He knows Pokémon better than me.

The Isle of Armor, though just an island, boasts a diverse range of terrains and landscapes.

Looking into the distance, Ash could already see the coastline, forests, hills, and even a yellowish-brown area resembling sand dunes in the northeast corner.

Of course, the most eye-catching feature is the two towers of different colors standing on the left and right sides of the island.

"Did Mewtwo train his fighting skills in those two towers before?"

Ash gripped Corviknight's claws and thought to himself.

The two towers represent completely different schools of martial arts tradition.

boom!boom!
At that moment, the two Poké Balls on his waist opened automatically. Despite being high in the sky, the bear apprentice did not panic. Instead, he immediately grabbed Corviknight's other claw with swift movements.

As for the teddy bear, it naturally just stood there, stunned, and was about to fall straight down.

Ash reacted quickly, using his other hand to hug the bear cub tightly.

"You two little devils, can't you wait?"

Xiao Zhi wasn't annoyed, and just chuckled lightly.

At this moment, they each looked at the towers on the left and right sides of the island. The bear apprentice looked at the tower on the west side, located at the end of the cape, with a blue-purple exterior.

The bear apprentice looked towards the east and behind, at the dark red tower perched atop the hill.

They had clearly sensed something and had already chosen their respective styles.

This should be the last time we see the bear apprentice and the toy bear as children.

I reckon one will soon become a burly, muscular bear, and the other will become a gigantic pink monster bear?

"."

Mary turned her head away curiously, while Ash seemed to value these two "bear cubs" quite a bit.

Are you very strong?
Soon, the two arrived at a place called "Irene Field" in the southeast corner of the Isle of Armor. This is the only area on the island with a post station that connects to the main continent of Galar.

Of course, it wasn't by train, but by a special Steel-Armored Raven flying taxi.

Before they even got close, the two noticed a large crowd gathered outside the station, creating a noisy scene.

The two exchanged a glance and decided to land there to check the situation.

Ash's rather unusual pose—holding Corviknight in one hand and a pink plush bear toy in the other—attracted a lot of attention, drawing curious onlookers.

But soon, the group turned around and started making a fuss around the two people standing at the front.

"Please! Let me join Master Ma's Martial Arts School!!"

"I'll pay any price! I just need one spot!"

"They haven't filled their enrollment quotas yet this year, have they?!"

Xiao Zhi raised an eyebrow, realizing that this group of people had come to learn from a master.

The two people at the head of the crowd didn't rush to answer. They smiled and kept the eager crowd hanging on. Xiao Zhi even recognized one of them.

On the left is a girl with short, curly pink hair, wearing a large bow, dressed very fashionably.

On the right is a man with a rather avant-garde style, wearing a black top hat, who looks like an elegant magician. He should be a man, right?

"Clara?"

Ash, standing at the back, blurted out that he recognized the pink-haired girl on his left—the one who had invited him to the Isle of Armor. He remembered she was Master Ma's last apprentice, right?

Clara and the blonde magician next to her clearly enjoyed being the center of attention, standing in the middle with their hands on their hips and smug expressions.

Seeing that the atmosphere was right, Clara coughed once:
"Ahem! Everyone, please be quiet for a moment. Let me introduce myself first. I am Clara, Master Ma's most valued disciple."

Before she could finish speaking, the blond man next to her interrupted her:
"I am Master Ma's most valued disciple. My name is Sai Baoli, and I am in charge of all the enrollment matters for this martial arts school!"

As he spoke, Saiboli extended a finger, and a Poké Ball mysteriously floated up, immediately drawing cheers from the surrounding crowd.

Master Ma's martial arts school is truly full of hidden talents; there are even disciples with superpowers?!

"It really is a superpower?"

At the back of the crowd, Mary looked at Ash with a puzzled expression, and only after Ash nodded did she show a surprised look.

Seeing that everyone's attention had been drawn away, Clara, who was standing next to him, looked displeased and immediately tried to sabotage the situation:
"Hmph, hmph, hmph, he's just the weakest member of a prestigious superpower family. His superpowers are limited to moving a small ball; he can't even teleport or read minds!"

Having his identity exposed, Sai Baoli's face instantly turned red, and he stood with his hands on his hips, angrily rebuking her:
"You're still better than this street vendor idol! You only sold 8 copies of the CDs you produced, and you bought 7 of them yourself!!"

"How dare you speak to a senior like that?!"

"Idiot, I started learning a minute earlier than you, you're the junior!!"

"I am your senior!"

"I'm your senior!!"

The two seemed to have completely forgotten about the recruitment process, and were both angrily berating each other, showing none of their previous elegance and composure.

Xiaozhi: "."

Would Master Ma really entrust the task of student recruitment to these two unreliable people?
Seeing the atmosphere around them growing tense, the two finally realized what was happening, and after glaring at each other, they simultaneously stopped their verbal sparring.

This seems to be their daily routine.

Clara looked around at the crowd, her expression regaining its composure, and a radiant smile appeared on her face:

"Haha, my junior brother and I were just joking with everyone. Anyway, Master Ma's Martial Arts School still has enough spots for this year!"

Beside him, Sai Baoli quickly chimed in, straightening his back and speaking elegantly:
"That's right~ My junior sister is impolite, please don't take offense. However, there is only one enrollment spot left this year."

Upon hearing this, the surrounding crowd immediately began to make a fuss.

There were more than a dozen people, and only one spot is left?

"In short, anyone who wants to join the martial arts school can sign up now. After the elimination tournament, the one who can last until the end will become a member of our martial arts school."

"That's right~ The junior brother next to me will be the second to last junior brother~!"

Clara didn't miss any opportunity to belittle those around her.

The crowd immediately formed a long line. You see, trainers who come out of Master Ma's martial arts school are guaranteed to be among the top in the Super Ball rankings, and some can even score Ultra Balls.
It greatly improves the level of Pokémon battles!
Seeing this, Mary's eyes lit up, and she became interested, so she walked to the end of the line.

This seems like a great opportunity for special training!
"Hey Ash, you're not signing up? Never mind."

As soon as the question left her mouth, Mary realized it was a stupid one.

Ash smiled and, instead of queuing, simply held his head and watched from the back. He had come here specifically to evolve his Kushala Daora and Bebop.

Just say hello to Master Ma, and you won't compete for these people's precious apprenticeship spots. (End of Chapter)