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

Chapter 53: Steamdrift Stage

Steamdrift Town greeted us with warm roofs, pale stone streets, and a strange mix of mountain chill and stage banners. After the broken ruins of Route 8, the town felt almost polished, as if someone had cleaned the road just enough for travelers to remember they were still heading toward a Gym city.

The Contest Hall stood near the center, its glass doors shining under strings of colorful flags. I had known the fourth Contest was waiting here, but seeing the entrance still made my stomach tighten with that familiar excitement.

Alice noticed my hand drift toward Raboot's Poké Ball. "Ready?"

"Ready enough," I said. "That usually has to count."

Gloria laughed. "That sounds like something a challenger says right before everything gets interesting."

Helen was adjusting the strap of her basket when two familiar voices called from near the hall steps.

Serena's voice rang bright across the plaza. "Ash!"

I turned so fast that Pikachu had to grab my shoulder. Serena was waving from beside Lisia, both of them dressed warmly for the road but bright enough to look at home beneath Contest banners.

"Serena! Lisia!" I called, hurrying over with Alice and the others behind me.

Serena's smile opened wide, then froze for a heartbeat when she saw Helen. "Helen? You're traveling with Ash?"

Helen put one hand on her hip. "Why is that surprising? We have been traveling together for quite a while. Ash even defeated my dad in a Gym battle a few months ago."

Serena blinked, then laughed softly. "That is a lot to learn in one sentence."

"It was a very good battle," I said.

Lisia clasped her hands together. "Wow, that is incredible! I knew Galar would be exciting, but I did not expect a family reunion and Gym gossip before the Contest even began."

Alice greeted them warmly, and the rest of our group followed. The meeting filled the street with easy noise for a while, the kind that made the colder air feel less sharp.

"So what brings you two here?" I asked.

Serena smiled toward the Contest Hall. "I am following the Contest circuit for a little while. After winning the Hoenn Grand Festival, I wanted to see how Galar's performances feel beside the journey you are taking."

"That means you are joining the Steamdrift Contest?" I asked.

Lisia shook her head with a bright grin. "Not today. We are here to spectate. We hope you do not mind us cheering from the sidelines."

"Of course not," I said. "It will be good to have you watching."

Serena looked at Raboot's Poké Ball, then at me. "Then show us something only you and your partners can do."

Backstage smelled like polished floor, warm lights, and nervous Trainers. The waiting room was full of quiet stretching, last-minute brushing, whispered encouragement, and Pokémon trying not to bump into props.

Steamdrift's Contest rules were familiar enough to calm me and different enough to sharpen my focus. The first half would judge beauty, timing, and how well Pokémon shaped the stage together. The second half would turn those same qualities into battle points, where a clean dodge could matter as much as a heavy hit.

I had three Ribbons already, but that did not make the fourth feel automatic. Ribbons were not badges that waited at the end of a set path. They asked whether the performance in front of people, on that day, could reach them.