Two days ago, Ash collected his final Sinnoh Gym Badge.
The Lily of the Valley Conference was about to begin.
Sam was expecting a few days of quiet after all the noise.
With the major crises settled and Sinnoh entering a brief calm, things were supposed to slow down.
Ash and the others were busy preparing for the upcoming League, and Sam had already planned to help behind the scenes.
At least, that was what he thought.
Earlier that morning, Cynthia had mentioned calling him over for something.
She'd sounded casual about it, brushing it off as "just a small matter."
Sam hadn't pressed further. When Cynthia said something was small, it usually wasn't dangerous; it was just troublesome.
So when the knock came at the door right on time, Sam thought it was Ash.
He stood up lazily, rubbing his eyes as he walked over.
"You're early," he said as he opened the door.
Then he froze.
Standing outside wasn't Ash.
The boy had the same face. The same quiet eyes. The same cap pulled low.
But the pressure was different.
This wasn't the energetic trainer who rushed into danger with Pikachu on his shoulder.
This person stood straight, calm, and silent, like a mountain that had weathered countless storms.
Sam recognized him instantly.
Red.
The Champion of the Kanto Region.
For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.
Red's gaze lingered on Sam, his expression stiff but polite. Then he nodded slightly.
"Hello," Red said, his voice low.
"Sorry to come unannounced. I hope I'm not disturbing you."
Sam blinked once, then stepped aside.
"…No. Come in."
Red let out a quiet breath, as if relieved, and walked inside with measured steps.
Sam closed the door behind him and gestured toward the living room.
"Please, have a seat."
"Thank you."
They sat across from each other.
Silence settled in almost immediately.
Sam studied Red openly. He didn't hide his curiosity.
Unlike Ash, Red didn't fidget. He didn't look around.
He sat there, hands resting on his knees, posture rigid.
Red, on the other hand, seemed unsure of where to place his gaze.
He glanced at the floor, then at the window, then back at Sam.
The atmosphere grew awkward.
Sam didn't mind silence, but this kind, careful, and tense felt strange.
Red cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable.
Before either of them could speak, footsteps came from the kitchen.
"Is that Ash?" Cynthia's voice called out.
"Are they here already?"
She stepped into the living room, wiping her hands with a towel.
The moment she saw Red, she froze.
Her eyes widened.
"…Red?"
Red stood up instantly, almost too fast.
"Champion Cynthia. Hello."
Cynthia blinked, then laughed softly.
"There's no need to be so formal. Sit down."
"Oh, okay." Red sat back down just as stiffly.
Cynthia walked over and sat beside Sam, close enough that their arms brushed. It was natural, unthinking.
She leaned slightly toward him before turning her attention back to Red.
"I didn't expect to see you here," she said.
"What brings you to Sinnoh?"
Red opened his mouth to answer,
Ding dong.
The doorbell rang.
Cynthia paused. "One moment."
She stood up with a smile.
"I'll get that."
Sam stayed seated, already guessing who it was.
Sure enough, familiar voices filled the entryway.
"Champion Cynthia, hello!"
"Hi, Miss Cynthia!"
"Good afternoon!"
Cynthia stepped aside as Ash, Dawn, and Brock walked in together.
Ash grinned the moment he spotted Sam.
"Sam!"
Pikachu jumped off his shoulder.
"Pika!"
Dawn waved enthusiastically.
"Sam, it's been a while!"
Brock nodded seriously.
"I came to see you, Sam."
Ash's face lit up.
"Red?! You're here too?"
Red visibly loosened up. Ash was a familiar chaos, something he understood perfectly, and it helped him settle in.
"Hello, Ash," Red said, his voice calmer now.
"Long time no see."
Ash laughed and stepped forward enthusiastically.
"I can't believe it! I never thought I'd run into you here!"
Watching the two of them stand together, so alike yet so different, Sam fell into a brief daze.
One was the boy who chased dreams with reckless passion.
The other had already reached the peak and stood quietly above the clouds.
Characters straight out of games and anime, now chatting casually in a living room.
Reality still felt strange sometimes.
They exchanged a few words about Pallet Town and training, brief and straightforward.
Red wasn't much of a talker, but Ash filled in the gaps naturally.
After a short while, Cynthia cleared her throat.
"By the way," she said, turning to Red, "you still haven't told us why you came to Sinnoh."
Her question drew everyone's attention.
Red paused. He straightened slightly, clearly organizing his thoughts.
"I've been training at Mt. Silver," he said.
"Recently, I kept hearing the same name."
He glanced toward Sam.
"Someone strong. Strong enough that even Champions speak highly of him."
The room fell quiet.
Ash blinked. Dawn looked between Sam and Red. Brock adjusted his glasses.
Sam raised an eyebrow but didn't interrupt.
Red continued, his tone steady.
"I wanted to see for myself."
He stood up and faced Sam directly.
"So I came," Red said.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Cynthia's lips curved into a smile.
She stood up, confidence radiating from her.
"A battle between Champions is rare," she said.
"If you're here for a match, I'm happy to."
Red shook his head.
"I'm not here to battle you," he said.
Cynthia froze.
"…What?"
Red's gaze never left Sam. "The one I want to face is him."
The room erupted in quiet shock.
Ash stared at Sam.
"Sam?"
Dawn covered her mouth. Brock's eyes widened.
Cynthia turned slowly to look at Sam, disbelief flashing across her face.
"You?"
Sam leaned back on the sofa, expression calm, almost lazy.
"Me?"
Red nodded once, firm and certain.
"Yes."
Cynthia's pride deflated slightly, replaced by a complicated mix of surprise and irritation.
She crossed her arms, thinking it through.
Red wasn't wrong.
In official rankings, Red stood far above her.
If anyone could issue a challenge, it would be her.
And Sam… Sam didn't even have a ranking.
That realization made her uncomfortable.
She glanced at Sam again, searching his face.
He didn't look excited.
He didn't look nervous either.
Just thoughtful.
Sam met her eyes and gave a small shrug.
'We'll talk later.'
Cynthia exhaled quietly.
She understood now.
Whoever had spread Sam's name hadn't mentioned her at all.
That annoyed her more than she wanted to admit.
Still, she said nothing.
Sam finally spoke. "You traveled all this way," he said.
"I won't turn you down."
Red's eyes sharpened.
The air shifted.
Ash swallowed hard, excitement bubbling up. A battle like this, this wasn't something you could see even at the League.
Sam stood up slowly.
"But not today," he added.
Red paused, then nodded.
"That's fine."
Outside, the afternoon sun dipped lower.
Something big was coming.
And everyone in the room felt it.
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