Late at night, in a forest just outside Fuschia City in the Kanto region, a ten-year-old girl lay awake in her tent, unable to sleep.
She grumbled and rolled over onto her side, her long, unruly, maroon hair falling into her closed eyes. She reached blindly for a spare pillow, finding one and placing it on top of her head, covering her exposed ear. Despite having both ears covered by pillows, she was still able to hear the two boys outside her tent, laughing and talking in hushed tones.
The girl groaned and opened her eyes, tossing her pillow aside and kicking herself out of her sleeping bag. She crawled forward, unzipped the door to her tent and stepped outside, keeping her eyes averted from the two black-haired boys sitting by the campfire. Both of them fell quiet as she emerged and knelt down next to one of the four stakes holding her tent in place.
"Chloe?" one of the boys asked. "What are you doing?" The yellow, mouse-like Pikachu on his lap cocked his head at her curiously.
"I'm going to move this tent somewhere that's more quiet, so I can sleep," Chloe answered in a casual tone, reaching down and yanking the stake out of the ground.
"You don't have to leave," the other boy insisted. "We'll be quieter from now on."
"That's what you said the last two times, Goh." She crawled over to another tent stake and pulled it out.
"Maybe we should all go to bed," the boy with the Pikachu spoke up. "It is kinda late."
"No need for that, Ash," Chloe responded, her voice laced with fake sweetness, as the third stake came up. "You two can stay up and have fun as long as you like. Unlike you two, however, I need my beauty sleep." She pulled up the final stake, grabbed the edge of her tent, and started walking further into the woods. "I'll see you both tomorrow."
Goh watched her go, getting the vague feeling that he had just been insulted, but didn't bother speaking up about it. He turned toward his companion, who just shrugged in response. The inner workings of girls had always been a mystery to Ash, while Goh was regularly befuddled by the inner workings of Chloe in particular. They soon got back to talking, though both of them kept their voices lower than before, a bit ashamed.
Chloe continued through the forest, dragging her tent along the ground, until she could no longer hear the boys' voices, and their campfire was just a speck in the distance. Satisfied, she turned the door of the tent to face the campfire, before placing each stake on the ground and stepping on them to force them into the dirt. With the tent securely in place, she unzipped the door and crawled back inside, ready for a good night's sleep without Ash's voice ruining it.
She continued to stew over the boy who had suddenly and recently entered her life, as she slid into her sleeping bag. Ash had joined her father's research laboratory in Vermillion City a few weeks ago, and in that short time he had managed to completely upend the flow of life in and around the lab. His bombastic energy and fascination with the creatures known as Pokémon had quickly infected her longtime friend Goh, who had turned from a Pokémon-obsessed nerd to a fanatical nutjob. The two of them were always going out on wild adventures now, and sometimes they even brought their adventures home with them, much to Chloe's chagrin. Chaos now reigned where peace and tranquility had once resided.
Chloe, whose only interaction with Pokémon was with the family's Yamper, had no idea what made these creatures so enormously appealing to the two boys, and she wasn't interested in finding out. If she had had her way, she would be back at home right now reading a good book, instead of camping out in the middle of nowhere with these two lunatics. Unfortunately, her hand had been forced by a school assignment, which required her to study wild Pokémon for a report. Accompanying Ash and Goh on their own research trip had been the least painful option out of many painful options. That was how it had seemed at the time, at least.
She let out a long, deep sigh as she rested her head on her pillow, her face still contorted into an irritated frown. She eventually fell asleep, after several minutes of her frustrations swirling around in her head. Stupid paper. Stupid camping trip. Stupid Goh. Stupid Ash.
Chloe was roused from her sleep the next day by the morning sun, once it had become too bright for her tent walls to block out. She yawned and stretched her arms as she slowly sat up, her spirits lifted by a full night's sleep. The bitterness from the night before was mostly gone, and she felt ready to spend some time with wild Pokémon and two wild traveling companions. Maybe this report wouldn't be so bad after all.
She crawled forward and unzipped her tent door, wanting to get a look at the forest in the daylight, and stopped dead as she spotted the day's first wild Pokémon, ten feet in front of her tent.
A bird-like Pokémon, with brown wings and a cream-colored stomach, was standing over two blue, round Oran Berries and nibbling at them slowly. Chloe had studied enough Pokémon in school to recognize this species as a Pidgey, one of the most common Flying-type Pokémon in the Kanto region. They were found in most forests and even thrived in many cities, where they were unbothered by people's attempts to shoo them away. This drab, unimpressive bird was not exactly a shining example of the wonder of nature's majesty. Chloe wasn't even sure she would classify it as cute, small though it was.
After a few moments of watching it eat, Chloe lay down in her tent and rested her chin on her arms, settling in and making herself comfortable. She wasn't in a hurry to go anywhere, and there was something calming and tranquil about the scene in front of her. It reminded her of what her father, a Pokémon professor, had once told her about the beauty of the natural world and the Pokémon within it. She could feel the corners of her lips starting to curl up into a smile, as the Pidgey continued nibbling at its breakfast.
The tranquility was shattered by a loud screech, as a large, brown, vulture-like bird suddenly dove to the ground and tackled the Pidgey.
Chloe shrieked and shot up to her knees, watching as the larger bird, which looked to be a Fearow, pecked and scratched at the weaker Pidgey with its beak and claws. Pidgey made a feeble attempt to fight back, but was outmatched and easily overpowered, and soon even trying to dodge attacks was nearly impossible. Chloe stood up and took a step forward, but immediately reconsidered and turned back to her tent, needing some way of protecting the small, defenseless Pokémon. Her eyes settled on her hiking bag, which had been packed with pans and utensils and other metallic objects. She grabbed it and ran out of her tent, toward the large Fearow that was holding Pidgey down with one talon, and swallowing one of the Oran Berries whole in its beak.
"Leave Pidgey alone!" she shouted, swinging the bag as hard as she could into Pidgey's assailant. The unsuspecting Fearow was knocked away by the strong body blow, but immediately righted itself and screeched menacingly in Chloe's face. Undeterred, she swung the bag again, this time into the Fearow's head. Dazed and sore, the creature decided that antagonizing Pidgey was no longer worth the trouble, and took off back into the sky. Chloe watched Fearow retreat until she could no longer see it, before dropping her bag and turning toward Pidgey, kneeling next to it.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" she asked, though she knew the Pokémon couldn't answer. Looking closely, she winced as she saw a number of deep cuts and scratches across Pidgey's body. Her stomach turned as she saw one of its wings bent at an unnatural angle, as if it were broken. The small bird tried flapping its wings, crying out in pain at the attempt and lying still again.
Chloe bit her lip as she tried to keep calm, not sure what she was supposed to do. She couldn't just leave an injured Pokémon to fend for itself in the forest, but she was in no position to treat Pidgey's injuries. She only knew basic first aid, and that was for humans, not Pokémon. She needed help.
"Stay here and don't move, okay?" she asked as she stood up again. "I'm going to get some help. I'll be right back!" She began walking backwards toward the previous night's camp, keeping her eyes on Pidgey as long as she could, before turning and racing toward the two companions she had left behind.
It only took her a minute or two to cover the distance, as she hadn't traveled all that far the night before. The campfire was soon in her sights, along with the two boys, who were just emerging from their tents.
"Goh!" she exclaimed, getting his attention immediately. He had a confused look on his face as he studied the worried expression on hers.
"Huh?" He rubbed his eye as he stood up straight. "Chloe? What is it?"
Beside him, she could see Ash's eyes roaming over her, focusing on her hair. There was a brief moment of panic as she realized she was still in her pajamas, with her hair an absolute mess as it was every morning. Goh had seen her like this once or twice, but never Ash. After a few seconds of utter mortification, she forced it out of her mind.
"Come with me, quick!" she pleaded. "I need your help!"
Goh couldn't stop a smug grin from spreading across his face. "Am I hearing that right? Mature, collected, straight-A student Chloe Cerise is actually asking for my help?" he asked in a teasing tone, savoring an exceedingly rare moment between the two of them. "Whatever do you need?"
Chloe glared at him, not in the mood for his teasing. "There's a hole in my tent. I need you to plug it with your swelled head."
"What's wrong, Chloe?" Ash piped up, ignoring their banter. "Can I help?"
She turned to face him. "Ash, can you do anything to help an injured Pokémon?"
"Injured?!" His eyes shot open wide. "Yeah, I can help! My friend Brock taught me some stuff in the past, and my Pokédex has some medical stuff in it."
She nodded and waved him over. "Good. Follow me!" She turned and started running back toward her tent, relieved that she was able to quickly find help, even if it was from him, of all people. Ash ducked briefly into his tent to grab his Pokédex, which was built into his smartphone, before running after her. His Pikachu followed behind, easily keeping pace as he ran on all fours.
"Hey! Wait for me!" Goh shouted as he followed along, not wanting to be excluded. The four of them soon returned to Chloe's relocated tent, and she knelt down next to Pidgey, who had tried and failed to move several more times. Ash knelt down as well, wincing as he saw the extent of the bird's injuries.
"Wow, this is really bad… Chloe, do you know what happened?" he asked. His Pikachu ran up and sat next to Pidgey, and the two Pokémon began an animated conversation that nobody else could understand.
"It was attacked by a Fearow," she explained, as Goh stood over her and looked down at the injured Pokémon. "I think it was trying to get Pidgey's food."
"Geez, it must have really wanted that food…" Goh mused. "Maybe if we had Ash's Dragonite here, we could take Pidgey to a Pokémon Center."
"Well, we don't," Chloe replied curtly. "So we'll just have to do something ourselves." She kept her eyes on Pidgey, who had calmed down somewhat as it spoke with Pikachu, though its voice still sounded strained.
"Let's see…" Ash was poking at his Pokédex phone, conducting a few different searches before finding what he was looking for. "So it says for a broken bone, if it's a small Pokémon, we should get a stick or something for a splint… straighten it… spray it with a Super Potion or Hyper Potion… then wrap it in bandages. With the splint. Then it'll be all better the next day."
Goh's eyes bugged out. "A day?! That's all it takes?"
"That's what it says here," Ash confirmed. "I guess the Super Potion does all the work. Science is pretty amazing, huh?"
Chloe looked up toward Ash, then toward Goh. "Do either of you have a Super Potion? I have bandages."
Goh shook his head. "I have normal Potions, but that's all…" He was a bit sheepish as he admitted this, somewhat embarrassed at being underprepared. The eye roll that Chloe gave him didn't help matters.
"I got a couple," Ash responded, hopping up. "I'll go get one. It's in my tent."
Chloe nodded at him as he ran back to the other campground, before turning and entering her own tent. She rifled through her bag and pulled out a small first aid kit she had brought with her, in case of emergencies. As she stepped outside again, she watched Goh climb up a nearby tree and snap off one of the lower, smaller branches. He hopped back down and started breaking the branch apart, until it was an appropriate size for a splint.
Once Ash returned with the Super Potion, all three children kneeled around Pidgey, like surgeons standing around an operating table. Ash lightly sprayed Pidgey's belly with the medicine to take care of the smaller cuts, before turning his attention toward the broken wing. Chloe reached out and gently stroked the feathers on top of Pidgey's head with her thumb, trying to comfort the Pokémon.
"We're going to fix your wing now," she said in the most gentle and reassuring voice she had. "It might hurt a bit, but it will help you heal faster. Trust me, okay?" The Pidgey cawed in response, and Chloe couldn't tell if the bird was agreeing with her or expressing worry. Pikachu spoke up as well, saying something that none of them could understand, and his words seemed to calm Pidgey down a bit.
Goh kneeled over Pidgey and took a deep breath. "Alright, I'm going to set the wing… Ash, hold Pidgey down, okay?"
Ash nodded and rest his hands on the bird's body, one on its stomach and the other on its unbroken wing. Once Ash was ready, Goh carefully but quickly bent the broken wing back into shape, causing Pidgey to wail and screech and struggle against the two boys holding it down. Chloe continued to stroke Pidgey's head and speak comforting words, as Goh worked to align the wing correctly. Once the wing was set and sprayed with the Super Potion, Chloe handed over the splint that Goh had made, and the two of them worked together to bandage the wing securely. All three of them withdrew their hands as soon as the procedure was complete, inching away as Pidgey warbled pathetically on the ground.
"Whew… thank goodness that was quick." Ash reached out toward the injured Pokémon. "All done, Pidgey! You'll be good as new in-"
Pidgey screeched angrily, trying to kick up its talons to scratch at Ash's hand. The boy yelped and pulled his hand back. "Hey! Geez!"
"Pidgey, it's alright!" Chloe reached down and pet the bird gently, running her fingers along Pidgey's feathers. The Pokémon settled down, soothed by her voice and her touch. Encouraged, she slid both hands underneath Pidgey's body and lifted the bird into her hands, carefully turning it right-side up and holding it at eye level.
"You see? You can trust us, I promise," she advised. "Everything's fine. We're here to help you."
The bird chirped and cocked its head, before flapping its good wing and trying to leap upward. Chloe yelped as she tried to keep holding the bird up, lifting it a bit higher into the air. Pidgey jumped out of her hands and scrambled on top of her head, settling in and making itself comfortable amidst her wild hair. She made an exasperated sound as her eyes flicked upward, trying and failing to see the top of her head.
"Hey, look at that!" Goh exclaimed, a familiar taunt in his voice. "Looks like Pidgey found a bird's nest!"
"Goh, I swear…" Chloe growled. Pidgey chirped happily, almost as if it was laughing at the boy's joke.
"Looks like Pidgey doesn't want anyone else taking care of it," Ash said, pointing out the obvious, as Pikachu climbed up his side to his rest on his shoulder. "You don't mind, do you, Chloe?"
"Ugh… if I have to, I guess…" She reached up and carefully extracted Pidgey from her hair, cradling the bird carefully in her arms instead. "But no camping out in my hair, alright?"
Pidgey cooed in response, leaning down and nipping gently at her finger. She yelped and pulled her hand away. "Ow! What was that for?!"
Ash laughed. "That just means Pidgey likes you! It's being affectionate."
"Well, if it likes me, it should try not biting me!" She sighed and turned back to her tent. "I'm going to get changed. You two, figure breakfast out." She crawled in and zipped up the tent flap, as the two boys returned to their own tents, muttering to themselves about what should be done for food.
Chloe gently set Pidgey down in the corner of her tent. "I'm going to get myself ready. Just sit tight for a minute." The bird tweeted and cocked its head, as she started rifling through her bag for her toiletries and a change of clothes, her eyes screwed up in annoyance. Against all odds, this camping trip had managed to become even more bothersome than before. She was now charged with ensuring the welfare of a wild creature that many trainers derogatorily referred to as a "trash bird", and one that seemed to have boundary issues, at that. She would be lucky if she got out of this situation without losing any blood to pecks or scratches.
She didn't know how, but she was fairly certain that this was Ash or Goh's fault, in some way.
She managed to find a full set of clothes in her backpack, setting them aside next to her toiletry bag. She grabbed her blouse in one hand before turning back to Pidgey, who was still seated in the corner, watching her curiously.
"Are you going to stare at me the entire time?" she asked bitterly. Pidgey chirped in response, sounding a little confused. She groaned and turned away from the Pokémon, getting herself ready for the day.
Several hours later, the three children were walking deep into the woods, dressed to explore and carrying their backpacks on their backs. Goh was looking down at some device that had been supplied by Chloe's father, which was making an occasional beeping sound as it searched for some energy or other; Chloe had not bothered to pay attention to the details. Ash was searching the woods for wild Pokémon, looking for one that he could capture and add to his team, as he made occasional comments to his Pikachu.
Chloe brought up the rear, still cradling Pidgey in her arms and trying to keep the bird from leaping away, which he had attempted several times. While they were all eating breakfast, Ash had thought to scan Pidgey with his Pokédex to learn what they could. They had discovered that Pidgey was male, a young adult, and knew very few attacks. This was the sort of Pidgey that tended to travel with a flock for its own protection. None of them were sure why this one had gone off on his own.
"My arms are getting tired," Chloe muttered. "Can't Pidgeys walk?"
Goh glanced back. "Didn't you try putting him down to walk an hour ago?"
She grumbled, thinking back to her attempt to have Pidgey walk with them, and the pathetic whining that had resulted until she picked him back up. "That was mostly rhetorical."
"Why not put Pidgey on your shoulder?" Ash suggested. He tilted his head toward Pikachu, who was practically glued to his trainer's shoulder.
Chloe thought this over for a moment before deciding it was worth a try. She shifted and carefully grasped Pidgey in her hands, lifting him up and placing him beside her head, facing forward. She could feel his talons grasping her shoulder a little more tightly than she'd liked, but it was worth it if she could lower her arms for a little bit.
"There, how's that?" she asked. Pidgey made a noise that sounded like an affirmation, as if she had any ability to tell the difference. Satisfied, she let her sore arms fall to her sides and continued walking, picking up the pace a bit. She looked around at the woods surrounding them, her mind drifting back to the paper she had to write, trying to create an outline for it in her head. Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt a slightly dull beak combing through the hair on the side of her head.
"Eek!" She squealed at the ticklish sensation, starting to laugh as she reached up to try and swat Pidgey's beak away. "Stop! Quit it! Cut it out!" Pidgey kept fiddling with her hair, undeterred, as she started laughing even harder. The two boys in front of her stopped and whirled around, expecting a wild Pokémon attack from the volume of her squeal. Both of them stared, a bit dumbfounded, as she tried to push Pidgey's beak away and out of her hair, gasping for air as she laughed.
"What is Pidgey doing?" Goh wondered aloud, as his lips curled into an awkward smile.
Ash couldn't hold back a chuckle. "He's trying to clean her hair, I bet."
"My hair is clean!" she protested, as she finally managed to get Pidgey to stop by gently pushing him away. She held her sore stomach as she caught her breath.
"Well, he probably knows that now," Ash responded, still grinning lightly. "I didn't know you were ticklish, Chloe."
"Ah… well…" Chloe felt her cheeks heating up, as she tried to regain some semblance of her dignity. "What's wrong with that? Isn't everyone?"
"Chloe's super ticklish," Goh jumped in, a devious smirk on his face. "Especially if you know her weak spots."
Chloe whirled on him, her face now beet red. "Don't you say another word, Goh!"
The moment was interrupted by a low growling noise, one that started quiet and grew louder until it abruptly stopped. Both Chloe and Goh stopped and turned toward Ash, who was suddenly looking sheepish.
"Eh heh… sorry." He held his hand over his stomach. "Guess I didn't realize how hungry I was."
"When are you ever not hungry, Ash?" Goh countered, amused.
"Let's just stop for lunch, then." Chloe shrugged her backpack off her shoulders, startling Pidgey, who needed a moment to regain his balance. She kneeled down slowly and opened up a pocket on the side of the pack, pulling out a cooler and opening it, revealing a sandwich and a cup of soup.
"Sounds good to me!" Ash followed suit, letting his backpack fall to the ground before digging through it. He pulled out his own lunch, along with a large bag of Pokémon food and two bowls. Goh fetched his own meal from his pack, before releasing his white-and-red, rabbit-like Scorbunny. As Ash began filling the bowls with Pokémon food, he glanced over at the bird resting on Chloe's shoulder.
"Pidgey, you can share food with Pikachu," he suggested, filling up Pikachu's bowl with twice as much food as he usually did. Pikachu voiced his agreement.
Pidgey chirped and reflexively tried to fly over, but cried out in pain as soon as he tried flapping his broken wing. He settled back down, emitting some sad and pitiable noise. Chloe sighed and stood up, lifting the bird off her shoulder and walking him over to the bowl.
"Here you go," she said as she placed Pidgey next to the food bowl and Pikachu. "Eat up! You'll need strength if you want to heal faster." Pidgey looked curiously at the brown pellets that filled the bowl, before leaning in and snapping one up in his beak. He slowly chewed and swallowed, looking at the bowl more skeptically now, unimpressed.
"I don't think he likes it," Goh observed. They all watched as Pikachu offered Pidgey another pellet, speaking what sounded like encouraging words. Pidgey made a dissatisfied noise before reluctantly leaning in and accepting it.
"Well, I didn't bring anything else for our Pokémon to eat…" Ash said, frowning.
Chloe watched Pidgey slowly chew and swallow the second pellet, before tearing a small square off of her sandwich and leaning in. "What about this? Maybe you'll like this more." They all watched as Pidgey sniffed at it, then lightly bit it with the tip of his beak. After tasting it, he scrunched up his face as he let go and backed away, shaking his head.
Chloe's eyes widened at Pidgey's rejection of her meal, as Goh snickered. She hmphed and folded her arms. "I don't think you're in a position to be very picky, you know."
"Maybe he'll like mine better," Goh suggested, tearing off a small corner off his own sandwich and offering it to Pidgey. The bird evaluated this piece as well, smelling it, then tasting it with its beak. This time, Pidgey bit down harder and pulled the piece of food out of Goh's hand, chomping it down happily.
"Hey, look at that!" Goh grinned triumphantly as Pidgey happily ate the piece of sandwich. "Looks like Pidgey has refined taste, just like me."
Chloe rolled her eyes. "Sure, Goh. This coming from the boy who wouldn't even touch vegetables until he was nine."
Goh was flustered for a moment, but easily regained his composure. "You're calling me picky? I remember when all your sandwiches were separated into two parts, so the peanut butter and the jelly wouldn't touch." Pidgey watched the two curiously as they bickered, while Ash and Pikachu buried themselves determinedly in their lunches.
"That was years ago," Chloe insisted, a hint of a smirk on her face. "Maybe I was picky as a child, but since then I've grown into a mature and open-minded individual." She sat back with her nose in the air.
Goh snorted as he tore off another small piece of his sandwich for Pidgey, who accepted it with delight. "What are you saying about me, exactly?"
"I never said anything about you," she teased, giving him a sideways glance. "What makes you think I was talking about you? Someone sounds awfully self-centered." She tried to fight off a smile as it spread across her face, but it was a losing battle.
He smirked back, his quick wit coming through for him as it often did. "Well, if you aren't talking about me, I guess that means I'm mature and open-minded, too."
Chloe was about to shoot back with a subtle yet blistering retort, but she was cut off by a rapid beeping sound from Goh's pocket. He reached in and pulled out the device supplied by Chloe's father, eyes widening as he saw what it was reporting. "Ash! Look at this!"
Ash shifted toward his friend, glancing at the screen curiously. "What does that mean? Is it close?"
"It's real close!" Goh leaped to his feet. "This is our chance! Come on, let's go!"
"Right behind you!" Ash jumped up as well. "Come on, Pikachu!" He took a large bite out of his sandwich as he turned toward the forest, along with Goh, Pikachu and Scorbunny.
"Hey, hold on!" Chloe called out as they started running off. "You're leaving? What about me?"
"You can come, too!" Ash offered, stopping and turning back to face her. "Bring Pidgey along!"
"I'm not doing that!" she shot back, standing up. "I'm not taking an injured Pokémon around whatever crazy thing you two are chasing!"
"Just wait here! We'll be back soon!" Goh reassured her, before running off into the woods, following whatever instructions the mystery device was giving him. Ash gave her an apologetic look before following after him.
"Guys!" she protested, but it was too late. The two boys and their Pokémon disappeared into the trees before she knew it, leaving her alone with Pidgey and their lunches.
She groaned and slumped forward, her heart sinking and pulling her body down until she was sitting on a tree stump. As soon as she'd started having a bit of fun, she'd been left all alone, watching Goh's retreating back as he ran off with Ash - an increasingly familiar sight over the past few weeks. Now she was stuck playing nurse to an injured Pokémon who didn't respect her personal space, while Ash and Goh were off on a fun adventure. Stupid Fearow. Stupid school report. Stupid Goh.
Stupid Ash, stealing stupid Goh away from her.
Her disappointed frown soon turned into a scowl, and she continued eating with as much anger as someone could muster while eating a sandwich. Pidgey tweeted from near her feet, upset that Goh's delicious sandwich had run away.
"Sorry, Pidgey," she muttered, not sounding particularly sorry, as she dipped her own sandwich into her cup of cold soup. "Goh left with his lunch, and you didn't want this. That dry food's all you've got." Pidgey grumbled and returned to his food bowl, and the two of them continued eating and silently commiserating.
Once she had finished her lunch, Chloe set the empty soup cup aside and dove into her well-organized pack once again, retrieving a book that she had brought with her. She flipped it open to her bookmark and started reading, trying to put her irritation aside, which was easier said than done.
Two pages into her book, she felt Pidgey lightly poking her leg with his beak. She glanced down at him, their eyes meeting. "What is it?"
He chirped and stretched his legs as much as he could, flapping his good wing as if he was trying to lift himself up, his focus moving from her eyes to her lap. She sighed, picking up on what he wanted quickly. "You want to sit up here with me?"
Pidgey chirped again, more energetically this time, and she reached down with her free hand and lifted him up. She placed him gently on her lap, watching as he settled in and lay down, as if he was settling into a nest. Once he was properly seated, he leaned in and affectionately nipped at her finger, more gently this time, before closing his eyes and tucking his head into the crook between her stomach and her thigh.
She was a bit taken aback as he made himself comfortable, but she soon relaxed and just watched him rest. After a moment, her free hand reached down and gently pet him on top of his head, her fingers following the direction of his feathers. He cooed happily in response, relaxing even more than he had before. She smiled gently and continued petting his head for a few minutes, before pulling her hand away and returning her focus to her book.
By the time the sun dropped below the horizon several hours later, with no sign of the two boys, her brief moment of contentment was long gone.
It had been dark for over an hour by the time Ash and Goh finally returned. Both of them were covered in dirt smudges, their clothes stained with sweat. Pikachu was exhausted and half-asleep, as Ash carried the Pokémon in his arms. The boys were physically drained, but they still talked animatedly with each other about the exciting adventure they had just shared deep in the forest. Professor Cerise was sure to be happy with the information the two of them had gathered.
As they approached the point where they had left their packs, the light of a campfire graced their eyes, and a delicious scent hit both of their noses, causing their stomachs to rumble in unison. They picked up the pace, pushing their tired legs just a bit harder, as they realized just how hungry they were after their long day. They soon stepped back into the clearing where they had stopped, eyeing the campfire, the stew pot that was hanging above it, and the girl that was sitting nearby and lazily stirring it. She turned her head to face the two boys as they returned, shooting them an icy glare that stopped them in their tracks.
"Hey… hey, Chloe…" Goh stammered out.
"You'll be back soon, huh?" she retorted, her voice dripping with venom.
Goh shifted uncomfortably. "Well… things got a lot more… involved than we expected, is all…"
"Do you have any idea how worried I was?" she continued, not letting up. Truthfully, she hadn't been as worried as she was implying, but she was certainly angry with them, and she was taking the opportunity to make them feel as small as possible.
"We're really sorry, Chloe," Ash offered sincerely. "We didn't mean to leave you alone for so long. Things just… got out of hand."
Chloe turned away and looked back at the stew pot. "Dinner is ready. It might be a little burnt. I was expecting you earlier." She grabbed a bowl that she had set nearby, sitting up and ladling stew into it before sitting back down, starting to eat. The boys both offered a quiet and humble thanks, as they got their own bowls of stew, along with one smaller bowl for Pikachu. As Ash sat back down to eat, he glanced toward Chloe's left, finding Pidgey asleep in what looked like a periwinkle nest. Evidently, Chloe had made a bed for the bird by wrapping one of her sweaters around him.
"How is Pidgey?" Ash dared to ask, more concerned for the Pokémon than the possibility of invoking Chloe's ire.
"He's been asleep most of the day," she answered. "He was active for a couple of hours before sunset, but that's about it." She glanced back at him, her eyes moving back and forth between Ash and Goh. "Did you two find what you came all the way out here for?"
"We did!" Goh responded energetically. "We were tracking a mysterious energy that Professor Cerise didn't know the source of. It turned out that…" He paused as his eyes met Chloe's. Her expression made it clear that his enthusiasm was not appreciated at this moment. "It was… Pokémon that were Mega-evolving." He quickly took a bite of stew to occupy his mouth and stop him from talking further.
"Mm." Chloe grunted in response, letting the conversation die on the spot. All of them continued eating in awkward silence. Ash and Goh made no attempt to initiate small talk, feeling that the awkwardness was their punishment for abandoning Chloe for so long. Likewise, Chloe allowed the silence to linger until she was done eating. She would forgive the two of them tomorrow, but she wasn't going to let eight hours of loneliness be forgotten after five minutes.
Once she had eaten her fill, she scooted over to her left, looking down at the bird resting in his impromptu nest. She reached down and placed her hand on his side to gently nudge him. "Pidgey, are you hungry? We have stew." Pidgey warbled weakly, still exhausted. Chloe smiled and moved to pet his head instead. "I'm sure you'll like it better than-"
She cut herself off as her hand rested on top of Pidgey's head, gasping. "Pidgey, you're burning up!" She ran her hand over his head carefully, feeling the heat and the sweat underneath. "I think he has a fever!"
"A fever?" Ash was by Chloe's side in an instant, watching as she lifted the bird into her arms. "How did that happen?" Goh followed after Ash, moving to Chloe's other side.
"I don't know." She started petting the bird's back gently, not knowing what else to do. "He seemed fine for most of today. It's not like he was doing much…"
As she ran her palm gently down Pidgey's back, she froze as she felt something hard and crusty under her fingers. She knelt down to bring Pidgey closer to the fire, needing more light, and lifted up the feathers covering his back. Her blood turned cold as she saw a long, deep cut that ran along Pidgey's spine, crusting over and turning several unpleasant colors.
"Oh my gosh…" She continued to stare silently at the obviously infected injury, her stomach turning at the sight.
"How did we miss that?" Goh wondered aloud, aghast just as Chloe was. He looked up at Ash, waiting for his input, but Ash had already taken his Pokédex out. After twenty seconds of searching, he spoke up.
"We need to clean the infection, first of all," he explained, before leaping into action. He rooted through his bag, pulled out a small hand towel and a Potion, and sprayed the former with the latter. Turning back to Chloe and Pidgey, he got straight to work, using the Potion-drenched towel to slowly dissolve and wipe away the visible infection. Goh stood close by, waiting to see if he would be needed.
Chloe thanked Ash quietly bit sincerely as he sprayed the remaining Potion directly onto the wound. As annoying as Ash was, he was extremely selfless, helpful and kind-hearted whenever anyone he knew was in need. He made it almost impossible for her to hate him, no matter how much she wanted to.
"Alright, now, let's see…" Ash looked back at his Pokédex for a moment. "That should make the infection go away, but… we still gotta manage the fever. We gotta keep it cool and make sure he drinks water until his temperature goes back to normal."
Chloe nodded, holding Pidgey more closely. "I'll do that. I'll watch over him until his fever breaks." Her voice was firm and resolute, in a way that Goh had heard numerous times in the past. She could be as stubborn as anyone he had ever known, for better or for worse.
Goh continued to stand over Chloe and Ash as they kept working. Ash folded up the towel and handed it to Chloe, which she used to wipe away the sweat that covered Pidgey's body. As Goh watched Ash fill a bowl with water from his own canteen, he started to feel a little bit useless, like a third wheel. He debated speaking up for a couple of minutes, as Ash and Chloe continued doting over the sick Pokémon.
"Chloe, uh…" he eventually spoke. "If you need help with anything-"
"Just go to bed, Goh," she snapped, as she carefully lowered Pidgey to the bowl of water and dipped the tip of his beak into it. Pidgey cawed weakly as he began to drink.
Goh blinked in surprise for a minute, shocked by her reaction, but he eventually obeyed and stepped away. He pulled his tent out of his bag and set it up as quickly as his tired body could, eager to get some rest. After assembling the tent, his gaze returned to Chloe, his heart feeling heavy as he saw the worry in her eyes. He turned around and walked over to her bag, pulling out her tent and getting it set up for her as well.
Once he was finished, he looked back toward her again, expecting some words of gratitude, but none came. She gave no acknowledgement that he had done anything at all. He grimaced and returned to his tent, climbing into his sleeping bag and closing his eyes tight, falling asleep after ten restless minutes.
Goh stirred some time later, feeling himself drifting away from a dream and back into his sleeping bag. Once he became aware that he was awake, he opened his eyes to find that it was still night. Outside of his tent, he could still see the orange glow from their campfire, which Ash and Chloe had apparently forgotten to put out. He groaned as he rolled over, reaching for his phone and turning on the screen to check the time, then rapidly turning the screen off again to prevent his eyes from being blinded. It was 1:45 a.m., and he had no business being awake.
He let out a sigh and sat up, kicking his sleeping bag away. As much as he wanted to just roll over and go back to sleep, he knew that the campfire needed to be put out, or else it might spread. Hopefully his Water-type Mantyke wouldn't mind being woken up for the job at this late hour. He quietly unzipped his tent, looked toward the still-burning campfire, and stopped in his tracks.
Chloe was still awake.
Her eyes were red, almost bloodshot, with deep bags underneath them, and she kept them focused on the small bird resting on her lap. She was slumping deeply, as if every muscle in her body was struggling to keep her upright. She looked exhausted and distraught, zoning out, not aware that she was being watched. He stood up after a few moments and walked toward her, catching her attention.
"Goh?" she asked, her eyes attempting to widen. "What are you doing up?"
"I was going to ask you that," he replied, his voice hushed. "How is Pidgey? Is his fever any better?"
She shook her head, deflating. "No, it's not. If anything, it's gotten worse." Her eyes returned to focusing on Pidgey, as he sat next to her. "I had to clean the infection a second time earlier."
"Poor thing…" he muttered, studying the bird's face. Pidgey's eyes were closed tight, as if he was trying to shut out pain and discomfort. He looked back up at the bird's caretaker. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Don't worry about it," she answered, reaching over to her side and picking up a hand towel. "Go back to sleep. It's late." She dipped a corner of the towel into the water bowl she kept nearby.
"Come on, Chloe," he insisted. "It's late for you, too. I want to help."
"I'm doing fine by myself," she answered snippily, as she used the soaked hand towel to wipe sweat away from Pidgey's body. "You should rest. You'll need your energy for all your adventures with your new best friend."
Goh's eyes shot open wide. "What…?" He physically recoiled from the impact of her words. "You're upset about that? Chloe, you're the one who's always telling me to meet people! You told me I needed to make new friends!"
"I didn't tell you to replace your old ones," she responded quietly.
"Replace?" He blinked, stunned, and stared at her in disbelief. She didn't say anything, keeping her eyes down on Pidgey, but she was unable to hide her emotions from Goh in her exhausted state. She wasn't jealous, or angry. She was hurt.
"Chloe, I'm not replacing you, I promise!" he insisted, his voice raising for a moment before he tempered it back down. "We're still friends, just like we've always been!"
"Are we?" she retorted. "We never talk anymore. We don't spend time together. You're always off with Ash doing research, and when you are home you're talking with him about Pokémon this and Pokémon that. The only time we talk is when I'm telling you what our homework is supposed to be, since I don't even see you in school anymore."
"That's not…" He paused, as he thought back and realized the truth of her harsh words. "I've just been really busy, that's all…"
"Of course you have. Too busy to go to school. Too busy to come by and say hello every once in a while. You've got more important people to spend time with now, right?"
Goh wrestled with his response for a minute, but Chloe simply ignored him, not wanting to hear his excuses right now. Between her lack of sleep, her deep concern over Pidgey's health, and the stress of dealing with Goh and his absolute Goh-ness, Chloe felt as if she might burst into tears at any moment, and she would absolutely not allow herself to do that in front of him. She would not permit him to see her in such a vulnerable state. He had not earned it.
"What do you want me to do, Chloe?" Goh eventually asked. "Do you want me to quit being a research assistant? Stop being friends with Ash?"
She looked back up at him, irritated. "I don't want-"
"Do you want me to go back to how I was before?" he interrupted, starting to grow angry and defensive. "Spending all my time alone, not talking to anyone at school? That's okay with you, so long as you can have me all to yourself?"
Chloe winced as if she'd just been struck. "Of course not...!"
"Maybe you were happy with how things were before, but I wasn't!" He barreled on, ignoring the growing terror on Chloe's face. "I was a loser and a shut-in then, and I'm flourishing now! I'm meeting people and Pokémon, and doing things I never could before! Ash did all that for me, not you! Maybe you were just holding me-"
Pidgey let out a weak, aggrieved cry that stopped Goh mid-sentence, as he was wracked with a wave of pain and nausea. Chloe gasped and returned her focus to the suffering Pokémon.
"Ah! Pidgey!" she exclaimed, her voice quivering. "It's okay, Pidgey… you'll be alright, I've got you…" She grasped his water bowl and held it up to his beak, her hand trembling fiercely as he drank slowly from the bowl.
Goh let out a slow breath as he sat back, slumping as the tension evaporated from his body. His eyes and hands both fell to his lap, feeling ashamed for yelling, but he had no intention of apologizing for what he said. He was right. His anger toward her was completely justified. Maybe he shouldn't have taken it out on her so harshly, but he knew that he was right. He sat in silence, trying to hold onto his indignation, listening to Chloe's trembling voice as she worked to soothe Pidgey.
Being right was supposed to feel better than this.
After several painfully quiet minutes, he finally looked back up at her, but she didn't do the same. She had gone back to wiping Pidgey down with the wet corner of the hand towel, trying desperately to bring his body temperature down.
"You should rest," he said quietly.
"I can't, Goh," she responded, too mentally exhausted to be irritated anymore. "Someone has to take care of Pidgey."
"Someone will take care of Pidgey." He reached out and lifted the Pokémon out of her lap, resting Pidgey on his instead. "I'll watch over him until his fever breaks. You go back to your tent and sleep."
She looked back at him in disbelief. "Are you sure?"
"Sure I'm sure." He gave her an encouraging smile, which was only slightly forced. "You stayed up half the night. I'll stay up the other half. He'll be safe with me, I promise."
Chloe kept her eyes on his for a few moments, debating whether she should leave Pidgey in Goh's care. She was still feeling confused and hurt, and part of her refused to believe that he would still be willing to do something like this for her. She eventually nodded and stood up, choosing to trust him. "Okay. Thank you, Goh."
She walked past him and stepped into her tent, not bothering to take her hair down or change into her pajamas. She slid into her sleeping bag, sniffling and rubbing her eyes as she lay down, not sure whether to be more relieved or frustrated with the boy sitting by the fireplace. Stupid Goh, making everything harder than it needed to be. Stupid Goh, always putting up a wall of ego and defensiveness to hide the big-hearted, caring person that resided inside.
Stupid, sweet Goh.
Chloe awoke to the sensation of something poking her in the face.
"Mmph…" She screwed up her face and pulled away from whoever or whatever was bothering her. She reached out and tried to gently swat the offender away, her half-asleep brain expecting it to be Goh, or Ash, or her younger brother Parker. She paused as her hand came into contact with something soft and downy, and she heard a surprised and confused chirping noise. Her eyes slowly opened, and she found herself face-to-face with a spry and energized Pidgey.
She gasped and sat up straight, her heart leaping. "Pidgey! You're okay!" She immediately reached out and wrapped her arms around the bird, pulling him into a tight hug. "I'm so happy! I was so worried about you!" Pidgey cooed and nuzzled his face against her collar, basking in her affection.
She loosened her grip and looked him over properly, her fingers carefully pulling his feathers back to look over his injuries. The cuts and scrapes on his stomach had fully healed, and his wing was straight and no longer bandaged. The deep cut on his spine had faded to a light scar, the infection gone. Her entire body sagged in relief. "You're all better… thank goodness."
"His fever broke about an hour after you went to bed." She turned toward the entrance to her tent to find Goh kneeling there, looking exhausted but happy. "When he woke up this morning, he tried to tear his bandages off with his beak."
Her smile grew as she looked back down at the bird in her arms. "Couldn't wait to start flying again, could you?" Pidgey chirped affirmatively, flapping his wings energetically. She giggled and gently pet the top of his head with her thumb, and he closed his eyes and cooed happily. Goh watched the scene for a moment with a smile, before standing up and walking back to his own tent to get dressed.
Chloe continued to shower Pidgey with affection, her fingers lightly stroking their way through his feathers. He responded by leaning in and combing his beak through her hair, and she started to laugh at the ticklish sensation. Unlike yesterday, she was more reluctant to push Pidgey away, her heart feeling lighter as he returned her affections.
As he finally pulled his beak away, she looked down into his eyes, and a wild idea entered her head. The more she thought about it, the more she found herself agreeing with it. All she would need is one of Goh's Poké Balls.
She crawled over to the door of her tent and stepped outside, holding Pidgey comfortably against her with one arm. "Goh!" she called out, looking around the campsite. "Where are you?"
"I'm in here!" he responded, his head poking out from his tent. "What is it?" Chloe started to respond, but she was cut off as Pidgey started frantically flapping his wings, cawing desperately. She yelped and nearly dropped him.
"Pidgey, what's wrong?" she asked, cradling him in both arms and looking down at him. He wouldn't meet her eyes, looking up and past her instead. She turned around and followed his gaze upward, spotting a group of roughly ten Pidgey in the sky, flying in a small circle around their camp. Each of them was glancing down at Chloe, and the Pokémon in her arms.
Cold, painful realization set in immediately. She looked back down at Pidgey, her excited energy suddenly sapped, and their eyes met. "That's your flock, isn't it?"
Pidgey nodded and chirped, and she felt her soaring heart return to her body and settle into her stomach. Ash, Goh and Pikachu were all watching her from nearby, their faces falling in unison.
"Well… I'm glad that your friends found you," she continued, her voice weak. "You belong with them." She pulled him into one last hug, holding him tightly against herself. "I'm glad I met you, Pidgey. Take care of yourself."
Pidgey cawed sadly, leaning down and nipping gently at her finger. She grasped him in her hands and lifted him above her head, and he flapped his wings and took off, flying up into the sky to rejoin his flock. Chloe turned and watched as the other Pidgey all greeted him cheerfully, before returning to a V formation and starting to fly away.
As Chloe watched them leave, she felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder. She looked to her left and saw Goh standing next to her, an apologetic look on his face. She didn't respond, her throat too choked up to say anything. She turned back toward the group of Pidgey, as her right hand reached up to rest on top of Goh's, her fingers curling around it.
All four of the campers kept their eyes on the flock, not saying a word as they slowly turned to specks on the horizon.