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

Chapter 89: Into the Crown Tundra

The next morning, Alice and I packed in separate rooms that had somehow started feeling like ours.

A month had passed since we first set foot on the Isle of Armor. The dojo walls, the kitchen steam, the students training outside, and Mustard's sudden laughter had all become familiar. Leaving felt different from finishing a trial. It felt like stepping away from a place that had answered us.

After our battle with Mustard and Honey, the dojo had celebrated late into the night. Honey made more soup than anyone could finish, Hop tried to turn the celebration into research notes, and Mustard kept pretending he had not been emotional when he gave us his Rare League Card. Even Klara and Avery joined after pretending they were too refined or too busy to care.

Restricted Sparring came the next day as one last challenge. Three Pokémon of the same type, no easy switching, and no hiding behind a perfect team. It reminded me of the Battle Frontier, where the rules themselves became part of the opponent. Alice chose her teams carefully, while I followed my instincts and corrected them after she raised an eyebrow.

The format forced us to think differently. A Fire team could not simply burn through every problem if the opponent expected it. A Water team could not cover every weakness without patient timing. A Steel team could be strong and still lose if it forgot how to move. By the end, both of us had cleared enough rounds to earn special T-shirts with Mustard's face printed across them.

Mustard presented them like sacred treasure. "Wear them with pride."

Klara covered her mouth. Avery looked away. Hop laughed so hard he had to sit down.

Alice held her shirt up beside mine. "We are absolutely not wearing these to the station."

"Not today," I agreed, laughing despite myself.

Now we were back in our usual outfits, standing at the station with our bags ready.

Mustard, Honey, Hop, Klara, and Avery had all come to see us off. Honey hugged us tightly enough that Pikachu nearly squeaked between my shoulder and her arm. Mustard laughed, but his eyes were soft.

"You two are part of the Master Dojo family now," Mustard said. "Come back anytime."

"We will," I promised. "We will miss all of you."

Klara looked away, cheeks red. "Do not get too full of yourselves. I am still becoming a Gym Leader, and then I am demanding a rematch."

Avery adjusted his glasses. "As will I, naturally. A fair rematch, with elegance restored."

Alice smiled. "We will be waiting."

Pikachu pressed his paws against my shoulder and looked back at the dojo doors, "Leaving feels different when a place has started answering back."

"I know," I said quietly. "But we are carrying the answers with us."

Before heading home, Alice and I made one more stop far from the dojo's shore. We had heard stories about the Forest of Okoya, and after everything the Isle had taught us about old bonds and hidden strength, neither of us wanted to ignore a forest calling with that kind of mystery.

The Forest of Okoya was denser than the Forest of Focus, older in a way I felt before I understood it.

Vines hung like curtains, roots rose through the ground like sleeping Pokémon, and every sound carried through layers of leaves. The air smelled of damp bark, flowers, and something sharp beneath the soil. Wild Pokémon watched us from branches and bushes without fully showing themselves.

"We should not push too far without knowing the forest," Alice said.

"I agree," I answered. "We are visitors here."