1. Ash's Story (Part 10: Galar)

Chapter 37

After exiting the gym, we stumble upon Sonia, who seems to be eagerly waiting for us. She expresses, "That battle was brilliant! That Gym Leader was tough, but you had no trouble."

"Thank you," Alice responds with a smile. "What brings you here, Sonia?"

"Circhester has some really great restaurants. I got some things I want to talk to you about, so let's head to a restaurant to celebrate your win! The name of the restaurant is Bob's Your Uncle!" Sonia suggests enthusiastically.

As we enter Bob's Your Uncle, we spot Hop already present at the restaurant. Hop inquires, "Got that Gym Badge, Alice? Nice one!"

"Yeah, it's not easy." Alice responds as we settle into our seats at the restaurant. Sonia shares, "I've been trying to find out more about the Darkest Day and the sword and shield Pokémon, but still no luck..."

Suddenly, Sonia's attention is drawn to a tapestry adorning the wall. With an audible gasp, she exclaims, "Wait! Hold on!" Sonia's eyes widen in surprise as she scrutinizes the tapestry closely, before gasping once more, "No way! What's this?!" Her sudden shock intrigues everyone at the table.

Gloria humorously comments, "Oh, an absolutely fantastic poster, I see?"

"Exactly! Bob, with his brilliant smile, must be part of the legend! Wait, what are you on about?! Don't confuse me!" Sonia exclaims, momentarily baffled by the joke.

"That's not the poster we're referring to!" Elena interjects, trying to clarify the misunderstanding.

Observing the tapestry, Sonia notes, "The heroes look sad... And where are the sword and shield?" Sonia questions, puzzled. "What was the meaning of this picture?" The mysterious depiction of the tapestry piques her curiosity, she seeks to decipher its significance.

"Is this the end of a legend?" I ponder aloud, intrigued by the tapestry's enigmatic portrayal.

"Hmm... Perhaps when their duty was completed, they went into some kind of sleep?" Sonia muses, contemplating the potential conclusion of the depicted story.

"Based on those statues we saw back in Stow-on-Side, the sword and the shield were actually two Pokémon, right?" Hop recalls, seeking clarification.

"That's right! That's my take on it, at least," Sonia affirms, confirming the interpretation of the tapestry's narrative as a representation of the legendary Pokémon, reinforcing the connection to the statues previously encountered in Stow-on-Side.

You remember the Pokémon we met that day? Do you think... it could've been one of them? Either the sword or the shield Pokémon?" Alice inquires, intrigued by the connection between the legendary Pokémon and their encounter.

"You... met them?" Sonia reacts with surprise, taken aback by the revelation.

"Exactly! We came across two Pokémon in the fog back in the Slumbering Weald. I wonder if they could be the ones," I explain, adding to the discussion.

"Oh, that's right! You lot have been in the Slumbering Weald," Sonia recalls. "I only started on this journey because my gran told me to, but this is turning out to be too much fun! You've got to tell me more. How about we discuss this over a meal? Go on, what do you want to eat? Let's get our orders in!"

Realizing that we haven't yet ordered our meals, we decide to do so, indulging in some food while continuing our intriguing conversation.

Once our meal concludes, Sonia suggests, "Fascinating... All right, the next thing to do now that we're done eating is to have a look around Circhester! Let's inspect the Hero's Bath!"

"We just took a bath there, didn't we?" Flora recalls.

Despite this, we decide to head to the Hero's Bath, where Sonia elaborates, "The Hero's Bath... They say this is where the two heroes came to sooth their wounds after the battle to bring down that evil presence, long ago. Nowadays only Pokémon really use the Hero's Bath, though... Hmm... Who exactly were the heroes that bathed here? I think I'll have to look into that."