While this story stands on its own and be read as such, a few minor details will seem out of place without reading my previous story An Unexpected Union. For those of you that did this story takes place in that universe.

I did watch Queen of the Serpentine a number of times while writing this to try to get Lucy's speech and mannerisms right. But since this is the only episode she appears in there is necessarily substantial "creative license" in my presentation of Lucy and her sister. Nevertheless I feel my interpretation is faithful to what we see of Lucy in canon and helps understand how an aloof, beautiful, and mature trainer could actually fall for Brock. I did explore this site for other Luckshipping fics to get some inspiration and found very few. So, if you like this pairing (or any Brock-centered story in general) I certainly encourage you to write one of your own.

In my previous tale I did not make any specific references to character age (or even aging in general) out of fidelity to the anime. Considering the nature of this pairing however I feel something needs to be said. I would put Brock as being 18, ("of age" but with the outside potential of growing a few more inches) Lucy as being in her early 20s, and her sister about one year younger.

Disclaimer: I make no claim of ownership to Pokémon. No copyright infringement is intended.

"Talonflame is unable to battle. Seviper is the winner. That means that the victory goes to Kanto's famous Pike Queen Lucy!"

This pronouncement ignited the audience, with applause and cheers echoing across the battlefield. Other than the referee, the only two in the room not shouting in adulation were the two trainers. On one side stood Gerrad, one of the Kalos Battle Institute's most famous competitors. He had won the Kalos League a few years prior and, while he had failed in his attempt to become Champion, was still a highly regarded battler. He was a regular competitor in top level matches at the Battle Institute and Battle Maison; he also held the title of Duke at the Battle Chateau. Yet today he had been outclassed severely and he did not even try to hide the disappointment on his face.

The trainer on the other side of the battlefield, far from exulting in her victory, wore a blank expression on her face, no sign of the satisfaction she must have felt at winning against such an accomplished opponent. Of course, the young woman had quite a reputation of her own. While Frontier Brains in general were known to be strong, she was widely acknowledged as one of the strongest. Yet strength was only part of her reputation; she was also regarded as quite the beauty, more beautiful (many said) than Kanto's famous Sensational Sisters and even rivaling Unova's Elesa or Kalos' own Diantha. The people of Kalos, proud of their own reputation for fashion and of their strong tradition of battling, had been a bit skeptical of all the hype surrounding the Pike Queen. But seeing her in person had silenced the skepticism, with the match that had just concluded being the crescendo that capped off the past few days of fashion shows, public appearances, and exhibition battles.

"Excellent work Seviper, now you take a good rest." As Lucy whispered these words to her Pokémon and returned it, she allowed a ghost of a smile to cross her face. The battle had been thrilling and her fair-haired opponent had certainly lived up to his reputation. Lifting her head she stared across the battlefield. Her opponent had returned his own Pokémon and was now walking towards her. After putting Seviper's Pokéball back on her belt she began her own walk across the field. Meeting in the center, the two stopped and regarded one another silently for a moment.

Gerrard had spent most of his time prior to the match researching Lucy's battle style, but of course he had not been able to help spending some time looking at pictures of her as well. That had been the inevitable result of reading a Kanto fashion magazine's interview of her from a few months prior. He had sought out the article merely to get a sense of her personality, but as he had been unable to keep his eyes from wandering away from the article text to the pictures on the side, a pattern of behavior that had repeated itself during the battle. He knew this distraction had not been the deciding factor in their match, but it certainly had not helped him any. Now, facing the raven haired beauty up close and personal, he took a breath and hoped that he would be able to keep his eyes from straying inappropriately. It was a bit challenging given she was more than a few inches taller than him.

As Gerrard stared silently at her, Lucy stared back. Standing at six feet four inches tall even without the two inch heels she typically wore, there were few men (and even fewer women) that equaled, let alone exceeded, her stature. Gerrard came somewhat close; she was sure he must be a bit over six feet. His dirty blonde hair was tousled, but in the contrived sort of way that had become fashionable of late. While he was not quite her type, he was definitely handsome. Lucy wondered if he would make a pass at her or not. Lucy took pride in most aspects of her public reputation; she had worked hard to become a skilled battler and her beauty was something that she valued despite the fact it was often more trouble than it was worth. Yet these two traits were enough to intimidate most; combined with the less flattering element of her reputation, few men dared make a serious effort.

A few years ago some disgruntled soul had coined the nickname "Ice Queen Lucy," fusing her hard-earned Battle Frontier moniker with a harsh insult. To her dismay it had caught on, spreading across the Internet like wildfire. While most people recognized these internet trolls for what they were, the term had unfortunately stuck. Even one of the Kalosian fashion journalist interviewing her the day before had had the gall to bring it up in the interview; it had only been out of regard for her sister, on whose behalf she had embarked on her whole modeling side career in the first place, that she had not cut the interview off then and there.

Of course Lucy recognized that this insult was not without its logic. One on hand, she had worked hard to accomplish what she had as a trainer and took a fair bit of pride at it. If her success was too intimidating for most men to deal with, that was hardly her fault. But she had also long ago admitted to herself that she could be a bit too cocky. All this, combined with her own shyness, meant that she could come across as aloof or even standoffish, serving as the inspiration for the internet mockery. None of this of course stopped her from despising the demeaning appellation.

Because of all this, there had been a few men who had dared to cross the gauntlet. Yet Lucy could tell that most of them were not the kind of guy she would want to date, let alone marry. Although she knew her refusal to low her standards was the right decision, she also had to admit that she did get lonely.

"Congratulations Lucy. It was a great battle and I hope," at this Gerrad paused and gulped, "and I hope we can do it again sometime." He lifted his hand in a gesture of friendship.

Lucy grasped his hand and they shook. "Thanks Gerrad. You were impressive as well. I look forward to our rematch." At this she let his hand go and returned it to her side. She stood motionless, waiting to see what else he would do, if anything.

Gerrad fidgeted nervously. "Lucy I," he stared, then paused. "I guess I'll see you around then." With this he wheeled around and began to walk away, hoping he was not going quick enough to be obvious.

Lucy just sighed internally. Even though he did not really look like her type, she would have let him buy her dinner and given him an honest shot. He did battle well and clearly cared for his Pokémon, both things that she very much esteemed. Turning herself, she walked in the opposite direction. After dealing with some final procedural matters with the Battle Institute's staff, Lucy managed to sneak out, avoiding the crowd and soon finding herself on the bustling street. While somewhat famous, she was no Diantha and was able to quickly disappear into Lumiose City's crowded streets. After a few minutes of aimless wandering (a welcome reprieve from the rigorous regimen that had governed her trip thus far) her Holocaster began to chirp. Viewing her sister's name, she sighed and answered, grumbling to herself something about not having a moment's peace.

"Yes Barbara," Lucy queried, frustration leaking into her tone.

Staring back at her was a miniature blue-tinted image of her younger sister. "Don't 'yes Barbara' me Lucy! Especially since I'm just calling to congratulate you! Great battle by the way, you really showed him."

"Thanks. But somehow I doubt you are calling 'just' to congratulate me."

"Well, now that you mention it…" Barbara started.

"Yes," Lucy replied, a hint of impatience in her voice.

"I only wanted to let you know that the deal closed early. And not only that, but they agreed to purchase double what we thought!"

"Wow," Lucy responded. This certainly was unexpected. While fashion was Barbara's career and she typically handled most of the negotiations, usually Lucy had to be at the table. As the "face" of her sister's brand potential customers liked to see Lucy present at negotiations even if she said very little. It was only because battling was actually a great way to promote the brand that she had been able to duck out of this afternoon's meeting.

"Exactly, so no rush to get back. Though I definitely want to celebrate tonight. Restaurant Le Wow is supposed to be good and with your star cachet I had no problem booking a table for two."

"Don't sell yourself short Barbara, you're quite well known as well."

"I'm not Queen Lucy," started Barbara.

"I've told you not to call me that," replied Lucy. While proud of her moniker sometimes her sister could take it too far; she was not a real queen after all.

"Okay okay. Point is people may know the brand and they definitely know you. But outside the industry I'm just another face in the crowd. You're not. And I'm okay with that, really."

From a young age Lucy had received a great deal more attention than her sister. While they had a good relationship for the most part, the reality of their unequal treatment had definitely impacted their relationship, causing Barbara to develop a tendency towards overprotectiveness (being one of the few who knew of Lucy's shyness) and hero-worship. Thankfully the latter had faded significantly since Barbara's own career as a fashion designer had started to take off, but exchanges like this reminded her it was still very much present.

"Alright, I'll meet you there. What time is the reservation?"

"Seven, but make sure you get back to the room and change first. Restaurant Le Wow has quite a strict dress code."

"Sure thing sis, see you in a few hours."

With that Lucy ended the call and smiled. Suddenly she had some free time on her hands. The only true sightseeing she had gotten accomplished so far was looking out car windows as she was being whisked from place to place; while she had visited a number of the city's famous sites for photo shoots, it had been a strictly regulated experience. Now she had the chance to explore properly and she relished the opportunity; from what she had seen so far, Lumiose City was quite beautiful, with its stately architecture, its bustling boulevards, and its abundance of public parks. "But first things first, I need to take care of my Pokémon."

Calling up the Maps app on her Holocaster, Lucy quickly deduced that, while there was not a Pokémon Center nearby, there was a Pokémon Hospital only a few blocks away. After dropping off her Pokémon for a little healing she could walk around for a while and pick them way back to the hotel. Since Restaurant Le Wow was only a short taxi ride from Hotel Richissime she had have plenty of time to explore. Smiling, she closed her Holocaster and began to make her way to St. James' Pokémon Hospital. Little did she know that she was also on her way to a reunion with a very familiar face.

Carefully applying a bandage to a wounded Skiddo, Brock Harrison let loose a sigh. Being a Pokémon Doctor in training was fulfilling…but it was also hard work. While he had originally been looking forward to spending a lot of time getting to know Lumiose City, over the past six weeks he had rarely seen the outside of the hospital. Pretty much all the time he spent outside of work (which admittedly was not much) he spent in the dorm catching up on some well-needed sleep. Coming a week early had definitely been the right decision; he had experienced more of Kalos during his week visiting Ash and company than he had in the six weeks since. Except for meeting and treating a slew of new kinds of Pokémon, hospital life in Kalos was hardly different than it was in Kanto.

"There you go, all done," Brock comforted. The bandage was tied off and secure. "Just make sure you go easy on it the next few days."

As the Grass type Pokémon responded in thanks, Brock smiled and made a note on Skiddo's chart. Of course he would be sure to give the same direction to this Skiddo's trainer as well, but often it was the Pokémon, not the trainer, that was more apt to push too hard too fast.

"Alright, now you stay here while I go check on some of the other Pokémon. I'll be back to take you to your trainer before you know it."

With that Brock exited the examination room, closing the door behind him. He turned and then promptly collided with a cart. Stumbling back, it took him a moment to right himself. Once he had regained his footing he turned and fixed his gaze on the person behind it.

"Oh Brock I'm so sorry, not again," the individual behind the cart moaned. She was a young woman around Brock's own age, with medium length purple hair bound in a tight bun. Her name was Marci and she was, like Brock, an intern here at St. James' Pokémon Hospital; unlike Brock she was a student at the school attached to the hospital. Brock liked her; she had a sparkling personality and was a good worker. Unfortunately she was also quite clumsy, not a good trait for an aspiring Pokémon Doctor to have.

"No need to worry Marci, no harm done," Brock smiled reassuringly. "Just be more attentive next time. I don't have eyes in the back of my head."

"Right," she responded, scratching her head. "I was just a bit distracted…you'll never guess who just paid us a visit! In fact," she smiled, clapping her hands excitedly, "I have her Pokémon right here." At this she motioned down to the cart she was pushing. On top of it was a tray containing three Pokeballs.

"Well, other than that it was a woman, I honestly have no idea."

"Wait how did you know that?"

Brock laughed. "Well you did say 'her Pokémon.'"

"Oh, right. Well, come on and guess!"

"Uh, Diantha?"

"Are you kidding Brock, she's hardly ever in Lumiose City, she's too busy shooting movies or championing."

"'Championing?'" Brock's tone was playful.

"You know what I mean," she jested back, swatting his arm playfully as she did so. "Come on, guess."

Brock shrugged. "No idea."

"Oh come on Brock, it's been all over the news and the gossip pages the past few days. She was just on the cover of Fashion Weekly."

"Uh, when do we have time to pay attention to that kind of stuff? And, even if we did have time, reading about celebrities wouldn't be how I'd use it."

"I forgot, Mr. Pokémon Breeder and Gym Leader has a completely one-track mind."

"That's two tracks…"

"Whatever," she said, waving her hand in a gesture of dismissal. "Anyways, you should know her! She's a famous battler too and she's even from your home region…Come on, I'm practically giving you the answer!"

Brock shook his head. "No idea. And we really should be getting back to work…"

"Fine, you're right. But for your information these Pokémon belong to the Pike Queen herself!"

"Wait Lucy's here?!" The emotion in Brock's voice was a mixture of surprise and disbelief.

"Uh yeah, I just met her in fact. Wait, you don't know her, do you Brock?" While Marci doubted it, there had been something in his voice and expression that was a bit out of the ordinary.

Brock's expression was unreadable. Finally, he let loose a sigh and smiled. "Yeah, we've met, though it was a while back. See my traveling buddy at the time challenged her."

"Wow, that sounds so cool! Did your friend win?"

"Yeah, he did." Those were good memories even if, looking back, he was a bit embarrassed by how he acted. If she did remember him at all it probably was not flattering. Still, it would be good to see her again.

"Wow, that's great! I hear she's tough to beat. I know she was supposed to face Gerrad today but I totally forgot to ask her if she won or not…guess I was too nervous at meeting someone famous!"

"Hey Marci, can you do me a big favor? Can you let me take care of fixing up her Pokémon and returning them to her? I'd owe you big time!"

Marci paused, considering Brock's request. While she had been looking forward to taking care of this, Brock had been very helpful over the past few weeks. Unlike a few of the other interns, he had never given her a hard time about being clumsy despite the fact he had been the one to suffer the most from her slip-ups. Smiling, she said "Sure Brock, just as long as you let me know how your reunion goes."

Brock laughed. "Sure thing Marci. And thanks."

"No problem. Oh, but you should know, she said she was going sightseeing for a few hours so she won't be back anytime soon."

"Oh," Brock responded, a bit disappointed at this news. Still, Lucy would be back eventually. This gave him plenty of time to take good care of her Pokémon…in addition to the hundred other things he needed to get done. "Well, then I'll have more than enough time to make sure they're all alright. Thanks again Marci!"

"No worries Brock," she smiled, stepping back from the cart so Brock could take over. "Besides, it's not like there's not plenty more to do."

After sharing a laugh at this, the two went their separate ways, minds once again focused on the never-ending work of a Pokémon hospital.

As Lucy rounded the street corner and caught sight of the Pokémon hospital once more, she could not help but let out a sigh of contentment. While she had immensely enjoyed the few exhibition battles she had taken part in today, their intensity only added to the mental and physical exhaustion that came from her modeling duties. These past few hours had been a true respite, allowing her to lose herself in the cobbled streets and magnificent sites of Lumiose City. Truly this city deserved its reputation as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. And to cap off the evening in style she would be visiting one of the Kalos region's most famous restaurants. The thought of it was quite appealing; she had always enjoyed a good meal even if she was a bit hopeless in the kitchen herself.

With visions of fine cuisine dancing through her head, she smiled and made the turn into the hospital complex. Stopping and glancing at the well-sculpted bronze statue of the hospital's patron saint, she took a moment to breathe in the fresh Kalosian air. Letting out her breath, she resumed her determined pace forward and walked into the hospital. Catching sight of the elevators in the far corner, she turned and made her way there, walking at a brisk pace. She had cut her timing a bit close and could not afford the delay that would come with being recognized, especially not in a room as crowded as a large hospital's main lobby. Fortunately she went unnoticed and was able to enter an empty elevator, pressing the button for the correct floor and then the close door button immediately after.

After a few moments she arrived at her destination and strode out the elevator's open doors. Ahead of her was a small lobby with the reception desk, the very place where she had dropped her Pokémon off earlier. While there were a few people sitting around, trainers who evidently elected to wait here while their Pokémon were being healed, there was no line. Smiling inwardly at her good fortune, she moved quickly to the front desk. The receptionist there caught site of her and smiled, a smile Lucy returned. The middle-aged woman had been personable if a bit blunt earlier; Lucy had like her immediately, as such candor was a refreshing change from most of the people she had interacted with over the past few days. The reaction of the young doctor that had collected her Pokémon had been less so; although she generally liked interacting with fans, the young woman had hardly been able to stammer out more than a few words before beating a hasty retreat. It had been a bit awkward to say the least.

"Welcome back Lucy. I hope you had a nice time exploring," the receptionist said.

"I did. Your city truly lives up to its reputation. I hope I will be able to say the same of Restaurant Le Wow."

"Well, I've never eaten there myself, but my older brother did once and he couldn't stop raving about it…though that doesn't mean a thing," she chuckled. "He never has had good taste …food, clothes, women, you name it."

"I see," said Lucy a bit impatiently. "How are my Pokémon doing?"

"Oh they're fine love, let me call one of those handsome young doctors to come bring them out for you." With that the receptionist picked up the phone and dialed a few numbers. Once done, she spoke into the phone. "The Pike Queen is here to pick up her Pokémon." Pausing for a moment, she then continued. "Okay, I'll tell her." With that she hung up and turned back to Lucy. "He'll be right out with your Pokémon."

"Thanks."

"No problem, it'll just be a moment. That boy sounded as excited a kid on Christmas so I'll bet you it won't be long at all."

Her words quickly proved correct as it was hardly more than a half minute later before the door to the treatment area opened and out came a cart with three Pokeballs on it. Pushing the cart from behind was a young man wearing a white lab coat and a forest green shirt. When Lucy's eyes fell upon his her heart quickened. "No, it couldn't be…" But it was. Slowly but steadily Brock Harrison moved across the lobby and back into her life.

Stopping the cart just in front of Lucy, Brock let out a breath and turned to look directly the entrancing vision of beauty standing before him. She was, of course, as attractive as ever, wearing her signature purple and black colors, though it clearly was a different outfit. Her jet black hair was still quite long, though it lacked the red highlights that she had favored when last they had met. Fortunately he had grown a fair bit since then, though he was still a few inches shorter than her. Willing himself to be calm, he cleared his throat audibly and then spoke. "Your Pokémon are all better and feeling just fine."

"Thank you Brock," she stuttered. It was, she realized, the first time she had spoken him directly.

"Wow, so you remember me," Brock said, relief evident in his voice.

"Of course I remember you…you left quite the impression."

Brock chuckled nervously. "Uh, about that…"

Seeing that he was looking a bit abashed, Lucy plowed forward. "What I mean is, you were hard to forget…in a good way."

"Really?" Brock was genuinely surprised at this. After all, Lucy was an accomplished battler and incredibly attractive. Certainly she must have faced many challengers since Ash, not to mention she probably had men hitting on her all the time. He figured if she remembered him at all it would be as another one in a long list of guys that made a pass and were shot down…not that he had even had the chance to actually get shot down; Max had seen to that.

"Of course. Few are bold enough to be so direct with me…but what really impressed me was you rooting for both me and Ash during our battle. That and how caring you were with your Bonsly."

"Uh, thanks. What are you doing here in Kalos though? I mean, we're quite a long way from the Battle Pike."

"I could ask you the same thing," she smiled, a faint blush on her cheeks. "I mean, I remember overhearing something about you being a Pokémon Breeder, so to find you as a doctor here in Kalos…it's the last thing I expected."

Brock laughed gently. "Yeah, me too. Truth is after Ash won the Battle Frontier I traveled with him through the Sinnoh Region."

"Yes, I managed to catch some of his battles in the Sinnoh League. His last two were quite remarkable." Ash had left a strong impression on Lucy as well, albeit in a different way than Brock; apart from Anabel, in all her time as a Frontier Brain she had never been bested by one so young. She had kept an eye on his career ever since, though it had been some time since she had last checked up on him.

Brock nodded. "His performance there was really was something. But after all that traveling, I actually realized that what I really wanted to do was help hurt Pokémon get well again. So I enrolled in Pokémon Medical school in Saffron City. I'm actually just here in Kalos for a three-month rotation in the hospital, then it's back to Kanto. And you?"

"Well," she started, "it's actually kind of embarrassing. A few months after we met my sister got into designing clothes and decided that she needed me to model them. That's why I'm here; Barbara wanted to expand, and where better than Kalos?"

"Yeah, that's true. But what's embarrassing about that?"

At this Lucy pursed her lips and her face took on a look of frustration. "Honestly I hate modeling. I don't like all that attention."

"Really?" Brock was surprised to say the least; girls, especially pretty girls, usually loved to try on clothes and show off.

She nodded. "Really. With battling it's different; the focus is much more on the skill of the trainer and the relationship between trainer and Pokémon. But something about modeling clothes makes me feel uncomfortable. I don't like the feeling of so many people staring at me."

"Come on Lucy, a woman that looks as gorgeous as you has nothing to worry about…" At this Brock trailed off, realizing what he'd just said. Here he was trying to be a gentleman and not come on too strong like he always did. "That lasted like, what, a minute," he silently castigated himself. Aloud he said. "I mean…"

Lucy however was blushing intensely. "Wow, thanks Brock. That's very flattering."

"Really?" At this Brock was flabbergasted. It must have showed on his face because Lucy responded before he could think of anything else to say.

"Yes. Actually I was quite flattered back when we first met. I rarely have cute and confident guys approach me…and when they do, they're usually jerks." At this an unpleasant look crossed her face briefly before brightening. "But I could tell right away that you weren't like that at all."

"Wow, I uh honestly had no idea," he murmured. "I was sure that if you remembered me at all it would be as some creepy stalker who went way over the top."

"Well you did come on a bit too strong. I honestly had no idea how to respond. Then you left."

At this Brock chuckled sheepishly. "If I had known how you really felt I probably would have stayed."

At this Lucy's blush returned, so much so she put a hand to her to her face, half hiding behind it. After letting out a breath she dropped her hand and returned her gaze to Brock. "But then you wouldn't have continued your journey and found your calling."

"True," said Brock, "and I'm glad I did find it. But I'm here now."

"Yes you are."

At this they stared into one another's eyes, lost in each other's gaze for a moment. Neither was quite willing to break the moment.

"Hey you two, hate to interrupt," interjected the receptionist, "but we've got a lot more Pokémon that need work Brock. So either get her number or get going!"

At this Brock and Lucy glanced at the receptionist and then back at one another, suddenly cognizant of the very public setting. Both of them were blushing in embarrassment, with Lucy looking bashful and Brock looking goofy. Lucy regained her senses a bit more quickly and cut straight to the chase. "When do you get off work?"

"Well, if I'm lucky, seven."

"Barbara made reservations at Restaurant Le Wow for me and her at seven. But if you could somehow meet me at my hotel at quarter to…" At this she suddenly paused, mind finally catching up with what her mouth was saying. Her nerves suddenly kicked in and she found herself unable to continue.

"Wait, are you asking me out on a date?" Brock was a bit shocked to say the least. Even though the past few minutes had went far better than he could have ever hoped or imagined, an actual date was something else entirely.

"Well," she said, "no." Before Brock could react with disappointment, she pushed on. "I'm hoping that you'll ask me on one."

"Wow…of course! I mean," and at this his voice talk on a suave tone that was so over the top that it bordered on ridiculous, "Dearest Lucy, will you do me the supremely great honor of accompanying me to dinner tonight?"

While it was definitely a bit much, Lucy could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. "I'd love to," she breathed.

"Great!" Brock smiled at first, giddy with shock shock. But as reality set in, he quickly frowned. "Uh, I should say that getting off in time might be a bit of a problem. Plus I don't think I can manage something quite as nice as Restaurant Le Wow on such short notice."

Lucy smiled. "I'm sure you'll find a way to get off. As for dinner, don't worry; once I tell Barbara I've got a date she'll let us have those reservations."

"Cool," Brock said aloud. Inwardly he was a bit worried though; Restaurant Le Wow was known as much for its high prices as its good food. "Are you sure though? I won't have nearly enough time to get changed into something classy enough for that place."

"You leave that to me," she said, determination in her voice. After managing to make it this far she wasn't about to let a silly thing like a dress code get in the way. "Just meet me in the lobby of Hotel Richissime at quarter to seven."

"Okay Lucy," Brock said. Here he was finally about to go on a date with a beautiful woman and he was worrying about money. Shaking his head mentally, he let his enthusiasm come out. "Sounds great! See you in a bit."

Lucy smiled. "Looking forward to it."

"Me too," Brock said. Both smiled shyly. Then, after retrieving her Pokeballs from the tray, Lucy gave a little wave and turned around, heading for the elevators.

Brock stared off after her until the receptionist's loud voice broke the spell. "Well congratulations Brock. Now you better get your fanny back to work...you'll have to if you hope to make that date."

Brock chuckled. "Yes Clarice," he responded, giving the receptionist a smile. Gripping the cart, he turned and wheeled it back into the treatment area. He quickly realized that there was only one way he was going to be able to pull this off: Marci. After returning the cart, he went in search of the purple-haired intern. After a brief search he found her treating an injured Fletchinder. Smiling, he opened the door to the treatment room.

"Hey Brock, come to help me with this," she asked cheerily.

"Actually, I came to ask for another favor, and this time it is a pretty big one."

"Really? I never would have guessed," she replied, a hint of playful sarcasm in her voice.

"Look, you remember how I said I knew Lucy…"

"Yes, and you promised details."

"Well I've got no time to go into it all now, but I've got a dinner date with her at Restaurant Le Wow."

"Wow!" Marci was floored by this news. "Or should I say 'Le Wow.'"

Brock laughed; he'd always had a bit of a corny sense of humor.

"Seriously though, you asked the Pike Queen out to dinner and she said yes?!" At Brock's nod, she continued. "But she doesn't go out with anyone. Ever. People even call her the Ice…"

"Don't," Brock responded, a note of anger clear in his voice.

"Alright alright," she said, waving her hands. "You know I didn't mean anything by it. So when is this big date?"

"Tonight at seven."

"When you said big favor you weren't kidding," she chuckled.

"Exactly. So, how about it? I promise to let you know all the juicy details and name our first daughter after you."

"Ha, not good enough. Get me and my boyfriend reservations there as well and we'll call it even."

"Deal," Brock said, hoping that Lucy would somehow be able to pull some strings.

"Alright, though I doubt you'll be able to get in with that outfit."

"Lucy said not to worry about it," Brock replied, trying to sound confident.

"Well, I guess if you're a Queen you can get things done. Now all you have to do is worry about footing the bill on the pittance they pay us."

Brock chuckled nervously, the worries from earlier returning. "Looks like I'll be eating ramen for the next year or so."

"Yeah well knowing you, you'd find some way to make it taste awesome." One night a few weeks ago Brock had cooked dinner in the dorm's communal kitchen for all the interns fortunate enough to be off that night. Everyone was still begging for a repeat.

"True, although if it goes well this may not be the only dinner in my future."

"That's right, you're both from Kanto," a smile spreading across her face. "Wow, you two might actually work out."

"Hope so. So, we've got a deal?" At this he held out his hand.

"Alright, deal" she said, grasping his hand and shaking it. "And remember, I better get to hear all the details. And make sure those reservations are for after this rotation is over. I want to be able to enjoy it without having to worry about going to work the next day."

"You've got it," Brock nodded, not dwelling on the fact that he would have to be back at work early tomorrow.

"Alright, well let me know what needs doing and I'll take care of it."

Smiling, Brock began to explain everything that needed to get done before leaving. It was quite a bit, so much that Marci started to regret agreeing to Brock's request. But, as she watched Brock walk off, she reminded herself of how much help he had been over the past few weeks; if anyone deserved this he did. Besides, she was getting something out of this. Still, that did not mean that she was looking forward to the rest of her shift. Sighing, she turned and resumed her rounds, mentally preparing herself for a long night.

This story will consist of four chapters, the first two of which are longer than the last two, for a total of just over 20k words. They are all written and merely require some polishing. I will try to have the next one up in about week's time and the last two a week after that.