Chaser and the Greatest Smith's Ball

Chaser and No More Secrets

Kurt sat in the cool grass in the clearing, where Slowbro had fallen in defeat in the preceding battle. The full moon still shone down on them from overhead as the old man sat gathering his thoughts. Goh and Horace sat down with him, with Grookey and Argent watching him as he walked back through his memories.

"It was... a long time ago," he explained. "I can't have been much older than you boys are now. After learning how to craft Poké Balls from apricorns, I left Azalea Town and went on a journey to practice and master my craft. I traveled all over with my Pokémon, finding new materials to forge and even places to forge them! There have been many places that have heard the name of Kurt of Azalea Town over the years!"

As the craftsman punctuated that part of his story with a laugh, Goh's mind connected this sort of explanation back to what Maizie had told Chloe. This part of the story, at least, Kurt must have told many times, whether that be to his granddaughter or to others.

"It was while I was on this journey that I first met Samuel..."

He looked wistful as he said that. Of course, who this 'Samuel' was just happened to be someone Goh was familiar with.

"That's when you met Professor Oak," Goh said. "Back when you were just kids."

Kurt nodded. "Even back then, he was as sharp as a tack. He was a Pokémon Watcher, he called it. Not very interested in Pokémon battles, but more wanting to see and draw each one in his little sketchbook. He wanted a complete listing of every Pokémon in the world! Isn't that something?"

Goh chuckled to himself. "Yeah... it sounds a lot like what I wanted to do."

Kurt sat up a bit straighter. "Your dream? The one you were gambling on your Umbreon there?"

Goh put a hand on Argent's head, petting his silky smooth fur. He felt very different than he did as an Eevee. His new fur was much shorter, and felt almost plush-like. It seemed to Goh that it would make less noise when walking around, which would probably help Argent with the stalking the Pokédex mentioned.

"My dream is to find Mew again. I want to catch them."

Kurt's eyes went wide. "You want to catch Mew? A Pokémon so rare that people have said it doesn't exist?"

"I know Mew exists," Goh said firmly. "I've seen them with my own eyes. It was at a summer camp in Pallet Town. Chloe was with me, she could tell you the same." He cracked a smile at her name, knowing that she'd hate being brought in as proof while at the same time she would definitely back him up. Hot and cold at the same time, getting annoyed with him and simultaneously supporting him; that's just the kind of person Chloe Cerise was.

He felt his heart pound in his chest with strength, though not running out of control. It was responding to how he knew he felt about his childhood friend. A secret he still concealed.

"That's an incredible dream," Kurt said, missing out on Goh's internal thoughts. "I suppose that Project Mew is what you think will help you reach it?"

"Yeah," he said, nodding. "They're supposed to have found a place where Mew is said to live, and they're holding these trials to find Chasers to go searching for it."

"I want to meet Celebi," Horace chimed in. "It's my dream to meet them, myself, just like Goh's met Mew before."

Kurt looked up, and sighed. "Celebi..."

Goh frowned, looking at the man. He seemed like the youthful energy he had exhibited before faded, and he looked like an old man again.

"Forgive me, we got distracted," Kurt said, shaking his head. "I was talking about my journey. I continued traveling and honing my craft until the day I came to a place in the northern reaches of the Kanto Region, close to Pewter City."