Pokémon, Ash's art style is off!

Follow the instructions.

The three of them went up the stairs inside the cabin to the second floor and pushed open a half-closed wooden door.

A warm breeze carrying the aroma of food wafted over me.

The restaurant is small, with only seven or eight tables, but it is decorated in a very unique way.

The wooden floor was polished to a shine, and on each table sat a small glass bottle containing a single, unidentified wildflower.

The window seats offer a panoramic view of the sea, and sunlight streams through the glass, bathing the entire room in a warm golden glow.

There weren't many customers in the restaurant at the moment; only a few middle-aged men sat in a corner, each holding a glass of wine and chatting quietly.

A waiter was standing behind the bar. When he saw the three of them come in, he warmly invited them to sit down.

"What would you like to eat?"

"Hand over the menu," the waiter asked.

Xiaoxia took the menu.

I only glanced at it.

What's the most expensive?

"Madam, our signature dish today is..."

"No need for introductions," Xiaoxia waved her hand and closed the menu. "Just give me one of each of the top three most expensive dishes on the menu."

"Another soup, the most expensive one, and dessert too."

The waiter paused for a moment, quickly jotted down a few notes in the order book, and then turned and went into the kitchen.

While waiting for the food, Xiao Zhi listlessly lay on the table, trying to reduce his energy consumption.

Just then, the faint sound of a group of middle-aged men chatting in the corner drifted over.

"...Have you heard? That hot company that's been all the rage lately has gone bankrupt!"

"Which company? Be more specific."

"It's that company—what's it called again—oh right, TR! The big company that specializes in surveillance equipment! The one that advertises everywhere!"

Ash's ears twitched.

"A thunderstorm? What happened?"

The second person became interested, and the chair creaked as they moved forward.

"This constitutes a violation of user privacy!"

"It is said that there was a problem within the company. A temporary worker tampered with the monitoring system. After TR discovered this, they immediately fired the guy and issued a statement saying, 'This is an isolated case and has been dealt with seriously.'"

Xiao Gang: "......"

Xiaoxia: "......"

Ash: "......"

Temporary worker?

Why does this plot seem so familiar?

Wasn't this Caesar's idea from the hunting grounds?

Just as the three were still processing the conversation, the topic in the corner somehow took a different turn.

"Hey, have you heard? There's this 'Hot Spring Judge' on Crimson Lotus Island that's really going viral online."

Xiao Gang paused for a moment.

A companion nearby chimed in.

"I've seen it, I've seen it. Is it that guy who camps out at various hot springs and interrogates people who are wearing clothes while soaking in the hot springs?"

"It's said that his eyes were as wide as copper bells, and he could spot anyone dressed and entering the hot springs at a glance, then interrogate them on the spot—'Do you know your crime?'"

"real or fake?"

"Of course it's true. There are posts about it online, titled 'Red Lotus Appears as Judge at Hot Spring, Her Judgment is Sharp and Vicious,' and it's got a lot of clicks."

"I heard this person seems to be inciting conflict between men and women. Some tourists from the Tokyo area reported that they were dressed and not judged, while some local girls who were dressed even less were glared at for a long time..."

"Ah... well, that's a bit unfair."

"I just don't know what it looks like?"

"They say he has a dark complexion, a very muscular build, and is the type who spends a lot of time outdoors—"

At this point, the speaker suddenly paused.

His gaze swept across the restaurant and landed on Xiao Gang, who was quietly waiting for his food at another table.

"Look, just like that person."

"But it's these eyes... um."

It is said that the judge of the hot springs has eyes like copper bells, but this one has squinty eyes and is not in the same league at all.

Xiaoxia is holding a water cup and pretending to drink water.

She heard it all clearly.

Hot spring judge.

She glanced at Xiao Gang.

Goodness, that's why she couldn't find Xiaogang these past few days.

So they went to launch a powerful attack!

192. A seasoned eater!

It wasn't just Xiaoxia.

Even Pikachu, who had just been dozing off while resting his head on a tomato figurine, was now fully awake.

It had sat up straight without anyone noticing.

Its ears stood up like antennas, and its eyes were fixed on Xiaogang without blinking.

As for the identity of the hot spring judge...

There's absolutely no need to hesitate! Who else could it be!

Ash, standing to the side, couldn't keep up with the pace.

He glanced at Xia on his left, then at Pikachu on his right, and followed their gazes to Brock across from him, who remained motionless, looking as if to say, "I just wanted to challenge my weakness."

Ok?

Xiao Zhi scratched his head.

Why are you all watching Teacher Gang?

Just as he was about to ask—

"Here are your dishes, please enjoy."

The waiter came over with a big tray, all smiles.

The dishes were placed on the table one by one.

The steaming aroma acted like a net, precisely covering Xiaozhi's sense of smell.

Gollum—

Ash's stomach rumbled like thunder once again.

Without the slightest hesitation, Xiao Zhi instantly forgot his previous question.

They started eating right away.

Pikachu, not to be outdone, immediately attacked with both hands.

"Slow down, nobody's going to take it from you!"

Xiaoxia moved the vase on the table to the side, giving Xiaozhi more space to fight.

Ash's eyes widened instantly upon taking the first bite.

"So delicious!"

With his cheeks puffed out, he spoke indistinctly.

"Pikachu, you have to try this!"

"Pickup!"

Pikachu had already scooped up a spoonful of soup and put it in its mouth, then the whole mouse froze.

Its ears perked up instantly, and the electric sacs on its cheeks crackled and sparked.

Just like when Shao Fu is excited, holy water will involuntarily overflow.

It's leaking electricity.

This is its reaction when it is extremely shocked!

"Pikachu, Pikachu!"

It pointed at the soup bowl with its paw, so excited that it was incoherent.

Seeing this, Xiao Zhi also scooped up a spoonful of soup and put it directly into his mouth without caring about the temperature.

In that instant, Ash's expression changed.

It transformed from "a hungry wolf pouncing on its prey" to "soulful sublimation."

He closed his eyes, the spoon still in his mouth, as if he had been struck by something.

It took him a while to slowly open his eyes, his gaze filled with disbelief.

"This soup..."

Xiao Zhi's voice softened, as if he were talking about something sacred.