When a life fades away

Pewter city.

Someone thinks that grey is an empty colour, cold and menacing.

But the city of grey and stones was a lovely place, with Pokèmon and humans working together in one of the most rural parts of the otherwise quite chaotic and sophisticated Kanto Region.

A doctor with a dream and a lot of love was visiting his patients during his time as assistant for the local Nurse Joy when he heard some noises coming from the cafeteria.

Giving his faithful Blissey the medical records for his latest Pokèmon that came under his supervision, he headed to the source of the noise, finding a group of trainers surrounding the TV.

"Something big happened?"

A kid turned to him and stated: "They announced that Ash Ketchum, the yesterday winner against Diantha, is dead!"

The boy was panicking. By now, Ash was well known in Kanto, being his home region.

The doctor gently placed a hand on a boy's shoulder and said with a caring smile: "Come on, everything will be okay!"

The kid sobbed for a bit, before calming himself down: "Thank you doctor Brock"

"It's nothing, little champion!" stated Brock with a wide smile.

The tanned man continued his job all day long before finally finishing his work shift and heading home.

But he didn't go home. He decided to stop by the gym, now closed because it was night-time.

He opened the door and went in the middle of the rocky battlefield.

Memories flashed in his mind, since that day, 10 years ago, when a kid with a Pikachu entered the same door to challenge him.

After all the granitic determination he had showed during the day to not allow himself to be sad, tears started to flow through his face and was soon enveloped in a hug by his Pokèmon.

In Cerulean City, on the other side of Mount Moon, an orange haired girl had a completely different reaction.

Unable to say a word, she rushed home, cried all she could and then she called the person who was suffering probably more than anyone else in the world: Delia Ketchum.

In the Hoenn region a girl was travelling from Mauville City to Fortree city, home of her next contest with a green haired guy, Drew, his rival and maybe more than that. Her parents called her, telling the sad new. She quitted her journey and went home in order to recover from the shock.

There, she found her brother Max, crying out the pain for the loss of his role model and guide throughout his journey. Seeing this, May's heart shattered, and she joined her brother in the pain.

She also had just lost his mentor. Sweet memories fading away.

There were regions where this new didn't arrive by TV.

Iris discovered it from Cilan who was in Johto.

The Alola region discovered it by Professor Kukui who was informed by Samson Oak who was in Kanto at that time.

For Kukui and Burnet it was devastating. In a way Ash was like their son. Losing him made them feel every kind of bad emotion, depression and regret on top.

The Pokèmon school was closed for a week, and it was declared National Mourning for the loss of the first Alolan champion.

The entire region lost his joviality for some days. The land Ash loved like his second home was in pain for him.

Ten days after the news, his Alolan family was about to book a flight for Kanto to visit the grave when Burnet received a call from Delia Ketchum herself that completely changed the mood.

The only one of Ash's friends not knowing the death of the boy were Lillie and Gladion, still crossing the world with Megaerna to be reunited with their father. Poor internet connection made them blissfully ignorant about the new.

The only person who could possibly be in more pain than anyone was of course his mother.

It is hard to bury a friend, harder to bury the love of your life but it is atrocious to bury a son. It isn't how nature works. A mother shouldn't see his son die… But fate sometimes was more bastard to someone.

A mother who saw her husband leave and was left with a kid to grow, only to see that kid leave home at the age of ten to chase his dream. She was glad that her son was such a kind and passionate boy, she was proud of him but there were times when she hoped that he could stay at home more or call her more frequently.

When she opened the door that morning, only to see two officers with serious yet sad expressions, she felt that something was wrong. A mother instinct, you can say.

"Good morning miss. Are you Delia ketchum?"

"Yes, I am"

"We are deeply sorry to bring you this from the Kalos region. Your son was struck with his Pikachu by a ray in the night of Lumiouse. That generated an earthquake and unfortunately he is reported dead." In the hand of the officer, ash's hat and backpack.

The officers watched the woman horrified face for a while, not knowing what to do. They sure had done this kind of revelations other times, but it was always hard.

Delia mustered to regain consciousness and had saluted the officers when Professor Oak and his grandson Gary Oak arrived talking about their research topic for the day.

They knocked on the door, but no one came to answer. Clueless about what had just happened Gary opened the door, exclaiming: "Miss Ketchum? Are you home?"

They found the woman on the floor.

Later that night Delia was being helped by Mimey. She was still weak and lifeless.

In a way, she was used to not know where his boy was but now, she knew. He was nowhere. He faded away.

She also decided, against her own will, to stand tall, to not let the world eat her in this moment.

But it was hard. Everyone knew Delia as a superhuman, a woman with so much strength, but even the bravest hero has his limits.

She had just ended a conversation with Misty. She was glad she called. It was cathartic but now she was alone again in Ash's room, her gaze lost on his son's achievements an photos.

She saw a phot of him and Pikachu with Brock and Misty in Olivine city, next one was with Brock, May and Max in Petalburg. Then one with Brock and Dawn, Pikachu hugged by a Buneary and a Piplup standing proudly. His son looked so happy with them and was nearer to Dawn than he was with his other friends in other photos. "They looked so nice together…." Delia thought.

Next was a photo with Cilan and iris, Pikachu and Axew sharing an apple.

After this, it was a photo with the Pokèmon school class, Kukui and Ash standing together in front and a white dressed girl with an Alolan Vulpix in her arms, next to Ash in clear proximity.

After that, it was the latest… him, Goh and Chloe in a pub in Motorstoke, Galar region, with 3 mugs of beer, Pikachu, Grookey and Eevee cheering with littler mugs in their paws.

The last one was the photo of Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, Korinna and Serena in Cyllage. The woman saw the bashful smile and the close proximity of Serena with Ash. "They were even cuter" thought again Delia.

She thought she had seen another photo but dismissed her search when the phone rang.

"It will be a hard night, Mimey"

And it sure had been. She had received calls from quite everyone who had known Ash.

This included the parents of his travelling companions, from Norman to Johanna, to Grace.

Then it was the time of his travelling companions: May, Iris, Cilan, the Alolans.

After these some more formal ones with great persons from the world of battling. From Mr Goodshow to Leon in person and Cynthia, including Diantha and some Kanto frontier brain named Anabel.

The last call was the warmest of them all. It was with Kukui and Burnet. It was a silent call. They didn't feel the need to say anything. Everything was just there, in their faces, proved by a long day, even if in Alola was morning and in Kanto was midnight.

After all these calls ended with one final call with Chloe and Professor Cerise. Before hanging up, the Vermilion city professor told her that Goh was coming to Pallet in two days to bring some news and leave there Ash's team.

She thanked them and went back to his son's room. Everything about that night was overwhelming and she felt drained from tears.

A thought came to her mind. "The only ones who didn't call, aside from Lillie who is lost in the world and Goh who's coming here, are Clemont, Dawn and Serena… Wait, Brock!"

She started to wonder why this but didn't have much time because the doorbell rang.

"Who's there at this hour?"

She opened the door, revealing Brock, gasping for what appeared to have been a long run.

He stepped in: " I'm sorry to intrude you at his late in the night, Miss Ketchum. I wanted to be sure you were alright"

The woman looked surprised, then a grateful smile appeared on her face. When she was about to answer, she caught a glimpse of tears in his eyes. She moved forward and hugged the boy with all her motherly support.

"It will be fine".

They boy finally let all his tears down.