Upon Ash's guidance, Dawn and Piplup continued their quest to capture a Pokémon. After a battle, Piplup was breathing heavily and looked a bit dispirited.
"Ugh, we failed again!"
After yet another failed capture attempt, even the usually energetic Dawn felt discouraged.
"Piplup~"
Piplup followed suit, lowering its head in dejection. The consecutive failures had clearly drained them of their initial enthusiasm. If not for Ash's encouragement, they likely would have started to doubt themselves.
"Huh! Is that Ash?"
As Ash and Pikachu were comforting a defeated Dawn and Piplup, a familiar voice reached his ears. Out of nowhere, a pink truck with a giant Gyarados decal on its side pulled up behind them. The voice belonged to a dark-skinned, squinty-eyed man who got out of the passenger seat. He quickly ran up to Ash, saying enthusiastically, "Ash, it really is you! I had a feeling it was you the moment I saw your Pikachu!"
"Brock, it's been a while."
"Pikachu~"
The dark-skinned, squinty-eyed young man was, of course, Ash's former travel companion, Brock. A top-tier Pokémon breeder and gourmet chef, he was the man who always had Ash's back.
"It's been a long time, Ash, and Pikachu!" The time that had passed since their last farewell made Brock feel a bit sentimental.
His eyes then landed on Dawn, who was standing beside Ash. He couldn't help but ask, "Ash, who is this beside you...?"
"Oh, this is Dawn. She's my new companion here in the Sinnoh region!" Ash turned to introduce her. He also introduced Brock's identity to her. "Dawn, this is Brock. He traveled with me before and is the Gym Leader from Pewter City in Kanto!"
"A Gym Leader!" Dawn was surprised and quickly introduced herself. "Hello, I'm Dawn from Sandgem Town! It's a pleasure to meet you, Gym Leader Brock!"
"Haha, no need to be so formal, just call me Brock!"
Brock waved his hand casually. After a brief chat, he pulled Ash aside, a look of pure triumph on his face.
"Ash, you won't believe it! I've found my true love!"
This sudden announcement left Ash and Pikachu looking at each other in bewilderment.
Just then, a long-haired, purple-clad woman got out of the truck. She seemed a bit older than Brock. Seeing her, Brock immediately transformed into a lovesick puppy and introduced her to Ash. "Ash, this is Ms. Miko. We're on a 'love cruise' together right now!"
"A love cruise?"
Dawn's expression was a mixture of confusion and disbelief as she looked at the bizarre pairing of Brock and Ms. Miko.
"Yes, ever since I got to Sinnoh, I've been with Ms. Miko and her truck!" Brock's face was beaming with a joy that could not be described.
"But, if I remember correctly..." Ash looked at the elated Brock with a complicated expression, a certain something he wasn't sure he should say.
"So, Ash, this is where we part ways. I have to continue my journey of love!" Brock patted Ash on the shoulder.
"Wait a minute, Brock!" Just as he said that, the inevitable happened. Ms. Miko suddenly said, "Sorry, Brock, my darling just called. He said he needed me for something!"
"D-darling~"
Brock's mouth hung open as if he had just seen a ghost.
"Don't be sad. Isn't it wonderful that you've just found new companions?" Ms. Miko slowly walked back to the driver's side and waved goodbye. "See you, Brock! Your food was delicious. I hope we meet again!"
Vroom!
With that, the colorful cartoon truck sped off, leaving a tear-stricken Brock behind.
"Ash, did Brock just get dumped?" A dazed Dawn walked over and asked. The way this dark-skinned young man's expression had changed from ecstatic to tearful in less than a second was truly bizarre. It was all Dawn could do to keep from laughing.
"It's fine. That's just how he is. He'll be okay in no time." Ash answered nonchalantly. He was, after all, an old fan and knew Brock's personality very well. As a seasoned lovesick man, Brock would recover quickly.
And Brock's next action confirmed his prediction.
"I've decided, Ash, Dawn!" A tear-soaked Brock suddenly raised his hands and spoke with incredible resolve. "I'm going to become an excellent Pokémon Breeder! So, I'm counting on you two for the rest of this journey!"
"Alright, we're counting on you, too!"
"Pikachu~"
This truly was Brock, bouncing back from heartbreak in less than a second. He was a master of falling down and getting right back up. Ash couldn't help but secretly admire him. He shared a knowing smile with Pikachu, confident that their meals would now be well-taken care of.
"???"
Dawn, on the other hand, was completely bewildered and couldn't understand Brock's actions at all.
And so, the Sinnoh trio was finally complete. They continued their journey together toward Jubilife City. As they were about to enter a nearby forest, a purple-haired young man approached them. He had a perpetually stoic "poker face" that made him seem unapproachable. Ash knew this young man very well; he was Ash's rival in Sinnoh, Paul.
"Is that Pikachu yours? It looks well-trained. How about a battle?" Paul, who was passing through the forest, looked at the spirited Pikachu. He locked eyes with Ash and challenged him to a battle.
"No problem!"
Ash never refused a challenge. Besides, defeating his opponent would earn him a good amount of gold coins, and he would never pass up such an opportunity.