"So the reason you two were late… was because your friend's shoes got dirty walking on the dirt road, and he went to the restroom near the town gate to clean them?"
Initially, when Ash brought up the earlier delay and questioned Chloe about why they were late, Green, Shauna, Serena, and the others were a little confused.
But after hearing Chloe's explanation—that they were delayed because Goh was wiping dirt off his shoes at the public restroom—things started to make sense.
Chloe and her childhood friend Goh had been late to the assembly. The reason? Goh's shoes had gotten dusty on Pallet Town's paths, and he insisted on cleaning them before boarding the bus.
Yet when they finally arrived, Goh was the first to get on, and claimed that the delay had been due to Chloe not feeling well.
Green and the other girls, all perceptive and sharp, exchanged glances. They could immediately tell Chloe was telling the truth.
And if that was true, then Goh… had lied.
He'd not only lied but pinned the blame on his friend—his best friend. That kind of behavior wasn't just immature—it was disgusting.
Green, Shauna, and Serena all looked at one another again, their earlier impressions of Goh plummeting straight into the negatives.
Even Gary, Tierno, and Trevor could only stare awkwardly, at a loss for words.
"Chloe, did you know just now—"
"Ahem!" Ash suddenly cleared his throat, interrupting Green before she could expose Goh's lie.
Chloe and Goh were childhood friends, bound by a long-standing relationship. Their bond wasn't something that would crumble over a minor incident.
And more importantly, this wasn't something for people who had only just met to point out—it would come across as meddling and only make things worse.
Ash had only brought this matter up to help the others— Green, Tierno, Trevor, Shauna, Serena—see Goh's true nature.
Once they understood how selfish and underhanded Goh could be, then when Ash and Gary taught him a lesson later during camp, they wouldn't come off as the bad guys.
After all, to Ash, how Serena viewed him mattered far more than how a clown like Goh acted.
"Huh? Just now what?" Chloe asked, still confused.
Thanks to Ash's subtle cue, Green didn't pursue the matter any further.
"Oh, nothing. We were just discussing the housing arrangements once we reach the forest campsite."
"Chloe, would you like to bunk with us in the same cabin?" Green offered with a warm smile.
Compared to someone like Goh, who was petty and mean, Chloe was the complete opposite—gentle, soft-spoken, and very likeable.
"Share a cabin?" Chloe hesitated for a moment. If possible, she still preferred staying with her best friend Goh.
"Chloe, the summer camp housing is gender-separated, so you won't be able to room with your best friend anyway."
"Why don't you stay with us? Each cabin has four beds. There's me, Serena, and Shauna—if you join, we'll have a full set of four!" Green encouraged enthusiastically.
"Gender-separated cabins? In that case… Thank you, Green. I'd love to be your roommate," Chloe responded shyly but politely.
"Yay! Now our room is full. What do you think, Ash, Gary? We're not slower than you boys, are we?" Green grinned happily.
"Chloe, let me introduce you. This is Ash, and that's Gary…"
…
…
Chloe's personality was quite similar to Serena's—both were shy and reserved. But Green and Shauna were bright and outgoing. After a short period of interaction, Chloe began to warm up to the group and blend in naturally.
Just as she was easing into the group's dynamic, the bus parked at the town gate slowly started up again, catching up to the lead bus as they made their way toward the forest campgrounds.
"Chloe —do you still have any snacks in your bag?" Goh's voice came from up front.
Somehow, while the bus was already moving, Goh had maneuvered his way through the aisle, leaning on seats as he made his way toward her.
"You just had lunch not long ago. How are you already looking for snacks?" Green shot back coldly, still holding no affection for the boy after earlier events.
"There was cilantro in the cafeteria dishes earlier. Goh doesn't really like the taste, so he didn't eat much," Chloe explained softly, once again standing up for her friend.
As she spoke, she began rummaging through her pink shoulder bag.
"Huh? I remember I had a chocolate bar in here… where did it go?" she mumbled in confusion.
"Oh, that one? I ate it earlier—I was a little hungry," Goh said casually, scratching the back of his head. "Do you have anything else?"
Even as he asked, his darting little eyes were scanning Ash, Gary, and the rest of the group—clearly not focused solely on Chloe.
"You already ate that chocolate?" Chloe didn't even get angry. Instead, she looked worried. "I didn't pack any other snacks… what should we do?"
Her gentle and forgiving nature—so concerned about her friend's hunger despite his inconsiderate behavior—made Green, Shauna, and Serena even more disgusted.
Green was just about to speak up when Gary suddenly raised a hand.
"Chloe, I've got some food. It's just canned goods and compressed biscuits—emergency rations my family packed. They don't taste great, though. Not sure if your cilantro-hating friend will be able to stomach them."
"If you want, I can share some with you," Gary offered with a genuine smile.
"Canned food and compressed biscuits, huh? Goh?" Chloe turned to ask her friend's opinion first.
"Sure, sure! Thanks, Gary!" Goh immediately responded, not at all shy about accepting.
...
...
--------------
T/N:
Access Advance Chapters on my
P@treon: [email protected]/PokePals