Ash Ketchum struggled hard as he was pushed and shoved down the halls of Team Rocket headquarters. The grunts holding him were strong and had a good grip on him, preventing him from getting away.

Agent 009, aka Domino, led the way, speaking to Giovanni on a walkie-talkie.

They reached a guarded cell and Domino motioned to the guards to move aside.

She opened the cell door and told the grunts to "throw the boy inside".

Ash was flung into the cell, where he was surprised to find his mother.

"Ash!" Delia Ketchum cried in surprise and horror.

"Mom!" Ash replied. Seeing her sorry state, he added. "What have they done to you?!"

"You have ten minutes with her, boy." Domino told him. "Say your goodbyes, because you're never going to see her again."

Ash spun around. "What?!"

Domino smirked. "Oh, don't worry about her. It's yourself you have to worry about."

Ash stared at her as the cell door was slammed shut.

Delia threw her arms around her son. "Ash!"

Ash turned and hugged her as well. He'd been so worried since Professor Juniper had told him his mother was missing. It seemed he'd had a right to worry.

They stayed like that for a few minutes before they heard the sound of Domino coming back.

"Mom, I love you. Always remember that." Ash whispered right before he was yanked away from Delia.

He resisted more as he was taken away from her, out of the cell, down the hall, up the stairs, down another hall and into a big room where Giovanni was waiting.

"What do you want?! What have you done with my mother?!" Ash shouted.

"Oh, we've had fun with her." Giovanni laughed, walking closer to the struggling boy.

Ash glared at Giovanni, angry that the man had done bad things that I will not describe here to his mother.

He felt a metal knife touch his neck and ceased his struggles immediately.

"Any last words, boy?" Giovanni sneered.

Ash fixed the evil man with another glare. "I'll stop you. That's a promise."

"Very well then." Giovanni said. He nodded to the grunt holding the knife. "Do it."

The knife ripped across Ash's neck. The boy gasped in pain. His eyes fluttered closed. He was having trouble breathing.

Meanwhile, in a Place Far Away…

Arceus felt Ash's death like a pain in the chest. He narrowed his eyes and roared. The chosen one couldn't die! He was still needed in the world!

Back at Team Rocket Headquarters…

The roar was heard throughout the facility, scratch that, throughout the world. Ash's body began to disappear.

"What's happening?" A grunt asked.

"Looks like our murder is being interfered with." Giovanni growled. "Never mind that. It's too late to save the boy now. Let them try for all I care."

Back to Arceus…

Arceus went quick to work with his attempts to heal Ash before it was too late. He called Celebi to aid him.

Hopefully, Ash would survive.

(A/n) Here's the prologue of my new story. I should probably get back to work on my old ones but I'm getting writer's block for pretty much all of them. Sorry. (A/n)