1. Ash's Story (Part 10: Galar)

Chapter 74: The Darkest Day Begins

The locker room still smelled of rain, dust, and the faint metal tang left behind by Raihan's weather. I barely had time to breathe before Alice and Serena reached me.

"You did it, Ash," Alice said, throwing her arms around me first. Serena joined from the other side, and for one quiet second, the roar outside Wyndon Stadium felt far away.

I hugged them back, careful not to let my tired shoulders collapse completely. "Thanks. I couldn't have reached Leon without all of you."

"You earned it," Serena said. "Every round."

Hop bounced on his heels nearby, trying to grin while looking like he might explode from worry. "All right? The big moment's finally here, eh? I came just to cheer you on, you know. Still, it's not easy picking sides. It's my big brother against my rival."

Gloria folded her arms and smiled. "Then cheer for a brilliant battle."

Dawn nodded. "And cheer for Ash too. He came this far."

Hop scratched his cheek. "That's exactly why it's hard."

Pikachu climbed from the bench onto my shoulder, paws pressing carefully against my jacket, "The road is open, but the air is not calm."

I touched his back. "I know. We stay ready."

The attendant at the door gave me the signal. Leon was waiting. The Finals were behind me, and the Championship Match finally stood ahead, bright enough to make every step feel heavier.

Alice reached for my hand before I left. "Whatever happens out there, remember that you are not walking into his shadow. You're walking onto the same field."

I squeezed her hand once, then followed the tunnel lights toward the sound of Galar.

Wyndon Stadium hit me like a wall of voices. Every seat seemed filled, every screen bright, every camera pointed toward the pitch where Leon stood waiting with his cape moving in the stadium wind.

The field looked untouched, which made it stranger. After so many battles, it should have carried scars. Instead, it waited cleanly, as if Galar itself had cleared the ground for this one moment.

Leon watched me cross the white line. His smile was there, but beneath it was the focus I had seen only from Champions who understood that battle could carry a region's heartbeat.

"The tense, still air on the pitch," Leon said, spreading one hand toward the roaring stands, "and the exact opposite from the audience. They're both fantastic, wouldn't you say?"

"They are," I said. "It feels like the whole region is holding its breath."

"The audience is also a bit cruel," Leon continued. "They want nothing more than to see one of us lose. That can fill you with fear, but I love pushing past that fear. I love giving everything I've got and seeing my team give everything they've got to seize another victory."

I smiled despite the pressure in my chest. "I know that feeling."

Leon lifted one Poké Ball. "I'm the Galar region's Champion, Leon. Charizard and the rest of my team will use all our knowledge and experience to crush you completely."

"Then we'll answer with everything we have," I said.

I felt my team at my belt, each Poké Ball warm with trust. Part of me thought of Mega Evolution, Z-Moves, Dynamax, every power my road had given me. Another part of me let those thoughts pass. The first command would matter only after the first breath.

The referee raised a flag.

Leon's boots stopped at the exact center mark opposite me. He did not rush the silence. That was one difference between him and a lot of strong Trainers. He knew the first pause could be part of the battle before the first Pokémon appeared.