"Wait up, Goh! You're running too fast!"
Over a minute after the boy had boarded the bus, a girl named Chloe came panting up the steps, breathless from chasing after him.
"Hurry up, Chloe. We're already late and the others have been waiting for ages," Goh complained with a frown.
"I'm so sorry, everyone, for being late and making you wait," Chloe said quickly, bowing her head in apology to the other kids already seated on the bus.
"It's fine~"
"Yeah, we didn't wait long anyway!"
Interestingly, the reactions were starkly different depending on who apologized. When Goh had mumbled a quick apology earlier, Puff and Tora in the front seats had grumbled under their breath, clearly annoyed. But when Chloe apologized, the same two boys beamed, nodding eagerly with faces full of charm.
"Thanks~" Chloe smiled politely at them before pulling a handkerchief from her small satchel and dabbing the sweat from her forehead.
"Goh, do you want to use this to wipe your sweat?" she asked as she started walking down the aisle, offering her handkerchief to her childhood friend.
"No thanks."
Goh gave the handkerchief a glance, then smiled warmly—though in his eyes, there was a flicker of disdain and annoyance.
"Oh… okay."
Chloe didn't seem to notice and quietly folded the handkerchief back into her pink satchel. She looked around at the nearly full bus and tugged at Goh's sleeve.
"Goh, where should we sit? Looks like there's barely any space left!" she said, glancing around.
Goh didn't respond. His sharp eyes quickly scanned the area until they locked onto a single empty seat up ahead. His face lit up.
"Chloe, I found a spot! I'll sit here!" he exclaimed, happily making his way over. He took out a tissue to wipe the seat before sitting down.
"Only one seat? Then… we can't sit together?" Chloe murmured, clearly disappointed as she stood beside him.
But Goh didn't seem to care. He didn't even attempt to ask anyone to switch seats or offer to trade. Instead, he smiled reassuringly.
"Don't worry, I'm sure there are some empty seats in the back. And besides, Chloe, you don't have to stick to me the whole time. This summer camp's a great chance to make new friends!"
"O-Okay..." Chloe responded softly, disappointed. Her hands clutched her bag tightly as she shuffled to the back of the bus, glancing back every few steps.
Meanwhile, Goh had already turned his attention to the two boys sitting beside him, his face full of enthusiasm.
"Hi! I'm Goh from Vermilion City! Are you guys from Kalos? I'd love to be friends!"
But instead of friendly smiles, the two boys immediately went cold. The cheerful chatter between them stopped.
"We were just talking about applying for internships at Professor Oak's lab after debut. Do you mind not interrupting us?" the boy named Gabriel said with a frown.
"Yeah, seriously. You just ruined our train of thought," added his friend Kobayashi, clearly irritated.
Yet, instead of getting embarrassed, Goh's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Really?! So your dream is to become Pokémon scholars too?!" he asked eagerly, ignoring their obvious annoyance.
"Why do you care? Why should we tell you anything?" Gabriel snapped, growing more annoyed at Goh's clueless excitement.
To be fair, both boys had been suppressing their tempers for the past few days. Originally unhappy about having to come to a backwater town like Pallet, they had mellowed a bit thanks to the kind treatment from Gary, who let them tour Professor Oak's lab, watch field research videos, and even eat with the staff.
But now, being interrupted mid-conversation by this overly eager boy who didn't seem to get the hint? That was too much. The façade cracked.
Still, Goh hadn't noticed a thing. He was just getting more excited.
"Actually, I want to be a Pokémon scholar too! That's why I signed up for this summer camp—to get on Professor Oak's good side, maybe land a spot at the lab someday!"
"And guess what—my good friend Chloe is the daughter of the famous researcher, Professor Cerise of Vermilion City! Once we get off the bus, I can introduce you!"
"Even if you don't make it into Professor Oak's lab, maybe you could intern under Professor Cerise instead!" Goh said with smug confidence, smiling proudly as if he had just laid down a winning hand.
"So… I think we could definitely be friends!" he added, holding out his hand.
But instead of warm handshakes, he got cold contempt.
Gabriel and Henri exchanged a glance. Their expressions turned openly mocking.
"Heh—be friends with you? You think you're even worthy?" Gabriel scoffed, crossing his arms and raising his chin, practically looking down his nose at Goh.
Henri let out a low, sneering laugh.
"To be a real Pokémon scholar, you need passion, sincerity, and a deep desire for knowledge and truth."
"This summer camp isn't just a chance to meet people—it's our first opportunity to connect with real Pokémon."
"For any serious Trainer or scholar, this is a big deal."
"You say you want to be a Pokémon scholar, but when I look in your eyes, I don't see any excitement or awe at the thought of meeting Pokémon for the first time."
"In other words, I seriously doubt you actually love Pokémon at all. So, excuse me if I don't believe a word you say."
…
…
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T/N:
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