Vermillion City Hospital

Morning

Goh had gotten one of the nurses to give him a pen and some paper after he finished his breakfast to give him something to do while he waited for his parents to visit or, inevitability, cancel like they did with most things as he was growing up. He could remember more than once when he was left alone on a vacation or a break from school because his parents were busy and maybe being in the hospital was different, but Goh knew better than to get his hopes up.

He tapped the pen on the table and chewed the end as he tried to get his jumbled mind back into some semblance of order. The page was too blank for his liking as he jotted down details. He could remember looking for Project: Nul, but not where he was. Other than the white hallway that felt more like a nightmare. For some reason he could remember every torturous second with Ash pressed against him, his memory teasing him with blurry maybe a dream interaction. The moment plagued his mind. Ash being that close, close enough to kiss. He could feel the heat of Ash's breath on his cheek and the rush of a blush to his face as it replayed in his mind again and again.

The new memory always turned into his rejected confession. At least Ash had the decency to look embarrassed, scratching his cheek when Goh approached him in their shared dorm. His mumbles of "I don't feel the same" and "I hope there's no hard feelings but you're just a friend Goh" made Goh feel numb and clammy, like that wasn't the first time he had to rebuff romantic advances. And honestly he probably had. He had smiled so sincerely as he ripped Goh's heart to pieces with his apology, pat him on the shoulder and took his packed bag out of the dorm. A week later Goh was looking for his own apartment, the dorm tainted with years of Ash memories that didn't give Goh a warm fuzzy feeling anymore and instead left him empty.

Out of all of Ash's companions Goh had been the longest one and part of him had hoped it meant something, but the offer of a sponsorship at Macro Cosmos for the Monarch league was apparently too much to pass up. It would help him get closer to his goal. And Goh didn't blame him with his own goal sitting so far out of reach. Even two years after Ash left he had barely caught 300 Pokémon. Traveling by himself didn't quite have the same appeal so he had thrown himself into researching legendary Pokemon as an excuse for staying in the lab. It also had the added benefit of not having to worry about accidentally running into Ash, like he did on his first solo trip to Kalos of all places.

Macro Cosmos was setting up a new League registration and Ash being Ash was helping with everything. He had even waved when they made eye contact across the square by Lumiose Tower and had been friendly, offering to meet for lunch, until Goh mentioned he was running an errand for Aether Paradise. Goh could remember how the smile slowly faded and his expression went cold. The interrogation that followed was not the friendly catch up the Goh would have expected after a few months of not seeing each other and left him with knots in his stomach. Goh never asked why Ash was so interested in what Aether Paradise was doing with Megerna and the connection to Clemont when Goh knew he had introduced them years before.

Goh tried to shake the uncomfortable memories from his head, brushing his hair out of his eyes, and refocused on the task at hand. Dropping the pen on the table he picked at a stray string on his sling. He could remember Ash being there, at Rose tower he assumed, but he couldn't remember leaving or how he ended up falling. Was it possible he had just tripped? Ash had caught saved him from his own clumsiness before snd since he had left Cinderace had to pick up the slack of keeping Goh from getting hurt. He couldn't even remember what he had learned about Nul. Maybe Cinderace would be able to help him figure that out?

He pulled at his hair, frustration overwhelming him as he realized he didn't even know what happened to his Pokemon. Where was Cinderace? He cried at the thought that she could be hurt. Chole said his parents were trying to get rid of them, all but could they actually do that? Just start releasing them? Would they still be his if he tried to claim them and would they even still want to be? Would they blame Goh?

"I hate this," he whispered into his palm as he trailed his good hand down his face. "I hate the so much." His other arm was starting to hurt, a dull ache that started near his elbow and oozed up almost to his spine rolling like a wave every time he adjusted himself to write more.

A knock pulled his attention back to the present. The door swung open to reveal his mother, dressed in the nicer pantsuit that she wore to work and not the comfy sweats that she wore around the house. Hindsight said they were really just her pajamas.

"Goh darling? How are you feeling?" She sat in the chair that Chloe had used the day before, sliding a small tray table between them. "You're father stopped for coffee downstairs." She gestured to the table.

"Oh…"Goh nodded. "I'm doing okay I guess." He glanced at his notes and went back to picking at the fraying string near his thumb.

"You guess?" She raised an eyebrow. Brushing a stray hair from her face she frowned at him, crossing her arms. She had perfected motherly disappointment in a look.

Goh shrugged helplessly, wincing at how the motion jarred his bad shoulder. "My head's kinda fuzzy, like there's stuff I don't remember. But I don't know what I can't remember and it's driving me a little crazy." He forced a laugh, trying to keep a lighthearted smile on his face despite the worried look his mom was giving him. He hesitated to mention why he was in Galar in the first place. "Plus Chloe said I was in a coma for a month? So I don't really know what current events I've missed."

His mom flapped a hand at him with a laugh. "Don't worry about any of that. You need to focus on healing and getting stronger. Now that you're awake we can talk to the doctor about you coming home." She smiled at him, taking his hand in hers. "I'm so happy you're awake. Your father and I were so worried when we got the call. And then to hear that it was a work trip! I had hoped you were done with all the traveling when you started to focus on researching legends and other stories…"

"Mom!" Goh interrupted. "What do you mean you thought I was done? I'm going to catch one of every Pokemon remember?" He searched her face as she waved away his objections like a bad smell.

"Well we had always assumed you would come work with us. We could use some help at the office and you've always been so good with programming." She looked to the door and tapped the watch on her wrist with her fingernail. "Where is your father? It doesn't take that long to get coffee."

Goh had sagged back against his pile of pillows and watched his mom nervously fuss with her watch, sleeves and purse to avoid making eye contact with him. He was tempted to ask more about her plans but at the same tie he didn't think he wanted to know. But one question needed to be asked for his own sake.

"Where's Cinderace?"

"Hmm?" His mom didn't look up, instead turning her body toward the door. "I think I heard your father."

"Mom. Where is Cinderace?" Got leaned forward, pulling himself up using the side bar on the bed.

She bit her lip and sighed. "I don't know. They gave us the poke ball when we collected your things to have you transferred here and I gave it to Professor cerise. I didn't want to see it or any of your other pokemon. Your father and I tried to get him to give them away or something, because you obviously aren't going back, but he refused. He even had the nerve to offer to keep paying for your apartment. It won't matter though since you'll be moving back in with us. We can even commute to the office together!"

Just then Goh's dad bumped the door open, using his foot to push it enough to maneuver the the cups in his hands.

"Goh! How are you feeling?" He asked as he passed a cup to his wife and then a second to Goh while he sipped the last one. "Did you hear anything from the doctors yet about getting out of here?"

Spared having to react to his mom Goh reiterated his feelings to his dad and again pressed for information about his partner. His dad seemed to follow his mom's lead and only wanted to talk about him joining them at the office. They waited until a nurse came to check on him before asking about discharging him and Goh didn't think he would be so thankful to hear those words.

"You'll need to wait about 24 hours after we've removed the catheter so we know you can walk and use the bathroom on your own so we can start the process first thing in the morning."

His parents left after that, with the promise to bring his phone when they came back in the morning. Goh hadn't realized how much he needed his phone. Now he had no way to check anything, read pokemon articles or even text Chloe to find out about Cinderace. She was his partner and it has only been like a day since he had seen her, but she had to go a whole month without him. He needed to make sure she was okay.