Chaser and the Silver Shadow

Chaser and Neglect

Since he prioritized making sure Eevee was sparkling clean again, Goh was in the shower when Chloe returned from her date with Felix. And having missed her, he didn't try to send her a text or call her phone, since he was still worried she'd seen him, or at least suspected that he had followed her.

He wasn't ready for those conversations that evening. And try as he might, it felt like sleep only found him the moment before the sun began shining in his eyes the next morning. So with a sigh, he went through his morning routine and was soon sitting at the table in the kitchen, chewing on a piece of bread while Ash, Pikachu, and even Grookey gorged themselves on food.

He had received no messages during the night. Part of him felt relieved, but the other part felt anxious, the same sickening feeling he had endured the day before.

Ash asked Goh several times if he was feeling alright, but Goh brushed him off. The feeling plaguing him wasn't something Goh thought Ash would understand, if only because it's something Goh himself didn't feel like he understood.

As he chewed the bread, the doorbell rang, and Ash and Goh looked at each other blinking. "Who rings the doorbell this early?" Goh asked.

"Not the Professor, that's for sure," Ash replied.

"Pikachu..."

"Grooki..."

They walked to the foyer, where Mr. Mime was sweeping, and Goh opened the door.

His face immediately twisted like he had been eating sour Nomel Berries with his breakfast.

Standing at the front door was Felix, who laid his bright, hopeful brown eyes on Ash and Goh and seemed to deflate almost instantly. "Oh... I suppose Chloe isn't here yet?"

Goh glowered at him but Ash gave him a friendly nod. "Yeah. Though she and the Professor are usually here by now," he said, crossing his arms. "Maybe they got caught in traffic?"

"I see..."

Goh held open the door for Felix as Grookey hopped to his shoulder. The boy walked in and headed to the couch that sat behind the stairs in the foyer. All Goh could see is Felix's hand, and his thoughts immediately were drawn to Chloe.

'There's no way she actually enjoyed spending time with this guy, right?' he thought.

"So what are you doing here so early," Goh managed to ask, keeping his negative thoughts contained. He tried to sweeten the words with a plainly false smile, but he did have some hope that Felix would buy it.

He didn't even acknowledge it.

"Oh, Chloe said she'd go on another date with me, and I just couldn't keep myself away!" he said, smiling. "I just had to see her again today."

The news hit Goh in the stomach like he had just been hit by Cinderace's Pyro Ball. His practiced composure was splintering.

Ash raised an eyebrow. "A date? What're you talking about?"

And with Ash in the conversation, it would only continue to crumble.

Felix chuckled. "Oh, I forgot that we didn't mention it to you, Ash," he said. "Goh was kind enough to introduce us! When I saw her the other day, I was just so taken with her! It was love at first sight!"

And at that, Goh's already exasperated expression quickly turned into one of irritated cringe. "You've spent like two hours with her and now you're saying you love her?" he said spitefully. "You haven't even seen her worst sides yet."

"She's so kind and friendly," Felix said, smiling blissfully. "I doubt she's got any bad sides at all."

"You haven't seen her at her worst, then," Goh boasted, puffing out his chest. "She can be totally rude and mean, too. She's always coming down on me whenever I have a reason to be proud of myself."