Sam, Cynthia, and Diantha arrived at the training ground.
As soon as they appeared, Brock, who had been waiting, lit up like a Christmas tree. He rushed over, his face flushed red with excitement.
"M-M-Miss Diantha!" Brock stammered.
"I... I'm your fan! No! I am your biggest fan! We had a video call! Do... do you remember me?"
Diantha smiled, her demeanor generous and graceful.
"Hello, Brock. You are Sam's friend. Of course, I remember you."
Brock froze. His idol remembered him.
He almost jumped into the stratosphere with excitement. He looked at Sam with tears of gratitude in his eyes.
He knew that without Sam, a Grand Duchess like Diantha wouldn't have given him a second glance.
"Hi, Miss Diantha," Dawn stepped forward with a sweet smile, holding her partner.
"This is my partner, Piplup."
"Pi-plup~" Piplup puffed out his chest and waved.
"Hello, Dawn. Hi, Piplup," Diantha greeted them warmly.
Then, she turned her attention to the two boys who had walked up.
She greeted Ash simply, but her gaze lingered on Red.
"Red," Diantha asked, her tone curious.
"I heard a rumor that you are learning from Sam?"
"Yes," Red replied calmly. His voice was steady and filled with conviction.
"Sam is the most powerful Trainer I have ever met. Bar none."
Hearing this confirmation from the Kanto Champion, Diantha looked at Sam.
She made up her mind.
"Sam," she announced.
"I also want to teach me! I want to follow you and train properly."
"Uh..."
Before Sam could even process the request, the woman beside him blinked.
"No problem!" Cynthia agreed instantly, speaking for her fiancé.
"You will train with us from now on! Us two sisters can prepare for the Championship Series together!"
Cynthia was beaming.
Diantha coming to learn from Sam? This made Cynthia the happiest of all.
If this happened, Sam would have two Regional Champions as students.
Speaking out about this would give her immense face.
"It doesn't count if you say it," Diantha teased, smiling at Cynthia.
"Sam has to agree."
She turned her beautiful eyes to Sam, waiting for his statement.
"Hehe." Sam scratched his head.
"I have no objection."
My wife already agreed, he thought. I can't exactly tear down her stage and say no, can I?
"See? I said it was no problem," Cynthia laughed, hugging Sam's arm.
"Baby Sam listens to me."
"Good," Diantha said, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
"Then I'll stay here. I plan to eat your food and drink your wine. You aren't allowed to have any opinions about that."
"Don't talk about eating and drinking," Cynthia waved her hand dismissively.
Cynthia leaned in, holding Diantha's arm, and whispered in a voice low enough that only they could hear.
She secretly glanced at Sam, finding that he was oblivious to the "girl talk."
She pinched Cynthia's arm, whispering back angrily, "Cynthia! You're going to die! Stop saying weird things!"
"Hehe~" Cynthia smiled meaningfully, enjoying flustering her friend.
After a few more words of chat, the group split up.
Sam, Ash, and Red went to the main battlefield to discuss combat tactics.
Cynthia and Diantha stood on the sidelines, whispering and giggling like schoolgirls.
However, Brock was watching closely. Since Diantha appeared, his focus had been entirely on her.
He noticed that although Diantha was chatting with Cynthia, her eyes would unconsciously drift toward Sam every few seconds.
Brock was keenly aware of it.
The way Diantha looked at Sam... it was different from how she looked at other people.
It was filled with respect, admiration, and a hint of reliance.
Judging from his own extensive experience in "Love", Brock came to a conclusion.
"Sigh..."
Brock let out a soft, melancholy breath.
"I didn't expect that even Miss Diantha, who is admired by thousands, would fall into Sam's trap."
Dawn, holding Piplup, heard him. She looked at Sam's back and shook her head disapprovingly.
"Isn't this normal?" Dawn asked.
"Sam is like a vortex with massive suction. He attracts excellent people because he is excellent."
She counted on her fingers.
"He can easily beat Regional Champions. He is knowledgeable. He has conquered Legendary Pokémon. And... he's really good-looking. Any one of those conditions is an achievement that ordinary people can't accomplish. Sam has them all."
Dawn looked at Brock. "If you were a girl, would you be able to refuse a guy like Sam?"
"You're right..."
Brock slumped, a little discouraged. He had to admit Dawn was right.
Sam was too dazzling. Anyone standing next to him was just a foil.
"Dawn," Brock asked suddenly.
"Do you like Sam too?"
Dawn hugged Piplup tighter. She smiled brightly, admitting it without a shred of romantic heaviness, pure admiration.
"I like him! He's the best Big Brother!" She looked down at her Pokémon.
"Piplup, do you like Brother Sam?"
"Pi-plup! Pi-plup!" Piplup nodded vigorously.
Seeing that even Dawn and Piplup had fallen for Sam's charisma, Brock was completely convinced.
With Diantha moving into Sam's house, the atmosphere in Celestic Town changed.
Diantha wasn't just a Champion; she was a world-famous A-list actress.
Her every move attracted attention from all sides.
Furthermore, this tiny town now housed three Regional Champions all training together under one roof.
Such a grand gathering of power had never happened in the history of the Pokémon World.
For a time, the media went into a frenzy.
A massive number of news reports began to appear, all pointing toward Sam's humble estate.
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