Read up to 15 more chapters on my Pa_____tr___on at Pikatl.
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Early the next morning, Sam arrived at the Pokémon Center at the agreed time to meet up with Ash and the others.
But there was no sign of them.
He figured they must not have slept well—understandable, considering the nightmares that had been plaguing the island.
They probably spent most of the night tossing and turning.
Sam wasn't worried. It gave him a moment to rest.
Just as he leaned back on the lobby sofa, the phone on his waist buzzed.
It was a video call—Cynthia.
He answered, and her face filled the screen—worried, anxious, eyes scanning him over even through the camera.
"Sam, are you okay?!"
"I'm fine. Really," he replied, offering a calm smile, trying to ease her nerves.
"Are you sure? Stand up—turn around. Let me see."
Sam sighed and humored her, slowly turning in place in front of the screen, as if being inspected by airport security.
Only when she'd looked him up and down did Cynthia let out a long breath.
"Honestly, you scared me to death! I received a report early this morning, stating that there was a massive battle on Mine Island. And that someone subdued a berserk Darkrai!"
She stared directly into the camera.
"…Was that you?"
Sam nodded with a casual smile.
"Yep."
"…What?! You… You subdued Darkrai?!"
"That's right. I did."
"You're serious?!" Cynthia's eyes widened. Her voice raised a pitch.
"Incredible," she muttered.
"You caught… Darkrai…"
Sam chuckled. "There's people here. I'll show you later when we meet."
Cynthia stared at him through the screen, stunned into silence.
He could guess what was running through her mind.
After all, she knew him well. To her knowledge, his only main battle Pokémon was a Gym-level Lucario.
And Darkrai wasn't just strong—it was a mythical Pokémon.
At a minimum, it started at the Elite level.
"Sam… how did you—?"
He interrupted with a light tone, half-joking.
"You're the Sinnoh Champion. As your future husband, how could I let myself fall behind?"
That made her laugh. Nose scrunching, cheeks puffed slightly.
Cute and full of affection.
"Hehe~ you are something."
She stared at him again for a few seconds, then tilted her head slightly. Her expression shifted.
"Sam…"
"…Hmm?"
"You look… different."
Sam raised a brow.
"Different how?"
"I don't know… It's like… You got more handsome?"
She looked frustrated, trying to find the words.
"…Yeah! That's it! You're more handsome now!"
Sam laughed.
"Oh? So you're saying I wasn't handsome before?"
Cynthia's expression turned playful, eyes narrowing.
"Hate~ You know I don't mean that."
"My Sam has always been the most handsome!"
Sam just smiled, warmth flickering in his chest.
He didn't tell her everything yet—like the system, or the powers he'd awakened.
Not here. Not over a call.
But he would. Eventually.
For now, her voice was enough.
The world may have changed.
He might not be from this one.
But some things—
Like the bond they shared—
Were real.
And in this world full of legends and power, that was more than enough.
While Sam was still chatting with Cynthia, three familiar figures emerged from the Pokémon Center's accommodation wing.
"Ash! Brock! Hurry up!"
Dawn's gentle yet urging voice echoed down the hallway.
"We're already late. It's not good to keep big brother Sam waiting."
Ash yawned hard, rubbing his eyes, still groggy.
"Yeah… I barely slept. I kept thinking I'd get pulled into some nightmare."
"Pika…"
Pikachu, on his shoulder, slumped along with him, clearly no better off.
"I fell asleep a few times during the trip," Brock admitted with a tired sigh.
"But man, the dreams I had… terrifying!"
He shuddered.
"I dreamed that Elesa, Nessa, Roxie—and even Diantha—turned into ghosts chasing me through a dark gym."
Ash side-eyed him.
"You've got issues."
"Focus!" Dawn pointed ahead.
"Look—Sam is already waiting."
They all looked toward the corner of the Pokémon Center lounge where Sam sat calmly, speaking into his Phone.
His tone was soft, the corner of his mouth upturned in a rare smile.
His back was to them, but even from here, they could tell he was talking to someone important.
"Big brother Sam!" Dawn called as they approached.
"Sorry, we're late!"
"Morning, Sam!" Brock chimed in.
"Brother Sam~" Ash added cheerfully.
Sam turned at their voices, ending his sentence to Cynthia with a quiet smile.
"They're here."
The screen in his hand tilted slightly, and Cynthia's face came into view.
Brock's eyes went wide.
"Wait… is that—?!"
His whole body stiffened. Then exploded.
"Miss Cynthia!!!"
Ash and Dawn both flinched from his outburst.
Sam scratched his cheek, chuckling.
"They're some friends I met while traveling. I told you about them."
Cynthia smiled politely through the screen.
"Hello, everyone."
"Hi, Cynthia-sister!" Dawn waved cheerfully.
"Hello, Champion Cynthia!" Ash greeted, standing a little straighter.
But Brock…
Brock didn't say a word.
He stared at the screen like he was calculating something.
Then, abruptly, he turned, grabbing Ash and Dawn by the shoulders.
"Let's go," Brock said with a forced grin.
"Sam and Miss Cynthia clearly have something important to talk about. We shouldn't interrupt!"
"Also—we haven't had breakfast yet!"
Without giving either of them time to react, he dragged them off down the hallway.
As they walked away, Brock turned his head and shot Sam a wink, mouthing something with exaggerated lips:
"Sam—autographed photo of Diantha. Please!"
Sam blinked, stunned. Then sighed.
Sam stayed on the video call, watching Cynthia's face appear on-screen, framed by soft hotel lighting, her long blonde hair cascading over one shoulder.
"…Hey, uh. Cynthia?"
"Hm?" she said warmly, sipping from a mug.
"Hey, uh… I was wondering. Could you… maybe… get me an autographed photo of Diantha?"
There was silence.
The kind of silence that hits so hard, even the video call's background noise seemed to die.
Cynthia's eyes slowly lifted from her mug.
She didn't say anything for a full five seconds.
Then her voice came, low and dangerous.
"…What did you just ask me?"
Sam's posture stiffened.
"I mean—it's not a huge deal, I just thought—"
Her head tilted slightly, her eyes narrowing like a blade.
"You want me," she said, voice tense, "to go to her and ask for her autograph. For you."