"So, Brock, what were you doing in that spot? You looked like you'd lost your soul."
After learning that Ash and Dawn were traveling together, Brock naturally joined them.
While walking along the path, Ash finally couldn't hold back his curiosity and asked.
"Yeah, seriously… squatting there was super creepy."
Dawn nodded emphatically, clearly affected by the memory.
"About that… sigh…"
Brock thought for a moment before letting out a deep sigh.
"Well…"
Under Ash and Dawn's watchful gazes, Brock finally explained, one by one, the reasons he'd been hiding in that spot, crying.
Though it was described as a detailed explanation, in truth, it boiled down to a single reason.
…
After Brock finished recounting his experience, Dawn gave him a look that was hard to describe, while Ash had a moment of realization.
"So, in simple terms, the girl who gave you a ride ditched you here after getting a call from her boyfriend just as you were about to confess, right?"
Ash suddenly recalled that something like this had indeed happened before, though Brock's emotions now seemed far more dejected than in his memory. Was it because Ash wasn't there right away, leaving Brock with no one to vent to?
"But… falling for someone at first sight? Isn't that a bit weird?"
Though Dawn had no experience with adult romance, she still offered a surprisingly insightful opinion.
"Falling for someone at first sight is just about their looks, right? Can that even count as love?"
"Wrong, wrong, wrong!"
Brock quickly shot down Dawn's perspective.
"Falling for someone at first sight is what opens the door to more! If you don't feel anything at first impression, it's unlikely you'll develop mutual feelings later on."
"Oh…" Dawn replied, half-understanding.
"So, did she feel anything for you?"
Brock: "Ahem!"
Brock turned away, tears streaming down his face again.
He couldn't fathom how Dawn, who seemed so gentle, could unintentionally say such cutting words.
It was the middle of summer, yet Brock felt a chill run through him.
"Let's not talk about that anymore…"
Seeing Brock's mood about to plummet again, Ash hurriedly changed the subject.
"It's almost noon, right? Should we have lunch first? I'm starving."
"Pika~"
"OKI!"
At the mention of lunch, Pikachu and Aipom's spirits soared, and they began wildly raising their hands in agreement.
It had been a while since they'd tasted Brock's cooking, and the chance to enjoy that deliciousness again naturally thrilled them.
"Good point! People shouldn't always dwell on past sorrows. Instead of moping about this morning's failure, let's think about what's for lunch!"
Brock declared with fervor, then dashed ahead to a small clearing, setting down his backpack.
Under Dawn's astonished gaze, Brock pulled out an assortment of items from his backpack at lightning speed.
Pots, pans, bowls, spices, and even a foldable table and chairs.
Dawn stared at Ash with disbelief, stammering as if she wanted to say something, pointing at Brock.
"Don't ask me."
Ash shrugged helplessly.
"I'm just as curious about how Brock manages to cram all that stuff into his backpack. Though, to be fair, his backpack is pretty big."
"No matter how big, it's not this ridiculous! That's a table! A table! And all those stools! And even a stew pot!"
Dawn finally found her words, but even so, Ash could sense her bewilderment.
He wanted to explain it to her, but he genuinely didn't understand how Brock did it, so he was at a loss to help.
…
After this brief interlude, Dawn forced herself to accept this seemingly extravagant, almost impossible reality.
After all, compared to obsessing over how Brock managed it, she'd rather focus on the stew pot, simmering with a gurgling sound.
"Smells so good~~"
Sitting on a stool, Dawn was already drooling just from the aroma wafting from the pot.
When Ash had suggested lunch, she hadn't felt particularly hungry, but after smelling Brock's cooking, she realized she was starving.
"Today's lunch is meat slice soup, with my special blend of spices. Beyond the fresh, savory flavor of the ingredients, you'll taste a slight tangy and spicy kick. On a hot day like this, a bowl of meat soup paired with a bowl of rice is the absolute best."
Back in his element, Brock radiated a completely different aura.
If before he was a dejected, lovelorn figure, now he was like a legendary figure commanding the culinary world. With his eyes—seemingly always narrowed to slits—and a flash of his gleaming white teeth, he spoke with utmost confidence.
"(Gulp~)"
Dawn and Ash swallowed hard in unison, the aroma of the soup fully igniting their appetites.
Seeing this, Brock stopped teasing them and ladled out a bowl of soup for each, along with a bowl of rice.
"Dig in, don't hold back. There's plenty here, and more if you finish."
"No holding back!"
"I'm digging in!"
Once Brock served the food, Ash and Dawn dropped all pretense of restraint and began devouring their meal.
On the other side, Pikachu and Aipom were enjoying Brock's specially made Pokémon food.
Compared to the standard Pokémon food they'd been eating from stores recently, Brock's homemade Pokémon food was undeniably top-tier deliciousness.
As everyone indulged in this leisurely and blissful lunch break, unbeknownst to them, a small figure stood on a nearby tree's branch, hidden among the leaves.
Its gaze was firmly locked on the Pokémon food in front of Pikachu and Aipom, poised and ready to strike.
"Mu~"
A low growl rumbled in its throat, and it crouched lower, shifting its weight.
The moment Aipom's attention shifted to Pikachu's bowl, revealing a fleeting opening, its body lunged downward in a swift dive.