After the incident with the mischievous White Demon, Pachirisu, the trio of Ash, Brock, and Dawn continued their journey. Today, they arrived at a field of colorful flowers. The blooming flowers covered the entire field, and their fragrance made them feel refreshed and happy. Next to the field was a small hut, which was likely the home of the owner of this flower field.
"It looks so beautiful here!" As a beautiful girl, Dawn was immediately drawn to the lovely scenery. A gentle breeze came from somewhere, blowing through the flowers. The colorful petals were carried by the wind, landing all around the teenagers.
"Yeah, it really is." Standing next to her, Ash agreed, and then, as if on a whim, he said, "The scenery is beautiful, but it's not even one percent as beautiful as you."
"Huh?" The girl who was enjoying the flower field was slightly startled. Her face immediately turned red, and she felt like her entire body was on fire. Her words became a stammering mess. "A-A-Ash, w-what are you... what are you talking about?"
How could he say something like that? Even though she also felt... Dawn's heart suddenly began to pound. The flower field in front of her didn't seem as beautiful anymore. After all these days together, Ash's calmness, strength, and gentle nature had all made an impression on her. As a girl entering her teenage years, she had developed a subtle, unconscious crush. The sudden compliment from the completely unprepared Ash had hit her head-on, and from her reaction, it was a super effective hit.
"It's not time for this yet..." The only reason she was so shy was that she hadn't let her feelings develop in that direction yet.
"Silly, I'm just saying you're pretty!" Seeing her reaction, Ash couldn't help but laugh. It was a sincere compliment, but he didn't expect her to react so strongly.
"Hmph, you're so mean!" Seeing Ash laughing so hard, she knew what was going on. She immediately started hitting him with her small, pink fists. Ash didn't fight back, simply taking her light attacks with a smile. At that moment, they looked like a young couple playfully teasing each other. Ash enjoyed the faint, pleasant scent of her perfume and her slightly hurried breathing from shyness. For him, it was truly a heartfelt compliment. But... her adorable reaction made him very happy. Just because of that one sentence, the distance between them had grown much, much smaller.
"Pika~" The Pikachu on Ash's shoulder had long since jumped down and was watching them from behind. He felt that he shouldn't be on Ash's shoulder, as it would disrupt the delicate relationship between them, so he had gotten down and was trying to act like he wasn't there. But watching them, Pikachu couldn't help but pinch his own cheek in disbelief.
"Pika~ (Ouch.)" The pain from his cheek made him realize that he wasn't dreaming. Mom! His trainer was falling in love! This must be a dream! It had to be an illusion!
Bonk! Bonk! Bonk! Still thinking he wasn't fully awake, Pikachu knocked on his own head three times, creating a bump. He then rubbed his cheek hard and looked at the two of them, who were still playfully bickering. That's when Pikachu realized that Ash had truly changed.
"Shh, Pikachu, this isn't an illusion!" At this moment, Brock, who was doing his best to make himself invisible, quietly walked over and whispered to Pikachu. "Don't worry, Ash has probably just grown up. It's nothing to be concerned about!" Brock explained to Pikachu as he watched the two of them.
"Pika~" But Pikachu still couldn't understand. How did the dense Ash suddenly wake up? Based on all normal principles, this made absolutely no sense.
"Sigh, I wonder when my love will come?" Seeing the incredulous Pikachu, Brock gave a faint smile, then began to fret. Even his best friend was in love. Where was his other half?
"Gardevoir, the flowers over there..." Just then, a voice as pleasant as a songbird's came from nearby, hitting Brock's thirsty heart directly.
"Ah! I've... I've found her!" Brock couldn't help but clutch his heart. His face was filled with a lovesick expression as he looked at the purple-haired girl watering the flowers in the distance. "A mature and beautiful woman like that must be a gift from heaven! It looks like my time has finally come!"
Brock's loud outburst drew the attention of Ash and Dawn.
"Is... Brock sick again?" Dawn's expression was a mix of exasperation and amusement.
"Of course he is!" Ash said with an undeniable nod. Judging by Brock's flushed face, his love-crazed sickness had returned. But after a quick glance at Brock, Ash's gaze shifted to the humanoid Pokémon next to her: a Gardevoir.
Gardevoir's body was mostly white, but the inner part of her skirt was green. Her beautiful hair was curled, and a section covered one of her eyes, giving her an extra touch of beauty. Her two small hands and the green-colored horn on her chest and back were complemented by a red structure on her chest for decoration.
This beautiful and sexy Pokémon, a true "waifu-mon," made Ash's eyes, as a long-time fan of Gardevoir, light up.
"Gardevoir~" The distant Gardevoir seemed to feel something. She looked up slightly and clearly saw a somewhat handsome boy looking at her. As a special ability of the Gardevoir species, they can directly sense human emotions. Ash's burning affection for her naturally resonated in Gardevoir's heart.
"Gardevoir~" For some reason, faced with the boy's intense gaze, Gardevoir felt a little flustered. She awkwardly crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"Ash??" Dawn on the side wasn't happy, thinking that Ash was staring at the beautiful woman in the distance. She pouted, a hint of jealousy in her voice.
"Ah... Dawn, I was looking at Gardevoir!" Seeing her anger, Ash immediately understood her feelings and quickly explained. He wasn't particularly interested in the woman; how could she be as beautiful as his favorite Pokémon, Gardevoir?
"Hmph! Good!" Hearing Ash's answer and seeing that his gaze was indeed on Gardevoir, Dawn was satisfied and let out a light huff. She didn't mind Ash looking at Gardevoir since, in Sinnoh, there were no known cases of humans and Pokémon getting together.