There was no reason. No offense.
"Public Enemy of Sinnoh!"
Ash blinked, really puzzled.
"Brock… are you sure? Sam just helped escape from those Stantlers."
"Yeah…" Dawn interrupted, scowling thoughtfully.
"He doesn't look like a bad guy."
Sam remained calm and unruffled, his friendly smile as consistent as ever.
"Even his Lucario is so polite," she went on, eyeing the steel-blue Pokémon by his side.
Brock, though, stood firm.
"No mistake!"
"Although I've never t the man in person, the na Samuel Lockwood is already legendary in our circles!"
He waved the notepad around like a sacred scroll, his voice changing to operatic drama.
"Samuel Lockwood of Celestic Town, Sinnoh Region, age 20, good-looking!"
"Now a Professor at Celestic Laboratory!"
"A celebrated historian, known for interpreting ancient texts from several regions!"
"He has helped Professors from Hoenn, Unova, and even Kalos decipher relics of the ancient world!"
"His historical knowledge is said to be comparable to Professor Oak's knowledge of Pokémon biology!"
Ash and Dawn both stared at one another, faces crinkling up in confusion.
"That sounds incredible," Ash said, rubbing his head.
"Isn't that a positive thing?"
"Yeah," Dawn added, her brow furrowing.
"That doesn't sound very villainous at all…"
"So where's the public enemy part?"
Ash narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Did he join so secret evil organization? Like Team Rocket?"
"Or commit nefarious acts with historic artifacts?"
"No!!!"
Brock suddenly yelled, gripping his notebook as if it contained his shattered hopes.
He hung his head low, his spiky hair casting a shadow over his eyes.
"So it's true," he murmured.
"Even a man like that…"
Ash and Dawn backed away hesitantly.
"Brock?"
Then,
A shining tear streaked down Brock's cheek.
He tilted his head to the skies and spoke in a low, hushed voice as if addressing destiny itself:
"Sam has another identity…"
"Besides being a genius scholar…"
"He is…"
"The official fiancé of Miss Cynthia, the goddess of the Sinnoh Region!"
There was a pause that felt like an eternity.
Sam's smile spasd.
Ash blinked.
"That's it?" Dawn asked.
Brock's eyes were glassy with feeling as he went on:
"That's why he's known as the Public Enemy of Sinnoh."
"The enemy of all the n in this region…"
"No, the public enemy of the whole Pokémon world!"
Sam: "."
Ash: "."
Dawn: "."
Even Pikachu facepawed.
The forest grew quiet.
A lone leaf fell from one of the nearby trees, spinning slowly as it hit the ground.
"So, this is about love?" Dawn grumbled.
Ash cocked his head.
"I still don't get it."
Brock fell to his knees.
"Why… why couldn't it be ?"
Sam stared at Lucario, who shrugged in bewildernt.
"Now do you get why I try to stay low-key?" Sam sighed.
The first to shatter the awkward silence was Pikachu, which blinked from Ash's shoulder and cocked its head.
"Pika?"
It couldn't fathom why everyone had fallen silent all of a sudden.
Dawn, born and bred in Sinnoh, of course knew Cynthia, particularly with the frequency she made the TV screens.
Her eyes lingered on Sam, drinking in his polished face and serene aura.
She breathed softly.
"Sam truly is dashing."
"Brilliant, kind, considerate… and even a top-level Trainer."
"With Pokémon like Lucario. It's no wonder Cynthia fell in love with him."
Brock sniffed soundlessly, nodding against his will.
Despite his sorrow, he couldn't help but acknowledge the reality.
He gradually closed his precious notebook, gazing gravely at Sam, whose noble presence glowed like a scholar in ancient days.
"If I were Miss Cynthia," Brock breathed softly, voice heavy with tragic dignity,
"I'd pick Sam, too."
Sam: "."
In the anti, Ash, characteristically, was thinking about sothing entirely different.
His eyes glinted, fists tightening in anticipation.
"So Sam is the champion's fiancée!"
"No wonder you're so powerful!"
And then.
That spark ignited a fla.
Ash's fight spirit burned in his eyes.
He stepped forward, Pikachu bristling on his shoulder.
"Sam!"
"I have a request!"
Sam turned to confront him, his smile gentle but watchful.
He had a good idea what was about to happen.
His eyes flashed briefly to Pikachu's cheek sparks before he ca back to Ash.
"Oh? What is it?"
Ash's eyes burned with determination.
"Let's battle!"
"Pikachu!"
Pikachu leaped off his shoulder in a bright spark, echoing his Trainer's enthusiasm.
At just that mont, a familiar chi resonated in Sam's mind:
[System Notification – Random Task Triggered]
[Task: Accept Ash's challenge and beat him.]
[Reward: Aura]
[Failure Penalty: None]
[Aura Effects: Perception: Sense surrounding lifeforms, terrain, and concealed dangers.
Communication: Connect directly with a Pokémon's mind and feelings.
Manipulation: Construct barriers, pulses, or offensive bursts from aura.]
[Effects will adjust with total Aura gathered.]
[Accept task?]
Sam smiled slightly in his head.
'Of course I accept.'
[Task Accepted.]
Back in real life, he refocused his attention on Ash.
"Alright."
"I accept your challenge."
Ash smiled broadly.
"Avee!! Let's go, Pikachu!!"
"Pika-chuuu!!"
Dawn and Brock took a few steps back hastily, making space for them.
"I didn't expect to see a battle right after the forest drama," Dawn murmured.
"But it's Ash. Of course, he'd challenge a strong Trainer the mont he t one," Brock added, folding his arms.
Sam reached down and calmly patted Lucario's shoulder.
"Luca."
Lucario took a step forward, battle-ready, his silver-blue eyes locking onto Pikachu.
"Luka~!"
The atmosphere changed in an instant.
Ash's smile didn't fade. He grabbed a Poké Ball just in case.
"Let's battle, pls!"
"Sure," Sam agreed.
In the clearing, energy built up like electricity in the air.
It was a friendly battle…
But the opposing Pokémon were all business.
Lucario, the newly risen Champion-class warrior.
The fight of an up-and-coming scholar…
And the next Champion…
It was about to get underway.
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