Facing Red's earnest request, Sam scratched his head.
"We are about the same age," Sam said awkwardly.
"It feels inappropriate for me to be your 'Teacher'."
Red shook his head, his expression dead serious.
"In the pursuit of strength, age does not matter," Red stated firmly.
"The one who achieves mastery first is the teacher. Your tactics are superior. Your grasp of the opponent's psychology is terrifying. These are things I lack. These are things I need to learn."
"This... this is..."
Sam didn't know how to handle Red's intensity.
Subconsciously, he looked at Cynthia, hoping she would give him an out.
Instead, Cynthia nodded enthusiastically.
Her eyes said: Take him!
The idea of Red, the second-ranked Champion in the world, becoming her fiancé's student?
It was exciting just thinking about it. It gave her an immense ego bump.
Facing Red's persistence and Cynthia's encouragement, Sam had no choice.
"Okay," Sam sighed.
"I accept."
"Teacher!"
Red bowed respectfully, a perfect 90-degree angle.
Red's success reminded Ash, who was standing on the sidelines.
"Sam! I want to be a student too!" Ash shouted, raising his hand.
Originally, Ash had just come to ask for some pointers for the upcoming Lily of the Valley Conference.
But seeing Red bow, he realized he shouldn't miss this bus.
"Ash..." Sam rubbed his temples.
"You too?"
Ash was familiar with Sam, so he didn't have the same stiff restraint as Red. He grinned, leaning in close.
"Sam, come on. We've known each other for so long. You can't say no to me. Although I'm not as strong as Red yet, you said it yourself, I'm a genius in combat! I'll definitely become a Pokémon Master! So, I should be qualified to be your apprentice, right?"
Sam looked at the energetic boy.
"Alright..."
That was all it took. Sam was too lazy to argue.
"Teacher!"
Ash imitated Red's posture and bowed deeply to Sam.
Sam looked at the two of them.
One was the legendary Red, the protagonist of the games.
The other was Ash, the protagonist of the anime.
Both of these iconic figures were now calling him "Teacher."
For a moment, Sam felt a little dazed. Reality felt like a fever dream.
Cynthia, on the other hand, was beaming. Her heart was swelling with pride.
'My Sam is amazing, ' she thought.
If the news gets out that he's teaching both Red and Ash, the entire world will be shocked.
Since Ash needed prep for the League and Red needed special training for the Champions' circuit, the group decided to move in together.
The Ash trio (Ash, Dawn, Brock) and Red stayed at Sam's house for the duration.
This wasn't a problem. Sam and Cynthia's villa was massive, a multi-story mansion that could easily accommodate a football team, let alone a few trainers.
It had a wide courtyard and several professional-grade battlefields designed for high-level training.
On the main field, Cynthia was already sparring with Red.
Her Garchomp was clashing violently with Red's Tyranitar.
Ash watched from the sidelines, his eyes wide, absorbing every detail.
Meanwhile, Sam's Pokémon were following a self-automated training schedule.
Although he had accepted Ash and Red as apprentices, Sam didn't actually do much.
He mostly sat in a lawn chair, offering a comment or two every hour.
While he relaxed, Brock, wearing a frilly pink apron, walked quietly over to Sam.
"Sam," Brock said with an ingratiating smile, handing over a bottle.
"Drink this. It's a special energy blend I prepared just for you."
Sam took the drink and took a sip.
Delicious. Just like in the anime, Brock's cooking skills were god-tier.
Even a simple drink tasted amazing.
"Not bad," Sam praised.
"It tastes great."
"Hehe~" Brock narrowed his eyes happily.
"By the way, Sam, what do you want for lunch later? I'm about to start prep."
Since moving in, Brock had consciously taken over all the housework.
He changed the menu every day, treating Sam and Cynthia to feasts.
At first, Sam felt a little embarrassed, but Brock insisted so strongly that Sam eventually just accepted the luxury.
Sam leaned back, ordering like a regular customer at a Michelin-star restaurant.
"I want braised prawns," Sam listed, counting on his fingers.
"The char-grilled T-bone steak is also good. Oh, and those meat floss rolls you made last time? Make a few more of those. For the staple food... kimbap is fine."
"OK! No problem!"
Brock pulled a small notepad out of his apron pocket and scribbled down the order furiously. He looked exactly like a professional maid.
After recording the requirements, Brock put the pen away.
He looked at Sam, sensing his good mood, and his smile turned even more flattering.
"Sam... actually, there is something I want to ask you..."
"What's up?" Sam looked at him curiously.
"Hmm~!"
Brock, still wearing the pink apron, suddenly blushed.
He looked down, twisting his hands together, shifting his weight from foot to foot.
"Well... it's just that..."
Brock + Pink Apron + Blushing + Bashful Twisting.
The visual impact was devastating.
It was "Spicy Eyes", a sight so cursed it physically hurt to look at.
Seeing Brock act like a shy schoolgirl, Sam's survival instinct kicked in.
He subconsciously took a step back, staring at Brock vigilantly.
"Brock... are you okay? You're scaring me."
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