Here is the first spinoff set in my Heart Series universe, hence the word heart in the story's title. This isn't a pure spinoff story, there is one for another character that I may write after all of this is done but as it will tell a tale that runs parallel to 'Dreams Come From the Heart' it will have to wait as I just can't produce it yet. However, this is going to be similar to the 'Supplements for the Heart' collection in the sense that it will be a collection of stories that occur during Dreams and maybe the sequels and released roughly when they would have occurred during Dreams. The difference here is that the story centers around Brock and the key moments for him this year rather than Ash and Dawn who are the focus of the Heart series (it is a pearlshipping series). The events in this collection will be referenced whenever Brock shows up in Dreams, though some will just be in Brock's pov and not mentioned until the right moment. As of right now there are only 7 planned stories but more will of course be possible on request or if I realize they are needed. That is all for now, anything else will be addressed in the post chapter note. Sit back and enjoy the first installment in Luck Strikes the Heart.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Croagunk's Blessing

Brock hummed to himself as he looked around the small country store for what he needed. There wasn't much of a selection here but he didn't expect it given the small village he was in. Part of Brock's training was to be able to go to a store like this and find items that would work in treating sick Pokémon and that is what he was doing.

It had been a few days since Brock had come to the small village near the sea to begin his year in the field training as an aspiring Pokémon Doctor. The village wasn't too far from Fuchsia City and there was a Pokémon Center nearby where he helped out whenever he could so as to further his education. It was a nice place and one he had been too before back when he had been traveling Kanto with Ash, May and Max a couple years ago.

The doctor that Brock was learning under had been living in this area for years, treating many Pokémon over that time. Over that period he had become an expert in dealing with poisoning, likely due to the proximity of the poison type gym near Fuchsia City, and the sea that had plenty of Tentacool and Tentacruel in it. Brock was eager to learn under him and further his journey to become a Pokémon Doctor. He hoped his other friends were furthering their own dreams.

He had spoken with Ash, his closest friend, via email when he gotten settled to find out where Ash was in his own journey to become a Pokémon Master after his recent birthday party. Well that and the fact that Ash was currently at Brock's home in Pewter City preparing to challenge Brock's brother Forrest, the Gym Leader there, to a full 6-on-6 battle. Brock naturally had to be neutral but he was happy to see that Ash was doing great as Ash was not on his usual journey.

Usually Ash would go to some new region he'd heard about, in the past often with Brock by his side, with just Pikachu and challenge the gyms and league there. This time it had changed. Ash was taking a year off the usual pattern and was instead focused on entering the Indigo Conference again. He was eligible to do so as he had 8 Kanto badges so he was training in Kanto in order to get stronger.

In order to do so, Ash had issued a formal challenge to all 8 gym leaders to a rematch of sorts. Rather than a standard match though, Ash was going to face each of them in a 6-on-6 full battle to test his metal against their types and skills while training his own Pokémon in the process. Pewter City was his first stop on this journey as it had been back when Brock had first met the raven-haired trainer.

Forrest had naturally accepted the challenge as soon as it had been offered and was looking forward to the battle against Ash. He had been the second to confirm as Misty, their close friend and the leader of the Cerulean City Gym, had accepted first. She did have the advantage of accepting while they were all in Pallet Town having just celebrated Ash's recent 17th birthday.

That was a battle Brock wished he could see given Ash and Misty's history, it was going to be epic. Instead he would have to wait for Ash to reach Fuchsia City and challenge the gym here to see his best friend in action again.

Brock also knew that there was more to Ash's decision not to run off to a new region, almost certainly Kalos or Galar as Brock knew those regions had gyms, was motivated by something more than just training to reenter the Indigo Conference. It was a reason that made Brock happy for his friend but also jealous because it was a department that Brock had no luck in. Love.

Dawn, Ash's girlfriend, something Brock still marveled at given Ash's denseness around women, and a close friend of his after he and Ash met and traveled with her in Sinnoh, was a coordinator and those regions did not have contests as far as Brock knew. Ash had decided to stay in Kanto so that Dawn could compete on the Kanto Contest Circuit and Ash could show her his home region at the same time.

It was a noble thing to do and Brock felt that Ash taking the year off would help him immensely. He had done it before when he had challenged and eventually beaten the Kanto Battle Frontier. Afterwards Ash had gone to Sinnoh and placed in the top 4 there, the farthest he'd ever gotten. Brock felt that this would give Ash the expertise he needed to finally win a conference and what better conference to win then the one in his home region.

Brock did know that Ash and Dawn were going to leave Kanto once in the year and travel to Hoenn to attend and compete in the Wallace Cup. It was a prestigious contest that was hosted in a different region each year but who's ribbon counted in any circuit. Dawn was the 2-time defending champion having beaten their friend and Hoenn traveling companion May both times so it was only natural for her to want to compete in it again. Ash was going for practice and support while Dawn intended to make it three wins in a row.

What added to the excitement of the Wallace Cup this year was that it was being held in Petalburg City, a place that just so happened to be May's hometown. Brock wanted to go and watch them in it but he knew that he wouldn't have the time to do so but promised to watch it on TV as many of his friends would likely be competing in it. It was going to be an interesting part of Ash and Dawn's journey for sure.

Brock hoped that the journey was fruitful for them and he was happy for his friends in general. They had found love, something Brock had constantly tried and constantly failed to find and were happy together. Brock hoped that a year in one place would allow him to find that love, provided his Croagunk decided to let him pursue a relationship and not cockblock him with Poison Jabs.

Brock shrugged off the annoyance of his chaperone and went to pay for his items. At least working with a poison specialist he might be able to figure out a way to counter Croagunk's Poison Jab, though his mentor would likely just want to study it rather than help. Thanking the clerk, Brock took the bag of items, including what he needed to make dinner, out of the store and began walking home along the road enjoying the late afternoon sun.

The road was parallel to the sea and the warm Kanto climate felt good with the sea breeze blowing. The smell of salt was in the air and Brock was feeling good. He was following his dream, in a great place with many Pokémon to help, and looking forward to the year. It couldn't get any better. For once Arceus had chosen to smile on Brock for as he was thinking that, it did get better.

A vision of deadly, quiet, perfection met his gaze as he looked down the road. Making her way down the seaside road towards him was a tall, stunning woman clad in black and purple. She wore a short purple halter top that ended just below her voluptuous and perfect breasts and showed off a flat, toned stomach. Her hands and most of her forearms were wrapped in purple wrappings that matched her top. Fashionable purple boots covered by loose black pants held up by a gold belt completed her ensemble.

Then there was her face. Angular and feminine but deadly at the same time she had a striking look that pierced Brock's heart. Completed by the blood red eyes and long jet-black hair that framed her face and cascaded down her back and past her waist. Her hair was accented with red in the two long strands that framed her face and matched her sparkling eyes.

"Pike Queen Lucy!" Brock yelled in joy, hearts in his eyes as he threw he bag away in his excitement. "It really is you!"

The Frontier Brain of the Battle Pike looked up in shock and then went bright red as Brock leapt towards her while his recently purchased supplies spilled all over the road. Brock grabbed her wrapped fingers in both his hands and fell to one knee, looking up at the serpentine Pokémon specialist with love in his eyes.

"I was hoping I would see you again while I was here." Brock said in his huskiest voice. "You beauty has only grown since I last laid eyes on you."

"B, Brock?" Lucy said going even redder as the man she had fallen for at first sight 2 and a half years ago spoke to her. "Is, is that r, really y, you?"

Lucy had honestly never expected to see Brock again. She had thought he would be traveling the world with his friend, that Ash boy who had beaten her, for a while. The fact that he was here was not what she had expected, ever. That didn't stop her heart from racing and her throat from closing as all her feelings for him came flooding back in a rush.

Had it not been for that little kid she may have had a chance with the man who had the most amazing eyes she had ever seen. Lucy was glad she had her hands wrapped because she knew her palms were clammy as he held one of her hands with his.

"Yes it is I Brock." Brock said dramatically. "I can't believe you remember me after all these years."

"I, I, I, never, f, f, forgot you." Lucy stammered out in a very unlike her manner, something only Brock could do to her.

"And I never forgot you my dear." Brock said with a smile, not hearing a strangled yelp and the crash of a body hitting the ground near him. "And now that we are back together again, how about I make up for that long absence by making us a romantic dinner for two tonight under the stars. I am a world class chef and for you I will make a dish worthy of you striking beauty."

"H, h, how?" Lucy said her blush deepening by the moment as Brock complemented her. "A, are you h, here."

"I have found my calling as a Pokémon Doctor." Brock proclaimed showing Lucy how caring he was for Pokémon just as she remembered he was. "I am in training and will be here for the next year so I hope to see a lot of the most stunning, gorgeous, and deadly Frontier Brain in the world."

"A year!" Lucy yelped, he was here for a year, she couldn't believe her luck at having him around for so long.

"Yes, a year for us to become an item to rival the…huh?" Brock said tensing expecting a sudden Poison Jab from Croagunk that should have already hit him but feeling nothing, which was extremely unusual. "I'm still pain free, where is he?"

"What?" Lucy asked concerned when Brock went rigid for no reason and started mumbling nonsense.

"The oddest thing." Brock admitted looking behind him and then to the sides, expecting to see the glowing purple fingers of his chaperone but not seeing him anywhere. "Usually by now my Croagunk has stopped me from falling for a woman with a Poison Jab to the ribs, or the sternum, or the gut, or the ass, or if he is really trying to prove a point my boys. But he hasn't yet."

"Um, Croagunk, that is a blue bipedal frog like Pokémon from Sinnoh, right?" Lucy asked, the oddity of what Brock had said temporarily erasing her nerves around her crush. "A poison and fighting type if I recall, a unique typing as far as I know."

"Yes, that is a Croagunk." Brock said returning to his affections for Lucy. "Your knowledge of Pokémon is only surpassed by your unending beauty."

"I, I, I think that he's over there." Lucy said pointing with her free hand, she did not want to let go of Brock's hand at all and blushing again at his compliment. "T, though I, I've never s, seen one so I'm not s, sure."

Brock turned and stared in shock at where Lucy was pointing. Croagunk was about 10 feet away now and staring back at Brock, his cheeks puffing out at a slow pace. At his feet was the twitching form of Barbara, Lucy's number 2 and chief assistant who had joined Max in cockblocking Brock the last time he had seen Lucy. It was clear that she had been hit with a Poison Jab, Brock would know those spasms anywhere seeing as he was an expert in them by now.

"Wha?" Brock asked confused, staring at his friend and Pokémon in utter surprise.

Croagunk just stared back at him and then in his usual steady, calm, pace nodded at Brock and Lucy. He then grabbed Barbara's foot and proceeded to drag her still lightly twitching body away the way he usual did with Brock's.

"That is what Croagunk usually does to you?" Lucy asked confused at the whole thing.

"Almost every time I meet a beautiful girl until now." Brock said turning back to Lucy. "The only time he wouldn't would be when a villain's Toxicroak, Croagunk's evolved form, was around as they were major rivals that hated each other. Otherwise it was always within a minute of meeting a woman."

Lucy blushed even deeper. She knew Pokémon well and while she was not fully rational at the moment in front of her crush, she was more so than Brock. She had a feeling she knew what Croagunk had done. That and the fact that the Toxic Mouth Pokémon had done this to Brock whenever he had met a women except her, unless apparently there was a Toxicroak nearby, made her feel really special.

"I think I get why Croagunk did that." Lucy said looking down at Brock, his Pokémon's actions giving her the courage she needed to talk to him.

"Why?" Brock asked still confused. "I am a great Pokémon breeder and even I never figured out Croagunk's behavior."

This just added to Brock's confusion as the only time Croagunk didn't cockblock him, either by force or threat of it, was when his rival, Saturn's Toxicroak, had been present. That had been an exception though, one that obviously wasn't present now.

"I believe he is giving you his blessing." Lucy said with a smile at the still kneeling Brock.

"His blessing?" Brock asked only getting even more confused. "For what?"

"Us." Lucy replied simply.

"Huh?" Brock said still confused with a headache building that could rival Misty's Psyduck's headaches. "What do you mean?"

"I mean." Lucy said getting to one knee so that she was at eye level with Brock to look into his beautiful eyes and cup his cheek with her free hand. "That Croagunk didn't stop you because I would love to have a romantic dinner for two with you under the stars tonight."

He's done it! Brock has finally landed a date! This was teased as a possibility, at least the meeting, in Part XI of the main Heart Series (located in Home Is Where the Heart Is) but this confirms it. I went with luckshipping for Brock because I felt that it was one of the more believable ones as Lucy liked Brock as well and she's in Kanto (plus I like Lucy as a character). It is also why I chose the title I did to play in the ship and the name of my Pokemon series's name which wasn't easy to do but I managed it. Most of the parts in this series will focus on Brock and Lucy at key moments over the year, explain a little backstory when needed, and will include the appearance of at least one character from the anime and another from some of the games who will also appear in Dreams in a fun part that is more included as it will have some relation to Dreams. Anyway that is all for now, the next one should be up in a few weeks when it would have occurred in the main series timeline. As always please favorite, follow, and review and don't forget to follow me for more great content. Until next time.

Stringdog