He knows Pokémon better than me.

Inside Old Bob's Steakhouse.

The not-so-large store was still packed with people today, noisy and bustling, with the meat sizzling on the hot plate next to it, filling the room with the aroma of cooking.

"Hey Ash, congratulations! You'll be advancing to the Advanced Ball level soon!"

Sitting across from me, waiting for our meal, Magua congratulated me with a big smile.

Even with his skill level, he would only rank in the middle range at best among advanced players. Going beyond that would be a serious challenge.

But Ash's words
After teaming up with the latter for a Dynamax raid battle, Maga is now looking forward to his final showdown with Leon in the Eight Masters.

Xiao Zhi nodded; he had been waiting for this day for a long time.

The main battles are at the Super Ball level, and currently, Martial Arts Bear Master and Melmeta are simply unable to participate.

It's an instant kill; it can't even be considered a Pokémon battle.

The real stage for them is at the advanced ball level!

"Don't worry, you'll usually get a promotion match notification within a week, and you'll most likely be matched with an opponent from outside your region."

It's not based on your registered residence or birthplace, but on the location where you usually rank in matches. For Ash, this means players from outside the Galar region.

Sometimes, they even have to fly directly to other places to fight.

Other regions?

Xiao Zhi blinked, wondering if he might run into someone he knew.

Ding ding~!

Just then, the steakhouse door opened, causing the bell above to ring crisply.

The woman who entered was dressed in a stylish and attractive manner. She had long, slightly wavy orange hair tied in a ponytail and wore sunglasses as an accessory.

Because of the frigid environment of Zhanjing Town, he wore a fluffy trench coat over his usual leather jacket.

"Sonia~ Over here!!"

Upon seeing an acquaintance, Xiao Zhi quickly raised his hand to greet him.

"Hey, long time no see, Ash! Pikachu looks great too!"

Sonia's eyes lit up, and she quickly walked over, greeting Magua warmly once again:
"You must be Maga, the owner of the Battle Arena? I've heard so much about you!"

"It's Sonia! Please have a seat, I'll order for you!"

Magua quickly pulled out the table and chairs next to him to make room for him.

One is the youngest Pokémon professor in the Galar region, and the other is a local Gym Leader who is also an internet celebrity. The two know each other online.

However, this is the first time I've seen it in real life.

Having just placed her order, Sonia took off her coat, rolled up her sleeves, and eagerly peered around:
"By the way, Xiaozhi, where is that ancient mural you mentioned?"

She didn't just happen to be passing by; she had arranged to meet Xiaozhi beforehand.

When Xiaozhi sent her the photos, Sonia was so excited that she rushed over immediately and arranged to meet here to see the real thing in person.

"Here, over there."

Xiao Zhi pointed to the wall inside the restaurant. Among a pile of medals and certificates, there was a very old-fashioned tapestry with a simple and abstract style, depicting a picture.

When it came to the mythology and history of Galar, Sonia naturally forgot about eating and immediately leaned in to examine it closely—

The image shows two people wearing crowns, who look like kings or princes, holding candles and observing a moment of silence.

Behind them appeared to be a cemetery, with tombstones marked with images of short swords and shields. Ash walked over, still chewing on beef, and peered closer to examine the site.

"So this is a tombstone?"

He hadn't thought of this before; he's truly an expert!

However, Sonia looked at the tapestry in front of her, touched her chin, and her expression became increasingly solemn.

The history of Galar has once again reached this strange fork in the road.

“Actually, not long ago, I went to Motogaku City, where there are tapestries and murals with a similar style, and there are four of them in total.”

Sonia spoke slowly, and the four murals over there seemed to depict a complete and coherent story.

As she spoke, she took out her phone and showed the photos to Xiaozhi—

Four tapestries and murals of similar material and style, but the one in the photo is clearly better preserved, and they are hung on the wall in sequence.

"According to the most widespread myths and legends in the Galar region, these four murals should depict two heroes who witnessed the arrival of an ancient calamity and defeated it together with a 'sword' and a 'shield'."

"The story of two heroes who, after bringing peace to the world, became the great kings of Galar."

Sonia spoke slowly and deliberately.

Looking at the four murals, it's a positive and perfectly happy story, with nothing wrong with it.

It also aligns with the mythology that has been passed down through generations in Galar.

But now, a fifth one has appeared.
Sonia carefully touched the edge of the tapestry in front of her, trying to determine if it was a forgery by someone else.

Then he went to the kitchen counter and asked about the details of when the tapestry was bought and sold.

"I was at the treasure market in Suchuan Town when I saw a tapestry with an interesting pattern, so I just bought it on a whim. I swear, it was that simple!"

The middle-aged male owner tilted his head and recalled that he had dyed his hair blonde and had a golden gentleman's beard, the image of the restaurant founder in the cosplay illustration.

“Well, it didn’t cost me too much money. It wasn’t an expensive thing, you can totally understand it that way.”

The boss shrugged and said matter-of-factly.

The main problem is that the edges of the tapestry are tattered, and a quarter of the lower section has long been torn apart, so the lower bodies of the two heroes cannot be seen in the picture at all.

Then it was treated as a niche, unconventional decorative item and remained hanging on the wall.

Normally, passersby might glance at it, but no one would pay much attention to it.

But judging from the woman's expression, could it be...?
Did I snag a bargain?!

"Did you buy it at a treasure hunt market?"

Sonia looked suspicious. After all, the other four paintings were perfectly preserved in the "Treasure Vault" of the castle in Hammerlocke City. To see them in person, one would need to have connections.

There's no reason why the fifth piece in the same series would inexplicably appear at the street market in Suchuan Town.

Moreover, if this fifth painting were added to the story—

The two heroes who became kings eventually buried their sword and shield, and the scene and atmosphere became dark, turning it into a tragedy.
Sonia turned her head and immediately asked enthusiastically:
"By the way, boss, is this painting of yours for sale?"

"This is a barbecue restaurant; we only sell grilled steak. As for other dishes, they're probably not on our menu."

The boss anticipated this and refused outright.

He then handed Sonia a sizzling, cooked steak set meal.

This caused Sonia to frown, take the steak somewhat dejectedly, and sit opposite Ash and Maga, silently cutting it. (End of Chapter)