Day 7 – Journey
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage" – Lao Tzu
I'm late again, but I have good reason! I was dissatisfied with my original idea for today's story, so I decided to greatly expand it! As you can see, this is much bigger than any of the previous chapters, and hopefully the effort has been worth it.
Oh, a warning, one of the scenes features Goh crossdressing willingly, and convincing Ash to do the same. If the idea of such a thing bothers you, it's okay to skip it, as it's just a small part of the story.
As always, I hope you enjoy!
Goh stared at the calendar, appearing to be lost in thought. There was just something familiar about the date, but he couldn't quite place it. Something important had happened during it, though, he was sure of that much.
But important for who? Did it involve his parents? Chloe? Ash? A Pokémon he caught?
Was it the day he caught Scorbunny? It could be, that seemed important enough… but no, that didn't seem quite right.
Goh ran through all the events in his life he considered important to him. When he first sighted Mew, when he met Horace, when he met him again three years later, catching Scorbunny, their first mission together with the Ivysaur tower…
Wait… that's it! The day before that, when he and Ash met for the first time! It was exactly one year ago!
It was crazy to think that twelve months have gone by already. So much has happened, Goh can barely keep track of it all.
Fond memories started running through Goh's mind as he remembered their adventures. Their search for Mew only to end up finding Mewtwo. His first attempt at catching Zapdos, and Ash's funny 'riddle' about whether baths or food were more important. The Gulpincident.
He laughed as he remembered how hard he blushed when he saw Ash fearlessly defending the Ivysaur. Thank Arceus Ash wasn't staring at his face back then!
Not to mention how he so brashly declared that he 'accepted Ash as his friend', and how quickly that confidence crumbled the moment he felt like he had screwed up. Thankfully Ash didn't see it as a problem… Well, Ash very rarely saw anything he did as a problem.
Speaking of Ash, he was looking at Goh very curiously and wondering why he seemed so fascinated by the calendar page on the wall. "Goh? Why are you staring at that calendar? Is everything okay?"
Goh turned to him and asked, with a very pleased smile, "Ash, do you know what day it is today?"
Ash started sweating. "O-Oh, no! Is it our anniversary already? I'm so sorry I forgot!"
"No Ash, we only started dating a few months ago, remember?" Goh corrected.
"…The anniversary of when we met?" Ash conjectured, looking more and more nervous.
"Bingo!"
"Yay, I got it right!" Ash shouted victoriously. "Second try!"
"Why were you so worried?"
"Well, you know", Ash started to explain, "In all the movies and shows, whenever your SO asks you if you remember what day it is, it always ends poorly!"
Goh laughed in response. "You know, you're right! But that only applies to bad boyfriends. You're a good boyfriend, so I knew you'd remember!"
"Awww", Ash cooed. "Thanks, honey. But what are we going to do to celebrate this special day?"
"I was thinking… why only a day? Why not… an entire week?"
Ash gasped. "An entire week?! But won't you get tired?"
"I just feel like, with us, we didn't have just the one special day. It's more like every day with you has been a special day unto itself!" Goh declared. "So I'm saying that a single day can't possibly be enough to contain all the memories we've shared!
Ash nodded excitedly, reminding Goh of a little doggy who was just told he could visit his favorite park. "Yeah, yeah, that makes sense! What do you think we should do today, then?"
"Why won't we discuss it over, say… dinner?" Goh asked coyly, batting his eyelashes at Ash.
"…But it's still morning." Ash pointed out.
Goh looked flustered. "I was, uh… That was flirting. I was trying to flirt."
"…Oh. But why, though? We're already boyfriends, right?"
"…Let's discuss it over lunch, then", Goh finally said, exasperated at his clueless beau.
Lunchtime was one of Ash's favorite times of day. There were three things he loved the most out of everything in the world, and those were Pokémon, food, and Goh. So eating food while spending time with his pokémon and Goh? Why, it was practically heaven for him!
"Thank goodness we're still on our holiday break", Goh observed. "The entire world is our Cloyster!"
"Mmghpeh", Ash agreed incoherently, due to all the food in his mouth.
Goh narrowed his eyes at him. Ash may be the kindest and most considerate person in the entire world (in Goh's unbiased opinion), but he has worse table manners than a Mankey!
Ash quickly swallowed after he noticed. "Sorry, dear. It was just too tasty!"
Sweatdropping, Goh called the waited and asked for the bill, since they had both finished. "Anyway, I was wondering what sort of things you might enjoy doing with me besides going on adventures. Do you have anything in particular that comes to mind?"
Ash pondered the question as carefully as he could. "…Would it be too unhelpful to say I'd enjoy anything as long as I'm with you?"
Goh blushed and smiled awkwardly. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I don't want to just do whatever I feel like doing, you know? Because you and me both have different interests, and all…"
"I get that. This is tough!" Ash remarked, crossing his arms. "Hmm… Hmmm… I know! Why don't we go to a theme park?"
Goh raised his eyebrow, surprised at the suggestion. "A theme park? Where would we even find one?"
"There's one in Nimbasa City!"
"Oh. Well, since Unova is quite far away, let's save that one for another day, okay?"
"Ah, darn! And it was a good idea, too!" Ash griped. "Well, since this is to celebrate our first meeting, why don't each pick three for the other six days? That way it's equal!"
"Alright, then. So for today, how about we go visit this arcade I know? It's very fun!" Goh suggested.
"An arcade?"
"Yeah! It's a place where you can play on arcade game machines and other things like that!"
"Oh, yay! I love games!" Ash cheerfully declared. "Let's go, then!" He took Goh's hand and told him to lead the way. "Here's hoping it's better than that so-called 'Game Corner' in Celadon. Hmph!"
Day 1: The Arcade
Visiting this arcade (which was called simply 'Vermillion Arcade' for whatever reason) felt very nostalgic to Goh. His parents always took him here, gave him enough money to play on any game as much as he wanted, and went off to take care of something else in the city.
His eyes surveyed the arcade, trying to find something good for a beginner like Ash. "How about… Lost on the Island of Pokémon? It's a fun two-player game I think you might enjoy!"
"Island of Pokémon? I'm in!" Ash said with a glint in his eye.
Goh grinned at him. Ash was definitely a predictable person, but in a way, that's what made him so lovable. He was simple, uncomplicated. Not unlike a pokémon, in some ways.
He lead his boyfriend to the Island of Pokémon cabinet, and handed him the controller. The game told a story through its cutscenes of a struggling couple who get trapped in an island filled with hostile pokémon.
Ash yawned as he waited for the cutscene to finish. "Is this a movie or a video game?"
"Ash, most video games aspire to be more than simply interactive mediums for entertainment nowadays. They also want to connect with the player on an emotional level! It's the perfect blend of interactivity with storytelling!" Goh said, letting himself geek out about modern games for a moment.
Ash shrugged. "Well, back when me and Gary were little, we played Speedy the Luxray 3 together all the time and I don't remember that game taking so long to get to the story!"
Goh huffed. "Don't you feel the emotion of Ned and Sasha, forced to survive in this dangerous place and work together while trying to save their failing marriage?" He protested, pointing toward the game screen.
"Oh, that's what was happening?" Ash asked, genuinely surprised. "I… wasn't paying attention. Sorry, haha!"
Goh was about to argue more, but just then, the cutscene stopped and gameplay started, forcing him to switch gears and instruct Ash on how to play. "Okay, Ash, in this part you gotta aim with the controller to catch all the Galvantulas before they hit you! Go, quickly or they're gonna hit the jeep!"
"Oh!" Ash was startled by Goh's sudden order, but he adapted fast, aiming and throwing as many pokéballs as he could.
As soon as the section with the Galvantulas was over, they were immediately beset by a swarm of Flygon, and their jeep crashes. "Why couldn't we just catch the Flygons like we were doing with the Galvantulas?"
"That was a scripted event, Ash. We couldn't do anything about it", Goh explained. Ash looked rather confused, but nodded.
The duo continued to go through the game, with Ash slowly getting better thanks to Goh's instructions. "I think I'm starting to realize why you like this game", said Ash after capturing the 600th or so pokémon that attacked them.
Finally, they manage to reach the final boss – a Gigantamaxed Butterfree – after several hours of playtime. "This is it, Ash! If we manage to catch this one, we'll get to see the ending! Cover me while I try to catch it!"
"Roger Wilco!" Ash replied with a salute, as though Goh was a drill instructor or other authority figure.
With expert teamwork, Ash rode on a Charizard and tried to get the Butterfree's attention, while Goh did what he did best in-game (as well as in real life), which was launch pokéballs to capture pokémon.
Finally, after pelting the Butterfree with enough Pokéballs, the game started the ending cutscene, where it broke free and attacked the protagonists one last time before finally being locked inside a Master Ball for good.
"Waste of a Master Ball, but that's why it's a video game!" Goh observed. "Now let's see our compatibility score."
"Compatibility score?"
"Yeah, the game scores you based on how well your worked together during the levels."
Ash and Goh waited with bated breath, until the game finally awarded them with a 96% compatibility rating and the comment 'you couldn't meet a better partner if you tried!'
"Hurray!" Ash shouted. "We did it, Goh! And the game even complimented us!"
Goh put down the controller and struck a confident pose. "Heh, I bet your 'Speedy the Luxray' didn't have that!"
"What next?"
"Hmm. Well, to be honest, we should probably head back home now. I'm bushed!" Goh admitted. "But we can always come back here some other time. I would love to see if we could beat Metal Slugma Y together!"
"Metal Slugma? Is that some regional variant of Slugma I don't know about?"
"No, it's sort of a tank thing? Though knowing you, you might prefer something like Drilbur Dungeons Arcade…"
"I'm willing to try whichever one you think is best!" Ash replied with a cute smile. "But now I'm the one who has to think of what we'll do tomorrow, huh?"
"Yep."
"Uhh… how about… going on a picnic?"
"Sounds good to me!" Goh replied. "Let's go back home and rest, then."
Day 2: The Picnic
"Ahhh, the sun feels so nice today", Ash remarked as he lay peacefully on the grass.
Goh nodded, before turning to face his pokémon. "Let's hope certain individuals don't get… ideas… about what to do with our food." He said, glaring at Grookey and Greedent specifically. They cowered under his gaze.
They decided to have the picnic in Cerise Park, a natural setting for such an activity. Ash let all his pokémon out as well, which proved to be a somewhat-detrimental decision, as Dracovish was now racing Arctozolt for some reason Goh could not decipher, and making a lot of noise.
"Cut it out, Dracovish! You're gonna break something!"
"You too, Arctozolt!"
"Draakk…" Dracovish nodded sadly, while Arctozolt simply sniffled in response.
Cinderace and Lucario were sparring together, while Alcremie and Raichu helped provide food for everyone. It was a quiet and relaxing experience.
"This was definitely a good choice for a date", Goh told Ash. "Just us and our pokémon, relaxing without a care in the world."
"I had lots of picnics with my friends back in my 'travel across whole regions' days!" Ash explained. "That's how I learned to be such a good cook!"
Goh looked at Ash's proud expression and sweatdropped. "I-I don't think anyone could teach how to cook the way you do, honestly…"
"Really?" Ash looked overjoyed. "Am I so good at cooking you can't picture anyone else measuring up to my level?"
"I suppose…" Goh mumbled, remembering the paradoxically-good cake Ash made for that competition in Galar.
"What are we waiting for, then? Let's chow down!" Ash exclaimed, opening his picnic basket. "Oh boy, oh boy! Scones, sandwiches, jelly-filled dunuts – you remembered all my favorites!"
"And you doubted?" Goh bragged. "Only the best for my boyfriend!"
"I love it when you say it like that", Ash said in a fawning tone. "I'll start with the scones first!"
Goh opened his own picnic basket and started eating as well. After they were done, Goh and Ash simply sat together on the Park's grassy fields and gazed at the clouds.
Ash pointed at one of the clouds and commented, "That one looks like a Scorbunny!"
"Eh?" Goh looked at the cloud in question. "It kind of does, doesn't it? But if you look at it a different way, it also looks like a Farfetch'd."
"A Farfetch'd? Hm… I can't see it."
"Yeah! If you see the 'ears' as a bill instead, it becomes a Farfetch'd!"
"Ooooh", Ash exclaimed. "It's true! You're so perceptive."
Goh smiled warmly at Ash's praise. The two of them stayed silent for a while, basking in the peaceful atmosphere of the park.
Night fell surprisingly quickly, and Ash and Goh switched from comparing the shapes of clouds to finding the constellations in the sky. Before Goh knew it, Ash had fallen asleep, so he carried him back to their room while trying not to wake him up.
Day 3: Movie Marathon
This one was Goh's idea, of course, though he let Ash make requests for what movies he wanted to see. They went to Goh's apartment to watch them, since it had a bigger tv screen.
Not surprisingly, most of Ash's favorite movies were aimed at very young kids, and Goh had trouble getting into them. Ash also had trouble with Goh's choice of movies, which were usually complicated sci-fi or fantasy stories that Goh had to pause often to explain to him, but both of them felt that spending time together made up for it.
"I love this one!" Ash exclaimed when they got to his favorite childhood movie, 'Calamity Clefairy'.
Goh cringed at the type of comedy in the movie. The Clefairy was constantly hungry, and the voice actor for the main character's pikachu sounded too deep. Why didn't they just hire a real Pikachu to play that part?
"This movie's old, okay?" Ash stated defensively. "They weren't allowed to use actual pokémon back then!"
"Why do you know so many old movies?"
"They were the only ones they showed in the theatre where I grew up", Ash explained.
"Oh", Goh nodded in understanding. He still had to remember sometimes that Ash didn't have the same kind of wealthy upbringing that he did. "Don't worry, that's why this is a great opportunity for you to see some real classics! I-"
Goh interrupted his speech when he saw the Clefairy in the movie stealing a burger from a wild Teddiursa. "Teddiursa don't eat burgers, you FOOLS!" He practically screeched at the television screen.
"C-Calm down, honey! It's just a movie, relax!" Ash pleaded, holding Goh by the shoulders.
"They're presenting inaccurate facts, though!"
"The Teddiursa is talking and you're complaining about what it eats?" Ash pointed out.
Goh stopped in his tracks and looked embarrassed. "I guess you're right. Sorry!"
"Well, personally, I'm just glad you care about pokémon so much now! You've come a long way from where you started."
"Yeah…" Goh muttered, thinking about how he used to act when he was younger.
'I don't want a normal starter, I want Mew! I'm cool enough to deserve a special pokémon like that, yeah?'
"Now I understand that all pokémon are cool!" Goh declared. "Even if I'll still catch that pink cat the moment I see it."
"I know you can do it, dear", Ash replied, cuddling up to Goh as the movie drew to a close.
"Well, that's it for Calamity Clefairy. Now it's my turn to pick a movie!" Goh proudly lifted up a case with the next movie inside. "After all this time, I'm finally getting you to watch Spy and Sidekick!"
"INTEL?!" Suddenly, a slender blue lizard pokémon appeared inside Goh's bedroom, without Goh or Ash having ever noticed its arrival
Goh stared at his new guest with an unusual lack of surprise. "You can watch it with us too, Inteleon!"
"Oh, good idea!" Ash remarked. "We should bring our pokémon here to watch it with us, too!"
"I don't know", Goh put on his hand to his chin, thinking about it. "I kind of wanted it to be just us, this time."
"Intel", the Secret Agent Pokémon said with a wink to its trainer, leaping behind the cough and turning invisible.
"…I guess that's close enough", Goh commented, chuckling at the display.
"I hope you like the movie, Inteleon!" Ash said, waving into a random direction.
"…Ash, he's not there – oh, nevermind." Goh mumbled, knowing that Ash was probably just doing that to be funny and weird. He liked doing that.
He put the movie disc on the player and sat down with Ash. Ultimately, Ash enjoyed the movie, which pleased Goh quite a bit, though he did say he thought it needed more comedy.
Day 4: Hiking and Climbing
When Ash suggested climbing Mount Moon together, Goh balked at the idea. "Are you crazy?" He asked. "Look at my hands! These aren't climbing hands!"
"Oh come on, I'd never let you fall!" Ash said, encouragingly. "Don't you trust me?"
"I-I guess…"
"Besides, there's a surprise when we get to the top! You just gotta be brave enough to get there!"
Now this piqued Goh's interest. What kind of surprise did Ash have in store?
They headed off to Mount Moon together, with Ash carrying the bulk of the climbing equipment.
Goh wasn't familiar with the area, so he stayed close behind Ash and let him guide the way. Mount Moon was quite a distance away from Vermillion, but thankfully Ash made stops whenever they got to a new city (usually to buy more food).
When they finally did arrive, it was almost evening. "I hope we get there in time for the thing!" Ash stated mysteriously.
"Thing? What thing?"
"You know… the thing!" Ash repeated with a knowing grin, gesturing for Goh to start climbing the mountain.
Goh gulped. What exactly was so romantic about hurting your hands trying to climb a mountain?
Nevertheless, he complied, both to impress Ash and also because he was curious. He started climbing soon after Ash did, following close behind him to be safe.
There were a few times Goh almost slipped and panicked, but Ash was quick to notice. "It's okay, Goh! If your hands slip, you can use the rope!" He reassured.
Goh nodded mutely. This was so tiring! Whatever surprise Ash was thinking of when they got to the top, it had better be worth it!
Finally, though Goh was practically gasping for breath by that point, he just barely managed to reach the summit. He felt quite proud of himself for having managed to do so. Sure, Ash looked completely unaffected by the climb, but at least Goh did pretty good, too!
"Okay Ash. We're here. Now what's this 'thing' you keep mentioning?"
Ash grinned at him, and pointed at a small pond. "Come over there and look at the reflection!" He ran to the pond's location, and Goh followed.
Looking at the pond, Goh was shocked to see the reflection of the full moon there, even though there wasn't supposed to be a full moon until a little over two weeks from now! How was this possible? He looked up at the sky, and indeed, there were plenty of stars, but no moon at all.
He looked at Ash, wondering if he knew anything about this. "It is said that after Mount Moon was hit by a meteorite, this little miracle happens every night. No matter how much the moon is covered, the waters here always show its full size!"
"That's amazing… I wonder if…" Goh approached the pond before noticing two small Clefairy looking at him and Ash cautiously.
The Clefairy immediately ran away, leaving behind a small rock. "What's this?" Goh asked.
"I think they just gave you a gift!" Ash commented, smiling.
Goh picked up the rock and examined it. "Hey, this is a Moon Stone, nice! I could use this to evolve my Nidorans when they become a Nidorino and Nidorina! This trip was worth it."
"Hey, why don't we take a picture in front of the pond?" Ash suggested. "Make sure to get the moon's reflection!"
"Good idea! Okay, stand next to me so that the moon is right between us", Goh instructed. "Now say Shinx!"
"Shinxxxx!"
Goh clicked his phone's camera button and took the picture. "I can't wait to show this to everyone on my Rookidee page. They'll be so confused!"
"Now we should probably climb down", Ash noted.
Goh looked fearful. "D-Do we have to?"
Ash took his hand and dragged him to where they had originally climbed from. "What are you so scared of?" He teased.
"I'm not scared so much as exhausted", Goh explained.
"Oh. Do you want me to carry you?"
"Carry me? Ash, are you sure you can climb and hold my weight at the same time?"
"More than sure!" Ash stated emphatically.
"Okay… I trust you, Ash."
Ash looked happy. "Giddy up!"
Goh sheepishly allowed Ash to carry him on his back the rest of the way down.
Were anyone to see him now, being carried by his boyfriend like a child, Goh would be mortified. But there was something nice about having Ash take care of him like this.
Also, wow, is Ash crazy strong or what?
Day 5: Trying New Outfits
"Come onnnn…"
"No!"
"You know you're gonna love it!"
"I'm not!" Ash was practically running up the walls, trying to get as far away from the dress as possible. "Why does this always happen to me?"
"You've worn a dress before? That's good! It means you have experience!" Goh remarked, half-teasingly.
Ash sighed. "Do I really have to…?"
"Hey, you did let me pick the activity for today, remember?" Goh pointed out. "So today we're going to do our best to look stylish! And I want to see if you're good at wearing a dress or not!"
"Because I'm a boy! I'm not supposed to wear dresses!" Ash retorted.
"Says who? Your friends? Your parents?"
Ash thought about it. Come to think of it, he couldn't really remember anyone mocking him for wearing a dress before. If anything, most of them said he looked great in them. But still, something about it made him feel hesitant.
Goh put his hand on his boyfriend's shoulder. "It's okay, Ash. No one aside from Alcremie is going to see."
"Alcrem!" The small pokémon chirped.
Ash stared at it with frustration. "What is it doing here, anyway?"
"Since getting Alcremie, I've discovered it's great at decorations! Not just cake, but pokémon and people, too! So she's gonna help me make you look good!"
"What about you?"
"I'll be crossdressing too, of course", Goh explained. "I like doing it from time to time. So think of this as me sharing one of my private hobbies with you, okay, honey?"
Ash smiled at the thought, and it seemed he was a little more amenable to the idea now. "Okay. Let's do this!"
It was a very laborious process, and Ash was briefly reminded of why he never liked letting his mom pick his clothes for him. Goh went the full nine yards with Ash's new look – a pink wig, several ribbons courtesy of Alcremie, and a nice blue dress with a frilly skirt.
"I look like a milk maid", Ash groused.
"Oh, Ashley, don't be so down on yourself!" Goh teased. He too, was now wearing an elaborate outfit, namely a short dark-red dress worn under a white furcoat, elegant black ballet shoes, and a hair weave to make him have pigtails.
Ash did admit, his heart skipped a beat at seeing what Goh looked like. His mind was in a different place, though. "It's Ashlee!" He corrected.
"Huh?"
"I'm wearing a pink wig, right?" Ash pointed out. "If I'm wearing a pink wig, I'm Ashlee, with emphasis on the second syllable! If I wear a blonde wig, that's when people can call me Ashley!"
Goh sweatdropped. "For someone who said they didn't like crossdressing, you sure have strong opinions about it."
Ash blushed and looked embarrassed. "Y-Yeah… it does kind of… feel good. You know?"
"Oh, it's great! Transcending the barriers between genders, proving you really can look stunning no matter what outfit you wear – there's nothing like it!" Goh exclaimed, looking very excited. "It's really too bad I can't do it in public, though."
Ash looked at his finely-dressed boyfriend, still blushing. "You look beautiful, Goh… uh, what should I call you?"
"Just Goh is fine."
"Care to give a dance while we're dressed like this?"
"Any time, mademoiselle", Goh replied, showing off one of the few Kalosian words he knew.
They took one another's hands and started dancing slowly. They couldn't do anything crazy since the room was rather small, but it was enjoyable regardless. Alcremie clapped as they finished.
"Oh, that felt great. Though I'm not sure I was a fan of all the headbutts", Goh commented, rubbing his head.
"Sorry!" Ash apologized, bowing. His wig fell of his head as a result. "Oh, whoops."
"Eh, it's alright. We should probably put our normal outfits back on, anyway."
"I'm glad you didn't judge me or try to make me wear a dress just to make fun of me, though." Ash said.
"Same here! The only reason why I even thought to do this is because I knew you wouldn't get weirded out!" Goh replied. "Being around you for so long has made me realize I don't have to be scared to be myself with you."
"Awww! That's so nice!" Ash noted, smiling warmly. "I'm glad I have that effect on you. And I want you to know the feelings is mutual."
Goh smiled back, and they wordlessly move closer and gave one another a hug.
Day 6: Playing Twister
"I played this game with Gary all the time", Ash commented as he put down the twister mat.
"I'd appreciate if you wouldn't mention your ex-boyfriend (who is my current rival, not to mention) so frequently."
"It's hard to do that when I've had so many!"
"How does it work?" Goh asked, staring at the mat with confusion. He'd never seen this game before.
"We stand on opposite sides of the mat. Then, the referee calls out a body part as well as a color, and we have to touch the colored circle that corresponds to that with said body part!" Ash explained. "Chloe here will be our referee."
"I hate the fact that you called me here to sit and bark out orders while you two have fun, by the way", Chloe stated, looking unimpressed.
"Don't be like that, Chloe! Think of it this way, it'll be just like that time with the Diglett farm!" Ash replied jovially.
"I guess…" Chloe mumbled, then sat down in front of them and picked up the spinner. "You boys get ready, okay?"
"Pikapi, Pika!" Pikachu cheered for its trainer, holding pom-poms it found who-knows where.
"Grookey, grookey?" Goh's little green monkey stared at the mat with a look of curiosity and excitement. He pointed at the mat and ran in its direction to join the game when Goh stopped him.
"Sorry, Grookey! You're too small to play twister. You understand, right?"
"Grrrrrookey…" Grookey grumbled angrily and crossed its arms, walking away.
"I really need to teach Grookey that he can't always get what he wants", Goh mused aloud. "I've been spoiling him too much."
Goh and Ash positioned themselves in the proper locations, one foot in a yellow circle and the other in a blue circle.
Chloe spun the spinner and called out "Left foot, red!" Goh and Ash immediately moved their left feet into a red circle.
"This is kind of an awkward position", Goh commented.
"That's the point! And remember, whoever falls first loses!" Ash told him.
"Right foot, blue!" Goh and Ash continue the game, placing their feet in a blue circle now.
"Left hand, yellow!" This time, the two boys had to crouch down and reach the corresponding circles.
"Now this feels really awkward", Goh stated once again.
"Right hand, blue!" Chloe called out. Ash and Goh both moved toward a circle of that color, and Ash was forced to reach over Goh in order to get to his.
"Hey! What kind of game is this?!" Goh protested.
"We gotta use every strategy at our disposal, Goh!"
Goh made an annoyed 'tch' noise, while Chloe called another circle-body part combination. "Left hand, red!"
Goh and Ash stared at the remaining red circles. "Oh, dear…" Goh muttered as he realized the kinds of cortortions he'd have to do to get to them.
"We have to… fight on!" Ash groaned as he stretched himself as hard as he could. Goh did the same, bending over backwards to get his hand to a red circle without removing his other limbs from where they were.
"Left foot, red!"
"W-Whaa?" Goh gulped as he tried to think of a way to complete the order in a way that wouldn't put him in an embarrassing position.
In the end, of course, he failed. In the process of trying to get his left foot where it needed to be, he ended up tripping Ash, who somehow fell onto Goh's lap as a result.
"Owww!" Goh yelped as he felt Ash's weight hitting him. "Oh… sorry, Ash!"
"It's okay", Ash replied, dusting himself off. "That's what this game is for, after all!"
"You mean making people do weird contortions and embarrass themselves to their friends?" Chloe asked aloud. "You may be right."
"NEXT ROUND!" Ash suddenly shouted, surprising both Goh and Chloe. "I'm gonna win this time, I'm sure of it!"
It was at that moment that Grookey arrived again, this time followed by Cinderace and Lucario, who looked a little confused. "Grookey, Grookey!" It repeated, pointing its stick at the two tangled-up trainers in front of them.
"What's it doing now?" Chloe asked.
"I think it's telling Cinderace and Lucario to 'avenge him', or something", Goh speculated.
"It called its tall brothers to play in its place! How cute!" Ash cooed.
Lucario looked particularly displeased, but Cinderace just nodded happily at him, pointing at the determined Grookey. They approached their respective trainers and put them on the same side of the twister mat, while they took their places on the other side.
"Oh, you guys are challenging us? Bring it on!" Ash declared.
"Alright! This sounds way more fun than just competing with Ash!" Goh remarked. "I hope nothing embarrassing happens this time…"
"If it does, can I take a picture?" Chloe joked.
"Chloe… NO." Goh replied imperiously.
By the end of the evening, Goh felt like some kind of contortionist, and there were many, many occasions where he and Ash had gotten tangled up together like some kind of human knot. Grookey seemed to completely forget its anger at being left out, and was now just cheering for all the participants instead.
Chloe took no less than three pictures of the proceedings. Goh looked grumpy, but he just shrugged and claimed he was happy she was having fun in her own way.
The foursome, along with Grookey, exited Goh's apartment and headed back to the lab. "Cin-Cin…" Cinderace muttered tiredly.
"Lucario…" Ash's Lucario concurred.
"That was a bit tiring, but it was fun!" Goh commented. "I guess we could call it a double date."
"Luca?" Lucario looked shocked at the suggestion. Cinderace put his hands on Lucario's shoulder and started rubbing his cheek.
"Don't deny it, Lucario!" Ash teased his pokémon. Lucario grunted in response.
"You know, they remind me of us!" Goh stated. "You know, before we actually started dating."
"Yeah, you were always saying stuff like 'I'm not in love with Ash, I just like admiring him from afar!' and all."
"I never said such a thing!" Goh protested, his cheeks reddening.
"Your face tells me otherwise."
"Arceus… you can be so infuriating sometimes, you know that?"
"Only because I know you so well", Ash teased, his voice filled with pride.
"Heh… I guess you do, huh?"
It was interesting, being loved so wholeheartedly by someone else, Goh thought. He probably would never understand what Ash saw in him, but that didn't matter. It was enough that he did see something good and worthy of his love, and that in itself made Goh feel more confident in himself.
"I wouldn't mind doing this again, honestly. Though we probably should let Chloe play next time", he suggested.
"It couldn't be helped. You can't play Twister with just two people, after all! You need the referee!"
"I just pray to Arceus that she never posts those pictures anywhere", Goh commented.
"I bet we looked cute in them, though."
"Once again, Ash… I'm handsome, not cute." Goh reproached, though it was just out of habit at this point.
It didn't take much longer for them to get to the Cerise Laboratory after that. Goh and Ash put their pokémon back in their respective pokéballs (minus Grookey and Pikachu, of course), and headed off to sleep in their room.
As soon as Ash and Goh returned to their shared bedroom, they were quite happy to lie in their beds and not move for a long, long time. After all, the game was very strenuous and they needed lots of energy for the last day of their celebration week.
Speaking of which…
Day 7: Theme Park
"Well, we're here!" Ash announced. "The Nimbasa City amusement park! I wonder if they've added any new attractions since I was last here?"
"Oh boy, an amusement park", Goh stated with an attempt at a neutral expression. "Packed full of people, too…"
"If you ever feel too nervous, we can go back! I won't mind."
"No way!" Goh retorted. "We came all the way here, I'm not backing out just because it's crowded! Not to mention it was the first location we decided on!"
"You sure?"
"Yeah! What's a little nervousness compared to spending time with you?" Goh remarked, smiling confidently, or as confident as he could.
"Let's put that to the test, then!" Ash exclaimed. "Hall of Mirrors, here I come!"
"Whoa! Ash, don't pull my hand that hard!"
"Whoops! Sorry, hon."
Visiting the Hall of Mirrors, Ash was awed at the number of different reflections. "This one makes us fat, and this one makes us thin! And this one makes us waaavy", He told Goh, wiggling his arms as he got to the wavy mirror.
"It's the shape of the mirrors that cause all these unusual reflections, of course!" Goh explained, looking smug.
"Oh… really?" Ash questioned, touching one of the mirrors and feeling its shape. "I just thought they were portals to different worlds, and those guys in the mirror were alternate mes."
"Ash, that's…" Goh was about to say 'that's ridiculous', but he realized if he did, Ash would probably just relate some anecdote about how he met an alternate reality version of himself in a mirror once, and it would somehow end up being true. Goh had heard so many of those stories, he could tell when one was coming.
After they got bored with the hall of mirrors, Ash looked around to see what else they could. "How about the Musical Theater? I hear they have a new show starring a Pyroar that's getting really good reviews!"
"Eh…", Goh said with a shrug. "I feel like doing something a little more active today."
"Hah, all those physical activities I made you do paid off!" Ash boasted, half-jokingly. "Then how about trying out the rollercoaster, to get the blood pumping? And then we end the day with a ride on the couples' ferris wheel!"
Goh nodded. "Sounds good to me!"
Ash led him to the roller coaster and bought two tickets for it. "This coaster used to be part of the local gym!" Ash recalled. "But then Elesa moved it to a different location, so now it's just a regular attraction."
"Elesa?"
"Yeah, I fought her once! You can see her on that billboard over there." Ash said, pointing at a billboard advertising Elesa's fashion agency.
Goh looked in its direction. "Nice outfit", he commented, admiring Elesa's stylish – if rather revealing – clothes. "She doesn't seem like the kind of gym leader who would put a rollercoaster inside her gym, does she?"
"Yeah, that never made much sense to me. But that's why we can't underestimate this rollercoaster! It was made for gym challengers, so it's bound to be… well, challenging!"
"Oh, I'm sure we'll be fine", Goh stated nonchalantly. "I don't plan on losing my composure just because of a simple amusement park attraction!"
Unfortunately for Goh, plans rarely survive contact with the enemy. He was screaming and screeching the whole way.
"YEEEEEARGH!" Like so.
Meanwhile, Ash's exclamations were more along the lines of "WOO-HOO!" or "This is great!"
The rollercoaster went around and around, going in all sorts of crazy directions, until finally stopping for good and letting all the guests out.
Goh did have to admit, seeing all the park's beautiful lights from up above was quite a dazzling sight… but still, he wished he wasn't feeling so nauseous right about now.
"Phew! That was nuts!" Ash said nonchalantly.
"Yeah, tell me about it…"
"Want to take a break for a while? We can buy some cotton candy!"
"A break sounds nice… though I'll pass on the cotton candy", Goh replied. "I'm feeling rather queasy after that one."
"Okay!"
They sat down on a bench and Goh watched Ash scarf down a few cotton candies… well, not a few, more like a lot.
"If you eat any more of those, they'll rot your teeth!"
"I'll take it under advisement", Ash joked. "Okay, now we go to the ferris wheel! It's a very romantic spot! Only couples are allowed to ride on it."
"Sounds like the perfect place to end our week of dates on", Goh remarked.
"Right?" Ash replied, and they shared a doofy grin before heading off to where the ferris wheel was located in the park.
It was quite an impressively-sized ferris wheel, now that Goh was looking at it from the front. "I wonder how high up it goes?"
"C'mon, let's go in!" Ash insisted.
They took their seats inside one of the ferris wheel's cabins and waited for it to raise them to the top. "I wonder why it's called a ferris wheel?" Ash questioned aloud.
"Some guy named Ferris came up with it, I think?" Goh tried to answer.
Ash and Goh stayed there for a while. Goh thought it was easier to admire all the lavish attractions in the park from here, as opposed to the Ferris Wheel.
When they got to the top, the wheel stopped in place. "Kind of spooky to stay suspended like this, huh?" Ash mused.
"A little, yeah. But when I'm with you, it's hard to be scared", Goh replied, poking Ash's face affectionately.
"Am I really that incredible?" Ash wondered.
"The most incredible thing about you is how you keep insisting you're a normal kid despite all the insane thing you've done and keep doing!" Goh told him.
"Hey, I am a normal kid! Just a normal kid… who's died multiple times and also saved the world multiple times… and is technically champion of two regions now… okay, I see your point."
"I'm the one who hasn't done anything noteworthy yet", Goh remarked. "But with you by my side, I'm sure I can achieve whatever future I envision!"
Ash smiled in response. "Aw shucks, no need to praise me that much. I know you can accomplish anything you set your mind to, with or without me!"
"Oh, I know… but with you, it's gonna be way more fun!" The two boyfriends laughed warmly together at Goh's remark.
The ferris wheel started going back down. "It's been one heck of a week, hasn't it?" Goh observed, thinking back on all the things they did. "I did things with you I never thought I'd ever do with anyone, or even by myself!"
"Well, to be honest, so did I, with that day we crossdressed together. Not that I don't have plenty of experience with that, for whatever reason", Ash noted. "But really, it's been one heck of a year since we met!"
"Sure has! Ever since we went on that ride atop that Lugia…"
"And after that, when we went to save those Ivysaur and you blushed like a tomato because of how brave I was!" Ash commented with a teasing grin.
"YOU SAW THAT?" Goh shrieked.
"I'm not as oblivious as I look, Goh!" Ash replied, smiling in a playful manner.
"Oh, Arceus almighty… did you know all this time?"
"Know what?" Ash asked curiously.
"That day, um… I think that was the day I fell in love with you." Goh explained, rubbing the back of his head bashfully.
"Really?"
"Well, I'm not sure, I'm no good with these mushy feelings you give me", Goh said half-jokingly, half-seriously. "But I think that was the start of it, yeah. Maybe if I hadn't denied it for so long, I'd be able to tell with certainty what I felt, then, but it sure felt like love."
"That's so sweet!" Ash replied. "Glad to see my charms haven't dimished with age."
"Ash, you're the same age now as when you started your journey. Isn't it a little early to say things like that?"
"Hey, just because I haven't turned eleven yet doesn't mean I'm not different from when I started!" Ash protested. "You should have seen me during my first few days as a trainer – always in a hurry and wanting to catch as many pokémon as possible. Didn't even have time to appreciate a sunset!"
"I can't even imagine you acting like that!"
"No, for real! I literally ran into a beach while there was a pretty sunset and then I mumbled 'But I don't want to watch the sunset. I want more pokémon!' like some angsty teen." Ash explained, doing a perfect impression of his younger(?) self.
Goh laughed uproariously at that. "That barely sounds like you! That sounds more like me, if anything!"
"Well, I did change a lot since then", Ash commented, "and you've been changing a lot, too."
"That's true", Goh agreed, "I've gotten bolder, more courageous. More willing to try new things."
"Who knows? Maybe someday you'll be as quirky and peppy as little old me!" Ash said with a smile.
"Nah." Was Goh's simple reply. "The world already has an Ash, and that's you! I'd rather become the best version of myself I can possibly be!"
"And I'll be there every step of the way, as you walk that journey!" Ash promised.
"The journey into our future!" Goh added, extending his arm outward and letting Ash cross his arm with his, just like they did after coming back from Cero Island.
Ash grinned at him as he did so. "Heh heh. That's right!"
The boys left the park with wide smiles, eager to see what kinds of adventures the following year would have in store for them. And the year after that, and the year after that…
A.N. And thus, at least for me, Satogou Week is finally over. I'll try to read everyone else's works in the following days and comment on them, if I can.
Note that Goh and Ash's week of dates doesn't fully correspond to our satogou week, since they started it to celebrate the events of episode 2, not 3. However, Episode 3 was chronologically the day after Episode 2, so it's almost the same, really!
Lots of veiled pop culture references in this one, so let me explain them all:
In the arcade, Lost on the Island of Pokémon, Metal Slugma Y and Drilbur Dungeons Arcade are references to Let's Go Jungle: Lost on the Island of Spice, Metal Slug X and Minecraft Dungeons Arcade. (I should note that since guns don't exist in the pokémon world, the games are altered to reflect that – I'm picturing the main characters of Metal Slugma Y using Remoraids and throwing Voltorb grenades or something…)
'Rookidee' is the pokémon equivalent of Twitter in my headcanons. Just picture twitter with a darker-colored, fatter logo.
Finally, Ash mentions wanting to see a play starring a Pyroar, which is a reference to the famous Lion King play.
Aside from that, I should mention the pieces of fanart that influenced certain elements of this chapter: The idea for Ash and Goh playing twister came from this image (/saion20/status/1232689574540767232), while their crossdressing outfits are courtesy of these artists: /0_8_5_ohako/status/1305179806531645440 (for Goh) and /choco99poke/status/1383367550491234315 (for Ash). Make sure to add the beginning of the twitter url to make them work.
I won't lie, it's been (like Ash and Goh said) one heck of a week for me, too! There was just so much to do, and it was really difficult for me to feel good about all of the chapters! I'm glad I got it all done, though.
I don't know if I'll post any new Pokémon fics this month. Maybe something for Christmas. I definitely have a few things ready for other fandoms, though! I'll also try to be a little more active on my tumblr.
For now, this is goodbye. Farewell, my friends and readers! I hope you've enjoyed satogou week, and for those working on your own projects still, I wish you good luck!