Chapter 25

A couple of days have passed since Ash, Pikachu, Serena, and Brock made it to Celadon City. After Ash defeated Erika, the group has been taking it easy while staying at the Pokemon Center. Ash is spending time training his Pokemon at the courtyard outside of the Pokemon Center, while Brock and Serena have been exploring the city before Serena comes back to the Pokemon Center to practice her performances with her Pokemon. Neither of them, however, have seen Giselle since Ash and Erika's battle despite the fact that she's staying at the Pokemon Center with them.

It is the afternoon on the third day of the group staying in Celadon City, and Serena is at the park in the center of the city with her Pokemon. Braixen is picking flowers, Poliwag and Absol are playfully chasing each other, and Serena is brushing Sylveon on a park bench with Pancham waiting to be brushed next. Serena is smiling as she grooms her Pokemon and watches other people play and have fun with their Pokemon all over the park.

"Absol, Poliwag, don't run too far," she calls out.

"Absol," Absol calls back obediently.

"Poliwag," Poliwag replies with a smile.

Serena nods with her eyes closed, satisfied with their response as she finishes grooming Sylveon.

"Alright, you're all done, Sylveon," she says.

"Sylveon," Sylveon says cutely before it gets off Serena's lap, and Pancham eagerly hops on her lap to be brushed.

"So, Sylveon, I've decided tomorrow is when you're going to have your contest debut," Serena says as she stays grooming Pancham. "So, after dinner tonight, we'll be working very hard for the appeal stage, okay?"

"Sylveon," Silverton replies happily.

Serena smiles as Sylveon leaves to play with Poliwag and Absol. She looks at the three of them fondly, happy to see Sylveon get along so well with her two new Pokemon.

"Hey, Serena."

Serena turns her head to see Brock sitting down next to her on the bench with a smile.

"Oh, hi, Brock," Serena greets. "What are you doing out here?"

"I decided to go on some errands and refill on supplies so that we're ready to go after your contest," Brock says. "I figured I may as well get ready since we will probably leave right after the contest."

Serena nods while she finishes brushing Pancham. The little panda-like Pokemon hops off her lap and goes over to Sylveon, Poliwag, and Absol to play while the two trainers watch. Serena enjoys watching her Pokemon play until she frowns and turns to Brock.

"Hey, Brock, is it normal for a Pokemon like Absol to take a while to start having any moves?" She asks.

Brock looks at her, taken aback for a moment before he looks at her seriously.

"Not really," he says honestly. "There are a lot of basic attacks that an Absol can learn as soon as it's born. Have you tried to see if it knows any attacks with your Pokedex."

"Oh yeah, I forgot that my Pokedex can do that now," Serena says in realization. "It was one of the new features Professor Oak, and Tracy added when Ash and I visited the Professor's lab. I guess I completely forgot about it."

"Yeah, better check it out," Brock says.

Serena nods and takes out her Pokedex. It scans her disaster Pokemon while it's playfully tackling Sylveon, and a list of attacks appear.

"Let's see," she says. "It says Absol knows Scratch, Leer, Feint, and… Perish Song? I think I've seen that before."

"Yeah, Perish Song unleashes terrible sound waves and after about eventually causes all Pokemon who hear it faint including the one who used it," Brock explains. "In Absol's case, they tend to unleash crimson-colored sound waves toward their opponent."

"That's right. Now I remember," Serena says in realization. "There was a trainer named Magnus whose Absol was using Perish Song when he was battling against Diantha, the Kalos region champion. I remember Diantha using that move to her advantage by having her Gardevoir defeat it with a powerful Moonblast while Magnus' Absol was still using it. Now that I think about it, I guess Diantha probably has the same idea as Timothy does with Shockwave when it comes to having fairy attacks to defend itself against dark Pokemon."

"You're probably right," Brock says with a nod. "In any case, Perish Song is probably not the best move to have when you're having a contest battle."

Serena nods in agreement. Suddenly, something clicks in her mind, and she turns to Absol, who is chasing Poliwag again. She scratches her chin in thought for a moment before she smiles.

"I definitely won't try Perish Song during contest battles…" she begins. "But I could use it for the appeal round. If done right, it could create something beautiful."

"So...beautiful," Brock says in an absent-minded voice.

Serena turns to Brock in confusion only to look at him, shocked. Brock is looking away from her and staring at a tall, beautiful woman with short, pink hair walking down the path with her Ivysaur. Before Serena can say another word, Brock has already jumped into action, standing in front of the woman down on one knee and taking her hand.

"Oh, wow, what is your name?!" He exclaims. "I just have to know what beautiful name you have to go with your even more beautiful fa - AUGH!"

The woman's Ivysaur doesn't waste any time using Vine Whip to swat Brock's hand away from the woman. The woman is still looking at him dumbfounded when Serena steps in between her and her Ivysaur and Brock with an apologetic look.

"I'm so sorry about my friend, madam," she says while taking a bow.

The woman chuckles nervously and walks away with her Ivysaur while Serena grabs Brock by the collar and drags him back to their bench. Then she lets go and looks at him disapprovingly with her hands on her hips like a mother disciplining her child.

"Alright, what is going on with you, Brock?" She rebukes. "Ever since Cerulean City, you've been acting crazy over practically every woman we come across, and from what I can gather from how Misty, May, Max, Dawn, and Ash have been reacting to it, they're basically used to it. Have you always been this way?"

Brock is taken aback by the way Serena is ridiculing him. He has been dragged by the ear or hit with Poison Jab by his Croagunk, but no one has acted so upfront to him about his habit of chasing women. After a moment, Serena sighs and calms down.

"Look, I realize I'm one to talk when it comes to how I sometimes act around Ash, but the way you're acting is immature and uncomfortable for the women you talk to," she says softly. "Are you so desperate to find someone special that you would chase after anyone with a pretty face?"

Brock lowers his head, not responding to Serena. The two of them remain silent while Serena's Pokemon continue to play or smell flowers. After a while, Brock stands up and looks at Serena with a serious but honest look.

"Maybe, now that you mention it," he confesses.

"Maybe?" Serena challenges with a frown. "Don't give me that, Brock. You have a problem, and you know it. Why do you have to be so upfront like that?"

Brock thinks hard about Serena's question. It takes a while before he sits back down and pats on the empty spot on the bench, gesturing to Serena to sit down. The honey blonde girl quietly obeys, and Brock takes a moment before he decides to explain.

"I guess like you, I've had some kind of dream for romance since I was young," he confesses. "But where you had such thoughts for one specific person, I just wanted that experience no matter who I share it with."

"But why?" Serena asks.

Brock sighs and says, "I guess it mostly has to do with my mom."

"Your mom?" Serena asks in disbelief. "How would she influence you when both of your parents leave you and your siblings alone at home all the time?"

"Because she's been away from my siblings and me the longest," Brock says. "She used to run the gym, but she kept losing and couldn't handle it, so she left to pursue her own goals. I guess after not having a mother around and having to take care of my siblings by myself, I decided I wanted to find the special woman in my life and have been trying to find her since."

Serena smiles briefly before she asks, "But why do you think just abruptly making a move on a girl would work? I mean no offense, but has there ever been a girl who has had similar feelings for you like that?"

Brock forces out a laugh before looking at the sky while thinking back.

"Well, there've been a couple during my travels with Ash," he says. "There's been Wilhomena, Temacu, Lizabeth, and a couple of younger girls like Autumn and Natalie who had little crushes on me. And then…"

Serena tilts her head in confusion while Brock still stares at the sky.

"And then?" She quarries.

Brock sighs and softly says, "There was Holly."

Serena looks at her friend immediately interested at the way Brock said this person's name differently from the others.

"What was she like?" She asks.

"She was a very determined trainer," Brock answers. "We were partners at the Hearthome City Tag Battle Tournament. She unhesitatingly shot me down when I tried to make a move on her, but then she started to admire me for the way I was battling. But after we lost the semifinal round to Ash and Paul, she left without saying goodbye. According to the Nurse Joy in the city, she left to train more so she could be a better partner for me. That was the last I ever saw of her."

Serena frowns, sad to hear that.

"I'm sorry," she says. "She sounds like a woman who at least had good intentions for you."

"I guess," Brock says half-heartedly. "I wish she could have talked to me before leaving, though. I could have told her that she didn't need to leave just to train for me. Sure, she needed my help a lot when we were in the competition, but we still made a good team. I mean, we did make it all the way to the semifinals after all."

Serena nods in understanding.

"Well, maybe one day you will see her again, and you can tell her that," she says encouragingly.

"I don't know," Brock says unconvinced. "This was all the way in the Sinnoh region, so I doubt I'm going to see her again any time soon."

"You don't know that," Serena says. "I thought I would never see Ash again after my mother and I moved from Pallet Town, but then there he was on the news saving a Garchomp on top of Lumiose Tower just a day's walk away from where I live."

"Maybe so, but I don't know how we would make it work," Brock says sadly. "It was almost two years ago when all of that happened. She probably has gotten over me by now. And even so, I don't know if she would be interested in staying in a humble place like Pewter City with my family and me. The fact is while I might have to travel every now and then as a doctor, I want to stay at home where I'd like to raise a family that I won't abandon like my parents constantly do. I may not have gotten to know her enough to know what her life goals are, but if she is as quick to leave me for Pokemon training as my parents were, then she isn't someone who I can depend on staying in one spot with me. There just wouldn't be a future worth having if it's true."

Serena frowns at Brock's discouraging words. Her mind starts to think about the idea of staying in one place and getting married and raising a family with Ash. She instantly blushes at the thought before her face turns serious again, thinking about whether or not that can happen.

"Brock?" She begins hesitantly. "Do you think Ash and I will have that problem even if he ever returns my feelings?"

Brock turns to Serena, confused.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

Serena rubs her arm as she struggles to explain her worry.

"Ash loves to go to face new challenges and discover new Pokemon," she says. "He still dreams of becoming a Pokemon Master, and while I've seen how many Pokemon he's captured over the last four years, he still has a long way to go to accomplish his dream. Likewise, I came so close to winning the Master Class, but I still have much to learn. I want to make people and Pokemon smile with my performances, but that might one day mean staying in one place as Kalos Queen one day. So, even if Ash learns to like me back, I could never want him to give up on his dream for me, and I know he wouldn't want me to give up on mine for him. I know I shouldn't give up, but now I wonder if it's even possible to make it work in the end."

Brock looks at the honey blonde girl, surprised as she turns her head away from him with a look of dread. He frowns and lowers his head.

"I see," he says seriously. "That does present a serious problem."

Serena winces, feeling discouraged by Brock's response. The two of them remain silent for a few minutes while Serena's Pokemon continue to play with each other. Finally, Brock turns to Serena, places his hand on her shoulder with a smile.

"You know, there's a saying I heard when I was little," he says. "'Don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have enough problems on its own.' That basically means don't worry about what happens in the future and just focus on today. You and Ash are still young, and there's still plenty of time to figure out what the future will be. But for now, you should just enjoy the time you have with him now while you're still on a journey together where you're there for him, and he's there for you."

Serena turns to Brock and smiles at him appreciatively. Brock nods, glad to see her feeling better before giving her an amused smirk.

"Besides, at least we know one good thing about how Ash feels about you," he says.

"Really?" What's that?" Serena asks.

"He really appreciated how you encouraged Typhlosion the other day more than what Pikachu or I did, didn't he?" Brock states.

Serena thinks about it for a moment before she realizes that Brock is right and smiles warmly.

"Yeah, I guess he did," she says.

Brock nods and says, "And in the meantime, I will continue to look for the lady of my dreams."

"Uh, that's great, but maybe you shouldn't be as eager as you usually are," Serena says calmly. "I think while I'm cheering for Ash, I should also try to be there for you too to help you be...less energetic when coming around every pretty woman you meet."

"What?" Brock asks with a mopey look on his face. "But how will I find the right one for me if I'm not making any moves?"

"Brock, I'm not saying you shouldn't make any attempts to find someone, but I think you need to hold back on your approach," Serena explains. "You're here to help me be less shy around Ash, so since you take the opposite approach, you should learn to hold back. Maybe if we help each other, we'll both find that middle ground that will benefit us. And besides, Brock - and I'm saying this as a friend, you're coming off as creepy when you try to hit on women."

Brock becomes uneasy and rubs the back of his head.

"Yeah, I've been told that many times before," he confesses before letting out a sigh. "Alright, if you think that is best, then I accept your help."

"Good," Serena says with a smile.

The two of them smile, satisfied before Brock decides to stand up.

"Well, I better get going," he says. "I still have some errands to run, and I want to be done before dinner tonight."

"Alright, I'll see you then," Serena says as Brock leaves the park, waving to her as he walks.

Once Brock is out of sight, Serena lays her back against the back of the bench and sighs, thinking about what she just discussed with Ash's long-time friend. Suddenly, she feels someone taking off her hat, and she lifts her head in confusion only to find Braixen standing in front of her holding her hat in one hand and placing a crown of flowers on her head with the other.

"Wow, thank you, Braixen, it's so pretty," she says happily.

"Braixen," Braixen replies, happy that its trainer likes the gift.

Serena smiles as she is suddenly surrounded by all five of her Pokemon with Pancham standing next to Braixen, Absol sitting next to her on the left side of the bench, Sylveon sitting on the other side and Poliwag happily hopping onto her lap.

"Did you all have fun playing in the park?" She asks.

All five Pokemon make happy calls simultaneously as a means of saying yes.

"I'm glad," Serena says cheerfully. "Then why don't we head back to the Pokemon Center, and we can practice our performances?"

Once again, her Pokemon let out excited calls before Serena stands up and leads them out of the park.