Chaser and the Sea Spirit's Den

Chaser and the New Year's Festival

 Ash excitedly pushed past Goh and Chloe to stand at Serena's side. "Guys! This is a good friend of mine! Her name's Serena, and we traveled together around the Kalos Region the first time I was here!" He gestured to her excitedly, like how Goh might if there was a new Pokémon in front of him to catch.

This blonde haired, blue-eyed girl, this Serena, laughed. "It was only about a year ago, wasn't it? But we did have a great time."

Knowing the mysterious dancer from before was a friend of Ash's set Goh's mind at ease. After his encounters with the Alolans, Dawn, Korrina, and Iris, he knew that if Ash was introducing someone he had met before as someone he used to travel with, they could be counted on as being friendly. "My name's Goh. Ash and I are Research Fellows who work together for Professor Cerise in Vermilion City. And this is Grookey," he said, gesturing to the chimp on his shoulder.

"Grooki ki!" the chimp said, waving to the girl.

Goh continued the introductions by gesturing to the girl by his side. "This is Chloe, with Eevee."

Chloe bowed slightly, holding Eevee to her chest. "It's nice to meet you, Serena."

"Eievui!" she chattered, wagging her tail happily.

Serena stepped closer to Chloe and put her hand on Eevee's head. "When I saw her dancing, it reminded me of how my Sylveon looked before she evolved," she said, a happy, nostalgic look on her face. "I guess that's why I asked if you were a Pokémon Performer earlier."

Chloe shook her head. "No, Eevee just likes to copy just about anything she sees," she said, smiling at her Pokémon. "Especially if we meet an evolved form of Eevee. It's like she can't help herself." Turning her attention back to Serena she furrowed her brow. "But what's a Pokémon Performer?"

"They're Pokémon Trainers who do these awesome things called Pokémon Showcases," Ash explained excitedly. "They put on shows for people and Pokémon, and there's even competitions where they try to outdo each other and win Princess Keys. A winner with three keys can challenge the top Performer, the Kalos Queen."

Goh shot a glance at Chloe, who nodded back. He certainly remembered the much more restrained and brief explanation that Ash gave on Performers when Koume of the Kimono Sisters had mentioned one was visiting them, and seeing Ash so excited now couldn't have been a bigger contrast to how he acted back then.

His only question was why did Chloe ask it if they were given an explanation back in Ecruteak City.

Serena giggled at Ash's exuberance. "You remembered all of that?" she said. "And here I thought you'd forget it all, just like you forgot our first meeting."

Ash chuckled shyly, backing off. "I apologized for it, didn't I?"

"Pii-ka chuuu," the mouse said from Ash's shoulder before happily hopping over to Serena's and rubbing his cheeks against her face. Goh saw Pikachu's tail spark slightling and Serena's hair puff out as it responded to Pikachu's electricity, but rather than any fear, Serena just laughed, scratching Pikachu below the chin.

"What do you mean, your first meeting?" Chloe asked, tilting her head, causing her own hair to sway in its braid. "Did you guys meet somewhere before Ash came to Kalos?"

Serena nodded, though she kept a hand on Pikachu. "Yeah! We first met..." She frowned, humming as she continued to scratch PIkachu's chin. "...wow, about seven years ago, now! It was at Professor Oak's Pokémon Summer Camp!"

Goh was hit with a wave of nostalgia so hard, it might have been a deja vu. "Wait, you two were at Professor Oak's Summer Camp, too?"
Chloe glanced over at him, eyelids lowered. "We were there about eight years ago."