Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. If I did Ash would talk to and about his old friends more often.

"The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out." - Proverbs 20:5

When Ash strode into the cafeteria early the next morning, he wasn't at all surprised to see Brock already there. After all, he had woken up early his first few days in Kalos; jet lag was one of the drawbacks of traveling to a region so far from home. What he was surprised to see was Nurse Joy sitting with him. The two were chatting in a relaxed way, something Ash had never seen happen before. In fact, the only time he'd seen anything approaching a normal conversation between Brock and Nurse Joy was when a Pokémon's health was on the line, and that certainly wasn't the case here.

Catching sight of Ash, Brock waved him over, snapping Ash out of his reverie. Nurse Joy turned as well and, seeing Ash, quickly stood up. "With the other guests getting up I really should be getting back to work. Thanks for the talk Brock. And I'll be sure to let my sister and cousins know to look you up when you get to Lumiose City." Turning to Ash, Nurse Joy made a little bow. "Good morning! The cafeteria will be open in just a little while."

"Thanks Nurse Joy." Ash sat down and, after Nurse Joy was some distance away, turned to Brock and asked, "So, what's with that?"

"Oh, we were just 'talking shop.' Plus she promised she'd have her relatives show me around Lumiose City when I get back. It's quite a big city and it's easy to get lost in, so it'll be nice to have some help."

"Not that, I mean you talking to Nurse Joy without professing your undying love. That's a new one on me."

Brock chuckled. "Well Ash, I wouldn't get very far as a Pokémon Doctor if I did that to every Nurse Joy that walked by. It's all part of growing up…" Brock smiled. "That and being threatened with expulsion from med school after only a few days because I was 'behaving unprofessionally.'"

"I kinda figured something like that must have happened."

"Say, where's Pikachu?"

"Still in bed. Everyone was taking a little nap before you arrived last night. I guess they all must have had trouble falling back asleep."

"Either that or you were just too excited to stay in bed."

"Maybe." He adjusted his hat. "So, how are things back in Kanto?"

Over the next little while the two old friends caught up. Brock updated Ash on what had happened since the last time they had spoken. Forrest was still doing a great job running the Gym in Pewter City. Even though Brock's medical studies were getting more time consuming and difficult, he was enjoying them, confident that he had made the right choice. He saw Misty, Tracey, Professor Oak, and Ash's mother from time to time, but nowhere near as often as he would like.

Then it was Ash's turn. He filled Brock in on how the rest of his Unova journey went, then discussed his adventures through the Decolore Islands, and finally recounted his travels through Kalos thus far. As he was finishing up the story of his recent victory over Grant, he noticed Bonnie and Clemont walking up with Pikachu trailing behind. Seeing his trainer, Pikachu broke into a bit of a run and leapt up into Ash's hands. After greeting his number one partner, Ash turned to the two siblings.

"Morning guys! Sleep well?"

"Morning Ash," Clemont yawned, still a bit groggy. "I had a bit of trouble falling asleep at first, but overall it was restful."

"I was just too excited to sleep! Dedenne too." At the sound of its name, Dedenne poked its head outside of its pouch and chattered.

Brock looked closely. "Wow, I've never see that Pokémon before. So it's called Dedenne?"

"Yeah, this is Dedenne. Clemont's keeping it for me until I'm old enough to be a trainer, but I'm allowed to take care of it. So what do you think? How am I doing?"

Smiling, Brock gestured. "Well, why doesn't Dedenne come out and I'll have a look."

Taking Dedenne out of her pouch, Bonnie placed him on the table in front of Brock. Brock reached out his hand and, needing no more encouragement, Dedenne scampered up Brock's right arm and across his back, coming to a stop on Brock's left shoulder.

"Here," said Bonnie, reaching out with a treat in her hand, "take this."

Brock took the treat from Bonnie and lifted it to Dedenee's mouth. The Antenna Pokémon chattered excitedly and then gobbled it down quickly. Muttering contentedly, it then made a move towards Brock's cheek.

"It's real…" Brock's affectionate comment was interrupted with a chorus of "Nos" from the others, but it was too late. Brock experienced a sudden jolt of electricity as Dedenne's Nuzzle took effect. While Brock was still dazed, Bonnie reached out and quickly took Dedenne back in her hands, placing it back in her pouch.

"I'm realllly sorry about that Brock!" Bonnie bowed in contrition.

Brock shook himself a few times then smiled. "Ha, no worries. After traveling with Pikachu so long and working with all kinds of Pokémon at the hospital it takes much more than that to upset me. Besides, now I can answer your question."

Bonnie looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well," started Brock, "a Pokémon's Attack power can say a lot about how well it has been raised. I may never have seen a Dedenne before, but for something so small to be able to deliver such a powerful jolt means it's been raised well. You should be proud."

"Yipee!" Bonnie exclaimed, doing a little leap for joy.

"So, where's Serena?" Brock asked.

"Still getting ready I think," Clemont replied. "She does like her showers. I think she's still getting used to going without them when we're on the road."

Ash smiled. "Reminds you of Dawn, doesn't it Brock? Except Serena doesn't have a Piplup to help her with her hair every morning."

Laughing, Brock nodded. "Sounds like it. So, should we wait for her or get started with breakfast?"

The loud grumbling of Ash's stomach at that precise moment answered that question. After commenting about how some things never change, Brock led the rest of them to get some food. Serena joined them a few minutes later, prim and well-dressed as usual. The five enjoyed a nice leisurely breakfast. Eventually the topic of conversation turned to the subject of what to do next.

"Brock's only in town a few days," started Serena, "so I think he should get to decide."

"Well, I'm really okay with anything."

"Nonsense Brock," she responded emphatically "you're visiting our region and coming to help out Pokémon. So it's really up to you!"

"I agree" added Clemont. "In Kalos we pride ourselves on being great hosts, especially to people from far away. So, what would you like to do?"

Brock leaned back a bit in his chair. "Well, as nice as it is to sleep in a bed, I kind of miss the old days. So, it'd be nice to spend a few days camping out. Plus, it would give me a great opportunity to see some new Pokémon. I'm particularly interested in seeing some Fairy types and, of course, any Rock type Pokémon native to the Kalos region."

At this Clemont lowered his fork from his mouth. "Well Brock, you've already seen at least one Kalos fairy type."

"Really? But the only Kalos Pokemon I've seen so far is Bonnie's Dedenne."

"Dedenne's a Fairy type silly!" Bonnie giggled.

"Really?"

"Indeed," went Clemont. "And we're not too far from Reflection Cave. There's a number of Rock type Pokémon there. Most of course can be found in other regions, but I'm pretty sure there's at least one or two varieties that you won't be able to find outside of Kalos."

"Cool. I figured we would do some traveling outdoors so I brought my gear," motioning to his backpack "just in case."

"Really?" Serena expressed surprise. She hadn't even packed a tent when setting off on her journey; to hear that someone else had brought along a ton of gear for a week-long visit boggled the mind.

"Yeah," nodded Ash, "Brock's really good about those things. When I was traveling with him we never had to worry about anything. Brock was always super organized and made sure we had everything we needed. Plus, he's an excellent chef."

"Amazing!" Serena smiled. "This might work out even better than I imagined," she mused. "Not only can I find out if Ash has a girlfriend, but everyone knows that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach…and that clearly goes double for Ash." Out loud she said, "Maybe you can give me some pointers. I'm honestly not that good of a cook and would love to learn from a master."

"Hey, that's not true Serena!" Ash expressed shock. "You make the best macarons ever!"

She chuckled. "That's baking Ash, not cooking," she said, wagging her finger. She was however quite pleased with the praise.

"What's the difference?" Ash looked confused.

"Serena's right Ash," Brock said, nodding in agreement, "there's a big difference between cooking and baking." Turning to Serena, Brock continued. "I'd be happy to teach you a thing or two. Of course, I won't just teach about cooking for people; I can share some tips to help you prepare food for your Pokémon as well." He paused, a curious expression on his face. "Say, what Pokémon do you have?"

"Only a Fennekin. It's one of the starter Pokémon new trainers can get here in Kalos."

"Hey, I've got it," Brock said. "Looks like everyone's finished with breakfast. Before we really get going let's bring all the Pokémon out and introduce them to one another!"

"An excellent idea," supplied Clemont.

"So Brock," started Ash, "who did you bring with you? Or did you leave everyone at home?"

"I left most of them at home with Forrest…but I did bring two Pokémon with me."

"Really, who?" Ash was eager to know.

Smiling mischievously Brock said, "You'll just have to wait and see."

The decision made, the group then moved to clear their plates and returned to their rooms to gather their things. After checking out of their rooms and returning their keys, the group left the Pokémon Center and headed out into the city. After a brief detour to drop off Brock's rental car, the group began to make their way towards Reflection Cave. Once they were clear of the city, they decided to take a brief break and, as Brock suggested earlier, let their Pokémon out.

Serena went first. Winding up and then tossing, she called "Fennekin, come on out."

The Pokeball open and after a shimmering light Fennekin appeared. Brock smiled at the appearance of the Fox Pokémon. Bending down, he smiled. "So, this is Fennekin. A Fire type I'm guessing."

"That's right! Fennekin and I may not have been traveling together very long, but we're already really close. Isn't that right Fennekin?" Serena winked, smiling at her Pokémon partner.

"Fenne" the Fire type responded affectionately, smiling.

Clemont adjusted his glasses and smiled. "Now it's our turn. Come on out everyone!" Clemont tossed two Pokeballs into the air. When his two Pokémon had materialized, Clemont continued. "This is Bunnleby, a Normal type," he said pointing to gray-furred Pokémon with long ears, "and this is Chespin, a Grass type." Both the Pokémon smiled and greeted Brock affectionately.

"Now it's my turn." Turning his hat sideways and bending down, Ash pulled out and enlarged his Pokeballs. "Froakie, Fletchling, I choose you!" Ash's two Kalos Pokemon materialized immediately. One was a small Flying type with red feathers that flew with an impressive speed. The other was a blue reptilian Pokémon with an aloof disposition and a white mane that looked like the ruff of an Elizabethan gentleman.

"Everyone, I'm Brock and I'm studying to be a Pokémon Doctor. Ash and I traveled together for a real long time and he's a good friend of mine. Now I want to introduce you to my Pokémon partners. Alright you two, let's go!" With that, Brock tossed out his two Pokeballs.

Two round Pokémon emerged. One was large and oval shaped, with pink skin and a white egg at the center of its stomach. The other was more spherical and rock-like in appearance. "Everyone, this is Chansey and Forretress."

"That's right, your Happiny evolved." Ash smiled.

"It's so cute." Serena got out her Pokedex and pointed it at Chansey.

"Chansey, the Egg Pokémon, and the evolved form of Happiny. Chansey is a kind Pokémon who shares its egg with those who are sick or injured."

"Wow, it sounds like the perfect Pokémon for a Doctor. But who's that Pokémon," she asked and the pointed the Pokedex in the direction of Forretress.

"Forretress, the Bagworm Pokémon. Forretress is the evolved form of Pineco. Its entire body is covered in a steel hard shell."

"It sounds kind of scary," Bonnie commented.

"Nah, Forretress is a big softie," Brock responded. "Why don't you go over and say hi?"

Bonnie cautiously approached Forretress and put her hand on it. When it responded playfully Bonnie smiled. "Wow, it's soooo cute!"

One by one the various people and Pokémon spread out and started milling about, playing and chatting with one another. Serena and Brock unpacked some snacks and began to distribute them while Ash and Bonnie chased Pikachu, Dedenne, and Chespin around in an impromptu game of tag. All and all, everyone was having a good time and were happy to stay put, enjoying fine weather and even finer company.

After an hour or so of contented rest, Clemont broke the spell. "We probably should be getting back on the road. There's no way we can make it to Reflection Cave tonight, but if we make good progress today we should be able to get there sometime tomorrow."

"Sounds good Clemont," said Ash. "Okay everybody, return!"

The young Pokémon trainers all returned their various Pokémon, leaving only Dedenne, Pikachu, and Fennekin out. Fennekin staying out of her Pokeball for a long walk was unusual and Serena's choice to keep her out caught Ash's attention.

"Say Serena, why didn't you recall Fennekin?"

"Well Ash," she answered, "I was talking to Brock and he said that it would be a good idea to keep Fennekin out more often. That way we can build a stronger relationship quicker. Plus, it will help Fennekin gain some good experience!"

"Cool! Yeah, Brock's always got tips like that! I definitely miss having him around."

"Thanks Ash, that's nice of you to say." Brock said from behind. The two turned to look at him. He continued "I definitely miss you too but you don't really need me. You're a great Pokémon trainer yourself. You've grown and matured a lot since the beginning of your journey. Honestly, I'm interested to see what I'll learn from you during the next week."

"If only Misty could hear you say that!" Ash smiled.

Serena looked a bit uncomfortable at the mention of Misty, something that Brock noticed. Deciding to stir the pot a bit, he replied, "If Misty were here, she would definitely say the same thing. You're come a long way from being the kid that got her bike fried. Last time I was in Cerulean City she was telling me how her Gym has become known as one of Kanto's toughest…and that a lot of that was thanks to you. She learned a lot from traveling with you…May and Dawn as well." As he said this, Brock watched Serena carefully and picked up on the growing tension evident in her face.

"Wow, I wish she had said that to my face. All those times she hit me with that mallet…" Ash trailed off, rubbing his head with a wistful expression on his face. "Seriously though, I learned a lot from all of you as well. And I need to keep learning if I want to become a Pokémon Master! So let's get going." Turning, Ash began to march off in the direction of Reflection Cave, Pikachu trailing behind

Turning to the others, Brock smiled and said, "Come on guys, let's go. Can't keep the future Pokémon Master waiting!" They all smiled at this and began to hurry after Ash, not wanting to get too far behind.

It was sometime later in the day when Serena saw her opportunity. Fennekin had gotten a bit tired of all the walking so Serena had returned her to her Pokeball. Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie were out front, excitedly debating the pros and cons of various Electric attacks. Not having much to contribute to that conversation, Serena fell back and began walking besides Brock. The two were walking close enough to see the rest of the group ahead but not so close that their conversation could be overheard.

"So Brock, I kind of wanted to ask you some questions."

"Sure Serena, what would you like to know? If it's about cooking I personally think it's best to learn by doing…"

"No," she quickly interrupted, "it's not about that, though I am looking forward to learning more. I was actually a bit curious about your journeys with Ash."

"Sure Serena, I'm happy to share. But why don't you just ask Ash yourself?" Brock had a feeling he knew where this was going but wanted to be sure.

"Well, I kind of wanted another perspective. I mean, Ash is great, but he kind of makes it sound like it was one battle after another."

Brock chuckled at this. "Well, it's true that we did a lot of battling. But there were other things too of course. When we traveled with May and Dawn we attended a lot of Pokémon Contests. Ash even competed in a few. Plus we ended up running into a lot of interesting people on the road and got into and out of all sorts of trouble."

"Wow, it sounds like Ash has seen and experienced a lot. And you were the one he traveled most with, right?" At his nod, she continued. "So, I know from traveling with Ash that he isn't the best when it comes with keeping in touch with his mom, let alone his friends. If I remember right he hadn't really talked to you since halfway through Unova. Is there anyone, uh, special that he actually does keep in regular touch with?"

Brock smiled, knowing he had her. "Well, now that you mention it…" he intentionally paused, gauging Serena's reaction. When he saw how nervous she looked, he resumed, "nope." He saw relief flood her face, confirming his suspicions beyond the shadow of a doubt. He decided to go for it.

"I think I know what you are asking."

Serena stopped walking abruptly. "What do you mean?" Worry was evident in her voice.

"It's simple. You wanted to ask if Ash has a girlfriend. The answer to that question is no."

"Why would I want to ask that," Serena stammered, cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Well, it's pretty obvious that you like him."

"Well, of course I like him," she chuckled nervously, "he's a really special friend of mine."

"I mean you have feelings for him…romantic feelings."

Knowing she was beaten, she sighed and resumed walking. "Am I really that obvious?"

"To Ash, of course not. To Bonnie and Clemont...can't say. But to someone with an outsider's perspective, yeah, it's pretty obvious. Especially since you started your Pokémon journey specifically to track down Ash."

At this Serena clucked her tongue in disagreement. "It wasn't just to find him. I mean, I honestly had been thinking about going on a journey for a while. See, my mom's a famous Rhyhorn Racer and she wants me to be one just like her. But I don't really like Rhyhorn Racing that much. I'm honestly not sure what I want to do and I'm hoping that my journey will help me figure that out. Seeing Ash just gave me the final push I needed to actually get going."

"Well, you definitely made the right choice. My journey helped me find my dream…and I am sure that, in this land where dreams come true, you will too! And speaking of dreams, you and Ash…" Brock trailed off.

"What about us?" Worry crept back into her tone.

"No promises of course…when it comes to things like this, Ash is as dense as a brick…"

"Yeah, I've kind of gotten that impression," Serena interjected.

"But I'll do my best to help you out."

"Really, you will?" The deep worry and concern in her voice was replaced by an even deeper excitement and joy.

"Yeah, you seem like a nice girl. If Misty were still single it'd be a different story…it's not that I would try to stop you of course, but she and I go way back. If I were to try to help any girl to get Ash it would be her. But she's been with Tracey for a few months and couldn't be happier. As for the others, Iris I've never met and May and Dawn never expressed romantic interest in Ash, at least not that I could see. So yeah, I'll do all that I can."

At this she squealed loudly and threw her arms around him in a hug, exclaiming, "Thanks so much, I really appreciate it!"

The loudness of the sudden noise caught the attention of the other three members of their party. They stopped and turned back. Ash yelled, "Everything alright back there?"

Mortified that Ash had caught her in such a close embrace with someone else, Serena quickly let go of Brock, turned to face Ash, and promptly opened her mouth…but no words came out. Fortunately Brock quickly came to the rescue.

"Nothing's wrong guys, Serena's just really excited that I promised I'd help her out with a special recipe."

"Cool," Ash replied. "Hey, you guys should catch up to the rest of us! Brock and I can share some cool travel stories, like the time we were stranded in a sunken ship or when we got stuck on a cable car or when Team Rocket actually did blast us all into outer space…"

"Sure Ash, sounds great." Turning to Serena he said, "Let's go."

As they ran to catch up, Serena whispered, "Thanks for covering."

"No worries Serena…besides, it's the truth."

"What do you mean? We weren't talking about recipes."

"Sure we were. We were talking about the trickiest recipe of all…Amour."

Smiling at that, the two redoubled their pace and within a few seconds had caught up to the rest of the group. As everyone began to walk side by side, Ash then launched into the tale of his, Brock, and Misty's ill-fated voyage aboard a ship named for the mother of the Virgin.

I wasn't trying to take any digs against other ships in this chapter. Personally I enjoy other ships, especially Advancedshipping and Pearlshipping. But given what we see in canon, there's no clear-cut indication that Dawn or May have/had any romantic interest in Ash for Brock to pick up on, though I admit the case is stronger for May having romantic feelings for Ash than Dawn. On the other hand, it is quite clearly hinted that Misty had feelings for Ash during their travels together, and there are a few subtle indications that those feelings were returned. All this is the source for Brock's perspective.

Personally I think that if Misty were still holding a torch for Ash, Brock wouldn't be willing to help out another girl get him, especially a girl he just met. Putting her with Tracey was the simplest and best way to handle this.

Of all the things I expected to hear, all the surprise about Brock's lack of flirting with Nurse Joy wasn't anywhere on my radar. Hopefully the explanation here is not too disappointing. I really love the comic relief Brock provided in the anime but I also think he needs to leave it behind before anyone will take him seriously as a doctor, a matchmaker, or a potential boyfriend. Brock will have a very brief moment in the sun before this is all over, but I'll just say this isn't the story of Brock finding love.