Day 6 – Partner
"The only way that we can live is if we grow. The only way that we can grow is if we change." - C. Joybell C.
Didn't manage to make it in time, I'm sorry, everyone. At least it doesn't seem like I'm the only one who's late.
As promised, this fic is another showing of our boys' future, though it doesn't involve any time travel in this case. I must warn you, this is very hurt/comfort-based, so wait for another chapter if it's not to your taste!
Also, Goh is portrayed as a trans male here, though it doesn't figure into the plot aside from two mentions of him using a binder.
"Here's your present, Goh. Happy 17th birthday." Chloe said, handing him a small package.
Goh unwrapped the gift, looked at what was inside and smiled. "You bought me a new binder?"
"I know how quickly you go through them", she explained. "So I thought the least I could do was buy you a spare."
"Thanks! I'll be sure to buy you something good for your birthday, too!"
Chloe nodded and walked off, looking unusually chipper.
Goh gave her a somewhat-confused look. "Well, she certainly seems to be in a good mood", He remarked to Chrysa, since she was always the first person Chloe told whenever something happened to her, good or bad.
"She invited Dawn to come to the party as well, so she's excited about that", Chrysa explained.
"Oh, that's good", Goh commented. "She hasn't been doing very well lately. Seeing Dawn again might be just what she needs."
"Isn't young love beautiful?" Chrysa exclaimed joyfully. "It seemed like just yesterday you were all little kids and now you're all dating!"
"Yeah! Chloe and Dawn, you and Ash, even Parker is trying to win over that Bonnie chick…" Ren recalled. "You guys are still dating, right?"
"I mean, technically, I guess", Goh explained, looking troubled for some reason Ren and Chrysa couldn't discern, "but we barely talk anymore. He's off exploring some faraway region right now, probably making new friends…"
"Why didn't you go with him?"
"I don't think I want to spend an entire year away from my family and friends", Goh explained. "I have no idea how Ash does it."
"Anyway, enough of these sappy topics! It's time to bring you your birthday cake!" Ren declared, putting his fingers on his mouth and whistling.
In response, a gigantic ape pokémon appeared carrying a well-decorated three-story cake. "Rilla, Rilla!" It cried.
"Cin, cin!"
"Intel!"
"You guys! You made that for me?" Goh asked the starter pokémon trio.
Rillaboom shook its head, pointing instead at Alcremie, who was following behind them.
"Oh, I see. Thank you, Alcremie!" Goh said as he gratefully took the cake from Rillaboom's hands, with some help from Chrysa and Ren. It was really big! Goh placed it on the table with care.
"Do you want some, Kubfu?" He asked the bear pokémon he had on his shoulder. Kubfu shook its head. Goh looked at it with exhasperation. "Geez, you need to learn to not be so standoffish. Then again, I was like that as a kid, too…"
Before he could try to convince Kubfu to taste what he was sure would be a delicious cake (even if it was made by pokémon hands), Goh heard the doorbell ring. "Hm? Could that be…?"
"I'll get it!" Chrysa offered, walking to the door that lead to outside the laboratory and opening it. On the other side of the door were standing both Hodge and Horace, bearing gifts.
"Oh, it's you two", Goh commented upon seeing them, trying not to sound disappointed. Why would he be, anyway? These were his friends!
"Long time no see, cuteness", Horace said to Goh, winking as he entered the laboratory.
"Hey, Goh! Nice ponytail you got there! Makes you look even cuter than usual!" Hodge remarked.
"Y-You guys!" Goh blushed indignantly, ushering them in. "Quit it with the 'cute' compliments! I'm more handsome than cute, anyway…"
"Oh, sorry about that… cuteness", Horace told Goh with a mischievous smirk. Goh pouted at him.
"So this is how the Research Center looks now, huh? Looks fancy. Guess you must have had plenty of renovations to fit all those hundreds and hundreds of pokémon" Hodge remarked, looking around the place. "But yeah, it has been a while, hasn't it? Let's shake hands!"
Goh looked at Hodge clumsily trying to reach for him from atop his Mightyena and shook his head. "I'd rather not risk you falling off yet again."
"…Oh, yeah, good point." Hodge came down from Mightyena and gave Goh a less-risky handshake. Horace also got down from his Meganium and followed suit.
"Make yourselves comfortable, you two!" Ren told them.
Hodge was very quick to sit on the couch, while Horace approached Goh, wanting to catch up. "How have you been?"
"I'm doing fine. The professor said he wants to retire, so I suggested I could take his place as head researcher in the future. So now I'm training to make sure I do a good job."
"You're not going off on research trips across the regions anymore?"
"…Meh. It's not as fun without Ash." Goh commented. "What about you, Horace?"
Horace gave him a proud grin and took something out of his pocket. "Check this out!"
Goh's eyes widened in recognition. "A ranger badge! You actually did it!"
"That's right! I'm officially a Pokémon Ranger for the Johto region!" Horace explained. "Those days of staying ill in bed for weeks are gone!"
"I'm happy for you", Goh replied. "Hey, Hodge, what about you? Anything going on in your life?"
"Oh, you know, nothing much. I went to Ever Grande City to participate in the conference, but I ended up losing to some guy named, uh… Lint, I think?" Hodge scratched his head, trying to remember.
"Rinto?" Goh suggested.
"Yeah, that!"
"All those knocks to the head must be messing with his memory", Horace joked.
Hodge looked at him grumpily, but decided to ignore the lighthearted barb.
"I see you got yourself a new shoulder pokémon, Goh", he commented, pointing to the small bear clutching Goh's arm tightly.
"Oh, him?" Goh looked at his Kubfu with a small smile. "I got him during a visit to the Isle of Armor. He's still warming up to me, though!"
"You sure like small pokémon, I mean, between Scorbunny, Sobble, Grookey, Alcremie, Toxel and Hattena, this is, what, the seventh one?" Hodge commented, counting with his hands. "Speaking of tiny pokémon you're a fan of - here, take your birthday gift, already. Hope you like it, it cost me, like… all of my allowance."
Goh took the gift and sweatdropped. "It's, uh… very big and… Mew-shaped."
"Open it, open it!" Hodge exclaimed, rubbing his hands.
Goh unwrapped it, and sure enough, it was a huge Mew plushie, very fluffy to the touch. "Oh, wow. I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything, I just bought it to make up for how Mightyena ate your original Mew plushie."
"Well, thanks, anyway."
Then, it was Horace's turn to give him a gift. "Mine is not as cool or Mew-related as Hodge's", he said, half-jokingly, "But I hope you enjoy it regardless."
Horace handed him a small package, which Goh opened. "…A Celebi-shaped novelty watch! This is a very 'you' gift, Horace."
Horace laughed softly. "I know, right?"
Goh smiled at the two other boys. "It's nice to have you guys here", Goh remarked. "Reminds me of how I have friends all over the regions. One from Johto, one from Hoenn…"
"Well, you're just a very lovable little guy!" Horace stated.
"Hmm… speaking of love, where's Ash gone off to?" Hodge questioned. "You'd think he'd be here for his boy's party, right?"
Goh looked down at the floor. "I, uh… I didn't tell him about it."
"You WHAT?" Hodge yelled at him. "You stupid dork! Don't tell me you were afraid of bothering him, or something like that!"
"It's not that, I-"
Hodge immediately took his phone out of his pocket. "I'm messaging him right now! He can't be allowed to miss this!"
"But-" The words died in Goh's mouth. How could he tell them the actual reason?
"Cin-cin?" Cinderace muttered, wondering what was up with its trainer.
"That's weird", Ash commented upon seeing the message. "Goh wants me to visit him?"
It'd been two years since they broke up. Ash told him he wanted to challenge another pokémon league by himself, and they ended up getting into an argument about it.
But Ash wasn't deterred. He loved Goh, sure, but he wasn't going to give up his dream of being a pokémon master just to be with him.
Last he had heard of Goh, he was working hard with the goal of succeeding Professor Cerise as the owner of the Research Center. Ash was happy for him.
"What do you think, Pikachu?" He asked his mousey friend. "Should I go to Kanto for a while and see him?"
"Pikachu, Pika!"
"You're right, it wouldn't be like me to stand up one of my friends if they want to see me. I'll call for a taxi right away!"
It wasn't like he thought Goh hated him or anything like that, of course. But Goh did tell him he needed some distance in order to get over him, and Ash wanted to respect that.
What could be the reason for calling on him on such short notice, aside from wanting him to attend his birthday? Last time he went, it didn't really go so well.
It was his fault, really. Filling Goh's head with promises of spending their entire lives together when he didn't know he could fulfill them.
As soon as he was back in Kanto, Ash immediately ran off to Vermillion and asked Goh's parents where he was. They informed him that the party was being held in the Cerise Laboratory, so he headed there.
It had now been a few hours since the party started, but thankfully he was still on time. He even took a detour to get Goh a gift.
He knocked on the door and waited. Ren was the one who greeted him. "Oh, hey! Didn't expect you to come, Ash! But at the same time, I guess you'd always make time for Goh, huh?"
Before Ash could answer, Goh immediately ran in front of Ren and hissed, "Ash! Come here for a second, would you?"
"Uh… okay", Ash mumbled, letting Goh drag him by the arm into the kitchen, where they were by themselves.
Goh took several deep breaths and nervously started explaining what happened. "Okay, so I may have screwed up a little."
"Screwed up? What do you mean?"
"Well, you know how we broke up two years ago? I… kind of never told anyone about that."
"You never told anyone-"
"Ssssh!" Goh put his finger over Ash's mouth to shut him up. "Yes, I know it's stupid, okay?"
"But why wouldn't you tell anyone about us breaking up?"
"I just didn't have the courage, alright?" Goh stated defensively. "Imagine how pathetic it would have been!"
"So basically, the reason I'm here now", Ash concluded, "is because you didn't tell your friends about what happened with us, and that's why one of them messaged me to demand I come here?"
"…Pretty much, yeah", Goh confirmed, with a hint of embarrassment.
"You know, lots of people don't even have boyfriends", Ash stated. "There's really nothing wrong with lovers drifting apart because they had different priorities."
"I know, I know, but… I was doing so well. I was getting top grades in school even though I barely showed up. I completed several regions' worth of pokédexes. I guess I was ashamed I failed in the one area that mattered most to me at the time. That's why I never told anyone."
"So what do you want me to do, exactly?"
"I guess, uh… just keep to yourself for most of the party?" Goh suggested. "You don't have to pretend, just don't say anything that might indicate we're not dating anymore. I'll break the news to everyone soon, I promise."
"…Alright", Ash said, looking rather uncomfortable.
"For what it's worth, I know it was really idiotic of me to not tell anyone even after two years had passed", Goh commented with an apologetic tone.
"Nothing about you is idiotic, Goh." Ash replied. "I'm sorry things didn't work out between us."
Goh nodded, and the two ex-boyfriends returned to the lobby together. There, Rillaboom was hard at work making music on its drums for the guests, while Cinderace showed everyone its dancing moves.
Several new guests had showed up since Hodge had messaged Ash, including some of Ash's friends and, for some reason… Kricketina Kylie? That's a surprise.
"Yo, Ash!" Dawn waved at him. She was sitting next to Chloe and chatting happily with her.
Well, if nothing else, this would be a great opportunity to catch up with his friends, Ash thought. "Hi, guys!"
Goh and Ash sat down to talk with them. "I'm surprised you came on such short notice, Ash", Chloe commented.
"Well, I guess I, um…" Ash took a moment to think. "I sort of felt I had to be here."
"I would imagine you didn't want to miss Goh's special day, after all!" Dawn noted, winking at the pair.
"It's nice, being in a committed relationship with someone… knowing that you're in their thoughts, always", Chloe mused. "I'm glad you and I both have that now, Goh." Goh's eyes widened at the comment, and he tried not to think of how ironic it was.
Dawn put her hand on Chloe's shoulder. "I agree! When you're with your loved one, there's absolutely no need to worry!"
Goh coughed. "Sure took you two a long time to get there, though, didn't it?" He said, trying to change the subject to Dawn and Chloe's relationship so he didn't have to think about his and Ash's.
"Tell me about it… I ended up dating so many girls", Chloe replied with a small laugh. "Dawn, Regina, Serena, Lillie, even that Marnie girl from Galar. I guess I had to experiment with all the ones that caught my interest to see which one I liked best."
"Just like with your career!" Dawn noted in her typical chipper way.
Arceus, looking at the two of them was painful. Not because Goh or Ash were annoyed by them being a good couple, but more because they were a couple who had managed to work out their differences and stick together despite a few bumps in the road. And it was a reminder that they had both failed to do that.
Goh felt awkward, but he decided to continue making small talk with them, since they were his guests and all. "So, how are things going, Dawn? Won any contests lately?"
"Why, yes!" Dawn replied with a jovial smile. "In fact, I'm now Top Coordinator not just for Sinnoh, but Galar as well!"
"Wow, really?" Ash exclaimed. "I didn't know Galar had a contest circuit!"
"Yeah, they opened it just last year, and I knew I had to compete", Dawn replied. "If I don't try my best, I just know May's gonna leave me in the dust!"
Ash smiled at her. "Seems like everyone's working hard these days."
"Yeah, you included! Not even going steady with Goh kept you from running off and checking out a brand new region, huh?" Dawn commented.
Ash flinched. Dawn surely meant nothing with that remark, but it still made him feel guilty. "Y-Yeah, you know how it is. I still gotta become a Pokémon Master and all!"
"What even is a pokémon master, anyway?" Chloe asked out loud.
"I, um… I guess it's the trainer who's the best at everything?"
"So the World Champion, then?"
"Not necessarily! I mean, who knows what other challenges will be waiting for me once I finally win that title? I'm sure that can't be all there is to it!"
"How is your training going, then? Meet any new interesting pokémon in… where were you, again? Hedne? Narmes? Antoria?" Dawn asked, trying to remember where Ash said he went to.
"Tupama? Mohavo? Estelia? I forget, you've been to so many." Chloe commented.
"I guess I have, huh?" Ash laughed awkwardly. "I don't know, nothing much has been happening in my life, to be honest. It feels like…" There was a pregnant pause as Ash's eyes turned to look at Goh, "Like there's something missing. I don't know what it could be, though."
"Maybe you'd have more fun if you brought Goh with you?" Chloe suggested, yet again hitting the nail on the head without realizing it.
"Mmm", Ash and Goh both made what could best be described as 'uncomfortableness noises'.
Well, obviously this wasn't working at all. Ash got up from his seat. "Speaking of me and Goh, we should discuss a few things about our relationship in private, so if you girls don't mind-"
"Oh, it's totally fine! Don't worry about it", Dawn replied. "I'm sure you have lots to catch up on. Chloe, let's go outside and check on our pokémon. I'm sure Vaporeon, Flareon and Jolteon miss you!"
"Yeah, good idea!", Chloe replied, and they walked out of the room together, holding hands.
Ash and Goh went off to the kitchen so they could have a private conversation. Ash started talking first. "Uh, I think I should probably be leaving. I feel out of place here."
"No, please stay at least a while longer!" Goh said desperately. "It's going to look so weird if you leave after you just arrived!"
"Weren't you the one who said you didn't want to see me anymore on your last birthday?" Ash questioned.
"Yeah, I know I overreacted, okay? But that was because it had only been a couple of months since we agreed to stop dating, so I couldn't bear having you there, back then." Goh admitted. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, uh… even though I didn't even think of inviting you at first, I want us to still be friends."
Ash considered Goh's words. "It feels weird to have everyone act like we're still dating, though."
"You're right, and I'm really sorry about that", Goh told him. "I'm actually a bit surprised you never told any of your friends we weren't dating anymore, honestly."
"Yeah, the only one who knows is mom. I don't really tell my friends about any of the bad things that happen in my life", Ash explained. He scratched the back of his head. "Well, aside from you, I guess. But that was when we were still dating."
Goh felt like something heavy was pressing on his chest, and he didn't mean his binder. "This is uncomfortable for me too, you know. But we'll get through this together."
Ash looked at him with a puzzled expression. Goh realized how the wording sounded. "A-Ah! I didn't mean for it to come out sounding romantic like that!" He stammered, burying his face in his hands.
They went back to the living room, both of them too weirded out to say anything.
"Arceus almighty, look at those two", Chloe remarked to the other guests while had some drinks. "They look like they're in a funeral, not a birthday party!
Dawn looked at Goh and Ash, who were sitting together very quietly on the couch, looking down. Pikachu and Kubfu both looked severely bummed, too.
"You're right! They're not… breaking up, are they?"
"Oh, please, that's crazy talk", Chloe said dismissively. "Those two wouldn't break up if someone pointed a Hyper Beam at them and ordered them to. But it is weird…"
"If they do break up, tell Goh I'm available!" Kricketina yelled excitedly. Chloe gave her the stink-eye.
Horace put his hand on his chin, thinking of why Goh might be acting like this. "Maybe they're sad about not being able to spend as much time with each other lately?"
"Yeah, maybe…" Chloe agreed, looking at the pair with concern.
The party was winding down, and Goh still hadn't worked up the courage to confess his lie to his friends. "It's never not going to be awkward, huh?" He commented to Ash.
"Yeah… maybe I shouldn't have left."
"Maybe I shouldn't have pushed you away."
The two teenagers sighed in unison, thinking about their broken relationship. "To tell the truth, I think I was kind of… hoping you'd show up. Before Hodge called you. I was even disappointed when you weren't at the door." Goh admitted.
"Things haven't been the same without you, Goh", Ash admitted in turn.
"Then why did you leave?"
"I couldn't stay! I get antsy doing a single thing for too long, and I guess I decided being a research fellow wasn't for me. But honestly, I never meant for it to come off like I was breaking up with you."
"It still hurt really badly, though."
"And I totally get that! Because I said all those things about 'our future' and about how I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, a-and they were all true, but, um… I just didn't want to be tied down, you know?"
"And yet, you came back the moment you heard I wanted you here", Goh observed.
"…Yeah." Ash said quietly.
"I think we both aren't quite as 'over' each other as we really ought to be."
"I guess you're right. Otherwise you'd already be dating Horace!" Ash joked.
Goh laughed a little at the comment. It was probably the first time since Ash came here that the uncomfortableness subsided.
"Oh, right… I forgot, I brought you a gift, too… Here", Ash stated, taking out a small crystal from his pocket.
Goh's eyes sparkled at the sight. The crystal was a distinctive pink color and was glowed with an unearthly power. "W-What is this?"
"It's a Mewnium Z", Ash explained, looking at the gift sheepishly. "For… when you finally catch Mew."
"…Ash…" Goh whispered.
The two of them exchanged looks for a moment, and then, out of nowhere, Goh gave Ash a hug. "I'm so sorry I let you go."
Ash blushed at Goh's touch – something rather uncharacteristic for him – and replied. "I'm sorry I ran away. I'm sorry I thought I could live my life without you always being a part of it."
"If I ever catch Mew… I'm not going to be happy about it unless I have you by my side. I see that now", Goh stated, looking at the pink Z-Crystal. "It's no wonder I don't go on research trips anymore."
"I was going to give you that Z-Crystal first thing, but when you told me about the 'no one knows we're not dating' thing, I totally forgot!" Ash explained.
"Yeah, I can imagine… but uh, you know… maybe people don't really need to know?" Goh suggested, an idea forming in his head.
"What do you mean?"
"We could always try again", he explained. "I could try being more understanding of your needs. You could try to communicate with me better, and no one will ever need to know about the two years we lost. Would you… Would you like that?"
Ash smiled softly at him. "I would like that very much, actually."
They embraced again, Goh revelling in the feeling of being surrounded by Ash's strong arms. "I love you, my sweet little honeybun. Happy birthday." Ash whispered in Goh's ears.
"Heh, there you go with the food-based nicknames again", Goh teased. "…I love you too, you big lug."
They separated and rejoined the party, with all the guests pleased to see that whatever matter had been weighing on their minds had apparently been resolved.
"There you guys are!" Chloe noted when she saw them approach the rest of the group. "I was wondering when you two would snap out of that weird funk! What happened?"
"Oh, it was nothing, really", Ash told her. "Just had to reflect on our relationship a bit. Nothing that we couldn't settle with a short discussion, though."
"Just like how it's always been from the beginning, right?", Goh said as he and Ash shared a goofy grin. "That's why me and Ash are the greatest partners!"
"I'd say you're a little bit more than that, probably", Chloe snarked, which elicited a short laugh from Goh.
They spend a couple more minutes before Goh thanked them all for coming and sent them on their way, making sure to thank Hodge especially for his help with Ash.
"Thanks? All I did was message him, though…" Hodge replied, a little confused but happy that Goh was so grateful.
"Want to spend more time here?" Goh suggested to Ash.
"I think I should probably visit my mom. Tell her the good news."
"I get that. Make sure to come back, though!"
Ash nodded confidently. "I'll be here whenever you want me to be. I promise."
Goh waved him goodbye as well, and went to help Chrysa and Ren clean up the decorations.
"So, what did you think of your seventeenth birthday, Goh?"
Goh smiled a happier smile than any he'd had in a long time, and did not hesitate in replying, "It was amazing."
A.N. Well, I hope you enjoyed the second chapter set in the future, though it's at least a decade or so before Chapter 2.
And now I'll just dump all of my future headcanons and/or tidbits about this chapter here, because I have no self-control! :D
Horace is now a Pokémon Ranger, because he was always mocked for his frail disposition when he was young and wanted to prove that he could be capable and reliable if he tried hard enough, not to mention that he always liked the idea of protecting nature. He develops a rather flirtatious and mischievous personality which riles up Goh quite a bit (but a part of him does enjoy being called 'cuteness'.)
Chloe struggles with getting her life in order a lot as she grows up. Between her career and her troubles with relationships, she spends a lot of time depressed and unmotivated. Fortunately, she has several pokémon now to keep her company when she needs it, including a Flareon, Vaporeon and Jolteon trio that are her Eevee's offspring. The girls she mentions as having dated are her five most popular ships in the fandom, by the way.
The regions that are mentioned as having been visited by Ash are all named after fanmade regions, so look them up if you want to see some cool ideas and designs!
Goh's list of smol shoulder pokémon were taken from a few suggestions we made in the server in the past. Other ideas were a Sinnoh starter and one of the tiny legendaries, like the lake trio. He hasn't had any shoulder pokémon that weren't from Galar yet, though, so I went for consistency!
Now watch the anime give Goh a Kubfu earlier and make this non-canon /hj
Tomorrow (again, hopefully) is the final chapter: Journey! Thank you all for reading this far and putting up with my delays! I'll see you soon!