Author's Note: Third-Person Point-of-View

Brock uttered a silent prayer to Nurse Joy in preparation for his studying. The book in front of him was a thick one, but with the nurse's blessings – and, of course, his own motivation – he would master the volume and hopefully be better positioned for Pokémon medical school.

As Brock finished his prayer to Nurse Joy he felt a sudden pang. How could he be doing this so carelessly?

He quickly sent a silent apology to Officer Jenny for excluding her. She should understand, he prayed, that he had to give more attention to Nurse Joy as he studied to be a Pokémon Doctor, but that the practice in no way suggested that his love for her was diminished in any way. Brock could only hope his goddess would understand.

Taking a deep breath, Brock opened the cover of the book, preparing to embark on his newest adventure through –

"Brock!" The door to his room swung open violently as his younger brother dashed in, panting.

Brock sighed, but kept his cool. "Forrest, didn't you see the sign on the door? I'm doing some important studying right now. There're leftovers in the fridge if someone's hungry, cleaning supplies in the basement –"

"It's nothing like that, Brock," Forrest said, still breathing heavily. "There's someone here for you."

Brock stood up and accompanied his brother out of his room, closing the door behind him. "Who? Better be someone important like Nurse Joy. Or Officer Jenny," Brock quipped.

He was just joking around. Brock knew exactly who it was. He'd known since he woke up that morning, known that the guy would come without even knowing how it was he knew. It was just a matter of when. Apparently sooner rather than later.

Forrest opened the front door for Brock, and his suspicions were confirmed as the Gym Leader turned Breeder turned would-be-Doctor was suddenly looking into the face of his oldest friend.

Brock nodded to Forrest, who beckoned Pikachu inside to play and left the two by themselves. Brock extended his hand.

"Hey, Ash."

The raven-haired Trainer smiled. "Hey, Brock!"

Brock smiled back warmly and shook Ash's hand firmly. "I have to admit, I thought I wouldn't be seeing you for a while."

Ash scratched his head. "Neither did I… Usually after we split up in Kanto we don't see each other until… the next region."

Ash tapered off towards the end and Brock smiled wryly. Ash was right, only that this time, with Brock studying to be a Pokémon Doctor, they wouldn't be meeting up in the next region. It hadn't sunk in for Brock yet, and he was doing his best not to think of it.

Now that Ash was standing in front of him again though, it was hard not to.

"Well," Brock cursed as his voice cracked, "what can I do for you?" Brock couldn't believe that's what he was saying to his longtime friend as they reunited for probably the last time for probably a very long time; but with his emotions running as high as they suddenly were, he couldn't manage anything more informal.

Ash didn't seem to mind. "Well, I actually needed your help with something, Brock. I thought of asking Mom or Professor Oak, but in the end you seemed like the best person to ask."

Brock raised an eyebrow. Better to ask him than Professor Oak? How flattering.

"It's about girls."

…

"Who are you?"

"Oh, come on, Brock."

"No, really, who are you?"

"It's me, Ash!"

"Have we met before?"

"That hurts, but somehow I feel like I deserve it."

"You really do," Brock said suddenly, not knowing why. But then his mind floated back to Ash's statement.

"Do you really want help with girls, Ash?" Brock asked, trying to contain his excitement.

"I… I do," Ash said, somewhat shaky but obviously determined. "I don't know if I need to learn everything right now, but I… I at least want to know how to talk about… feelings and stuff. You know…?"

"Never thought I'd see the day." Brock sniffled with pride. "Of course I'll help you, Ash!"

"Really?" Ash face brightened and Brock couldn't help but grin at the guy's enthusiasm. "That's awesome, thanks a lot!"

Brock positioned himself next to his best friend, slinging an arm around the younger boy's neck and sighing wisely. "Of course. But as you yourself seemed to realize intuitively, I don't think you're quite ready for the full course yet. Much of my knowledge and many of my techniques involving women are beyond what the common man can possibly understand. I must admit that in you, more than perhaps any other man I've seen, I see the closest resemblance to myself in terms of natural romantic ability. But even so, there are things I know… skills I possess… which you cannot possibly comprehend or utilize right now. As such, I will only reveal as much as I believe you can handle at this time, which mainly involves talking about your feelings to the girl in question."

"Yeah, that's exactly what I asked –"

"Do you understand that I've chosen to reveal only these particular secrets having taken into account your own safety?"

"Like I said, that's what I wanted from the beginn–"

"Excellent," Brock cut across enthusiastically. He had been waiting for this day as long as he could remember. The day when he'd be able to help his best friend with his love, and watch as the young Trainer followed in his footsteps down the road of Romance. Yes, it was a tough journey. But with Brock as his guide, the boy wouldn't fail. Brock was sure of that.

"So," Brock said, rubbing his hands together. "Who is the girl in question?"

Ash turned his face away, suddenly very shy. "Uh, well, that is…"

Brock grinned, finding this new side of Ash pretty different. "Shy, are we?"

Ash's face reddened. "No way!"

"Then tell me."

"But, well, it's just… That is…"

Brock chuckled. Ah, the blushing and stuttering of those new to love. How innocent. It was the job of experienced romantics like himself to lighten the embarrassment such that it was possible to work with.

"You don't have to give me her name, Ash. Just some details or context would be enough," Brock soothed.

Ash scratched his cheek sheepishly. "Ah, ok, no names sound good."

Brock squinted slightly. Did Ash say 'names' – plural?

"See, Brock, it's not just one girl I'm going to be talking to."

Apparently he had meant the plural. Brock whistled lowly, but he understood. He could after all think of two girls off the top of his head. Most prominent in his mind – because it was so recent – was Dawn, whose feminine persona and closeness with Ash made the idea of a romantic interest very believable. Immediately afterward he thought of Misty. She hadn't been as explicit about the closeness or the girliness, but Brock knew it was all there under the surface. So, he could definitely –

"It's three girls."

Brock blinked, not sure if he'd heard right at first, but then he nodded slowly. May had always been distracted by Drew as far as romance went, but if it turned out to be superficial Brock could definitely see how her and Ash's personality compatibility could lead to a romantic relationship. So he could definitely understand –

"Actually, four girls."

Brock's eyes bugged. Four? Misty, May, and Dawn were the obvious three he'd thought of; considering the adventures they'd shared with Ash and how close they'd gotten to him, Brock could easily understand how feelings might be cropping up between Ash and them.

But who could the fourth girl possibly be?

And since when was Ash so romantically ambitious?

"Brock?" Ash asked anxiously. The older man snapped to attention, deciding to drop the question of the fourth girl. If he wasn't getting names, brooding over it wouldn't help. But it still intrigued Brock that there was a girl other than the three with whom Ash had traveled extensively who had managed to get his attention.

Brock whistled again, shaking his head slightly. "Ash, I'm glad you've become sensitive to romantic feelings… But four girls at once? Even I, whom they dubbed 'Casanova', wouldn't try to involve myself with four women at once."

"By 'them', you mean Max, right?" Brock twitched but brushed the comment off as Ash continued. "And I don't want to involve myself with all of them at once! What I need to know is just how to share my feelings about them... How to let them know what they mean to me… I don't know why, but I feel as though I owe that to them."

Ash said the last part with his characteristic confidence. Brock raised an eyebrow at the statement, suddenly realizing the nature of Ash's request. He smiled. It was what he should've expected.

"So all you want to know is how to talk to these girls about your feelings?"

"Yeah!" Ash said, excited that Brock had understood his request.

Brock chuckled. "Well, that's easy."

"Easy?" Ash sounded incredulous. "How do I do it, then?"

"Be honest."

Ash blinked. "Be honest? That's it?"

Brock smirked. "That's it."

"Really?"

Brock shrugged. "People do all sorts of things to express their feelings. I'm not here to say one way's better than another, but I have my fair share of experience. I also know you, Ash. And taking those two facts into account, I think being honest is your best bet. Just tell them how you feel and what you're thinking straight up."

Ash was frowning slightly. "So… It's like a battle?"

Brock sweatdropped. "For you, I guess. Just do your usual, head-on thing. That's what comes naturally to you, right?"

"Yeah." Ash grinned.

Brock clapped his hands to signify the conclusion of his advising. "And that's it. Let things run their course, and let me know how they go."

"Are you sure that's all?" Ash looked like he couldn't believe it.

Brock suddenly felt like he was floating as words came out of his mouth seemingly of their own accord.

"I've traveled with you longer than anyone else, Ash… You know that, right?"

Ash's brow furrowed, confused at the sudden topic change but willing to go along. "Of course, Brock… How could I forget?"

"So you trust me, through and through?"

"Of course, Brock, but –"

"Good."

Brock watched as Ash's face relaxed. He felt his heart lift at the familiar feeling of being able to put his best friend at ease.

"Alright, then, that's all," Ash said simply, smiling.

"Yup." Brock rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry you had to make the trip all the way out here just for that."

"You think I made the trip here just for that?"

Brock felt himself refocus on Ash suddenly, alert. "You came for something else?"

"Well, I did genuinely need your advice. But the main reason I came was for you."

Before Brock could react, Ash's fist came driving in towards his stomach. The older man could do nothing but brace himself.

Ash tapped Brock's solar plexus with his fist lightly. Brock gave a small oomph as some air was knocked out of him, but he felt no pain at all.

Ash retracted his fist, smiling slightly. "You've always done everything you could for me." For some reason, Brock felt himself cleared of a large load he hadn't realized he was carrying as Ash said that.

"As a budding Pokémon Doctor, you healed my Pokémon. As a Breeder, you maintained them. As a Trainer, you taught me techniques with Pokémon. As a caring friend, you made me food whenever I was hungry. As an experienced older brother, you taught me common knowledge and passed me your wisdom. You never asked me for anything in return. It bothers me, but I don't think I could repay you anyway, so I accept all those things as gifts from you. But I still want to give you at least one thing in return."

Brock smiled slightly. It felt good to know that Ash had appreciated all the contributions Brock had tried to make in the younger Trainer's development. He'd never thought he'd see the day Ash outright thanked him for them or articulated his appreciation in any way, but he wasn't complaining. Ash truly didn't owe him anything, but he couldn't say no to a gift either. But Ash's hands were empty, so what was the gift?

Ash ran his hands through his hair. "Maybe it's not something I'm giving to you, actually. Maybe it's the only thing you haven't given to me yet. But either way, it's an account that needs to be settled."

Brock was completely confused.

"Brock, I've had the privilege of having you as a doctor, breeder, Trainer, friend, and brother. But I never had the complete privilege of having you as a Gym Leader. As the Gym Leader of Pewter City."

Brock felt his heart beat faster. Was Ash really saying what Brock thought he was saying?

But it wasn't possible. "Ash… I'm not officially the Gym Leader of Pewter City anymore."

"You sure?" Ash asked, tilting his head. "Research isn't my strong suit, but I'd heard about Forrest so I made sure to check the League website, and you were the one listed as the Pewter City Gym Leader."

Brock stared blankly for a second before he squinted in annoyance. Obviously his father never informed the Pokémon League of the title change as Brock had asked him to.

He'd chew his father out for it later, but right now, that meant…

"It all started with you, Brock. I might've met Misty first, but my Gym challenges, my official career as a Trainer, it all started with you. Since then, you've been at my side through nearly everything. Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Kanto again, Sinnoh. Thirty-two Badges and seven Symbols. Four Leagues and a Battle Frontier. More Pokémon than I can count and a bunch of Legendaries to boot. Adventures that I couldn't have imagined, that sometimes we almost didn't live through. But we did make it through everything. And you were there from day one."

It hit Brock like a ton of bricks. This was it. There was no next League, next region, next adventure. Not for him. He had decided to be a Pokémon Doctor. Ash would be going on without him.

"From day one. I barely know what it means to journey without you, Brock. But the next region I go to, you… won't be with me. I know that, because of the adventures we've shared, because of how long we've been together, because of the things you've taught me, in a way you'll always be by my side. But the fact is that you won't be there with me physically."

Brock gulped. He'd obviously known the fact, but hearing his friend say it aloud, and with so much emotion in his voice, shook him to his core.

"So this isn't about the Badge, or even the Gym. This is about you, Brock. Since you won't be there with me every day from now on, I want to know I'm ready to go on nonetheless. The first day we met, to me you weren't a doctor, breeder, friend, brother, or even a Trainer. You were a Gym Leader. And you've always said the purpose of a Gym Leader is to ensure the challenger is ready to go on. That first day we met, you gave me the confidence to start my journey, with you by me. Today, I want to earn your assurance that I'm ready to continue that journey, even without you at my side."

Ash looked at him head on, his face filled with feeling. Brock felt his heart quiver as it resonated with Ash's emotions.

"Brock, I want to earn your blessing."

"Ash…"

Brock felt his mind race, trying to parse through all the emotions flooding him. Ash's proposal was both a request for his blessing and also the gift he'd mentioned before. Forrest would replace him as the official Gym Leader as soon as he sorted out the title change with the League, which would mean if he battled Ash now, it would be his last battle as a Gym Leader.

Brock felt his throat close up. He looked at the Trainer in front of him, so much like the Trainer who'd thrust open the doors of Pewter Gym so long ago but also so different. He was principled in all the same ways, but also stronger, smarter, and kinder than ever. He'd come in a rookie, but now he had real wins under his belt. He'd arrived that day naively persevering, but now he had grit born from overcoming real challenges. He had the same dream he had then, but now he knew how to go about achieving it.

Most importantly, that day so long ago the boy who'd walked in was a random wannabe Trainer with his head in the clouds; today, Ash was a man Brock was proud to call his best friend and a Trainer he knew could be the best, like no one ever was.

"Brock, will you accept me as your final challenger?"

Brock rubbed his forearm across his eyes roughly. Blinking the water out of his eyes, Brock looked into the glowing face of his best friend. He didn't understand why he was being so emotional. After all, this wasn't a 'goodbye' as much as a 'catch you later.'

Brock smiled.

"Welcome to the Pewter Gym, Ash."

Author's Note

Brock rounds out the boys' epilogues! One more requested by jg13145. How do you guys feel about it?

Tentative Update Schedule

June 05, 7:00 PM UTC: Epilogue 7

June 09, 6:00 PM UTC: Epilogue 8

June 14, 5:00 PM UTC: Epilogue 9

June 18, 6:00 PM UTC: Epilogue 10

June 22, 7:00 PM UTC: Final Chapter

Everyone knows what epilogues are left, haha. But let me know if you're particularly excited about a certain one, and I'll try to deliver it earlier. Thanks to ThatCheddarBob, La Belle Coeur, LightRayPearlshipper, stars90, PsychicEevee0103, DAgency, jg13145, pikachewy1, DarkLucario2, and mask211 for their epilogue requests.

My gratitude to guest bro and users PsychicEevee0103, pikachewy1, jg13145, DAgency, stars90, MidnightFenrir, and mask211 for getting in touch. Thanks to all reading, and please let me know what you think! Enjoy!