Adventure's Past

Chapter 38 - Nostalgic

"This is really good, Brock!" Bonnie exclaimed, happily slurping up a quick noodle dish Brock had concocted just outside of the gym at a picnic table overlooking the nearby lake. The Pokemon were quietly eating a new recipe Brock had experimented with, and it was proving to be a crowd favorite. The sun had now ceased to shine upon the planet, replaced by the pearlescent grace of the moonlight.

"Bonnie's right! I like to think I'm pretty good at making Poke Puffs, but this is on a whole different level," Serena added, politely taking a bite of the dish. To her left was Ash, who was wordlessly devouring the dish, unable to speak as he consumed the entire prepared bowl in mere seconds.

"Bah!" He exclaimed, setting the bowl down and taking in large gulps of air. "Brock, I can't tell you how much I've missed your cooking," he said, staring at the apron-wearing Pokemon Doctor with eyes of admiration. Sheepishly chuckling, Brock sat down at the table himself, setting down his bowl. "There's a bunch for everyone, so feel free to get seconds!" He remarked, causing Ash to hop out of his seat and dash over to the pot speedily.

Serena giggled at the sight as he carefully added large amounts of noodles to his bowl. "I'm glad young trainers are still taking on the leagues in other regions," Brock remarked, staring at Bonnie, who was also just finishing her first bowl after Ash. "Mmph!" She muffled back excitedly, the noodles occupying her mouth.

"And again, I'm looking forward to seeing what you have in mind for your Performances," he added toward Serena, who finished chewing a small portion of noodles. "Patience is key," she replied playfully as Ash sat back down at the table. "Oh yeah! You said you and your girlfriend watched her Performance a few years ago, right?" He asked as he began devouring his second bowl.

"Heh, yeah. There was no way I was getting out of that," Brock replied, his chopsticks intertwining with each other as he collected a few noodles from his bowl. "So, who is she exactly? I know you well enough that I have to ask this." His mind raced as he remembered the numerous times Brock had seemingly fallen for virtually any girl they encountered on their journeys together.

"Her name's Caity," Brock replied, a sparkle in his eyes as he began speaking. "You don't know her, but she's pretty amazing. She's a breeder in the Hoenn region, so while the distance can be a bit hard to work around sometimes, it's well worth it." Ash, listening while already finishing his second bowl, looked at Brock proudly.

"Hey man, I'm glad you're getting to do what you want," he commented, a genuine look in his eyes. "Really." Brock looked at Ash and smiled softly. "Thanks, Ash. I appreciate it," he responded gratefully. The two nodded at each other before Ash sprung out of his seat to get yet another serving of the delicious noodles.

"Ash does have an endless stomach," Serena remarked as she watched the raven-haired trainer make his way to the pot. "Tell me about it," Brock said. "The reason why we had so much space in our bags was that anything I made was almost instantly eaten by him and whoever else was traveling along." Serena raised an eyebrow and leaned into the table.

"There were other people, too?" She asked curiously. Bonnie lowered the bowl from her face and stared at Serena with a smirk on her face. "Is someone worried Ash traveled with other girls?" She glared at Bonnie and playfully shoved her as she giggled. "No! I'm just interested in the friends he's made! That's all!" Her tone was adamant and defensive, leading Brock to connect the dots; he said nothing though, and just chuckled as he answered her question.

"Yeah, me and Ash traveled with a lot of different people," he replied, standing up and grabbing everyone's empty bowls; he earned a stink eye from Ash as he finished his third bowl, heading to get his fourth. "I want to say we ended up traveling with about four different people before you left for Unova. Is that right, Ash?"