Champion's Confidant

In the Wisdom of Others

"I wonder why they decided on these?"

Goh was the one to ask the question out loud, but Ash hummed to himself, wondering what exactly was the 'theme' of this party. 'And why does it need a theme, anyway? Isn't it for Lillie and her dad coming home?'

He was on the top of a stepladder, hanging another star-shaped decoration. It was made of a pale, yellowish plastic that the package advertised as 'glow in the dark. 'But they won't really be able to know for sure until the sun goes down and these plastic stars are given a chance to shine, right?' Ash paused for a moment to chuckle to himself at his clever wordplay. 'Heh, I bet I can tell Chloe that later and she'll get a laugh out of it.'

After he climbed down the ladder, Ash looked around the classroom. He, Goh, Kiawe, and Sophocles were all given the orders by Mallow to start putting up these decorations. "Lana, Chloe and I are going to be working on getting the rest of the plans in order for this party," Mallow had said just a few hours ago, wagging a finger in his face. "We need you guys to do your part while we hammer out the menu."

Ash absent-mindedly rubbed his belly, imagining the delicious food that the girls were going to come up with. If Mallow and Chloe were great cooks on their own, what they would be capable of together set Ash's imagination spinning.

"Pikapi!"

Ash turned around to a yellow blur hopping onto his shoulder, and Pikachu clung to Ash tightly as Togedemaru chased him over, frowning and stomping her little feet. "Marudemaru!" she protested at Pikachu's escape. Looking up from the Roly-Poly Pokémon, he saw that Vikavolt was floating back down to Sophocles after hanging another star successfully. Meanwhile, Turtonator carried the second step ladder for Kiawe as he and Marowak followed, both of them holding a few stars they were tasked with hanging.

Goh stood near all the supplies, stroking his chin from the question he asked. Grookey sat on his head, similarly stroking a stalk of the boy's hair. Cinderace was rifling through the bags and Inteleon simply stood at Goh's side, watching the others carefully. All the while, Rotom flitted about the room, snapping pictures as they went.

"You don't like stars?" Ash asked, finally answering Goh after no one else seemed to.

He shook his head. "It's not that, but isn't this a party for Lillie's big return home? Why these stars?"

"I was wondering the same thing," Kiawe said as Turtonator sat down the stepladder for him. "I guess there's some reason Mallow and the girls decided on it, but they certainly weren't sharing the reason with us."

"Sometimes girls can just act in mysterious ways, you know?" Sophocles said, patting Vikavolt as it went up with another star. "I mean, Togedemaru's been acting strange ever since Ash came back."

Ash frowned. "I thought something was up..." he said, frowning. "She's been really clingy towards Pikachu ever since we came back. Way more than she ever was before."

"Piiika," the mouse nodded in agreement.

Goh looked at Togedemaru and smirked. "Well, it's obvious right?"

The boys all looked to Goh like he had said something completely not obvious. Ash even vocalized this sentiment. "Uh, what do you mean?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

Goh shrugged. "Togedemaru's jealous."

Now it was Kiawe's turn to be doubtful. "Jealous? What's she got to be jealous about?"

"I bet it's Chloe's Eevee," Sophocles said, walking towards his Steel-type and picking her up.

"Dema," Togedemaru huffed, turning up her nose towards Sophocles as though to say 'As if!'