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While Ash and Dawn were tangled in their morning mishap, Brock's attention was fixed elsewhere. He watched as a half-peeled potato went sailing through the air—a stray casualty of the campsite chaos.
"Pika!"
Pikachu didn't wait for a command. Driven by the momentum of his morning drills, he became a yellow blur. Using Quick Attack, he tracked the potato's arc with surgical precision. Just as the vegetable was about to hit the dirt, Pikachu leaped, tucked into a perfect two-and-a-half somersault, and snatched it out of the air. He landed with a soft thump and trotted back to Brock, proudly presenting the salvaged ingredient.
"Nice save, Pikachu!" Brock said, taking the potato with a grin.
"Pika-pi!" The mouse scratched his head, his long ears twitching as he waved off the praise.
But he wasn't as alone as he thought. From the safety of a nearby thicket, a pair of eyes watched him with wide-eyed adoration. It was a Buneary, her brown-and-cream fur immaculate, and her signature "curly ears"—one standing tall, the other folded shyly over her face. Every time Pikachu moved, the rabbit Pokémon would hide her face behind her paws, blushing a deep crimson.
"Everyone, look! How does it look?"
Dawn emerged from the aftermath of the tent disaster, having successfully navigated her "Bubble Beam hair care" routine. Her indigo hair was now a shimmering, silky curtain that caught the light. She spun around once, a playful, coy smile on her face as she specifically looked at Ash.
"How about it, Ash? Thanks to your water tip, my hair is back to being perfect. It even shines!"
Ash looked at her, his expression neutral. "It's very beautiful. It suits you well."
Dawn's smile faltered. She pouted, her blue eyes narrowing. "That's it? 'Very beautiful'? You're so insincere!"
Ash stood there awkwardly. As a Narrative Architect in a boy's body, he wasn't exactly a poet of romance. Brock, however, sensed the cooling atmosphere and stepped in with a smooth, knowing chuckle.
"Don't take it that way, Dawn. Coming from Ash, 'beautiful' is a top-tier compliment. Most of the time, he barely notices anything that doesn't have a health bar or a move set!"
Dawn's pout softened into a curious glance. "Is he really that oblivious?"
"I don't recall him ever complimenting a girl's hair before," Brock added, winking at Ash.
"Hmph! Well, I guess that's better then," Dawn huffed, though she couldn't quite hide the small, satisfied smile as she went to gather her things for a final wash-up.
Breakfast was a quiet affair, but the tension was still palpable. While Ash was busy inhaling a mountain of rice balls, he noticed Dawn was merely pushing her food around her bowl.
"Not hungry, Dawn?" Ash asked, his voice muffled by rice. "If you don't like the rolls, maybe Brock can whip up something sweet?"
"No, it's not the food," Dawn sighed, her gaze dropping to her Piplup. "It's just... we're almost at Jubilife City. You've got your veterans and your new Turtwig. Brock's got Croagunk. And I... I still only have Piplup. I feel like I'm falling behind."
Brock nodded sympathetically. "Catching a partner is a matter of destiny, Dawn. You can't force it."
Ash went quiet. He knew the script was about to deliver. In the original timeline, a Buneary fell for Pikachu right about now...
"Pikapi! (Ash, a little help here!)"
Pikachu's voice carried a distinct note of distress. Ash put down his rice ball and looked over his shoulder.
Pikachu was trying to eat his lunch, but the Buneary from the bushes had moved closer. Every time Pikachu took a step, the rabbit mirrored him. When he moved his bowl, she scooted closer, her ears curled tight in a fit of shyness. Pikachu, who had faced gods and legendary birds, looked utterly bewildered by the tiny bunny's romantic pursuit.
"Speak of the devil," Ash whispered, a smirk forming on his face. He nudged Dawn and pointed toward the bushes. "Hey, Dawn. I think your 'destiny' just showed up."
Dawn looked over, her eyes widening as she saw the adorable Buneary staring at the yellow mouse. The gloom vanished instantly, replaced by the fire of a trainer who had just found her next partner.
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