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There was no cause. No crime.
Only the sudden declaration—
"Public Enemy of Sinnoh!"
Ash blinked, genuinely confused.
"Brock… are you sure? Brother Sam just helped me escape from those Stantlers."
"Yeah…" Dawn chimed in, frowning thoughtfully.
"He doesn't seem like a bad guy at all."
Sam stood there, calm and composed, his gentle smile as steady as ever.
"He even introduced his Lucario so politely," she added, glancing at the steel-blue Pokémon beside him.
Brock, however, remained adamant.
"No mistake!"
"Even though I've never met him in person, the name Samuel Lockwood is already famous in our circles!"
He waved the notepad like a divine manuscript, his tone shifting to dramatic narration.
"Samuel Lockwood from Celestic Town, Sinnoh Region—age 20, handsome!"
"Currently affiliated with the Celestic Laboratory!"
"A renowned history researcher, famous for deciphering ancient texts across multiple regions!"
"He has aided Professors from Hoenn, Unova, and even Kalos in decoding relics from the ancient world!"
"In fact, his knowledge of history is said to rival Professor Oak's expertise in Pokémon biology!"
Ash and Dawn both looked at each other, faces scrunching up in confusion.
"…That sounds amazing," Ash said, rubbing his head.
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"Yeah," Dawn added, her brow twitching.
"That doesn't sound like a villain at all…"
"So where's the public enemy part?"
Ash squinted suspiciously.
"Did he join some secret villain team? Like Team Rocket?"
"Or do bad things with historical artifacts?"
"No!!!" Brock suddenly shouted, clutching his notebook like it held his broken dreams.
He hung his head low, his spiky hair casting a dark shadow over his eyes.
"…So it's true," he muttered.
"Even a man like that…"
Ash and Dawn stepped back cautiously. "…Brock?"
Then—
A shimmering tear traced down Brock's cheek.
Raising his face to the heavens, he whispered as if speaking to destiny itself:
"Sam has another identity…"
"Aside from being a genius scholar…"
"He is…"
"The official fiancé of Miss Cynthia—the goddess of the Sinnoh Region!"
A long, awkward silence followed.
Sam's smile twitched.
Ash blinked.
"…That's it?" Dawn asked.
Brock's eyes were glassy with emotion as he continued:
"That is why he's called the Public Enemy of Sinnoh."
"The enemy of all the men in this region…"
"…No, the public enemy of the entire Pokémon world!"
Sam: "…"
Ash: "…"
Dawn: "…"
Even Pikachu facepawed.
The forest fell silent.
A single leaf drifted down from a nearby tree, twirling gently as it touched the ground.
"…So, this is about love?" Dawn muttered.
Ash tilted his head. "I still don't get it."
Brock collapsed to his knees.
"Why… why couldn't it be me…"
Sam turned to Lucario, who shrugged in confusion.
"…Now do you understand why I try to keep a low profile?" Sam sighed.
The first to break the strange silence was Pikachu, who blinked from Ash's shoulder and tilted its head.
"Pika?"
It didn't understand why everyone had suddenly gone quiet.
Dawn, a native of Sinnoh, was naturally familiar with Cynthia—especially with how often she appeared on TV.
Her gaze lingered on Sam, taking in his refined expression and calm aura.
She sighed softly. "Big brother Sam really is handsome…"
"Smart, kind, gentle… and even a top-tier Trainer…"
"With Pokémon like Lucario under him… It's no wonder Sister Cynthia fell for him."
Brock sniffled quietly, nodding despite himself.
Though heartbroken, he couldn't deny the truth.
He slowly closed his beloved notebook, staring solemnly at Sam, his noble aura shining like a scholar in ancient times.
"…If I were Miss Cynthia," Brock whispered, voice full of tragic dignity,
"I'd choose Sam, too."
Sam: "…"
Meanwhile, Ash—true to form—was focused on something completely different.
His eyes sparkled, fists clenching with excitement.
"So Brother Sam is the champion's fiancé!"
"No wonder you're so strong!"
But then…
That spark lit a fire.
Ash's battle spirit flared in his eyes.
He took a step forward, Pikachu perking up on his shoulder.
"Brother Sam!"
"I have a request!"
Sam turned to face him, his smile soft but alert. He had a good guess what was coming.
His gaze swept briefly to Pikachu's cheek sparks before returning to Ash.
"Oh? What is it?"
Ash's eyes blazed with conviction.
"Let's battle!"
"Pikachu!"
Pikachu jumped from his shoulder with a sharp spark, matching his Trainer's passion.
Just then, a familiar chime echoed in Sam's mind:
[System Notification – Random Task Triggered]
[Task: Accept Ash's challenge and defeat him.]
[Reward: Aura]
[Failure Penalty: None]
[Aura Effects:
Perception: Detect surrounding lifeforms, terrain, and hidden threats.Communication: Link directly with a Pokémon's thoughts and emotions.Manipulation: Create barriers, pulses, or offensive blasts using aura.]
[Effects will scale with total Aura accumulated.]
[Accept task?]
Sam smiled slightly in his mind.
'Of course I accept.'
[Task Accepted.]
Back in reality, he returned his gaze to Ash.
"Alright."
"I accept your challenge."
Ash grinned wide.
"Awesome!! Let's go, Pikachu!"
"Pika-chuuu!!"
Dawn and Brock stepped back quickly, giving them room.
"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 moment he met 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 nodded.
In the clearing, tension gathered like static in the air.
It was a friendly match…
But the Pokémon on both sides were serious.
Lucario, the newly ascended Champion-class fighter.
The battle of a rising scholar…
And the future Champion…
Was about to begin.