The full moon hung in the night sky over Azalea Town, and to Goh, that felt like a good omen.
After eating dinner and planning their strategy, he and the others waited until it was past midnight, when they could expect the entire town to be asleep. The four teens slipped out of the Pokémon Center under the cover of night, their Pokémon traveling with them in the quiet darkness.
Once they arrived at the outside of Kurt's compound, the four approached their first obstacle. While they had floated the idea of using Dragonite to fly over the wall, the dragon's powerful wings might awaken Kurt, Maizie, or Teddiursa, and so they opted for something slower but a bit stealthier.
Horace let out his Bayleef, who used his Vine Whip to quietly lift each of the humans onto the wall before being recalled and let out up top to let them slide down quietly and safely.
Once inside, Horace then let out his Gardevoir, a Pokémon Goh had only learned about over their dinners over the past few days. The Embrace Pokémon held her arms out and glowed slightly, projecting her psychic power over the home, checking to see if the occupants were still asleep.
"Garde…" she said, nodding to Horace, who nodded back.
"I still wonder if this is a good idea…" Chloe whispered, clutching Eevee to her chest.
Goh turned to her. "We're not going to keep it. We just need to force his hand."
She frowned. "But still…"
"You came with, didn't you?"
Goh's question caught her off guard, and her eyes darted away from him. "Well, yeah…"
"So have some faith in me, okay?"
Chloe pouted and looked away from him, but even so she still nodded. "Fine. I will."
Goh smirked to himself, mentally noting how cute she could be when she was losing their little game. He turned his gaze towards the building and gestured forward."
"Let's go."
At his signal, the four teens began moving into their positions, with Chloe staying close to the door, ready to unlock it and make a hasty retreat if need be. She nodded to Goh, Ash and Horace, silently mouthing 'good luck' to them as she and Eevee sat and watched quietly from the shadow of the wall.
Horace recalled Gardevoir and Bayleef, leaving Grookey and Pikachu as the only Pokémon out with the boys. Goh glanced between the house and the workshop, thinking to himself.
Where could they best find evidence that Kurt hadn't worked on the GS Ball like he had been claiming? It was a lot like proving a negative, and came with all the issues that it brought with it. They would need something that caught Kurt in his lie…
If it were Goh, he'd have stashed the ball somewhere in his room where no one would find it without breaking in, but thinking about that, he wondered if that was true. If he had anything hidden, and he was out of the house, his grandmother or parents could find it just by trying to tidy up by mistake. So instead, the best place to hide it would be as close to where he worked as possible.
So for Kurt, that would be his workshop.
Goh gestured wordlessly towards the now quiet workshop with its now cold forge, and Horace and Ash nodded. The three boys crossed the yard to the workshop, still sitting open, its shelves exposed to the open air given the three walled structure.
"Let's look around and see if we can find anything," Goh whispered.
As he looked around the room, Goh decided to start at the bench that Kurt worked at. He sat in the old man's seat and opened the drawer that contained a myriad of specialized tools. He tried to be as quiet as he could going through the drawer, looking for some sort of clue, but all of the tools were made of a heavy metal, probably to keep them from overheating or breaking easily during the intense forging work.
Looking up, he saw Horace idling near the door, checking cubby shelves that seemed to be stocked with completed goods waiting to be wrapped and mailed out. Goh personally doubted that he would find much there.
Looking over to Ash, Goh saw his friend and Pikachu pawing over a cabinet and shelves about midway through the workshop. Ash was checking the lower drawers and doors while Pikachu climbed the sides to check the higher shelves. That, Goh though, might produce more results, so he closed the desk and headed over to where Ash was searching.
"Any luck?" he whispered.
Ash, who was leaning inside the cabinet and searching, banged his head against a shelf as he turned to Goh. Wincing in pain, he shook his head. "No, not yet," he said before looking at his partner. "Pikachu, have you found anything yet?"
"Pikachuu…" he replied, sticking his head out and shaking it.
"Are we looking in the wrong place?" Horace asked. "Maybe he's got it inside…?"
Goh frowned. "No, it's in here. I can feel it. Call it a hunch."
"What're you thinking, Goh?"
Goh looked around the room again, but his eyes were drawn to the cabinet over and over again. This felt like where he'd stash it, close enough to be at hand and able to be pulled out in case he had to produce it, but far enough out of sight that it was out of mind.
He looked up at Pikachu and kept looking. "...Grookey, can you check the very top of this cabinet? Above all the shelves?"
"Grooki!" the chimp responded, leaping from Goh's shoulder. He climbed up the side past the top shelf where Pikachu sat and disappeared from view for a few moments.
"Groo?"
The chimp coughed, and Goh saw a little dust blow off the top shelf in the moonlight. Grookey turned back to Goh and held up a Poké Ball in the darkness, though the small amount of moonlight that entered the workshop meant it wasn't clear what kind of ball it was.
"Good work, Grookey! Bring it here!"
His whispers were excited, and Horace put a finger over his mouth to shush Goh, but as Grookey sprang from the cabinet, his leap caused it to rock back on its uneven foundation. This rocking caught Pikachu off guard. The mouse slipped off the shelf, but managed to cling to the cabinet and avoid falling.
However, the contents of the top shelf rolled out, and Pikachu couldn't stop them.
Several metal half-spheres fell from the shelf, clanging loudly in the small workshop, making Goh and the others wince with each one that hit the ground.
There was no way that they hadn't disturbed the peace now.
Grookey landed on Goh's shoulder and handed him the Poké Ball that he had found, as Goh, Ash, and Horace began to leave the workshop. As Goh stepped into the light of the full moon overhead, he felt his eyes go wide.
The ball was very dusty and dirty, but Goh could see the letters 'GS' inscribed on the top. Even through all the caked on dirt and dust, Goh could see the glittering golden top and the sparkling silver bottom that formed the device. He wiped the ball clean against his sweatshirt, revealing just how much time it had spent exposed.
"Goh? What're you waitin' for?" Ash asked, turning to him. As soon as Goh held the ball to the light, though, Ash's eyes went wide.
"That's… the GS Ball…!"
Horace gasped as well. "Really…?!"
Goh nodded. With an appearance this distinctive, there could be no doubt.
And with this discovery, another fact seemed to come true.
"He hasn't been working on the GS Ball. Not in years."
The words left his mouth, and he felt his hand shake as they came. Kurt had lied to them since the moment they set foot in his home. He had no intention of telling them anything or showing them anything, and he knew that if the ball's condition was discovered, his deception would fall apart as well, so he had chased them out.
Ash was crestfallen. "I can't believe it…"
"Pikapi…"
Pikachu was sad as well, but whether it was for Ash or because the Pokémon had also trusted Kurt, Goh couldn't tell.
What he did know was that they needed to retreat for now and confront Kurt in the morning. "We need to get back-"
Unfortunately for the teens, their plans were about to unravel as Kurt threw open the door to his home and stepped out into the moonlight. His eyes went wide at the trespassers.
"What are you kids doing here at this time of-!"
He gasped as he caught the glittering GS Ball in his eyes.
"Give that back! It's not yours!"
Goh held out a hand. "So it's true, then? You haven't been working on it."
"What I've been doing with my property is none of your business!" the old man snapped. "Give it back to me!"
Horace stepped forward now. "But Kurt, why didn't you explain it to us?" he said. "We can see now that you haven't been working on it. All you need to do is tell us! We just want to know!"
Ash, however, had an intense look in his eyes, like he was holding back his anger. "Aren't you Professor Oak's friend?" he asked. "The professor trusted you to look into it, and you haven't even been trying! You gave up!"
"No one can ever open that Poké Ball!" Kurt shouted back. "It can't be done!"
Goh stepped forward. "If you know so much about it, why can't you just talk to us about it?"
Kurt locked eyes with Goh. "Absolutely not! I refuse to relive my greatest failure! You will give me the GS Ball back or else!" He punctuated his demand with a Poké Ball of his own in his hand. The furious glare in his eyes told Goh that the old man meant business, and a battle would be imminent.
Goh took a step back. He could feel the tension in the air, and a bead of cool sweat in the night air formed on his forehead. He couldn't hand back their only proof… not after they were so close. But what could they do? They needed more time…
"Time…" Goh whispered, his eyes going wide.
A plan quickly formed in his head. And with no chance to explain things, he would have to leave it to faith.
He would trust in her. He always had, after all.
"If you want this ball so bad…" Goh said, twisting his body, "why don't you go catch it!"
With a snap of his throwing arm, Goh turned and gave the GS Ball a curved toss as hard as he could. If his aim was true, it should hit the ground just near where Chloe was hiding, and she could scoop it up. She should realize that their plan had fallen apart and prepare their escape.
And that was their window.
"Run!"
Goh shouted and turned, darting back towards the door, with Ash and Horace responding in kind, and Grookey and Pikachu hanging off their trainer's shoulders.
As they approached the gate, Chloe stood nearby, the large wooden doors already cracked open. In her hand was the GS Ball, and at her feet was Eevee, watching them with her wide eyes.
"Chloe, the door, hurry!"
She nodded, pulling the door open wide enough to squeeze through the gap. "You're lucky this didn't hit me," she said as Goh and Grookey slipped past her.
"A calculated risk," he replied with a smirk.
"Calculated?!" she shot back. "I knew you struggled with math but this was something else!"
Horace chuckled nervously. "I don't think we have time for this little game of yours…" he said.
Goh promptly shut his mouth, feeling the embarrassment burn on his cheeks.
Ash and Pikachu were the last ones through and the Palletonian pulled the door closed behind them. He turned to Goh. "Okay, now what?"
"The plan was to retreat to the Pokémon Center, but that's probably where he'd look for us first…" Chloe said, looking at the GS Ball in her hands. "We really don't want to have to explain to Nurse Joy why we burgled an old man."
Goh was sure Kurt wouldn't want this to become public, since it would demonstrate that he had something to hide and draw the ire of his friend Professor Oak. But if the truth came out, Goh and the others would lose any leverage they would potentially have. Kurt could just refuse to talk forever since the damage was already done.
Of course, this is what he had realized back when he had made the decision to flee.
"We're splitting up," he said, locking eyes with her.
"Wait, what?"
"We have to draw Kurt away from the town, and there's a perfect place to lead him to in the Ilex Forest," he said, looking at Horace. "We've been there before, so finding it again and leading him there should be easy."
"Why can't we come?" Chloe asked.
Goh gave her a confident smile. "You've already helped me a ton, Chloe. I don't want you to trip or get lost in the forest for my sake. Trust me, I'll handle this. This is my Trial Mission, after all."
Chloe stared back into his eyes, and her expression softened. "Got it. Good luck."
"Uh guys…?" Ash said. "He's opening the door…!"
The four teens turned to see Kurt pulling open the door and squeezing through the small crack. "You're not going to get away with this…!" he shouted.
"Go!" Goh shouted, pointing away from the home.
Chloe and Ash darted back towards Azalea Town proper while Goh and Horace ran back towards Ilex Forest. "Be careful, Goh!" Chloe shouted. "And catch!"
Chloe tossed the GS Ball through the air, which Goh easily caught in his open hand. He turned to Kurt, waving the ball in front of him.
"Hey Kurt! If you want this back, you better come take it!"
"Grooki!" taunted Goh's chimp.
With that, Goh turned on his heels and ran as fast as he could into the forest, with Horace right behind him.
"Come back here!" Kurt shouted behind them as they darted into the trees.
Goh and Horace raced through the dark forest, only lit by the moonlight peeking through the trees, heading down a path both boys found very familiar. Seven years ago, a much younger Goh and Horace explored this area looking for Celebi, and only a few months back, they had both taken this path while in the area when they reunited.
The two teens stopped to catch their breath as well as allow Kurt to keep following them. "Are we headed back there?" Horace asked, gasping as he did.
Goh nodded. "It's far enough away from town to avoid any stray eyes," Goh said. "He might actually talk if we bring him all the way out there."
The location he had in mind - a small shrine made to honor the guardian of Ilex Forest where Horace had left a letter for him - wasn't very far from where they were now. They just had to get Kurt the rest of the way there.
Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, that seemed to be the easiest part.
"You kids! Get back here right now!"
The sound of his voice meant that he wasn't very far, and so the short rest Goh and Horace were taking had to be cut shorter.
The two boys turned and continued their trek through the woods as quickly as they could manage.
"For an old guy…" Goh panted as they ran, "he's pretty spry."
"Grooki…" the Pokémon added from Goh's shoulder.
"I guess… working a forge all day… helps keep him healthy," Horace said.
The two boys barreled through the brush, coming out in front of the small clearing in front of the shrine. The scene had an eerie pale tint to it courtesy of the full moon overhead, and Goh and Horace stood back by the shrine as Kurt himself arrived shortly thereafter.
Goh felt the tension rise in the air as Kurt glared at them from across the clearing. "You two have some nerve, causing trouble in my home and dragging me all the way out here to this sacred shrine! I demand you give the GS Ball back to me this instant!"
Goh took the ball out of his pocket. "This is what you want?" he asked, holding it up to him.
"That ball is mine," Kurt said. "You have no right to come in and demand it from me, nor can you force me to talk about it!"
"Kurt, Goh is only trying to solve a mystery," Horace said. "One that brought him here before he ever met you! Can't you please tell him what you know?"
"I have nothing to say to thieves," he said, once more brandishing his Poké Ball. "I'm not afraid to take it back by force."
Goh sat the ball on the ground by his feet before locking eyes with Kurt. "If you want the GS Ball back, how about we have a battle for it?"
"Goh?" Horace asked, looking at him.
"If you win, I'll give the GS Ball back, and whatever punishment you want to dole out, I'll accept it," Goh said. "And you have my word that I'll never mention the GS Ball or your connection to it to anyone ever again."
Horace gasped. "B-But, Goh, what about your Trial Mission?"
"I'll have to find another way to prove myself to Project Mew," Goh replied. "But if I win, Kurt, you'll explain to Horace and me everything about the GS Ball that you know."
The old man crossed his arms and scoffed. "And why should I agree to that?" he asked. "You're the one who stole from me, after all."
"Because," Goh said, "it's my dream to join Project Mew and become a Chaser!"
A wind blew through the trees at Goh's back. He saw Kurt's expression soften somewhat.
"I want to meet Mew, and to do that, I have to join Project Mew, which means completing this Trial Mission by uncovering the secrets of the Clear Wing! And pulling all these threads has brought me here! If I can't learn anything from you, then… my dream goes up in smoke!"
"Goh…" Horace said, stepping back, his eyes wide.
"I'm putting my dream on the line, Kurt. What do you say?"
Kurt closed his eyes and smirked. "Heh… I suppose even a child like yourself can have a lot to say about this." He opened his eyes and focused forward. "Very well! Show me the strength of this dream of yours!"
Kurt threw his Poké Ball forward, and Goh braced himself for what his Pokémon could be. In a flash of light, a tall, pink Pokémon stood before him with a vacant expression.
"Sloooow…"
Horace pulled out his phone, pointing it towards Kurt's Pokémon. "A Slowbro!"
Though Goh couldn't see it, he was sure Horace's Pokédex application had opened and was reading out the entry on Slowbro.
"Slowbro," the phone said, "the Hermit Crab Pokémon. A Water- and Psychic-type. Slowpoke became Slowbro when a Shellder bit on to its tail, shocking this Pokémon into standing upright. If the Shellder lets go, it seems Slowbro will turn back into a Slowpoke."
Goh, of course, was at least somewhat familiar with Slowbro from his research on the species from his trips with Ash. He quickly ran through the Pokémon he had on hand.
'Cinderace is at a huge disadvantage, and while Inteleon might be alright, we'll lack the ability to strike at Slowbro effectively… Grookey might work, but he doesn't have many moves mastered yet… I think this is our best shot…'
He pulled out a Poké Ball, thinking over his choice once more. Argent could strike in unpredictable ways, and if the battle dragged on, he could use Wish for recovery.
He would put the life of his dream in the paws of the silver Eevee.
"Argent, let's go!"
In a flash of light, Goh's Eevee appeared, shaking himself loose with a defiant "Bui!"
"Alright, let's start with Shadow Ball!"
Argent formed the ball of necrotic energy in his mouth before quickly firing it at Kurt's Slowbro. The larger Pokémon made no effort to dodge, taking the attack square on the chin as the Shadow Ball exploded, pushing Slowbro back.
"Use Scald!" Kurt shouted.
Slowbro seemed to take in a labored breath before spraying a blast of steaming water towards Argent.
"Dodge it!" Goh shouted.
"Don't let it get away!"
The silver Eevee leapt up, but Slowbro simply whipped his head upwards, lashing at Argent with the hot water. Argent landed hard, but quickly stood back up. "We're not licked yet!" Goh shouted. "Use Shadow Ball again!"
As Argent formed another sphere of necrotic energy, Kurt shook his head. "Not again! Blast it back with Psychic!"
With glowing eyes, Slowbro formed a swirling vortex of psychokinetic energy just as Argent tossed the Shadow Ball ahead. Instead of colliding with the hermit crab, the psychic power grabbed hold of the Shadow Ball in the swirling light.
Kurt smirked. "Now, send it back!"
"Sloooooow…!" With a mighty heave, Slowbro tossed the waves of psychokinetic energy towards Argent, bringing along with them the spinning Shadow Ball.
"Argent, use Dig!" Goh commanded.
"Bui!" With a shout, Argent leapt up before quickly diving into the ground as though it was made of water instead of dirt. The psychic blast sailed over the hole and faded, with the Shadow Ball bursting against a tree, shaking it and causing a Hoothoot to fly away from the battle.
"That could have been bad…" Goh said, wiping his forehead. "That could have really hurt."
"Keep your eyes open, Slowbro!" Kurt said. "That Eevee could come from anywhere!"
Slowbro looked at the ground, his vacant expression never fading.
"Argent, come from behind!"
The ground behind Slowbro began to buckle as Argent burst forth, crashing into the back of the pink Pokémon's head. The blow unsteadied Slowbro, but didn't topple the behemoth as Argent sailed through the air back towards Goh's side of the clearing.
"Catch it in the air! Use Psychic!"
Slowbro's eyes were glowing once more as he formed another swirl of psychic energy before unleashing it as a shockwave that crashed into Argent before he could reach the ground. The Normal-type's body twisted and stretched painfully before dropping to the ground.
As Argent struggled to stand, Goh felt his heart tear for his Pokémon. "Argent, fix yourself up with Wish!"
With a nod, Argent turned back towards Slowbro before calling out to the stars above. "Eiebuuuui!" As his voice echoed, the stars above his head began to twinkle more brightly.
Kurt snorted. "If you think you'll spend time healing your wounds, then we might as well do the same. Slowbro, time for Slack Off!"
Slowbro yawned, sitting on the ground. As he did, the spots where Argent had struck him with Shadow Ball and Dig seemed to glimmer and glow as the damage was undone.
"We can't let them heal up! Use Hyper Voice!"
At Goh's order, Argent took in a deep breath before converting it into an explosive "BUI!" as the Hyper Voice blasted the soundwaves over Slowbro and Kurt, causing both the Pokémon and the Trainer to hold their heads in response to the pain.
As the shout washed over his opponents, the starlight Argent had called turned into a droplet of light before falling down onto him. Much like with Slowbro, the spots Argent had been twisted by Psychic and splashed with Scald began to revert back to their pristine condition.
"Awesome work, Argent! Now, Hyper Voice again!"
With his vitality restored, Argent unleashed another explosive shout over Slowbro and Kurt.
The old man held his ears while shouting "Slowbro, Slack Off!"
"Slooow!" shouted the Water- and Psychic-type, unable to deal with the noise or the pain, didn't respond to Kurt's choice of move.
Goh felt his heart pounding in his chest as he and Argent both battled together. The small Eevee was determined to protect Goh's dream, and Goh responded with his faith in his trusted Pokémon.
"Let's wrap this up, Argent! Use Shadow Ball!"
"Eeeiiieee-" Argent shouted, gathering up all his strength for one final attack, forming the orb of necrotic energy in his mouth before launching it at the still stunned Slowbro. "-buuiii!"
The Shadow Ball sailed through the moonlit clearing and crashed into Slowbro with a huge explosion, spreading dirt and debris all around.
"We got him!" Goh shouted, ready to celebrate his victory.
"Enough playing games!" Kurt shouted. "Use Telekinesis!"
A ray of purplish light shot through the cloud of dust that enshrouded Slowbro and struck Argent.
"Argent!" Goh shouted. His Eevee didn't seem to feel any pain from the attack landing, though.
But then, the silver Eevee began to rise off the ground, pulled into the sky by the purple ray that was coming from Slowbro's claw.
"A-Argent?" Goh asked. "Are you okay?"
Kurt snickered. "You're trapped now," he said. "As long as that Telekinesis is on your Pokémon, he's got no hope for escape."
Goh felt his heart sink into his stomach. "Argent, get out of there! Use Dig!"
The silver Eevee scrambled with his paws in the air, but unable to touch the ground, much less burrow into it, he remained airborne.
"Now, Slack Off!"
Slowbro once more relaxed as all the injuries on his battered body began to glow and fade away.
"Quick, Argent, while he's occupied! Break free!"
While Slowbro sat and restored his stamina, Argent twisted and turned in the air, struggling fruitlessly against the move. Meanwhile, Slowbro stood back up and looked as fresh as he did when the battle started.
Goh grit his teeth. "Well… fine! Even if we can't move, we can still attack! Argent, use Shadow Ball!"
"Eeeiiieee-buuiii!" Working quickly, Argent formed another spectral sphere of necrotic force before launching it towards Slowbro. Much like at the start of the battle, the attack hit an entirely stationary Slowbro, and as the smoke from the attack cleared up, Slowbro's vacant expression once more appeared in the moonlight.
"Use Psychic!"
Slowbro let loose with another burst of psychokinetic power, twisting and contorting Argent's body, causing the Eevee to scream out in pain.
Goh felt his knees shaking. "ARGENT!"
"Kurt, don't you think this has gone on long enough?!" Horace asked from the sidelines of the battle. "All this battle is doing is just hurting the Pokémon! Just tell us the truth and we can help you!"
"Argent, c'mon," Goh pleaded, "you've got to break free!"
As Argent continued to struggle against Slowbro's telekinesis, Kurt looked at Horace. "You two are the ones that started this and now you're asking me to end it? You couldn't just leave an old man alone! You had to dig into my regrets!" He turned back to the battle. "Use Psychic, again!"
"Slooooow!" shouted the hermit crab, blasting Argent with another round of psychokinetic energy. Argent shouted in pain as his body was twisted and pulled in all directions.
"If it's something you regret," Horace said, continuing to speak, "maybe we can help! If there's anything we can do to help fix it-"
"It's beyond fixing!" Kurt shouted. "Don't you get it by now? There's nothing that can be done to fix this!"
Goh, seeing Kurt distracted, called out to his Pokémon. "Argent, use Wish!"
Argent turned his head skyward, gazing towards the moon above. "Eeeiii-"
"Psychic, again!"
Kurt's Slowbro shouted out, the Psychic blast turning Argent's prayer into a pained, haggard scream. The stars above his Eevee failed to coalesce, and he remained trapped.
It felt like to Goh that everything faded away other than Argent's pained screams as Slowbro continued to assault him. Once more, just as in Ecruteak City or in Lunargent Town, Goh felt like he was up against an impossible opponent. He could practically hear the shrill cries of Ho-Oh echoing against his ears and see the glittering armor of Gozu's Mega Aggron.
He had been defeated before, and he had learned from that defeat. His strong connection with Cinderace had turned his faith - his love - into a power strong enough to topple even Team Rocket's Mega Evolved titan. In Cinderace, he saw a friend he could count on, a friend he could believe in.
In Argent, he saw himself.
The boastful, arrogant Pokémon had cut himself off from others unless they shared a commonality like he did with Voltorb, or they were ones who were kind to him, like Raichu. Who were they, but Argent's Horace and Granny Halta - the friend who he had so much in common with and the doting parental figure.
Even with them, Argent lived a profoundly lonely existence.
He shunned Chloe's Eevee's attempts at friendship, much like Goh himself had attempted to push Chloe away. He didn't play with Grookey or Pikachu, even when they asked. He was content to be alone, because alone, he wouldn't be bullied, or made fun of, or hurt.
Just like Goh was, before he met Ash.
Goh felt his fingernails digging into his palms. He turned to Kurt, shouting. "You keep talking like this is some huge problem that can't be fixed! But by cutting yourself off, you're only hurting yourself! Why won't you let us help you?"
"Do you think I'm only doing this for myself?!" Kurt shouted back. "This is for the good of all of Azalea Town! I'm doing this to protect everyone I care about!"
"If you really cared about them, you'd tell them what's wrong!" Goh shouted, feeling the tears in the corners of his eyes.
When he saw Kurt staring right back at him, he saw tears in the old man's eyes as well.
"Don't you know what it's like?!" the old man tearfully cried out. "To feel like your entire world could end if anyone learned the truth!?
"I do!" Goh cried out as well. "I do know what that's like! Because I held a secret back from someone very important to me that I was afraid could wreck my entire life!"
His heart was pounding in his chest. He could see Chloe's worried face in his mind's eye, and his heart ached.
"I still haven't been fully honest… but if a secret was hurting me this much, and the people and Pokémon I loved were around me, I would let them share my burden!"
Goh felt the tears rolling down his cheeks as he spoke.
"I would tell them just what they mean to me!"
Kurt clinched his eyes shut. "There's no way you could understand what I feel!" He pointed toward the airborne and injured Argent. "Finish this, Slowbro! Use Psychic!"
"Slooooow….brooo!"
With the greatest heave yet, Slowbro unleashed his strongest psychokinetic blast, putting Argent through even more agony. The Eevee shouted in pain and looked ready to drop, even as the Telekinesis kept him airborne.
"Argent, listen to me!"
The Eevee's silver ears twitched at his trainer's words.
"Argent, I know how you're feeling right now," Goh said as calmly as he could manage. "The pain you're in. I can feel it in my heart, because we're connected. I know you're trying to be strong, to prove to all those Pokémon who bullied you that you don't need them. And maybe you don't need them! But I'm here for you, no matter what. When you became my Pokémon - when you became my friend - we became linked together forever!"
In Goh's mind, he could still see Argent quietly sitting in the hospital bed in the Vermilion City Pokémon Center. That quiet moment they had made a connection after they both had gone through a rough few days.
"I know it's scary to open yourself up to others. I'm still scared, too! But… but the friendship we have is real. It's as real as Ash, Pikachu, Chloe, Eevee, Horace, Serena, Chad, and the Professor all are! We all care about you! I love you! And I know we can still win! It's our dream! Our future!"
He thrust his fist towards the moon.
"And we can hold our future in the palm of our hand!"
Argent turned his battered head skyward, taking the moon in his gaze.
"Slowbro, Psychic!"
Slowbro unleashed another wave of psychic power to crush Argent.
But before the attack could reach him, the silver Eevee's body began to glow.
Bathed in the moon's gentle glow, Argent's body more than tripled in height, his once short, stubby legs growing long and lean. The fluffy fur around his neck disappeared, and his body took on a sleek appearance. Argent's tail narrowed and lengthed slightly, as did his ears.
"Eeiieebrreee!"
When the light burst away, Goh could see Argent's new fur - not the ordinary deep black but more an ashen slate color. On his limbs and around his ears and tail were blue glowing rings reminding Goh of the full moon's gentle glow. His eyes were yellow, glaring through the darkness at Slowbro.
And the psychokinetic energy washed over him without any effect.
"Argent… you… you evolved!"
Goh quickly took out his phone, holding it towards his friend's new form. The application opened up, and a picture of Argent was already appearing on screen.
"Umbreon has been registered to your Pokédex!"
Goh's heart felt like it was going to burst from his chest.
The phone continued. "Umbreon, the Moonlight Pokémon. A Dark-type. The light of the moon changed Eevee's genetic structure. Umbreon lurks in the dark of night looking for prey. At the moment it pounces, the rings on its body glow dimly but ominously."
Argent stood with his back arched low, looking like he was ready to pounce just as the Pokédex said. And with his newly-acquired immunity to Psychic-type moves, they were once again in this battle.
"Argent, now's our chance to fight back! Use Shadow Ball!"
Argent opened his mouth and began to gather his power. But instead of the now-familiar necrotic energy gathering, a pitch-black aura like wickedly slicing blades gathered around him, which he fired as a bursting stream that crashed into Slowbro, knocking the hermit crab off his feet.
"S-Slowbro!" Kurt shouted, his eyes wide in shock and surprise.
"That wasn't Shadow Ball," Horace shouted towards Goh, "that was Dark Pulse!"
Goh could hardly keep the tears out of his eyes. "Argent…!"
"Umbri!"
Argent turned his face back to Goh, and even though his body may have changed, Goh could still see the silver Eevee's heart through his eyes - that quiet connection that they had made, and the time they had spent battling together and chasing the mystery of the Clear Wing together.
"Slowbro, are you alright?" Kurt asked as his Pokémon struggled to stand.
"B-Bro…" As he struggled, the negative energy Argent had unleashed still crackled and danced along his skin, and he fell back down.
"Slowbro?!"
"That's the secondary effect of Dark Pulse," Horace said. "Sometimes it can make the opponent flinch and unable to move!"
"That means now's our chance! Argent, use Wish!"
"Umbreeeeooon!"
His raspy voice shouted and carried over the clearing as the stars began to sparkle overhead.
The old man gestured forward. "Use Scald!"
"Dig!"
Goh's Umbreon leapt back into the ground, disappearing from view long before the steaming water from Slowbro's mouth ever got close.
Slowbro and Kurt were on the backfoot now, unable to tag down and defeat Argent as he approached from an unseen angle. Their eyes were looking in different directions, trying to find any sign of the moonlit beast now stalking them through the ground.
They weren't unified, Goh saw. Their separate fears were keeping them from synchronizing and working as a team. Goh, meanwhile, could tell where Argent was, even if he couldn't see him. Because he knew his heart and Argent's were one.
"Now, GO!"
At Goh's shout, Argent burst forth from the ground just in front of Slowbro, crashing into the pink Pokémon's jaw before kicking off and flipping back towards Goh. The sparkling starlight dripped down and bathed Argent in its soothing light, and the wounds he had sustained during the fight while he was still an Eevee began to sparkle and fade away.
"It's airborne! Use Scald again!"
Slowbro fired another spray of boiling-hot water, which caught Argent in the air. The blast of hot water was a direct hit, knocking Argent to the ground, but the attack was one the Umbreon quickly stood back up from.
As he stood, his body became cloaked in a red glow, and he shouted out in pain.
"Argent…?!"
"Goh, sometimes a Pokémon hit by Scald will be burned!" Horace shouted.
Goh looked back up at his Pokémon as the pain from the burn drained his strength, but then, Argent began doing something strange.
His yellow eyes began to glow red, and then Slowbro shouted out in pain. Both Pokémon began to glow red, then, shouting out in pain from the now-shared burn.
"That's Synchronize!" Goh shouted. It would cause any Pokémon who burned, paralyzed, or poisoned Argent to share in his pain, and Slowbro was already looking a bit woozy before this happened. This was their chance. They could topple Slowbro once and for all.
"Argent, use Dark Pulse one more time!"
Argent once more whipped up the wicked aura, shooting it at Slowbro, who cried out in pain from the attack.
The dust settled, though, and Slowbro was still standing.
"Use Slack Off!"
Slowbro began to relax just as the burning-red glow from the burn once more took hold of himself and Argent. Both Pokémon cried out in pain and looked like they were about to topple over, but Argent found his footing and remained standing.
Slowbro slowly swayed and toppled over onto the ground, a dazed look on his face as he laid still.
"Slowbro…" Kurt said, his voice catching in his throat. He fell down to the ground himself in shock, his eyes going wide. "I… I…"
Argent approached the fallen hermit crab and once again called out for the stars. The sparkling stars dripped down onto both of them, restoring some of their energy.
Goh stepped up behind Argent and kneeled down next to his Pokémon. "You were awesome, Argent…!"
Grookey, too, joined in, hopping to the ground and excitedly tapping out a rhythm with his stick around his newly evolved comrade.
In response to the praise and cheers, Argent merely smiled and sat down, tucking his legs underneath his body. "Bre."
It was different from Argent's old harshness. He was still quite reserved, but there was a friendliness in his yellow eyes.
Goh and his Pokémon turned to Kurt and Slowbro. The old man patted his Pokémon on the shoulder before holding up Slowbro's Poké Ball. "Thank you, my friend," Kurt said. "Take a long rest."
In a flash of red light, Slowbro disappeared, and Kurt locked eyes with Goh.
"You showed me something in our battle, Goh. You showed me the conviction to face your own past, and… and now I know I need to do that, too."
Kurt took in a deep breath, closing his eyes.
"So let me tell you everything. No more secrets."