The final chapter, and the longest one at that by quite a bit. Honestly, I could've probably split it in two parts, but I felt really motivated to finish this story. I'll have a long A/N at the end if you're interested, but for now, hope you enjoy it!
"...Hey, what time is it?" A blonde haired girl suddenly asked, temporarily stopping her consumption of the delicious food in front of her.
A man wearing a big green coat, sitting in front of the girl, checked his watch briefly, before replying. "Five past eleven." He said with a deep voice.
"Don't you think it's about time we should go wake him up?" A certain young researcher, also sitting at the same table as the two others, asked generally.
"I think we should let him sleep this time…" The blonde haired girl argued. "Yesterday was pretty tiring after all…"
"Nonsense…" The fourth and final person sitting at the table, arms crossed and eyes closed, exclaimed. The maroon haired girl stood up from the table, and started walking towards the exit of the dinning hall as she started to explain. "He isn't the only one tired from yesterday, and besides, we should probably get going soon, I don't really feel like missing our train and being forced to stay here any longer than we need to, I've had enough of the Crown Tundra personally…"
Peonia, Goh and Brandon looked at each other momentarily, and let out a chuckle each before resuming eating their breakfast, as Chloe went to wake up the final member of the group of travelers that had bested Regieleki and Regidrago the day before.
It had been around twelve hours since the events at the Three-Point Pass, and today was going to be the final day the group spent in the snowy area. After successfully dealing with Regieleki and Regidrago, the group made their way back to the Pokemon Center in Freezington, where they booked two more rooms to let themselves rest until morning. Not much happened during that time, casual conversations between companions was about as eventful as it got after they left the Split-Decision Ruins, to the great relief of the entire group.
Ash, not surprisingly, was the first one to hit the hay, as he immediately fell into a deep slumber quickly after leaving his Pokemon with Nurse Joy. Chloe had wanted to talk to Ash multiple times since they left the ruins, but found herself incapable of doing so.
Chloe held her head at that thought as she walked up the stairs to the way to the room Ash, Goh and Brandon were sharing. Since Peonia helped her put the pieces together and realize her feelings for the raven haired trainer, she had never really thought about what was going to happen after they were done with all the stuff in the Crown Tundra, and a conversation the maroon haired girl had with Peonia the previous night had brought her back to reality…
*Flashback to last night*
"Phew… I'm beat…" Chloe expressed, as she let herself fall onto one of the beds in the room her and Peonia were sharing.
"Same here…" Peonia added, as she did the same thing as Chloe, falling onto the bed next to hers. "So… What are you going to do now?"
Chloe narrowed her eyes slightly, confused, and turned to face Peonia. "Huh? What do you mean?" The maroon haired girl asked.
"Well… What are you going to do about your feelings for Ash?" Peonia specified.
Chloe's eyes widened, as she wasn't expecting that question at all. A light crimson appeared on her cheeks, and she quietly replied. "I… I don't know…"
Peonia frowned at her response. She wasn't surprised Chloe didn't really know what to do, but Peonia wasn't going to let Chloe just sit there and do nothing. The blonde haired girl readjusted herself on the bed, and sat so she could face directly at Chloe. "Look Chloe, you're going to have to tell him how you feel soon, I'm not just going to sit here and let you not act on your feelings."
"Already!? I just recently realized I even l-liked him!"
"Oh please, the first day I met you guys, granted that was only yesterday morning, I could already tell you felt something for him… Heck I'm pretty sure just about everybody except Ash realized you liked him before you did…"
"W-What!?" Chloe said in disbelief. "T-That's not true!"
"I asked both Goh and Brandon while we were making our way back here and they both said they knew for a while. You really aren't subtle you know…"
Chloe was simply left speechless. Goh knowing was a little surprising, but considering how close he is to both her and Ash it's somewhat understandable, but she hadn't even said a word to Brandon about it yet he still knew!?
Chloe let out a sigh, before trying to argue that she shouldn't confess to Ash yet. "...B-But I don't even know if he feels the same way!"
Peonia raised an eyebrow at her argument, giggled, and continued as if Chloe hadn't said anything, much to the confusion of the maroon haired girl. "Ash is as dense as a brick so he clearly isn't going to do anything, so if you don't do anything, nothing will happen, simple as that."
Peonia then shifted back into a sleeping position before Chloe could say anything and said. "Welp, you know what to do, whether you actually do it, that's up to you. I'm going to bed."
"B-But!... W-What if… Peonia!" Chloe shouted. Peonia giggled lightly to herself and simply pretended to keep sleeping.
*Flashback end*
Chloe shook her head aggressively as the conversation from last night fully came back to her. She knew Peonia was most likely right, but it's not like it was going to be any easier to do regardless…
At this point, Chloe had finally reached Ash's room, so she took a deep breath to calm herself down and pushed her thoughts aside as she slowly opened the door to Ash's room.
The room was practically identical to hers and Peonia's, with the only real difference being a third bed, well, more a mattress, was laid opposite to the two other beds. There weren't any rooms in the Pokemon Center that had three beds, so the boys had to improvise.
Chloe took her first steps into the room, gently avoiding the messy pile of bags, spare clothes and Pokemon utilities laid around anywhere. Clearly the boys hadn't been bothered to clean up even a little bit, though, considering how late it was when they got back, it was understandable.
Soon enough, on the furthest bed from the door, Chloe saw Ash peacefully sleeping on the bed. He layed quite awkwardly on the mattress, with Pikachu also sleeping on his stomach, snoring peacefully. Chloe also heard what seemed like Ash talking in his sleep.
"Mmm… Lucario… dodge it… use your Aura…" He mumbled in his sleep.
Chloe held back a laugh. Of course he was dreaming about Pokemon…
"Now…" Ash, still unconscious, threw his hand towards the sky, as if he was commanding his Pokemon. "Pikachu… Thunderbolt…"
"Pika~" Pikachu, also not fully conscious, charged up electricity in his cheeks. "...chu~"
All of sudden, Pikachu released a discharge of energy, which consequently electrocuted Ash, who woke up screaming in pain from the Thunderbolt. Pikachu also woke up, hearing his trainer in distress, only to find he had actually caused it.
"Ow… I-I'm really never going to get used to that…"
"Looks like you didn't need my help this time…" Chloe suddenly said.
"AH!" Ash jumped in surprise, not expecting somebody to actually be in the room with him, but he quickly relaxed once he saw it was only Chloe. "Oh, it's just you…"
"What? Not happy to see me?" She couldn't help but tease.
"N-No! Of course I am!" Ash quickly defended, before quickly asking. "It's just… Why are you here anyways?"
"Well I was going to wake you up cause you were sleeping like a Snorlax again, but it seems like Pikachu beat me to it…" Chloe explained, before leaning on the wall opposite to the Alolan Champion. "Do you not know how to put an alarm on your Rotom phone!?"
"O-Obviously I do! B-But I… forgot…"
"Honestly… At this rate, I'm going to have to wake you up every day…" Chloe joked with her eyes closed, not really thinking about what she just said.
"I wouldn't mind that…"
"...HUH!?" And just like that, Chloe's eyes shot open, and a blush rapidly came over her face, overthinking what Ash just said.
"It'd be better than a Thunderbolt as a wake up…" Ash explained. Chloe covered her face in embarrassment as she misunderstood what Ash suggested.
"O-Oh… I-I guess yeah…" Chloe stuttered out.
Ash stretched his arms and stood up from the bed, with Pikachu hopping on his shoulder. He hadn't bothered to change his clothes since yesterday when went to sleep, so he simply picked up his trusted hat, placed it on his head and walked towards Chloe.
"Well anyways…" Ash suddenly put a hand on Chloe's shoulder, making the girl jump slightly in surprise. "Thanks for attempting to wake me up. Come on, let's join the others." He said whilst chuckling with a smile.
All Chloe could do was nod awkwardly, as words couldn't quite seem to come out of her mouth. As Ash walked towards the door of the room, Chloe quietly sighed to herself, and thought about how on earth was she ever going to tell him how she felt.
The pair swiftly made their way back to the dinning hall, and, after Ash quickly went to go get some breakfast, they sat down at the table already occupied by Goh, Peonia and Brandon.
"Well well well… if it isn't the Champion of Alola himself. Seems like Chloe here is the only one capable of waking you up..." Peonia teased, to which Ash gave her a cold stare.
"Great to see you too, Peonia…" He replied, before munching on his breakfast, with Pikachu sitting atop of his head.
"So… What's the plan from here?" Chloe asked, changing to a more important subject.
The group all looked at each other, as they didn't quite know what to reply. It seemed they had barely thought about the fact that, since they had caught Regieleki and Regidrago, their mission of discovering the mysteries of the Split-Decision Ruins was technically complete, which meant the group most likely had to go their separate ways.
Brandon ended up being the first one to speak up. "Well, for my part, I'm going to report our findings to Professor Magnolia's lab, I got a feeling we still haven't seen everything here in the Crown Tundra, and maybe our encounters with Galarian Articuno, Keldeo and the Regis could help us uncover more secrets of this place." Brandon smiled proudly, slightly surprising the rest of the group, and finished. "And besides… I got what I originally came for anyways, I got to meet the remaining Regis afterall, and even catch one in the process…"
Upon hearing this, Ash choked on his food, suddenly remembering that Goh had also in fact caught Regieleki. "OH THAT'S RIGHT!" He said, still with a mouthful. He quickly drank some water before congratulating his partner. "Good for you Goh! You caught Regieleki, one step closer to Mew!"
Goh's eyes widened, also barely remembering that that had actually happened. "O-Oh! Right… W-Well thanks Ash…" Goh's mood then seemingly dampened, something which didn't go unnoticed by Ash, or Chloe for that matter. "Though…"
Ash was about to question Goh, clearly seeing something was off, but Peonia suddenly spoke up before he could do so. "Welp, as for me, I'm thinking I might go adventuring with my dad."
"Really?" Asked Chloe, surprised. "When we first met you, that seemed like the last thing you wanted to do."
"Yeah, it was…" Peonia started off in a laughing matter. "But, traveling across the Tundra with you guys really made me appreciate adventuring. And also, I feel like I owe it to my dad, I think I understand now that he just wanted his daughter to see how much fun adventuring was. Plus, it is indirectly because of him I got to meet you guys after all…"
The travelers smiled at Peonia's words, glad that she found joy in traveling with them. Brandon was the first one to comment. "Good for you, I was thinking you seemed like a natural at adventuring. Heck, I'm pretty sure you managed to keep your cool more than your idol did over there…" He pointed out, referencing Ash.
"Come on Brandon! I kept my cool!" The Hyper Class trainer argued, ironically not keeping his cool. "I am Alola's first Champion after all! I doubt I would be if I couldn't keep my cool!"
"Oh so now you care about your title…" Chloe chimed in.
"REALLY CHLOE!?" Ash said in an outburst. Everybody just laughed at Ash while he simply pouted and got back to eating in peace.
Forty-five minutes passed. The group had long since finished eating their breakfast, and, after picking up their healed Pokemon and packing up their stuff, they were now in front of the Pokemon Center, sitting by a fountain of a strange-looking creature riding atop a horse.
Peonia had called her dad and told him to come to the fountain, where she would reveal her plans and say her goodbyes. Soon enough, Peony came marching down from the same hilltop he was at when the group first saw him.
"Nia! I missed you!" The father said happily, as he gave her daughter a warm hug which she gladly returned.
"I missed you too dad…" Replied in a similar fashion Peonia.
Peony stopped the embrace and turned to look at the smiling group of travelers. "Ash, Chloe Brandon, Goh, thank you very much for taking care of my daughter. I hope she hasn't been too much of a bother for you…"
"Not at all sir! In fact, we would've probably been done for multiple times if she wasn't there…" Ash assured.
"You know we should really teach some of our Pokemon Protect…" Goh admitted out loud, to which Brandon, Chloe and Ash nodded in agreement.
"Well that's great to hear…" Peony said, relieved. He turned to face Peonia again and asked. "So, Nia, you said you had something to tell me?"
"Yeah…" Peonia started off a bit embarrassed. "Well, you see, traveling with Ash, Goh, Chloe and Brandon has really made me realize just how much fun adventuring is, so, if you wouldn't mind… Would you like to go on an adven-tour with me?" She finished with a warm smile.
"Nia…" Peony seemed to have tears forming in his eyes, and he gave Peonia another hug, a much more forceful one this time. "I'd never thought I would hear those words come out of your mouth! Yes! Of course!"
"D-Dad… T-Too tight…" Peonia managed to say, as she forced her way out of her emotional dad's arms.
Peonia then turned to face her newly found friends that she had just met yesterday, and started off her goodbye, a hint of sadness in her voice. "Well, I guess this is goodbye then… I'm really going to miss you guys…"
"Same here Peonia…" Ash said, also saddened they would already have to leave their new friend.
"Stay strong young one, you have a bright future ahead of you." Brandon added on.
"Yeah, as long as you have your Pokemon next to you, you'll be just fine!" Goh also added.
"We'll come visit!" Chloe finished it all off.
"Guys…" Now Peonia started to get a bit emotional. Despite knowing them for just over a day, she really felt like she had formed a bond with the group of travelers, and she knew she would miss them dearly.
The Galar Native quickly wiped away a few tears of her own. "Thank you so much, it was a lot of fun being with you! And If you ever need another travel buddy, you know where to find me!" Peonia said with a wink, making the remaining travelers smile at her usual antics.
Just before she waved them off, Peonia approached Ash and said. "Ash, I haven't told you yet because I wanted it to be a surprise but, I'll be training for the next season of the World Coronation Series, so when I catch up to you, let's have a battle! I'll show you just how strong I can become!"
Ash grinned, happy to have a new rival. "You bet Peonia! Though I won't lose so easily!"
"I wouldn't expect anything less! Oh and, one last thing…" Peonia then glanced at Chloe, her smile turning into more of a mischievous smirk. She quickly made her way next to the maroon haired girl and whispered in her ear. "Now, don't you go forgetting about what I told you last night, or I might actually steal him from you~"
"WH-WHAT!?" Chloe screeched, her face turning into a bright shade of red.
Then, in an act that had left everyone in the vicinity absolutely speechless, Peonia quickly made her way back to Ash and kissed him on the cheek. Ash's eyes widened at the sensation and was left frozen in place, obviously not expecting the peck at all.
Goh, Peony and even Pikachu all had their jaws wide open, equally baffled at Peonia's sudden act. Brandon's eyes had also widened, as the kiss really did come out of nowhere, but he simply laughed it off, seeing everybody else's priceless reaction, the biggest one of all being…
Chloe had a mix of everybody else's reaction all combined into one. She was blushing to the point where her face was bright red, her eyes were wide open, her jaw was practically on the floor and, on top of all of that, she was shaking in a mixture of shock and anger.
Peonia swiftly separated herself from Ash and gave him another wink. "No need to be so unfriendly, Ash! Just call me Nia!"
The girl then turned around, not before giving one last wink particularly to Chloe, and waved the group off as she led her father away from the group. "Take care everyone!"
At this point, Ash just started laughing, still very much taken aback, but nevertheless waved the girl off, as did Goh, Brandon and Pikachu. "See ya! Take care!" They all simultaneously said, whilst Chloe…
"P-PEONIA!" The maroon haired girl screamed at the top of her lungs, loud enough to make the birds hiding in the snowy trees fly away…
'Argh, that Peonia… she really knows how to be as annoying as possible…' Chloe thought to herself, unamusingly looking through the giant glass window of the train cabin the group were now in.
After saying their goodbyes to Peonia, the remaining travelers had swiftly made their way back to the Crown Tundra Station, where not long after they hopped on a train that was currently leading them back to the city of Hammerlocke. It was still in the early hours of the afternoon, and their time of arrival was estimated to be around sunset time.
Currently in the cabin, Chloe had settled with just enjoying the view. Goh was laying on one of the couches, strangely staring at Regieleki's Pokeball in his hands, and Ash was, surprisingly not asleep, sitting on the other couch playing a game of Peek-a-boo with Dracovish to pass the time. The dragon type particularly seemed to enjoy the fun game, and Pikachu watched on from a distance next to Eevee on the table close to where Chloe was. Brandon for his part had gone to explore the Pokemon on the train, just like he had done last time with Goh. The Frontier Brain had even asked the young researcher if he wanted to join him, but Goh replied he wasn't up for it, somewhat unusual from him, but the Regi Master didn't press on.
Ash glanced at Goh and noticed he was still looking at his newly caught Regieleki's Pokeball, something which he had been doing for quite a while now. Thinking it was about time he asked what his research partner was doing, Ash sighed, returned Dracovish to its Pokeball with a smile, and spoke up.
"Goh, you've been staring at Regieleki's Pokeball ever since we got on the train, what's up?" Ash initially asked with a hint of concern in his voice, earning the attention of both Goh and Chloe.
Goh, still in the exact same position, replied. "Oh, it's nothing, don't worry about it."
"Come on Goh, something's clearly up, just talk to us, maybe we can help." Ash pressed on.
Goh sighed, and let the Pokeball he was holding in his hands fall onto his stomach. "I'm telling you, it's nothing. Just… you know, shocked."
"Oh please… You were barely surprised at all after you caught a Suicune for Arceus sake, yet you're shocked a whole day after you caught a Regieleki?" Chloe suddenly exclaimed, not believing at all Goh's word.
"... I really can't hide anything from you guys can I?" Goh said with a chuckle. Ash and Chloe simply gave each other a knowing look as Goh explained further. "I just… don't feel like I earned this one…"
Ash and Chloe's expressions changed to a surprised one, with a slight mix of confusion. "What do you mean you don't feel like you earned this one? You were a part of the battle, and you were the one who threw the first Pokeball after all, even before Brandon did." Chloe argued.
The Vermillion City researcher gave a shake of the head. "Even if I did, compared to what you guys did, I really didn't do much…" Goh's tone changed to a more serious one, slightly worrying his companions. "Brandon was basically our leader the entire time, Ash, well, you basically finished the whole battle all by yourself, Peonia was also a big reason we won, and even you Chloe, I'd argue that without you, we would've all given up long before we defeated them, and all you have is a regular Eevee, no offense Eevee…"
"Eevui." The normal type replied, holding a paw up, as if to say 'none taken'.
Ash spoke up once more, trying to convince Goh he wasn't thinking straight. "Look Goh, it was a team effort, it doesn't matter in the end who caught Regieleki, because nobody did more than everyone else. The truth is, if even just one of us wasn't there, we wouldn't have won, simple as that."
Even Chloe added to Ash's words, similarly trying to rationalize with her childhood friend. "Ash is right. Besides, it's not like catching the Regis was the main objective for any of us. Well, unless if Ash was looking for an electric type replacement for Pikachu..." She joked, trying to light up the mood, though, despite Ash and Eevee cracking up, Pikachu didn't particularly seem to see the funny side of things…
Goh frowned after hearing his two dearest friends, picked up the Pokeball on his stomach, stood up from his laying position and replied. "I know I know… but still. With Eternatus and Suicune, I felt like I worked hard to catch them, and I felt satisfied with myself, since, in a way, it felt like my efforts were rewarded, but with Regieleki… it just doesn't feel the same…"
Ash and Chloe stayed quiet this time, not really knowing what to add on. The raven haired trainer started drinking some water, pretending to be in his own thoughts, and Chloe simply looked back at the window. An uncomfortable silence occurred, and Goh, knowing he was mostly to blame, decided to liven up the mood, though he just had to choose the subject Chloe detested the most at the moment…
"So…" Goh started off, putting Regieleki's Pokeball in his bag. "What was that kiss from Peonia all about Ash?" He finished with a smirk.
At his words, Ash spat out most of the water in his mouth and started coughing uncontrollably, whilst Chloe visibly flinched backward at the sudden change of subject, something which Pikachu, Eevee and Goh found absolutely hilarious.
"I-I… U-Uhh… d-don't know…" Ash stammered out, after stopping his coughing fit.
Goh smirked and narrowed his eyes. "Hmm… Seems like someone's flustered…"
"Well y-yeah! What d-did you expect!?" Ash shouted back. "O-Of course that took me by surprise…" Goh simply laughed out loud at his response.
Chloe then suddenly mustered up the most composure she could and said. "L-Lay off him Goh… Y-You would've probably been as shocked as him if that would've happened to you…"
Goh raised an eyebrow, surprised Chloe said anything. The Vermilion City researcher couldn't resist the easiest bait of his life now that Chloe was on Ash's side. "Oh… Not surprising that you would take Ash's side Chloe…"
"N-Now what is that supposed to mean!?" Chloe screamed, a tinge of pink forming on her cheeks.
"Well, you and Ash have been getting pretty chummy these past few days, are you sure you two are just friends?"
Ash and Chloe's eyes widened at Goh's words. The pair then glanced at each other for the briefest moments, before quickly looking away, both blushing like crazy. "O-OF C-COURSE WE ARE JUST FRIENDS!" They screamed simultaneously, causing Goh, joined by Pikachu and Eevee this time, to throw another laughing fit.
Despite knowing he was practically building his own grave with this much teasing, Goh just couldn't stop himself. "Man… Peonia was right, teasing is a lot of fun…" He said mostly to himself.
All of a sudden, the door to the cabin opened. The group looked towards the door to find Brandon, looking at them oddly.
"Am I… Interrupting something?..."
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Ash and Chloe once again shouted in unison. Brandon glanced at Goh, who, still with a smirk, gave a shrug.
Brandon blinked a few times, before deciding to ignore what was going on. "Anyways… Ash, I saw your friend Iris on one of the TVs near the front of the train, it seems like she's battling for a place in the Masters 8, thought you might be interested."
"WHAT!? SHE'S ALREADY BATTLING FOR A SPOT IN THE MASTERS 8!?" Ash said in absolute disbelief, not knowing she was climbing up the ranks so fast. "P-Pikachu! W-We need to go see!"
And with that, the raven haired trainer was gone in a flash, followed closely by his trusty Pikachu, talking to himself about how on earth Iris had surpassed him so quickly.
Whilst the group was left stunned, Goh took the chance to quickly stand up, walk towards his childhood friend and whisper in her ear. "Peonia told me what you guys talked about last night, and judging by Ash's reaction earlier, you got nothing to worry… I'm rooting for you!" He finished with a smile.
"W-WHAT!?"
Chloe swore at that very moment she was going to rip Peonia's hair off next time they saw each other.
"Ah finally, back to civilization…" Goh said while stretching, after just exiting the Hammerlocke station.
"Ditto." Added Chloe and Ash, expressing the same relief.
Brandon chuckled at the two teens' reactions and said. "You guys sure seem relieved…"
"Can you really blame us?" Ash retorted, raising an eyebrow.
"I guess not…"
The group, having just arrived from the Crown Tundra, took time to take in their surroundings. The sun was just about to set, and the streets of Hammerlocke were just as bustling as when Ash, Goh and Chloe first arrived in the city, and that very same trio would tell you just how great it felt to finally be back to society after seemingly being isolated in the snowy tundra.
"Our flight back to Kanto isn't before two hours from now is it?" Goh and Chloe nodded in response to Ash's question. "Guess we have some time to kill… What are you planning on doing Brandon?"
"Well, I was thinking of going towards the Magnolia's lab already, it's quite far away from Hammerlocke and I'd like to get there as soon as possible." The older man explained.
"Oh I see… You must be pretty excited to tell the professor all about the Regis." Ash replied. Goh flinched at the mention of the Legendary Pokemon, but nobody noticed.
Brandon chuckled before responding with a smile. "Of course, I've been studying their species for as long as I can remember, and finally uncovering the mysteries behind Regieleki and Regidrago, I can't deny it feels fantastic…"
The rest of the group, and in particular Goh, stood slightly shocked. Brandon didn't seem particularly like the type to be emotional about, well, anything, but the way he talked about the Regis, it was easy to tell how much it meant to the Frontier Brain.
"Wow Brandon…" Ash started off. "Welp, for what it's worth, I'm glad you got to finally meet all the Regis."
"Thanks kid…" Brandon thanked in appreciation. "I guess this is where we go our separate ways then…"
"H-Hey Brandon…" Goh suddenly said, causing everyone to turn towards him. The person he was addressing looked at Goh curiously as he continued. "I-I know you said you wanted to go to the Professor's as fast as possible, b-but I have a favor to ask…"
Brandon had a feeling this was coming, but nevertheless pressed on. "What is it?"
"I-I… I-I want… I want to battle you! Right here, right now!" The young researcher finished with as much confidence as he could muster.
Chloe and Ash seemed to be in shock at Goh's sudden request, but Brandon kept his cool and simply replied.
"You're on."
After a few minutes of walking in silence, the group had arrived at a battlefield situated in a park, which coincidentally was the same exact battlefield where Ash's Lucario battled Brandon's Regirock the first day they arrived in Hammerlocke. That being said, the circumstances of this battle were widely different.
Brandon and Goh starred each other down, each on either side of the field. Their facial expressions were hard to read, but Goh seemed to be conflicted on the inside, something which he tried his best to ignore.
Ash, acting as referee for the battle, was on the middle line of the battlefield, and Chloe, sitting on a bench with Pikachu and Eevee, watched on with great attentiveness. "This is bound to be interesting…" She said, with Pikachu and Eevee letting out cries of approval.
"Is a one-on-one okay?" Ash got no audible response, but nods from either side of the battlefield was enough for him to understand. "Alright then, send out your Pokemon!" He said in an overly dramatic referee impression, to which Chloe facepalmed and mumbled something about how Goh and Ash were so alike.
Goh glanced at the firmly gripped Pokeball in his hand, the reflection of the sun bouncing off the red and white sphere as he took a deep breath, before shouting. "Regieleki! Lend me your strength!"
Brandon, seemingly already knowing which Pokemon Goh was going to use, did what Goh most definitely wanted him to do, and sent out Regieleki's other half. "Regidrago, I need your assistance!"
The two legendary Pokemon bursted out of their Pokeballs and appeared onto the battlefield. The Regis exchanged a look of confusion, not familiar with being on opposite sides, but seeing their newly assigned trainers behind them, on top of their desire not to be bested by the other, it quickly became a shared look of determination.
"Ready?" Ash got no response once again, but he knew he didn't need one. "Battle start!"
"Extreme Speed!"
"Block it with your arms!"
Regieleki didn't hesitate, and immediately dashed towards its counterpart at extreme velocity. Regidrago managed to block most of the damage of the move with its big jaw-like arms.
"Thunderbolt!"
"Dragon Energy!"
Once again, Regieleki took the first step, and after quickly recovering from its previous attack, it glowed a blinding yellow and launched a powerful Thunderbolt towards Regidrago, who in a similar fashion, glowed a blinding purple and launched a Dragon Energy. The two moves collided in the center of the field, neither Pokemon managing to overpower the other one.
"Goh really isn't wasting any time going on the offensive…" Chloe noted out loud, seeing her childhood friend act fast, almost agitated.
"But Brandon seems to know that, and is countering perfectly…" Ash suddenly said, in front of Chloe, still on the edge of the battlefield keeping his eyes fully concentrated on the battle.
"Electric Terrain, then Extreme Speed again!" Goh shouted.
Regieleki suddenly burst out electricity sending an electric current around the battlefield, then quickly rushed towards Regidrago once again.
"Dragon Dance!" Brandon countered.
Regieleki was about to make contact with Regidrago, but was suddenly sent flying by the makeshift whirlwind of Dragon Dance, as Regidrago simultaneously dealt damage and boosted its attack and speed.
"Regieleki!" Goh screamed out worriedly, seeing his Pokemon get launched back to his side of the field. He clenched his fists, frustrated with himself, but something clicked in his mind this time, causing him to relax slightly.
'Right…' Goh said in his mind. 'I can't let my emotions take control of a battle… Brandon taught you this…'
Goh took another deep breath and calmed down. This time he was going to let Brandon come to him…
Brandon watched on curiously, almost sensing the inner conflict Goh was having with himself, before going on the offensive. "Rush in with Dragon Claw!"
"Wait it out Regieleki!"
At his trainer's command, Regieleki stayed put, and waited for its counterpart to get closer. Just as Regidrago was approaching, Goh suddenly ordered. "Fly up and Thunder Cage!"
"Back up Regidrago!"
In a flash, Regieleki flew relatively high and started crackling with electricity and was about to let it pour onto Regidrago. Brandon saw what Goh was trying to do and ordered his Pokemon to disengage. What the Pyramid King didn't expect though was Goh's next move.
"Redirect the electricity as a Thunderbolt!"
"Wait what!?" Simultaneously said Chloe and Ash from the sidelines.
Unexpectedly, Regieleki used the electricity it had stored up from Thunder Cage and concentrated it into a Thunderbolt. Brandon, obviously not expecting this, could only watch in surprise at the Thunderbolt connected with Regidrago, creating a miniature explosion and knocking back Regidrago with some force.
Chloe and Ash were still stunned as the battlefield became awfully quiet. As Regidrago slowly picked itself up, Brandon smirked. "Not bad kid, not bad…" He said just loud enough for only himself to be able to hear.
"Dragon Dance again!"
"No you don't! Thunderbolt Regieleki!"
Just as Regidrago finished boosting his attack and speed once more, it was now face to face with a Thunderbolt. Goh was sure that Brandon had messed up, since even with the boost of speed there was no way Regidrago could dodge in time. But he didn't know Brandon never had the intention of dodging.
"Hammer Arm on the ground!" Regidrago's right arm swiftly glowed white and smashed into the ground powerfully, making dirt from the ground fly into the air and subsequently block the entirety of the Thunderbolt. Goh was left in disbelief.
"Dragon Claw with your right arm!" Brandon wasn't done yet though as Regidrago was once again on the move.
Goh, still a little shocked, reacted late. "D-Dodge it to your right!"
"Switch to your left arm!"
Regieleki, being told late what to do, floated to the right a bit later than it would've hoped to avoid the Dragon Claw coming to its left, and Brandon had perfectly predicted its dodge direction and told Regidrago to use Dragon Claw with its other arm instead, earning him a clean hit.
"Now Hammer Arm upwards." Goh could only stand and watch as Regidrago quickly racked up the damage onto his own Pokemon, and with Regieleki now sent flying in the air by a powerful Hammer Arm, Brandon knew the battle was over.
"Dragon Energy!"
"R-Readjust yourself and block it with Thunderbolt!"
"Dragon Claw on the ground, launch yourself upwards!"
As Regidrago launched its Dragon Energy, it simultaneously propelled itself into the air with a Dragon Claw. Regieleki managed to adjust itself and fire off the Thunderbolt, but wasn't expecting Regidrago to now be in the air, causing the electric type move to miss, and making Regidrago get a free shot with Dragon Energy. The move evidently hit its target and caused a smokescreen.
"Regieleki!" Worriedly screamed out Goh again, but even he knew it was futile, as Regieleki's body slowly dropped down from the smokescreen, fainted.
Ash, a bit stunned, noticed Regieleki clearly not able to battle, and said. "Regieleki is unable to battle, Brandon wins…"
Goh quickly rushed towards his new Legendary Pokemon to check its condition. "You alright Regieleki?"
The electric responded with incomprehensible noises, which Goh seemed to interpret as it being okay. The Vermillion City researcher stared at the ground, evidently disappointed with himself. Suddenly, a hand was laid on his shoulder.
"Hey." Brandon started off. Goh gave no response but glanced at the man, before looking down again. "Come on, let's get our Pokemon healed up."
"Right…"
A few beeping sounds awoke the familiar trainers from their somewhat quiet state, and a certain Vermillion City researcher stood up from one of the couches and went up to the counter in the Pokemon Center.
Arriving at the counter, Nurse Joy handed Goh his singular Pokeball with a smile. "Here you go, Regieleki should be good as new!"
"Thanks Nurse Joy…" Calmly replied the trainer.
"I must say… I'd never thought I'd see anyone come in with a Regieleki. You must have worked hard to catch such a well renowned Pokemon!" Nurse Joy commented, clearly still taken aback at the fact someone had actually caught a Pokemon that was supposedly nothing but a myth.
"You would think that… but…" Goh let out a sigh, abruptly cutting himself off, before slowly walking back towards the rest of his companions, leaving a confused Nurse Joy to wonder what was up with the trainer.
As Goh approached Ash, Chloe and Brandon, the latter three noticed their friend come back with Regieleki's Pokeball in hand, trying his best to hide his dejected state, though even Goh knew he wasn't fooling anyone.
"Hey Goh…" Awkwardly saluted Ash.
"Hey everyone… Regieleki is all healed up." He replied in a similar manner.
"That's nice…" Commented Chloe.
An awkward silence occurred, and it wasn't the first one today either. Truth be told, ever since Brandon's battle with Goh, the usually cheerful and fun atmosphere around the group of trainers was replaced with a rather quiet one, as nobody really knew what to say. The battle had ended surprisingly soon, most likely due to the fact Regieleki had severely boosted it's attack power and, even without it, the group knew the dragon type Legendary Pokemon only needed a few hits to completely overwhelm it's opponent.
Goh was in his own mind, clearly disturbed with himself after his battle with Brandon. Ash and Chloe had attempted on multiple occasions to start small talk, trying their best to change to any other subject imaginable with minimal success, and Brandon for his part, hadn't said a word to anyone since the battle.
Chloe quickly checked the time on her rotom phone, and noted it was about time everybody got a move on, since their plane for Kanto would be departing soon. "Hey, we should probably get going, wouldn't want to miss our flight…"
"Alright…" Brandon suddenly spoke up, surprising everyone a little bit as it was the first words he had uttered in quite some time. "Let's move."
The quartet made their way outside the Pokemon Center, ready to go their separate way, but right after exiting the doors of the building, Goh suddenly addressed the Pyramid King.
"Brandon!..." The man in question turned around, slightly ahead of the group, and listened on. There was clear nervousness and doubt in the young researcher's eyes, but Goh tried his best to address him seriously. "L-Listen… I thought about… well, everything that has happened recently, and I-I think… u-uh…"
Brandon raised an eyebrow, awaiting curiously his words. Goh relaxed himself briefly, before finally saying: "...I think… I think you should have Regieleki."
Ash and Chloe clearly weren't expecting that, and they immediately tried to rationalize with their good friend. "Goh!? What are you talking about!? Are you seriously just thinking of giving Regieleki away!?" Ash said, with Chloe silently expressing the same feeling.
Goh didn't budge though, and continued. "Look… I know you guys said it isn't a big deal that I was the one who caught Regieleki, and I understand that, it's just… After seeing how much the Regis mean to Brandon… I can't bring myself to accept Regieleki as a partner, when clearly, the one these Pokemon were meant for was you, Brandon." Goh explained. Ash and Chloe were still utterly baffled, but Brandon still didn't say anything. "I know that you're probably going to be opposed to this, but still…"
Goh then switched from his serious expression to a confused one, after noticing something strange. "...W-Why are you smiling!?" Goh said with a hint of anger towards Brandon.
Indeed, Brandon, to the confusion of everyone else, was grinning almost as if he found what Goh was saying funny. Before anybody could question further, Brandon turned away from the group and said. "Kid, you've got to be kidding me right?
"I am not! I'm serious! You deserve Regieleki more than-"
"Cut it out already..." Brandon said, interrupting Goh mid sentence. "You're telling me that after all you did to obtain Regieleki, you want to just give it away."
"B-But the battle with the Regis.. I didn't do nearly as much as you guys…"
"You know what, you're right." Brandon admitted, turning back around. "But you know what you did that nobody else got to see? I've seen you battle and train till you physically couldn't anymore after the whole Articuno incident because you felt guilty, I've seen you battle your heart out in the Roaring Sea Caves, just so you could meet up with everyone else, but nobody ever saw that…"
"I-I…"
Brandon smiled again, and put a hand on Goh's shoulder. "You might have not seen it yourself, but your dedication to the entirety of this journey, I saw it, I saw it with my own eyes, and honestly, if you think for one second that you don't deserve Regieleki simply because you had a bad battle, think twice."
Goh was left absolutely speechless. He almost didn't believe the words that came out of Brandon's mouth. Was he really that impactful? He almost wanted to doubt Brandon's words, but with the amount of sincerity the man had in his speech, he simply couldn't. Ash and Chloe glanced at each other and smiled, happy to know Brandon had finally gotten through to Goh.
Brandon chuckled at Goh's still stunned reaction and backed away from the group. "Well, we've wasted enough time here. I appreciate you all for sticking with me. We'll meet again I'm sure." He declared.
"It was really nice traveling with you Brandon, personally I feel like I learned a lot from being with an experienced trainer like yourself." Chloe suddenly piped up, showing her appreciation towards the older trainer.
"Thank you, I wish you the best of luck with finding your goal, I can tell you're dedicated to your cause, and that you'll get you far in life Chloe, remember that." Brandon said, to which Chloe nodded with a smile. "Oh and… keep an eye out for Mister Champion over there, he's known for getting himself in trouble more than once…"
Ash deadpanned at his peer's words, and Chloe let out a laugh before replying. "Will do Brandon, will do…"
Brandon then turned towards Ash, smiled and ruffled his hair. "Nice seeing you again Ketchum, best of luck in the World Coronation Series."
"Thanks Brandon. Next time we meet, let's battle again!" Excitedly replied Ash, eager to face Brandon again. Although he felt the need to add: "Just, I would rather that, you know, don't use Regidrago, I don't really want to face that again…"
"I won't if you don't use that Lucario of yours…" Brandon joked back, causing Ash to immediately go back on his request.
"O-On second thought, Regidrago doesn't seem too bad…"
The group shared a laugh, with even Goh giggling a bit. Brandon turned towards Goh one last time and said. "Stay strong kid, don't ever doubt yourself again, got it?"
"Y-Yeah… I hear you Brandon, thanks." Goh managed to say.
Brandon smiled and began walking away. Ash and Chloe already started waving goodbye, but Goh had one final thing to add.
"Brandon!" The Regi Master stopped briefly and looked back. "Once I get stronger, I want a rematch! Regidrago against Regieleki, one more time!"
"You got it kid…" Brandon replied with a smile.
"Hey don't forget about me! I asked first!" Suddenly said Ash, not wanting Brandon to forget about their promise already.
Brandon laughed at the Pallet Town native's action, started walking away from the group and said. "Of course I won't forget Ketchum, after all, I already decided a while ago that Peonia is not going to be your only rival next season…"
"HUH!? YOU NEVER TOLD ME THAT!?" Ash retorted in shock, surprised that Brandon was also planning on joining the World Coronation Series. Chloe and Goh facepalmed, and simultaneously put a hand on Ash's shoulder, as Brandon simply disappeared into the sunset.
Ash held his head. Next season was not going to be easy…
"Goh… can you calm down… for a sec… The professor's not going anywhere…" Chloe complained in between breaths.
"I can't wait! We got so much information about the Crown Tundra, I'm just dying to tell the professor, he's going to lose it when we tell him we meet so many Legendary Pokemon!" Goh responded, not stopping his continuous running whatsoever.
"We've been running ever since we got out of the airport… my legs can't take it!..." Chloe complained further. She glanced at her other companion, and saw him with a big grin on his face, confusing her.
"If you would go on more adventures with us… maybe then your legs could take a good run!" Ash told her, still with a smile on his face.
Chloe was about to retort angrily, but soon realized she couldn't, that goofy smile had captivated her too much at this point. Chloe laughed, and did her best to keep up the pace, as the trio of trainers raced into the night, the moon now shining brightly above them.
It had been a long and pretty tiring flight back home from Galar, but that fatigue was barely noticeable at all, as the moment Ash, Goh and Chloe landed in the Vermillion City airport, the young trainers immediately started making their way towards the Professor's lab as fast as they could, despite the constant complaints of a maroon haired girl.
A good while of running later, and after one steep climb up a hill, the trio had finally made it to the entrance of Professor's Cerise lab.
"Woo!... We made it!" Declared happily Goh, being the first one to make it to the entrance. Chloe and Ash arrived soon after, the former taking time to regain her energy.
"Come on! Let's go see the Professor, they must be waiting for us!" Goh added, as he once again started running again, this time not bothering to wait for his two friends behind him.
"That Goh sometimes…" Chloe said after a sigh, frustrated with her childhood friend's excessive energy.
"Hey, at least it seems he's finally gotten over that Regieleki stuff…" Ash reasonned.
"Yeah, I guess you're right Ash…" Admitted the maroon haired, as she slowly started walking up the stairs to the lab, followed by the raven haired trainer.
Ash laughed slightly. "You know, it feels nice to hear you call me by my name instead of Ketchup…"
"I can start again if you want Ketchup." Chloe replied sarcastically, causing Ash to frantically throw his hands in front of him.
"P-Please don't!" The trainer practically begged. Chloe laughed out loud, finding his reaction quite amusing, and pretty cute at that…
"It is crazy to think how differently we act towards each other now compared to a few days ago…" Chloe thought out loud.
"True, but I guess it's for the best… I got to know an amazing person after all!" Ash said, turning towards her with a big grin once again.
Chloe couldn't help but blush at the raven haired trainer, and stuttered out a reply. "Y-Yeah, m-me too…"
Ash then abruptly grabbed Chloe's hand, causing the girl's blush to deepen, and took off running before she could say anything. "Come one! Everybody is waiting for us!"
"W-Wait! A-Ash!" And so, the two trainers once again sprinted towards the lab, leaving behind a rather confused and surprised Pikachu.
Truth be told, Pikachu hadn't really said or did anything ever since yesterday, mainly because he was too focused on observing his beloved trainer, particularly the way he acted around the maroon haired girl.
Pikachu smiled to himself. It seemed, from what he had observed, his trainer finally found a suitable mate, though he was confused as to why they still hadn't admitted their affection towards each other. I mean, even he had noticed they clearly weren't just friends. Pikachu sighed, before going to join the rest of the group.
By the time Ash, Chloe and Pikachu had arrived at the lab, Goh had already started practically screaming information at Professor Cerise vividly.
"...AND THEN WE RAN INTO A DYNAMAX GREEDANT THAT STARTED ATTACKING US BUT WE GOT SAVED BY A WILD KELDEO WHO WAS PART OF THE SWORDS OF JUSTICE THAT ALSO SEEMED TO KNOW ASH AND IT DID THIS REALLY COOL-"
"O-Okay okay… G-Goh please calm down…" Professor Cerise begged, backing up in his chair…
"Looks like they sure had a fun adventure…" Commented Chryssa, with Ren nodding in approval next to her.
"Hey professor!" Ash suddenly shouted, waving hello.
Professor Cerise noticed in the corner of his eye Ash, Chloe and Pikachu make their way into the lab. "O-Oh! Hey you two! How was the Crown Tundra!"
"It was honestly pretty fun, we met a lot of cool Pokemon!" Chloe explained. "Though, I think you've heard enough of that from Goh…"
"Y-Yeah… Sort of…" Professor Cerise replied. "Though, it's nice to hear you've enjoyed yourself Chloe, I-I was honestly pretty worried…"
Chloe smiled, happy to know her dad was worried about her. "Nothing to worry about, after all…" Chloe then suddenly elbowed Ash on the shoulder somewhat friendly, and continued. "I had mister Alola Champion here to keep me company."
"Y-You didn't need to hit me for that…" Ash complained, rubbing his shoulder.
Professor Cerise seemed surprised at the playful attitude between the two, but nevertheless smiled. "That's nice to hear…"
Chryssa alongside Ren looked on at the scene with amusement, until the latter fully realized what Chloe said, and asked. "Wait did Chloe just say Alola Champion?..."
Chryssa, Ren and Professor turned to face Ash questioningly. The trainer went wide eyed, realizing he had also never bothered to tell the Professors about being the Champion of Alola.
Ash suddenly yanked Chloe's hand and started sprinting towards the Pokemon area. "I-I JUST REMEBERED SOMETHING! C-COME ON CHLOE I NEED TO S-SHOW YOU SOMETHING IN THE PARK R-REAL QUICK!"
The remaining people in the lab stood still, simply surprised. They saw Pikachu was left behind, and the Pokemon, noticing everybody's gaze on him, simply shrugged.
Goh, deciding changing the subject was probably a good idea, asked something that was on his mind ever since he entered the lab. "Hey… Whatever happened to all the Piplups you guys hatched?"
Chryssa, Ren and Professor Cerise looked at each other uneasily, and Ren responded. "O-Oh, a-about that…"
In a random daycare South of Cerulean City…
"WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD HATCH THIS MANY PIPLUPS?" A daycare lady screamed, wondering how this happened while being assaulted by multiple Sinnoh starter Pokemon.
"WE ARE NEVER TAKING ORDERS FROM CERISE LABS AGAIN!" Declared another daycare worker, slamming her fist on one of the desks in anger.
"WHY DID I BECOME A CARETAKER!?" A third worker asked herself, being surrounded by an angry mob of Piplups.
"O-Okay, we should be good here… I really didn't feel like having to explain that again…" Ash said, finally coming to a stop.
"Things would have been much simpler if you had told us about it earlier…" Chloe argued, to which Ash didn't respond, but let out a laugh.
The duo had run all the way to the top of Cerise Park, overlooking the plains where resided most of the Pokemon caught by Goh. Most of them were asleep by this time, but some of Goh's ghost and dark types were still awake.
Chloe and Ash simultaneously looked up to the ceiling of the glass dome and took in the wonderful sight. The full moon of the night shone brightly, illuminating beautifully the dark sky alongside the stars.
The two trainers leaned onto the metal railings, and Ash broke the comfortable silence. "Man, I didn't know how beautiful the park looked at night…"
"You can say that again…" Chloe agreed, before switching topics to something that had been on her mind for a while now. "Say Ash…"
The person in question turned towards Chloe, causing her to get a bit nervous, but nevertheless continued. "Y-You know how, back when we were battling the Regis… You pushed me out of the way when Regidrago was charging at me… W-Why?..."
Ash seemed to think about his answer for a moment, but eventually said. "... I think what I said back then summed it up pretty well… I owed you one…"
"You didn't owe me anything." Chloe argued softly. "Well, maybe for the whole using a move on me… but still."
"No, it wasn't for that…" Ash explained, gaining a serious look on his face, confusing the maroon haired girl. "I owed you one, for sticking with me."
Now Chloe was even more confused. "W-What?"
Ash chuckled at the girl's reaction and continued. "I know I've not always been the easiest person to get along with. Sometimes I let my temper get the best of me, and I'm not the most normal guy out there…"
"You're definitely right about that…"
Ash glared at Chloe for a brief second before explaining further. "Despite that, you've always accepted me for who I am. When we first got to Hammerlocke, honestly you had the right to get mad at me, and I understand that, but the next day, you didn't all of sudden hate me for acting like a kid, you stuck with me."
Ash smiled at Chloe, the girl left speechless at his words, but Ash continued. "I'm still not totally sure why I dove after you when the whole Articuno thing happened, but I knew that there was something within me that wanted to protect you at all cost, keep you close to me, I don't know how to describe it… But I want you to know that, you're i-important to me Chloe, and I care for y-you… a lot…"
Chloe couldn't believe her ears, yet her blushing face definitely did. All this time, Ash was looking out for her, and knowing that, gave her stomach butterflies. Chloe smiled softly, before looking towards the park once more. "You know Ash… I really should be the one thanking you here…"
Now it was Ash's turn to look confused and partly shocked, but he let the girl continue regardless. "You've always been really determined to show me how awesome Pokemon are, and you've always motivated me to find my goal, despite me not always being the nicest person ever with you… and on top of that, you always supported me with my struggles. No matter what doubt I had, or how pathetic I felt at times, you were always there to reassure me. After the Articuno incident, I screamed at you, cried in front of you, yet you were still there, right next to me, supporting me all the way…"
Chloe turned to face Ash once more, and saw his clearly surprised state, so she decided to break the serious tension, and joked. "... and also I probably owe you for saving my life like three times or something…"
The two shared a laugh, happy to be in each other's company, and Chloe added. "I'm really glad I went with you guys to the Crown Tundra…"
"I'm glad you came along Chloe…"
The two stared into each other's eyes, and, thinking back to what Peonia had told her, Chloe decided there was only one real way she could truly get through to sharing her feelings with Ash.
Chloe started getting really nervous, but nevertheless, she mustered up all the courage she had. "I-I… I-I never been quite great with words, but… I really d-do care for you a lot too Ash… but I-I think this shows it better…"
Suddenly Chloe quickly closed the distance between her and Ash, went on her tiptoes to gain a bit of height, and kissed Ash straight on the lips.
Ash's eyes widened. He wasn't sure if time had truly stopped, but for him, it definitely felt like it. He felt like he was floating on a cloud, and the feeling he was having was more exhilarating than any battle he has ever had.
Chloe quickly backed away, blushing as red as a tomato, but nevertheless smiled at Ash. "... I-I hope that s-sums it up well…"
Ash was still frozen, not believing what had just happened. The trainer slowly touched his lips, as if to remember the feeling of Chloe's lips on his. Unfortunately, his severe lack of a reaction slowly made Chloe more nervous, so she quickly thought of a way to get out of the situation.
"U-Uh we should p-probably go back to the Lab, the o-others are probably w-wondering where we are r-right about now…" Chloe stammered out, still blushing, slowly walking away from Ash.
She turned her back towards him as she walked, but Ash had something to add. "W-Wait! C-Chloe!"
Chloe turned around slowly, only to be once again face to face with Ash once more, and this time, his lips went to hers.
The kiss lasted only mere seconds, but to Chloe, it made her question if she was actually dreaming, as her heart fluttered and her knees felt weak.
Ash swiftly separated himself from the maroon haired girl, and was almost as big of a blushing mess as her. "I-I hope that better e-explains how I f-feel too… I h-hope you keep s-staying by my side Chloe…" Ash said with an embarrassed smile.
"Ash…"
The two were frozen on the spot, as both still couldn't quite believe what had happened, but the sudden words coming from just behind them swiftly broke them out of their trance, and also probably gave them a heart attack…
"... Your r-relationship sure d-developed… f-faster than I expected…" Goh said, embarrassed and surprised as to what he just walked in on.
Chloe and Ash glanced at each other for no longer than a second, before suddenly going into panic mode as the two screamed at the top of their lungs, surely loud enough to wake up just about everyone in the park, blushes even more present on their faces.
Ash was the first one to escape the situation, calling out his Dragonite, and embarrassingly saying. "I-I JUST REMEMBERED I HAD TO GIVE S-SOMETHING TO MY FRIEND IN P-PEWTER CITY. G-GOT TO GO!"
"I-I LEFT S-STUFF OVER AT MY FRIENDS H-HOUSE I'LL BE R-RIGHT BACK!" Chloe said in a similar fashion.
And with that, the two young trainers were gone in a flash, one flying on the back of his Dragonite and the other sprinting like there was no tomorrow, leaving a still shocked Goh just to stand there. Pikachu then suddenly appeared next to him, having just missed the scene. He looked confused, as he was sure he heard his trainer just a moment ago.
Goh looked at Pikachu, and laughed. "Well, things are bound to get interesting from here Pikachu…"
Pikachu, still confused, blinked a couple times, before turning to go back to the lab. He wasn't exactly sure what had just happened, but what he did know for sure was that he desperately needed a good nap…
THE END
Wow… Honestly, pretty surprised that I managed to actually finish this story considering how lazy I am at times, but I did it. I checked up on some of my notes that I made when I first started writing this book, and quickly realized how different my vision of how the story went changed from back then to now.
Just to put it into perspective, before I started actually writing, neither Chloe nor Peonia were even supposed to be in the story at all, which yeah that changed quite a bit, the story was supposed to only be as long as my last one, and things like the Galarian Articuno, Dynamax Greedant, Keldeo, Lapras, the whole Aura Lucario thing, weren't supposed to be here as well. I felt like I had the basic idea of where I wanted to go, but just kept on wanting to add things almost every dang chapter, which greatly changed the course of the story, though I'm really happy with how it ended up. I had plans for making a prologue, but I think I'm going to leave it here.
Once again, I just wanted to take the time to thank everyone who has interacted with this story in any way, whether that'd be following, favoriting, reviewing or even just reading, I really do appreciate it a lot more than you'd probably think.
I have a few ideas on other stories to write (probably not bloombolt stories though since I don't really have any more ideas for Ash and Chloe if I'm being honest but we never know…), but feel free to suggest anything, after all this whole story was created because of a suggestion (though I think it went quite differently then the original idea was supposed to be but that's besides the point), I can't promise anything though.
Once again, thank you to everyone who's taken the time to read, and I'll hopefully be back with another story sometime soon I hope, and yeah, cya!
