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Chris took the ticket to the Isle of Armor and boarded the train at the station. Halfway through the journey, he transferred to a Corviknight taxi service, and finally arrived at his destination—the Isle of Armor.
Stepping out of the station on the Isle of Armor, Chris found himself standing in the Fields of Honor.
This was a wilderness area located near the ocean. Standing in place and gazing into the distance, he could see an endless expanse of blue sea stretching to the horizon. When he turned around, there were coconut palm trees, sandy beaches, and Wingull crying out as they soared overhead.
Nothing else surrounded the area except for the train station and the Pokemon Center.
However, if he turned around and walked toward the interior of the island, he would immediately spot the Master Dojo—a renowned martial arts training facility.
Master Mustard served as the mentor to the current Galar Region Champion, Leon. More importantly, he was a living legend in the Pokemon world.
If there truly existed such a thing as a "Pokemon Master" in this world, he would undoubtedly be considered one of them.
At the same time, Master Mustard was also the owner of the Isle of Armor, having established his dojo on this remote island paradise.
"I remember he still has an Urshifu in his team," Chris muttered to himself. According to what he knew about this place, if he joined Master Mustard's dojo, he might have a chance to obtain a Kubfu—the pre-evolved form of the legendary Urshifu.
As a legendary Pokemon that actually had an evolution, Kubfu was truly unique among its peers.
However, since it was indeed a legendary Pokemon, Chris didn't hold too much hope of obtaining one easily.
Walking closer to Master Mustard's dojo, Chris was immediately approached by two people who seemed to be blocking his path.
One was a female Psychic trainer wearing a distinctive magician's hat, with a Poke Ball floating mysteriously in mid-air around her through her psychic abilities.
The other had a white bow tied in her hair and wore a cozy fleece jacket. She appeared to be a sweet and cheerful girl with an idol-like presence.
"Klara, looking him up and down: Are you another trainer who's come to join the dojo?"
"Avery: I didn't expect that there would be new students joining at this time of year. How unusual!"
"Klara, seeming excited: How about we help the Master evaluate this new student's abilities in advance?"
"Avery, his expression growing concerned: It's probably better if we don't. I really don't want to be scolded by the Master again."
"Klara, as if remembering something unpleasant: You're absolutely right. Let's just forget about that idea..."
The two hurried away, looking somewhat flustered.
Watching the pair leave while talking amongst themselves, Chris recalled that these two seemed to be rival characters from the games he remembered. To be more precise, they were competitive opponents that trainers would encounter on the Isle of Armor.
However, they seemed to be more of a comedic duo than serious threats, so he didn't pay them much attention.
Chris continued forward and headed straight toward Master Mustard's dojo.
Before reaching the martial arts hall, Chris could hear the sounds of "Hah! Hah! Hah!" echoing from within the building.
These weren't sounds of people drinking, but rather a group of trainers practicing martial arts techniques alongside their Pokemon partners.
Thinking back, Chris remembered that Master Mustard was indeed a trainer who specialized in Fighting-type Pokemon.
When he arrived at the entrance of the dojo, he spotted an elderly man crouched on the ground, absorbed in playing with a handheld gaming device.
Chris approached to speak with him.
The old man then stood up, put away his device, looked at Chris, and asked a simple question.
"Master Mustard: Do you want to join the dojo and train under my guidance?"
"[Yes/No]"
The person standing before him was Master Mustard himself?!
He wore white pants and a green seasonal jacket. Two long, white eyebrows hung down on either side of his face like extra braids, giving him a rather peculiar appearance.
Of course, Chris had some memory of Master Mustard's appearance, but he hadn't expected to encounter him crouched at the entrance of his own dojo, engrossed in gaming.
He looked more like an elderly farmer taking a break in a countryside yard than a legendary Pokemon Champion.
What kind of champion was this? He didn't possess any of the dignified bearing one might expect!
However, joining the dojo was still necessary. This casual demeanor could only demonstrate that Master Mustard was genuinely down-to-earth and approachable.
Chris chose "Yes" without hesitation.
Master Mustard immediately clapped his hands together enthusiastically and tucked away his handheld device.
"Master Mustard: Since you want to join the dojo and train under me, you'll need appropriate clothing suitable for rigorous training. Unfortunately, the training uniforms I prepared for new students just a few days ago were stolen by a group of wild Pokemon. So first, you'll need to go retrieve those stolen uniforms."
"Master Mustard: Consider this my entrance test for joining the dojo. Once you recover the training clothes, you'll officially be counted among my martial arts students."
"Master Mustard: I'll mark the locations of the Pokemon who stole the clothes on this map for you."
As he spoke, he handed Chris a detailed map of the island.
A quest notification appeared on Chris's device.
[Quest Triggered: Master Mustard's Three Trials - Part 1]
[Quest Requirements: Retrieve the stolen training uniforms (0/3)]
[Quest Reward: Unlock Master Mustard Dojo Reputation System]
A quest with handheld prompts appearing outside of a dungeon instance?
This was indeed quite rare and unexpected.
The rewards were also intriguingly novel.
Unlock a reputation system?
Could it be that he would be able to earn various rewards through building reputation with Master Mustard's Dojo?
Chris began to feel genuinely excited about the possibilities.
Chris opened his map interface, and he could now clearly view the local area. The Isle of Armor's geography was displayed in remarkable detail.
The Fields of Honor, Loop Lagoon, Soothing Wetlands, Courageous Cavern, and many other locations were all clearly marked.
Three red target icons appeared in three different areas: Courageous Cavern, Forest of Focus, and Loop Lagoon. The target icons with red dots were even moving around rather than remaining fixed in one place.
These must be the locations that Master Mustard had marked for Chris—the positions of the Pokemon who had stolen his prepared training uniforms.
After visiting the Pokemon Center in the Fields of Honor to ensure his team was fully healed and ready, Chris set out toward the nearest location, Loop Lagoon, to search for the first stolen training uniform.
Meanwhile, in a distant region of China, rolling hills stretched endlessly across the landscape, with many ancient dwellings of legendary figures scattered throughout the mountain ranges.
The Fang family had lived in these high mountains for countless generations, serving as guardians of ancient secrets that had been passed down through the centuries.
The Fang family ancestral hall sat atop the highest peak, where the sky above was brilliantly blue and clear, while thousands of miles of floating clouds drifted like snow beneath their feet.
The heavens and earth trembled slightly, and a blue crack suddenly appeared out of nowhere, as if reality itself were being torn apart. Ten streams of light blue, gas-like energy began to "flow" out from the mysterious fissure.
A group of people stood at the entrance to the crack, watching with great anticipation and reverence.
After a long while, someone finally spoke: "The Bird Secret Realm will be opening five days ahead of schedule this time. It won't remain open for very long, so go and notify everyone who wishes to enter for training purposes!"