Beautifully said, Finwe! Merry and Pippin were extraordinary, even for hobbits, and they complemented each other very well, as was illustrated in TTT when they escaped from the Orcs. Pippin had the initiative and cunning to escape, and Merry the sense to figure out what to do once they had got away! And I agree that Pippin would know instantly what to do if the Ring were to ultimately corrupt Merry. Pippin may be impulsive, but his actions become more and more seasoned by a growing maturity and an uncanny sense of right, as if he were connected with the flow of Ea itself. I think this particular concept was explored a bit in the thread here:
Pippin's Sixth Sense
Indeed, this quality seems to be present in all the hobbits of the Nine Walkers, but I just tend to dwell on it in Pippin, as I am rather partial to him! I'd say, also, that Frodo, with his added insight and observational powers derived from long possession of the Ring and tendency to pay attention to strange happenings (he followed the passage of the Elves long before leaving the Shire), would be the less intuitive in the worldly sense than the others, but more Elvish, walking in both worlds simultaneously. He seems to have a bit of the Elvish temperament, and as such, is fading from the world and his doings and thinkings bear much less connection with his surroundings as the Quest goes on. I have to wonder if this effect would have been so marked on Merry, were he to carry the Ring. He did have a tendency to go off alone and gather information, even (perhaps especially!) in times of great danger. He seems to have the most wilderness sense of any of the hobbits, although Sam's skills are formidable too in a slightly different way. I wonder if Merry would have faded in this way. There are too many facets to consider, methinks! But I do enjoy the conversation! Carry on!
Cheers,
Lyta