Ash's Story (Part 5: Modern Sinnoh)

Chapter 82: Valor Spotlight

Valor Lakefront rose ahead of us with the kind of noise that made every step feel closer to something important. The Contest Hall gleamed near the water, banners snapping above its entrance while Coordinators, reporters, and families crowded the road around it.

Dawn slowed beside me, her Ribbon case pressed against her chest. Piplup walked at her side with his head high, and Togekiss glided just behind her with quiet grace.

I smiled at the hall and tried to sound casual. "Sorry, Dawn. I am going to win this Grand Festival."

Dawn turned on me at once, but she was smiling too. "You may have won three Grand Festivals in a row, but I am not going to lose."

Piplup's meaning came sharply. "This time, the stage belongs to us."

Pikachu leaned forward from my shoulder with an amused spark in his cheeks. His meaning came warm and teasing. "Then we should make them earn every point."

Lillie laughed softly as we crossed the entrance. "I think both sides are already serious."

Inside, the hall felt bigger than any normal Contest. Screens showed old Grand Festival highlights. Coordinators stood in clusters with partners at their feet, and every voice carried the same nervous edge. This was not a town Contest where one Ribbon waited. Everyone here had already earned five.

A wall of photographs showed past winners lifting the Ribbon Cup. My own face appeared more than once, which made Dawn glance sideways at me with a look that was half challenge and half nerves. I pretended not to notice, because this was not the moment to remind her how many times I had stood there.

Dawn stopped in front of the display, then looked down at Piplup. "It really is different from every other Contest."

Piplup's meaning came steady and brave. "Different does not mean impossible. It only means bigger applause."

Dawn smiled at that, and some of the stiffness left her shoulders. "Then we should give them something worth applauding."

A reporter finished interviewing Nando near the center lobby. He turned when he saw us, harp case resting against his shoulder and a calm smile on his face.

"My friends," Nando said gently. "It seems our paths meet again at a beautiful stage."

Lillie brightened. "So you also made it to the Grand Festival?"

"Indeed," Nando answered. "I also have seven badges. One more will let me compete in the League as well. I owe that balance to your encouragement. You helped me believe that both songs could continue."

Tox glanced between him and Lillie. "Then you and Lillie are in the same Gym position. Ash has already finished his eighth badge."

Nando nodded. "Then I hope to meet Ash in two different arenas before Sinnoh ends."

I offered my hand, and Nando shook it with quiet strength. "I will look forward to both."

The interview crew called us next. The questions came quickly, asking about my past Grand Festival wins, Dawn's first Grand Festival, Lillie's Gym challenge, and whether we were still friends when we had to compete against each other. Dawn answered with a steady voice, though I saw her fingers tighten around her case.

One reporter asked Dawn whether traveling beside a three-time winner made her feel protected or pressured. The question was not cruel, but it was sharp enough that Piplup stepped forward.

Dawn answered before anyone else could. "It makes me want to stand beside him properly. Ash has his journey, and I have mine. If we meet on the stage, I want him to know I earned that battle."