Hello passengers old and new!
Welcome to the first story of my Pokémon/Infinity Train crossover, in which I take my frustrations over the writers' decisions on how they write characters, bring them onto the Infinity Train and deconstruct the hell out of as many tropes as I can.
The story is basically a focus on Chloe Cerise in Pokémon Journeys and giving her some emphasis since, at the time I originally wrote this, Episode 29 was coming. Episode 29 would have been Chloe's second focus episode.
At this point, all I knew about Chloe is that she didn't like Pokémon and every time Ash wants her to join them, she refuses. And Episode 11, her first focus episode, pushed my double standard button like no other.
You see, the first thing Ash asks of Goh about Chloe, Goh - her childhood friend - states that she's no longer into Pokémon. That's all. Goh doesn't care what Chloe is up to and doesn't even go to school with her (until episode 49) and all he cares about is if she likes Pokémon?!
And to make it worse, later in the episode, she has to go through a "What do you want to do in the future?" scenario. The student who goes first, Yeardley, is laughs and smiles and he shouts "My life is a work in progress!" to which the entire class laughs. But when Chloe goes next? EVERYONE asks her questions about what she should be, and that she's going to take after her father. The double standard was high and it seemed as if girls were forced to do what other's tell them to be, particularly that of their dads. While her mother did give her advice to find her own way, Episode 17 had her AGAIN refuse Ash and Goh and I just realized that this was all because the writers don't care about her and want to focus on Goh.
So Episode 29 of Journeys and Infinity Train Book 3 were coming up at the same time and after finding at most one fanfic that focused on Chloe's growth, I decided that I was going to make my own story about Chloe and fulfill a dream of mine to write an Infinity Train fanfic. and here it is, for the first time on this site. This is gonna be a long story and it will get dark in some areas. I'm not afraid to tackle a lot of issues like bullying, mental health and double standard. A LOT of double standard.
(Don't believe me, read it up on the tvtropes page of the story)
So here it is, my Infinity Train masterpiece, one of three. Have a glance if you will because it's going to be a long ride.
All aboard.
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Infinity Train: Blossoming Trail
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A Pokémon Journeys/Infinity Train Crossover
By Green Phantom Queen
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Arc 1: Nothing and Nowhere
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Chapter 1
Run Away (or Curry Worries)
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Chloe Cerise doesn't...hate Pokémon.
Hate was a strong word for her to use. Chloe knew that she didn't hate Pokémon. She didn't insult them, nor did she say that they're worthless. She never said anything bad about her father's work as a professor (then again she never says anything about her father's work to her classmates), but she never really felt like she truly could become a part of it. It was a huge world to traverse through, filled with different cultures and traditions that were just so foreign to her as a dish on a menu that she's not sure she'd like to try. It wouldn't matter if she didn't choose to join; there were others who could take her place and do so much better than she ever would.
And why should she even follow after her father in the first place? After all, her little brother is the one who's more enthusiastic about taking a look at what Pokémon do for a living and how to behave. He's the one who talked about learning all there is to know about Pokémon, watched matches of trainers on television, had pajamas and bedsheets covered with the images of these creatures - to the point that Chloe could see them with her eyes closed - and praised about their dad having the coolest job ever. If that was the case, why couldn't Parker be the one taken to see the lab every now and then so he could get a close up on the field? Why did she have to go to this lab to face the same old building, see her dad always busy with his notes to even have her explain what she did at school today, and just sit down on a chair and do her homework until it's time to go home? It was so...boring.
But it was better for it to be boring and the same that she could traverse through by heart then to be absolutely unpredictable and unknown and she had no idea how to get from point A to point B. As long as she knew what was happening, as long as she knew that everything was the same, then everything was okay. That's how she wanted it, that's how it should be.
And yet...a part of her ached to not feel so alone, yearned for something more. To wake up and smile at how beautiful it is, how she was alive, to see that life is strange and beautiful and brimming with new and wonderful things to explore. Unfortunately, there were also the thoughts gnawing in her mind that reminded her that no matter what she did, it wouldn't matter. Because even if she did try to do something, she was far behind to everyone else so comfortable with what they did. She'd never catch up to them, never be them, would be laughed and mocked at for even attempting to do something grand. Thus it was better than to stay where she was, because that's what she was being good at. Being Chloe Cerise, the girl who doesn't hate nor like her father's research and the world she lived in, yet at the same time didn't want to be part of it.
Chloe sighed as she rested in her bedroom, eyes drifted up to the ceiling, seeing the old stick-on glow-in-the-dark stars that her mother placed on there when she was five and still afraid of the dark. The glow wasn't as bright as they used to be, but Chloe didn't have the heart to remove them. They were a reminder of the stars in the sky, the most constant thing in the universe, older than the Earth itself, used by every civilization to guide them on their daily lives. They were there back then and they would be there ten, twenty, a hundred years into the future. Always.
If only she could be that. Constant. The same. Unaltered. Unchanged. If that was the case, then people would stop bothering her about being into Pokémon, she could go to school without being pressed for personal questions about her future, her father would actually wish her good night and ask about her day and perhaps Goh would be with her again instead of being so obsessed with Mew.
Mew. The name of that blasted thing is forever burned into her mind thanks to Goh constantly talking about it, talking about how he used the computers his parents bought him to track its whereabouts. How he poured over hours of research about this mythical Pokémon and the stories behind them. It got to the point that he wouldn't join her in having sleepovers together, cooking with his grandmother and talked about how they would be friends forever. Now, all he talks about is capturing more and more Pokémon, about training, and nothing else. It was like she was only a footnote in the autobiography that was Goh: The Boy Who Captured Mew.
If only he'd pay more attention to her than he did to that. If only he could actually go back and did the things they used to back when they were six and that stupid thing didn't catch his attention. If only she could tell him how much she felt about Mew and how she wished Goh never saw it.
If only...If only...
Begrudgingly knowing that she had to wake up early so that her mother could braid her hair, Chloe turned to her side, arms wrapped around Yamper's soft fur and fell into another dreamless sleep.
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If Chloe had to figure out when her life did a complete 180, it would've been when she had lunch the next day.
As usual, Chloe sat down at the closest empty table she could find and pulled out the bento box from her bag. It was rectangular shaped, bright pink, the lid decorated with faded cherry blossoms. On top of the lid was a note that her mother wrote that said "Your favorite, Mom" along with a doodle of two cherry blossoms at the corner. Chloe smiled. If there was a thing that was constant and made her feel like everything was right in the world, it was that her mother always knew what she'd like for lunch.
And today's lunch didn't disappoint. Steamed rice sprinkled with furikake and decorated with ham and scrambled egg decorated to look like flowers, another piece of scrambled egg to resemble the sun with its rays, and cheese sliced to look like clouds. There were even cherry tomato ladybugs and a myriad of broccoli florets to emulate trees. Chloe could count on her mother to make her these lunches, a certain one for every day of the week, like clockwork. It would absolutely mortify her if she didn't have the exact lunch! Especially in comparison to what the school made every day.
Chloe clasped her hands together and said thanks before she started to scoop some rice into her mouth. Just as she was about to savor that first fight of her bento, she was interrupted.
"You're eating the same thing again?"
Chloe nearly dropped her spoon when she saw one of her classmates sit down next to her with a tray of today's lunch - a hamburger steak covered in cheese topping a plate of curry rice - in her hands. The girl smiled before sitting down next to Chloe.
"Um...I guess so," Chloe said, moving to the side. It was then Chloe took note of the girl with her black hair tied into two braids, the glasses in red square frames and her purple eyes. Oh yeah, this girl arrived a few months ago. The girl who was hospitalized most of her life and decided that she wanted to go into track and field despite getting tired so easily. "Akemi...right?" Chloe was never good at remembering names of people she's only met for five seconds.
"Mm-hmm!" Akemi answered, taking a spoonful of curry to her mouth. "So have you heard what everyone in our class has been saying?"
"Er...no," Chloe answered. She was never one for gossip and instead had her nose buried in her schoolwork. She found it quite comforting to focus on numbers and facts that were right in front of her, to learn such practical things like reading, writing, arithmetic, biology, history. Books don't talk to her or judge her. They do their job to give her the knowledge that she needed, the only knowledge that was out there.
"Well, they've all been talking about the Alola League Championship that was broadcasted a couple of months ago," Akemi answered. "They keep talking about the exhibition match between Professor Kukui and the winner of Alola League."
"Really now..." Chloe muttered, scooping a ham and egg flower and placing it into her mouth.
"Mm-hmm! Like an adorable Rowlet or the Torracat that fully evolved into an Incineroar after a grueling fight or even the finale when one of the Guardians of Alola went toe-to-toe with a Pikachu!"
Chloe nearly choked on her food at the mention of a Pikachu. Wait...Pikachu...as in…
"That final blow was amazing!" Akemi gushed. "The boy, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, one out of the 150 contestants chosen to become the first ever Alola League Champi-"
"Ash Ketchum?!" Chloe shrieked.
At that single outburst, everyone turned to her. Chloe blushed, knowing that her little outburst would make her noticed. Would make people circle around her and ask questions that she wouldn't know how to answer. And sure enough, her fellow students approached her, wanting to know more of what she knew.
"You know Ash Ketchum?" Akemi asked.
"Uh...kinda of…" Chloe answered "He's currently a research assistant in my father's lab. My father sent him and G-Goh to the Galar Region."
"Eh, so lucky!"
"I wish I could travel like that."
"Why don't you go and join them on their research, Chloe?"
Chloe bit her lip as she thought of how her father showered Ash and Goh with tickets for any place that was needed for "research". Professor Cerise was willing to shell out hundreds of dollars for a few nights' stay at a foreign country, including airfare, hotels and extra money for food and souvenirs, yet he's too busy to comfort her or tell her good night? And he expected her to just like Pokémon off the bat without considering that maybe she didn't want to deal with these things every single day?
No one could see the inner turmoil Chloe had in regards to her father as they kept pestering her with more and more questions about Ash.
"How strong is his Pikachu?" "Have you actually seen him battle?" "Have you battled him, Chloe?"
"N...no…" Chloe answered. "I mean, I've seen him practice but I…"
"You have lots of Pokémon right? Why don't you try and battle Ash yourself?"
"I don't have…"
"Come on, Chloe," Yeardley whined (and Chloe knew that it was the same boy who answered that question of "What do you want to be when you grow up?" with a cheeky grin and "My life is a work in progress". Everyone laughed and giggled at his answer yet when she couldn't say anything, they started putting words into her mouth. Absolute jerk he was.) "How are you ever going to be like your father unless you go out there and battle? Why don't you challenge him today when you go to your father's lab?"
"B...but I...don't…" Chloe stammered, curling her hands into fists and grabbing onto the skirt of her uniform, looking ready to tear it apart or somehow bring an arm back to punch someone.
Akemi took a good look at Chloe, seeing how she was close to crying, before clearing her throat. "Guys, I think we should give Chloe some space. If she doesn't want to battle Ash at all, it's better to - "
"No," Chloe interrupted, looking up. "I'll fight him."
Chloe didn't know why or how the words came to her, but all she did know was that she had to shut everyone up somehow. If she refused then they would keep pestering her or make fun of her being a coward. It felt better to shut them up here and now.
And besides, she could always lie to them tomorrow. She knew that she wasn't going to win against the Alola League Champion anyway.
"Really?" Akemi gasped. "Wow! That's great, Chloe!"
The other classmates were just as excited to hear Chloe's declaration to battle and eventually they all walked off to discuss sports and games and more Pokémon related stuff, leaving Chloe and Akemi alone. Akemi noticed how Chloe's hand was trembling.
"Chloe," she said. "If you don't want to do it. That's okay. You could've said - "
"It's fine," Chloe interrupted, averting her gaze at the glasses wearing girl while clenching her teeth. "Besides, it's just one battle. It's not threatening my life if I just battle once. And after I'm done, everyone is going to forget about it and go on with their lives."
"But Chloe - "
"Let's eat our lunch," Chloe replied, taking her spoon and digging into her rice. Akemi paused before she nodded and began to eat her hamburger steak. As they ate, Chloe was berating herself for opening her mouth like that. Not only to get everyone to look at her, but now getting herself into a situation with Ash. The same Ash who wouldn't stop asking her to join him and Goh on looking for more Pokémon. Even if she did accept his proposal - which she would never ever do - what the hell was she supposed to tell him? "Oh, look I saw one! Look, isn't it so cool! Wow, that's amazing!"
She would rather drink a gallon of onion juice than spend a single minute with some fanatic.
Still, it would be very simple. Go to Ash, ask him to battle, battle and then she can forget about it till tomorrow morning. The students will listen to her weave a five-minute tale and then leave for better things. That's it. The perfect plan to get it over with so she can get back to her normal routine.
...but if so, why did she feel sad about it?
She brushed these uncomfortable feelings to the side as she slowly ate through her food. In the time that it took her to finish half of her lunch, Akemi had already devoured her curry rice and hamburger.
"That was delicious! I love curry so much!" Akemi sighed, wiping away some gravy off of her lips with a napkin. She then noticed Chloe's lunch. "Oh, Chloe, you haven't finished your lunch yet?"
"Oh, uh, I'm not feeling that hungry," Chloe replied.
"Well, all right then. I'm gonna go have a bit of a run before class starts. Running is great to clear your head of worries, isn't it?"
"Um...yeah, I guess," Chloe muttered. She never really liked sports. She was always the last one to cross the finish line, the last one to be chosen for teams, and every time they played badminton, she found herself to be quite slow in getting her racket to hit the shuttlecock.
"Take it easy," said Akemi, placing a hand on Chloe's shoulder. "Everyone has to start somewhere, right?"
"R-right…"
Akemi smiled and carried her tray back to the cafeteria, leaving Chloe all alone. The way it should be. She liked eating lunch by herself as it gave her the chance to collect her thoughts or read without anyone talking obnoxiously or eating loudly or trying to get her attention by pulling on her braid. She was safe here. She was secure. She was...empty.
She looked up and saw everyone talking and laughing and smiling. Some students asked to play games or to sit with their friends. Others were reading books and sharing stories with one another. And there was Akemi starting to run, slow of course, but she didn't look at all tired. Her braided pigtails bounced with each step she took, and she looked livelier with blood rushing through her veins.
Chloe shrunk a little in her seat. She wanted to do those things. Be confident and brave and not care about what others thought of her. But she knew that it'd be impossible; she already had people question every single thing she did. And they never let her speak up. They talked over her, made her become mute.
And for the first time, Chloe didn't finish eating the lunch her mother made her.
Instead, when lunch ended, she walked to the nearest trash can and dumped everything - rice, flowers, sun, clouds, ladybugs and trees - into it, slamming a fist on the trash lid before walking to her next class.
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In retrospect, maybe tossing her lunch into the trash was a stupid decision.
Chloe found it hard to concentrate on what the Science teacher Siara was saying about the seven basic machines and the project she was supposed to do based on one of them, was doodling all throughout her Math class when she was supposed to be learning about fractions - although Math teacher Ada joked that Chloe understood Fibonacci pretty well, whatever that meant - and nearly cut her finger during home economics. Some students snickered at how "Klutzy Chloe" struck again, but she said nothing as she finished peeling potatoes, carrots and onions for today's lesson.
It was curry. Of course today's lesson was about making a basic curry. Of all the things she had to make, it was this dish. The thought of having to make this by herself was enough to make her mad, not because she didn't like curry, but because of what curry meant to her childhood.
Still, once the curry was finished and poured over the rice, Chloe covered the dish and handed it to her teacher. It was a basic curry, nothing else needed to be added unless you either wanted to be creative of a kiss-up. Chloe was neither. She was content at where she was.
The teacher, Reed Pepper if Chloe recalled, with his red and orange hair, his always shut eyes and gentle smile on his face, raised his eyebrow as he saw the simple and ordinary curry before taking a spoonful into his mouth. Chloe watched as she heard other students decide on ingredients - "Maybe a boiled egg will do"/"I'll put some cream in mine!"/"I really like beans!" - before she heard the clink of the spoon being placed on the plate.
"Chloe," Reed said, voice serious. He only had one spoonful of curry to eat, judging by how much was still left on the plate. "I'm sorry to say this but this curry lacks depth."
"Depth?" Chloe replied, confused by what he meant. Did she not put enough berries to flavor the sauce? Was she skimping on salt?
"Take a look behind you," Reed continued. Chloe did and she saw everyone happily making their curries, tasting them, deciding on new ingredients or asking for advice. Others took the time to plate their curry nicely or even add garnishes on it. "Your fellow students are all trying to put a spin on a basic curry recipe and the goal was to make your own curry."
"Well...this is my own curry," Chloe said, nudging at the plate.
"I mean make a curry with a unique flavor all your own," Reed elaborated. He sighed. "You follow the recipe too much by the book, Chloe. While this means you can churn yout good results again and again, you lack the creativity needed to truly shine. I'm sorry, I cannot accept this as your final score. You're going to have to make it up to me next week."
"What?!" Chloe said, wanting to puke. She had to make curry again?
"And you better come up with a good recipe," Reed said, making some notes on his clipboard. "But I'm sure someone like you has plenty of time to think of something."
The way that was mentioned after school ended - for Chloe didn't participate in any clubs because she had to "help" her father with "research" - rang in her head as she walked all the way back to the lab. Up the sloping road, up the hundreds of steps, and soon she was at the front door of the lab where Yamper happily ran toward her, like usual. She was already feeling bad enough for opening her mouth at lunch, but now she was running on empty and had to think of making curry again even though it's the last thing she wants to make.
She opened the door and looked at the same old, same old. Chryssa and Renji at their computers, barely recognizing her existence unless it involved Pokémon. Not even her saving Renji from that rogue Gengar made him talk to her more.
And there was her dad, looking at her, smiling, saying a "Hi" and that was it. Not even noticing how angry she was. But that was fine; she shouldn't show anger...not after what happened the last time she blew up and he heard of it. She could still remember the laughs and jeers from her classmates...
"Howdy doo Chloe!" Renji greeted in an upbeat way when he saw Chloe. Chloe idly acknowledged his greeting
"How was your day?" Chryssa asked her. What did she want...was she going to tell her father everything she said?
"Fine." Chloe answered. "Where are Ash and Goh?"
"They'll be coming soon," said Professor Cerise answered, eyes never on his daughter and focusing on some video clip from a region Chloe didn't know. "They
"So...did you learn anything new in school today?"
Yeah that one of your research fellows is a Champion and everyone wants me to fight him. Oh and my Home Ec teacher wants me to repeat one curry dish…"No, everything is fine."
"That's good!" Professor Cerise smiled. Chloe just stared at him, waiting for him to ask anything else. Like "Hey Chloe, want to go out for ice cream later?" or "Hey Chloe, I have tickets to this convention you might want to go. All about everything you like!"
Yeah right. Her father never cared about her except it was to trap her in this building doing...what was she doing again? Oh right, nothing. He gives her nothing to do, says nothing to her, never asks her the right questions and just expects her to love Pokémon like he did, Ash did, Goh did and everyone else in the entire freaking world did!
She walked by him and went to the kitchen to pick up a juice box before walking towards the front of the Institute where, by coincidence, Yamper woke up from his nap and giving her comfort as she wished, hoped that she could do what she wanted without the requirements that she just had to be into Pokémon, when her father doesn't even notice that she didn't want it. Didn't want to be like him, didn't want to be in this stupid place!
But did anyone ever care for Chloe? Actually stopped to pay attention to her?
She finished her juice box just as Yamper yamped to her side, nuzzling his head against her leg.
"Hey there," Chloe said, kneeling down to pet Yamper on the head. "Well at least some things don't change and there's someone who truly likes me."
"CHLOE!" Chloe flinched when she heard those two voices call her name. She looked to see two familiar faces climbing the stairs to the Institute. Speak of the devil.
Yamper barked at seeing Pikachu approach and the Mouse Pokémon replied with a happy "Pika! Pika!". Riolu was standing proud with a satisfied grin on its face and Raboot was trailing behind Goh looking like it didn't have a care in the world Chloe felt jealous that Raboot could remain aloof and not show any of its insecurities.
"Chloe, you're here!" Ash said, ecstatic and waving his arms about. "Our trip to Galar was amazing! You gotta see what I caught!" Ash then showed a Poké ball in front of her. "I caught myself a different version of Farfetch'd! Its leek is even bigger than the ones wielded by the Farfetch'd in Kanto."
"No, check out what I caught!" Goh exclaimed, pushing Ash to the side and his Rotom Phone in front of Chloe's face. "I caught myself a Sobble who has the ability to camouflage themselves! Pretty cool huh?"
"Um...pretty cool...I think," Chloe answered. In fact, she probably would like the ability to turn invisible. That way it'd be easier for people to not notice she's there.
"You should've joined us at the Galar Region! Leon versus Raihan was so cool and the food was delicious!" Ash added, nearly salivating at the thought. "Galarian is home to some of the most delicious curries you'll ever find! There's potato curry and boiled egg curry and tropical curry, and our Farfetch'd really loved the leek curry there. Hey, Chloe, why don't you ask Mr. Mime to make you a plate of curry too?"
"Yeah!" Goh said, showing off a bag of groceries. "We dropped by my apartment and asked my grandmother to give us some spare groceries so we can experiment on all types of curry. This is going to be exciting! What do you think? You wanna help us out? It'll be just like old times!"
Just like old times...
Chloe clenched her teeth but took a deep breath. Now he wanted to make curry with her again? After four years he decided to eat something so special to the two of them with...with Ash?!
"Uh...no thanks," Chloe answered. "I...I'm not really into curry. And besides, I had a big lunch at school."
"Was it the same lunch your mom makes on this very day?" Goh questioned. "With rice, furikake, ham and egg blossoms, scrambled egg sun and cheese clouds? And broccoli trees and cherry tomato ladybugs?"
"It's amazing how you actually remembered that," Chloe muttered under her breath.
"Of course I do!" Goh grinned, oblivious to Chloe's disgust. "It's one of your favorite lunches!"
"Ah, next time my mom comes, you gotta try out her cooking!" Ash brought up. "She's the best!"
"S...sure…" said Chloe, doing her best not to look at the bag of groceries in Goh's hand. From where she's standing, she can already make out a myriad of ingredients that would make the Cerise Lab the carnival for curry today. Oh joy.
Right, don't focus on it now. Remember what you actually wanted to do with Ash. Get it done now so you never have to worry about this again. "So, uh, Ash...I was wondering…"
"Yeah?" Ash asked.
"Um...would you like to...have a battle with me?" Chloe stammered out.
Ash and Goh stared at Chloe for a few seconds, Pikachu stopped playing with Yamper and even Raboot's eyes widened briefly before it looked away, arms folded.
"R...really?" Ash said, eyes shining bright. "You really wanna battle me?"
"Well...well of course I do!" Chloe immediately replied, doing her best to sound aloof. "I mean, I just got lucky with Yamper being able to fight off that atrocious Gengar. It was probably tired from chasing after you two all day."
"Well, you got that right…" Goh said. "But it's not atrocious, Chloe. It was lonely and was left behind by its trainer for three years."
It's not the only one abandoned by someone they loved. Chloe thought, clenching her teeth.
"Gengar is really sorry for what it did," Ash added. "It's quite friendly when you get to know it."
"Well, that's why I'm asking you to battle." Chloe stated, forcing the words out of her mouth. "So, how about it, Ash Ketchum, Alola League Champion? Yamper versus Gengar. Is that fine?"
"Of course it is!" Ash grinned. "I think Gengar would like to have another battle after it lost to Korrina's Mienshao."
"Just wait a second as I give these ingredients to Mr. Mime," said Goh, nudging Ash's side with his elbow. "This is going to be so cool! I'm happy that you're finally interested in Pokémon, Chloe!
For only five minutes. Chloe remarked before walking away, following Ash and Pikachu towards the research park.
…
…
…
"Mr. Mime!" Goh said, seeing the Psychic Pokémon in the midst of preparing some curry in the lab's kitchen. "Look what I brought!"
"Mime mime mime?" Mr. Mime questioned, seeing the bag of groceries in Goh's hand.
"Yeah!" Goh said, pulling out some of the ingredients and placing them on the counter. "Ash, Chloe and I are wondering if you can make some delicious curries with it. You wouldn't mind, right?"
"Mime mime!" Mr. Mime said with a grih and nod before he grabbed the bag of sliced bread.
"Thanks so much!" Goh said with a beaming grin. "Ah, this is so great! I caught a new Pokémon, Chloe wants to battle Ash the Alola League Champi-"
Then, it hit Goh like a Pokéball smacked into his face.
"EH?! Ash is the WHAT?!"
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"Ah! Dragonite, too tight!"
Ash's Dragonite smiled as it let go of Ash, giving the boy some time to breathe. In the park built within the compounds of the Cerise Laboratory, Chloe watched all of the Pokémon Goh captured frolicking and played about. She observed how some of them were bunched together - like the stoic Pinsir observing the baby Caterpie and Weedle, the Mantyke swimming in the lake and the giant Golurk observing on a hill from a far - and bit her lip. It seemed as if every single time she came here, there was one more addition to Goh's little collection. She's not into Pokémon, but she wasn't blind. She could see Goh accumulating more and more on his never-ending quest to find Mew.
But there were so many Pokémon in the world, weren't there? How would this park be able to take care of all of them? Would Goh keep going after more and more and keep pushing the distance between them even further than it already was? How long would it take for him to realize that she was waiting for him, waiting for him to realize how much she missed him?
"Chloe? Chloe!"
Chloe blinked and turned around. "Uh, what is it Ash?"
"Come and see my new friend!" Ash replied, showing off a Poké ball. "Go, Farfetch'd! I choose you!"
Said ball opened and out popped a Farfetch'd. Chloe saw the differences between this one and the one that paraded around her father's laboratory: its plumage was darker, the look on its face was serious and stern, and it seemed to be dragging that oversized leek without any worry.
"Farfetch'd," The Galarian Farfetch'd said, beckoning towards Yamper with its wing.
"Yeah," said Ash. "You should've seen me and Riolu battle together! Our serious training has really improved, hasn't it?"
Riolu nodded his head, looking quite proud of its accomplishment. Farfetch'd smirked a little.
Dragonite looked down at the newcomer and scooped it into its arms to give it a hug. The Galarian Farfetch'd's stoic look morphed into one of content at the kind gesture.
"Dragonite sure loves to give out hugs," Ash laughed. "Oh come on Chloe, why not let Dragonite hug you?"
Dragonite blinked and looked at Chloe, dropping Ash's Farfetch'd to the grass before racing towards her, arms stretched out. Chloe flinched.
"Nonononono!" Chloe said, just as Dragonite was about to crush her. "I...it's fine."
Dragonite pouted a little, eyes watering at the rejection but reluctantly nodded its head. Chloe looked a little guilty at rejecting the hug but remembered that she couldn't get too attached. She was only here for a battle. Not to get chummy.
"Okay Chloe," said Ash. "You said you wanted to battle Gentar, right?"
"Yeah," said Chloe. "So, where is it?"
"Uh...right behind you?"
"!" Chloe whipped her head around and squeaked to see Gengar's crimson eyes and wide smiling staring down at her. Yamper growled and began yapping away at the ghost who only chuckled.
"Gengar, you remember Chloe right?" said Ash, motioning towards Chloe.
"Gengar…" Gengar replied with a nod.
"Great! Because she and Yamper want to fight us. What do you say to-"
"ASHH!"
Ash turned to see Goh racing towards him. "What is it, Goh? What's wrong?"
"Is it true?!" Goh said, grabbing onto Ash's arms. "Are you actually the champion of the Alola League?! That's you?"
"Of course it's me!" Ash said with a big grin. "I spent about a year in the Alola League living with Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet. Fun fact, Professor Kukui is actually - "
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" Goh screamed, shaking Ash like a soda can. "No wonder you were able to beat Hodge so easily at the Battle Frontier; you had all that experience, didn't you?"
"Yep! Although I couldn't have done it without my friends. Isn't that right, Pikachu?"
"Pika pika!" Pikachu replied all while Chloe did her best to hide her disgust.
"Eh, you gotta tell me more about it later," said Goh. "First, let's get the battle underway!"
"Yeah, let's go Gengar!"
"Gengar…" Gengar said, vanishing from Chloe's view before appearing in front of Ash. Yamper barked at the ghost, ready to attack it again.
"Okay then!" said Goh, Rotom Phone ready. "Chloe Cerise vs Ash Ketchum! Yamper vs Gengar! Electric vs Poison/Ghost! Ready? Go!"
Chloe froze. She didn't know what type moves Yamper was capable of except Spark. There has to be something else that Yamper could do aside from that; Ash was a powerful and skilled trainer after all. Okay, think...think...wait!
"Yamper, use Tackle!" Chloe said, pointing at Ganger.
"Yamp, yamp, yamp!" Yamper yapped, running towards Gengar before leaping into the air to hit it with all of its weight...except that it phased through the opponent and fell onto the grass.
"What? It missed?" Chloe gasped.
"Tackle is a Normal-type move! They're useless against Ghost-types!" Ash explained. "Now Gengar, use Ice Punch!"
"Gen…" Gengar's right hand was covered in ice. "...GAR!"
It slammed its hand into Yamper, causing the puppy to whimper before flying back to Chloe's side.
"Yamper, are you all right?" Chloe asked, panicking.
Yamper opened an eye as he rose to his feet, turning to Chloe and barking at her.
"Okay…" said Chloe, taking a breath. "Now Yamper...use Spark!"
Yamper growled as yellow sparks of electricity formed in his body. Then, he began to tackle Gengar once more, the electricity in his body building up to deliver an electric shock.
"Dodge it, Gengar!" Ash shouted.
Gengar grinned and disappeared just as Yamper's attack was about to hit. Yamper looked around, growling as he tried to figure out where Gengar could be hiding.
"Where did it go?" Goh asked, moving him and his phone to the side.
Chloe also gulped, trying to figure out what to do next before she watched Gengar rise from Yamper's shadow. "Yamper, look out!"
Yamper yelped when Gengar rose from the grass with that massive smile on its face.
"Shadow Ball!" Ash commanded.
Gengar summoned a large black and purple orb of energy and hurled it at Yamper. Yamper froze in place, ears flat as he didn't know what to do.
"Get out of the way, Yamper!" Chloe shouted. "Dodge it, dodge it!"
Yamper hopped out of the way, only to find himself face to face with another Shadow Ball. He hopped away again, but another and another and then another began to rain down on him.
Think think think! Chloe thought to herself, heart pounding in her chest. What else can Yamper do...he has to stop Gengar from using its hands. So...wait...maybe….
"Yamper, go bite Gengar's hand!" Chloe shouted.
Not good! Goh thought. Bite is a Dark-type move!
Yamper leapt into the air just before Gengar could fire another Shadow Ball. Gengar looked a little surprised as Yamper opened his mouth as wide as openly possible...but Ash was smiling, as if he predicted that it would've been Chloe's plan all along..
"Gengar, use Psychic!"
"Gen…" Gengar was covered in a blue aura before a similar blue aura covered Yamper. Yamper looked in horror as he struggled to move in the air.
"Oh no!" Chloe yelled.
Yamper was tossed around like a plushie back and forth before Gengar finally hurled Yamper all the way down to the ground below. Yamper struggled to stand up.
"Yamper come on!" Chloe panicked. "Spark! Use Spark!"
"Gengar, use Night Beam!" Ash shouted.
Yamper rose once more and began to tackle Gengar, electricity covering his body. Gengar's eyes began to glow before it shot two black beams of power right at the puppy. Yamper zigged and zagged, making sure to dodge each and every attack before he flew into the air and landed a direct hit at Gengar.
"Not bad," Ash commented with a grin. "But that's what I wanted you to do."
"What?!" Chloe and Goh gasped.
"Ice Punch, now!"
Gengar once again prepared its fist and slammed Yamper right in the face with it, causing Yamper to howl before he hit the ground. And this time, he stayed down.
"Yamper!" Chloe shouted, reaching Yamper's side. "Yamper, are you okay?"
Yamper whimpered a little as he opened one of its eyes. Chloe sighed in relief and hugged the puppy close.
"That was amazing!" Goh said, pumping a fist into the air. "Ash, Gengar's power has increased well!"
"Gengar!" Gengar grinned, floating near Ash's side. Pikachu and Riolu cheered their friend on. Dragonite gave Gengar a hug from behind, Galarian Farfetch'd nodded its head and Raboot was...Raboot.
"You did good, Gengar," said Ash. "Next time we have a qualifying match, we'll be better than ever. Sorry you couldn't do much against Korrina, though."
"Gen!" Gengar answered with a big grin.
"That was so cool though! I learned so much just by looking at you!" Goh squealed. "So uh…" Goh's cheeks turned red as he added, "Maybe I could join another tournament like that Battle Frontier? I mean, I need to learn how to get stronger..."
"Of course! Raboot has definitely gotten stronger. I wonder what other Pokémon you'll bring with you?"
Chloe watched as Goh continued to gush at Ash's coolness, once again leaving her behind. She was used to it of course. Goh always had something better and cooler to focus on. Chloe was nothing, as interesting as a blank canvas. And Goh was already going on and on about his next adventure with Ash and leaving her behind like clothes he had outgrown.
"Oh, hey," said Ash, turning to Chloe. "Chloe, you did great for your first try! It was a cool idea to try and have Yamper bite Gengar's hand."
"T...thanks," Chloe remarked, still holding onto Yamper.
"And If you really want to train Yamper's Spark better, you can always ask Mr. Mime to help you. Its barriers are really helpful to use for training. And I bet that Goh or your dad or Chryssa or Renji could help it learn some new moves!"
Chloe wanted to retort that she wasn't going to fight again - or even ask anything that had to with that sort of research - but just nodded her head. It was better to go ahead and not get into some big argument. It's not worth arguing for something that she wasn't going to try ever again.
Suddenly, a bell began to ring. Goh smiled. "All right! The curry is done!"
"What are we waiting for?!" Ash said. "I bet I can eat more curry than you!"
"You wish! I'm the Curry King!"
"No I am!"
"I am!"
"I am!"
The two boys laughed as Pikachu, Riolu and Raboot followed them into the lab. Chloe watched them race off, bitterness and jealousy gnawing her like someone was tearing into her soul. Ash Ketchum, life of the party with boundless energy and a big smile on his face taking her friend away. Away to the next adventure, away to new people and Pokémon. Away from Vermillion City.
Away…from her.
Chloe shook her head. No, this is for the best. Goh was happy; Goh finally had someone who had the same interests as he did. Goh was leaving the house more and exploring the world. Goh was taking the steps in order to accomplish his dream.
Goh was...everything Chloe wasn't.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Look at the curry!" Ash squealed, seeing the plates covering the table. Each plate of curry was warm and topped with one of the ingredients from Goh's grandmother: slices of buttered toast sliced in half, a myriad of mixed mushrooms, a large wedge of cheese, a salad mix, coconut milk, pasta, and there was even one topped with apple slices! "Thanks Mr. Mime! I can't wait to dig in!"
"Mime mime mime!" Mr. Mime replied, already going to work washing the dishes.
"I don't know which one to choose!" Goh said. "Hmm...I think I'll go with this cheese one!"
"I get the one with mushrooms!" Ash said. "Dig in, everyone!"
Pikachu, Riolu and Raboot went to work eating their curries while Yamper waited patiently for Chloe to fill its bowl. Chloe looked down at it before picking up the plate of apple curry and setting it down for Yamper to devour. Yamper happily barked at Chloe's kindness before munching on an apple slice all while Chloe had to stop her stomach from growling.
"This is all so good!" Goh said, cutting into the melting cheese with his spoon. But just as he was about to take another bite, he looked up. "What's wrong, Chloe? You used to like curry."
"Yeah, used to." Chloe answered, looking at Mr. Mime.
Ash set his spoon down and tilted his head. He knew Chloe could be a bit dismissive towards him and Goh, but never like this. "Chloe, is everything doing okay?"
"Yeah, everything's fine and so am I," Chloe answered succinctly. "It's just...weird that we're all eating curry. Together. The three of us."
"Why not try some then?" asked Goh, seeing Raboot, Riolu, Pikachu happily enjoying Mr. Mime's curry. "I mean, it's not like not eating curry is going to hurt you."
Chloe clicked her teeth. "Oh as if you decide what can hurt and not hurt me."
"Chloe, is everything all right?" Ash repeated, wanting to know how this talk about curry could be so painful to her. If there's one thing he's had experience with over the years, it's how to see how many of his friends are hurting despite stating that they're absolutely okay. Goh mentioning how Chloe gradually became cold towards Pokémon over the years had been on his mind for a while, and he wondered what would cause Chloe to leave them behind and what it would take to make her become interested again.
"Oh, everything is fine, Ash!" Chloe answered back. "I mean, you and Goh ate plenty of curry together in the Galar region, right?!
"Chloe, what the heck?" asked Goh. "Why are you so angry about us eating curry? I mean, it's not that big of a deal."
Not that big of a...oh, it is a big of a deal.
It took everything in Chloe not to go reach out for the curry. The smells, the way they look, the sounds of everyone eating it, even her mind begging her to eat something. But no, she won't eat it. It's too painful to know that no matter what she does, she plays such an insignificant role to everyone else. To her dad, to her classmates, to Goh, to her home economics teacher...no one wanted her in their lives, so what's one spoonful of curry going to change?!
"Oh, is that curry I smell?" Professor Cerise asked, entering the dining room. He looked down at the curry topped with pasta. "They look amazing!"
"Yeah they do, dad. Glad that you noticed that," Chloe grumbled.
"Professor Cerise, we have lots to tell you!" Ash said, scooping more curry into his mouth. "Goh and I caught a new Pokemon each!"
"Yeah and Chloe actually tried to battle Ash's Gengar so Yamper could protect the laboratory from future threats!" Goh added.
Professor Cerise's eyes widened. "She did?" he asked, as he patted Chloe's shoulder. "That's quite amazing, isn't it Chloe? You really are beginning to like Pokémon, aren't you?"
Chloe swallowed. So she was only noticed by her dad if she showed signs of liking Pokémon, huh?
"Yeah, I got the entire thing on my phone too!" Goh said, pulling out his Rotom Phone. "Check it out!"
Professor Cerise took the phone into his hand as Chloe felt like sinking into her chair. Of course she sounded like an idiot in how she commanded Yamper to strike. And what kind of idea was it to bite Gengar's hand anyhow? She just left herself open to one of Gengar's attacks. She should've just tried sticking to Spark; that's how Yamper defeated Gengar last time.
This was great. Just great. Imagine if Goh just suddenly came to school tomorrow just to show off that video to her classmates. She'd never hear the end of her ineptitude in battling!
"This is amazing!" Professor Cerise commented. "Yamper did a good try. Although Chloe, next time you need to remember that normal moves don't affect Ghosts - " he paused as he saw Chloe rise from her seat. "Chloe?"
"There won't be a next time, dad!" Chloe snapped, throwing Goh's Rotom Phone into the plate of coconut curry, causing everyone in the kitchen to step back.
"What?!"
"Chloe?!"
"What are you doing!"
"I hate this...I hate everything about this!" Chloe shouted. "I hate that we're having curry, I hate losing that battle and being reminded that I lost, I hate that you only see me when I interact with Pokémon and I hate constantly being asked to do things I don't like!"
"Chloe, w...what brought this along?" Professor Cerise asked.
Goh hastily pulled his phone out of the curry and wiped it down with a napkin. After the curry was cleaned off and he could see the phone was working just fine, he snapped his head at Chloe. "Chloe, do you know what you did? I could've lost all my data from it!"
"That's all you care about Goh? About our phone and your data and your Pokémon and your goal to capture Mew?!" Chloe asked mockingly.
"Well...yeah. I also care about Ash and Raboot and you too!"
Chloe could feel steam whistling out of her ears as she looked down at the plate of hamburger steak curry mocking her for the situation she got into. With everything running in her head today - from Akemi's advice to take it a step at a time, everyone in her class begging her to fight Ash, Mr. Pepper's comments of her curry not having depth, Ash "praising" her for her try in battling Goh, her dad happy for taking that first step to like Pokémon, and now Goh stating how much he cared about her when he never showed her any care at all like he does Raboot or Ash - she. had. enough.
Chloe took another look at the plate of pasta curry and reached out towards it.
"Oh, the spicy pasta curry?" asked Goh. "Is that the one you're going to try first?"
"Oh no," Chloe said, taking the plate into her hand. She snarled as she added, "I think you should try it before me!"
And with all of her anger fueling her, Chloe slammed the plate of hot curry into Goh's face.
"Ahhh!" Goh screamed, the spicy curry burning his face. He stumbled back as Ash was quick to grab the plate and find some napkins to wipe the curry off.
"Chloe!" Professor Cerise said, raising his voice. "What's gotten into you? How could you do such a thing?!"
"Yeah, Goh said he cared about you!" Ash said, seeing Chloe panting for breath, green eyes blazing with fury. Something was wrong with her and all he could do was calm her down before she did anything rash.
"GOH DOESN'T CARE ABOUT ME! NONE OF YOU DO!" Chloe screamed, picking up her glass of water and throwing its contents onto Ash's face for emphasis. "Don't you dare say that you care about me either, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town. I know you don't! I know you never will."
"Chloe, that's enough!" Professor Cerise barked, grabbing his daughter's arm. "Apologize to the both of them right now."
Oh and now her father is siding with them and not her?! Chloe stared into her father's stern face - he was never stern with her, not at all - before she yelled, slammed the glass into his chest and pulled away from him. Thankfully, Professor Cerise was wise enough to hold onto the glass before it fell to the floor.
"It's not enough, dad! It's never going to be enough!" Chloe screamed. "All you care about is your work and about how your 'research fellows' give you everything that you ever need. You treat them to let them go wherever they want, but when did you ever give me attention?! When was the last time you asked me about my day? Or actually cared about my feelings?! Do you know what it's like being under your shadow, dad? How everyone thinks I'm going to follow your research, and that I'm a great battler or that I have lots of Pokémon or that I'm just as obsessed about them as they are?!"
"Chloe, I...I never pressured you at all," Professor Cerise replied, looking back into his memories. He knew he would never do something that would make his children be uncomfortable.
"Oh yeah, you never pressured me at all! But in case all that data and research gave you amnesia, you never do anything for me these days!" Chloe snapped. "It's mom who comforts me, mom who gives me lunch, mom who brushes my hair in the morning. You never cared about the pressure I get from school and from all my classmates who won't leave me alone because you have this special job!" The tears began to spill out of her eyes as she covered her face with her hands. "Why did you have to become a Professor? Why couldn't you be different?!"
"Chloe, my little blossom…" Professor Cerise said, eyes filled with worry. "I…"
"I hate you...I HATE YOU!" Chloe screamed. "I hate you and your research and I hate Goh and Ash and I hate Mew and I hate Pokémon! I hate them! I hate them! I HATE THEM!"
"Chloe, you...you can't be serious," said Ash. Yamper whimpered, trying to approach the girl but Chloe wouldn't have it.
"I AM!" Chloe snapped. "Why did you have to come here anyway, Ash? You took Goh away from me, like Mew did! He was my friend first! But when Mew came, all Goh ever did was coop himself in his room and never ever saw me again! And now he always spends time with you, never ever me! He never cares about my feelings now; he only cares about you!"
"Chloe, I...I didn't mean to get in the way of your and Goh's friendship," Ash said, feeling a bit crushed at Chloe's outburst. This was unlike the outbursts that came from May or Dawn or Serena or Lillie. "I mean, I always asked you to come along with us but...you never accepted my offers."
"Yeah, don't blame it all on Ash!" Goh retorted, face finally clean of curry. "It's your fault for never wanting to join us in the first place! You keep refusing everything! Why don't you try something new for once? It won't kill you, will it?!"
"Because...I…" Chloe began.
"You never try anything new! You keep making excuses and always run away instead of actually speaking up!" Goh shouted. "Hell, I bet if it was you going after Lugia that day, you'd walk away and give up the minute it showed its face!"
"I tried coming to your apartment in the past, but your grandma stated that you were always busy 'searching for Mew'." Chloe snapped, bringing her hands up to put the last three words into air quotes. "And you don't even notice I'm there except when I send you messages. You don't even go to school unless it's for tests; aside from that, it seems like your entire world is fixated on screens and not on people!"
"Of course it is, I mean it'd be my dream after all to see Mew again! I need to keep an eye out for any sightings."
Ash's eyes widened as it looked like Chloe could flip the table over at any moment. Pikachu and Riolu hid behind Ash, Raboot also looked taken aback and Yamper began to whimper. "Uh, Goh, maybe you should stop mentioning that…"
"Where are you when I needed support?" Chloe questioned. "When I'm alone at school? When everyone laughs and picks at me for being 'Klutzy Chloe' or how I'm not into Pokémon like you are? Where are you...Where are you?!"
"Chasing my dreams, which is something you lack!" Goh snapped.
Chloe looked like someone shot an arrow into her heart, piercing it without mercy or empathy. She bent her head low, her green eyes hidden by her maroon bangs. Professor Cerise didn't know what to do; he had never seen his daughter get so angry before.
"Goh…" Ash said, realizing how big of a hole Goh dug for himself. Six feet. And Chloe was about to bury him in dirt and leave him like he was a bad memory.
"You want a dream, well I have one!" Chloe replied, voice soft and steady but the undertones of her about to break clearly there. "I have a dream that I run away from this place and go to a world where there's no such thing as Pokémon, where my dad isn't a researcher and I'm never asked by EVERYONE to follow his job or that I know how to battle. A world that you and I were always best friends and Mew never ever came to take you away. And a world where Ash Ketchum never existed. If I had that chance to stay in that world for as long as I live, I'd take it because I never want to see any of you ever again!"
Ash, Goh and Professor Cerise just watched as Chloe took one more look at them before racing out of the door, nearly bumping into Chryssa but never ever stopping or looking back. All while the tears continued to trickle down her face.
"Chloe, wait!" Goh asked, racing towards the entrance of the laboratory and out into the night and Raboot swiftly followed Goh outside. "Come back! I'm sorry, I didn't mean any of that!"
"Chloe…" Professor Cerise whispered, looking down at Yamper whining sadly. "Did you...always feel that way? Did I really hurt you?"
Ash frowned. "Professor, let's give Chloe some time to sort things out. You know she didn't mean all of that."
"That's the thing, Ash," Professor Cerise said, feeling like he had been exposed as a fraud. He sat down on the table and in front of him was the salad mixed curry. "I think...she really did mean everything she said. She's right. I...I haven't been paying attention to her lately. I had no idea even though she comes here every single day…"
"Well, you know now that you have to be a better dad," Ash said. "Tomorrow, you and Chloe should have a talk and sort things out. Just have a day dedicated to doing something fun. I mean, when was the last time you actually spent some time with her?"
Professor Cerise didn't answer that question. Instead he just sat himself down and began to eat one of Mr. Mime's curries, doing his best to numb the sadness in his heart with each and every spoonful he ate. Ash watched Professor Cerise eat before he, Pikachu and Riolu began to clean up the used dishes, utensils and water glasses for Mr. Mime to wash. Ash returned minutes later to get the mop and broom to clean up the spilled curry as Professor Cerise still kept eating. Ash frowned, knowing that there was nothing he could do or say. So he just left to head off to bed, hoping Goh and Chloe were able to make amends and rebuild their friendship.
Before he decided to go home for the evening, Professor Cerise ended up eating three plates of curry. And after he finished that last plate of curry, he threw his head into his arms and wept.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Even though Chloe lived in Vermillion City all her life, she never went anywhere except places she already knew. School, the park, the mall, the grocery store, the art supply store, the Pokémart, and the lab. Other than that, she didn't know how to get back home if she were to say, be accidentally dropped at a part of town she never saw before.
At the moment, Chloe didn't care where she was, just as long as she was far away from the lab, from her ignorant father, her insensitive childhood friend, and that boy who seemed to suck up everything like a black hole.
Chloe took a breath as she leaned against the alleyway that she found herself in. There were a few trash cans and in front of her were a couple of posters depicting multiple types of Pokémon. She looked at them, feeling as if no matter where she went, those things were always there, hanging over her shoulder like a student who was trying to cheat by getting answers to a test by looking at her. Everywhere she looked, it was if she had to have a life based on them, no matter what. Like she was an NPC in a video game whose role was to give the hero advice, a place to stay, a weapon. Like her entire life was dictated to her even before she was even born…
And she hated it.
"I hate Goh and how he loves Pokémon," Chloe said, tearing off a poster. "I hate Ash for being a trainer and for taking Goh away from me."
She tore off another poster.
"I hate dad for focusing on his research and only noticing me when I do something I hate."
She kicked a nearby trash can and watched it clatter onto the ground.
"I hate my classmates for not caring about my feelings!"
She kicked another trash can onto the ground.
"I hate Mew for making Goh obsessed over it!"
She picked up a metal pipe and slammed it onto a third trash can. She snarled before slamming the pipe onto that trash can again and again and again, her anger and frustration, jealousy and sorrow, unleashed with each and every strike.
"I hate them! I hate them all! I hate everyone! I hate Pokémon! And worse of all I HATE MYSELF!"
Chloe didn't care if Officer Jenny came and told her she was making a disturbance. She didn't give two flips of a coin if her mom saw her in such a state. She wanted to be alone in a world that was of her own making, where everything was perfect and she could be happy because she never had to be everything they wanted her to be.
After striking that trash can twenty more times, Chloe dropped the pipe and leaned against the alley, tears in her eyes. Was this how her life was supposed to be? Her friends and her father questioning what was wrong with her when it was clearly them that was wrong? That people will always judge her for a birthright that she didn't want in the first place? That she will never belong as someone's friend or daughter because they're so busy with those...creatures?!
Well...fine. Fine. Fine! It was all so FREAKING FINE!
Chloe stopped her tears and walked out of the alleyway. She could see that this whole city was filled with people who wanted her to follow her daddy's path. No one ever saw her as an individual…
So no one would see if she ran away right?
It's all so simple. Children do it all the time. At the age of ten, they're allowed to pick a Starter Pokémon and begin their journey. And Goh kept rambling on and on and on about how he wanted Mew to be his partner (before Scorbunny came hopping along).
If he could do it, so could she. She could run away and leave the city behind and go on a journey by herself. Obviously she won't go alone; she'll take Yamper with her (because the poor thing would starve to death if she wasn't there to feed it).
It's so easy. Just go back to the lab with her spare key, grab Yamper, then run away and never look back. It's for the best. It was better that she faded away like cherry blossoms in Spring. And if anyone tried to find her, they would have to follow her trail before it disappeared.
But the question is...where would she go? There were plenty of cities to go to, so many regions to explore. Well, she knew she wasn't going to Pallet Town where Ash lived, or take a plane to the Alola Region. She had a lot of time to figure it out. She was still young; it wasn't that big of a deal to figure out what she wanted to as long as it didn't involve her father or her friend.
Suddenly, a loud whistling noise caught her attention. Chloe's eyes widened in surprise as she saw a long steam engine train emerging on the empty street. That's not possible; she knew that Vermillion City had no train station and that trains don't ride on streets. Especially not trains that shine with an eerie green light from behind its windows.
Still, if this train could take her out of here, then she'd take it. No matter how unworldly or unexpected or coincidental, any place was better than this. And it was only for her, for her, for Chloe.
The sign above the door read Cerise Lab in bright green letters. Weird that the train knew exactly where she wanted to go. But if it could take her there, let her pick up Yamper and then take her away to any place that wasn't this city, then she'd go for it.
One step at a time. Akemi's words whispered in Chloe's ear as she took a step towards the train. A blinding white light shined over her eyes before she saw a white and black swirling vortex in front of her. Chloe logically knew that trains don't have vortexes or anything like that, but then again there were Pokémon who could fly, breathe fire, and levitate things with their minds. And Mew could shapeshift into any Pokémon it wanted. This wasn't too farfetched.
"Goodbye Vermillion City," Chloe said to herself. "I hope you find someone else to take over my dad's job."
With one foot on the stairs, Chloe felt the wind blow past her, undoing her braid, her mother's work, and she swiftly was dragged deeper into the inner workings of the train before she could even have a chance to turn back.
With a sigh, the train blew its whistle and headed off, bound towards its destination: a desolate wasteland with an orange sky and an infinitely long series of train tracks to keep it moving forward. It sped through the portal until it blinked out of existence, leaving no signs that it ever picked up a girl in a white school uniform decorated with blue anchors and left only a pink hair scrunchie as the only evidence that Chloe Cerise was even here in the first place.
…
…
…
And just as the train had vanished, a boy with a Yamper arrived in that very same spot, shouting her name and missing the forgotten scrunchie amongst the fallen trash cans.