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The blazing sun imposed its overbearing presence over the golden desert plains. Ash Ketchum and Pikachu dragged their feet along the coarse sand, sweat dripping from their brows. Ash licked his cracked lips. They have been stranded in the Withering Desert for three days without food or water. Ash looked down at his yellow companion. But instead of seeing Pikachu, Ash imagined before him a lovely roasted slab of meat.
Perhaps…he can just take one bite. Just one.
Pikachu would understand, right?
Reaching into his pocket for his plastic spork, he addressed his soon-to-be ex-companion. “Oh Pikachu, you need not suffer anymore. There’s another path for you.”
Pikachu looked up with weary eyes, squinting slightly at what Ash just said, “Pika?”
“If only you would lend me some of your meat.”
“Pika?!!?” Pikachu immediately spun around to face Ash, slowly backing away.
“Why do you recoil,” Ash asked in a soothing tone, raising his spork. “I am no thief.”
Suddenly, Pikachu began to quickly walk away in scared “pika”s. Ash, surprised by his friend's lack of generosity, clenched his teeth in anger and began to follow him, very quickly catching up to him.
“Fool! Give it to me.” Ash leaped onto Pikachu, grabbing his tail. “Give me your meat!”
“PIKA…CHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!”
Struck by a bolt of lightning, Ash recoiled in shock and pain, groaning. Shaking his eyes open, he growled seeing that his friend had escaped.
“I see your mind!” Ash yelled as he slowly got off the ground. “You would kill me if you had the chance! You would betray me! Curse you! Curse you and all other pokemon!”
In his anger, Ash stumbled, slipped and hit his head on the sand and saw darkness. But when he opened his eyes again, in the blackness there before him was a hooded figure. Their fingerless gloved hands reached up to the sides of the hood pulling it back revealing…himself!
“Who are you?” asked Ash.
“I am you,” replied Dark Ash. “And I know that things are tough right now but there’s a solution.”
“What is it?”
“Eat Pikachu.” And from his cloak, Dark Ash produced a white plate of meat. Instantly Ash knew it was Pikachu.
Ash hesitated. “I shouldn’t…It’s not the PokeMaster way.”
“Do it.”
Almost on instinct, Ash’s hand slowly lifted itself from his side and began reaching for the plate. But he stopped before his fingers brushed the edge.
“But it’s unethical. Eating pokemon is evil!”
“But you eat Magikarps. Is that not the same as eating Pikachu? Aren’t they just animals? Animals have a place in the system. They either serve us as pets OR they serve as food to sustain the greater race, HUMANITY!”
“No! Pokemon and humans can live together in harmony and no one shall be eaten!”
“But you’ll die!”
“I don’t care! I’m going to live a life of LOVE, not food UWU.”
Suddenly a blinding flash appeared before Ash and he was back to the desert, laying on the ground. Groaning, he sat himself up slowly but learnt a terrible truth.
“Pikachu?” Ash whimpered as he slowly got up. Upon realising the spork in his hand, he recoiled and threw it to the ground where it was eaten by the sand. He stared in shock at his hands.
“What have I done?”
Full of sorrow, Ash spun his head side to side in search of his friend.
“Pikachu! I’m sorry!”
There was no answer.
No pika.
But then, he saw him. Lying on his side not far away was Pikachu. Immediately, Ash ran and closed the distance between him and his friend, kneeling next to him.
“Pikachu, thank God I found you, I’m so sorry for everything that I did. I wanted to do something terrible and now I’ve realised how wretched that idea was. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
“...”
“Pikachu?”
Ash shook the yellow lifeless body.
There was no response.
Tears streaked down Ash’s face as he shook his friend, desperately hoping for anything but the worst.
“Pikachu, please wake up.”
Cradling the shell of his former friend, Ash cried and cried and cried only for him and his tears to dry up under the scorching sun and soon vultures descended in glee.