"I'm sorry, Brock, but I can't go out with you!" Nurse Joy said, for what 
felt like the millionth time that day.

"Awww!" Brock groaned. Joy sighed. Here it was again. The tragic look of a 
rejected teenager. She hated seeing him look like that.

"Please don't take it personally," she said. She really did feel bad about 
rejecting him so much. 'He's a nice kid,' she thought, 'but that's why I 
have to keep saying no. He's only 16! I know 16 and 21 isn't THAT big of 
an age difference, but...'

"Sorry, Brock," Ash said, patting him on the shoulder.

"I kinda thought she would say yes this time," Misty added. Gary just 
smiled smympathetically. Brock sighed.

"Thanks for the sympathy, but it isn't helping," he said, then turned back 
to Joy. "Nurse Joy, why do you keep turning me down every time I ask you 
out? I-I know I was always flirting with your sisters and cousins and all, 
but I've settled down in the last year or so! Really, I have!" This was 
true, in a way. Brock didn't have as much of a penchant for flirting with 
every Joy and Jenny in every city as he had a year ago. But he was "still 
a long way from being a reformed flirt", according to Ash, Misty, and 
Gary.

"Because..." Joy began, then paused. 'No, I can't tell him it's because of 
his age. He'd think I saw him as some stupid kid,' she thought. "I..." She 
was still trying to figure out what to say when Officer Jenny approached.

"Cause we're dating," she said, slinging an arm around the nurse's 
shoulders. Joy squeaked.

"Ah! Y-yeah, that's why! I...I'm dating Officer Jenny!" she said quickly.

With a stunned yelp, Brock fell over, eyes swirling.

"Y-you mean...y-y-you...a-and-and her...?!" Brock stuttered when he 
finally regained some sort of composure. "Since when...?!"

"For a week. We work together so often, how could I not be attracted to 
her?" Jenny said, winking. Joy blushed.

"Yeah! Besides, we've known each other for years now, so it made sense," 
she giggled. Ash, Misty and Gary lay in a surprised heap on the ground.

"Somehow I'm not all that surprised by this," Misty muttered.

"So...that's why you wouldn't go out with me?" Brock asked.

"Yeah...I'm sorry, I guess I should've said something, but I got nervous," 
Joy said. "Sorry..." Brock smiled a little.

"Hey, if anyone should be sorry, it's me! If I'd known you were...with 
her, I'd have backed off long ago!" Brock said, a bit nervously. Jenny 
shrugged.

"It's not like she was being very obvious, though. So it's nothing," she 
said. Joy nodded, then walked out of the room, returning a moment later 
with a pokeball in her hands.

"Ash, Chikorita's just fine now," she said. Ash quickly got up and walked 
over to Joy.

"Thank you!" he said. The pokeball opened and Chikorita jumped out into 
Ash's arms.

"It was only a minor scratch, but keep a close eye on her the rest of the 
day," Joy cautioned. Ash nodded and stroked Chikorita's leaves.

"I think she and the others need a rest from battling," he said. "Come on, 
guys. Let's go find somewhere to set up camp." Misty and Gary nodded and 
gathered their stuff.

"Yeah, we better go before it gets dark," Brock said, hoisting his 
backpack higher onto his shoulders.

"Bye!" Joy and Jenny waved after them. After they'd left, Joy started 
giggling uncontrollably.