Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. If I did Pokémon would act more wild and less fluffy and kind more often. They're wild for a reason…and it's not because they all love to eat fruit and play well with others. After all, the Pokedex does mention Pokémon catching prey often enough.
"Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs rather than a fool in his folly." - Proverbs 17:12
In another part of Reflection Cave Ash and Brock were also not having much success in their search for Pokémon. Though they'd had to fight their way through a small colony of Woobat that didn't want to let them pass, so far they hadn't come across any Rock Pokémon. While their spirits were still bright and optimistic, physically they were starting to feel fatigued, especially the jet-lagged Brock. Even the usually chipper Pikachu looked ready for a rest.
"Ash, we should take a brief break. I think we could all use one."
Ash had been, as usual, intent on moving forward to the exclusion of everything else. But, as he shifted focus from the search for Pokémon to the physical condition of himself and his two companions, he realized that Brock was absolutely right. Taking off his hat and running his fingers through his hair, he responded, "Yeah, I guess so." Replacing the ball cap, he continued, "But not too long. We've got to catch you a Kalos Pokémon!" At this the two Pokémon trainers took a seat, leaning against one of the many mirrors that gave this cave its name. For a few moments the two just sat and relaxed, enjoying the tranquil atmosphere.
After a bit, Brock turned to his companion and smiled. "Ash, I can't tell you how glad I am to see that your passion for Pokémon hasn't changed."
Ash laughed at this. "'Course not Brock. I'm still planning on being the world's greatest Pokémon Master one day!"
Pikachu heartily affirmed this with an exclamation of his own. Brock turned and looked over at the Mouse Pokémon. "Glad to see you haven't changed either buddy. But you need to do a bit better at keeping an eye on Ash. Clemont has to focus on Bonnie most of the time and Serena's still new to being on a journey. I'm counting on you."
"Pika!," the yellow Pokémon shouted, clenching it's right paw into a small fist.
"Not you too buddy!" Ash said sheepishly.
"Speaking of your new friends, tell me about them. I mean, obviously I've gotten to know them a bit over the past few days, but I want to hear your perspective."
At this Ash launched into a excited description of the eldest of his companions. "Well, Clemont's really really smart. I mean, every time he brings out a new invention I'm reminded of how amazing science really is. And he's a great older brother to Bonnie, I can tell he really cares about her and his Pokémon. He needs to work on his bravery, but he'll get there no doubt!
"What about Bonnie," Brock asked.
"Well, she's a very sweet little girl. Definitely adores her brother and loves Pokémon. She's pretty confident and really stubborn…reminds me of Dawn or Misty. But, like when we were traveling with Max, there are moments when it's pretty clear why making kids wait until they're ten to have their own Pokémon is a good idea." Ash chuckled. "It's funny, before I turned ten I thought that was such a stupid rule. But now, I kinda think it's a good idea."
"Wow Ash, you're really growing up." Brock was seriously impressed.
"Happens to all of us," Ash laughed lightly, "even you."
Brock chuckled at that as well. "So, what about Serena? What's she like?"
At this Ash paused, considering for a moment. Finally, he answered. "Well, she always has a kind word for everyone. She does a great job encouraging all of us. I can tell she really cares about others a real lot and shows it all the time. She's a lot of fun, which is cool." He paused for a second. "She's also very girly." At this Brock rolled his eyes, not that Ash noticed. Ash continued. "But she's not that confident. She reminds me a bit of May when she first started out, ya know? She's not afraid of Pokémon like May was, but she's not very sure of herself or her Pokémon. Don't get me wrong, she's gotten a lot better already, but she's still just getting started and it really shows sometimes."
"Sounds like you all have a lot to learn from one another," Brock observed.
"You're right, which is why I love traveling with people," Ash responded. "We may not always know where we're going," at this they both smiled, "but the important thing is we're going there together."
"Speaking of together," Brock said, "have you noticed anything, I don't know, different about how Serena treats you versus how she treats Clemont or Bonnie?"
"Of course," Ash responded, his tone indicating that he considered it all quite obvious.
"Really?" At this Brock was really surprised. Maybe Ash was growing up.
"Sure Brock. I mean, I may not have remembered it at first, but Serena and I are really old friends. So of course she treats me differently. Plus, no one treats everyone exactly the same, right?"
Brock mentally facepalmed at this, but outwardly kept a neutral expression. "Sure Ash, but that's not what I meant."
"Then what do you mean?" Ash was genuinely curious as to what his friend would say. He knew he wasn't always the best when it came to social situations. Pokémon he could figure out; people were complicated, especially girls.
"Well Ash, I may have only been traveling with you guys a few days, but it seems pretty obvious to me that she likes you."
"Of course she likes me Brock," Ash said, "she and I are good friends, like I said"
"No Ash, I mean she likes you. Like a man likes a woman or a girl likes a boy."
"Uh, you're not making any sense Brock."
"Alright, let me put it in terms you can understand. She likes you in the same way that I liked every Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny, and any other pretty girl that would come along. Get it?"
Some degree of understanding was starting to dawn on Ash's face, but he was still confused. "Yeah, but Brock she's never said anything really silly like you used to do."
"I know Ash, and looking back I realize just how immature I was. But not everyone who likes someone shows it like I would."
"Well, that's a relief, I'd hate for Serena to start acting like you did."
"Ha-ha Ash," Brock responded, taking the criticism in good humor. "But seriously, it's pretty clear she has romantic feelings for you. Serious feelings."
"I don't think so Brock," Ash responded. "She's just a really nice girl is all."
"She is definitely nice, but when it comes to you her feelings go way beyond that."
"Says the guy who was convinced he could win over every Jenny and Joy he met."
"That's entirely different. I never thought for one second that all those girls already liked me, quite the opposite. Why do you think I would always say those silly things?"
Ash shrugged. "You got me Brock. I didn't understand it then and don't understand it now."
"It's because I wanted to win their affection that I professed my undying love. I've never had a problem with recognizing someone else's feelings, only finding the best way to share mine."
Ash made a cough that sounded suspiciously like "Suzy."
Brock was surprised at Ash's subtlety but didn't miss a beat. "Okay, so my senses aren't fool-proof, but I'm not wrong about this." As he thought about how to move Ash in the right direction, with a sudden flash of inspiration the genesis of a plan formed in Brock's mind, a plan so cunning that if there were doctorates in cunning he'd be able to earn one with this plan alone.
Smiling, Brock immediately initiated the first part of his plan. "What would you say if I could help you prove me right Mr. Future Greatest Pokémon Master Ever? All you need to do is apply one of the key skills of a Pokémon Master in a somewhat different way."
"Really?" Ash was surprised to hear this. Relationships, and girls in particular, were something he'd always found a mixture of confusing and uninteresting. He hadn't really had many good friends before he started his journey; Pallet was small and Gary's bullying had made him reluctant to spend a lot of time around the few other kids around his age; Pokémon were more interesting anyways. Being on a journey he had expected to make friends with a lot of cool Pokémon; he hadn't expected to discover just how cool it was to make human friends as well. But he had, and now he could see it was one of the best things about being on a journey.
"Romance" however was another matter. He honestly had never seen the appeal. He'd also never considered it could have anything to do with his great passion in life: becoming a Pokémon Master. He expressed this skepticism aloud. "I may not know much about girls Brock, but I am pretty sure that battling, catching, and training girls isn't the right approach."
At this Brock smiled, remembering Ash and Misty's bickering. "You'd be surprised how much those things do relate to romance, but none of those are what I meant. I was rather referring to a skill all great Pokémon trainers have, something that Tracey specializes in."
"Watching?" Ash guessed.
"Exactly," replied Brock.
"But isn't it kind of weird to stare at girls?" Ash had always thought Tracey's sketches of Pokémon were cool, but had found his habit of drawing different girls a bit weird.
"I don't mean sitting around and staring at girls...it's more like paying close attention. You can learn a lot about Pokémon from simply observing them, right?"
"Sure," Ash nodded. "I mean, I never could just sit around and look at wild Pokémon all day like Tracey or like Professor Oak, but watching Pokémon battle helps you understand them better. Everyone knows that."
"Okay Ash, well then why don't you start watching Serena in the same way you would watch a Pokémon battle. Specifically, pay attention to how she acts around you and the things that she says to you."
"Yeah, but what exactly am I looking for Brock? With Pokémon, I know you should be watching what kind of attacks they like, whether they prefer to dodge or take a hit, that sort of thing. But what am I watching for when it comes to Serena?"
"Well Ash, I can't give you a full list of course, but in the past few days I've noticed a number of things that are telltale signs. For instance, she is always asking for your opinion about different things; even if she's asking everyone, she always makes sure to single you out. She sings your praises constantly. And last but not least, she has the tendency to blush a lot around you, especially when you compliment her."
"Really? Huh," murmured Ash, "I hadn't really noticed. I mean, some of that seems familiar, but are you sure these things happen a lot? And what makes those things signs of her, you know, liking me like that?"
"Well Ash, if you watch over the next few days you'll see her do all these things and more. And you're right, no one of these actions means by itself means that she likes you. But, when you consider the number of things she does and the frequency with which they occur, it all adds up to one conclusion."
Ash sighed. "I guess that kinda makes sense." Before Ash could continue to say he still didn't didn't agree with Brock's conclusion, his old friend interrupted.
"Exactly! Look Ash, I don't expect you to agree with me right now. But why don't you pay attention over the next few days, see what you notice. Then we'll find some time when it's just you and me, and you can tell me whether you think I'm on the right track or I'm completely out of my mind."
"Sounds good to me." Ash stood up and stretched out his arms. "Well, that was a nice break. Let's go find some Pokémon!"
Brock couldn't help but chuckle at Ash suddenly shifting gears. But he'd accomplished what he'd wanted to and Brock counted that as a victory. Rising as well, Brock joined his longtime friend and together the two walked further into Reflection Cave.
After another half hour and a few missed opportunities Brock's chance finally came. They were exploring down a particularly dark side passage and, noticing it was a dead end, were starting to turn around when they heard the distinct noise of rocks clattering. Shining their flashlights in the direction of the sound and then scanning in that vicinity, a sudden movement caught Brock's attention. Ash pointed his flashlight in that direction as well. It took a second, but they quickly realized that they had a Pokémon in their sights.
The Pokémon in question was small, probably only about a foot high. It looked very much like a rock, though it was encrusted with jewels at random intervals. It also had a small face that was clearly visible in the glow of the artificial light.
Ash got out his Pokedex and, holding it up, activated the scan feature. After humming for a second the correct entry began to play. "Carbink, the Jewel Pokémon. Born from temperatures and pressures deep underground, it fires beams from the stone in its head."
"Says here it's both a Rock and a Fairy type. And it's only known habitat is here in the Kalos Region. Looks like we've finally found what you're looking for," Ash smiled.
"Excellent, thanks Ash!" Brock took out a Pokeball and enlarged it. Tossing it, he exclaimed, "Alright, Forrtreess, let's go!"
"Forrtreess," the Bagworm Pokémon shouted as it materialized.
Carbink looked left and right. One way was a dead end, the other was blocked by Ash and Pikachu. Backed into a corner as it was, Carbink realized that it had no place to go and it would have to stay and fight.
"Alright Forrtress, start off with Rapid Spin!"
Forrtress verbally acknowledged Brock's command and then begin to rotate itself. Once it had built up a certain speed, it launched itself at Carbink, hitting it dead on. The Jewel Pokémon went flying into the air, landing against the dead end of the passage several yards away. Yet despite this, it looked relatively undamaged.
"Uh Brock, doesn't look like that move was very effective."
"No worries Ash," Brock smiled, "I know Normal type moves don't have much effect on Rock types. I want to see how Carbink responds."
"Right," Ash murmured, "watching." Mentally shaking off the new association that word had, he focused back on the battle.
"Carbink!" The Jewel Pokémon issued a loud shout of frustration and then concentrated its energy, causing its skin to shimmer.
"Alright Forrtress, it just used Harden. Go ahead and use Rapid Spin again!"
Forrtress responded with another Rapid Spin attack. This time when the two collided it was Forrtress that flew backwards while the wild Carbink barely budged. Carbink then started building up energy and, instead of channeling it inward, sent a green orb outward hurtling at Forrtress. The ball connected, sending Forrtress hurtling into one of the cave's side walls. The collision reverberated throughout the cave; clearly the impact had caused quite a bit of damage.
"That was Ancient Power," Brock murmured. Turning to his Pokémon, he asked, "You alright there Forrtress?"
Brock was still calm but Ash could tell there was some concern in his old friend's voice. At Forrtress' verbal affirmation, Brock smiled. "Alright then, let's show this Carbink what we can really do. Forrtress, use Mirror Shot!
"Wow, so Forrtress learned Mirror Shot," Ash said. "That's so cool!"
"Well, I figured it was about time a Steel type Pokémon learned a Steel type move," Brock quipped.
Before Ash could respond Forrtress launched a solid beam of light at Carbink. The attack hit Carbink hard, sending it spinning upward right into the roof of the cave. The force of the impact reverberated loudly, echoing off the cave walls. After a moment wedged in the ceiling, Carbink began to fall rapidly to the ground. As it plummeted Brock quickly enlarged his Dusk Ball and hurled it at the falling Carbink. The ball connected with Carbink in mid-air and opened, converting Carbink into energy and then snapping shut. The ball then fell the rest of the way down to the ground and, hitting the floor with a thud, began to roll around, a clear sign of Carbink trying to escape. Brock clenched his fist, staring at the ball intently, willing it to stop even though he knew at this point the matter was out of his control. After a few moments he heard what he was waiting for: the tell-tale ping of a Pokeball sealing.
"Alright, I got a Carbink!" Brock pumped his fist and raised in the air, striking a victory pose modeled after Ash's and yet all his own. He walked over and picked up the Dusk Ball, his new Carbink contained inside.
"Great job Brock! Forrtress has gotten even stronger than the last time I saw it."
"Yeah, Forrest has been doing a good job minding the Gym and taking care of my old Pokémon, even non-Rock ones like Forrtress that he doesn't use to battle challengers. He'll make a great Breeder one day that's for sure."
"Really? Is that what he wants to do?"
Brock nodded. "Once one of my other siblings is ready to take over the Gym he plans to go on a journey of his own and find out for sure. I guess you can say ol' Brock inspired him."
They both chuckled at this. At that moment an echoing sound interrupted their mirth. While high-pitched it was not so loud at first, it quickly grew in volume, quickly reaching deafening levels. Brock, realizing what was going on, pointed and shouted.
Ash noticed Brock's lips moving but could not make out what he was saying over the din. He leaned in close. Brock turned his head and bellowed directly into Ash's ears.
"Woobat Ash! A whole bunch of them. We better run!"
Needing no further encouragement, Ash motioned to Pikachu and then quickly began running back in the direction from which they came. Brock quickly returned Forrtress and began to follow. With his longer legs he soon caught up to Ash and then passed him. After a few moments however he began to slow, feeling the strain of the effort, and Ash surged ahead. While Brock tried to keep in shape, there was no substitute for the fitness that came from walking long distances daily. Looking over his shoulder to check on Brock's progress, Ash spotted the lead edge of what must be an enormous colony of Woobat, much larger than the one they had fought through previously, and they were gaining rapidly. Seeing no other choice, Ash wheeled around to face the opposite direction, deciding to make a stand. Brock came to a halt as well, taking his place beside Ash, both trainers ready to face the maelstrom about to overtake them.
Ash and Brock in sight, the colony began circling, voices still loud but a bit quieter now that they could use sight, not merely sound, to intimidate. The cave ceiling at the point the two trainers stopped was not terribly high, maybe 15 feet, but the passage was quite wide. The entire top half of the chamber quickly filled with Woobat, all clearly agitated and ready for a fight. Brock shouted and this time Ash was able to make out his words.
"We must have disturbed them when I battled Carbink. Or maybe the group from before brought back some friends. Either way I don't see any other way around it Ash. Carbink is too exhausted to battle and Forrtress is weak against Flying types. I'll call out Chansey. Think any of your other Pokémon can help?"
Ash nodded, determination clear on his face. Flinging his Pokeball, Ash cried, "Froakie, I choose you!"
Froakie appeared, quickly joined by Brock's Chansey. Pikachu stood alert, ready to strike; he knew that, as an Electric type, Brock and Ash would be leaning heavily on him.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Froakie, use your frubbles to pin some of those Woobat to the walls!"
Simultaneously Brock called out his own command. "Chansey, start grabbing some rocks and throw them at the Woobat." As Pikachu began charging his electricity, Froakie started hurling frubbles at the Woobat. Chansey, with its great strength, had no problem picking and throwing up anything in sight at the circling colony. While the sheer number of Woobat made it hard for them to miss, it also meant that its efforts were barely making a dent. Further enraged by these attacks, the Woobat turned and began to dive towards the three Pokémon and their trainers.
"Pi-Ka-Chu!" screamed the Mouse Pokémon. A titanic bolt of electric energy launched itself into the air, engulfing the entire colony and driving them back. Yet, as powerful as Pikachu was, so much energy spread out over such a wide area meant that each individual Woobat didn't receive much. But there was no other choice; unless they could hold off the whole colony they would be overwhelmed.
"Hit 'em again Pikachu!"
As the other two Pokémon continued their attacks, Pikachu charged and unleashed another bolt. This too had only a temporary effect. The Woobat, realizing that they still had the upper hand, began to pelt both trainer and Pokémon with a relentless barrage of attacks.
"Do you hear that guys?" Serena's hearing had always been sensitive, a trait that had always proved singularly unfortunate when trying to sleep in.
Without the benefit of a clear map the group had gotten turned around a bit, but now were confident they were on the right path out…or at least Clemont was confident; Serena and Bonnie weren't as sure.
"I don't hear anything," Clemont responded.
"I hear it too Serena," Bonnie added, "though it sounds far away. What could it be?"
"No idea," replied Serena, "though it's nothing good I'm sure. Maybe we should go the other way." At this Serena pointed. The three companions had just come to a fork. Ahead of them stood two separate paths, with the sound Serena and Bonnie noticed coming from the right branch.
"Well," responded Clemont, "see there, the path where the sound is coming from slopes down, which means it leads further into the cave. We're going to go left," at this Clemont pointed, "since it slopes up."
Serena didn't quite agree with this logic; caves had lots of twists, so a path that went up now could slope back down later. And all the mirrors in this cave had made it even more confusing. Yet she had no idea which way to go and wasn't too keen on finding out what that ominous noise was.
"Okay, let's go left then!" Serena agreed.
Turning, the group began to make their way toward the left path when suddenly the volume of the sound increased sharply. It wasn't just the volume though; with a start Serena thought she discerned a shout amidst the cacophony.
"I hear it now too," Clemont said, voice full of concern.
"I think I heard a person shouting," Serena added worriedly. "What if someone needs help?"
"Well if somebody needs help we better do something," Bonnie said with enthusiasm. Bonnie turned and gestured toward the right path. "Come on big brother, let's go!"
"Bonnie's right Clemont, we should go see if we can help." Tossing her Pokeball she shouted, "Fennekin, I need you!"
Clemont called out Bunnleby and Chespin as well. Together the trainers and the Pokémon started down the sloping path towards the commotion at a brisk pace. After about a minute of running the path widened into a much larger chamber. The first thing Serena and the others noticed was the huge colony of Woobat flying in circles and launching a steady stream of attacks. The second thing they noticed was the target of those attacks: Ash, Brock, and their Pokémon. The sight of it caused Serena's heart to skip a beat and then rapidly accelerate in fear. "Now's not the time to panic. Ash is always so brave; you have to be brave too!" Aloud she said, "Fennekin, Flamethrower!"
In sizing up the scene, Clemont was thrown off balance by the sheer enormity of the problem facing his friends. Pessimism settled in. Gulping, his mind started racing. "If I had my whole Gym battle team with me that'd be one thing; between them and Pikachu we'd be able to handle this. But Chespin and Bunnleby won't be much help against so many Flying types. Plus Serena and Fennekin haven't had much battle experience."
Serena's sudden command shook him out of his stupor. "No time to worry about what might have been. I'm a Gym Leader, time to act like one." Aloud he said, "Let's help too! Chespin, use Pin Missile. Bunnleby, use Mud Shot.
The Pokémon all unleashed their attacks into the swarming Woobat. This drew the attention not just of the Woobat, but of Ash and Brock as well. Waving to his friends, Ash called out, "Hey guys, glad you could make it." The relief in his voice was obvious. Turning to Pikachu, Ash called out, "Alright buddy, now that we got some help let's try something different. Instead of trying to hit them all at once, use Thunderbolt but focus your electricity on a small group of them!"
Pikachu nodded. The Mouse Pokémon had been doing a lot of dodging and shocking over the past few minutes, suffering a number of hits all the while; he was nowhere near top form. The arrival of the others had taken the pressure off him for a few moments, allowing him some much needed rest. But now was the time to act. Charging his electricity to full capacity, he unleashed a massive barrage of energy directed at a small group of Swootbat. The sheer amount of energy hitting each one was massive, enough to send them falling towards the cave floor unconscious. Startled both the new arrivals and by Pikachu's devastating Thunderbolt, the remaining Woobat decided to retreat, beating their wings and heading back the way they came.
After the Woobat were out of sight Ash and Brock quickly returned their wounded Pokémon; all of them had taken significant damage. Only Pikachu remained out. Seeing the danger had passed for the moment, Serena and Clemont also returned their Pokémon. Brock spoke first.
"Woobat are easily startled, but they'll be back, and in greater numbers. It'd be best if we were gone by then." Everyone nodded at this.
"Ash, Pikachu, are you alright? What about you Brock?" The concern in Serena's voice was evident.
"No need to worry," Ash said, dusting himself off, "just a few cuts and bruises is all. Isn't that right buddy?"
"Pi-ka-chu," Ash's partner responded in affirmation.
"Yeah, nothing major," replied Brock.
"I'm so glad you're okay," Serena said, looking at Ash intently. Realizing she was staring, she quickly turned to Brock and added, "I mean, glad both of you are okay."
Before his conversation with Brock, Ash wouldn't have noticed anything weird about what had just occurred. But now that we was paying attention, he could swear Serena looking at him a bit longer than seemed necessary when she said those words…and the intensity behind them seemed a little strong. "Maybe this is what Brock meant." Ash seriously considered the notion for a second. Maybe…and maybe not. He could have just been imagining it. Either way, one incident said nothing. He'd just have to keep watching and see.
In the anime there's not been a compelling reason to confront Ash on his denseness so the characters tend to just move on whenever it comes up. Hopefully I did a passable job of handling what would happen if someone actually forced the issue. Especially given some of the stuff in the original series, it's just ridiculous to believe that Ash is so dense that he doesn't have a (conceptual) understanding of what romance is. But it's hard to balance keeping him in character versus getting him together with Serena.
I'll admit that Brock is a bit wiser when it comes to love in this chapter and throughout this fic. While it is necessary for the entire premise of the story, it's also reasonable. I think he took a big step in maturity by stopping traveling with Ash (though it was sad to see him go) and given the medical school context (more professional and surrounded by peers / older people rather than younger kids all the time) I feel he'll have grown a lot.
Some of the reactions to Bonnie and Clemont fighting last chapter surprised me a bit. All siblings bicker, sometimes worse than others. Is it sad? Of course! But I feel it's realistic, especially given that the "mirror" portrayal of Bonnie is one of complete politeness and support for Clemont. They won't be going at it again though.
As for my thoughts about Ash's childhood, again this is trying to bring a dose of realism to explain the available facts. Pallet Town is clearly small, so there probably weren't many other kids around to begin with. Ash is never shown to have any friends from before his journey started other than Gary. (and now Serena). Along with being an only child and being obsessed over Pokémon, it seems like a reasonable explanation for Ash's behavior early in the series and his ongoing neutron star level denseness when it comes to girls. I'd say his social deficiencies are more about lack of interest and experience early in life, especially since he ends up getting on with Brock and Misty and becoming friends with Gary. It's just my theory. Like my other interpretations (such as the economy from last chapter) it won't have a huge bearing on the story.
There are three quotations in this chapter, all adapted to varying degrees. The first is from God's Smuggler. The second is from Blackadder. If you've never heard of it, there's hours of comedic gold ahead, especially once you're past Series 1. The last one is from one of my all-time favorite movies. The movie is pretty famous and one people are inclined to watch repeatedly, so I'll just say that if one of you can't pick it out down I'll be quite disappointed. I don't own any of these quotes or their source material.