Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. If I did Ash would still be an overall cheerful person but would express more sadness/angst at both leaving friends behind and losing in the League Conferences.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7

The battle had exhausted everyone, especially Brock. Even Bonnie was tired, with her mad dash downhill petering out quickly. The emotional and physical exhaustion of the whole experience weighed on all of them, leaving everyone in the mood to relax. After returning to Cyllage City proper, the group meandered around until they found a nice outdoor café with a view of the ocean. There they ate a nice leisurely lunch of traditional Kalosian fare, a welcome treat after days of cafeteria food. When the bill came Brock not so subtly prompted Ash to cover the cost of Serena's meal. Ash's confusion at this request was equal parts embarrassing and enlightening to both the trainer from Pallet (who, though mystified by the concept, was happy to do the right thing) and his new girlfriend. (who realized that Ash, for all his good qualities, had as much to learn about being a good boyfriend as she had to learn about being a good trainer)

After the bill was finally settled, the group made their way down to the beach; having lunch near the ocean had convinced them that a relaxing afternoon in the sun was just what they needed. Bonnie and Ash quickly made their way to the water and began to play. Before long Ash and Bonnie got into a gigantic splash fight, with Ash crying foul when his Pokémon joined in on Bonnie's side. Even usually loyal Pikachu happily joined in teaming up against the Kanto trainer.

Instead of joining his sister and Ash, Clemont pulled out his fishing pole and began tinkering away, eager to improve the rather standard rod with some technological enhancements. Serena, conscious of her fair skin and exhausted from the climb earlier, begged off joining her boyfriend and Bonnie and instead camped out under a beach parasol. She removed her hat and, after putting on some sunglasses and sunscreen, leaned back and closed her eyes, letting herself drift into a light slumber. Brock, in need of both mental and physical relaxation, claimed the parasol next to Serena's, though instead of sleeping he pulled out a novel and began to read, allowing his mind and body to relax after a stressful morning.

After about an hour of playing in the water, Ash had grown a bit tired. It's not that an hour was necessarily a long time, but rather that Bonnie and his Pokémon had been running non-stop. Usually this wasn't a problem for Ash, but for some reason he just didn't feel like carrying on anymore. Glancing over at Serena, Brock, and Clemont, he realized that he missed having his girlfriend near him. Sighing, he decided to break the news to Bonnie.

"Bonnie, I think I need to take a break. Why don't we go and dry off?"

Bonnie was having none of it and made her disappointment very obvious. "Come on Ash, we haven't been playing for that long! You're starting to act like Clemont." At this her face contorted in an upset expression and she stomped her foot in frustration.

Ash smiled at the comparison. "Well why don't you go and get him to play with you while I take a break? You can keep playing with Pikachu, Froakie and Fletchling as long as you promise to take good care of them."

"Thanks Ash. But can you pleaseeee stay with me? When it comes to stuff like this Clemont is nowhere near as fun!"

Ash decided to take a different tack. "Well Bonnie, you see the thing is I kinda want to spend some time with Serena." He blushed slightly at saying this, a bit embarrassed at the admission.

At this Bonnie's expression changed. Nodding sagely she said, "Okay Ash, I understand. I guess Clemont will have to do." And with that she took off running towards her big brother, Dedenne in one arm.

Chuckling, Ash took off after her, albeit at a somewhat slower pace. By the time he got back to the group Bonnie was already dragging Clemont towards the water.

"You need a healthy tan if you want to find some girls big brother," Ash overheard her saying. "Besides, don't you think your Pokémon would love to spend some time playing?"

"Uh, I guess" Clemont gulped. Reluctantly, he nodded his head. Although annoyed at the reference to marriage, Bonnie's comment about his Pokémon had hit home; it had been almost a week since he had brought them all out just to play.

"See you later Clemont," Ash said, waving at the Gym Leader as he allowed his sister to pull him toward the water. Continuing, Ash went to his backpack and retrieved a towel and t-shirt. After using the towel he spread it out on the sand to dry. This done, he slipped on the t-shirt and, putting on his trademark cap, gently lowered himself to sit next to Serena. At this Serena stirred, and, blinking her eyes open, smiled as realization dawned. Shifting, she leaned into him, resting her back against his chest. Ash was startled at first, but he gradually relaxed into the embrace, wrapping his arms around her waist and interlocking their hands. The two closed their eyes, with Serena quickly drifting back to sleep. Ash however reveled in the sound of the waves crashing against the shore and the surprisingly comfortable feeling of having a beautiful girl asleep in his arms.

A few moments later Brock, who had been engrossed in reading his novel, looked up from its pages and noticed the change in scenery. Smiling, he placed a bookmark in the novel and went fishing through his bag. Finding what he wanted, he stood up and moved a bit of a distance away. Turning back, Brock raised his camera and took a number of candid shots of the cute couple as they dozed together. While there were a number of people he knew would appreciate this shot, he did it for himself as well. It was, after all, a tangible sign of his matchmaking success. He did feel a brief pang of envy though. "One day," he reassured himself.

Banishing thoughts of finding a girlfriend to the recesses of his mind, Brock turned his gaze from the couple to the deep blue sea, catching sight of his other two friends. "Perhaps Clemont and Bonnie would appreciate a few pictures as well." Smiling, the dark-skinned teen walked down to the surf, camera in hand.

After another hour or so at the beach, the group decided to head out. Since it was Brock's last night with the group, Serena proposed they do something a bit special for dinner. Rather than hitting up the cafeteria or finding some restaurant, she offered to cook dinner using some Kanto recipes she'd been sent by Ash's mother, though she insisted on keeping the exact dishes a secret. Curiosity and hunger both piqued, the group had readily agreed to her suggestion. Clemont volunteered to help with both ingredient shopping and with preparing the meal, something for which Serena was very grateful. At Clemont's "encouragement" Bonnie joined them as well. This of course left Ash and Brock with a few hours of quality time together.

Waving goodbye to the others as they headed off for the market, Ash and Brock turned to one another.

"So Brock, what do you want to do? We don't need to be back to the Pokémon Center for another few hours. It's your call."

"No idea. How about we just take a walk and see if we find anything interesting."

Ash smiled. "Just like the old days, huh?" At this they both laughed.

"Yeah, only hopefully we don't get lost. I wouldn't want to be the cause of you and Serena's first fight."

"Well," started Ash, "it'd be only fair seeing as what you put us through to get here."

"Hey man, if you weren't so dense I wouldn't have needed to go to the lengths I did. Besides, it worked out, didn't it?"

"Suppose so," said Ash. Turning to Pikachu, who was, as usual, perched on Ash's shoulder, Ash asked, "So what do you say buddy, should we let Brock off?"

"Pika!" Although the Electric Pokémon wasn't sure about this whole "girlfriend" thing his trainer had decided upon, he knew it had made Ash happy. And if that was the case, well, then shouldn't he be happy with Brock?

"So Brock," Ash said nonchalantly, "how about you? Any girls in your sights?"

"You mean other than the four Nurse Joys in Lumiose City and Gabrielle?"

"Nurse Joys and strange travelers don't count. Neither do Officer Jennies for that matter."

Brock clutched his heart in mock distress. "My heart Ash, you're breaking it."

"Come on Brock," Ash said, half-amused, half-frustrated. "I've never been good at love or girls or any of that…but now I'm trying to have a real talk with you about it and you're just clowning around."

Brock stopped his fake heart attack and let out a deep breath. "You're right Ash. And I'm sorry. It's just that, there's nothing really to say. All my life I've been chasing after girls that I've no hope of getting. Then when I started med school I learned really quickly to control myself more. But when it comes to anything serious…" Brock trailed off, melancholy in his voice. "Part of it is I don't really have much time with my studies and all. But honestly, I just don't know how to approach girls without going over the top. You don't know how lucky you are Ash…you've gotten to travel with and build friendships with a number of different girls over the years. You were bound to end up dating one of them eventually."

Ash sighed at this. He didn't exactly know how to respond. All his time traveling before, he'd never really given love serious thought. Misty, May, Dawn, and Iris…they were all great girls in their own way. "What would have happened if it had been one of them instead of Serena?" Shaking his head at the foolishness of exploring that train of thought, he decided on a response. "Hey man, except for Iris you traveled with all of them too!"

Brock scoffed. "Yeah, but they were all too young for me man. You weren't much older than Dawn or May and not much younger than Misty. A few years' difference might not matter in our 20s, but it definitely matters now. Anyways, that's part of the reason I came to Kalos and why I plan choosing as many rotations outside of Pewter City as possible. The future Mrs. Harrison is out there somewhere. You'd think with all the traveling I've done I would have found her by now. But no use crying over spilled milk…I just got to keep looking!" At this last bit his tone picked up in excitement.

"That's the spirit Brock," Ash said, pumping his fist. "They call this the region of love…and I guess it's proved true for me. Maybe it will work out for you too."

"I hope you're right Ash. After all, Kalos girls do dress super well and I hear they're great cooks, not that I need much help on that account." He paused. "We know Serena measures up."

"I guess," answered Ash. Certainly she dressed fashionably and her baking skills were exceptional. But could she cook as well as his mother? Tonight would be the real test of her culinary skills and he was excited to see how it all would turn out; his mom set a high bar and, unlike Brock, he couldn't cook to save his life.

Reading Ash's mind, Brock smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry man, tonight will be awesome. Between your mom's recipes, Clemont's assistance, her own skill, and my excellent teaching, she can't go wrong."

Ash rolled his teaching. "Yeah, 'cuz your 'excellent teaching' really worked for me."

Brock hung his head in mock dejection. "Well Ash, even the best of teachers have their failures. You're mine, at least when it comes to cooking. But as for romance…"

At this they both stared at one another, intense expressions on both their faces. After a moment of this both burst into laughter at the absurdity of it all.

"Say Brock, speaking of food, mind if we stop for a quick snack," Ash pleaded. "Pikachu and I are kind of hungry."

"Pika," the Electric Mouse Pokémon interjected, making it clear that Ash was right on the money.

"Guess some things never change," Brock replied,

Ash scratched the back of his head nervously. "Yeah, guess not. Just don't tell Serena we ate before…"

"No worries Ash, I'm kind of hungry as well. Though we shouldn't eat too much…"

"You don't have to worry about that with me," Ash said. "I'm always hungry."

"Okay Ash," Brock said, "let's go get a snack."

The two quickly found an open air café and ordered a light repast. Their conversation drifted away from Brock's love life to details about how Misty and Tracey were doing. If Ash was a little wistful during this conversation, Brock chose to ignore it. This discussion in turn led them to reminisce about their travels in general and finally to their hopes for the future. Before long it was time to go. Paying their bill, the two friends got up and began to make their way back to the Pokémon Center.

Serena had thought cooking the meal would be the hard part, Clemont's assistance and Ash's mom's detailed recipes notwithstanding. But finding some of the listed ingredients had proved to be quite the challenge. Clemont however hadn't been the least bit fazed.

"Honestly I'd have been surprised if we did find everything at one store," he had said. "There's a Kanto Market near Autumnal Avenue in Lumiose City where we'd be able to get everything no problem. But apart from there, it's hard enough to find some of this stuff back home. In a smaller city like this one…well, let's just hope we're fortunate."

Yet the Lord must have been smiling on them, for although it took them four different stores, eventually they'd managed to track everything down. All this meant however that they arrived back at the Pokémon Center a bit later than Serena had anticipated. She'd wanted everything to go perfectly, both as a thank-you to Brock and as an opportunity to impress her boyfriend. Now, as they were standing in the Pokémon Center's kitchen unpacking the ingredients, she couldn't help but start to worry that things would somehow unravel and that the evening would be a disaster.

"Bonnie," Serena snapped, "be careful with that."

The young girl turned to Serena, a guilty and upset look in her eyes. She had been trying to be careful, but the bag she was holding was a bit too much for her slight frame.

"Don't worry Bonnie, I've got it," Clemont answered, hurrying over and helping Bonnie lift the bag onto the counter. Ruffling her hair with his hand affectionately, he turned to Serena. "There's no need to get upset Serena. Bonnie is trying her best."

"She'd better," started Serena, "tonight is really important!"

Now discerning the source of Serena's attitude, Clemont smiled. "Of course it is. But there's no need to be nervous Serena. I'm sure everything will turn out fine."

At this encouragement Serena's anger deflated. She hunched her shoulders and head, staring down in contrition. "Sorry Bonnie, I shouldn't have snapped."

But Bonnie was already all smiles. "Don't worry about it Serena! I agree, we have to do a super good job tonight. And hopefully this will be a good experience for you too big brother! Your future wife will definitely appreciate it if you can cook exotic food." At this they all chuckled, though Clemont's chuckle had a tinge of nervousness in it that the others' lacked.

At that moment inspiration struck. "Hey Serena," said Clemont, "I bet having Fennekin out would help calm you down. After all, doesn't she usually assist you when you bake?"

"Great idea Clemont," Serena clapped. Pulling out Fennekin's Pokeball, Serena pressed the button. "Fennekin, come on out."

"Fenne," the Fire type cooed, happy to be out and in the kitchen.

"Alright Fennekin, let's make a meal Ash and Brock will never forget!"

About an hour later, with the cooking well underway, a sudden knock on the door drew the attention of Serena and her two assistants. Clemont quickly volunteered to keep an eye on things. Nodding in appreciation, Serena walked over and opened the door a crack. Standing there in the hallway was Brock, a tentative smile on his face.

"Hey Serena, I was wondering…" Brock started.

Serena quickly interrupted, raising a hand. "No peeking! And no smelling either! This is supposed to be a surprise."

"Alright alright," Brock said, hands raised in a placating gesture. "I wasn't going to ask about that. I, or should I say, we were just curious when everything was going to be ready."

At this Serena felt a pang of embarrassment, but she resolved not to budge. "It'll be ready when it's ready." Noticing her tone was a bit sharper than she intended, she softened her expression. "Maybe another half hour or so. But we'll come get you when everything is done, promise."

"Okay, I think I can keep Ash entertained that long. But any longer than that and I might not be able to hold him back from coming to 'check' on dinner."

"If he tries, tell him his girlfriend won't be very happy with him if he ruins the surprise. Now shoo…" she said, waving her hand in a friendly gesture of dismissal.

Brock smiled and walked back to the lobby. It wasn't hard to find Ash; he was right where Brock had left him, pacing anxiously.

Catching sight of Brock, Ash trotted up to his friend. "So," he started, "what did you find out?"

"Only that dinner won't be ready for another thirty minutes."

Ash sighed. He didn't know what he was looking forward to more; finding out just what Serena had cooked or actually eating it. The rumble of his stomach at the words "thirty more minutes" quickly settled that dispute.

"Come on, not even a hint?"

Brock shook his head. "Serena wouldn't even open the door for me. And even if I did know, I certainly wouldn't tell you. I don't want to get on her bad side."

Ash laughed at this. "I don't think she has a 'bad side' Brock. She's pretty gentle, especially compared to a certain mallet-wielding friend of ours."

"Well Ash," Brock started, stroking his chin in a motion meant to evoke thoughtfulness, "Misty may have been quick to anger, but she also was quick to forgive. Girls like Serena on the other hand don't get angry often…but when they do, you better run for the hills. Don't you remember how she was with Miette at first?"

"Yeah, I guess," Ash responded. It sounded like it made sense.

"All I know for sure is that she doesn't want us checking on them again…and she told me that if you try to catch a peek, and I'm quoting here, 'his girlfriend won't be very happy with him.' Now that may sound mild, but trust me, it's a very serious threat."

Ash nodded. "Alright. But try telling that to my stomach," he said, rubbing it absently with one hand.

It was actually closer to forty five minutes later when Bonnie scampered into the lobby with news that dinner was ready. The Cyllage City Pokémon Center had a terrace with an excellent view of the cliffs that encircled the city. It was there that Serena and Clemont had laid out Brock's farewell feast.

Approaching the open door, Brock and Ash's senses were assaulted with the stunning scent of what was sure to be an excellent meal. The fragrance not only was mouth-watering…for the Kanto natives it stirred deep emotions, for the smell of this meal was the smell of home. Taking a step through the portal and out onto the terrace, they quickly saw that their sense of smell did not disappoint. Laid out on the table were several traditional Kanto dishes, including a number of Ash's favorites.

"Wow guys," Ash gushed with enthusiasm, "it looks amazing! Oh boy I can't wait."

Brock concurred. "Looks like you guys really went all out. We definitely appreciate the effort."

Serena beamed. "Glad to hear it! We even managed to find some chopsticks if you guys would prefer…though I think the rest of us will stick with forks."

"I wanna try I wanna try," Bonnie said, waving her hand.

"I made sure I got enough for everybody just in case," smiled Serena. "And don't think I forgot you Pikachu."

At this the Electric Mouse Pokémon's ears perked up.

"Uh Serena, Pikachu can't use chopsticks," Ash responded.

"Of course not silly. I meant we didn't forget about his favorite food either."

At this she bent her knees and removed something from under the table. Standing back up, she twisted and removed the cap to a brand new bottle of ketchup, which she then placed right in front of Pikachu.

"Cha," Pikachu responded, clearly recognizing his all-time favorite food.

Smiling, Ash turned from Serena to Pikachu. "What do you say buddy? Isn't Serena the best girlfriend ever?"

Pikachu still had mixed feelings about this "girlfriend" thing, but if it meant more ketchup, well…maybe it wouldn't be so bad. "Chu," he responded in thanks. He then began to gulp down the bottle. Everyone chuckled at this and moved to take their seats.

Ash, volunteering to help Bonnie try her hand at chopsticks, sat with her on one side and Serena on the other. Brock sat across from Ash while Clemont was on the far end, next to Brock and across from Serena. Bonnie was particularly happy to be at the head of the table and even more excited "to learn how to eat with two wooden sticks." Fennekin, Dedenne, and Pikachu meanwhile were off to the side enjoying their food, though Pikachu was still working on the ketchup and hadn't yet progressed to his Pokémon food.

Serena waited anxiously, watching Ash pile food on his plate. He was taking a portion of everything, which was typical Ash. Of course she had sampled all the food herself and it sure did taste good, much better than Kanto Palace in Vaniville Town and comparable to anything she'd tried the few times her she'd actually been to Kanto for one of her mother's races. Still, she couldn't really relax until she knew what Ash felt. She watched closely as he put his plate down and lifted that crucial first bite to his lips.

"So Ash," Serena ventured, "how is it?"

Ash stopped chewing suddenly, eyes closed. Serena felt her heart racing. Turning to face her, he opened his eyes and beamed. "I take back what I said the other day. This is the best thing I've ever tasted!"

Serena let out her breath, inwardly upset that she'd fallen for the same "trick" twice. Turning across the table, she asked Brock for his opinion.

"Great job Serena, you've really captured the essence of Kanto cooking. I'm surprised," he started, "not because you aren't a good cook," he added hastily, "but because I didn't think that you'd be able to find the ingredients to so many Kanto dishes in a provincial city like this one. From what I read before I left, it's hard enough to find good Kanto food, even to cook for yourself, in Lumiose City."

"Well it wasn't easy," Serena replied, "we had to go to a lot of different stores to find everything…and we still didn't get it all. Fortunately Ash's mom," at this she glanced sideways at her boyfriend, "had anticipated this and so suggested some easier-to-find substitutes."

"Well you did great Serena, I'm very impressed." And Brock truly was. Even with a good recipe, doing well on your first attempt at making a new dish was not easy; Serena had done exceptional at making several.

"That's high praise coming from you," she responded. "But I can't take all the credit. Clemont and Bonnie's assistance was invaluable…as was Fennekin's."

Clemont responded quickly with a humble thanks, but to Serena's surprise Bonnie didn't say anything at all. Turning, she noticed Ash trying to help the young blonde with her chopsticks. Ash was demonstrating the correct way of holding them, which Bonnie was trying (and failing) to copy successfully. Placing his own chopsticks down, Ash took his hands and used them to gently correct Bonnie's grip.

Without warning an image flashed through Serena's mind. It was an image of a somewhat older Ash helping a very young child with brownish hair learn to use chopsticks. The thought was both a bit disconcerting. "We've just started dating and already I'm picturing him helping our child." But at this same time it was heartwarming as well. "I know he'll make a great father one day. Not like…" she cut off her thoughts there, preferring to return the pleasant present rather than dwell on the painful past.

"Alright, now you try," Ash said.

Bonnie nodded and, keeping the grip Ash had helped her achieve, moved her hand down towards the plate. Holding the bottom chopstick rigid while using the top to apply pressure, she lifted it up and slowly brought it to her mouth. Putting the morsel in her mouth, she smiled broadly as she began to chew.

"See, you've got the hang of it." Ash was proud of Bonnie. Though it would take some work, he thought she was well on her way to mastering it.

"Hey Ash," said Serena, tapping him on his shoulder, "mind giving me a lesson?"

"'Course not!"

Serena had a great deal of confidence going in; unlike Bonnie, she'd actually used chopsticks before. Unfortunately, she quickly realized that her "previous experience" actually made learning more, not less, difficult. Apparently she had picked up some bad habits, habits which she would have to unlearn before anything else. After a few minutes of instruction, the young couple was getting a bit frustrated, Serena because "the right way" to use chopsticks seemed less comfortable and more difficult than what she had been doing, Ash because Serena seemed to be making zero progress and because he was eager to get back to his own meal.

Sighing, Ash said, "Let's call it quits for now Serena. We can always do this again later."

Serena pursed her lips. While she didn't want to "give up," she had to agree; progress seemed elusive and her temper was starting to flare. "Okay Ash, if you say so. It's just a bit frustrating"

"Don't worry," Ash said, putting a hand on her shoulder in reassurance, "we've got the whole rest of our lives for you to learn."

Serena nodded…then the exact implication of his words hit her. "Was that a slip of the tongue? Did he realize what he was implying?" Turning to look, she saw a blush creeping up his face. "I guess so."

Chuckling nervously, Ash turned away from Serena and started attacking his food again. "The more things change…" Serena thought. Tomorrow and what it would bring could worry about itself; for today, she would enjoy this moment with her boyfriend and friends. Smiling, she picked up her fork and resumed her meal.

Dinner went by far too quickly for Brock's taste. In fact, the whole visit had flown by. Before long he had found himself helping to clear the table, packing leftover food away and washing dishes and utensils. Now with the chores done and bags packed, the group was spending the few hours left before bed hanging out in the Pokémon Center's lobby. Ash and Bonnie were busy playing with a few of the Pokémon while Serena and Clemont were doing a post mortem on the dinner and hashing out how they would divide the cooking duties in the future. Brock had been involved in the conversation earlier, but as the topic shifted from the former to the latter topic he had disengaged, turning his thoughts elsewhere.

The two hardest decisions Brock had ever had to make were the decision to start his journey and the decision to end it. With most decisions the difficulty typically lay in knowing the right choice. In these two cases however the choice had been clear; what was tough was accepting and living with consequences of those choices. Leaving behind his siblings to start traveling with Ash was gut-wrenching; he'd been more father than brother to most of them. At the same time, after traveling with Ash all over, he'd grown quite close to the trainer from Pallet; he had also come to love being on the road. Leaving both his best friend and the life he had grown to love behind had hurt.

"Pursuing your dreams really is costly," he thought, smiling wistfully. He glanced at Ash as he laughed and played with Pikachu. "Ash knows that as much as anyone. He's met and had to leave behind a lot of friends over time. He's known both the heights of victory and the bitter taste of defeat. He's truly been blessed with such a confident and positive disposition. Without that I doubt he could have made it this far."

"Hey Brock," Ash said, breaking the older Kanto native from his reverie, "why don't you bring Carbink out and come join us?"

And just like that Ash had once again demonstrated just why he was such a good friend. Brock felt his melancholy fade away in the face of Ash's infectious enthusiasm. "Sure Ash," Brock replied, "why not?"