Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. If I did Brock would actually come back, at least to visit. Flashbacks and Side Story episodes not dubbed into English just aren't enough.
"Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates." - Proverbs 31:31
After stopping for a brief lunch of sandwiches, the group resumed its trek towards Reflection Cave. They passed by a few trainers coming down the road in the opposite direction, but none of them were in the mood to chat long, let alone give Ash the battle he had been itching for all day. Before long afternoon faded into evening and the group, having found a good spot to spend the night, decided to stop and make camp.
After the tents were pitched, the table set, and firewood gathered, Brock and Serena moved to begin preparing dinner. Ash, having been denied any real opportunity to train with his Pokémon all day, challenged Clemont to a battle. Not wanting to risk a stray attack ruining dinner, the two trainers agreed to take their match elsewhere. Bonnie had initially been hesitant to join them, wanting to stay and watch Brock and Serena cook, attracted more to the novelty of Brock then any real desire to help with dinner. Brock had cleverly deflected this however by calling out Chansey and asking Bonnie to take it and "make sure the boys didn't get into too much trouble." Smiling at this "big responsibility," Bonnie had gladly skipped off to follow Ash and her brother, Chansey in tow.
After witnessing the exchange between Brock and Bonnie, Serena had expected her temporary traveling companion to immediately renew their discussion of her feelings for Ash. To her surprise, Brock had instead launched into a lesson on how to cook his "world famous" stew. Beginning with the ingredient preparation, he was meticulous in his delivery, explaining each step in detail. All her questions he answered with a patience and wisdom that Serena figured must have come from some combination of being a former Gym Leader, an aspiring Pokémon Doctor, and the eldest of ten children. This last fact had flabbergasted her when she'd first heard; as an only child herself, she had always struggled to imagine what having just one sibling would like; nine was beyond comprehension!
As he talked and demonstrated various techniques, she couldn't help but smile to herself; he reminded her of Ash in some ways. Like Ash, he was generally a pretty easy-going guy. But both of them had a serious side as well. For Ash this side emerged when he was training or battling; for Brock, it came out while cooking. When engaged in these activities, both of them displayed a mixture of intensity and passion that she hadn't seen too often. In fact, the only example that came to mind was her mother racing Rhyhorn. Shoving thoughts of Rhyhorn racing from her mind, she focused her attention back on Brock.
The stew was now simmering and, apart from some stirring, wouldn't be needing any additional attention until it was ready to serve. After having indicated as much to Serena, he then turned to the topic that Serena had been expecting to discuss from the beginning.
"So Serena, there are a few approaches you can take regarding Ash."
Though she'd been expecting this to come up, Serena was a bit thrown at how suddenly he'd transitioned from instructions on stirring to this. After glancing around and assuring herself that Ash and the others were still nowhere near by, she responded. "Okay…so what are they?"
"Well, the most obvious is the direct approach…simply telling him how you feel. But I assume you've already thought of that."
"Yeah. You see Brock, I really like Ash, but it's more than that…he's been a great friend and mentor. I've really enjoyed my journey and I've learned so much. I'm afraid if I were to tell him now, I'd ruin everything. Plus I am also kind of a traditionalist when it comes to these kinds of things. He should be the one approach me…not the other way around."
"Well I don't think your first reason is valid," Brock said, shaking his head, "Ash is a great guy. Yeah, it might be awkward for a while and sure things would be different, but Ash would never abandon a friend. So, you don't have to worry there. Your second reason I can respect. In Kanto that type of attitude is falling out of fashion, but it's still relatively common. But if your plan is for Ash to make the first move, you'll be waiting a long time."
"I know…so what should I do? I really don't want to ask him out but…" she trailed off. Speaking these thoughts aloud caused an emotional dam to burst within her. All the sadness and resignation that had been building up gradually since she'd started her journey with Ash suddenly hit her hard, leaving her teetering on the brink of tears.
"Simple. I tell Ash how you feel."
"What?!" Serena exclaimed, her expression and tone conveying both shock and concern. Especially given the point that she had just made, this was the last thing she had expected him to say and, if possible, made her even more upset.
"Relax," Brock cautioned, putting up his hands in a placating gesture. "I'm not talking about some 'she told me to tell you' thing. I'll simply tell him what I've noticed…that, based on how you act towards him, it seems pretty clear that you have a crush on him. Then, I'll see how he responds."
"Wait, so you want to tell him but you have no idea how he'll react? What makes you think that's a good idea?" The shock was gone from her voice, but the fear lingered.
"It's like I said, Ash is pretty dense when it comes to romance. This cuts both ways. It's helped keep him completely single. But this also means he's not likely to be conscious of any romantic feelings for you, if he even has them. Girls is one topic Ash and I never really have had a serious conversation about. That's partially my fault because I didn't exactly set the best example in that department. So, to be honest, I have no idea how he'll react if I bring it up." At this Brock paused, letting his words sink in. "So, what do you think?"
At this Serena paused and considered, a series of thoughts flashing across her mind. When she was on her way to meet Ash at his first Gym battle in Santalune City, she had played out a number of scenarios in her mind. Even at that point she had realized that the most romantic of fantasies, where he bravely and confidently swept her off her feet, were just that: fantasies. But of all the scenarios that she had considered, one that had never crossed her mind was the one that actually played out. Ash not remembering her had been disappointing to say the least. That would have shattered the heart of some girls; others would have shrugged it off and moved on to the next boy. She had briefly considered the latter course; what she felt for Ash at that point was just a childhood crush after all, albeit one rekindled by his heroic (if reckless) actions in saving Garchomp.
But her feelings for Ash had quickly become anything but a silly little crush. Getting to know Ash and seeing him in action had changed things. His courage, his determination, and his selfless care for both people and Pokémon were simply amazing. The whole experience had led to two revelations. First, she had discovered that love is more than a deep emotional feeling for someone…it is also a desire to inspire the other person and to be inspired by them, to uplift and be uplifted, to challenge the other to be better and to become better yourself. Second she realized that, somehow, without quite realizing exactly when, she'd fallen in love with Ash Ketchum. Realizing the true extent of her feelings had been equal parts exhilarating and terrifying.
Once she had realized that she was in love, she had been faced with the decision of what to do about it. In the end, she'd decided that the way to his heart was getting him to notice her incrementally, through a slow but deliberate process of winning him over. But lately she'd been growing increasingly frustrated. She hadn't been expecting a declaration of love overnight, but she'd expected some progress by now, some sign, however faint, that he might consider her as something more than just a friend. What Brock was suggesting certainly would count as progress…but was it the right thing to do?
"I don't know," she sighed after a long pause, fiddling with a lock of her hair. "It kinds of sounds like I am getting you to ask him out for me…and even if it isn't, I'm not sure your idea would work."
Brock shook his head. "I'm not trying to play some childish game. What I want do is share with him with what I've seen and get him to do something about it. I'll encourage him either to let you down gently or make a move. Either way, he's the one taking the initiative. As for success..." At this he paused and let out a breath, looking for the exact right words. "I'm certain that I'll be able to convince him to act…but I can't promise it'll turn out the way you want."
"I know that," she sighed, looking down. After a few seconds she turned her head back up and looked him straight in the eye. "Okay…do it. But as far as Ash is concerned, it's just your best guess…we haven't talked about it at all."
"Naturally," he said, giving the stew another stir. Ladling some and holding the spoon to his face, he gave it a whiff and then took a sip. "Tastes ready. Give it a try."
Serena took the spoon from Brock and repeated his actions, smelling first and then giving it a small taste. Her face lit up. "Wow, Ash was right, you are a great cook. This is delicious! I had no idea it was possible make such good food out camping. Clemont does well enough, but this is on a whole different level."
"Well Serena, this is as much your stew as it is mine. Another try or two and you'll be able to do it all on your own. Baking may not be cooking, but it's given you a lot of the skills you need. And Ash loves good food…on that basis alone you have reason to be optimistic."
She chuckled at Brock's quip. "Yeah, you're right about that for sure!" She handed him back the spoon. "Let me go get the others and let them know that dinner is ready." At Brock's nod, Serena turned and hurried off in the direction that their three companions had gone.
When she returned a few minutes later Brock had already ladled out a first serving for everyone. He'd also laid out the Pokémon food as well. Pikachu, Chansey, Dedenne, and Chespin all moved in the direction of their food while their human companions took seats at the table.
"Wow Brock, that smell does bring back the memories," Ash exclaimed as he sat down, rubbing his hands together in excitement.
"Thanks Ash. Ever since I started my studies I haven't had many opportunities to cook, so I'm happy when I actually do get the chance. But I can't take all the credit…this is as much Serena's effort as it is mine."
Serena blushed lightly at this. "So Ash, how do you like it?"
"Well, let's see." Ash took his spoon, filled it with stew, and put it to his lips. After a moment his face lit up. "Wow, it's even better than I remembered. Thanks you two!"
"Ash was not exaggerating when he said you were a good cook," declared Clemont, excitement clear in his voice. "This is as good as anything you can find in Lumiose City. And it's certainly better than my cooking." At this everyone laughed.
"Yeah," echoed Bonnie merrily, "this is really, really great! If you can teach Serena to cook like this we'll all be soooo happy!"
"Don't worry Bonnie," smiled Brock, "based on how things went today, she'll be cooking like a pro before long. She's definitely a quick study."
"Yeah," Ash said between bites, "she sure is! I mean, she's just started her journey and already she's learned a lot!"
"I agree," supplied Clemont, who, unlike Ash, actually stopped chewing before he spoke. "You have come a long way as a trainer."
"Aw, thanks guys." She smiled broadly, though Brock couldn't help but notice that her gaze lingered on Ash far longer than on Clemont. "But I know I'm just getting started; I still only have one Pokémon after all. There's so much more to see and learn." At this she stood up and turned from her friends and gazed off into the evening sky. She then bowed her head, closing her eyes and holding her hand over her heart. "I'm really glad to have such great friends on this journey with me."
Opening her eyes and whirling around to face everyone, she smiled. "Well, I better get started eating or there won't be any left Ash." At this everyone laughed, Ash most of all. Sitting back down, Serena began to eat her food as the conversation drifted among a number of different topics, from a recap of Ash and Clemont's battle to a discussion of Pokémon native to the Kalos region to their plans for the rest of the week. This last topic had produced some debate, but in the end they agreed on a tentative plan for the next few days.
Reflection Cave was only a day's walk from Cyllage City. However, because of their late start and leisurely pace, they were only about halfway there. No one regretted taking it easy, especially since Brock had been exhausted from traveling the day before. But it meant they still had quite a distance to go. By rising early tomorrow, they would be able to arrive at Reflection Cave by noon and have an entire half day to explore before nightfall. After that they would camp outside the cave and leave the morning after. By making good time the day after tomorrow they would be able to arrive back at Cyllage City's Pokémon Center by nightfall.
This plan would leave the group three full days in Cyllage City, with everyone departing the morning of the fourth day, Brock to Lumiose City and his rotation, the rest of the gang to Shalour City and Ash's next Gym battle. While this plan had some drawbacks (no one wanted to get up early tomorrow or rush back the day after) what they would do once they had returned to Cyllage City was still up in the air, everyone had agreed it was for the best.
Having reached a consensus, the group moved to clear away dinner and begin getting ready for bed. All the Pokémon except Pikachu and Dedenne were returned to their Pokeballs. Brock retired to his own tent first, jet lag still weighing on him. The rest of the gang lingered outside; compared with last night, it was still a bit early. As the embers of the fire flickered and died, the conversation lulled into an easy silence. Eventually the two pairs drifted back to their tents, Bonnie and Serena first, Clemont and Ash a few minutes later. As the last tufts of smoke from the now dead campfire wafted into the starry Kalosian sky, the travelers settled into a deep and restful slumber.
My interpretation of Serena's character here (i.e. her "traditionalism") is, in my opinion, defensible based on what we've seen so far. However, given Ash's density, if (and in my view it is still a big if) they are going to get together in canon I think the most likely outcome is her saying something, though a scenario like mine (i.e. outside intervention) is certainly possible.
As for who is the best cook, my take is more my loyalty to Brock than anything. However, given Clemont's lack of expertise in a "cooking-adjacent" area (breeding for Brock, being a connoisseur / café "owner" for Cilan) I have a hard time thinking his cooking would be as good as either of theirs, much less better. Honestly, to me it makes no logical sense why he should be the designated cook. It's no slight against Clemont, personally I think he's an interesting character, albeit one that the anime needs to develop a bit more.
Finally, even considering the side-trip they take with Korrina, the distance/time to get to Reflecting Cave is probably a bit further in canon. I made it what works for this story.
I really enjoyed the Mirrorworld episode; it even seemed to hint that MirrorSerena somehow likes MirrorAsh and assumes Serena likes Ash. But it won't be featuring in this story as this story was basically completely written before that episode aired. It might be interesting to do a sequel one-shot but no promises at this point.