Chapter Text
The way fate worked was funny sometimes, in Gohs opinion.
He had already decided that Mew would be the first Pokemon he would catch before he had learned what the spot just below his left elbow stood for.
It appears like a weirdly shaped beauty mark, not bigger than a finger print and blending in with his skin colour fairly well. But it was obvious what Pokemons head the mark was shaped after.
It only figures that it would be a Pikachu.
When he was six years old, nearly a whole decade ago now, Goh had declared to the world that his first partner would be one of the rarest Pokemon out there, so in return, as if it was out of retaliation, the universe had given him one of the most common ones as his soulmark.
It wasn't a starter Pokemon, at least. He sure didn't envy Chloe who had to cover up the Piplup on her cheek with make-up daily, she's gonna have a field trip trying to find them. But it was common enough that other teenagers from their school who had gotten a Pikachu regularly came to him whenever Goh decided to show up for class, even years after he had started exclusively wearing long sleeved tops.
You wouldn't believe the marks he's seen. There were multiple people with Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle, of course. Someone who also had a Pikachu mark just like his. Some Eevee. A Sandshrew, Jigglypuff, Oddish, Nidoran, sure. Not typical starter Pokemon but not too weird in Kanto.
Then there were the people with Pokemon from different regions. Not only starters like Chloes mark but Pokemon like Riolu, Blitzle or Espurr. Seriously, who would want to start out with a Remoraid? Once a girl had a fully evolved Bewear, what was the story behind that? He still wonders on a fairly regular basis how the soulmate of that one guy who had a Sunkern mark was doing.
Some had Pokemon he had never seen before, and he didn't ask what they were out of respect. He was sure they knew, usually people look up what Pokemon their soulmarks are. But asking someone else about it always felt terribly private to Goh, so he never did, and just rejected them as politely as you could reject someone.
As entertaining as it was sometimes, Goh was mostly tired of it. Whenever he met someone with a Pikachu he was already sure it wasn't them. So many people have come to him because of his mark, and they never have his in return. He'd been bound to get numb to it from the start. It wasn't that he'd given up, it just felt like such an unlikely scenario to him now, to finally meet them. No matter how much he wanted to.
He thought the same would happen when he met Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town.
Well, he thought it afterwards, because the moment he'd met the other boy he'd been too busy freaking out about the fact he was on a Lugia and trying to get as much video footage of the legendary Pokemon as possible.
Still though, there was a certain spark in the air. In the carefree way Ash talked, how easy everything seemed to be between them. Or maybe the boys Pikachu had shocked Goh worse than he'd initially thought despite the fact he had pulled his hand away, it could be either really.
Later that day, when Professor Cerise offered him a Pokemon, Goh found he had to remind himself that it wasn't Ash. He wasn't them.
Whatever happened between the two on the back of the Johto legend was only a one time thing.
This fact was only proven further when the next day rolled around and they were sent to investigate Ivysaur.
Their whole chemistry seemed to have been a one time thing, because the way Ash was acting there was no way he could be his soulmate.
For the first time since they met the research fellows were fighting. And considering the fact they had only met the day prior this was either a new record or the saddest excuse for a short-term friendship in the history of ever. Not that Goh was an expert on the subject.
And then Ash had helped him climb up the building. He'd held Gohs hand. Had thrown himself in the way of members of an evil organisation to protect Pokemon he didn't even know.
And against his own will Goh felt his face warm up.
Oh, seems it wasn't a one time thing after all.
Or, at least, Goh really didn't want it to be.
After they had come back to the Cerise Institute Goh decided to officially ask Ash if he wanted to be his friend, and Ash replied that he had thought they already were.
Yet again, for the second time that day, Goh felt himself blush. He then tried to cover it up by laughing, hoping the other boy didn't notice as he joined in.
Goh really hadn't known Ash for very long, but he thought his words very much sounded like something he'd say.
Yet again, for the second time in two days, Goh had to remind himself that it wasn't Ash. He wasn't them.
... Or was he?
Somehow it only now occurred to Goh that he hadn't even thought to ask Ash about his mark, he'd just assumed it wasn't Mew because of how unlikely it was. But unlikely didn't mean impossible. Maybe he hadn't been imagining the spark when they'd met.
A part of him expected Ash to talk to him about it, because that was the way it usually went. But then just as quickly he remembered that Ash had no way to know he had a Pikachu mark.
The other boy didn't go to his school, he'd still been wearing his long sleeves around him and Chloe and Goh had a "don't tell anyone" agreement with each other.
So, on an afternoon two days after the Ivysaur incident, when they were both alone in the lobby, Goh decided to bring it up. He still felt weird about it, but his curiosity outweighed the anxiety.
"Hey, Ash?", he started.
Ash looked up, or rather down to Goh. The boy was sitting on the couch across his friend. Upside down, with his head almost touching the floor and his feet on the backrest, trying to read an article on his Rotom Phone despite all the blood that had to be rushing into his head.
It was awfully cute, in Gohs opinion. He also wondered how he'd turned completely gone for this boy so quickly.
"Yeah, what is it?", Ash replied, thus saving Goh from his own embarrassing thoughts.
Goh took another deep breath to steady himself, then "What's your soulmark?"
Ash had apparently decided that this topic was worth his full, serious attention, because he put his phone away and turned around to sit like a normal human being. "Why do you ask?"
Instead of explaining it with words Goh decided on rolling up his sleeve and presented the inside of his forearm to his friend.
He could see the gears turning in Ashs head, as he leaned forwards and his slight frown and squint turned into a gaze of realization.
"Oh", Ash started while leaning back into his prior sitting position. "That must be annoying, lots of people in Kanto have Pikachu. And I'm guessing they're even more popular in Vermilion because of Lieutenant Surges Raichu."
Goh chuckled. "Yeah, I wouldn't even know where to begin with the stories."
Ash chuckled as well, but there wasn't really any humour behind it. It was more awkward if anything, and followed up by a sigh.
Goh could've guessed the answer solely from the others reaction, but when Ash finally replied to the earlier question his words still stung.
"I think I know what you mean. I've met a couple of other people who had a Pikachu on their body, and they've never matched me. But I imagine it's more awkward the other way around... My mark isn't a Mew though, sorry."
And the worst part was he really did sound sorry, disappointed even. Or maybe Goh was projecting.
The one time Goh was the one asking the question and wanted the other person to be his soulmate and he still had no luck. It hurt.
For a brief moment Goh wondered if this is what it had felt like to all the people he'd had to reject in the past, but he wasn't in a good headspace to feel guilt as well, so he pushed the thought away.
"I see.", Goh said flatly. He really hoped the disappointment he felt didn't show through, but he was sure he was doing a bad job at that.
Before Ash could somehow manage to make him feel even more miserable Goh decided to change the topic, somewhat.
"What is your soulmark then?"
Ash grinned sheepishly and shrugged.
Goh frowned, waiting for a better explanation.
An explanation that never followed until Goh decided to prompt it. "You don't know?"
The other shook his head. "It's not a Pokemon I've seen, and I never looked it up."
Then Ash was the one frowning. "Is that weird?"
Goh couldn't help but laugh. Seriously, this guy was going to be the end of him.
"Yes, extremely weird. Just like you. But that's why you're my friend, Ash." He said while grinning. And Goh meant it, he really did.
Ash grinned back, and that was the end of the conversation.
Goh would've expected their interactions to get weird and uncomfortable afterwards, but Ash continued treating him like nothing had happened, so Goh chose to do the same.
He was really glad about it. Even if Ash wasn't his soulmate and a complete weirdo on top of it, meeting him was one of the most exciting things that has happened to him in his entire life.
They had barely known each other for a week, yet Goh already wouldn't know what to do with himself if he wasn't around. It was as if they completed each other, even if they were only friends.
That's right, only friends. Ash wasn't his soulmate. He was destined for someone else.
Goh had stopped trying to count how many times he's had to remind himself of that fact.
A few more uneventful days go by, until Professor Cerise decides that the two of them have had enough experience as research fellows to go investigate outside the region.
Under any other circumstance Goh would've been nervous, he barely left his home city, let alone Kanto. And he never had without his parents.
But Ashs excitement about going to a new place was very contagious. He didn't even have any space in his thoughts left to be anxious.
Maybe he should have been, their trip to Galar flipped his world on its head yet again.
Because now he was standing there, watching the Pokemon he had bonded with so well leave. And Goh realized, that deep down, he didn't want her to.
He hated the sad and disappointed look on her face, and how slowly she was backing off while looking down.
Nobody was stopping them from staying together, except for Goh himself.
He'd been so focused on getting Mew as his first Pokemon that he hadn't noticed how close they'd grown and how well they'd bonded, but now...
"Scorbunny, wait."
He would still catch Mew, eventually. It was still his end goal.
But that didn't mean he couldn't catch other Pokemon along the way.
Mew had the DNA of every Pokemon in it, catching other Pokemon would get him closer to it.
Catching every Pokemon would help him understand it better.
With his newly caught first Pokemon on his arm and smiles on both their faces he knew he'd made the right choice.
All the euphoria he was feeling made Goh miss the way Ash froze, the way his eyes widened, how his hand slowly moved towards the right side of his stomach, and how tightly he was gripping his shirt.
He should have noticed.
How didn't he notice?
It was clear as day.
Ash had thought that Scorbunny looked familiar to him when they'd first ran into it, but he was certain he'd never seen a Galar Pokemon, so he was quick to dismiss it as the Pokemon just having a similar body shape to Buneary and Bunnelby.
It was so obvious to him now, though it made sense that it took his mind until Goh had caught the Pokemon to finally catch up.
Unconsciously and almost as if it was out of reflex his hand moved to where his soulmark was on his skin under his shirt.
His soulmark that was undoubtedly shaped like a Scorbunny.
The fabric felt like it was on fire, as if it was mocking him.
He felt himself unable to look away from Goh.
Goh, who he knew had a Pikachu mark on his left arm.
Pikachu who had been his first Pokemon, his best friend for years.
At that exact moment a million and one thoughts crossed Ashs mind.
How Gary had teased him when they were 6, and Ash still hadn't known what soulmates were yet.
How after that his mom had explained to him how they worked, and somberly showed off the mark that matched with the father he had never met.
How when he had started his journey he and Misty had bonded over the fact that neither of them knew what Pokemon their mark was. Both 10 and stupid and not even considering the fact they could look it up somewhere.
How when they had met Tracey he had been able to physically see the moment it clicked in Mistys mind that her mark was his Marill.
How May had cursed everything soulmate related for the longest time and insisted fate had to be wrong, and how in the end she still found herself falling in love with Drew, because fate wasn't wrong.
How Max had still been too young to be really interested in soulmates when they were traveling together, how he had covered his own ears every time his sister brought up the topic, and how he had grabbed Brock by his ear every time the teen did.
How he and Dawn had stayed up late at night discussing soulmates, because he was edging on turning 13 and starting to really get interested in everything surrounding them for the first time. How she had talked about the fact she had thought her soulmate was Zoey when her rival first showed off her Leafeon, and how stupid she had felt learning that it wasn't even the girls first Pokemon.
How much she hated having an Eevee mark because of how common they are, but how they were both able to laugh about Brock a few minutes later. Because Brocks mark is a Ditto, and he was convinced that meant everyone could be his destined.
How Ash had decided then and there that he didn't want to find out what Pokemon the soulmark on his body was until he actually met his soulmate, because from what he'd seen it seemed like less of a hassle to not have to think about it too deeply.
How in the Dragon Village it's tradition to hide your mark even from yourself until your 16th birthday, so even today Iris still doesn't know the shape of hers yet.
How Cilan was training to be a soulmate connoisseur, but despite that respected his friends decisions and never forced them to find out. How much Ash had appreciated that.
How disappointed Serena had been when he had told her that his first Pokemon wasn't one of the Kanto starters, and how much more alive and sure about what she wanted to do she had become after meeting Shauna.
How Bonnie used each and every opportunity she could get to ask anyone and everyone if they had her brothers matching Shinx as their soulmark.
How Clemont had always dragged his sister away from them, having given up on trying to explain to her that he would rather stay platonic with his soulmate once he'd found them.
How Mallows eyes had lit up when Snowy hatched and Lillie agreed to continue taking care of her.
How crushed Kiawe had been when Mimo found out how soulmates work because of them.
How Harper and Sarah liked to endlessly tease their older sister about her love life, more interested in finding someone with the fated Popplio mark than Lana herself was.
How Sophocles had said he didn't believe in soulmarks, because there was no scientific evidence as to how they worked, but how he still listened in whenever someone in their friendgroup brought them up.
How Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet had taught him that soulmates weren't the end all be all some people made it out to be. Because they weren't soulmates, but as far as Ash was concerned they should have been, because even he could see how they completed each other.
How he didn't know anything about Chloes mark, because he had barely gotten to know the girl yet and hadn't had a chance to ask her.
And, the most blaring and loud thought of all, how despite having witnessed this many different views and situations regarding soulmates, he hadn't a single clue what to do now.
He almost regretted not knowing what Pokemon his mark was, never looking it up because of a few other peoples bad experiences with it. He didn't think it would have changed much, though. He most likely would have still felt just as lost.
Maybe it was because of how different all of the situations he'd seen were, maybe that was part of what made soulmate bonds so special, what made them so beautiful.
But right here, right now. Looking at Goh. Looking at his SOULMATE. He felt like the 6 year old Gary always teased again.
He'd known that being with Goh felt different compared to all the other friends he's made, but he hadn't considered that THIS was the reason why. Not after he'd talked about Mew.
"Pikapi?" Pikachus concerned voice brought Ash back to reality. He let go of his shirt, now slightly wrinkled. Had his grip really been that strong?
He turned his head to his partner who was sitting on his shoulder and hoped his smile looked more reassuring and steady than it felt like. "I'm fine buddy, just thinkin."
He looked over to Goh and Scorbunny again, they were still smiling at each other, having no clue about Ashs revelation.
Fuck, he'd have to tell him, didn't he?
It had been an eventful and life changing day, and when they had somehow eventually made their way back to the Cerise Institute Goh was about ready to pass out in his bed and sleep for the next 13 hours. Preferably cuddled up with Scorbunny, if she wanted to. That sounded comfortable.
He managed to get up the ladder and crash onto his bed, but before he could get to the following steps of his plan Ash spoke up.
"Hey Pikachu, why don't you show Scorbunny around? I'm sure she wants to see her new home."
Goh was about to protest. Something along the lines of "No, it's late" or "I can show my own Pokemon around, thank you very much" on the tip of his tongue, but his gaze locked with Ashs, and Goh noticed an odd emotion in the others eyes, and he stopped.
It was an excuse, Goh realized.
Pikachu must have been able to read the atmosphere in the room as well, because after a few Pikas followed by a Chu he walked out of the room, and Scorbunny followed after.
"You want to talk." Goh prompted after a moment of silence. He didn't receive a vocal reply, but it wasn't a question to begin with.
Instead Ash turned around, and closed their room door. "I...", he started, but drifted off, still facing the door.
With wide eyes Goh was finally able to place the emotion he had seen in Ashs eyes earlier, it had been nervousness. And immediately after his surprise at that had worn off he felt nervous as well.
Goh had never seen his friend this nervous. Ash was someone who could ride on top of a legendary Pokemon, jump in the way of members of an evil organization or climb up a tree on top of a giant Snorlax without looking this nervous.
Whatever he had to say, it must be extremely important.
Goh went down the first few steps of the ladder, then continued to jump down the rest of the way. He put a hand on Ashs shoulder and said: "Hey, it's okay, you can talk to me."
Ash finally turned away from the door to look at Goh, and Goh gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Ash smiled back.
"Okay." Ash said, "Okay", he said again, after taking a deep breath in between.
Then, in one quick motion, he lifted up his shirt.
Goh immediately felt heat rush up his face, he lifted his arms to cover his view, and froze halfway through the action, his limbs now awkwardly hovering in the air.
Ash was showing him his soulmark, his soulmark that looked like...
Goh couldn't breathe, all oxygen knocked out of his lungs. He felt dizzy, and his legs had suddenly turned into jelly.
With unsteady backwards steps he made his way back to the bed and sat down. On the bottom bunk, Ashs part of the bed, because he did. not. trust himself to manage to go up the ladder again.
Ash, who clearly already has had to go through this revelation earlier, chuckled awkwardly. "I know right?"
Goh felt the mattress beside him dip, and he only now registered that the other teen had moved to sit down beside him.
He looked over to Ash, staring at the spot with the soulmark that was now again covered by fabric. In any other situation this would have been weird. Who was he kidding, it still was. But Goh couldn't bring himself to tear his gaze away.
"When did you realize?", Goh found himself saying as his first words in a while. His voice slightly cracked, but he couldn't care less at the moment.
Ash chuckled, and sheepishly scratched his cheek. "Honestly? It kinda only registered in my mind after you caught Scorbunny. I didn't think of it before, but then I remembered your mark was a Pikachu, and..." he trailed off, looking straight ahead instead of directly at Goh.
Goh found himself mirroring the position. This would have been funny in any other situation, but he felt too floored to find any humour in Ash staring at Scorbunny all day and not recognising it. So instead he just nodded slowly.
"Can we... can we be sure? I mean, neither Scorbunny nor Pikachu are all that rare as first Pokemon, so..." Goh cringed as soon as the words left his mouth, realizing how much they sounded like he was in denial and rejecting Ash.
But Ash didn't care, he laughed and replied with brutal honesty. "Yes, I'm positive. I thought that you... being with you has been different the whole time. I just wasn't able to figure out the reason. I thought we'd clicked really well, but I never really considered that you could be..."
Goh nodded in understanding. "I... I think I felt that as well." A brief pause. "No, I know I definitely did.", he corrected himself.
Awkward silence stretched between them yet again. Not because there wasn't plenty to talk about, but because neither knew how to say any of it. Gohs thoughts were still swirling, and he didn't know what to make of any of them.
"What now?", Goh breathed to himself, but in their quietness Ash heard it anyway.
"No clue." Ash sighed. "I've been there when multiple of my friends met... theirs, but by this point I was always already kicked out of the room. Like, am I supposed to kiss you...?"
From his peripheral vision Goh saw that Ash had turned to look at him. His expression wasn't teasing, it was a genuine question.
Somehow Goh found comfort in the fact that Ash was just as unsure about this as he was. That they were in this together.
He considered the kiss for a moment, but then he swallowed and shook his head. "I don't think I'm ready for that. We haven't known each other for that long, I don't want to rush anything.", he answered honestly, although a bit flustered.
Ash, Arceus bless him, didn't look disappointed. He only nodded and hummed, either in agreement or understanding, maybe both. Then changed the topic. "We should probably tell our parents. Maybe the Professor too."
Goh groaned, covered his face with his hands and let himself fall backwards onto the bed. He knew Ash was right, but... "Ugh, they're gonna be so obnoxious about this. Fuck me."
He realized his mistake too late, as he was practically able to HEAR Ash raise his eyebrow.
"Can't make up your mind? First you say you're not ready for a kiss and then you offer-"
Goh immediately shot up. If he had been only a little flustered before then the colour on his face was now rivaling a Charmeleon. "ASH!" He cut the other off, scandalized.
"Yeah, what is it?"
"You- I- how can you just say that?!"
"Say what?" Ash blinked innocently, but the smirk on his face gave away that he knew precisely what he'd said.
When Goh didn't say anything Ash added: "Hey, come on, I'm just teasing. I know what you meant. I just wanted to make the conversation less tense. Goh? Please say something."
Against his own will and better judgment Goh found himself smiling.
"I can't believe someone like you is my soulmate.", he admitted with an amount of fodness in his tone that Goh wasn't aware he was capable of.
He would have expected the awkward atmosphere from earlier to return at full force, but it didn't. He felt surprisingly at ease. Maybe Ashs ill-timed joke had done the trick after all.
It was the first time either of them had said the word soulmate out loud during this entire conversation, and it should have been scary, but to Goh it felt as natural as breathing. Maybe it was.
"Do you mean that?", Ash asked, suddenly seeming self conscious, apparently having misread Gohs intentions.
Goh nodded, blue gaze locking with brown.
"Yeah, I mean it. I can't believe my soulmate is someone as amazing as you are."
"Oh.", was all that Ash managed to breathe out in response.
Goh was pretty sure he wasn't imagining the faint pink spreading across the others cheeks, and it didn't help him with calming down the heat on his own face.
But he decided to go on anyway, he wanted to say it, and he felt Ash needed to hear it.
"You're someone who can take a ride on a Lugia or fight Team Rocket to defend Pokemon you've barely known. You're someone who can climb up a fucking giant tree, on top of a fucking giant Snorlax to stop a train crash while making it all seem so easy and normal. You're good at battling and meeting people and you and Pikachu have such a deep bond that I could swear you understand the Pokemon language. And I learned all that just from knowing you for a little over a week, I mean like, what else can you do?"
Goh broke their eye contact, Ashs widened stare suddenly being too much.
"I wanted it to be you. That's why I showed you my soulmark in the first place.", he finally admitted, then chuckled to himself about what he was going to say next. "I think I used the words 'spark between us' when we first met. How did I get this lucky?"
Ash must have been waiting patiently for Goh to be done talking, because there was a quick pause before he finally spoke up.
"Don't downplay yourself.", he said. That hadn't been Gohs intention at all, but he still listened.
"You were there for all of those things, you were right beside me the entire time. And I get that you'd never gone on adventures like those before, but I think that only makes it more impressive that you were there. You were crazy and brave enough to jump on Lugia as well, and it's a good thing you did, because it led me to meeting you! It's not like that stuff doesn't make me nervous at all, I guess I'm just better at not showing it."
Goh felt a hand touch his shoulder, and on instinct he looked back up to Ash.
"Anyone would be lucky to have you as their soulmate. You're way smarter than me! I would have never thought to record that whole ride. And then you boldly announced that you would-" He abruptly cut off. "Wait."
Ash removed his hand from his shoulder again, and Goh found himself already missing the contact.
"What are you going to do now that you caught Scorbunny? I mean, I'm assuming you're still after Mew, but it won't be your first Pokemon."
Goh grinned at the question. He didn't know how to handle compliments, but shouting out his goals to the world? That, he had no problem with.
"You know how Mew is said to have the genes of all Pokemon in it?", he asked, and Ash nodded in response.
"If I catch every Pokemon there is then it will help me understand Mew better and help me get closer to it!"
Ash gaped. "You want to catch every Pokemon? All of them?!" Somehow he sounded almost more excited than Goh himself, then again, he generally was the more excitable one.
The grin on Gohs face widening was all Ash got for a response, but it was enough. "That sounds fun!"
Then, without needing to be asked, as if Ash knew that Goh was going to, he exclaimed: "My dream is to become a Pokemon Master!"
Goh titled his head slightly. "You mean, like, becoming the worlds greatest Pokemon trainer?"
"More than that! It's so much more!"
And Goh didn't really get it, but the excitement and confidence in the other teens expression while he talked about his dreams was enough for him to know that Ash would still be able to do it.
"That's great! Keep at it, Ash!"
"Yeah! You too!"
"Sure!"
With a small, solemn smile on his face, that somehow still seemed to encompass the entire world, Ash quietly added one more thing.
"I'm glad it's you, Goh."
He didn't specify what he meant, but he didn't need to. It wasn't more than a whisper, like he was scared of breaking something between them. But unlike before, he didn't seem afraid of Gohs reaction anymore.
Goh smiled back at Ash. Smiled back at his soulmate, and replied without any hint of hesitation or uncertainty.
"Me too. I'm glad it's you, Ash."
It wasn't a confession, it wasn't an 'I love you', but Goh felt that it could someday turn into one. And that thought didn't scare him at all anymore, if anything he was looking forward to it.
His nervousness earlier seemed silly now, but maybe it had been necessary for them to come to this point.
Then Ash ruined the moment with a yawn.
Goh broke out in laughter.
"Sorry sorry! I- I am so so sorry!" Ash tried to stutter through his own giggles.
Goh shook his head. "No, no I'm with you." He also let out a yawn to prove his point. "I was on a couple hour flight from a different region, stopped a tragedy, caught my first Pokemon and had a heart to heart with someone who told me he was my soulmate. What a day. I'm beat."
When Ash caught his breath he replied: "I know right? I don't think I'll forget today anytime soon, not that I'd want to."
In response Goh hummed. Then he stood up, and announced: "I'm gonna go look for Scorbunny and Pikachu, they've been away for a while." An unpleasant thought crossed his mind. "I hope they didn't break anything or get in trouble."
"Yeah, do that.", Ash replied from behind him.
With one eyebrow raised Goh turned around. Ash really did look tired, now that the adrenaline had worn off.
And maybe he was more exhausted than he had initially thought himself, because that was the only explanation he had for what happened next.
Goh almost regretted his earlier request, because logically he still knew that waiting really was the better and recommended action to take, but he was still suddenly overtaken with the urge to kiss Ash.
Compromising between rationality and impulsivity he leaned down and softly gave Ash a peck on the cheek, the touch was barely there, but it was enough for both of them to feel it, and enough for Gohs heart to do a somersault up into his throat.
He still caught the way Ashs eyes widened, but before the other could say anything, Goh had already left their room and vanished into the hallway.
The following day, for the first time in years, Goh decided to wear a shirt with short sleeves outside. After all, there wasn't much of a reason for him to hide his soulmark anymore.
On the way to the nearest forest - with a new goal in mind, his first Pokemon on his shoulder, and his soulmate by his side - Goh felt that he could hold the future in the palm of his hand.