Ash's Story (Part 5: Modern Sinnoh)

Chapter 29: Fallen Appeal

Hearthome City felt enormous before we even reached the main street.

After Mt. Coronet and Route 208, the city looked bright enough to push every shadow behind us. Tall buildings, wide roads, and colorful signs crowded the streets, and Dawn's eyes kept moving from shop windows to Contest posters to the distant Contest Hall.

"This is it," Dawn whispered. "Hearthome."

Piplup stood in her arms like he had personally chosen the city for her next victory.

Piplup's meaning came proudly. "A proper stage finally appears."

Hearthome did not feel like Oreburgh, Eterna, or any of the routes between them. Oreburgh had been stone and smoke. Eterna had been history and trees. Hearthome felt like everyone had agreed that battles, Contests, shopping, and travel could all happen in the same place without asking permission.

That made Dawn stand straighter, but it also made her quieter. She had talked about Hearthome since Zoey explained the double-performance format, yet now that the city surrounded her, every poster seemed to ask if she was ready.

I understood that feeling too well. A stage could look beautiful from far away and become terrifying once your name was called.

Before Dawn could answer, a small Buneary shot across the street and nearly ran straight into Lillie's legs.

Our own Buneary perked up at once, and Dawn's Buneary gave a startled cry. The runaway Buneary skidded, turned, and tried to escape again, but Lillie crouched and held out both hands gently.

"Easy," Lillie said. "No one is chasing you."

The baby Buneary froze long enough for a woman to rush toward us, breathing hard.

"Oh, thank goodness you happened to be there!" the woman said. "If it were not for you, who knows how far away my Buneary could have run."

She recalled the baby Buneary carefully, then straightened with a grateful smile.

I asked, "Who are you?"

"I'm Keira," she said. "I'm a Pokémon Contest Judge. Be sure to drop by the Contest Hall so I can thank you properly."

Dawn's mouth fell open. "A judge?"

I looked at Keira again. "I guess Hearthome's Contest circuit has judges I have not met yet."

Keira laughed kindly. "Then you will meet me properly at the Hall."

After she left, Dawn looked even more nervous and excited at the same time.

"She is judging today," Dawn said. "And I helped catch her Buneary before I even registered."

"That sounds like a good omen," Lillie said.

Gladion glanced toward the Gym sign farther down the street. "We should still check the Gym before the Contest crowd takes over."

That made sense. Fantina's Gym was the reason Ash and Lillie would eventually need to return here, even if the Contest came first for Dawn.

The Hearthome Gym looked grand and strange, with doors that seemed more like a theater entrance than a battle facility. But Nando stood outside with his harp on his back and Kricketune beside him, looking calm despite the closed doors.

"Greetings, my dear young friends," Nando said. "Regretfully, the Gym Leader is not here."

"Are you serious?" Dawn asked before I could.

Lillie looked at Kricketune. "You came for a Gym battle too?"

"Yes," Nando said. "I thought Kricketune and I might challenge her, but Fantina is away from the Gym. Fortunately, I hear there is a Pokémon Tag Team Tournament soon."