Pokemon One-Shots and Headcanons

Ash's Sacrifice, Part 2

Darkness. That was all he could see. Complete, utter blackness, like when one first wakes up in the morning and the sun has not yet risen. And it was so cold too. He felt as though his insides had literally turned to ice, his lungs frozen solid, making it difficult to breathe properly.
With a start, Ash realized the sheer cold wasn't the only thing making it hard to breathe. Something was pressing down on his chest, crushing him underneath its weight.
"Ugh," he groaned. "Get off me."
He wasn't really expecting whatever it was to listen, but to his surprise, the weight on his chest was lifted almost immediately. At once, he saw that the object on his chest had in fact been a large rock. Rubbing his sore chest, Ash sat up and looked around.
"I see you're finally awake."
Startled, Ash whipped around, his body wincing in protest as he did so. His mouth fell open at the sight of his companion. It was none other than Zygarde, the powerful legendary Pokemon and the true form of Bonnie's friend Squishy.
"Z-Zygarde?" Ash croaked out, his throat inexplicably dry. "W-what happened? Where am I? Where is everyone else?"
"You...well, how do I put this...you were killed by Lysandre," Zygarde replied.
Ash stared at the green and black Pokemon in shock. "W-what-but-how am I talking to you?" he stammered. "Were you killed too?"
"No," Zygarde replied. "I am still, in fact, perfectly alive. The reason I am here is because you have been given a choice, Ash Ketchum. Return to your friends, or go on to the afterlife."
"But if I'm dead, how can I go back?" Ash asked, confused.
"Because you still have a job to finish back in the mortal world, Arceus has granted permission for you to return to life," Zygarde explained.
"A job?" Ash repeated. "What sort of job?"
"You have been chosen to defeat Lysandre once and for all," Zygarde answered. "And I'm afraid you are the only one who can do it. If you do not, the world as we know it is doomed."
Ash thought for a moment. He didn't want to leave the world to be destroyed, but could he really handle that kind of responsibility? It wasn't just his friends he was being asked to save, it was his mother, his Pokemon, his friends, his enemies, even people he had never known and would probably never know. How could he carry all that weight on his shoulders?
"Can-can I have a little while to think about it?" he asked.
"Of course, there is still time," Zygarde replied.
Ash nodded, then hesitated. "If it's not too much trouble, would it be all right if you showed me how my friends are doing right now?" he asked.
Zygarde nodded guiding Ash towards a small pond that had seemingly materialized out of thin air. "Look into here, Ash. This might help you make your decision."
Ash looked into the pond, his eyes widening as the water began swirling and an image rippled across the surface. He was looking at his Pokemon, all sitting in an empty room.
"I can't believe it..." Noivern muttered. Ash realized that Zygarde must have made it so he'd be able to understand what his Pokemon were saying. "Ash..."
"He's gone," Talonflame said, his voice hollow.
"He saved us, but we all lost him," Hawlucha added.
"How long has it been since I, well, died?" Ash asked.
"About two months now," Zygarde answered. Ash couldn't believe it. He had left his friends alone for two whole months.
"Why him?" Pikachu asked, not speaking to anyone in particular. "Of all people, why him?"
Abruptly, Greninja stood up and walked towards the door. The other Pokemon looked at him curiously.
"Where are you going?" Goodra asked.
"Away from here," was the short reply.
"But why?" Noivern asked.
"Because I'll just get more of you killed if I stay," Greninja replied.
"That's not true!"
"Isn't it, though?" Greninja spun around to face the rest of the group. "Don't forget, the whole reason we were taken prisoner by Lysandre in the first place was because he wanted a piece of the synchronization Ash and I have. Ash sacrificed himself so we wouldn't all be killed because he couldn't give Lysandre what he wanted."
He turned around and punched the wall. "If I had just...if I hadn't chosen to travel with him, he'd still be alive," he said despairingly.
"Don't think like that!" Ash protested even though he knew Greninja couldn't hear him. "It's not your fault Lysandre killed me!"
The image rippled and faded. Zygarde looked at the raven-haired boy standing next to him, his eyes still fixated with horror on the pond.
"T-they're all...." Ash stammered, unable to finish his sentence.
"Would you like to see more?" Zygarde asked.
Ash shook his head. "I don't need to. I've already made my decision," he said, his voice full of determination. "I choose to live! To go back and finish what I need to do."
Zygarde nodded approvingly. "Good choice, Ash! Now remember, the road ahead will be difficult and you will feel as though you should give up sometimes. But as long as you have your friends, you'll be able to overcome anything."
Ash nodded and looked down at the pond again. There was another image being shown, this one of a cemetary. He looked back at Zygarde and nodded.
"I'm ready," he said resolutely.
"Very well," Zygarde nodded. "Close your eyes."
Ash did as he was told and took a deep breath. At once, he felt a strong force tugging at him, but strangely was not afraid of it. He relaxed and allowed it to take him where it would.