A thousand years

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or any of its characters. If I did, it would have gone a little like this...

I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I love you for a thousand more

Thousand years- Chistina Perri

Gary Oak made it through the short streets of Pallet town, making sure he kept his face hidden. He wasn't really sure why anymore. It wasn't as if anyone from his tiny home town would remember him. Once he was a hero. Once he was a genius. Once he left the town so small it wasn't on any map with a crowd of cheerleaders and well-wishers, all of them completely convinced that Gary Oak, Gary Motherfucking Oak, would bring honour to their town, first as a trainer, then as a Pokémon professor. That was before Ash though. Before the little punk left with only the change in his mom's pocket and a Pokémon who hated him; before the brat won the badges he needed and began to make a name for himself, a little shit with too much luck who just wouldn't give up, no matter what Gary said to him. Before that kid stole his dream, and then his heart. Before the boy died and Gary no longer had the will to really live.

Gary passed the statue of Ash in the town square and paused. The sun glinted off the determined face of his lover, so detailed, so far from the real thing. Near the inscription was a bundle of flowers that Gary recognised to grow in Delia's front garden. His kid must be in town. Gary's thoughts fluttered briefly to Sam, who had discarded the name of Oak just as Gary had. The kid was what…ten? Had it been ten years? Must have been, if the kid had his trainer license; it felt like so much longer. Gary gazed into the eyes of the statue and kissed two fingers, placing them on the cold metal of the gloved hand.

Soon, Ash. Soon…

The cemetery was slightly outside town, on a hill surrounded by a tall fence. Gary slipped inside with a practised ease, walking along the narrow path that weaved in and out of the rows of graves. Gary paused, staring at two graves that stood, over grown with weeds after years of neglect.

It was raining hard, but people still gathered as the coffins were lowered into the twin graves. Gary's face was muffled by a scarf, his grandfather standing behind him with a heavy hand on his shoulder. Gary glared at the coffins angrily. How dare they leave him? They were always gone, always somewhere researching something, always leaving him with his grandfather. They were supposed to be home for his birthday, but gramps said they had an accident. Gary didn't care; he didn't care if they never came back. They didn't love him anyway. Beside him there was movement, and then a tiny hand clutched his own. Gary started, and turned to see Ash Ketchum staring at him with those huge eyes of his.

"It's okay Gawy," mumbled the toddler from beneath his own rain gear.

"Mommy says that your mommy and daddy went to heaven. They love you, and they're watching over you."

Gary gave a sniffle, and the small hand in his own squeezed.

"I'll watch over you too, Gawy!"

Gary stared at the two graves impassively, and then continued his way up the hill.

Ash's grave was large and eye capturing, all gold and marble. Even after all the years it was still immaculately kept, not a blade of grass out of place, not a stone unpolished.

Gary snorted. Ash may have been a loud mouth and a show off, but even he would have seen it as a bit much. Gary supposed he should have agreed with the others, have Ash cremated and scattered along his favourite routes. Ash to ashes, all that jazz. Gary couldn't stand the idea at the time however, and wouldn't allow it, so the League flipped the bill for the monstrosity before him; their tribute to their first and only Pokémon Master.

Gary fell to his knees on the grave, letting his fingers run lovingly across the inscription. It had been a sunny day when they buried Ash, quite different from the rain of his parent's burial, or the overcast morning Gary had kicked the corpses of Jessie and James into a ditch at the side of some forgotten road for some hiker to find before using his knife to finish off that Meowth.

The sun beamed down, bouncing off the gold of the grave and into the eyes of a Pikachu that stood not far away. Its nose twitched uncertainty, clearly torn between the desire to rest in its usually place atop its masters grave, and the desire to keep a defined distance between itself and Gary.

Gary smiled humorously, turning his gaze on the small creature that in turn took a fighting stance.

"It's alright," said Gary hoarsely, unused to speaking after so long.

"I won't hurt you; I promise."

Pikachu didn't come any closer, but its ears twitched with interest.

"I treated you badly last time we met. I apologize for that. I was hurting and you were…available I guess. I've made a lot of mistakes, but I know how to fix them now. I just need you to help me."

Pikachu made a chirping noise and came closer. The stupid rat was always too concerned about helping others; much like Ash himself.

Gary met the curious Pokémon's eyes with his own.

"I know how we can bring Ash back?"

"PikaPi?" exclaimed the small creature, its eyes darting from the grave to Gary, shuffling closer to the man.

"It took me a while, but I know what I was missing all this time; you. On every adventure, Ash had you with him. You meet all the Pokémon he did, visited the same places. You could show me where they live, talk to them, tell them…"

Gary closed his eyes and swallowed thickly.

"Tell them how much we still need him."

Pikachu froze, still seemingly undecided.

"Pikachu, come with me and you can have Ash back again."

Pikachu stared at Gary, face open and unbelieving as if the man had just offered the Pokémon the world. Then its face grew determined and it gave a fierce nod. Running to the gravestone, Pikachu nuzzled the cold marble, chittering quietly to itself, before crouching impatiently at Gary's side.

"Pika!"

Gary gave a nodded, and turned once more to the grave.

"I will get you back Ash; even if I have to tear down this whole world to do it."