A yellow gemstone appeared in Sam's hand.
"So this is the Secret of Sand?"
The gem was clearly tailor-made for Tyranitar. After briefly examining it, Sam casually tossed it toward Tyranitar, who was standing not far away.
"Graaa!"
The moment Tyranitar caught the gemstone, it immediately sensed the immense energy contained within the seemingly ordinary crystal. If it could fully absorb that power, it might be able to take another step forward.
Faced with such overwhelming temptation, Tyranitar didn't bother holding back. Without hesitation, it swallowed the gem whole.
The Secret of Sand dissolved instantly, transforming into countless streams of energy that surged through Tyranitar's body.
So much foreign energy flooded in at once that even Tyranitar couldn't endure it.
After letting out a low sound toward Sam, it collapsed into a deep sleep.
The power contained within the gem far exceeded Tyranitar's expectations. Fully digesting it would take time—quite a long time. It wouldn't be waking up anytime soon.
---
The Tentacool had retreated, but the suffering they left behind had only just begun.
Countless families were torn apart overnight. Lifetimes of hard-earned wealth vanished in an instant. The sky itself seemed gloomy, as though even the heavens were mourning for the city.
There was nothing Sam could do.
No one could.
Only time could slowly heal the wounds left behind.
---
Inside a quiet café, Sam sipped his coffee while casually flipping through the latest issue of the City Daily.
The largest headline on the front page read:
"Searching for Mysterious Heroes."
Most of the paper detailed the disaster that had struck the city in recent days. The newspaper also announced a reward, encouraging citizens to provide information about the mysterious "heroes" involved. Generous compensation would be given based on the accuracy of the reports.
Seeing the reward amount, Sam almost felt tempted to claim it himself.
"Sam."
Three familiar figures entered the café and walked straight toward his table—Ash, Misty, and Brock.
"Sam, this city owes everything to you," Ash said sincerely, admiration clear in his eyes.
Sam had single-handedly defeated the Giant Tentacruel, minimizing the damage of the disaster as much as possible.
To be honest, the moment Ash witnessed Sam standing victorious, his heart burned with excitement.
If only I were that strong…
That thought had echoed in his mind ever since.
Sam shook his head calmly.
"It wasn't a big deal."
Though his tone was indifferent, the faint smile on his face betrayed him.
Clearly, he was proud.
"By the way, Sam," Ash continued, pointing at the newspaper, "why didn't you tell anyone you were the one who did it?"
Misty and Brock leaned in as well, equally curious. After all, very few people could resist being called a hero.
"It's too much trouble," Sam replied flatly.
"Too much trouble?!"
Ash, Misty, and Brock stared at him in disbelief.
They never imagined that something others desperately chased—fame—would be considered a burden by Sam.
"Yeah," Sam said calmly. "So what if everyone knows I saved the city? I'd get some empty praise and maybe a pile of money. That doesn't mean much to me."
This time, Sam wasn't pretending.
For a Trainer, strength was everything. Everything else was secondary.
Besides, the title of "hero" wasn't always a blessing. It often came with moral pressure and unreasonable expectations—and Sam despised being morally kidnapped.
That alone was reason enough to stay far away from the spotlight.
"Besides," Sam added casually, "it's not like no one knows."
"Sam!!!"
Ash, Misty, and Brock instantly misunderstood and looked at him with sparkling eyes.
"Don't worry!" Ash said earnestly. "We'll absolutely keep your secret!"
The misunderstanding was so complete that Sam didn't even know how to respond.
He wasn't talking about them at all.
He was talking about Professor Oak.
Sam wasn't foolish. He had already reported everything to Professor Oak the moment it was over.
Not only would that earn goodwill, but once Professor Oak reported the incident to the Pokémon League, Sam would naturally enter the League's field of vision.
Compared to empty fame on the streets, that was infinitely more valuable.
-------------Author---------------
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