost hope… But when he fell again, I knew it, it was over." Goh closed his eyes and let the tears go down his face.

Cinderace hugged his friend. Goh hugged him back, not wanting to let go. The flashbacks were fresh in his mind. He was scared, scared that he might be alone again.

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Goh went back to the hospital. He went back into the room and saw a sight that he didn't want to see from the other side of the boy's room.

Three doctors were inside. And one of them was giving Ash chest compressions. One of them had defibrillators in their hands and put them to Ash's chest.

"Clear!" she said as she pressed the buttons, Goh saw his body jerk up then fall onto the bed again.

A hand was placed on his shoulder. Goh turned around and saw that it was his father.

"Dad?" Walker and Camille stood there with smiles on their faces. But, deep inside they were scared as much as Goh was.

Goh hugged them tightly. Camille held her son too. She loved having Ash over at the apartment, when it's spending the night or playing Fortnite or Pokémon Scarlet or watching the Spidops-Man movies in his bedroom together and eating popcorn and all the candy they wanted until they passed out.

Goh felt tears running down his cheeks again. Camille pulled him into a hug, Walker hugged his son too, his mother stroked his hair as he cried. And he cried hard.

"I-i'm so scared…."

"We know… we all are."

Goh was shaking, he knew what was going to happen to Ash, but he didn't want to accept it.

Not yet.

A few hours later, everyone was waiting for his status. The doctor walked out. and he had a grimace on his face.

"What's going on?!" Serena asked.

"I'm sorry. He passed away just now."

Everyone was frozen in a state of shock. Bonnie put her head in her hands and cried. Clemont was hugging his sister, May and Max were hugging each other. Serena was holding onto Goh. Their Pokémon were too, speaking of Pokémon. Where was Ash's?

A nurse walked into the waiting room carrying a sobbing Pikachu. The mouse Pokémon was crying so hard, that he almost sent out a thunderbolt to the whole room.

Leon has never seen this happen before. He's seen it happen to a football player in the UK that was on the Cinderace Strikers. And he was only ten when that happened. He and his mother have never cried so hard. The Man's name was Henry Campbell

Why does this have to happen?!

Leon crouched onto the floor and put his head in his hands. He took off his hat and held it in his hand.

Arceus why does it have to be him?

Leon felt someone touch his shoulder, he looked and it was Ash's girlfriend Serena, she has been crying also.

Leon hugged her, Serena also hugged her as they both cried.

"We have lost someone in the Pokémon battling community—" The news anchor was saying. Delia Ketchum was home. She was holding her breath. She watched the battle in the UK. Delia saw his body on screen before they cut the footage.

An image of Ash Ketchum wearing his uniform was shown on the screen and she knew.

"—Ash Ketchum died today at three thirty PM at the hospital, he passed away battling a challenger by the name of Jamie…" The news anchor tried not to cry. He had to hold back tears. She sniffled, the other woman sitting next to her was now crying.

"Jamie… you're disgusting and I hope you rot in jail!"

Delia sat on the couch in shock. She wished it was all a dream, this feels surreal to her. Her only son was dead.

She got a text from her friend. Professor Samuel Oak also saw the news. Gary was traveling in Chicago with his Pokémon, he surely saw the battle on TV. Delia went over to her friend's lab, she opened the door and saw a trainer.

Delia couldn't say anything. she saw the man standing there. It was Ash's father…

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The funeral was the week after his death. It was held in Kanto. Ash's friends were there. Leon and Hop were also there.

Serena sat under a tree. Her mom, Grace, was sitting with her, comforting her. Serena was crying on her mom. Her boyfriend and best friend was gone. Ash was gone. Goh stood next to the closed casket, he touched the surface of it. Ash's friends were there too.

Dawn and Iris were hugging each other. Clermont was off to the side with his sister, their father was there too.

"Papa?" Bonnie asked, looking up at her father.

The man, Meyer, looked up at his child.

"W-Why did he have to go?" Bonnie asked.

"Well, Bonnie. I know it's rare but stuff like this happens. That's life."

Bonnie wanted to run. She couldn't hear anymore, she just wanted Ash back! She missed him a lot. She looked to her right and saw an opportunity to run. And she took it. She took off.

"Bonnie!" Clemont yelled, chasing after his sister.

Clemont found her not too far. He found her at a park, sitting on a swing set. He approached her, then sat next to her.

"Bonnie." Clemont started, Bonnie looked up. Tears were streaming down her face still.

"I miss him…"

"I know, Bonnie we all do." Bonnie hugged him and didn't let go. She just wanted to see him one more time. She's been having nightmares about the incident for the past week now. Clemont felt bad for her, he had to calm her down until she went back to sleep at three in the morning.

It's like Darkrai has come down and haunted them with the worst nightmares imaginable, but Darkrai would have different dreams each night. This… This was different, Bonnie wished that was the case because she wants to forget the memory of Ash's body in her head ever existed. Clemont tried to shield her the best he could but… She can still hear the screams of the audience.

Bonnie sniffled again as she hugged Clemont tightly. Not caring if his suit got wet from her tears. they sat and wept, keeping each other company.

Professor Kukui was holding his son, Lei. Lei remembers when Ash used to come down with his friend Goh a lot. They used to swim, run on the beach. And go to the mall. His adoptive brother was the nicest and most caring person in the universe. Sure he's a bit out there. But who cares? He was still his foster brother, and Lei missed Ash a lot.

Lei even saw Ash come to the Pokémon school once to hang out with the students, teaching them battling techniques and stuff that he's learned traveling with his friends and even when he went to the Pokémon school back in 2016

Ash was put to rest a few minutes ago, Pikachu was standing near his grave. Lucario walked up to his friend, Pikachu saw him put a paw on his back. Pikachu hugged his friend and he cried for the loss of Ash Ketchum. His best friend.

Goh read the headstone.

Here Lies Ash Ketchum.

2005-2023

Champion, Ally, Friend.

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Goh went back to his parents' apartment. He was in his room watching the new Spidops-Man movie that came out recently. But It did not feel the same… Nothing can fill the hole that was in his heart.

Just then he heard the door open. He paused the movie and it was his grandma Halta. A woman with short white hair and blue eyes that wore a yellow long sleeve shirt.

Halta brought a bowl for him.

"Here." She said with a warm smile, putting it on his desk. Goh smiled as he saw the meal. It was a bowl of ramen next to him. Halta rubs his back in support, as she sets a fork down. Goh smiled.

"Thanks, grandma… It looks great." Goh said, picking up the fork with his left hand and beginning to eat. Halta walked out of his room and closed the door to his bedroom.

As soon as he finished. Goh put his bowl in the sink and he went back to his room to watch the rest of the movie.

Ash… I miss you so much…. Goh paused the movie and went to bed. Spidops-Man was one of his favorite Marvel movies, but… He was thinking too much of his friend and he is never going to forget him….