"Am I the only one not crazy here?" Chloe asked her dad. Goh had his psychologist appointment, while Ash now had an appointment with a Therapist.
"They aren't crazy, they're just damaged." Professor Cerise said. In all honesty, he hoped they'd get better, he already bought the tickets for the Snowflake Festival, thinking they'd made progress, but they'd have to leave by tomorrow to make it there in time.
"You do realize the person Goh is meeting with literally has the word Psycho in their job title." Chloe pointed out.
"Chloe, aren't you going to be late for school?" Professor Cerise said.
"Oh no! I forgot!" Chloe said, scrambling. She still had school some days, and with how slow things had been at the lab, her dad asked her to go more often again.
"They don't need that negative attitude here right now." Professor Cerise said worriedly.
In Ash's meeting room
"So Ash, can I call you Ash?" Ash's therapist asked.
"Ash is fine." Ash responded.
"So I'm told you've had some near death experiences, would you like to talk about them at all?" Ash's therapist asked.
"Not really." Ash said. "It happens, and I've moved past it."
"So you don't have any flashbacks to say the attack on Lumiose City?" The Therapist asked.
"How'd you know about that? I haven't said anything about that." Ash said, his demeanor changing drastically.
"Ash Ketchum, runner up of Kalos League stops Team Flare's takeover, champion Ash Ketchum stops an alien invasion, Ash Ketchum and company stopped rampaging Darkrai from destroying the city, Ash Ketchum and team fought off horde of Deoxsys, new trainer Ash Ketchum seen falling from crystal tower." Ash's therapist said, putting down news articles. "You've led an exciting and dangerous life, more than most people will ever experience."
"I don't see what the issue is, so danger is drawn to me, I'm doing fine." Ash said.
"Often times when we experience trauma, we hide the fact by coping with it in strange ways. Now my information says you're a male, yet, I'm not one to judge." Ash's therapist said.
"I know I don't exactly look like a guy, but what does that have to do with my issues." Ash said.
"Did anything traumatic or life threatening happen before you started dressing like this?" Ash's therapist asked.
"I mean, Chairman Rose released the Darkest Day, Eternatus went on a rampage almost destroying all of Galar, I only had Riolu left, and Chairman Rose was set on seeing it through to the end no matter the cost." Ash said.
"Let's change topics for a moment. When you're at home, what's it like there? Are your parents around?"
"It's been just me and my mom for years, my dad left when I was four, haven't seen him since." Ash said.
"Now this is just a thought, is it possible that you relate expressing your feelings to that as something feminine in nature, so to cope with the trauma, you subliminally began to dress and act more feminine so you wouldn't be looked down upon for those feelings." Ash's therapist offered.
"Look, I've come face to face with almost every legendary out there, fought a fair amount of them too. Do I get flashbacks to some of those times. Of course I do, who wouldn't! Does that mean I'm broke or that this is me coping, I don't know maybe, but if Regigigas walked through that door right now, Pikachu and I would fight him off until there was no fight left in us." Ash said. "I don't know if that's healthy or not, but I know that's how I deal with everything, by never stopping."
"I see, so you cope by not dealing with the issues." Ash's therapist said.
"Forget this, I'm leaving." Ash said, getting up. "Thanks for nothing doc."
"Ash, wait…". The therapist said, but Ash was gone.
"Goh come on." Ash said from the doorway.
"Ash, this is a private meeting." Goh's psychologist said.
"Goh we're resolving our big issues now, get your best team together." Ash said.
"Umm, okay." Goh said.
"Chloe, we need you to referee." Ash said from the doorway.
"Referee what?" Chloe asked.
Goh shrugged his shoulders as they followed Ash to the Cerise Park.
"Okay, I'm all fired up!" Ash said, bouncing from one foot to the other. "Ready Goh?"
"What are we doing?!" Goh and Chloe exclaimed.
"I'm getting over my fear, and you're getting over your anger. Goh! I challenge you to a Pokémon battle!" Ash said, holding up a pokeball.
"Ash! How will this solve anything?!" The therapist asked.
"Usually works for me, how about it Goh?"
"Works for me, how many Pokemon?" Ash asked.
"As many as it takes." Goh said, holding up his first pokeball.
"Cradily! I choose you!"
"Come on out Flygon!"
"Cradily use Sludge Bomb!"
"Flygon use Draco Meteor!"
The attacks collided midair, Flygon greatly outspeeding Cradily.
"Flygon use Sand Tomb!"
"Cradily use Power Whip!"
Cradily stretched out their neck, taking a swing at Flygon. Flygon began to plummet fast.
"Flygon use Boomburst!"
"Cradily use Ancient Power!"
The rocks hit Flygon, knocking it out in the process.
"Flygon is unable to battle, the winner is Cradily." Chloe said.
"Arctozolt! Come on out!"
"Cradily use Ancient Power!"
"Arctozolt use Ice Beam!"
Arctozolt sneezed, freezing the oncoming rocks, and striking Cradily.
"Cradily use Power Whip!"
"Arctozolt use Ice Beam!"
The extended neck of Cradily was hit and slumped to the ground, Cradily defeated.
"Charizard use Flamethrower!" Ash shouted, as Charizard flew in from who knows where, incasing Arctozolt in flames.
"Arctozolt use Bolt Beak!"
"Charizard use Seismic Toss!"
Arctozolt bit down on Charizard's neck, as he threw the pokemon into the ground.
"Arctozolt use Ancient Power!"
"Charizard us Blast Burn!"
A cloud of smoke filled the area, both Pokemon having gone into a straight out brawl when the smoke had cleared.
"Arctozolt use Ice Beam!"
"Charizard use Flamethrower!"
The two attacks were at a dead even for a moment, until Charizard started trying, greatly overpowering Arctozolt.
"Arctozolt return! Come on out Kommo-o!"
"Charizard use Dragon Tail!"
"Kommo-o use Dragon Tail!"
Both Pokemon were returned to their pokeballs, as Golurk and Gengar were forced out.
"Golurk use Shadow Punch!"
"Gengar use Ice Punch!"
The two punches collided, and for a moment the two ghosts appeared to be stuck.
"Heh, hehehe!" Ash began laughing, falling back on the ground.
"You were right Ash, that was the most therapeutic thing I've had in a while." Goh said, collapsing backwards.
"Are you two okay?!" Chloe shouted, running to check on them.
"Never better." Ash said.
"Can't say that much for me, but I feel a lot lighter, if that makes sense." Goh said.
"Maybe confronting the anger head on, while a unique way of handling this, it worked. I'm going to partially clear you. I still want daily calls while you're away from the lab though." Goh's psychologist said.
"How about you Ash?" The therapist asked.
"Maybe deep down I dressed like this as a coping mechanism, but battling is my coping mechanism at the end. From day one, chaos seems to follow me, so I've never stopped to handle my feelings, because something weirder would be right around the corner." Ash said, sitting up.
"I can't make you take these appointments Ash, but they'll always be available while you're here." Professor Cerise said. "For now, if all three of you are cleared, you need to get ready for the Snowflake Festival."
"Wait, seriously!?" Chloe asked, shocked.
"If you leave for Galar tomorrow, you'll make it just in time for the festival." Professor Cerise said.