Thank you for joining me here at the beginning of Book 6. If you're only newly finding this series, please don't worry. One Who Chases is a series of stories that can be read separately, as each of them will have their own contained narrative. But as you read them, you will see the pieces of the mystery come together as the connecting thread that leads to the true ending becomes more and more evident. Feel free to go back and read the older stories if this is the first one you found

As far as when this story takes place, it occurs just before JN99 "スパイクタウンのマリィ!" or 'Mary of Spike Town!' or 'Battling Turned Up to Eleven!' in the dub. This is the last story that takes place in this particular pause, so starting with the side stories that follow this one, we'll begin moving our clocks forward. Please make sure you're caught up with the main series up to that point! (Or go ahead and read without watching, just note that there'll be some things that are referenced that you might not remember...! The main anime is definitely an important companion to this!)

The cover you see was made for me by Rohanarts on Twitter! Please also check out her comic Dandelion, which you can find through her twitter!

Thank you for joining me, and I hope you enjoy this story.


Poké Balls.

They were incredible pieces of technology that allowed the capture and transport of miraculous creatures known as Pocket Monsters, or Pokémon for short. The name Poké Ball was itself derived from 'Pokémon' and 'ball', thus the full name for it would be Pocket Monster Ball. Through great technological wizardry that Goh didn't quite understand, Poké Balls are able to convert Pokémon into light and energy, and holding this form until the Pokémon was released. These devices were capable of containing the largest of titans all the way down to the smallest of insects.

While he wasn't quite sure about how they worked, he did know a bit about their construction. Historically, Poké Balls had three major components. The first of these was a rigid, protective structure to give the ball durability when thrown. Famously, in ancient times, they used the humble apricorn for this purpose. Named as such as they were effectively acorns the size of apricots, apricorns formed the base of the ball and came in a wide assortment of colors, though as the ball itself would be used, this color would gradually fade away.

The second most important component of a Poké Ball is the tumbler. In ancient times, these were special stones of various weights, each with their own properties that affected how far the ball flew and how effective it was at keeping a struggling Pokémon inside.

In modern times, however, these were all replaced with synthetic parts that were honed by science for maximum ease of use and reliability. The Poké Balls he found himself regularly using were made of rubberized plastic and metal. That metal, for reinforcement, was the third major component.

The different colors of apricorns were also said to have different properties and create balls with different capabilities when used to make Poké Balls, but Goh wasn't familiar with how each kind of ball worked differently from the others. He had heard that there were some craftsmen out there that were still working in the old ways, crafting Poké Balls from apricorns. He'd even heard rumors that there were some attempts to machine manufacture apricorn Poké Balls, but from what he had seen online, their success was spotty at best.

It seemed that, as far as replicating the old ways, you had to go back to the source.

Goh sighed, tossing another book onto the pile.

It had been a few very awkward weeks since he and Chloe rang in New Year's Day in the Kalos Region. He and Ash had gone on a few more research trips since they had returned to Vermilion City, and Chloe had returned to school, and so things once more returned to that familiar rhythm of research work, seeing Chloe after school, and going to bed to do it all again the next day.

He leaned back in the chair in Professor Cerise's study, the chair meant for the Professor himself, and he groaned loudly. It was a groan so discouraged that Grookey even stepped away from his attempts at playing with Argent the silver Eevee on the floor to poke at Goh with his stick, wondering if he was alright.

And Goh was far from alright.

Much like before, his research had come to a standstill - while there was a lot written about old Poké Balls, there wasn't a lot written about an old Poké Ball made of feathers and whatever strange crystal was indicated, and if his look into Ho-Oh had told him anything, following up on that thread was doomed to fail, anyway. So now he was stuck looking to find any sort of lead or clue that could point him in the direction of his next chance.

If only that was the bigger of his two main issues at the moment.

After watching the fireworks with Chloe, the two of them had shyly returned to the Pokémon Center and gone to bed, and then the next day neither of them seemed to want to discuss what happened. Ash and Serena said their goodbyes as they split to return to Kanto and Hoenn respectfully, and there was no further discussion of what had occurred beyond Goh taking some time to analyze the Silver Wing. They arrived back in Vermilion City and each went their separate ways and then they fell into the same awkward routine each day.

Goh would welcome Chloe when she arrived, they would have some awkward, stilted discussion about their plans for the day, they would go do those plans, they then would meet for a similar awkward discussion afterward and then they would part for the rest of the day.

On the surface, it was fine, but to Goh, it was hellish.

Each day he spent with her, he couldn't forget what he felt in Lunargent Town, feeling her laying against him on that bench as they looked up towards the fireworks in the sky. He could still recall what it felt like as he put his arm around her shoulders and felt her draw even closer. He saw her bright emerald eyes and he could feel his grip on his own heart slipping. He heard her laugh and his own lips curled into a smile as well. He felt like he was filled with energy when she was nearby but like he had been totally drained when she left for school and he was all but certain that she was wearing that perfume she got from Erika on purpose more often because of the time he had accidentally let a comment slip from his lips about it.

It felt like he was trapped on the rollercoaster at the Cosmic World Amusement Park and he couldn't get off. But the worst part was that he didn't want to.

Being in love with his childhood friend was a trial Goh wasn't prepared for. No amount of Project Mew tokens could convince him that any particular moment was the right one to tell her how he really felt, and because he was busy wrestling with these emotions he had only just begun to understand, their interactions of late had become stale and repetitive.

There was one moment where he felt like he might have been able to say something. It was when she had come with Ash and himself to the circus, where they helped out with an act that involved a Flareon and a Jolteon. Chloe herself had, after helping diagnose the issue that had befallen the performers, been enlisted to help with the trapeze act. She looked confident and cool and pretty and charming as she performed with Eevee on the stage in front of everyone in the crowd, and it made Goh that much more alert to how far she had come since the days she would shy away from Pokémon. He thought to tell her then and there, but between the performance and Ash's constant presence, a moment never showed itself, so he continued to sit on this secret.

And that's why he continued to pour himself into this task of research, to hide from the girl he was avoiding lest she somehow pry the words from him before he was ready to share them. He felt like a coward, hiding in the study like he would hide from the world in his room before he became a Pokémon trainer, but there was no helping him at this point. This heart-sickness felt terminal.

He hated himself for acting like this, but he couldn't square his feelings with his actions, and his fear of pushing her away by breaking their unspoken promise of not falling in love with each other felt like a betrayal, on top of how he had felt about his own prior actions.

"I'm so arrogant…"

"Grooki?"

His Pokémon didn't seem to know what he was talking about, so Goh picked up one of the books and flung it across the room. After the book fell impotently to the ground, Argent hopped up on top of the desk next to Grookey and gave Goh a serious, sobering look.

"Bui eiebui?" he asked, as though saying 'Are you done?'.

Goh grunted in response before sitting up. "You know what? I am done. I'm going to go see if there's any experts we can reach out to, like we did with Morty."

"Bui," he said, as though he, too, was ready to move on.

Grookey leapt to Goh's shoulder and Argent led the way as Goh opened the door and headed down the stairs of the Cerise Laboratory and quickly stepped into the room itself.

And he froze, finding Chloe Cerise staring back at him, still dressed in her school uniform after returning to the lab that day.

"Goh!" she said, somewhat surprised herself. "There you are."

"Eievui!" cheered Chloe's Eevee as she darted from her place at Chloe's feet towards Argent, who stopped in front of Goh, whose serious expression clashed directly with the cheerful obliviousness of hers.

Goh tried to not let it get to him as he shook the cobwebs loose. He saw Ren, Chrysa, Ash, and Professor Cerise all staring back at him, too, and he could read the questions on their faces before anything could be said.

"Professor Cerise!" he said, stepping in and past Argent and Eevee. "Do you know of anyone who would be an expert in ancient Poké Balls?"

The professor blinked in Goh's direction. "Of course I know a few experts, Goh," he said. "But what do you need to find one for?"

Chloe gasped, her quick wit already connecting the pieces together in her mind. "This is about what that Gozu guy said, right? About Team Rocket trying to make a Poké Ball?"

Ash, the professor and his assistants all looked at each other, confused. "Team Rocket's tryin' to do what?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Pipika-chu?"

Goh balked, as he realized he never mentioned what Gozu had told him to anyone but Chloe just before the fireworks began. But rather than dwell, he stepped forward and explained.

"The talisman that can supposedly be made with the Rainbow Wing we found and Lugia's Silver Wing," he explained. "Gozu mentioned that Team Rocket was trying to make a Poké Ball. And I think a Poké Ball that could control a Legendary Pokémon, maybe capture them without a fight, would be exactly the kind of thing Team Rocket would be after."

Professor Cerise and Ash both gasped and nodded. "That does sound like the exact sort of thing Team Rocket would be after," Cerise said. "And I suppose if we were able to learn about this scroll, then they might have been able to learn about it as well."

"Well, we beat 'em, right?" Ash said, putting his arms behind his head. "There's no way they're gettin' their hands on either of the feathers now."

"But that still doesn't solve the mystery," Goh said. "What sort of Poké Ball could you make with this? Would it really have the powers the scroll says it would? And why was one of the pieces a colorless feather hidden deep within a temple?"

Professor Cerise turned to the holographic display, the pride of the Cerise Laboratory, and a holographic keyboard appeared under his hands. "Well, when it comes to those with knowledge and expertise in ancient Poké Balls, there is one name that any researcher worth his salt knows."

A window opened in the holographic display, and an elderly man wearing a blue kimono with a stern, angry expression on his face.

Ash gasped, his eyes going wide. "Hey, I know that guy…!"

"This is Kurt," Professor Cerise explained. "He's a Poké Ball expert who lives in Azalea Town in the Johto Region. He studies ancient and archaic Poké Balls, and even continues to forge Poké Balls in the old way using apricorns, just like they did about 200 years ago."

Another window opened, showing a variety of multi-colored Poké Balls. "Kurt's creations are renowned for their quality and rarity," Ren, one of Professor Cerise's assistants, explained from his seat in front of his computer. "He's like an auteur that works with Poké Balls!"

"If there's anyone who would know about this ancient Poké Ball, it would be Kurt," Cerise said. "So I think making contact with him is the next step in our process."

Goh nodded, but Ash frowned, putting a hand to his chin. "That reminds me…" he said.

"Reminds you of what?" Goh asked.

"Back when I was traveling through the Johto Region, my friends and I ran an errand for Professor Oak to bring Kurt this mysterious Poké Ball so that he could figure out stuff about it."

"A mysterious Poké Ball?" This made Goh frown. "What was mysterious about it?"

"It was this gold-an'-silver colored Poké Ball that they called the GS Ball 'cause it had the letters G and S inscribed on it," he explained. "It wouldn't open no matter what anyone tried, so Professor Oak asked us to take it to Kurt so he could take a look at it. I wonder if Professor Oak ever heard anything back about it…?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "I think the reason they called it the GS Ball was because it was gold and silver..."

"Well, if no one knows where it came from, it's possible it means something else, right?" Goh offered, shrugging.

"I do remember reading a brief put out by Professor Ivy of Valencia Island about discovering something like that a while back," Professor Cerise said. "I suppose it made its way to Professor Oak, and then to Kurt from there."

"We could call Professor Oak and ask if he's heard anything," Chrysa, the other of Professor Cerise's assistants, offered.

Ash pumped his fists. "That's right! I bet Professor Oak might know something about the GS Ball! Kurt's probably already figured it all out!"

"Go ahead and give the Professor a call, Chrysa," Cerise said.

Chrysa typed at her keyboard, and a screen opened displaying an old rotary telephone that shook as it rang before the phone was answered.

"Oak Pokémon Research Laboratory! Tracey speaking!"

Appearing on the screen was a young man with dark hair and brown eyes, smiling widely at the camera.

"Tracey!"

Ash's joyful response was instantaneous.

Tracey's face lit up. "Hey, Ash! How's it going?"

"It's great!" he said. "We were just reachin' out to ask Professor Oak if he'd ever learned anything about the GS Ball from Kurt!"

Tracey blinked, and his joyful expression was replaced by one of concentration. "Hmm… I don't recall ever hearing back from Kurt after you gave him the GS Ball… but maybe I missed something? One sec, I'll go get the Professor and he can explain things directly."

Tracey darted away from the phone, leaving everyone staring at the back wall for a few moments.

"So who's Tracey?" Chloe asked, turning to Ash.

The Palletonian grinned. "He's an old buddy I met in the Orange Islands," he said. "His dream's to meet and help out Professor Oak!"

"He's kinda like a research fellow then, isn't he?" Goh said, stroking his chin.

"Guess so!" Ash chuckled.

A few moments later and the familiar elderly man - old enough to be Goh's grandfather - stepped into frame. "It's good to hear from you, Ash!" Professor Oak said.

"Good t' hear from you, too, Professor!" he replied.

"Tracey mentioned you were asking about the GS Ball," he said. "Has something come up regarding it?"

"Nah," he said, waving the Professor's concern off. "We were just talking about Kurt for a bit an' I thought about the GS Ball since it's the reason I met him, you know?"

Professor Cerise cleared his throat and turned to the screen himself. "Professor Oak, have you heard anything from Kurt about his research into the GS Ball?"

The world-renowned authority on Pokémon crossed his arms and frowned. "I haven't heard a thing."

There was a beat of silence as the words sank in.

"Wait, you haven't heard anything about it?" Goh asked.

"It's been years, though!" Ash cried.

He shot an apologetic frown at Ash and Goh. "Sorry, boys, but I'm just as perplexed as you are. It's possible that the mysteries surrounding the GS Ball are simply taking much longer to unravel than we would like. But what brought the topic of Kurt to mind?"

"We're on the trail of an ancient Poké Ball that might have been made with the feathers of legendary Pokémon," Goh said, trying to explain it as succinctly as possible. "And he's a Poké Ball expert, so we thought he might be a good place to get some information."

Oak nodded. "I see…! It sounds like your research fellows have been working very hard, Professor Cerise!"

"I owe them a lot for all the discoveries my research has uncovered, Professor Oak," Cerise responded.

"If you wouldn't mind," Professor Oak said, "since you will be traveling to Azalea Town anyway, do you mind asking Kurt about his research into the GS Ball. Just a harmless status update is all I ask."

"No problem, Professor!" Ash said. "We'll take down two Flying-types with one Rock-type move!"

Chloe groaned with eyes narrowed. "You know there's a better way to phrase that metaphor."

"Thank you very much! I'd love to stay and chat, but I have to get back to work. Ash's Sceptile recently planted a few trees and we're comparing their growth to how trees planted by other Grass-types grow, so we need to get back to taking measurements! I hope to hear some good news from you all soon!"

"Later Ash!" Tracey said just before the call cut.

Ash turned to Goh. "I guess we've got our mission, then!" he said.

"Right!" Goh said, pumping his fist. "Azalea Town in the Johto Region, lets-"

The phone screen once again opened, showing the phone ringing again. The sudden reappearance surprised Goh, and everyone turned back to the monitor.

"Is Professor Oak calling back?" Cerise asked.

Chrysa shook her head. "No, this is coming from Professor Amaranth's craft."

"It's from Project Mew?" Goh asked. "Answer it, please!"

Chrysa nodded and tapped on her keyboard, and the screen opened, showing the face of the person calling. He had an intense look in his red eyes that made Goh stand up straighter. His hair was also a deep red, and the frown on his face did little to ease Goh's initial reaction.

This was Quillon, one of the Chasers who were part of Project Mew. He seemed to act as a direct envoy for Professor Amaranth, Project Mew's leader and head researcher.

"Goh."

"Y-Yes!"

Goh's awkward response only increased his nervousness.

"I'm calling for a status report on the matter of the Clear Wing," he said. "We haven't had an update from you in some time and we're wondering just how much longer this is going to take."

Goh grimaced, feeling like he was under direct attack. "I-I've been working on it! I mean, I caught Kingdra, right? I'm still trying to become a Chaser!"

"I didn't ask about Kingdra. I asked about the Clear Wing," Quillon said, frowning at Goh's excuse. "The last we heard, you were headed to Johto to investigate a lead that it might be tied to Ho-Oh?"

The lead was the Gym Leader of Ecruteak City, Morty. Also known as the Mystic Seer, he had an extensive knowledge of legends tied to Ho-Oh as well as an even more extensive library of scrolls and legends tied to the legendary Pokémon. After they had returned from the city, though, Goh and the others went on break for a week before immediately heading to Kalos for the New Year's Festival in Lunargent Town. Between that and everything else that had been occurring, he simply didn't remember to keep them in the loop.

"You see…"

Goh glanced at Chloe, specifically at the pouch she wore around her neck on a silver chain. The pouch was embedded with a strange gemstone that looked to be the colors of electrum, but the significant thing was what the pouch contained - the Sacred Ashes created when Ho-Oh burned the prismatically glowing Clear Wing into ashes. The ashes had been used to restore Chloe's life, but it was only a small amount that was gone - the feather was still there in some form.

He explained to Quillon everything that had occurred, including the discovery of a scroll that seemed to explain part of the legend that was lost when Team Rocket smashed through the wall of the temple in Stone Town. He left out the part about Chloe being caught up in Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire more to protect Professor Cerise's state of mind than anything else, and explained about how they fought Team Rocket at the Whirlpool Festival in Kalos and acquired the Silver Wing as well.

"...and we were just about to head to Azalea Town to see if we could learn anything from Kurt about any special Poké Balls," he said.

Quillon closed his eyes for a few moments, as though intensely in thought. "Understood. We will be sending someone to Azalea Town to assist you on this part of your mission."

"You'll be sending someone?"

Goh felt his stomach twist into a knot.

"I've got this under control. You don't have to push me around and tell me what to do. You guys are the ones who were leaving this to me, right?"

"Don't get upset, Goh."

A new voice rang in, a more friendly one than Quillon's. Leaning into the frame was the blue haired Danika, pushing Quillon back. Though he attempted to maintain his air of stoic calmness, he didn't push Danika back either.

"Remember, even if we're letting you take the lead on this, you're still looking into this feather business for Project Mew. It wouldn't be good if you had to do this all by yourself without any support from us. I know you want to be a Chaser, but our research and discoveries are just as important."

Danika's spin on it made it easier for Goh to swallow. "Got it. I guess we'll meet up with Project Mew's assistant once we get to Azalea Town."

"We expect results," Quillon said, still being pushed back by Danika.

Danika winked, barely holding back her laughter. "Good luck, Goh."

The screen winked out as it closed and Goh groaned. "Aww, man…"

"What's up?" Chloe asked, blinking.

Goh frowned at her, not wanting to admit the thought going through his head, but neither could he lie to her, so telling the truth won out. "I'm just worried they'll be sending Gary Oak out there and I'll have to deal with him the entire time."

"Gary Oak?" Chloe asked. "Is he related to Professor Oak or something?"

"He's Professor Oak's grandson," Ash said. "He's a buddy of mine from way back."

"I'm beginning to think you have 'buddies' just about everywhere," she replied sarcastically. Ash only responded by laughing.

"Still," she said, "I guess by the way you put it, you and this Gary guy don't quite get along?"

"He treats me like I'm a total inferior," Goh griped. "Like I don't know what I'm doing at all and need to be told exactly what to do."

"Well in my experience, you do tend to need a bit of leadership," Chloe quipped. "There's a reason I was basically the leader back when we were in elementary school."

Goh grunted. "That was just because you were friends with Mika and Deliah and I-"

Chloe leaned in and flicked him in the forehead.

"Ow!"

As he covered his forehead with his hand, Chloe smiled at him self-assuredly. "We're not going to get anywhere with you beating yourself up, okay? I'll go with you to Azalea Town and if that Gary guy gives you trouble, I'll put him in his place just like I did for Yeardley and Belf, okay?"

Goh felt his mind and his heart lurch in opposite directions. In his mind, he didn't want Chloe to go with him precisely for that reason. If Gary already made fun of him for his friendship with Ash and his attitude, how much more ammunition would he get by having Chloe stand up for him? He could already hear the accusation of Goh hiding behind his girlfriend in that smarmy, snarky tone…

…but it was precisely because of the feelings he had buried in his heart for the girl offering to help him that Goh couldn't dismiss her offer out of hand. Chloe, even at her most snarky, would definitely be a warm comfort, especially if he had to deal with Gary's much crueler jabs.

Ultimately, his hidden love for Chloe won out over his open disgust for Gary Oak, and he sighed.

"Okay, you can come with us," he said. "I mean, you have the Sacred Ashes anyway, right?"

Ash stepped up and put an arm around each of their shoulders. "Sounds like we've got a plan, then! Let's head out first thing in the morning!"

Goh and Chloe locked eyes with each other, and smiled. "Right!"


"Azalea Town…"

Goh whispered the words as the bus finally exited the long tunnel that went around the Ilex Forest on their way south. They had caught the bus in the early morning from Vermilion City, riding it to Saffron where they caught the Magnet Train to Goldenrod City in the Johto Region. From here, they caught a bus and rode it south to Azalea Town, their final destination.

This was the third time in his life Goh had visited Azalea Town.

The prior two visits were part of family vacations, once when he was seven and once only a few months ago. On both, he had encountered a young boy his age named Horace. During the first visit, he had struck up a friendship with him that ended with Horace not showing up at the appointed time they had promised, and Goh felt betrayed. The betrayal had shaken something in Goh, and he had retreated from his more boisterous, confident persona that he had been building since the day he and Chloe had become friends.

He had never spoken to Chloe about what happened. The memory of Horace was too painful for him to touch for a long time.

In his more recent visit, he discovered a long-abandoned note left by Horace that explained the truth: Horace had fallen ill and was unable to join him at the time and place they promised, and Goh could hardly fault him for something like that outside of his control. Shortly thereafter, Goh had encountered Horace, and the two reaffirmed their friendship that they both feared lost.

It's these thoughts that occupied Goh as he looked out the window at the greenery of Ilex Forest as the bus approached Azalea Town. The small, traditional town looked very much like Ecruteak did, only even smaller and more traditional than that. He briefly wondered if the cottage his parents always rented was available, but he knew their destination was the Pokémon Center in the town, where they were to meet up with the Project Mew contact.

He sighed, his warm breath fogging the window.

He felt a finger tapping into his shoulder. "You alright?" Ash asked. "You've been quiet for a while."

Goh turned, looking to see both Ash and Chloe frowning at him in concern. He waved it off, picking Grookey from the top of his head and setting the chimp in his lap, to mirror where they were carrying Pikachu and Eevee.

"I guess I just have a lot on my mind," he said. "Don't worry, I'll be on my A-Game once we get off the bus. Project Mew is serious business!"
"I hope so," Chloe said, frowning. She caught herself staring at him and looked away. "I-I mean, it'd be bad if you came all this way only to mess things up at the end!"

He frowned at the distance she was putting between them - she even sat on the opposite side of Ash this time - but he said nothing else.

"Grooki…" cooed the Grass-type with worry.

The bus eventually stopped, and the three Kantonians stepped off of it right in front of the Pokémon Center's doors, and so they quickly stepped inside. The Azalea Town Pokémon Center was fairly rustic and much smaller than the one in Vermilion City, with only two phones in the corner and much less floor space.

Though, it did remind him of the center in Lunargent Town, only with Johtonian design principles instead of Kalosian ones.

Glancing over at the phones, he took his own phone out of his pocket and checked it. Sure enough, there was no data in Azalea Town, so phone calls would be something everyone came to the Pokémon Center for. Another regrettable circumstance that seemed to be trying to make a simple visit to Kurt into an ordeal.

"Seriously…?" Chloe said, as Goh heard her tapping her own phone while carrying Eevee under her other arm.

"You volunteered, Miss Cerise," he reminded her.

"Next time we go out to meet some hermit in the middle of nowhere, can we at least go somewhere with data?"

Goh smirked. "Well, if you haven't gotten used to the lack of modern amenities by now, I don't think wishing like that is going to fix much."

"Don't act like you aren't also groaning internally," she quipped back. "You're way more reliant on the internet than I am."

"Only for my research work. I don't need it to entertain myself," he teased.

Chloe pouted, her cheeks turning bright pink. "You act like I need it when all I need for a good time is a book and my imagination. You're the one always playing video games!"

Falling into the familiar rhythm of bickering with her felt like sliding into a comfortable bed after not sleeping well for months. With both the distance he had been creating himself and the distance Chloe herself seemed to be cultivating, that they could so easily fall into old patterns was comforting.

"You say that, but which one of us was making a carpet in the Grand Undergame? You know how much attention to detail that takes, inside a video game?"

"I-I just wanted my house to look nice!" she protested, further on the backfoot. It had been some time since Goh was able to have the advantage over her, and it only made him more excited to see how she would respond.

As she opened her mouth to say something back, another voice chimed in the conversation.

"Goh?"

It was the voice of someone who was simultaneously somewhat of a stranger, but also the voice of a dear friend. Goh looked over at the door leading inside the Pokémon Center and saw a young man entering. His hair was platinum blonde, curved around his head, and his yellow-green eyes caught Goh in them immediately as he stepped forward. He wore a light blue sweatshirt with a purple Poké Ball insignia, and he raised his hand towards Goh.

He didn't even need to think twice about the Pokémon at the boy's side.

"Horace?"

Goh stepped towards Horace, away from Chloe, and quickly took his old friend's hand and gave it a strong shake.

"It's good to see you," Horace said, smiling.

"What are you even doing here?" Goh asked.

"I'm here for you!"

Horace took his phone out of his pocket and showed Goh the notice that must have surely been saved to it: 'Meet with Challenger Goh in Azalea Town and provide operational support for him as long as he remains there.'

That alone would have been surprising enough, but the signature line was what caught Goh off guard the most.

"From Chaser Danika…" he said, reading it out loud. "Project Mew."

"This is my initiation mission," Horace explained. "I'm not a Challenger like you, yet. But once we finish up whatever we've got to do here, I should be!"

Before Goh could ask his next question, he heard Chloe's phone ping as she scanned the Pokémon standing next to Horace.

"Bayleef, the Leaf Pokémon. A Grass-type," the phone stated plainly. "Bayleef's neck is ringed by curled-up leaves. Inside each tubular leaf is a small shoot of a tree. The fragrance of this shoot makes people peppy."

Goh turned to her. "H-Hey-!"

"I just figured that if you weren't going to introduce me, I'd introduce myself," Chloe said, stepping around him. She offered Horace a hand. "I'm Chloe, a friend of Goh's from Vermilion City. And you're Horace?"

Horace took her hand and shook it. "Yeah. Goh and I met here a few years back, but I'm from Cianwood City."

"Interesting…"

Goh felt a cold sweat grow on his forehead at Chloe's innocuous word.

Horace was a good friend of his, it was true. Things might not have happened like he would have wished, but both Goh and Horace had reconciled what happened and everything was fine between them.

However, that wouldn't be much comfort for Chloe, who had been the one to deal with the fallout of Goh's misunderstanding when they were younger. If she learned that Horace was the reason Goh withdrew and became as angsty and anti-social as he got before he met Ash, he didn't doubt that there would be consequences for either Horace or himself.

And the worst thing he could imagine in the moment was a look of hurt in her emerald eyes.

Goh decided to rush the conversation along.

"So Horace, why are you trying to join Project Mew?" he asked.

Horace nodded. "Well, you know how I want to meet Celebi right? I just figured that, since Celebi and Mew are both Psychic-types, that if I kept learning about every Psychic-type Pokémon, I would eventually find my way to Celebi!"

Goh laughed. "That sounds like my goal of catching one of every Pokémon to make my way to Mew!"

Horace laughed as well. "Seriously? That's awesome!"

Chloe frowned. "Well aren't you two just two peas in a pod," she said, holding Eevee to her chest. Eevee mimicked her frowning expression, but the rapid swishing of her tail was a dead giveaway that she wasn't really upset.

"So is it just the two of you?" Horace asked. "If so, we can go ahead and get started with whatever it is you need to do."

Goh looked around. "Hold on, there was one more person with us."

"Yeah, where'd Ash wander off too?"

As if summoned by his name, Ash stepped out from the hallway leading towards the room clearly labeled 'cafeteria'. In his arms were multiple packages of snack breads and pre-made sandwiches, even as he and Pikachu each had melon bread in their mouths. He stepped up right to Goh and began handing him some of the food.

"Th-Thanks, Ash."

The Palletonian swallowed the rest of his bread. "No problem! Just figured since I was hungry, you guys might be hungry, too!" He turned to Horace and blinked. "Oh, hey. Who're you?"

Horace tried to contain his laughter, but failed to fully keep it in as a few chuckles escaped. "I'm Horace, Goh's friend. I guess you're also one of his friends?"

"That's me!" Ash said, beaming. "I'm Ash, and this is my partner, Pikachu!"

The mouse on his shoulder quickly finished chewing up his own melon bread. "Pika pikachu!"

"Horace is here from Project Mew to help us out," Goh said. "So he'll be hanging out with us as long as we're in Azalea Town."

Ash looked sadly at all the food he had brought before handing a few pieces to Horace. "Any friend of Goh's is a friend of mine," he said with his trademark confidence and friendliness. "Nice to meetcha!"

"Likewise," Horace said, still giggling.

"How about we go ahead and get this show on the road, then," Goh said. "Let's head to where this Kurt guy lives and see what we can learn about this scroll."

"Got it!" Ash said. "Let me lead the way!"

As Ash led them out of the Pokémon Center, Goh turned to Horace. "He's been to the place we need to visit before, so he's leading the way. Ash's traveled all over the world, so having him along's a huge help on trips like this."

"I was about to ask," Horace said, chuckling. "We should hurry up, he seems like a fast walker."

"Right."

Just as he reached the door, he stopped and turned around to see Chloe giving him the most sour look he'd gotten from her in what seemed like ages.

"H-Hey, are you coming?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm on my way," she said, turning her nose up to him. She yanked a melon bread from his arms and began unwrapping it. "Don't fall behind, Goh."

He watched her leave ahead of him and sighed. "What did I do now…?"

"Grooki…" he sighed, patting Goh's cheek with his paw.

It seemed like this mission had only just started and things were already out of his control.