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“Gah! What time is it?!”
The six-year-old child jolted upright from his sleep, face covered in sweat. He stared out his bedroom window and saw the morning sun beaming down high, illuminating his room with its warm light.
This was bad, he knew. It was a big day, and he was supposed to start bright and early. Normally, his mother would have woken him up, a clean pair of clothes laid out and breakfast on the table; but in the recesses of his mind, he could vaguely recall her saying weeks before, and even the night before, that she was going out in the morning.
And had said he would need to wake up on his own.
But if the sun was already out and high in the sky...
Flustered, he searched for his alarm clock to give him the time.
But it was gone, missing from its normal place on his shelf.
“Where is it?!”
Eyes darting around the room, the boy rolled out of bed in a panic, falling to the floor and quickly scrambling back to his feet, finding the broken remains of the Voltorb-shaped clock shattered on the floor.
Not again...
How it had broken this time, he didn’t know; nor did he have time to care. All he knew was that he had slept in, against his mother’s warnings, and that he had to get moving now if he was going to make it on time.
“Oh no! I’m gonna be late!”
Leaping past his bedroom door and storming down the stairs, foregoing both breakfast—a highly unusual decision for the boy—and a change of clothes, he threw on his shoes and pushed his front door open, staggering outside. He had nothing but the pajamas on his back, the sun glaring down on him and the sweat already forming on his skin. Turning a sharp corner, he started sprinting down the dirt road with all his might, breathing through his wide-open mouth, arms pumping wildly up and down, a look of terror etched into his face. His mind raced, fearing that he had overslept and that the big day he had been excitedly waiting weeks for was about to be missed.
“Professor Oak! Wait for me! ”
“Uh, Professor? Isn’t it time to be on our way?”
Professor Oak took note of the green-eyed, maroon-haired girl’s raised hand. She stood front and center in the batch of nine young aspiring Pokémon Trainers, her wide and contagious smile beaming with innocence and wonder.
Nine out of ten young aspiring Pokémon Trainers that he was expecting.
He folded his arms. “Yes, but I’m afraid we’re still missing somebody.”
“But they should have gotten here a long time ago,” the girl replied, stifling a chuckle in her last few words.
Yes, he should’ve, he thought privately to himself. But he wasn’t surprised, given his experience with the boy. Prompt and prepared weren’t exactly the most accurate of descriptors.
“We’re waiting on a lively young man who lives in the neighborhood.”
“I know what! I bet he was so excited about our trip, he couldn’t sleep!” the blue-eyed boy to the girl’s right said, flailing his arms into the air with vigor, before recomposing himself with his hands on his hips. “Kind of a simple-minded and not responsible guy, huh?”
A bead of sweat dripping down his face, Oak couldn’t help but agree; a rambunctious boy, he was. “You might have a point there.” Then, it struck him that he didn’t recognize this talkative boy in the Gengar T-shirt among the gaggle of campers, as everyone else was either the child of a local or of someone he knew professionally. “Huh? Wait, what was your name?”
Without missing a beat, the boy pointed toward the girl beside him. “See, she invited me along. I’m Goh!”
“A friend of Chloe’s?” the professor replied, turning toward the young girl.
She smiled. “That’s right! He comes to watch the research at my dad’s lab all the time, so I brought him!”
“Oh!” Oak said, pleased to be reminded of a good friend. “And how is Professor Cerise?”
“Fine!”
Oak nodded. “Chloe’s father does lots of research on Pokémon, just like me. Not only that, he’s been hailed as a genius since he was young! A promising researcher!”
Growing impatient, both at waiting for the missing camper and at the professor’s tangential reminiscing, Goh placed his hands on his hips again and leaned forward. “So, how long are we gonna wait for that irresponsible kid, anyway?”
Oak paused to think. “Delayed leaving means delayed returning...”
Well, I’m sure Delia will understand; knowing her, she probably warned him a dozen times that this could happen if he slept in. I guess it can’t be helped.
Finally, he reached his conclusion. “That settles it! Let’s be on our way!”
“Professor Oak! Wait! I’m here, I’m here! ”
Startled by the sudden shout, the campers all turned around. Oak looked up and straight ahead, following their cue, watching as a raven-haired boy flailed around wildly, clearly out of breath, running as fast as his legs could carry him.
Oak smiled. “Ah, if it isn’t Ash,” he said matter-of-factly, his surprise tempered as if he was just as unsurprised by the boy’s tardiness as he would’ve been by his absence. He folded his arms again. “Good to see you made it. We were just about to head off.”
The boy, though thoroughly exhausted from running, felt a wave of relief wash over him as he came to a halt in front of the group. He had made it—just in the nick of time, but made it nonetheless.
“I’m sorry…I’m late…Professor,” Ash gasped out between deep breaths. After composing himself, he stood upright, a hand on the back of his head, and cheekily smiled. “It’s just that I was so excited about our trip, I couldn’t sleep!” He pumped his fists with elation.
“Told you,” Goh whispered to Chloe with a side-eyed glance.
“Hmm?” Picking up on the whispering, Ash walked past the rest of the campers and over to the two new faces. “Hi there, my name’s Ash Ketchum! It’s nice to meet you!” he said with great enthusiasm, catching Goh off guard by his volume, especially for someone who had seemed completely spent just moments before.
“Oh, uh, my name’s Goh,” he replied, slightly unnerved by the boy’s directness.
“And my name’s Chloe! It’s nice to meet you, too!” she added, before holding in a giggle. “But are you really going to go camping with us in your pajamas?”
“Huh?” Ash said, as he finally took a moment to realize how he looked—green and yellow two-piece jammies and messy hair. His eyes widened and face reddened. “Oh man, I was in such a rush that I forgot to get dressed!”
The campers burst into laughter. Professor Oak, holding back a snicker of his own, tried to settle them down.
“Okay, okay, kids, let’s be nice,” he said, and then turned back to Ash. “Now Ash, I can understand being excited, but next time, try not to cut it so close.”
Ash bowed hastily. “Yes, Professor!”
Oak cupped his chin. “Hmm…but we won’t have time to circle back to your house, so I’m afraid you’ll just have to go in your pajamas. Are you sure you want to come along?”
“Yes! Please, Professor, I really want to go! I’ve been waiting for weeks for today! Pleeeeease!” Ash said, begging, his head bowed and hands clasped together.
Oak exhaled, then smiled. “Well, if it means this much to you, then come along. We were just about to be on our way.”
Ash leaped for joy. “All right! ”
Watching on, Goh cocked an eyebrow in exasperation. “Wow, I was right about him being simple-minded,” he muttered.
Chloe giggled. “I think he’s kinda funny. He reminds me a bit of you.”
“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?” Goh replied, defensive and confused at his friend’s comparison.
His question went unanswered as Professor Oak led the campers on their trip, away from the lab and toward a nearby forest entrance.
“All right, then, it’s time to observe the multitude of Pokémon living in this forest!” the professor said, earning cheers from his campers, all filled with excitement as they followed him in. Ash walked front and center among them, smiling and completely at ease, having long forgotten his earlier embarrassment, as if it had never happened.
As they made their way deeper into the forest, Goh grumbled to himself, his eyes occasionally drifting to the side toward Ash, the strange kid who showed up unprepared, whom Chloe had teased as similar to him.
What did she mean he reminded her of me?
I wasn’t late.
I didn’t just roll out of bed.
And I’m not simple-minded!
We’re nothing alike!
Before he could ponder her comment further, he was brought back to earth by an exciting spectacle unfolding before him—a Pokémon! And it was battling! An older girl with a Squirtle stood across from a Caterpie, ordering a Bubble attack, a Poké Ball cupped in her other hand, as a friend of hers sat nearby, watching.
“Whoa! A wild Caterpie!” Goh said, running to get closer.
Ash followed suit. “Awesome!”
“Now, go! Poké Ball!” the girl called out as she tossed the ball at the wild Pokémon, which shook thrice before settling as a successful capture.
“All right!” the girl cheered, leaping into the air before scooping the Poké Ball into her hand. “I just caught a Caterpie!”
The campers, most especially Ash and Goh, beamed with amazement.
“Just as you observed, by throwing Poké Balls at wild Pokémon, you have a chance to catch them,” Oak began, pointing forward, seeing the capture as a perfect opportunity to lecture. “And when the rest of you turn ten, you can become trainers. You’ll then choose a first partner Pokémon suitable for beginners. That’s when you and your Pokémon will be able to go out on your very own journey!”
“Wow, that sounds so awesome!” the campers gleefully said in unison.
Ash could hardly contain himself, nearly bursting with excitement. “Oh man, I just can’t wait to turn ten!”
“But before then,” Oak continued, wagging his finger, “you’ll want to learn everything you can about Pokémon.”
The campers all raised their hands. “All right, Professor, we will!”
Goh stepped forward, chest out and chin raised high. “Although, there probably isn’t a thing about Pokémon I don’t know,” he boasted with a grin.
“But, Goh…” Chloe said with unease, while Ash and the others could only watch with confusion.
Oak laughed heartily. “Sounds like you’re quite the expert!”
Goh smiled with pride, giggling with immense self-confidence at the professor’s compliment, all but pushing his earlier worries completely out of his mind.
As the professor led the campers further and further down the path through the forest, they were faced with more and more wild Pokémon; and with each new Pokémon, the professor would ask the group about them; and—without exception—Goh would insist on giving the answer.
“Who can tell me something about this Pokémon?” Oak asked, turning to a yellow-colored Bug-type Pokémon stuck to a tree.
“It’s the cocoon Pokémon, Kakuna!”
“Ooh, precisely!” Oak replied, before turning to a duck-like Pokémon walking by. “Then you probably know this one, too.”
“Mm-hmm, that’s a Farfetch’d! It’s got a leek that it can swing like a sword and slice up all kinds of stuff!”
All the campers marveled at the wunderkind boy, eyes wide and mouths agape, their wows, awesomes, and even a You know everything! lapped up greedily to feed his prideful ego. All but for Chloe, who merely watched on with a static expression, all too familiar with her friend’s personality and desire to show off his encyclopedic trivia knowledge about Pokémon.
Unprompted, Goh began flexing his Pokémon knowledge further.
“That’s a Diglett!” He pointed at the tiny mole-like Pokémon. “It likes to eat tree roots!”
And then another behind a tree. “The evolved form of Diglett: Dugtrio!” he continued, prompting the larger Pokémon to burrow into the ground and flee the area. “They’ve got amazing power! They can dig tunnels at over sixty miles per hour!”
Goh eagerly continued to name Pokémon as he saw them, intent on showing off as much as he could. He had staggering confidence in himself and his knowledge. Unbeknownst to him, however, the wide-eyed marvel and praise from the other campers had withered instead into an awkward silence and unnerved expressions, with Goh standing proud, oblivious to the utter perplexity of the others—well, most of the others.
Whoa, Ash thought to himself, mouth agape in awe. I hope someday I can know that much about Pokémon! That’d be so cool!
As if on cue, Chloe, an incredulous expression across her face, stepped up to the boy in an attempt to rein him in. “Excuse me,” she said, finally breaking through to Goh with her irritation. “We do have Professor Oak here to give us the facts on Pokémon.”
The professor could only laugh again. “Though, I have to admit Goh is quite knowledgeable,” he said, smiling, before continuing the trek. “All right, as Goh previously mentioned, Pokémon evolve. Conditions for evolution vary among Pokémon, but they’re all living creatures whose appearances change. You see—”
“That Farfetch’d doesn’t evolve, right?” Goh interrupted, catching his use of the word all.
“Ah!” The professor recoiled, then quickly rebounded. “Yes, that’s correct.”
“It’s not like every Pokémon on the planet evolves!” Goh spread his arms wide. “The fact is there are some Pokémon who actually don’t!”
Chloe tapped Goh on the shoulder. “Excuse me,” she said softly, trying to settle him down again.
Oak looked at her and chuckled. “Why, I don’t mind.”
She pouted, glancing toward Goh who, to her, seemed to think he was on top of the world.
As the professor led most of the campers across a stone bridge, gazing out at the various Water-type Pokémon around them, Goh and Chloe trailed behind. Elbows raised and the back of his head resting on his hands, Goh smiled with pride, thinking about the impression he had made already on both the professor and everyone else, as Chloe looked on with concern.
“Honestly, Goh!” she said with exasperation. “This is exactly why you never make friends!”
“Who said I wanted to make friends, anyway?” he replied dismissively. “What I want is to catch a Pokémon that nobody has ever seen before.”
Chloe closed her eyes and sighed.
Goh stiffened. “Hey, don’t make fun of me!”
“You’re talking like you’re in a dream.”
Goh grew testier. “It’s reality! It’s my future! And I can hold that future in the palm of my hand!”
Chloe could only sigh again.
“Hey, you guys!” a voice called from behind them.
Confused, the two turned around, only to see the pajama-clad boy, Ash, running up to them.
“Hey, what’re you doing here?” Chloe asked, puzzled. “Shouldn’t you be with the professor and everyone else?”
Ash tilted his head, smiling. “I guess, but I just saw this Magikarp leap out of the water like whoosh!” He illustrated with an upward movement of his arm. “And it was awesome!” He grinned, before looking quizzically at the two again. “And so, I guess I’m back here now, huh? Anyway, why are you guys back here? Did you see a cool Pokémon, too?”
Goh scoffed, placing his hands on his hips. “Oh yeah, well while you were looking at Magikarp, I was talking about catching a Pokémon nobody’s ever seen!”
“Whoa, a Pokémon nobody’s ever seen?” Ash’s eyes sparkled. “I wanna see!”
“Goh, don’t start,” Chloe said, practically begging him not to embarrass himself further, before turning to face Ash directly. “I’m sorry about Goh. He knows a lot of Pokémon facts, but a lot of times he can’t let others talk. It can be embarrassing.”
“Huh?” Ash was confused, but before he could inquire further, Goh spoke up.
“Hey, I’m not embarrassing!” he snapped at Chloe, pouting, before pointing at Ash. “This kid came to camp late and in his pajamas and I’m the one who’s embarrassing?”
Ash’s face reddened. “Hey, c’mon, I said I was in a rush...”
“Goh, what did I just say?” she replied, becoming more disbelieving at his stubbornness. “How will you ever make friends when you put everyone off with your nonstop talking, or you lose your temper, or you make fun of them?”
Goh’s eyes narrowed. “I said I didn’t want to make friends! And besides, Chloe, you’re one to talk. If I remember, you’re the one who first made fun of him for showing up in his pajamas!”
Chloe blushed, taken aback by his accusatory tone. “H-hey, I didn’t mean it in a mean way!”
“Guys, I—” Ash started, trying to extinguish the ever-heating exchange in which he’d found himself caught in the middle, but was interrupted by a nearby Pokémon cry.
“Nido!”
Goh whipped around and pointed. “It’s a Nidoking!”
In an instant, his mind had refocused, away from the bickering and toward a new Pokémon sighting. But then, just as soon as he noticed the lurking, bulky purple Pokémon standing in the nearby grassy field, a second figure floating just in front of it caught his eye. “H-hold on.”
“Huh?” Ash and Chloe replied in unison, confused.
“Mew, mew!” the figure giggled, much to the annoyance of the Nidoking, who launched an Earth Power attack in response. But in a blink, the figure disappeared.
“It vanished!” Goh shouted, eyes shimmering.
“No way!” Ash said. “What is it?”
Just as soon as it had vanished, it reappeared behind Nidoking and countered with an Earth Power of its own, knocking it on its back in one hit, before giggling at its swift victory.
Goh’s excitement was near its limit. “You’re kidding! ”
“Awesome!” was all Ash could say, and Chloe was speechless.
“It just used the same move as Nidoking!” Goh tightened his hands into fists.
Nidoking promptly got back to its feet and attempted a Sludge Wave attack to continue the battle, but the figure teleported away again and followed up with the same counter.
Thoroughly enraged at being toyed with, Nidoking refocused and launched a Fire Blast attack to do away with the taunting figure; but, yet again, it missed and was countered, and Nidoking finally collapsed to its back in defeat upon the impact of the countered attack.
“It’s playing around by using the same moves as Nidoking!” Goh shouted.
Ash marveled. “Whoa…”
Goh looked closer at the floating figure. “But who’s that Pokémon?”
Turning its gaze to meet Goh’s, it purred a mew before taking off through the sky.
Goh gasped, then took off running without saying a word.
Oh, no you don’t...
“Goh, wait up!” Chloe said, before following him.
Ash, stunned as well, followed their lead. “Hey, wait for me, you guys!”
Storming down the rocky terrain and then onto grassy plains, traveling further off the beaten path, the three watched as the Pokémon flew faster and faster, before vanishing out of sight.
“Goh! Come on, wait up!” Chloe yelled out, panting, Ash following behind.
Goh, adamant about not losing a Pokémon he had never seen before, rapidly looked around; but the Pokémon was nowhere to be found.
“Now, where’d that Pokémon go?”
Chloe exhaled. “Will you hold on?!”
Suddenly, a different Pokémon stepped toward them, startling them.
“A Magmar!” Goh said, before the Pokémon quickly transformed back into the mysterious creature they’d been chasing.
“Mew!” it purred, before taking off again.
The three gasped, and Goh and Ash took off running again. “Come back!” the two said in unison.
“Hey, Goh! Ash!” Chloe yelled, before following them.
As the three ran with all their might, the Pokémon continued to toy with them—first, transforming into a Tauros and galloping away, then into a Lapras, landing in the nearby river and surfing ahead.
Goh gritted his teeth as he sprinted, Ash trailing behind him. “It won’t get away from me!”
“Goh!” Chloe called out, as he pushed further and further ahead.
Having directed all her focus at the two sprinting boys in front of her, Chloe was blind to the stray root sticking out of the ground, and with one wrong step, it took hold. In an instant, the world itself seemed to slow down as she felt the tug pulling her to a stop. Before she had time to react, she stumbled and then tumbled down to the ground, landing with a thud.
“Oww!” she cried, her hands instantly grabbing hold of her ankle as the pain signals reached her brain.
Ash, just a few feet in front of her, stopped in his tracks at the sound and turned his head. “Chloe!” he shouted, before doubling back toward her and kneeling down. “Are you okay?”
“My foot got caught on something, and I hurt it,” she replied through the stinging pain. Then, she noticed that Ash was alone. “Wh-where’s Goh?”
“He’s right over—” Ash started as he turned back around, only to see that Goh hadn’t stopped with him. Looking further back, he finally saw him, far ahead in the distance. He pointed toward him. “There! He’s still chasing that Pokémon!”
She didn’t have a response. Her eyes drooped momentarily toward the ground, another, different stinging feeling hitting her, before she rose them to meet Ash’s. “We…we have to catch up with him,” she finally said.
“Are you sure you can stand?” Ash asked, hesitant to touch her.
She slowly nodded with trepidation. “I…I think so.”
“Okay,” he replied, grabbing her hand and lifting her back to her feet.
As they stood, she winced, feeling a sharp pain in her ankle. Ash noticed.
“Chloe!” He grabbed her with his other hand to help her maintain balance.
“I-I’m okay,” she replied, gripping tightly to his body for support, her cheeks lightly flushing. Realizing this, she instinctively pulled away. “But we have to catch up with Goh.”
Ash nodded. “All right.”
Together, the two began to lightly jog in the direction that Goh had taken off in, taking special care not to overexert Chloe’s ankle.
“Man, where’d it go? I just know it flew over this way!”
Slowing to a walking pace to catch his breath, Goh continued up the path, scanning the forest trees and streams in search of that Pokémon which had eluded him. It had stunned him—a Pokémon he’d never seen before. Not in the wild; not in any book in Chloe’s dad’s lab; not anywhere. He knew there was no way he could let it get away without getting a better, closer look.
Finally, he stopped for a break, hands on his hips, completely stumped as to its whereabouts.
“Did you see where it went, Chloe?”
But as he turned around, expecting to be greeted by his maroon-haired friend, he instead found nobody—nothing but the trees and the sounds of the forest.
There was nobody around.
He was alone.
“Hey, Chloe? Chloe?! ” he yelled, becoming more panicked with each passing second, his head whipping to and fro as the sense of being alone, isolated in the middle of an unknown forest, began to weigh on him. His voice became strained with each shout. “Chloe, where are you?! ”
Nothing.
Heart racing, he took off running as fast as he could manage back in the direction he had come. The desire to locate the mysterious Pokémon was quickly becoming a secondary priority.
Why didn’t I notice her gone?
…
Great, now I’m lost!
Nice going, Goh…
…
How could I be so simple-minded and irresponsible?
Gritting his teeth, he pushed ahead, a cold chill running through his body that otherwise felt on fire from all the running.
Just as his panicked state was about to bring tears to his eyes, two figures slowly came into focus over a hill. Looking closer, he could identify them.
It was Chloe.
…
And…that weird kid, Ash, was with her...holding her hand?
“Chloe! There you are!” he shouted, his smile returning. But as he moved closer, he noticed something was off.
As she jogged, her steps seemed to stagger, her legs gingerly carrying her ahead.
And her face seemed to bear a twinge of pain with every other step she took.
His eyes widened at his realization.
She’s hurt!
Eyes darting to Ash, they quickly narrowed as he assumed the worst, his face contorting into a grimace.
“Goh!” Chloe shouted back, slowing down her steps as they drew closer. “There you are!”
“Wow, Goh, you’re really fast,” Ash said cheerfully as they slowed to a stop, relinquishing Chloe’s hand and placing both of his own on his knees to accompany his deep breaths. “So...so did you find that awesome Pokémon? What was i—”
Without warning, Goh grabbed at Ash’s pajama shirt collar. “What did you do? ” he spat, face hardened, brow furrowed, and an unusual venom in his words.
“H-hey, what’re you—”
“Goh, stop it!” Chloe yelled, grabbing his arm. “Let go of him!”
“But, your ankle!” He pointed. “You’re hurt! What’d he do?!”
Chloe was taken aback. “What did he do?” she asked incredulously. “He helped me when you ran off, Goh!”
His heart thumped, another icy chill running down his spine as his face softened. “W-wait, what’re you talking about?”
She sighed, crossing her arms. “Jeez, Goh, you’re always jumping to conclusions about people, assuming the worst, and always getting ahead of yourself.” She sighed again, then pouted. “You know what? Forget it.”
“But Chloe…I didn’t know—”
“Ash!”
The three instantly turned to face the source of the familiar voice.
Ash waved. “Professor Oak!”
“So this is where you three have been!” the professor said as he made it to the trio, bending forward as he gasped for air from his running. “I looked all over for you!”
“W-we’re sorry, Professor!” Goh said, before the switch in his brain shifted his thoughts back to the strange Pokémon. “You see, there was this really cool Pokémon I’d never seen before, and I ran after it! And then—”
“Well, you shouldn’t have left the group,” Oak lectured, straightening his back upright. “What if you three had gotten hur—” He froze as he took notice of Chloe standing rather delicately on her right foot. “Oh my! Chloe, are you hurt?”
She looked down at her ankle. “I-it got caught while we were running after Goh and…I tripped and fell.”
“T-tripped?” Goh said softly to himself.
While running after me…?
Oak knelt down to examine her ankle. “Hmm…nothing appears to be broken, thank goodness. It seems to be a sprain.” He stood up. “We can take care of it, but I must say that you shouldn’t be walking on it, let alone running, young lady!”
“I-I’m sorry,” she said, lip quivering slightly. “You see, Ash helped me up, and we were trying to find Goh, but he’d kept running after that Pokémon...so we had to run to find him.”
“Hmm.” Oak turned to Goh. “Young man, even if you get separated from the rest of the camp, like you three did, the last thing you then should do is split up and run off all on your own. You could get lost, or even worse.” He sighed. “No rare Pokémon is worth that.”
“But I…I…”
The professor placed his hand on Goh’s shoulder. “Believe me when I say I understand how much you love Pokémon, and how much you wanted to follow this Pokémon you saw. I know all too well.” He paused. “But it’s not worth leaving your friends behind for.”
Leaving...my friends behind?
“I…”
Oak gave a reassuring smile. “Come on, my boy. You can tell me about the Pokémon once we return.” He turned toward Chloe. “But first, we need to get Chloe back to the lab so we can ice that ankle and then bandage it.”
Goh didn’t say a word.
“Now, Ash,” Oak continued, turning toward the boy, “I’m glad to hear that you were there to help Chloe when she fell. However, I must repeat that I wish she hadn’t been running on it, period.”
“Um, I’m sorry, Professor Oak,” Ash replied sheepishly, averting his eyes.
Oak folded his arms. “That said, I’m proud that you didn’t leave her alone while you searched for Goh. I understand that you did the best you could, and that’s the best I can ask for you at your age.”
“Uh,” Ash said, slowly cracking a smile as he restored eye contact, “th-thanks, Professor Oak.”
“Now, let’s get back to the lab so we can tend to Chloe’s ankle,” he said. “Would you mind helping me with her, Ash?”
Ash smiled widely. “Sure thing, Professor Oak!”
Taking hold of Chloe’s right hand as Oak took hold of her left, the three made their way down the dirt path. For a moment, Goh watched on, body slumped, mouth twisted into a frown. Pondering the professor’s lecturing, he wondered why he hadn’t noticed Chloe fall when she did, or why he hadn’t noticed her missing until he’d run so much further ahead. And why, he thought, had he so quickly assumed that Ash had to have had something to do with her getting hurt, and then grabbed him like he did?
Hmmm…
He sighed. “...but that Pokémon was really amazing, and I…I just wanted to…”
“Let’s go, Goh!” the professor called from down the road.
“H-hey!” he stammered. “Wait for me!”