It was a few days after break, and things had quickly returned to normal around the lab. Ash was in the lounge, upside down on a couch, his feet and lower legs hanging off the back of it.
"Would it kill you to act ladylike?" Chloe nagged, pushing him onto his side.
"I'm not a lady, so I don't see a reason too." Ash countered with a laugh.
"Are we really having this argument again?" Chloe asked.
"No, but what's the harm, only lab staff can get up here anyways, besides we have more chairs in here than we do people." Ash pointed out.
"And what would happen if someone not in the loop came up here?" Chloe pointed out.
"I've accepted my fate then." Ash said flipping back up. His tank top falling slightly, exposing his midriff.
"Have I ever said how much I hate the fact you grow next to no body hair." Chloe said in an annoyed tone. Looking at Ash's smooth legs hanging in the air.
"Once or twice this year." Ash said. "Nothing I can do about it, it's like my body was made to end up like this." Ash joked, but in all seriousness he knew it was.
"Yeah, some of us don't have that luxury, or the luxury Serena has of no longer needing to be held to female beauty and clothing standards." Chloe complained.
"It's not exactly fun for us all the time." Ash said. "Trust me, there are plenty of times that we still feel weird."
"I know, it's just hard for me still." Chloe said.
"Yes because as a guy, looking at prom dresses is easy for me." Ash said deadpanned.
"I thought we weren't going?" Serena chuckled as she entered the room.
"Not going where?" Goh asked picking himself off the ground.
"How long have you been down there?" Chloe asked.
"I've been in here for an hour and didn't see him come in." Ash said.
"I took a power nap." Goh commented.
"On the ground?" Chloe questioned.
"It didn't start there, but that's where I woke up." Goh admitted. "So where aren't we going?"
"You aren't allowed unless you find a girl and Marnie doesn't chew off your head for it." Ash said. "And Chloe is still a few years off."
"Back to the point." Serena said, sitting backwards in a chair. "I thought you didn't want to go."
"I know, but I also know you wanted to, so I thought I'd at least try." Ash said.
"Go where!" Goh complained.
"Prom." Chloe said plainly. "So would you both be wearing dresses or?"
"You don't need to be a part of this, and we." Ash said pointing at him and Serena. "Can discuss it later without a peanut gallery. Now if you'll excuse me, I have important work to get back to." Ash said, laying back in his original position.
"What kind of important work can you be doing like that?" Chloe asked.
"Either look or don't ask." Ash said, deep in though. Above him on the ceiling were headshot photos of every region's current elite four. Phoebe and Wilkstrom's photos already crossed out.
"Are these, elite fours?" Goh asked looking at them.
"Yep, I've been told they're coming to challenge me, the first two were easy, but who knows about the rest." Ash sighed. "Planning won't help me anyways, I have no idea who is next or when they're coming."
"So what are you going to do for now?" Serena asked.
"Not sure, I'm comfortable right now." Ash said relaxing.
"Same." Goh said, laying flat on his back.
"You two are crazy." Chloe said. "Let's find something less… strange to do, Serena."
"Sure sure." Serena said barely paying attention.
"Serena!" Chloe yelled.
"Right. Coming." Serena said snapping out of it.
As soon as the girls left, Goh turned to Ash. "Wanna try it again?"
"Okay, but we need to avoid the rug and lamp this time." Ash said, pulling on the oversized coat.
"Let's try making it to Ren's lab. He will flip out." Goh said, as Ash climbed on his shoulders, pulling the coat shut.
"You know Chloe is right, these are smooth." Goh said.
"Focus Goh." Ash said.
"I'm just saying." Goh pointed out.
With Chloe and Serena
"Why are those two always so childish?" Chloe complained as they walked through the park.
"They feed off of each other. Take one away and they aren't like that." Serena said knowingly. "Besides they're just relaxing."
"But in such a weird way, they have beds that are more comfortable." Chloe argued.
"Just drop it, it's not like it was that long ago you wanted to give Ash a makeover every day." Serena sighed.
"First of all it was one makeover that he kept saying no to, and secondly that's not as childish." Chloe argued.
"Not a s childish as them laying around in the… never mind they're up to something." Serena said looking at a window in the distance.
Back in the lab
"Okay, left. Left! Left! No your other left!" Ash shouted as they crashed into more furniture.
"What are you two doing?" Serena asked, seeing the oversized coat hanging on Ash.
"Seeing how far we can go through the lab as a giant person." Goh said plainly.
"Is that why you two were laying in such odd positions?" Chloe asked.
"Maybe if someone listened to directions we wouldn't keep crashing." Ash said.
"You try being the legs, you're small, but it gets hot in there." Goh pointed out. "Attempt number seven?"
"Sure, why not." Ash said, readjusting the coat.
"No, clearly you two have done enough." Chloe said. "Serena control your boyfriend."
"Controlled." Serena said plainly as she wrapped her arms around Ash.
"You aren't much bigger than Ash is Chloe, wanna help instead. Ow!" Goh said rubbing where his head was flicked.
"I think our problem is that we did it inside." Ash commented. "And I'm being carried away." Ash said as he saw him moving up and away by Serena.
In Serena's room
"What you said, not about the giant person, but about the dresses, were you serious?" Serena asked.
"I know you wanted to go, you didn't even have to say anything I just knew." Ash admitted.
"Yeah, but in reality I would have liked being the one in a dress." Serena said.
"Then do it." Ash countered.
"It's not exactly like I have a normal dress body." Serena commented. "Who would even sell or alter a dress for me?"
"My mom used to make my outfits from scratch, we could ask her, and I'm sure I can get a suit." Ash said. "Or I can find a dress and be a princess for a night again. I'll let you decide." Ash said.