"That... well... the thing is..."
After fidgeting for a while, Brock finally mustered up his courage.
He sat down next to Sam, his face flushing red.
"Sam, you know this already, but... I'm a huge fan of Miss Diantha! Before, when you got me those exclusive autographed photos, my status in the Diantha Fan Club skyrocketed. I was satisfied with that, really..."
Brock twiddled his thumbs nervously.
"But... I might have accidentally bragged a little. I told the other Fan Club leaders that I had a direct line to Miss Diantha. So, they prepared a special 'Fan Blessing Book' and sent it to me. They want me to give it to her..."
After explaining, Brock hurriedly took off his pink apron.
He pulled a notebook out of his pocket. It was colorful, decorated with stickers, and filled with handwritten blessings for the Kalos Champion.
Sam was speechless for a moment.
He wasn't a celebrity chaser. He couldn't quite understand the logic of hardcore fans like Brock.
"Sam... can you help me?"
Brock looked at him with puppy-dog eyes, his gaze burning with hope.
Facing Brock's fiery stare, Sam sighed.
"I suppose it's possible... but I don't know when I'll see Diantha next."
Hearing that Sam was willing to help, Brock jumped on the opportunity.
"It doesn't matter if you can't hand it to her physically! Can you make a video call? Just show her the book and let her know about the fans' blessings. That would be enough!"
"A video call..."
Sam looked at Brock's desperate, expectant face.
He really couldn't bear to refuse.
After all, Brock had been acting as his personal chef and housekeeper for weeks, serving him delicious food and drink daily.
And, since his last trip to the Kalos Region, he did have Diantha's personal number.
"Alright," Sam relented.
"Let me send a message first and ask if she has time."
"Long live Sam!!"
Brock jumped up excitedly.
"Sam, I'll say it again! For you, I will climb a mountain of swords and swim through a sea of fire! I'll brave the wind and rain! Just say the word, brother, and I'll put my life on the line!"
"There's no need for swords and fire," Sam said, waving him off.
He took out his phone and sent a casual message.
Brock immediately sat back down, leaning in with a look of pure flattery.
Sam: [Hi Diantha, do you have a moment?]
In less than five seconds, the reply came.
Diantha: [Sam! Hello. I have time. How can I help you?]
Sam: [There is something I want to ask you. It might delay you for a few minutes on a video call. Is that okay?]
Diantha: [Yes, of course. But please wait a few minutes. I will call you back.]
"YES!!"
Brock let out a loud cry of victory.
He pulled a comb out of nowhere and frantically began to organize his hair and smooth out his clothes.
Sam turned his gaze to the battlefield.
In the distance, Cynthia was training, using a Zapdos against Red's Blastoise.
He briefly considered calling Cynthia over to say hello, but looking at the intensity of the battle, he figured she wouldn't be finished anytime soon.
Plus, explaining Brock's fanboy meltdown would take too long.
A few minutes later, Brock finished "dressing up."
He sat obediently beside Sam, hands on his knees, breathing deeply.
Ring~
The video call request came in. Sam accepted it easily.
Diantha's beautiful face appeared on the screen.
Judging by the background, a slightly messy dressing table, she was in her private boudoir.
But despite the setting, Diantha looked immaculate.
She maintained her delicate makeup and elegant posture perfectly.
"Hello, Sam," she said, waving warmly at the camera. Her eyes were bright and welcoming.
"Hello, Diantha," Sam responded with a light smile. He went straight to the point.
"Sorry to disturb you, but I have a favor to ask. I have a friend here..."
"Oh?" Diantha tilted her head gracefully.
"He is a massive fan of yours," Sam explained.
"He wants to meet you and show you a gift from your Fan Club. Would you mind saying hello?"
Sam didn't hand the phone over immediately.
Although he wasn't a celebrity, he knew the rules. Stars needed to maintain some distance from fans to keep their mystique.
"Distance produces beauty," as the saying goes.
He wanted to make sure she was comfortable first.
Diantha didn't seem to mind at all. She smiled softly.
"Sam, if he is your friend, then it is my pleasure."
"I'm sorry for the trouble," Sam said.
"I'll hand the phone to him now."
Sam passed the device to Brock.
Brock took the phone with trembling hands.
He had gotten his wish. He was face-to-face with his idol, the Grand Duchess Diantha.
His face immediately turned a deep shade of purple. He was so excited he could barely form words.
"M-M-Miss Dia... uh, Diantha! You... Hello!"
"I... my name is Brock..."
"I... I am your... biggest fan..."
"I've seen every... movie you've ever made..."
"Hello, Brock," Diantha responded.
Her smile was flawless.
"M-Miss Diantha!" Brock stammered, hurriedly holding up the notebook.
"This... this is a book of blessings written by our fan club! I... I wanted to present it to you!"
"Wow," Diantha said, nodding politely.
"What a great present. Thank you so much."
Her smile was professional. Perfect. And completely different from before.
The moment Sam's face had disappeared from the screen, the closeness in Diantha's eyes had vanished, replaced by her standard "Business Mode."
It was like she was at a book signing, polite, distant, and efficient.
In reality, when Sam had texted her, Diantha had just woken up.
The reason she asked Sam to wait "a few minutes"? It was because she was frantically applying makeup and fixing her hair.