The Road to our Destiny

Chapter 64

Serena looks for Holly while walking in the direction of where the auburn-haired woman went. The honey blonde girl is still fuming with anger as she marches through the area, looking for her friend.

"I can't believe Brock did that," she grumbles to herself. "And to think I was supporting him and thinking he changed just like that. Ugh, he's lucky I'm not violent like Misty or I would have -"

But as she's walking, she stops talking in mid-sentence as she hears something. She looks around until she spots Holly sitting under a tree, hugging her legs and burying her face as she cries bitterly. Serena's angry face melts away into a look of pity as she walks over to her friend. She slowly places her hand on Holly's head, but Holly immediately knocks it away.

"Get away from me, Brock!" She chokes out.

"Holly, it's me," Serena says.

Holly lifts her head up to look at Serena. Her eyes are bloodshot red, and tears are still running down her face. Serena is heartbroken for her friend as Holly looks away from her and gestures her to sit next to her. The honey blonde girl sits down and puts her arm around Holly while Holly rests her head on her legs.

"I am so sorry," Serena says softly. "I feel like such a fool. I wish I never vouched for him at Neon City."

Holy sniffles and says, "Don't beat yourself up, Serena. You didn't know that he talked to this Lucy woman in secret."

"I know, but I still gave you hope," Serena says. "I just wish I knew that he did that or that she had any feelings for him at all. There gave no indication from her that she had any interest in Brock when I was in her house. I'm the one who said I was going to try to help Brock with his... issue."

Holly pats Serena on the shoulder and gives her a sad smile.

"Maybe this is something that should never have been your responsibility," she says. "Maybe, in the end, he needs to help himself."

Serena nods robotically, still feeling down about the situation. Holly wipes the tears from her eyes and sniffles again before she tries to force a smile on her face.

"I guess Brock and I were bound to hit a problem like this in our relationship at some point," she says with a forced laugh. "I mean, who says you get to have all the drama with trying to get through to Ash?"

The two of them chuckle quietly before silence overtakes them again. Holly lets out a big sigh, and Serena looks at her friend downhearted. Eventually, Holly looks down and sees the necklace still hanging around her neck. Anger starts to fill her eyes, and she grasps on the pearl attached to a rock getting ready to rip it out of her neck. Serena watches the action with a look of worry and horror in her eyes until Holly stands still and slowly loosens her grip on the necklace. The auburn-haired woman hangs her head in shame as she accepts that she cannot remove the necklace away from herself.

"Ugh, I'm so mad at him, and yet I can't even take off the necklace he gave me," she groans. "Have you ever felt so mad with Ash that you'd want to throw away your ribbon?"

"No, never," Serena says almost instantly while putting her hand on her ribbon defensively. "But Ash has also never hurt me like that either."

Holly whines and buries her face with her legs again. Serena rubs her back despite knowing that anything she does won't make her friend feel any better. They sit under the tree in silence for a few more minutes before Holly wipes the tears from her eyes again and stands up, trying to collect herself.

"I better get to the Pokemon Center," she says. "My Pokemon will need to rest up before my next match tomorrow."

"Good idea," Serena says, standing up.