TW: suic*de

sorry for doing the same theme again but my brain is devoid of idea

(i don't think about this a lot btw it's just because suic*de rates were so high in 2020 that we should pay more attention to this)

enjoy!

"So what's this about, again?"

Gary was still clueless about why he was staring at a void of stars and space, standing behind Ash and four other people he'd just met (and so far, he wished he hadn't).

There was the annoying one with the blondish hair who said nothing the stupider every time her mouth opened. This wasn't a discrimination against blondes, it was just unfortunate for them that Serena was discoloring their already unfair image.

Then there were the two siblings, who he was able to tolerate, and congratulated himself for having that patience. The taller one with glasses was getting on his nerves with his iffy machines that couldn't last a minute without blowing up. The little girl was alright, though the squeaky sound he heard when she spoke was a pet peeve.

Finally, there was the tall lady with purple hair who was either genuinely invested into parapsychology or some crackhead that was promoted to a Gym Leader.

"I told you already! Gym Leader Olympia's gonna show us our futures!", said Bonnie.

"I recently figured out how to do predict different timelines for certain beings", Olympia explained, "And thought that all of you would like to be the first ones to try it"

Gary was a logical, scientific person, so he never really believed in this nonsense. But he'd come to accept and admire that Ash was based on dreams and destiny, and his crush was excited, so he was going to try to enjoy this.

"Ooh! Ooh! Do me first", Bonnie was bouncing up and down like a spring with her hand waving in the air.

"As you wish, child"

Olympia's eyes shut as her arms elegantly swayed upward, along with her two Meowstic. Both her and the Pokemon were encircled in a blue aura, glowing so bright it blinded them.

When their sight faded back in, they saw an illumination of a tall girl with long-lemon colored hair wearing a black and brown dress in the void. On her shoulder sat a Dedenne and her long yellow bag, and there was a distorted voice all around them.

"And the winner is Bonnie Citrine from Lumiose City!"

The girl and her Dedenne cheered for themselves as the audience applauded.

"I wish he'd be here to see this...", she said with a tint of sadness.

Bonnie's eyes sparkled as she feasted her eyes on her future self victoriously holding the Gym Badge, knowing that it was, in fact, possible, and that she really would achieve it.

"Clemont, look! I'm gonna win a Gym Battle one day!", she squealed, tugging on her brother's clothes.

"More than one", added Olympia, "If my reading serves me right, you'll get to go against a Champion one day"

"Did you hear that Clemont? I'm gonna battle a Champion! Maybe it'll be Diantha"

"If this is the future that you want, make sure to work towards it, alright?"

Gary didn't mind the girl being thrilled at all. But he was curious to see what Ash's life would look like in five years, more specifically, where he stood in it. 

And if that annoying girl who kept staring at him had a place at all.

He then looked back into the void and saw that very girl, her face slightly matured, on the cover of a magazine.

"And the title of Kalos Queen goes to Serena Yvonne from Vaniville Town!"

The girl accepted the gift with grace and bowed along with her Delphox to the audience. She shook hands with an old woman with purple eyes and yellow earrings, and another woman with long pink hair. She was looking through the audience for her friends.

"Oh, look! There's me, Clemont, Tierno, Trevor, and Shauna, too", exclaimed Bonnie.

"Yeah...can't believe I'm actually gonna be Kalos Queen", said Serena looking dazed at her future self, "And everyone's there to watch me...except Ash?"

"Maybe he's gonna be busy with own career at the time. As a Champion", said Clemont, "But if I have the time to go there, what am I doing?"

The light blinded them again before dulling into another image. There was a stage before hundreds of people in suits and ties clapping for the man who entered.

"And this year's Innovation Award goes to...Professor Clemont Citrine! For his well-known, state-of-the-art Aipom Arm, which has been revolutionary for the medical industry and is now available in the workshop at his Gym for 10 grand per machine. This is a proud, proud moment for Lumiose City!"

The man's shoulders shrugged with embarrassment in his long white coat as his shy hands accepted the golden plaque with his name carved into it. The Heliolisk by his side cheered and waved to those in the audience, knowing that his trainer had beaten every single one of them.

"W-wow...I never even dreamed of getting that award before. I always just wanted to invent things to help the world", said Clemont, glazing over his future self.

"You know...there are lots of other people who've worked hard this year to change the world. They also deserve this award, but I guess I got it, so..."

Clemont's expression of joy turned to discomfort. He would have to make a speech?!

"But there's one person who really deserves an award of his own. He's not an inventor, but he's a close friend. And he's the one who kept me going, even after my machines blew up. He always said, 'Science is so amazing!', and it's proven here today that he was right. I just wish he could be here to see that I wouldn't be standing on this stage, holding this award without him. He would've been a great Champion. But, anyways, thank you for honoring me with this award, and I'll be sure to continue to make the world better for both people and Pokemon"

Serena, Bonnie and Meyer stood up in the audience, giving lively applause and yelling his name.

"Huh. Ash didn't go there either", Bonnie remarked with a sad face.

"'Would've been a great Champion'? So...what happens to Ash?", Clemont asked.

Gary had been silent throughout this whole experience so far, but it was then that he realized Ash had been as well, with his head down, looking sorrowful. He was about to reach out to him when Olympia said they would take a look at Ash's future.

He raised his head quickly, looking as if he suddenly panicked, but then calmed down and smiled.

"...I'm glad you guys will be happy"

Olympia raised her hands and the void was flooded with darkness. Even she made a face of surprise, eyes darting around to see if something went wrong.

"It seems that there is no future for Ash in the next five years. I'll have to go back to an earlier time"

Serena, Clemont and Bonnie exchanged nervous looks, but Gary just kept his eyes on Ash. There was no way, of all the reckless things this boy did, that one of them actually killed him. No. It had to be something else.

"Alright, so this point in time is about 6 months from now"

Their faces contorted with confusion and anxiousness. Was that meaning to imply that Ash had only 6 months of his life left? They hoped to Arceus it was a disease or something that could be cured.

He stood atop the tower, more determine than ever before. He'd done this jump before, in order to save Pikachu. But this time, he was saving himself.

There was another figure, a taller one with brown hair, that had rushed to the roof and held a hand out to stop him. He turned around and smiled mournfully at his friend.

He spoke, but his words were unclear with the ambience of the city. 

He then held his arms out.

Still smiling, he closed his eyes.

And just as his friend was about to catch him, his body was thrown and plummeted through the city lights until it reached concrete.

Clemont, Bonnie and Serena wept as they sat by the grave, finding it hard to place and let go of their flowers.

"I-I was right...", Clemont sobbed, "You did die from a disease. But you weren't cured fast enough"

The vision ended, revealing their shock. They tried to turn to Ash before realizing he wasn't there, and neither was Olympia.

"So when I battle a Champion, Ash won't watch me?", asked Bonnie, failing to hold her head up.

"And not even from cancer or something...he'll choose to leave us behind", added Clemont.

"How selfish"

The room turned to Serena.

"What did you say?", said Gary.

"You heard me. He's selfish. Leaving us all behind like that, to feel guilty for the rest of our lives. if he couldn't become a Champion, he should've tried something else if he wanted some attention"

"'Attention'? Are you serious?"

"Obviously. I mean, why else would he do it? 'Cause he thinks he's helping himself, and everyone else? He's still going to be dense in his last moments..."

Gary lunged forward angrily but was held back by Clemont, trying to keep the situation calm.

"How dare you! Ash has always been selfless, and that led to the last thing he did being for himself"

"So you'd let him do it?"

"Of course not! I tried to stop him, didn't I?"

"But you weren't fast enough"

"Well, you weren't there at all. You didn't even mention him in your speech"

"So I got over it, right? Isn't that what Ash would want?"

"Not like that! It looks like you just forgot him!"

"Are you saying you're gonna spend the rest of your life mulling over some guy who died?-"

"And he does"

Their eyes followed the voice to Ash and Olympia.

"What do you mean, Ash?"

-A few minutes earlier-

"What are they doing over there?", asked Olympia, looking at the disturbed teens.

"I don't know. Arguing, I guess. That's not what I want though", said Ash.

The woman looked down at the boy lamentably. 

"Are you really going to do that?"

Ash paused for a second, then turned to her.

"Before I answer, I'd like to see what happens to Gary"

"As you wish"

The light flashed into an image of a dark room. There were empty, broken wine bottles and cigarettes scattered all over the room. Holes had been punched into the wall, and a white, dusty lab coat had been tossed over a pile of boxes.

A tall man with brown hair gulped down another bottle and threw it at the wall, holding his head in his hands. He was sobbing uncontrollably, but also banging his hand on the table in frustration.

"Ash...", he bawled shakily, a hand over his heart clenching his torn clothes, "Why, why, did you do this, huh? I could've...I could've saved you..."

With little to no strength, he pulled himself up and dragged himself across the room to a table with a box of pills. He grabbed it, and without hesitation, poured it--

"Stop!", Ash screamed, covering his ears in distress.

Tears slipped from his widened eyes as he felt his chest weighing him down. He knew at that moment, that in order to save Gary, he'd have to let Gary save him first.

-Present-

"You guys didn't hear what my last words were, right?", Ash said, gesturing to Olympia.

He spoke, but his words were unclear with the ambience of the city.

Though surely, with how close he was, Gary was able to hear him.

"I love you"

Serena's fists clenched as her face scrunched up into rage.

"So you'll die loving him? After everything I've done for you?", she screeched.

"Oh, I saw what you did", Gary interrupted sarcastically, "I was still watching Ash's future for a few seconds"

It appeared to be only a few days later when the same honey-blonde girl kneeled down to the grave and retrieved the flower she had left there.

"I don't owe it to you to remember or feel sad for you. I loved you, and you always ignored me and decided to die. So now, I'll ignore you and live my own life"

"I'm not saying you'll have to mull over him like I did, but you won't even honor his memory like Clemont and Bonnie"

That was the first time he actually used their names. The lemon-haired siblings seemed good to him, now that he knew how they would live their lives should Ash take his own. 

But the honey-blonde girl? He would never say her name.

"You...I'm gonna kill you!"

She held out her hands to strangle him, alerting the rest of the room into screams and cries of protest. Olympia held her back, escorting her out of the room with a calmness that was bordering.

"I think you two should go with her", she suggested to Clemont and Bonnie.

The lemon-haired siblings followed Serena out, though they didn't think they were going to talk to her after that.

Gary ran up to Ash, putting his hands on the shoulders of the younger boy, who was still frozen, shedding tears.

"P-Please don't leave...", he whispered softly.

Gary bent down so they were face-to-face and held his cheek gently.

"Only if you don't leave, okay?"

Ash nodded and pulled the other into a hug, to which he hugged back while gesturing to the psychic.

Olympia raised her hands one last time, creating a vision of two men, one with black hair and one with brown, cradling a baby in their arms.

hope you guys enjoyed that remix of the dictionary

i haven't finished like a whole ass story in a while damn

i'm spending too much time writing essays rather than stories

not to mention essays iN FRENCH

anyways take care of yourselves, eat your three meals a day, drink your 6-8 glasses of water a day, nourish your gorgeous skin, and stay safe my dudes

:) 

(and just to make sure u know the underlying message of this oneshot is 1. palletshipping is better than amourshipping and 2. if someone is suic*dal please don't tell them they're being selfish it just doesn't help at all)

edit: i finished the fanart i asked you guys about

do you think i got better since i last showed you my art?

also does anyone want me to draw anything in particular? i'm thinking of making an art book so that when i don't have the motivation/inspiration to write, i can still give you guys something