"So Ash.
How about you accompany Chloe till the summer camp ends?"
Delia suggested, her smile warm but carrying that undertone Ash recognized as 'Mom has decided'.
"How about that?
You won't have to deal with all the other children in that case, just keep an eye on these two."
She continued smoothly, already having planned this out, hadn't she?
"I already talked with Professor Oak about this arrangement, and he agrees it's a suitable task for you."
Ash, who had been bracing himself for lectures on responsibility and possibly being assigned the most hyperactive group of six-year-olds, felt a wave of genuine relief wash over him.
His posture visibly relaxed.
He finally looked a bit better at that information, the metaphorical storm clouds parting slightly.
'Saved!' he thought internally.
'Saved from sticky fingers, endless 'why' questions, and the inevitable lost incident! Mom, you're a strategic genius!'
"Is that true, Grandpa?"
Ash enquired, turning hopeful eyes towards the Professor, needing confirmation before truly celebrating his escape.
Professor Oak sighed dramatically, adjusting his glasses and looking Ash up and down as if assessing his suitability for even this reduced task.
"Sigh... Yes, Ash, it's true."
He conceded, though not without a touch of grumbling reluctance.
"Since Professor Cerise is one of my most prized former students, and since your mother presented a... compelling argument about focused supervision..."
He shot Delia a look that was part exasperation, part respect.
"I'll allow you to 'skip' your broader duties by accompanying Chloe."
Ash felt immensely relieved to hear that confirmation.
A genuine smile broke out on his face.
'Yes! Now At least I don't have to deal with too many annoying kids.
But someone was definitely not okay with being treated as Air.
"Hey!!!
Why is everyone ignoring me?!
What about ME?!"
Goh shouted suddenly, his earlier boredom replaced by pure indignation, stomping his foot for emphasis.
"I only came because of Chloe in the first place!
You can't just forgot me some... some extra!"
His voice cracked slightly on the last word, betraying his age despite the aggressive tone.
"Goh!
That's not how you should behave with adults!!"
Chloe chided him immediately, her cheeks flushing pink with embarrassment at her friend's outburst.
She shot an apologetic look towards the professors and Delia.
"Honestly, sometimes you have no filter."
"That's quite okay, Chloe," Professor Cerise replied smoothly, stepping in before the situation escalated.
He gave Goh a gentle, understanding smile.
"I suppose it is our fault for overlooking you in our discussion, young man.
My apologies."
He then turned to Ash, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"How about this, Ash?
You also guide Goh along with Chloe.
Keep them both out of trouble, show them the wonders of Pallet Town's Pokémon ecosystem.
A dual assignment, yes?"
Ash sighed inwardly, though he kept his expression neutral.
So much for escaping responsibility entirely.
Still, two was better than twenty.
He nodded, forcing a helpful smile.
"Sure thing, Professor Cerise.
No problem at all."
'It feels like trouble,' his intuition whispered loudly.
'Double trouble.'
"Excellent!" Professor Cerise beamed.
"Alright then," Professor Oak announced, clapping his hands together briskly, reclaiming control of the schedule.
"Delia, Cerise, let's leave these young people to get acquainted.
We have orientation matters to attend to!
Lots to do, lots to see!"
And with a final wave and another stern look towards Ash ("Don't let them wander off!"), Professor Oak marshalled the other adults, and they left the three youngsters alone near the edge of the bustling field.
An awkward silence descended immediately.
Ash rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the sudden weight of responsibility settle.
Chloe fiddled with the strap of her bag, avoiding eye contact.
Goh crossed his arms again, radiating defiance.
Ash felt a bit awkward.
This wasn't exactly how he'd pictured the start of camp duty.
"Alright," he began, deciding someone had to break the ice.
"I guess we are stuck together then for the camp duration."
He offered a friendly, if slightly strained, smile.
"Let me introduce myself again, properly this time."
He met Chloe's gaze, then Goh's.
"I am Ash Ketchum.
Assistant camp counselor, Pokémon trainer in training, and apparently your designated guide."
Chloe looked at his face as he introduced himself again.
He seemed different up close, calmer now that he wasn't being bombarded with engagement news.
There was an intensity in his eyes, a quiet confidence under the surface.
And, okay, maybe her earlier thought wasn't entirely off base.
For some reason, he looked undeniably cool.
"Ahh... I am Chloe Cerise.
Nice to meet You, Ash."
She managed a small smile, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear nervously.
Ash smiled back, a genuine, warm smile this time that made his eyes crinkle slightly at the corners.
"Pleasure's all mine, Chloe."
He paused, letting the moment hang, then added with a playful, almost conspiratorial twinkle in his eye, leaning just a fraction closer.
"Especially delighted to have been engaged, apparently, to such a beautiful young Lady."
Ash used one of his 'lines', a carefully crafted compliment honed through trial and error, and perhaps excessive drilling by certain mentors in etiquette (and maybe survival).
He could almost hear Erika's serene yet firm voice in his head:
'As a future spouse connected to the esteemed Amano household, Ash, I simply cannot tolerate such crude social manners! At the very least, learn how to properly greet and compliment a lady. It is an essential skill, like knowing type matchups.'
He'd grumbled at the lessons then, but darn it if they didn't come in handy now.
And those words certainly worked their magic on Chloe.
She blushed furiously, her cheeks turning a shade that rivaled a ripe Tamato Berry.
Her eyes went wide, and she stuttered, completely flustered.
"Ah.. Ahh.. B-Beautiful? Me? Is.. is that so?"
She looked down, then up, then away, anywhere but directly at his smiling face.
'Did he really just say that? So smoothly? My heart is doing flip-flops!'
Ash smiled inwardly, hiding his amusement.
'Bullseye. Looks like Erika's lessons paid off again.'
Score one for strategic charm deployment.
"WHY ARE YOU IGNORING ME AGAIN!!!"
Goh's enraged shout shattered the moment, making both Ash and Chloe jump slightly.
He glared at Ash, looking thoroughly incensed.
"I'm standing right here! Are you two going to flirt all day or actually go see some Pokémon?!"
Ash lamented inwardly, his brief moment of satisfaction evaporating.
'Didn't the blessing of maturity work on him at all? Why is he still acting like a Two-year-old throwing a tantrum? Patience, Ash. Patience of a Snorlax...'
...
Deep within the sun-dappled forest bordering Professor Oak's ranch, Ash was guiding the two younger companions, trying to salvage the 'Pokémon Camp Experience'.
The path wound through tall trees, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and foliage.
Birdsong echoed from the canopy above.
"So, this area of the woods is occupied mostly by Grass-types and Bug-types," Ash explained, keeping his voice calm and informative, pointing towards movement in the undergrowth.
"You'll often find Caterpie, Weedle, Paras, and their evolved forms here."
He paused, gesturing towards a particularly thick patch of ferns.
"Although, you'll definitely see some other types wandering through, like Rattata, Pidgey, maybe even the occasional wandering Sentret acting as a lookout."
"The most common Pokémon lines native to this specific part are probably the Beedrill line – so watch where you step near hollow logs – and the Victreebel line, especially near those swampy patches over there."
Ash calmly explained about the Pokémons and their preferred habitats, drawing on years of personal experience roaming these very woods.
He spoke with an easy confidence, a natural authority that came from knowing the subject inside and out.
Chloe listened intently, her earlier blush replaced by wide-eyed curiosity.
She absorbed every word, occasionally pointing towards a rustle in the leaves or a distant Pokémon cry.
'Wow, he knows so much! This is way better than just reading about them.'
But Goh didn't pay any attention whatsoever.
He trailed slightly behind, kicking at stray pebbles, his expression a mixture of boredom and skepticism.
He clearly didn't believe a boy who looked roughly the same age could possibly know more than him, especially about 'common' Pokémon.
'Beedrill? Victreebel? Please. Show me something rare, something undiscovered,' Goh scoffed internally.
'This Pallet Town expert probably thinks a Shiny Caterpie is legendary.'
Ash noticed Goh's complete lack of interest but decided to ignore him for now, focusing his energy on the student who actually seemed engaged.
Forcing Goh to listen would likely just make him more resistant.
"So Chloe, do you have any questions about what we've seen so far?"
Ash asked Chloe kindly, turning slightly to meet her gaze, his own eyes gentle and encouraging.
"Um..." Chloe hesitated, then asked softly, "Are the Pokémon... dangerous? Especially the Beedrill and Victreebel you mentioned?"
She asked with a slight scared expression, glancing nervously into the dense woods around them.
Maybe it's because Beedrill and Victreebel don't exactly have the best reputation in trainer guides or cartoons.
Ash smiled reassuringly, his expression softening.
"Don't worry," he said, his voice calm and steady.
"While some Pokémon here can be dangerous if provoked, they mostly keep to themselves.
They won't bother us if we respect their territory and don't bother them."
He met her eyes directly.
"And besides, if anything unexpected did happen, I'll handle it.
Promise."
There was a quiet certainty in his voice, a conviction that went beyond simple confidence.
It made Chloe feel instantly safer.
Hearing him say that, Chloe sighed in genuine relief, the tension leaving her shoulders.
She found herself believing him completely.
"Okay. Thank you, Ash."
She paused, then asked another question, curiosity winning over shyness.
"So, um... Ash, are you officially a Pokémon trainer? Like, with badges and everything?"
Ash laughed a bit, a light, easy sound.
"Officially? Not quite yet."
He admitted with a grin.
"You need to be Fifteen now for a license everywhere, and I'm not there yet."
He shrugged good-naturedly.
"But if you can call a kid without a license who trains Pokémon every single day a trainer... then yeah, I guess I am one."
Chloe felt a little embarrassed for asking a potentially obvious question.
"Oh! Sorry... Forget I asked."
She mumbled, looking down.
Ash leaned closer then, a playful smirk replacing his grin.
His proximity made Chloe's breath hitch slightly.
"That won't do, Chloe."
He said softly, his voice dropping a little.
"After all... I need to remember everything you say."
He leaned even closer, until his lips were right beside her ear, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine.
He then whispered, his voice barely audible over the forest sounds.
"To tease you about it in the future, of course."
Chloe's face exploded in color for the second time that day.
She gasped and instinctively pushed him away, stumbling back a step.
"Too- tooo Close!!"
She stuttered, turning her head away sharply, unable to look at him, her entire face flushed a brilliant crimson.
Her heart was hammering against her ribs like a trapped Rattata.
Ash laughed again, stepping back and holding his hands up in mock surrender, though his eyes danced with amusement.
"Ah, sorry, sorry! My bad."
He apologized, though the grin remained firmly in place.
"I couldn't resist. I just felt you reacting like that is quite… adorable."
He winked.
'It's true though,' Ash lamented inwardly, his amusement fading slightly into wistful thought.
'I really can't tease the others like this anymore. Not really.'
He could catch May or Dawn off guard sometimes, maybe even Misty if he was clever about it.
But Green would analyze his motives, Serena would probably just tease him back, and teasing Cynthia? That was like trying to tickle a Giratina – unwise and likely to end poorly for him.
So, encountering girls like Chloe, who got flustered and blushed so easily?
It was like a refreshing breeze, a reminder of simpler interactions, even if he was the one initiating the teasing for once.
He chuckled softly to himself, then scanned the path ahead, ready to continue the tour.
And then he noticed something.
Or rather, the distinct lack of something.
Specifically, the lack of a certain bored, black-haired boy who was supposed to be trailing behind them.
Goh was gone.
"Uh oh." Ash muttered, his good mood vanishing instantly.
(Meanwhile, moments earlier - Goh's Perspective)
Boring.
This whole place was monumentally, soul-crushingly boring.
Trees, bugs, more trees, that Ash guy acting like Mr. Know-it-all, Chloe blushing like a weirdo... Goh sighed dramatically, kicking a loose stone off the path.
He should be back in Vermilion City, not stuck on some backward farm pretending to care about Pidgey nesting habits.
He glanced at Ash and Chloe, who were now talking quietly, Ash leaning in close for some reason.
Ugh. Whatever.
He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked away, scanning the dense foliage with disinterested eyes.
Just more green stuff, exactly as expected.
Wait.
What was that?
A flicker.
Something small, fast, and... pinkish-white?
It zipped between the distant trees, almost too quick to see.
Goh froze, his boredom evaporating like mist on a hot day.
His heart started pounding.
Could it be...?
No, probably just a Butterfree or something equally dull.
But... there it was again!
A tiny silhouette, hovering for just a second before darting deeper into the woods, accompanied by a faint, almost imagined, high-pitched sound... Mew?
He squinted, his eyes wide with sudden, fervent hope.
That shape... that movement... it looked like the illustrations!
Like the data fragments he'd obsessed over for years!
It had to be!
This boring camp, this dull forest... could it actually hold the key to everything?
'This is it!' The thought screamed through his mind, overriding all other concerns.
'Proof! A real sighting! Maybe even... a chance!'
Without a second thought for Chloe, Ash, or the designated path, Goh bolted.
He plunged off the trail, ducking under low branches, scrambling over roots, his eyes fixed on the spot where he'd last seen the fleeting shape.
"Wait! Come back!" he yelled internally, pushing himself faster.
He ignored the scratch of twigs on his arms, the pull of vines at his ankles.
Nothing else mattered now.
Legendary Pokémon sightings waited for no one, especially not boring camp counselors.
He ran, driven by the singular, overwhelming desire that had defined his young life: to find Mew.
(Back with Ash and Chloe)
Ash looked left, then right.
He scanned the path behind them, then peered into the dense trees on either side.
No sign of Goh.
Just the rustling leaves and the distant chatter of forest Pokémon.
"Seriously?" Ash muttered under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"He couldn't have just vanished."
He looked everywhere, even checking the branches above briefly, but he couldn't find Goh anywhere nearby.
How could someone disappear so quickly and quietly?
Unless... unless he ran off deliberately.
Chloe, still trying to get her blush under control and her heart rate back to normal, hadn't noticed Goh's absence immediately.
Ash's sudden concerned tone finally broke through her flustered state.
Her gaze still lingered on Ash, his earlier words echoing pleasantly in her mind.
'Adorable... Adorable.. adorable...'
A small, involuntary smile touched her lips.
Ash looked at the dreamy girl beside him and sighed again, this time with exasperation directed partly at himself for getting distracted, and partly at the situation.
'Something is definitely wrong with me today,' he thought. 'Or maybe just with my luck.'
Why is a simple compliment making her react like that for so long?
Is my flirting game that strong, or is she just... sensitive?
Need to recalibrate...
"Chloe," Ash said, his voice regaining its firm, responsible 'camp counselor' tone.
"I think Goh might have wandered off.
Or maybe even gone back already."
He made the conclusion, trying to sound less worried than he felt.
Losing a camper on day one wasn't exactly going to impress Professor Oak.
"Oh?" Chloe finally woke up fully, blinking and looking around, noticing Goh's absence for the first time.
"Really? He's gone?"
She looked slightly disappointed.
"Oh, I guess he really didn't like it here, huh."
She replied with a sigh, a flicker of guilt crossing her face.
"Maybe I shouldn't have dragged him along.
He seemed so bored."
She felt bad for bringing Goh here only for him to be ignored and then disappear.
"Ash, maybe... maybe we should head back too?
Perhaps he just went back to the lab?"
She suggested, feeling a bit deflated now.
Ash was about to reply, maybe suggest they backtrack a little just in case, but then a faint sound reached his ears.
Faint, but clear to his enhanced senses.
High-pitched, desperate.
A sound of fear, of pleading.
A Pokémon sound.
"Hold on," Ash said sharply, his head snapping up, listening intently.
"Chloe, I think I heard a voice just now.
A Pokémon in trouble."
Chloe looked confused, tilting her head.
"A voice?
I don't hear anything though."
She listened hard, but only heard the normal forest ambience.
Ash closed his eyes for a second, focusing, pinpointing the direction.
His Aura, always subtly connected to the world around him, resonated with the distress signal.
It was coming from near the edge of the woods... near the cliffs overlooking the river.
He tried to locate the exact place and a jolt went through him as he realized how close it was to a known hazard.
The ground near those cliffs wasn't always stable after heavy rains.
"Shit."
There was no time to explain.
He reacted purely on instinct.
He grabbed Chloe firmly but gently by the waist.
"Hey! What are you-?!" she yelped in surprise.
Before she could finish, he took off, carrying her bridal style as he sprinted towards the spot he'd heard the sound from.
His speed was incredible, blurring the trees around them.
Chloe gasped, clutching onto his jacket, surprised by his sudden action and astonishing speed.
Her eyes widened in shock as the forest floor flew by beneath them.
'He's... so fast!'
And quickly, in mere moments, they reached the cliff edge.
And saw the source of the distress.
A tiny Pichu, heartbreakingly small, was clinging desperately to the crumbling edge of the cliff face, its small claws scrabbling uselessly for purchase on the loose dirt and rock.
It whimpered, its body trembling with fear as pebbles rained down into the chasm below.
Ash and that Pichu locked eyes across the short distance.
And in that instant, like a jolt of powerful electricity zapping him through time and space, he knew.
He knew this Pichu.
Those wide, expressive eyes.
That spark of defiant energy even amidst the fear.
It was his Pikachu.
Somehow, impossibly, here. Now.
A younger version, maybe him in the Past.
His heart lurched, a fierce wave of protectiveness surging through him.
But before he could even take a step, before his mind could fully process the situation, Chloe, reacting to the immediate danger, moved closer to the Pichu, her own fear forgotten in the face of the tiny creature's plight.
"Oh! Ah! Poor little thing!" she cried out, her voice full of sympathy.
"You must be so scared!
Don't worry, I'll help you!
That must have been scary, right?
Here, take my hand!"
She leaned down carefully, stretching her hand out towards the terrified Pichu.
But when she leaned down, putting her weight near the already unstable edge...
The ground around her groaned.
Cracks spiderwebbed out from under her feet.
It was definitely not normal erosion.
Something felt wrong, unnatural.
But Ash didn't have the time to think about geological anomalies or temporal paradoxes.
Instinct took over.
With a shout, he jumped forward, lunging just as the ground gave way beneath Chloe.
He grabbed her arm with one hand, snatching the falling Pichu out of the air with the other, his reflexes honed by countless battles kicking in.
Then...
He then put two fingers to his lips and whistled loudly.
A piercing, sharp whistle, uniquely pitched, cut through the forest air, designed to carry over long distances.
A signal.
Far away, soaring high above the forest canopy where they had resumed their slightly aggressive game of aerial tag, two magnificent Charizards abruptly stopped their mock-fighting.
X and Y hovered, their massive heads tilting simultaneously as the sound reached their keen ears.
"Rawr."
Y growled, a worried note entering the deep rumble.
(This sound... It's Ash's emergency signal.)
Its sharp eyes narrowed, scanning the forest below.
"Roar!"
X declared, puffing his chest up importantly and breathing out a plume of excited flames.
(Finally! That puny human needs this majestic X to save him! About time he called for backup!)
He flexed his claws dramatically.
Y looked at him weirdly, rolling his eyes internally.
He nudged X none-too-gently with his wing.
(Don't just fool around, you overgrown lizard! Let's GO! Or Ash will give you that lecture again, and maybe I'll give you a beating later!)
X shivered involuntarily at the memory of Ash's surprisingly effective 'disappointed big brother' lectures, then grumbled a bit under his breath about disrespect.
Finally, spurred by Y's threat and their shared loyalty, they folded their wings slightly and sped up, diving towards the source of the whistle with maximum velocity, two streaks of orange fire cutting through the sky.