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"Hehehe, Ash, look! I have a ribbon too! Look, look!"
On the road leading away from Floaroma Town toward Eterna City, the air was filled with the sweet scent of success—and the relentless repetition of a certain Coordinator. Dawn was practically dancing along the path, walking backward in front of Ash while brandishing her new pink ribbon as if it were a legendary artifact. Her eyes were curved into blissful crescents, and her smile was wider than a Snorlax's yawn.
"Alright, Dawn, I've seen it. That is officially the 52nd time you've mentioned it today," Ash sighed, though a playful glint remained in his eyes.
He hadn't realized that the usually composed Dawn would turn into a broken record the moment she tasted victory. At this rate, his ears were going to develop calluses before they reached the next town.
"It's a good thing you're the one keeping count, Ash!" Brock called out from a few paces ahead, rolling his eyes. "The air back there is getting so thick with the 'sour stench of romance' I can barely breathe!"
"Hmph!" Dawn's face flushed a delicate shade of rose. She turned her nose up petulantly. "I don't care! I won, and you just have to listen to me brag about it!"
"Oh no, here we go," Brock muttered. He exchanged a weary, knowing glance with Pikachu. The yellow mouse nodded solemnly, and the two of them suddenly put on a burst of speed, running to the very front of the group.
"We are officially on strike!" Brock shouted back. "We refuse to consume any more 'dog food' today!"
Ash watched them go with a satisfied smirk, then turned his gaze back to the girl who was currently acting shamelessly. "Dawn, I'm giving you exactly one chance to rephrase that last sentence."
"Rephrase what? I didn't say anything wrong! Hmph!" Dawn puffed out her chest defiantly, but as Ash began to approach her step-by-step with a "menacing" grin, her bravado began to falter. She started retreating, her boots crunching on the forest floor. "You... what are you planning to do?"
"What am I planning?" Ash's grin widened. "I'm planning to teach you a lesson about repeating yourself, Dawn!"
Dawn panicked, covering her ultra-short skirt and turning to bolt, but she was no match for a "Super True Human." Ash closed the gap in seconds, easily catching her. In a swift move, he hoisted her onto his shoulder, ignoring her indignant squeals.
"You bad guy! Let me go!" Dawn hammered her small fists against his back, wiggling frantically to escape the embarrassing "sack of potatoes" carry.
But Ash didn't budge. He felt like he was carrying a Pidgey. After all, this was a man who could bench-press a Larvitar; a slender Coordinator was nothing. "Who told you to be so light?" he teased, giving her a gentle 'pat' of discipline to make her quiet down.
"Why is he so strong?" Dawn wondered aloud, her face flushed from the exertion and the blood rushing to her head. She eventually gave up the struggle, hanging limp and huffing as she reached for the water bottle Ash held up for her to soothe her hoarse throat.
The Nurse Joy Dynasty
The group continued in this strange, unspoken arrangement until they reached a peculiar building deep in the forest. It looked less like a high-tech Pokémon Center and more like a cozy, private residence, though the familiar red Poké Ball logo hung above the door.
"Honestly, Ash, you are so persistent! My body is sore all over now," Dawn complained as Ash finally set her down near the entrance.
Brock and Pikachu immediately turned their heads away, staring intently at a nearby tree as if it were the most interesting thing in Sinnoh.
"Cough... Dawn, mind your image," Ash whispered, nodding toward Brock.
Dawn froze. The realization of how her words sounded out of context hit her like a Brick Break. Her face and neck turned a vivid scarlet, and she clamped her hands over her mouth, refusing to speak for the next five minutes.
Inside, the Center was empty. No Nurse Joy stood at the counter.
"Where is she? Where is the angel of my heart?" Brock wailed, his eyes darting frantically around the room.
Suddenly, a small door opened. A tiny, child-sized Nurse Joy (Ma Yi) appeared, looked at them, and ran back inside. Moments later, she returned with two more: a beautiful young woman (Ayaka) and a poised, slightly older Nurse Joy.
"Mom, we have guests!" the little one chirped.
Brock's romantic fire didn't just flicker; it died. Seeing three generations of Nurse Joys—from the daughter to the mother to the grandmother—all standing together seemed to break his brain. He slumped into a dark corner, drawing circles in the dust. Even Croagunk looked at him with pity, deciding he wasn't even worth a Poison Jab in this state.
The Net of the Lake
While Dawn and Brock were distracted, Ash stared out the window toward the nearby lake. His "Narrative Architect" mind was already leafing through the local legends.
A Pokémon that looks like a fishing net... He remembered the rumors of a legendary being that had allegedly been "stripped of its divine status" but still haunted these waters. It was a rare opportunity to catch something truly unique.
"There's something in that forest," Ash murmured to himself. "Something that doesn't belong in a normal Poké Ball."
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