Chapter 13 – Champion Leon! And the Girl Marnie

"…It's over."

Raihan could only watch helplessly as Lucas left openly and unhindered. He slowly closed his eyes, and a deep, overwhelming sense of powerlessness surged through his entire body.

"The Storm of Dragons?"

What a joke he was.

"Team Rocket…"

Oleana leaned against the wall, her fair and flawless face clouded with gloom. She forced out these three words one syllable at a time.

Team Rocket!

This grudge—has been forged!

A chilling light flickered in Oleana's eyes. Galar may be far from Indigo, with an entire ocean between them, but that didn't mean she couldn't do anything.

The wound and humiliation Lucas left her with today—she would make him pay it back a hundredfold!

"He escaped?"

At the same moment that Lucas fled, the Hero of the Sword, Zacian, reacted immediately. It turned its head swiftly to the ground below, extending its senses to the fullest.

But—it could no longer feel Eternatus's presence.

Zacian's expression turned ice cold. That parasite actually managed to get away!

"So that was just a distraction to escape after all? What a cunning insect."

As thoughts raced through its mind, Zacian instantly realized that the Draco Meteor had only been a means of diverting its attention.

A glint of cold light flickered in Zacian's eyes.

"Run, then. I'll find you sooner or later, Eternatus."

As a parasitic creature that needed energy to survive, Zacian wasn't worried about locating it. Eternatus had to absorb energy to live. It wasn't optional—it was a necessity! Only through this process could it sustain its vitality!

The blazing fireworks of Draco Meteor finally faded. Zacian descended onto the rooftop of a tall building, its calm gaze sweeping across the entire city.

Although it had intercepted the majority of the meteor storm, some stray meteors had still landed and caused destruction within the city.

All that was once peaceful—had been abruptly shattered.

"As expected of a calamity…"

With a flash of light, Zacian exited its Crowned Sword form, its determination to eliminate Eternatus now even firmer than before.

It turned into a streak of blue light and vanished into the sky. Since it could no longer sense Eternatus's presence, it naturally couldn't track it.

But that was fine.

It had stayed in the Slumbering Weald long enough anyway—it was time to actively search for Eternatus's whereabouts.

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On an open plain, Lucas and Gardevoir suddenly appeared in a flash.

"You've worked hard, Gardevoir. You can rest for now."

Scanning the area around him, Lucas smiled and took out a Poké Ball, addressing Gardevoir gently.

Worried that Zacian might catch up, Gardevoir had performed over a dozen consecutive Teleports to get them this far. By now, this distance was more than safe.

"Vor"

Gardevoir's ruby-like eyes squinted into happy crescents. Her slender arms wrapped around Lucas's waist as she gently rubbed her cheek against him, letting out a soft trill of affection.

"What a sweet child."

Lucas chuckled and recalled her into the Poké Ball. Though proud and aloof by nature, Lucas was a true Pokémon lover at heart. His bond with his main partners was always very deep and intimate.

"Eternatus, how are your injuries?"

After orienting himself, he spotted what looked like a small town in the distance. As he walked toward it, Lucas activated his Dragon Power once more to communicate with Eternatus.

(TN: I'll be shortening the power.)

"That damned thing still hits so hard. I've lost a lot of energy…"

Eternatus's weak and low mental voice echoed in Lucas's mind. Clearly, the earlier battle with Zacian had left it seriously injured.

It made sense—Eternatus had a massive body, making it a perfect target for Zacian. On top of that, it had endured two direct hits from Zacian's powerful Behemoth Blade.

Though Eternatus had immense stamina and strong defenses, even it had its limits.

"Lucas, I need to replenish my energy. I won't be able to maintain my vitality much longer like this."

Eternatus said softly. As one of the most unique Legendary Pokémon, it needed a steady intake of energy just to stay alive.

The battle with Zacian had consumed far too much. If it didn't replenish soon, it wouldn't just weaken—it could actually starve to death.

When it first awakened, its energy reserves had already been low. Before it could even absorb the energy within the Energy Plant, Zacian had shown up and forced it into battle.

Eternatus felt so wronged it could cry.

"I understand. Returning to the Energy Plant now is impossible. We'll have to look for another energy source."

Lucas fell into brief thought, but wasn't surprised.

After that intense fight, it was only natural for Eternatus to be drained.

In all of Galar, the place with the richest energy supply was without a doubt the Energy Plant. Rose had gathered a massive stockpile of Wishing Stars and fragments—these were all parts of Eternatus's original body from three thousand years ago.

In terms of energy density, nothing matched the Wishing Stars.

But going back to the Energy Plant now? Lucas wasn't stupid.

Sure, he could infiltrate it easily—but what if Zacian hadn't gone far and was still lying in wait?

To be safe, returning to Hammerlocke City was completely off the table. At this stage, it was far too dangerous.

That left only one choice: to find an alternative energy source.

"Thank you, Lucas," Eternatus replied, nodding in gratitude. "You're a good man! Truly, a great human being!"

Tears welled in Eternatus's figurative eyes. Its fondness for Lucas skyrocketed like a rocket blasting off.

Eternatus wasn't actually all that evil. It had arrived on this planet twenty thousand years ago and had peacefully slept ever since, causing no trouble.

Its awakening three thousand years ago had only been due to an energy deficiency. Acting on instinct, it had absorbed Galar's energy, which led to the Darkest Day phenomenon.

Yet even then, it had failed to fully restore itself—and got beaten nearly to death by the sibling duo of Zacian and Zamazenta.

Barely clinging to life for three millennia, it was then sealed by Rose within the Energy Plant. After finally seeing daylight again today—it got caught and viciously beaten by Zacian once more, nearly hacked to death…

Eternatus's entire existence was a tragic blood-and-tears chronicle.

Now, this human had not only freed it but also helped it escape Zacian's sword, and was even offering to help it search for energy…

Eternatus was truly moved to tears. So touched. Cryinging.

"You don't need to thank me. Just remember, if I ever need your help, I hope you'll lend me your strength."

Lucas grinned. This supposed most evil and powerful Pokémon in all of Galar legend turned out to be surprisingly simple-minded.

"Of course! If anyone dares to hurt Lucas, I'll never allow it!"

"Then I'll be counting on you, Eternatus~"

This day—for Lucas—was without a doubt the most joyful of his entire eighteen years of life.

Because he had obtained the Dragon-type Legendary he'd always dreamed of! And not just any Dragon-type, but Eternatus—a top-tier Pokémon with a base stat total over a thousand when in Eternamax form!

But for others, this day was nothing short of a catastrophe.

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Hammerlocke City.

A strong, muscular orange-red Charizard descended from the sky. Riding on its back was a young man with long purple hair.

He wore a champion's cloak lined in red, had mature and striking features, a neatly trimmed beard, and exuded a calm, unwavering presence that gave people a sense of reliability.

It was none other than the undefeated champion of Galar—Leon!

Since his debut, Leon had never lost a single match.

Yes—not even once!

Leon was the very definition of a legendary genius. He debuted at sixteen, and within a year had claimed the title of Champion, becoming Galar's top trainer.

To win the Champion Cup within just one year of debuting—this was the crowning glory of Leon's career.

But Leon never let it go to his head. He understood well the heavy responsibility a Champion bore.

He carried out his duty with unwavering dedication, safeguarding the peace of Galar. No matter who the challenger was, Leon always faced them with full respect and went all out in battle.

It was this admirable attitude, combined with his warm personality in private, that made Leon the most beloved public figure in Galar, earning him the title of "Undefeated Champion."

But now—the Leon that people usually saw as warm and friendly—wore an unusually heavy expression.

"Charizard, return for now."

Leaping off his partner's back, Leon gently patted Charizard's arm and returned it to its Poké Ball.

He swept his eyes over the nearby ruins. After receiving a message from Oleana, he had rushed back from the Crown Tundra.

But he'd seen the message too late. Though he hadn't stopped to rest once, by the time he reached Hammerlocke, night had already fallen.

And now—seeing the city's devastation with his own eyes—Leon felt the weight of guilt and grief settle heavily on his heart.

He hadn't been here when he was needed the most. And because of that, Hammerlocke had suffered this terrible disaster.

"What exactly happened here?"

Quickly regaining his composure, Leon stepped into a nearby building where Oleana and Raihan were waiting.

He didn't waste time on pleasantries and asked directly.

Raihan remained silent. He no longer had the confident, energetic look of his usual self. His face and eyes were dim, as if something inside him had broken.

"A man named Lucas from Team Rocket invaded the Energt Plant," Oleana said coldly, her tone dark. "He's extremely powerful."

"Just one person? And even Raihan couldn't stop him?" Leon's frown deepened.

Team Rocket—an evil organization from faraway Kanto. Leon had heard of them before.

"…I'm sorry. I wasn't strong enough."

Raihan's voice was hoarse and low. He was filled with guilt. If only he had been stronger—Hammerlocke wouldn't be in ruins. It was thanks to Zacian's arrival that things hadn't turned out even worse…

"...??"

Leon stared in shock at his friend. Was this still the Raihan he knew? The one who never gave up no matter how many times he lost?

Sensing something was very wrong, Leon glanced at Oleana.

Oleana gave him a helpless shake of her head. She had tried to comfort Raihan too—but what had happened today, and the defeat by that Rocket executive, had dealt Raihan a blow too great for her to mend.

He had shut himself off completely. There was nothing more she could do—he'd have to recover on his own.

"Team Rocket, huh…" Leon clenched his fists, rare fury flashing in his eyes.

They destroyed Hammerlocke, displaced countless civilians—and even left his proud friend like this?

Unforgivable.

"We'll discuss the details when Chairman Rose arrives. I've already contacted him. He'll return to Galar by tomorrow morning."

(End of Chapter)