"Thank you so much, Daisy!"
"I really love this gift you prepared." Ash smiled warmly.
In his heart, he didn't feel even a bit of resentment. After all, Gary was Daisy Oak's actual younger brother. Even if she had treated Gary a little better, it would've been perfectly reasonable.
But the truth was, Daisy treated Ash even more kindly than her own blood brother. Not only had she just gifted him an incredibly valuable Pokémon item, she also promised to give him a Pikachu baby—once her partner Pikassy gave birth.
You had to know, Pikassy was Daisy's ace Pokémon in all those Pokémon Showcase championships. Her potential was incredibly high. Her offspring would certainly have potential no less than Gary's Eevee.
A Soothe Bell and a Pikachu baby.
Hearing Daisy's generous promise, Gary felt like he'd just eaten an entire basket of lemons—so sour that even his eyes started to tear up from jealousy.
"But Daisy," Ash asked thoughtfully, "can I give the Pikachu baby you promised me… to someone else to raise?"
"Oh? You're planning to give it away?" Daisy blinked in surprise. "Who's the lucky person?"
To any Trainer, a Pokémon was practically part of their soul—especially a rare, high-potential one like this. The Pikachu baby she had promised was absolutely top-class in both talent and rarity.
Yet Ash was willing to give it away?
"Hehe…" Ash chuckled sheepishly.
"If it were a normal rare Pokémon, and it was a gift from you, I'd never even consider giving it away, nor would I have the right to."
"But the thing is, this isn't just any Pokémon—it's your partner Pikassy's child. Pikassy, who helped you win the Pokémon Showcase championship."
"With its inherited traits and top-tier potential, raising it purely as a battle Pokémon would honestly be wasting its natural talent—and would feel like I was dishonoring your intentions."
"That's why, if possible, I'd like to give the Pikachu baby to another girl I know. Her dream is to become the number one Pokémon performer in the world."
"I trust her character and strength completely. She'll treat the Pikachu baby with absolute care and will never let your gift go to waste."
"More importantly, giving the Pikachu baby the chance to shine brilliantly on a grand, glamorous stage… is the greatest respect I could offer to its mother Pikassy, and to the most beautiful, most talented, and most adorable Daisy Oak!"
After delivering that perfect rainbow speech, Daisy clutched her chest like she'd just been hit with a truck full of flowers. Her smile bloomed like a Cherry Blossoms in Spring.
"Ash, your little mouth is just too sweet! I adore you to pieces!"
"But you still haven't told me who you're giving the Pikachu baby to." Daisy poked his cheeks and urged, "Come on, spill it!"
"Oh, come on. Isn't it obvious?" Gary butted in from the side, rubbing his forehead. "Ash is giving it to his girlfriend, Serena."
"So it's that girl named Serena, huh?" Daisy's eyes twinkled.
"I saw her during the summer camp livestream. She's definitely a talented girl."
"But what surprised me most was her growth. She started off incredibly shy and timid… and now, she's full of confidence and light."
"All of that—every bit of that change—was because of you, Ash."
"Seriously, you cheeky little brat… you really have an eye for girls with potential."
"Oh, and by the way," she added with a sly grin, "Gary told me earlier—when the Kalos students left on their bus this morning, that Serena girl ran right up to you in public and kissed you."
"Looks like she's deeply into you. Ash, you're something else."
"Already dating at your age… I can't imagine how many hearts you'll break in the future." Daisy pinched his cheeks lovingly.
"Right?!" Gary chimed in.
"Gary, you've got no right to talk!" Daisy turned her attention to her brother. "Ash already has a girlfriend—and what did you do during summer camp, huh? Couldn't even snatch one girl!"
"I—I…"
"No excuses. None. Nada!" Daisy cut him off without mercy.
Just then, the lab doorbell rang.
"Ding dong! Ding dong!"
"Gary-nii! Are you home? I came to play!" came a familiar girl's voice from outside.
Ash and Daisy looked at each other, both wearing knowing, mischievous grins.
"You little rascal… so I was wrong about you after all." Daisy elbowed Gary with a teasing laugh. "Turns out you did catch someone's attention."
"No—it's not what you think!" Gary's face turned red. "Me and Green… there's nothing going on!"
"I—Agh!!"
Seeing Ash, Daisy, and even Professor Oak watching him with meaningful smiles, Gary let out a flustered yelp and bolted out the door.
"That brat," Daisy muttered. "Got himself a girlfriend and didn't even tell me."
"Hehe…" Ash chuckled.
"I still remember," Ash said, recalling his inherited memories, "when we were younger, Green once got bullied by some nasty kids. They pushed her into a pit used for storing sweet potatoes. Everyone else ran off… but Gary was the one who jumped in to pull her out."
"We always played together as kids, but after that moment, I could tell—Green started treating Gary differently from the rest of us."
"I didn't understand it back then. But now? Hehe. Daisy, you get it, right?"
"Of course I do~" she nodded with a proud grin. "I used to worry that Gary didn't have what it took to win a girl's heart. Guess I was wrong!"
"I'm totally telling Mom about this later."
"You always worry about everyone else's relationships," Professor Oak grumbled from the side while sorting through documents. "You're already 18 and haven't brought a single boyfriend home to make me happy."
"Grandpa! Don't start!" Daisy blushed furiously.
"Besides, you know most of the guys who chase me are only after my status as your granddaughter. Not one of them truly likes me for who I am!"
"I mean, look at me—I'm beautiful, smart, talented. None of those losers even deserve me!"
"Oh please." Professor Oak rolled his eyes. "I'm not asking you to marry into a noble family. Just find a decent guy with a good personality from a regular home. Is that so hard?"
"Ugh, Grandpa…" Daisy covered her face, too stunned to reply.
"Ahem," Professor Oak chuckled awkwardly. "Joking, joking. You two keep chatting—I'll just go manage some research."
"Grandpa, you're so annoying!"
"Alright, Daisy, don't let him get to you." Ash smiled. "Now, about what you said earlier—who's this girl that asked you to set me up with her?"
"Gary mentioned you'd been at the Joy family clinic lately… so is it someone from the Joy family?" Ash squinted at her.
"Ding ding ding! You guessed it~" Daisy tapped his nose and grinned.
"The one who asked me to arrange a meeting is a high-ranking member of the Joy Family Clan. She's part of the Saffron Branch, and extremely talented as both a Pokémon doctor and a nurse."
"Ever since they saw the summer camp livestream and learned that you awakened Healing Grace, they've been desperate to recruit you as a future son-in-law."
"Son-in-law? Hah! The Joy family doesn't want me—they want my body!" Ash huffed, shaking his head.
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