Ash was currently in his room, tossing a ball against the wall, for it to bounce back to him.
"Hey Ash, didn't you say you were in Orre for a bit?" Chloe asked from the door.
"Yeah, for a few weeks, why do you ask?" Ash asked.
"Come to the main lab, I need your help with a project on it." Chloe said.
"Okay, wasn't really there for tourism though." Ash said, following her.
In the lab, Ash saw four letters he knew too well on screen.
"ONBS, yeah I actually did tour through there." Ash said.
"Oh, just wait until you this." Goh said with a smirk.
Ash watched in horror as the video of 'Serena' tossing rings to 'her' Heracross was played on the big screen.
"So, you didn't tell me Serena looked so much like you." Goh said.
"You know, I could've sworn I saw that same dress in your closet." Chloe said laughing.
"How much do I have to pay for you two to forget this." Ash pleaded.
"Oh no, this is too good for bribery." Chloe said, mocking one of Ash's spins.
"Glad to see you two are getting along again." Ash said, a bit annoyed and embarrassed that they'd found that video.
"Wait up!" Goh said laughing.
A while later
"Ash, open up, it was all in good fun." Chloe said, knocking on the door.
"Ash left over an hour ago." Chrysa said, poking her head around a corner.
"Where'd he go?" Chloe asked.
"He didn't say, and I didn't ask." Chrysa said.
"Corvisquire! Search the skies for Ash and Pikachu!" Chloe said, sending out her Pokémon. They had enough issues, she really hoped she didn't hurt Ash's feelings.
"Corvi!" Corvisquire cooed, pointing upwards towards the roof.
"He's up there?" Chloe said, confused.
Thirty minutes later
"How did you know where the roof access was?" Chloe said, catching her breath.
"We can get up here from inside?" Ash said surprised.
"How else would you get up here?!" Chloe exclaimed.
"I usually fly, but man had I known it was that easy I'd have taken the stairs to get all this up here." Ash said, leaning back in a lawn chair.
"What are you even doing up here?" Chloe asked, confused. "I thought you were mad at us for what I played."
"Oh, at first I was, so I went for a walk, got this stuff for cheap, and decided to hang out on the roof." Ash said. "So, what up?"
"I thought you'd be sulking." Chloe said.
"Nah, I've kinda accepted this is who I am now, you guys making fun of me for one girly thing isn't bad any more." Ash said honestly. "You know, it's been a while since we've caught a Pokémon."
"I have a full team, and you've been everywhere but here." Chloe pointed out.
"Even then, I mean we tried for Regice twice, and failed. We're in a bit of a slump." Ash said, thinking. "I'm going to find something BIG. Something to get us out of the lab for a while to find it."
"Like what?" Chloe asked.
"I don't know." Ash realized. "But I'll figure it out."
"So, I was wondering if maybe…". Chloe said.
"If you're seriously going to ask for permission to grab a chair to bring onto the roof, just go and get one." Ash said.
"Not just that, come on." Chloe said, grabbing Ash's hand.
A few minutes later
"Chloe, I'm not comfortable with this." Ash said behind a closed door.
"Ash, trust me it'll be fine." Chloe said.
"That's what you say every time!" Ash argued.
"And am I ever wrong?" Chloe questioned.
"More than you think." Goh said with a laugh. "Why's Ash stuck in his room now? I thought he was on the roof."
"You knew! And you let me worry!" Chloe yelled.
"Yeah, I went to get a chair, and he was gone when I came back." Goh said.
"Never mind Ash, we aren't doing this." Chloe said defeated.
"Seriously! You drag me down here, make me put this on, and then suddenly say never mind!" Ash angrily said opening the door. He was wearing a two piece bikini with a skirt on the bottom.
"In three, two, one." Chloe counted down, as Goh fell to the floor, a small trickle of blood coming from his nose.
"Fair enough." Ash said, going back into his room.
On the roof
"This is nice!" Goh shouted from a distance. "Real relaxing!"
"Just stay over there, for your sake, and our safety!" Chloe warned.
"Yeah yeah!" Goh shouted annoyed.
"I've got it!" Ash squealed.
"What'd Ash say?!" Goh asked.
"He got it!" Chloe yelled back.
"Got what?" Goh shouted, confused.
"Oh, just come over here." Chloe said, throwing a towel over her and Ash.
"Goh, you're psychiatrist said we can try one big mission a month right?" Ash said.
"Yeah, but it'd have to be approved." Goh said.
"Well how about this. It's called the snowflake festival. It's held once a year in Circhester, for the safe evolution of Snoms?" Ash said the last part confused.
"Did you say Snoms?" Chloe asked.
"Hold on, here we go. Snoms, bug and ice type Pokémon native to Galar." Goh said looking it up on his phone.
"An annual event dedicated to a mystery of Pokémon, sounds like something they'd love for us to do." Ash said.
"Go ahead and send it to my dad, Goh you might wanna go back a bit, it's time to turn over." Chloe said.
"Yeah, probably a good idea." Goh agreed, turning around.
Later back in the lab
"If Goh's psychologist agrees that he's ready for something like this, all three of you can go." Professor Cerise said.
"We're not going without him." Chloe defended.
"I'm glad to hear you say that Chloe." Professor Cerise said. "Also, next time you three decide to use the roof to relax, let one of us know first."
The lab staff had gone a bit crazy looking for the three kids, tearing apart the lab before realizing they were up there from Ash's text.
"Sorry." The three research assistants said in unison.