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

Chapter 62

As we talk about Mustard until we arrive in the dojo, we spot someone talking to Mustard, and it comes as a surprise.

"Hop? Is that you?" Surprise courses through me as I see the familiar face in front of us. He turns around with a smile and greets us.

"Oh! Hey, welcome back, Ash and Alice! It looks like you've been hard at work keeping up your training here at the dojo, eh?"

Hop and I exchange a fist bump, while Alice gives him a friendly hug. She asks, "Hop, what are you doing here?"

Hop just grins and says, "Surprise! And nicely done, Ash and Alice. That's just the reaction I was hoping for! I'm here on the Isle of Armor to research more about the Dynamax phenomenon."

"So, I hear that we three are friends! How delightful!" Mustard approaches us. "Hoppy-kins here was just asking my permission to camp out on the Isle of Armor... But where's the fun in mucking about in the mud? I was telling him he should stay here—at the dojo!"

"That will be great, don't you think, Hop?" I inquire.

"I mean, it'd be loads easier than camping out for a long time, but wouldn't I be in the way?" Hop wonders.

"Everybody's welcome to wear out their welcome at the Master Dojo! Don't be shy, my boy! Besides, we're practically family already. You're the little brother of our Leon, after all!"

"Yeah, it's true—Lee did train here when we were both kids..." Hop acknowledges, and for some reason, Alice and I notice some weird expressions on Klara and Avery's faces.

"All right then, Master Mustard. You've twisted my arm! I hope you don't regret it, because I'm staying!" Hop declares in determination, and Mustard just smiles. "Whoo! The more the merrier! I'm pleased as punched in a gold-plated punch bowl! Which reminds me, Ash, Alice... I've got something I've been meaning to tell you about Kubfu...or really, its Evolution-Urshifu."

This piques our curiosity, and Hop asks, "Wait, you two already have the Urshifu? No way..."

"Well, we did beat the tower of two fists with the help of Urshifu," I reply, and Hop is amazed.

"So Master Mustard, what are you going to talk about?" Alice asks, and Mustard replies, "The truth is the lovable rascal is capable of Gigantamaxing, too."

"Wait, for real?" I ask, "Then should we give them some Max Soup to make them able to Gigantamax?"

"That is what I am going to talk about. It's a bit tricky because it really can't stand the taste of Max Mushrooms. So Max Soup is off the menu, unless you can make it more appealing to it," Mustard explains.

"Oh man..." Alice mutters.

"There's a certain something you can find here on the Isle of Armor, though, that'll make even Urshifu gobble up a bowl of Max Soup... And that certain something is..." Mustard starts to say.

"That certain...something...is—?!" I repeat Mustard's words.

"That certain something... It's actually..." Mustard begins to close his eyes and think.

After a silence for a while, Hop says, "The suspense here is killing me..."

Mustard just rubs his head with embarrassment. "Actually...I've forgotten what it is! Oopsie-doopsie!"

This causes us to anime fall, and Hop exclaims, "Are you kidding me?! Noooooo!"

"Mufufufu! You're even more fun to tease than your brother ever was!" Mustard laughs. I chime in, "Don't tell me you forgot about it, Master Mustard."