Chapter 20 – The Gathering at the Friendship Cup

The sun bathed the massive tournament venue in a golden glow, reflecting off the towering stadium walls. The energy in the air was palpable—trainers, spectators, and officials hurried about, making final preparations for the Friendship Cup. Chatter and excitement filled the space, a blend of languages and accents from trainers of different regions adding to the lively atmosphere.

A sleek black car pulled up near the entrance, and as the doors opened, Alain and Dawn stepped out.

Dawn stretched her arms above her head, letting out a small sigh of contentment before shading her eyes with one hand to take in the venue. Her mouth curled into an excited smile.

"Wow! This place is massive!" she gasped, her eyes shining as she took in the stadium's sheer scale.

"You think so?" Alain said, his voice carrying its usual calm tone as he stepped beside her. "It's impressive, but not all that different from the Kalos League's setup."

Dawn gave him a sideways glance, smirking. "That's because you don't get hyped like I do!" She turned back to the stadium, bouncing slightly on her heels. "This is gonna be so fun!"

Before Alain could respond, a familiar voice called out.

"Dawn! Alain!"

Ash jogged up to them, Pikachu perched on his shoulder as always and Cilan and Iris following behind. His face lit up with excitement. "Bout time you guys made it!"

Dawn grinned, clasping her hands together. "You really think I'd miss a big tournament like this?"

Iris grinned at Dawn's enthusiasm. "Right? The Unova League has big stadiums, but this? This feels like something else entirely!"

Cilan, ever the composed one, adjusted his tie and gave an approving nod. "Well, that's the point. This isn't just any tournament—it's meant to highlight the strength of each region and inspire trainers to take on the various Pokémon Leagues. They want to make an impression."

Dawn nodded in agreement, scanning the area. "Well, they're definitely succeeding."

Before she could add more, a sharp voice cut through their conversation.

"Hmph. Looks like the whole rookie squad is here."

The group turned to see Trip standing with his arms crossed, his usual unimpressed expression locked in place.

Ash's brows furrowed slightly. "Trip."

Trip gave a small, almost dismissive nod before his sharp gaze flicked toward Dawn and Alain. He studied them for a second, his eyes scanning them up and down in quick assessment.

"Glad to see your support group is growing Ash, you're going to need it when I'm done with you today"

Dawn arched an eyebrow and turned to Ash. "With that mouth and attitude its likes he's the love child of Paul and Barry"

Ash let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, I figured you'd say something like that."

Trip's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at her again. "What does that mean?"

Dawn nodded. "Just that you're a real charmer" in a tone laced with sarcasm.

Iris snickered; Trip shot her an unimpressed glare but said nothing.

Looking back at Dawn, he observed the Piplup on her shoulder. "Don't tell me your planning on entering with that worthless little pipsqueak" he scoffed

Steam emerged from the Pokémon and its face went bright red, teeth gnashing. Dawn never one to allow her Piplup to be insulted took that personally. Ready to launch a verbal assault on the boy Alain and Ash both grabbed an arm and lifted her away as she shouted insults back at him.

Cilan awkwardly gave his evaluation of the situation to Iris, "Such an unexpected hot temper from a seemingly sweet dish."

Iris chuckled "I'd be careful not to talk like that about her, especially in front of Alain"

"Oh I have no intentions of getting her angry"

Iris laughed even more "I meant calling her a sweet dish"

Cilan looked confused for a second before the realisation hit and his face went bright red. "oh no… Im..I didn't..." he stuttered scrambling for words.

'Your such a little kid" she teased, "Come on we better catch up with them"

Feeling they were at a safe enough distance, Alain and Ash put Dawn down. Grabbing Piplup from her shoulder she stared intensely into Piplups eyes "Don't you worry Piplup we'll put that no good Trip in his place. We'll wipe the floor with him and show him what your made of."

Alain attempted to calm the situation down but was very careful with his words to not give away their surprise tactics for the competition. "Dawn don't you think your over reacting just a bit, don't forget you were planning on using Lopunny"

"None of that matters right now, not when my Piplups honours has been insulted" Piplup cheered in agreement and jumped down to the ground and began preparing for battle as Dawn cheered on.

Alain was taken aback, this was a new side of her and he didn't know what to think so he looked to Ash for help. "Is this normal behaviour?"

"Yeah she always gets like that when it comes to Piplup, this one girl made the mistake of saying her Piplup wasn't cute, poor girl barely made it out alive"

"Good to know"

Before the conversation could continue, the noise around them shifted. A ripple of excitement spread through the crowd, heads turning as a group approached the venue.

The Champions had arrived.

Lance, Steven, Cynthia, Alder, Diantha, and Leon walked through the entrance with an effortless presence that commanded attention. Their confident strides, composed expressions, and undeniable power radiated from them, and trainers in the crowd murmured excitedly, some even pulling out their PokéGear to snap quick photos.

Cynthia's golden eyes scanned the area before settling on Ash and his group. A familiar smirk tugged at her lips.

"Ah, Ash," she greeted smoothly. "I knew I would find you front and centre."

Ash's face brightened instantly. "Thanks so much for telling me about this Cynthia, I am so sicked to meet strong trainers"

Cynthia chuckled. "Well I'm glad you said that because I'd like to introduce you to someone." She stepped slightly to the side, motioning toward the tall man with messy purple hair and a vibrant orange cape. His confident but easy-going grin was unmistakable.

"Ash, meet Leon. He's the Champion of Galar."

Ash's eyes widened in pure excitement. "Wait, you're Galar's Champion?!"

Leon let out a hearty laugh, resting a hand on his hip. "That's me. And you must be Ash. Cynthia's told me a bit about you."

Ash clenched his fists, practically vibrating with excitement. "No way! You're the undefeated Champion of Galar! I've heard so much about you! I've seen clips of your battles, too—your Charizard is insane!"

Leon grinned, rubbing the back of his head. "Ah, well, you know, I try my best. But if you've seen my battles, then you know I love a good fight. You battle too, right?"

Ash nodded so fast it was a wonder his hat didn't fly off. "Of course! And one day, I wanna battle you!"

Leon smirked, his eyes flashing with interest. "That so? Then I'll be looking forward to it. But fair warning—I never hold back."

Ash's grin stretched wider. "Neither do I."

"I like your attitude" Leon turned to Cynthia "I can see why he caught your attention." Turing his gaze back to Ash with a look of determination he said "Keep it up and you just may earn yourself an endorsement to the Galar gym challenge"

Ash's jaw dropped, everyone around wasn't sure if he was going to faint or burst. Thankfully to everyone's relief it was the latter and his excitement finally came out. Jumping and shouting, showing his delight at the thought of an endorsement.

Cynthia watched their exchange with quiet amusement. Just as I thought, she mused. They're alike.

Dawn leaned toward Alain, whispering, "It's like looking at Ash's future if he ever became a Champion."

Alain huffed softly. "If he makes it that far."

Dawn nudged him with her elbow, grinning. "He will."

As the excitement lingered between Ash and Leon, a tournament official approached the Champions. "The six of you are needed in the observation room before the brackets are revealed."

Cynthia turned to the whole gang "Alright everyone we have to go now, but we will be keeping a close eye on your performances from the champions box, so make sure to give it your all"

Dawn raised her fist "I'll show them just how strong we are in Sinnoh"

"Not as strong as trainers from Kanto" Ash retorted

Cynthia gave Ash a final nod before following the others toward their private space.

Leon couldn't help but laugh "Well, they're a fiery bunch, todays going to be even more interesting than I thought"

Ash ran off leaving the group puzzled, Dawn called out "Wait Ash, where are you going"

"Just gotta make a call to Professor Oak"

The Champions' Room

The observation room was sleek and modern, lined with monitors displaying different angles of the venue. A long conference table sat in the centre, and the six Champions took their places.

Alder, never one for formalities, stretched his arms behind his head, already making himself comfortable. His mischievous grin found Cynthia across the table.

"You know, Cynthia," he mused, "no matter what region we're in, you always manage to steal the spotlight."

Cynthia didn't even look up from her tea. "Oh? And why's that?"

Alder leaned forward slightly, smirk widening. "Because you're easily the most stunning person here."

Steven, who had been quietly observing, subtly shifted his gaze toward Alder. His expression remained neutral, but there was a distinct sharpness in his eyes.

Lance chuckled, arms crossed. "Alder, do you ever stop?"

"Not when it comes to appreciating beauty," Alder said smoothly. "After all, life's too short not to admire the finer things, and Cynthia is definitely one of them."

Diantha sipped her drink, amused. "You do realize flattery only works when the other person acknowledges it, right?"

Leon laughed. "He's persistent, I'll give him that."

Cynthia finally glanced at Alder, her expression unreadable. "One of these days, Alder, you'll find a better hobby."

"One of these days you'll join me to dinner, why not make today that today, come on what do you say"

"I say you'll be dining alone"

Diantha chuckled, while Lance smirked.

Steven, saying nothing, simply observed Alder for a moment longer before returning his gaze to the screen.

The playful atmosphere was soon interrupted when a staff member entered, holding a tablet.

"The tournament brackets are ready," they announced.

The Champions straightened in their seats, their previous banter momentarily put aside.

"Let's see what matchups we're getting," Lance said, leaning forward.

The monitors in the room flickered to life, displaying the randomized brackets.

The tournament stage buzzed with excitement as trainers gathered around the massive screen in the centre of the stadium. The announcer's voice boomed over the speakers, his energy feeding the already electric atmosphere.

"Welcome, trainers and Pokémon enthusiasts, to the first-ever Friendship Cup!" The crowd erupted in cheers, some waving banners in support of their favourite trainers. "We have a fantastic lineup today, with competitors from all across the regions ready to showcase their skills! But before we get to the action, let's reveal the official matchups for the first round!"

The giant screen flickered to life, displaying four matchups in bold letters:

Dawn vs. Trip
Iris vs. Georgia
Ash vs. Cameron
Alain vs. Cilan

Dawn's eyes immediately narrowed when she saw Trip's name next to hers. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me." Her voice was tight with frustration.

Alain, standing beside her, glanced at the screen and then at her. "You were just looking for an excuse to battle him, weren't you?"

Dawn huffed, crossing her arms. "It's not an excuse if he deserves it." She clenched her fists. "First, he insults Piplup, now he's my first opponent? Perfect."

Trip, who was standing a few feet away, smirked. "Well, at least I won't have to wait long to knock you out of the tournament."

Piplup squawked in outrage, puffing up his chest. Dawn shot Trip a glare. "Keep talking, Trip. Let's see if you still have that smug look after I beat you."

Trip scoffed. "Don't get ahead of yourself. You're just another obstacle on my way to the top."

Before Dawn could fire back, Iris let out a groan. "Ugh, why did she have to be my opponent?" Her eyes landed on Georgia, the Ice-type specialist who had declared herself Iris's 'rival' ever since they first met.

Georgia, standing with her arms crossed, smirked. "What's wrong, Dragon Girl? Already scared?"

Iris's eye twitched. "Scared? Of you? Please. This is just another battle to prove why Dragon-types are the best!"

Georgia flicked her hair over her shoulder. "Sure. Just try not to lose too fast."

Meanwhile, Ash pumped his fist in excitement. "Yes! I get to battle Cameron!"

Cameron grinned, adjusting his headband. "This is gonna be awesome! I've been training super hard since we last met, so don't expect an easy win, Ash!"

Ash grinned back. "Wouldn't have it any other way!"

Alain, standing quietly, finally saw his own name. Alain vs. Cilan. His gaze shifted toward the green-haired connoisseur.

Cilan, ever the showman, smiled. "Well, well, looks like we'll be having quite the flavourful battle, won't we, Alain?"

Alain blinked. "...Flavourful?"

Cilan nodded, launching into full analysis mode. "The combination of your powerful, intense battling style against my strategic, ingredient-balanced approach—it's going to be a feast for the senses!"

Alain just stared at him. "...Right."

Dawn nudged Alain, trying not to laugh. "You'll get used to it."

Cynthia's voice suddenly rang out over the speakers. "And with that, the first round of the Friendship Cup is set!"

The crowd roared, and trainers exchanged final looks of determination. The tournament was about to begin.