"There! All done!" Chloe said, closing her notebook. Her summary for class was finished. She looked to Yamper and Eevee, who sat next to her, smiling.

"Why don't we go ahead and get a snack? I could go for a bottle of tea."

Standing from her spot on the couch, Chloe went down the stairs and into the kitchen for a drink. Eevee and Yamper followed behind her until she got into the kitchen proper, where they raced to see which one could get to the food bowls first. 'I guess they wanna know who'll get fed first…'

Chloe stopped in the doorway to find Goh sitting at the table, chewing on a pocky stick with an intense look on his face, apparently thinking about some difficult thoughts. Next to him was his Grookey, gleefully chomping through a bowl of Pokémon food. He looked up and saw her enter, giving her a friendly wave. "Hey, Chloe."

She waved back. "Hey, Goh." She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of tea from the fridge.

As she did, Goh asked her a question. "Hey, has Ash been acting weird around you recently?"

She nearly dropped the bottle, slick with condensation, from her hands. "W-What? What do you mean…?" Already she felt her heart knocking against her chest. 'Did Ash tell him that we've been meeting? What could he be thinking…'?, she thought. 'I'll just… get Eevee and Yamper maybe a little more than a snack. I don't want Goh to look at my face. He'll think I'm hiding something too… which I kind of am…!' She nervously began opening the cabinets, looking for the Pokémon food.

"He's been acting kinda cagey," he said. "Like there's something going on that I don't know about. Has he been acting like that around you, too?"

Chloe felt her hands shaking as she reached for the bag of Pokémon Food. "N-No, not really. Same Ash as usual, you know?"

She felt her stomach twist as the lie left her lips. 'It's not like I want to tell Goh a lie…' she thought as she grabbed a few berries to mix in with the food. 'But… if Ash wanted to talk to Goh about the stuff he's talked to me about, he'd have told him, right? Ash trusts me to be discerning and trustworthy… I can't tell him Ash and I have been meeting in secret…!'

Goh seemed to accept the fib, something that just made Chloe feel even worse. "I see… I'll have to keep my eyes on him. You'll keep your eyes on him, too, right? And tell me if he's hiding anything?"

"Y-Yeah, sure," she said, finally filling Yamper and Eevee's bowls. "But even if he is keeping something to himself, isn't that fair? Everyone's got their secrets, right?"

Goh shrugged. "I guess, but sometimes it feels like there's a LOT he's keeping from us. Like when we went to Professor Oak's the other day. He never told us that he was such good buddies with Professor Oak's grandson and then this Gary guy comes along and they're all buddy-buddy, you know?"

"Well to be fair, this is the first I'm hearing about this grandson of Professor Oak's," she said, happy to be telling the truth in this conversation for a change. "This is about that Project Mew stuff, right?"

"Yeah, but that's separate," Goh said.

'So much for trying to change the subject,' Chloe thought, sighing. "So Ash hasn't spilled his entire life's story to you. That doesn't mean you guys aren't best friends or anything, does it? I mean, it's not like I tell you everything that Mika says at school."

This line of thinking seemed to placate Goh a bit. "I suppose… but if there's something bothering him, he can't just keep it bottled up, you know?"

'It's not that he's keeping it bottled up… it's that he's letting it out now. Not that I can say that…'

Resolving herself to another lie, she sighed. "I guess not. I'll keep a close eye on him, okay?"

"Thanks, Chloe," he said, finally relaxing. "If there's something bothering him, we'll get to the bottom of it together!"

"R-Right!" Chloe stuttered again, a laugh getting caught in her throat. "Wouldn't want anything to happen to our mutual friend, right?"

"Just keep a close eye on him, okay? He's bound to slip up eventually, and you might spot it at a moment that I don't."

Chloe tried to wave Goh's concerns away, even though in the pit of her stomach she knew that they were completely legitimized. "C'mon, Goh, I'm sure it's not that serious. Maybe he's just nervous about being in the Hyper Class now."

"I guess, but we'll know soon enough." Goh said. "By the way, how was school today?"

Chloe groaned, her punishment still fresh enough to elicit the response, even if she was already finished with the assignment. "We got extra homework because I got punished in class today."

Goh leaned towards her, smirking. "Oh really? You, the most well behaved little student in all of Vermilion City got in trouble? Color me shocked!" His words were dripping with the teasing sarcasm Chloe expected, and for a moment before sitting down, she felt a little better about talking to Ash about it first.

"Good morning!"

"Good morning, Chloe!"

The refrain recurs, like the previous day's conversations didn't happen.

She is a bit earlier today into the kitchen at Cerise labs, since her mother couldn't make breakfast this morning due to an impending deadline.

'Poor Parker…' she thought, since his school was closer to their home than the lab, he was going to school with only a piece of toast and a snack pack of crackers. 'It's not his fault Dad's useless in the kitchen…'

She took her seat next to Goh, across from Ash as Mr. Mime brought her a plate of a sandwich, a salad, and a cup of orange juice.

"So anyway," Ash continued, turning back to Goh, "Dracovish was like wham, right? And Sirfetch'd was going fching but bamfed at the last moment."

Goh nodded while scrolling down his phone, reading something. "Sounds like Dracovish is on the verge of a breakthrough, then, huh?"

"You know it! I bet a brand new move's gonna come out soon!"

Chloe rolled her eyes and focused on eating her breakfast rather than trying to translate any of what Ash was saying into anything understandable, much less how Goh was able to understand any of it while only half-paying attention.

'On that note,' she thought, 'I thought he was supposed to be staying vigilant or whatever. What happened to getting to the bottom of this?'

"I've been thinking about these Trial Missions," Goh said, continuing his conversation with Ash. "For Project Mew, you know? I'm wondering what sort of things count as being worthy of those Tokens… or maybe they assign you something?"

"Oh, I bet they decide what you can do," Ash said with his mouth full. "Wouldn't want people just sayin' whatever t' try and get in, right?"

Chloe grimaced at his manners. "Do you always talk with your mouth full?" she asked, the words slipping cooly out of her mouth.

Ash swallowed his mouthful of bread before he laughed, a little embarrassed. "Sorry! I just get excited, y'know?"

His cheerfulness even in this light made her stomach twist a little, the same feeling of guilt she felt the day before with Goh and his concern about Ash. She looked down and focused on her food, not wanting to engage with the topic anymore. She speared some of her salad with her fork and popped it into her mouth.

"Anyway," Goh said, resuming from the interruption of thoughts, "I'm going to be doing a bit of research today on what's the sort of stuff they like to do. It'll be helpful for planning for fulfilling these Trial Missions and getting the Tokens to get closer to earning my place on that expedition to find Mew. What're you going to be doing today?"

"School," Chloe muttered under her breath before taking another bite of her sandwich.

Ash pumped his fist. "I'm gonna see if I can't find anyone in the city to battle! I can't get closer to facing Leon if I'm sitting here at 99th, you know? So I'm gonna have t' knock out all my chores early."

"Oh, I can handle feeding the Pokémon," Goh responded.

Ash shrugged. "I've still gotta take Yamper for his walk and pick up a package for the Professor at the Pokémon Center," he said. "So as soon as I'm done eating, that's what I'm gonna do!"

Pikachu, who had been doing nothing but eating up to this point, lifted his arm into the air, his cheeks still stuffed with Pokémon food. "Pikapika!"

Chloe grimaced again, taking out her phone to try and ignore both the Mouse Pokémon as well as his trainer's poor table manners. She sighed at the time. "Well, I've gotta go to school now."

Mr. Mime quietly walked by the table and took Chloe's plate and cup away as soon as she said that.

She stood up, putting her backpack back on and stepped away from the table when she saw Yamper and Eevee just finishing their own breakfasts and got an idea. She turned on her heels and looked at Ash. "Hey, if you wanna go ahead and take Yamper for his walk, why not come with me while I walk to school? It's a good distance and not that far from the Pokémon Center anyway, right?"

Ash looked back at her, a sparkle of happiness in his eye. "That's a great idea! Besides, doing stuff with friends is always better than doing stuff alone!"

Goh frowned, his blue eyes staring at Chloe. She could see the gears turning in his head. She stared back at him, thinking 'Isn't this what I'm supposed to do? Keep an eye on Ash?'

The Palletonian grinned, picking Pikachu up onto his shoulder. "Lemme go get my backpack real quick! I'll be right back!" And as he did everything, Ash ran off, past Chloe and up the stairs towards his bedroom.

Goh's frown was unchanged. "'Why not come with me', huh?" he asked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chloe asked somewhat indignantly. "I'm just doing what you said, to keep a close eye on him to try and figure out what's going on with him, right? It's not like you're going to be coming since you're busy, right?"

He averted his eyes, taking a roll from his breakfast and ripping a piece off of it with his teeth before eating it. "You're right. This is what I asked for, isn't it?"

Chloe felt her face contort into a frown, but she tried to keep it from boiling over into full on anger. 'What is he implying? Isn't this the sort of thing he wants me to do…?'

"I'm trying to help," she said, annoyed.

"Help with what?"

Chloe almost jumped out of her skin with the way Ash had snuck up behind her. "O-Oh! N-Nothing! Just talking to Goh about why I thought to say that we could walk together." It wasn't a lie, but to Chloe it felt like one, the way the guilt piled on top of the breakfast in her stomach.

"Yeah," said Goh. "Just wondering where the suggestion came from, is all." The way his eyes were on her made Chloe swallow nervously.

The tenseness in the air was completely lost on Ash. "Well, thanks for waiting! Let's go!"

Eager to get out of the situation that she was in, Chloe turned to leave. "Let's." At the sound of her footsteps, Yamper and Eevee looked up and gave chase, leaving Goh alone.

Though there was no one around to see it, the hurt in Goh's eyes was apparent. "Just trying to help, huh…?"

Chloe started the walk quietly, her eyes more focused on the road in front of her than anything else. Normally by this time she had recalled Eevee into her Poké Ball, but since Yamper and Ash were here, she decided to let her walk, too, before confining her while she went to her classes.

Ash was quiet, too, taking time to enjoy the morning sun as it shined past the buildings. Occasionally he would gasp as a Pidgey or Rattata darted away or into a tree, but for the most part he wasn't saying much.

Yamper and Eevee walked ahead of them, their paws plodding along the ground as they enjoyed the exercise together. With the two of them leading the way and Ash distracted, Chloe let her own mind wander as she kept her head down.

She took note of his shoes, since her head was hanging low. His shoes were black, blue, and white, but most of all, they looked worn out. The white was faded with dirt and dust and looked a bit stretched out in places. The sides were scuffed and scratched.

Looking down at her own school uniform shoes, they were pristine white, matching her cleaned and perfectly fitted uniform. Her shoes didn't look like they had been used very much at all.

Looking over at Ash, who seemed to be just enjoying the walk, she noticed the same sort of worn in quality applied to his vest. There were places in the fabric that looked scorched or cut with some quick sewing to repair the damage. 'That's probably Mr. Mime's handiwork,' she thought. 'I can't even imagine Ash doing any sewing…'

His hair was wild and unkempt, pointing in just about every direction than a neat one, all poking out from under his cap in different directions. It made her think about how much effort she put into her own appearance, especially her long hair. Subconsciously, she reached back to the braid that bounced behind her. It felt tightly wound and controlled, worked into this specific configuration. It felt cool, aloof, and mature. Not wild, uncontrolled and free, like Ash's hair looked.

Ash glanced out of the corner of his eye and caught her staring at him. He grinned. "It's gonna be alright," he said.

She blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You were arguing with Goh, right?"

Chloe felt her heart sink into her stomach. "Y-You saw…?" she gasped.

He chuckled, smiling. "Nah. But it's written all over your face that somethin's on your mind, and it only makes sense that it's Goh."

This just made her stomach start twisting all over again. "Why is that?" she asked, not sure if she was ready for the answer.

"He's like your best friend, right?" he said, smiling. "You guys used t' go to school together and are still buddies even now, right? If I had a fight with Goh, you'd probably be able t' tell it just by looking at me."

She laughed ruefully. "What, is he your best friend, too?"

"Well, yeah! I mean, kinda!"

This made her raise an eyebrow. "I thought you said Pikachu is your best friend."

"He is!" Ash said, reaching up to scratch the Electric-Type's chin. Pikachu responded with a gentle coo. "But it's like I was sayin' the other day, I have different kinds of friends. Pikachu is one kinda best friend in that we're so much alike. Goh's a different kind of best friend in that there's so much that we're different!"

"I really don't think the differences are that big," Chloe responded.

"Well, yeah! S'not like we're opposites. But you know both of us, you know we're different."

To that, she just had to shrug and smile. "Yeah, that's true."

"You know, you're kinda like that, too!"

Chloe almost tripped over a crack in the pavement at that. "W-What?! What do you mean?"

"Well, like you're really quiet," he said. "You like t' ask questions and think about stuff pretty seriously. I know I can be pretty loud but that's okay! We're just different, and that make you one of my best friends, too!"

Suddenly the weight growing in her stomach, the worry and guilt building up, felt much lighter. There was a sting in her cheeks, as well, that felt unfamiliar. "Y-You think I'm one of your best friends too?" she asked, her voice's pitch rising.

"Yeah! You're really thoughtful, Chloe! Why wouldn't you be one of my best friends?"

His gentle earnestness brought a smile to her face, and the feeling in her stomach was now wholly unlike the one she felt before. "I-uh… thanks, Ash." She turned her head away from him, the feeling in her stomach telling her she couldn't look him directly in the eye.

"Can I ask a question, though?" he asked, turning somewhat serious himself.

This change in the mood did make her turn back to him. "Sure," she said, bracing herself. "What is it?"

Ash looked like he was trying to pick the best words to use for a moment before looking her straight in the eye. "Look, I mean, I know girls really take their looks seriously so I'm not tryin' t' be rude, but why does everyone who goes to your school wear the same kinda thing? Is it just what everyone thinks is cool?"

Chloe just stared back at him, her mind drawing a complete blank. She couldn't conceive of a universe where that was the question Ash Ketchum the rough looking Pokémon Trainer decided to ask her. Yet, fate had conspired to place her in exactly such a universe.

Shaking her head in disbelief for a moment, she looked at him. The look on his face was the same energetic, curious smile as usual, the anticipation of the answer even reflecting in his bright brown eyes.

"Ash… have you never heard of a school uniform before? Didn't you have to wear one when you went to school in Pallet Town?"

Ash blinked like he wasn't sure what she had just said. "Uh… no?" He even sounded unsure, himself. "I mean, Mom always made sure I dressed nicer than when I went out t' play but it's not like I wore the same stuff as everyone else."

This conversation was taking her in a completely different direction than she thought it would. "Ash, everyone has to get their clothes from the same place so we all have the same uniform. It's part of the rules from the school to go there."

"Oh! That makes sense!" Ash said, nodding. "That explains why no one wore the same stuff in Pallet Town. Y'see, my Mom had t' make all my clothes."

"Your Mom made your clothes?!" This sounded unbelievable. She knew her Mom could sew patches onto things or repair small rips or tears, but the image of Ash's mother creating clothes whole-cloth was not something she expected in her mind.

"Yeah!" Ash said, beaming proudly. "Even th' stuff I'm wearing now she made!" he said, pulling on his vest proudly. "My Mom's so awesome at this sorta thing. I dunno how she does it, but she's always got something for me!"

Chloe was still trying to wrap her mind around it. "You mean, everything you're wearing? Socks and everything?"

"Well, no," Ash admitted, laughing shyly. "Not everything. And I do have some stuff she didn't make. But I always feel really proud and cool wearin' th' stuff my Mom made for me. She put her 100% into makin' it for me, so it makes me wanna give 200%!"

Looking him up and down, Chloe couldn't imagine him really wearing anything else. "Well, it does suit you, you know? You look like you're ready to go exploring."

"Thanks!" Ash said, grinning back. The smile caught in Chloe's eyes, and she felt her heart thump against her chest. "I guess that's why I kinda asked about your uniform. I guess I don't think it suits you very much."

And the thumping stopped. "Well, sorry for having no choice in what I get to wear to school," she replied sardonically. "Do you have some opinions on what does suit me?"

"The pink shirt with the jeans," he replied instantly.

"W-What?"

"Yeah, you look like you're ready to set off on your own! You look ready for adventure, to go exploring with Eevee to find what it is that you wanna do!"

Chloe felt the thumping return to her chest. 'He… he's been watching me that closely?' she thought.

Hearing her name, Eevee turned around and stood on hind legs and pawed at Chloe's leg, snapping the girl out of her thoughts and back into reality. Looking around her, they were at the gate in front of her school. She looked at Ash, who seemed like he was just now realizing where they were, too.

"Heh, time flies when you're havin' fun, right?" he said, smiling. "Guess this is your stop."

She nodded. "Yeah, it is. Thanks for walking with me," she said, smiling at him.

He shook his head. "Nah, you were trying t' help me out, remember? I'll take Yamper t' the Pokémon Center and we'll head back to the lab after that. You have a good day at school, okay?"

She laughed at herself, brushing a hand through her hair. "Y-Yeah, you're right. And thanks. I'll see you later."

"Later, Chloe! C'mon, Pikachu and Yamper!"

And with that, Ash turned, looked both ways, and crossed the street on the way to the Pokémon Center.

Chloe reached into her pocket and pulled out Eevee's Poké Ball. "We better get inside and get ready for class, too."

"Eievui!" she chirped as Chloe recalled her back inside the ball.

Slipping the ball back into her pocket, she began walking into the school, only to have an arm thrown over her shoulders. The blonde girl grinning at her was a familiar sight to Chloe. It was her friend Mika, who was in the same class she was, though she usually had to sit on the opposite side of the room.

"So, Chloe…" she smirked, "who was the mystery guy?"

Chloe pushed her away. "Just one of my Dad's research fellows," she said, cloaking the nervous hammering in her chest with the cold indifference that she normally exhibited.

"I don't know~," Mika's singsong tone teased. "Maybe there's something else there."

"Can we please just focus on our classes? He's just one of my Dad's research fellows and he was coming this way anyway so it's no big deal."

Mika grinned at her like a Meowth smirking at a Pidgey, but she shrugged. "Okay, if you say so. His Pikachu was pretty cute, though. Think you could introduce me to him?"

"What, to Ash?"

"No, I just said to Pikachu!"

And with that, the two girls began chattering about topics further and further away from Ash Ketchum as they walked to class.