Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. If I did Ash wouldn't wear gloves at all, let alone fingerless ones. And what's with so many of Ash's female traveling companions wearing hats?

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 21:4

Route 11

As Ash and his three traveling companions made their way north from Cyllage City, a melancholy mood lingered. They were, of course, happy to resume their journey towards Shalour City and Ash's next Gym battle, but Brock's departure had been truly sweet sorrow for all of them. Ash had once again had to bid goodbye to one of his good friends. As for the others, they'd all grown quite fond of Brock over the course of the week and were quite sad to see him go. Having Brock with them had become quite natural; now that he was gone it felt like something was missing.

As Serena thought about Brock and all the changes his visit had brought to her life, her eyes couldn't help but stray from the path ahead to Ash and then down to their intertwined hands. Looking at them brought to mind her happiness at finally becoming Ash's girlfriend. It also stirred the memories of their first fight as a couple, a fight that had occurred earlier that morning, shortly after they had bid Brock goodbye.

Ash typically wore gloves all the time. Serena liked the feel of Ash's bare flesh on hers when they held hands; the gloves he wore, while functional, weren't designed for a girlfriend's comfort. She had insisted he take off his right hand glove; he'd argued that he always wore gloves when traveling. Neither of them had been willing to budge. It had been silly and stupid of course, and they had made up very quickly, but it served as a good dose of realism. Relationships require work and compromise. It was a lesson they both were just starting to learn.

"Ash," Serena started, "I just wanted to tell you how glad I am to be your girlfriend."

Ash turned to her and smiled. "I'm really happy too. I honestly never understood why people spent so much time and effort on trying to find someone."

"And now?"

"And now I wonder how I could have ever been so dense."

She laughed at this. It was a light, airy laugh, one whose melody Ash had come to cherish.

"Now all we need to do is find someone to take care of my brother," Bonnie interjected, "and everyone will be happy!"

"Bonnie," exclaimed Clemont. He reached for her with his own hand, but she dashed ahead, eluding his grasp.

"You'll have to try harder than that big brother," she shouted over her shoulder, laughing as he stumbled after her.

Looking at one another, Serena and Ash laughed and joined the chase, swinging their intertwined hands gently as they went together into the future.

Lumiose City

Brock leaned back in his chair, taking another sip of his espresso (a rare indulgence for him) and basking in the late afternoon sun. Lumiose City truly was beautiful. He hadn't really had time to take in the sights and sounds when he'd arrived a week ago; he'd been focused on getting into his dorm and on the road as quickly as possible. But now that he was back he had the time, and what better way to take in the city than by enjoying the ambiance of one of Lumiose City's many outdoor cafes? Sitting there soaking in the sun, he felt relaxed. It had, of course, been difficult to part with Ash and all his new friends earlier that morning, but it had been made easier by knowing that they would be seeing each other again sometime soon.

"It's an opportunity to start fresh. So enjoy it!" Those were some of Ash's parting words and they had really stuck with Brock. Ash had made a number of "fresh starts" since he'd began his journey. Although starting anew had its difficulties, it also had its opportunities. Making new friends, people and Pokémon alike, were a big part of why Brock had loved journeying so much and it was great to be experiencing that again. He'd already made a few new friends and was certain to make more over the next few months. "And maybe even find a girlfriend."

At this thought his face turned pensive. As happy as he was for Ash and Serena, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy. More than this though he wondered when (or if) his time would ever come. It's not like he was old or anything, but seeing people younger than him finding someone did make him wonder. He'd thought tempering his tendency to flirt with any pretty girl in sight would have been helpful in actually finding a girlfriend. But he was still alone, still stuck in the shadows. This of course stirred up deep-seated emotions, emotions he didn't want to deal with the day before he was starting his rotation.

Although he was the oldest child, most of his life Brock felt stuck in the someone's. At first it was his parents, particularly his Gym Leader father. While his father had been with the family he'd seemed larger than life; after his departure Brock had been forced to step into those shoes, but they'd never quite fit. It had been even worse when his mom had gone away as well. When he'd finally left with Ash he felt free for a time, but gradually he realized that being with Ash had its own difficulties. Although those were some of the greatest days of his life, he sometimes felt like a bit player, someone whose dreams always took a backseat. He hadn't wanted to admit it for the longest time; he enjoyed traveling and Ash was an excellent friend, as were Misty, May, Max, and Dawn. But when he saw Ash reach new heights in the Lily of the Valley Conference and Dawn place second in the Grand Festival he'd been confronted with how much his young friends had grown…and how little he had in comparison. He'd needed a change…and he'd found one.

Being a Pokémon Doctor in training was a challenge and a joy unlike anything he'd ever faced before. It was incredibly difficult but also quite rewarding. And, for the first time in his life, he felt he was able to shine on his own. Still, something was missing…someone was missing. He knew of course that one woman, no matter how exceptional, couldn't fill the yawning hole that he felt in his heart. But he was convinced that having a good one would make a measurable improvement in his life. It would, after all, prove that, in someone's eyes at least, he was second fiddle to no one. And that was something he earnestly desired.

Shaking himself loose from this melancholy, Brock motioned the waiter, asking for the bill. After finishing off his drink and settling the tab, Brock got up and began to head down the street, already feeling less burdened by his cares than a few moments ago. Sucking in a breath of sweet Kalosian air, Brock began to make his way to his destination. Earlier that morning he'd promised Clemont and Bonnie that he'd visit their father for dinner. While suppertime was still a few hours off, walking to Meyer's shop was a good chance to get out and see more of the city. Giving the charming square and its cafes one last glance, Brock turned his head and headed off deeper into the beating heart of Lumiose City.

I hope you all enjoyed your holidays and wish you all a happy new year. It's been a good ride everybody. Thanks for reading and a special thanks to those of you that reviewed.

I know some (most) of you were hoping that Serena and Ash would kiss before this story's end, but considering their age and temperaments I honestly felt it would be too much too fast. However I am toying with a brief one-shot to cover that. While Ash and Serena's story ends on a happy note, I thought it was important to stress that romance is not all sunshine; all close relationships have their rough patches and take work.

As for Brock, in light of what I have planned for him in the sequel I wanted to end his part in this tale in a melancholy and introspective way. As alluded to in the story, I drew a lot of inspiration from Brock's (admittedly brief) reflection on Ash and Dawn succeeding in following their dreams; in the anime, that caused him to question whether or not he was actually doing the same. As for the continuation of Brock's story, look for it in a few weeks. I'm shooting for about 20k words or so, a bit more than a one-shot but definitely shorter than this one.