The next morning, Sam was up before sunrise.
He moved in a program, stretching, washing up, then headed straight outside with his Pokémon trailing behind him.
The training grounds behind the villa were still damp with morning dew.
A cool breeze brushed across his face, waking him up completely.
"Alright, team," Sam said, clapping his hands once.
"Let's get started."
While Sam focused on drills, Lumiose City finally began to calm down.
After a long, exhausting day resolving the mess left in the city, Diantha and Cynthia were finally able to rest.
Inside the villa, sunlight slipped lazily through the large windows of the dining room.
Cynthia sat at the table with her cheek propped in one hand, poking at a red-bean pastry with the enthusiasm of a half-asleep Snorlax.
"Ugh… I'm so tired," she groaned.
Across from her, Diantha sipped her coffee with perfect posture, looking like she'd stepped straight out of a magazine shoot.
She smiled politely.
"I was working all day yesterday and don't feel tired at all," she said lightly.
"You rested the whole day. How are you still exhausted?"
Cynthia didn't even respond.
She simply took another bite of pastry, then gave up halfway through and flopped dramatically onto the nearby sofa.
"You're right…" she muttered.
"But some people just can't be helped."
As she spoke, she turned her head toward the window.
Outside, Sam was already deep into his training routine, calling out commands with a steady voice.
Diantha followed her gaze, immediately understanding what Cynthia meant.
A soft flush crept up her cheeks.
Cynthia noticed the color rising in Diantha's face but didn't bother commenting.
She just sighed loudly and continued her half-complaining monologue.
"I'm already exhausted after everything," she said.
"After all that… effort."
She rubbed her shoulders as if remembering something.
"But he just won't stop. What else can I say? A person like him… he's just built differently."
Diantha sat beside her, legs crossed neatly, and looked outside again with a faint smile.
"But Sam really is energetic," she said.
"He wakes up early, trains every morning… Why are you the one acting weak?"
The moment the word weak left Diantha's mouth, Cynthia snapped upright.
"Weak? Excuse me?" Cynthia lunged forward with a wicked grin and reached out to tickle Diantha's sides.
"Where am I weak?! I'm amazing, okay? It's just that Sam is stronger than I am!"
Diantha burst into laughter, squirming uselessly.
"O-Okay! Okay! I surrender! Stop, that tickles!"
Cynthia finally pulled her hands back, looking proud of herself.
She leaned against the couch and muttered, almost to herself, "Sometimes I think… Sam might be too talented."
Diantha's eyes widened.
"What were you two talking about?" Sam asked with a smile.
"Sounded pretty lively."
"Nothing!" Diantha yelped, her face heating up again.
Cynthia didn't even try to hide anything.
She simply walked over and hooked her arm through Sam's, resting her head against him with a satisfied smile.
"Anyway," Cynthia said, still hugging Sam's arm, "let's talk about something important. Where are we eating today?"
"Eating?" Sam blinked at her, confused.
He caught a glimpse of Diantha, who instantly looked away like she'd been caught doing something suspicious.
He didn't push it. Trying to understand conversations between women was like trying to fight a Magikarp underwater, pointless and exhausting.
Instead, Sam pulled out his phone.
"Actually, before that, there's something you two should see. I found some news earlier, and I'm pretty sure you'll be interested."
Cynthia, still sprawled lazily across the sofa, accepted the phone without much enthusiasm.
But the moment her eyes landed on the headline, her entire aura changed.
Her back straightened. Her eyes widened.
Even her breakfast plate trembled slightly as she sat up.
She read aloud quickly, excitement building with every sentence:
"It is reported that in the Crown Tundra grasslands of the Galar Region, an unusual Pokémon has been sighted. Witnesses describe it as a bird Pokémon with orange feathers and a long black beak. Its outer wings, inner tail, and belly are covered in sharp orange plumage. Its legs are black and muscular, and when its feathers rub together, they create crackling sounds similar to electricity. When attacking, it can release bursts of powerful energy. Experts speculate that this may be a Galar regional variant of Zapdos."
By the time she finished reading, Cynthia was practically vibrating.
"Sam!! Did you hear that? A Galarian Zapdos!"
She bounced on the sofa like a kid on sugar.
"If I can tame it, I'll have a legendary Pokémon too!"
She started pacing excitedly, counting on her fingers.
"And with that kind of electric power… the championship rankings will be easy! I can finally take down Wallace and Lance! A flying-type Galarian Zapdos with fighting-style physical strength, those two won't stand a chance!"
Her enthusiasm flooded the entire room.
Even Sam's Pokémon outside peeked in through the window, drawn by her shouting.
Sam watched her with an amused smile. Cynthia getting fired up over legendary Pokémon never got old.
The truth was, Cynthia had always held Zapdos in high regard.
Even though Zapdos wasn't among the highest-tier Legendary Pokémon.
Encountering one was rare.
Catching one? Harder than winning the lottery.
But Cynthia didn't care about the difficulty; she saw a challenge and wanted to pounce.
She spun toward Sam, eyes shining like a Luxray spotting prey.
"Sam!" she shouted.
"Let's go! Right now! We need to head to Galar immediately!"
Before he could even respond, she latched onto his arm again and shook him with all her excitement.
"I'm going to tame that Zapdos!"
Sam chuckled softly and reached out to pat her head.
She leaned into his hand instinctively, her golden hair brushing against his fingers.
"Alright, alright," he said warmly.
"If you want to go, then we'll go."
"Yesss!!" Cynthia pumped her fists as she'd just won the World Championship.
Off to the side, Diantha watched the two of them interacting, Cynthia glowing with excitement, Sam smiling fondly.
Something tugged lightly inside her chest, a soft, fleeting pang of envy she couldn't quite explain.
She pushed the feeling away with a small, polite smile.
"Looks like you two are heading for an adventure," Diantha said, adjusting a strand of hair behind her ear.
Cynthia didn't even notice her tone, still too high on adrenaline and dreams of capturing a legendary.
Sam, however, caught the subtle shift in Diantha's expression but said nothing.
He offered her a small, understanding smile before Cynthia practically dragged him toward the door.
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