[attr="class","ashley1body"]

His last moments were electric. His mind snaps to every moment he ever had... with kepler brueshaber. The way he cutely walked into the grocery with him... the blush on his cheeks at the dorm when he made sushi. The Victor Frankenstein outfit he wore for Halloween... the first night they shared together. He can feel his eyes darken, the bags beneath drooping down, as he recalls the ice skating ring for his birthday, or the booze. The masquerade dance. The baked goods for Valentine's Day. The memory of a son-[break][break]

He...[break][break]

Ashley's eyes fade from light. Kepler was... oh. Right. He had-... in Galar. They-...[break][break]

... ... ... ...[break][break]

Ashley Shepard was dead.

[attr="class","ashley1credit"]

[attr="class","ashley1body"]

Shrunken pupils bear his shame, and all Ashley can do is hold onto himself. Magneto, Ana, and Maple sit as the last stand. They would avenge Juliette. They would avenge Reinhardt. To always remember those who came before. The defense of Ashley Shepard, the psychic power, the chilling water, the bullet punch. All of it means nothing.[break][break]

And Ashley watches in horror, as the noose tightens in real time, and the Reaper moves forth. With a Hydreigon firing a DRAGON PULSE, Magneto attempts to defend. And is vaporized with what little strength they have left. Jayden charges, SHADOW SNEAK like a snake, as it attempts to cleave him in two. Ashley waits for it. He waits for it.[break][break]

Ashley's pupils are so small, as they bug out of his head, and all he can do is watch. Ana smiles at him. She charges in-between. His silver eyes begin to pool tears, as they trickle down his face. Maple does his best to keep Ashley safe. He prioritizes his safety first. And Ashley... watches.[break][break]

It's all my fault.[break][break]

"Magneto? Ana?" the pain croaks from his throat like a road-killed frog, as he stares at the body of the Raichu. The only one of the two he can still mourn the body of. His hand is outstretched. Again. Again this all happens. He let it happen again. What was different between now and back then? This cycle of self-loathing, the way she died, the betrayal. The only difference...[break][break]

Is that he was going to die.[break][break]

"..."[break][break]

Then the hysteria hits him. His mind cracks, and buckles under the weight of it. The stress finally gets him. And he can't breathe. He can't breathe.[break][break]

Maple, the last mon standing aside from the slumbering Cocoa, stands between Murderer and Ashley. The Glaceon glares daggers, like little ice knives meant for him. He may die, but he'll die shoving a blade into this bastard's eye if he has to.[break][break]

Instead, as Maple throws his head up, he makes a pained, loud cry. A cry for help. To anyone who would listen.

[attr="class","ashley1credit"]

[attr="class","ashley1body"]

Law is not doing so hot... but still, as the FLAMETHROWER hits, the Kubfu can only just barely get off a DETECT to tank his way through it. But with it, his knee hits the floor. The Kubfu holding himself up by willpower.[break][break]

And that was that. Match set. "Wow. That... happened." Ash is a little stunned himself... but as he turns to Toshiaki, he just smiles. "Good match."[break][break]

Law was getting ice cream after this. He was looking awful pouty...

[attr="class","ashley1credit"]

[attr="class","ashley1body"]

YEE. The IRON HEAD finds purchase, and soon after is dealt back with the WILD CHARGE, and it was clear which one of them took the nastier strike. Though Ash knew that the little bear had more fight in him.[break][break]

"Counter it back!" And with it, after the Wild Charge connects, soon came the clap of the bear's paws, and the spin around to a slam down. If he can even get that far![break][break]

[attr="class","ashley1credit"]

[attr="class","ashley1body"]

Law's knee hits the ground. Unfortunately for the bear, that was that. He didn't stand a ghost of a chance, and the moment his knee touched the ground, the match was called. As the Kubfu quietly gets their breathing back under control, Ash is left to smile at the approaching Shalin.[break][break]

Grabbing her hand to a handshake, he gives a sigh, and nods. "One of these days, yeah." He's just smiling quietly, inwardly happy that Shalin won, but a little sad they couldn't put up a fight. Oh well![break][break]

"Be seeing you, Shalin."[break][break]

His hands move to his pockets. And he turns on his heel to walk, Law following quietly in his footsteps.

[attr="class","ashley1credit"]

[attr="class","ashley1body"]

Dammit... Law was breathing heavy, arms spaghetti. And that Beedrill was none such slower. The new MEGA made it hard to concentrate. But, with a tightening of the headband, the now battered up bear was ready for the counterattack.[break][break]

Throwing everything forward with two paws, he prepares. One? DETECT on the DRILL RUN, and CLOSE COMBAT![break][break]

[attr="class","ashley1credit"]

[attr="class","ashley1body"]

"Got it," Ash takes a moment to look at the Kubfu. With a quick two clap handshake between Ashley and Law. And as soon as it was done, the bear would FOCUS ENERGY, and run down the Lucario.[break][break]

First move? CLOSE COMBAT! Time to give this jackal the ol' ORA ORA ORA![break][break]

[attr="class","ashley1credit"]

[attr="class","ashley1body"]

With that, even as the ICE PUNCH comes back at the bear, the little bear holding both paws up to grab the frost-touched hands, to stop him in place, or attempt to. The battle was won...[break][break]

And Law would smile at the big Bewear peacefully. As Ashley takes a step forward... and looks at the Bewear. Natsu, was it?[break][break]

"Take care of him. And thanks for the match."[break][break]

Was he crying? Hard to tell. With a turn, as Law bows towards Kazuya... the duo begin to walk away.

[attr="class","ashley1credit"]

[attr="class","ashley1body"]

And the strong blast of a FLAMETHROWER is enough for Ash to worry for the little bear, only for the Kubfu to land sideways, on a paw. Those burns really sucked, but with a twist of the body, Law throws in an IRON HEAD back, trying to dish back the pain![break][break]

[attr="class","ashley1credit"]

[attr="class","ashley1body"]

STUPID STUPID STUPID.[break][break]

Ashley should have known. That Jay was gone. He should have known the man that stands before him. Yet that little bit of hope. The good that was left in him, corrupts and corrodes. Hope was gone. Hope was gone. Hope was gone.[break][break]

All that's left is survival.[break][break]

Ash has never been a strong contender on the field. He never had been. He kept getting his Pokemon killed, because his skill lied away from that. So, when Juliette was pierced through the heart by a spear of ice, Ashley felt a part of himself die. He watched the life fade from her eyes, the Furfrou dead and gone in a hope to keep Ashley safe.[break][break]

He can come home? Not after this. He can't... the Reaper comes for him. He won't stop till Ashley's a non-problem.[break][break]

Even as the METEOR MASH and SNOWSCAPE come, all Magneto and Maple can do is try. And when the blade comes, Magneto throws an arm out to block in BULLET PUNCH, and Ashley watches the steel type Metagross' arm shred, only for the blue light of ice to crash the tree behind Ash. Maple utilizing a little SNOW CLOAK to make an immediately slope away from Ashley's head out of pure ice. The Glaceon makes his yip.[break][break]

And Ashley collapses towards the snow, grabbing at his leg, as he attempts to crawl. Another Pokeball falls out.[break][break]

The worst it could be.[break][break]

Ana. The Alolan Raichu, springs out, eyes filled with fury towards Jayden, and Ashley felt the stress heighten.[break][break]

"No... Jubilee," he mutters. His heart is in his ears. He has to get away. He has to get away, but she... not again.[break][break]

Ana, however, responds with a PSYCHIC to push Jayden away, as Maple attacks with a CHILLING WATER to freeze Jayden in place.[break][break]

A now torn up Magneto stands between Jayden and Ashley. Ana and Maple stand at his side.[break][break]

"You don't have to do this. JAYDEN. LISTEN TO ME! I'LL GO BACK. I'LL-"[break][break]

No one would listen to a dead man.

[attr="class","ashley1credit"]

[attr="class","ashley1body"]

[break][break]

The older Ashley looks on. The drag of smoke taken from the cigarette comes, and he can't help but close his eyes. His lips move to the same exact beats from before. He had nightmares, memories that haunt him. The crux of everything, the reason it all burned so much.[break][break]

This moment would never leave him.[break][break]

"There's no talking with that shit father of yours, and you know it! Look at Rocket, Jay! Look with your eyes for five fucking minutes, and see what we're doing! How many more lives do we have to take? How many more need to die before this is done?! When will it be enough, Jay," he starts back, he fires it all back at Jay, he can see the hand coming.[break][break]

And the worst is yet to come.[break][break]

The hand reaches onto young Ash, and his face is riddled with more stress, more trauma, more more more more more more more.[break][break]

The older Ashley doesn't turn away. The mistakes made are why he's where he is now.[break][break]

The blood trickles down. The knife embeds to the shoulder. And all he can do is feel his stomach shrivel and lurch. Young Ash had done the unthinkable. "Jay... I-" More.[break][break]

'Your fault,' it continues to burn in his mind. Even after Mt. Pyre, even when the voice quieted, it doesn't go away. It just gets worse. It drags him down, further and further The shackle claims the ankle, and every mistake weighs down heavier and heavier, the ball large, never to be separate to the chain.[break][break]

'Your fault,' he hears again in his head, as young Ash is a tear-covered mess... just like where Isaac Merlo left him just recently.[break][break]

"I'm... sorry..." his face riddled in guilt. He steps away.[break][break]

Ash runs.[break][break][break]

[break][break][break]

Ashley watches the mistake made. The curse placed on Jayden was by his own hands. This was one of the reasons he wanted to die on Mt. Pyre during Meteno. This is why he felt he deserved it. But time and time again, death is ever out of his reach.[break][break]

"That's just my curse, I guess."[break][break]

Another drag of his cigarette. This is why he quit months ago. After Meteno. The nicotine rush burns all the same.[break][break]

Fuck, man.

[attr="class","ashley1credit"]