1. Ash's Story (Part 7: Kalos)

Chapter 41: Lagoon Contest

When we arrived in Lagoon Town, the first thing I noticed was the sound of people gathering near the Contest Hall. Banners fluttered from the street lamps, and the bright ribbons painted on them made the whole town feel like it had been waiting for this day before we even reached the entrance.

I held my Contest Pass a little tighter as Serena walked beside me, and Pikachu shifted on my shoulder with an excited spark in his cheeks. His meaning reached me through the way his tail brushed against my back. "This one feels important."

I nodded because I felt the same way. This was my third Kalos Contest, and I wanted to prove that my battling heart and my Contest heart could keep growing together.

Serena smiled as she looked at the Contest Hall. "Your third ribbon is waiting inside, Ash."

"That's the plan," I said, though I could already feel the good kind of nervousness running through me. "I just need to give everyone a performance they won't forget."

Clemont adjusted his glasses while Bonnie hurried a few steps ahead of us. "Lagoon Town's Contest Hall is famous for its wide stage system. It can handle aerial appeals, battle appeals, and even water effects if the Coordinator requests them."

"Then Ash can make something amazing!" Bonnie said while Dedenne rode in her bag and watched the crowd.

Dedenne's paws pressed against the edge of Bonnie's bag, and its eager little movements made its meaning clear to me. "I want to see the sparkling part."

Elline laughed softly. "I think all of us want to see the sparkling part."

David crossed his arms, but he was smiling too. "If Ash is doing a Contest after the Castle of Chivalry training, his timing should be sharper than before."

We stepped through the Contest Hall doors, and that was when I saw someone familiar near the lobby display. She turned at the sound of the crowd, and her red hair and calm smile made me stop in surprise.

"Zoey!" I called as I hurried over to her.

Zoey looked just as surprised to see me, but her expression warmed right away. "Ash, Serena, everyone. I was wondering if you would show up here."

I grinned as Pikachu leaned forward on my shoulder. "So, Zoey, aren't you going to participate in this one?"

Zoey shook her head gently. "I'll just watch today. I need to relax for a while, and because the founder of the Contests is giving an exhibition performance."

I blinked once, then stared at her. "No way. You're saying my mom is going to perform here?"

"That's right," Zoey said. "Aurora herself. A lot of Coordinators came just to see her."

Serena's eyes widened. "Ms. Ketchum is really performing today?"

Elline nodded with the kind of pride that made it obvious she had seen my mom practice before. "Aunt Aurora usually makes the whole stage feel bigger than it really is."

I felt my excitement twist together with pressure. It was one thing to compete in a Contest, but it was another thing to compete right after my mom performed. Even after all my journeys, part of me still felt like the little kid from Pallet Town who watched her practice in the yard.

Pikachu pressed his cheek against mine, and his meaning reached me through the familiar warmth. "You are not standing behind her. You are standing beside what she taught you."

I smiled and scratched under his chin. "Thanks, buddy. I needed that."

We went backstage after registration, and the moment I saw my mom, the pressure inside me softened. She was talking with Lillian near the curtain, wearing her performance outfit with calm confidence.