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Slumbering Weald, a mysterious forest located south of Hulbury Town.
For most people, it's just a mysterious, foggy forest, a place worth adventuring in.
However, because the fog can sometimes be too dense, many adventurers are reluctant to come here.
Yet, Mammon was very clear that this Slumbering Weald was precisely the habitat of the legendary heroes, Zacian and Zamazenta.
Mammon and Caitlin entered the Slumbering Weald; it was fine at first, but as they delved deeper, the fog became increasingly thick.
Visibility was only about two meters, and it was quite blurry.
"Caitlin, hold on to me tightly, and be careful where you step."
"Mhm~!"
Caitlin held Mammon's hand tightly, nodding heavily with a smile.
Feeling the touch and warmth from his hand, Caitlin's smile deepened.
After walking for about ten minutes, the fog grew even denser, and visibility was almost less than a meter, but these issues weren't very significant.
If he wasn't afraid of disturbing Zacian and Zamazenta, Mammon would have cleared away the thick fog long ago.
"Ah!!"
Just then, a frightened female voice came from not far away.
There are other people here?
Mammon and Caitlin were startled; Mammon thought for a moment, then led Caitlin towards the source of the sound.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!"
When Mammon and Caitlin arrived, a young woman with orange hair was rubbing her butt sideways, her fair face showing some pain.
Clearly, she had taken a bad fall.
However, she quickly noticed Mammon and Caitlin approaching, her movements pausing, feeling quite embarrassed.
After all, her actions just now were not very graceful.
Mammon raised an eyebrow, as he immediately recognized her: it was the researcher Sonia, Leon's childhood friend.
Although Sonia didn't look like a researcher, she looked more like a beautiful, fashionable lady.
"Hello, you two, are you here for an adventure?"
Sonia showed what she thought was a friendly smile and waved at them.
"Yes, but I didn't expect to run into you, Miss Sonia. Do you need help?"
Mammon was noncommittal, glancing at Sonia's left foot, which was trembling slightly and hanging unnaturally, likely sprained.
"Ah~ So you know me, that's even better."
Sonia's smile became even more awkward; although she was a researcher, she was still a young woman, and being seen in such a disheveled state was a bit embarrassing.
"Could I trouble you, handsome, to help me up first? My foot is sprained, and I really can't get up."
"Alright."
Mammon stepped forward and helped Sonia up, carefully assisting her to sit on a nearby tree stump.
"Hiss~ Phew, thank you, handsome. Otherwise, I'd really be in trouble."
Sonia hissed in pain but also breathed a sigh of relief.
"Miss Sonia, coming to this place alone is too dangerous. At least find a friend to come with you."
Mammon couldn't help but chuckle as he watched Sonia rummaging through her bag.
"Heh~ We scholars aren't that delicate. I just accidentally got startled by a Musharna that suddenly floated out."
Sonia said, finding a high-grade Potion.
"But why are you two here? Slumbering Weald is quite mysterious right now, and it's not a good place for a date either."
Sonia winked at Mammon and Caitlin, teasing them.
Sonia was indeed a more outgoing person.
"Miss Sonia is quite cheerful."
Mammon smiled at the remark and didn't refute it; Caitlin, even more so, could barely suppress the smile on her lips.
Her impression of this suddenly appearing wild researcher surged.
"One's life always experiences many, many twists and turns, but I believe everything will develop in the best direction."
Sonia replied casually. She reached out and tried to take off her boot, but unfortunately, due to the pain in her foot, she couldn't do it.
Sonia could only raise her head innocently and look towards Mammon.
"Handsome, help your big sister?"
"You really should thank us for happening to pass by today."
Mammon didn't refuse, squatting down to take off Sonia's boot, then rolling up her jeans leg, revealing a swollen, red area.
Clearly, it was a bad sprain.
"That's why I said everything is for the best. Look at me… Hiss!!"
"Handsome, at least be gentle. Even though I'm not afraid of pain, don't be so rough."
Sonia's face turned pale from the pain, and she quickly said.
"???"
Mammon glanced at Sonia. What kind of outrageous things was this woman saying?
Then Mammon didn't say much more, his hand shimmering with golden light. The gentle golden light gradually healed Sonia's sprain.
"Comfortable~"
Sonia's eyes widened slightly, but soon she felt a wave of warmth.
"Done."
Soon, Mammon withdrew his Arceus power.
And Sonia's previous swelling and sprain on her foot had indeed vanished, which stunned Sonia.
"No way, handsome, isn't this ability of yours too useful?"
Sonia pressed her finger on the spot where she had sprained it, feeling no pain at all. Sonia immediately put on her shoe and stomped her foot.
"Unbelievable!"
Sonia felt that the high-grade Potion in her hand was completely useless. What was the point of this broken medicine?
"Keep a low profile. I usually don't display such miracles."
Mammon replied very modestly.
"Pfft~ Alright, alright. This is my first time seeing an ability user other than a Psychic."
Sonia covered her mouth with a chuckle, but as soon as she took a step, she gasped again and clutched her buttocks tightly.
"It seems your butt took a bad fall too. Do you need me to heal it for you?"
Mammon showed his palm.
"Ha~ Let's skip that spot, I'm afraid your girlfriend will get jealous later, handsome."
Although Sonia was past the innocent maiden stage, her buttocks were still a sensitive area.
Caitlin's lips curved upwards.
"I'll just spray some Potion on it later. Thank you, handsome. By the way, I still don't know your names."
Sonia said generously.
"Mammon."
"Caitlin."
As soon as Mammon and Caitlin finished speaking, Sonia froze.
"Mammon?"
Sonia paused for a moment, then asked again.
"Yes, is there a problem?" Mammon looked at Sonia with a half-smile.
"Hehehe…"
Sonia let out two dry laughs, her feet shifting slightly, as if she wanted to move a little further away from Mammon.
Oh no, oh no! How could I run into Mammon!
Sonia was Leon's childhood friend and was once a Pokémon Trainer, but Sonia's Trainer talent was only mediocre.
Although she collected Gym Badges relatively smoothly, she never won against Leon, which nearly made Sonia withdraw and simply give up her dream of being a Trainer.
But it was precisely because of this that it became the catalyst for Sonia to delve into Pokémon research, so she followed her grandmother's path and became a researcher.
However, even though she gave up being a Trainer because of Leon, Sonia and Leon's relationship was actually quite good. After all, how many people in this world have talent like Leon's, like a monster?
Being in the same era as him was already a tragedy for Trainers with ordinary talent, and giving up the competition was a reasonable choice.
Therefore, Sonia and Leon still occasionally kept in touch. She had heard Leon mention his previous trips to the Hoenn region and Unova region to assist the local Leagues against Team Rockets.
And one of the most crucial factors among them was: Mammon!
"Tsk~ No need to be so nervous. You can relax, Miss Sonia. Our Team Rockets is a legitimate and compliant organization."
Mammon naturally understood the reason when he saw this.
"If I were truly a bad person, I wouldn't have helped you just now. Wouldn't it be better to take the opportunity to pin you to the ground? After all, Miss Sonia, you are quite a beauty, and your figure isn't bad either."
Mammon spread his hands, explaining with feigned innocence.
"Hehehe… Handsome, you really love to joke."
Sonia's smile became even more awkward.
What do you mean I'm 'quite a beauty' and my 'figure isn't bad'?
I am clearly a beauty!
Being still young, Sonia was still a little displeased by Mammon's words. She was, after all, a famous beauty in Postwick!
However, after hearing Mammon, Sonia did indeed lower some of her guard. These two didn't really seem like bad people when interacting.
"Why did you two come to the Galar region, handsome?" Sonia asked curiously.
"To expand the organization's territory and influence." Mammon replied casually.
Sonia: "…"
"Miss Sonia, why did you come to this Slumbering Weald?"
"For certain reasons, I wanted to come here to investigate a legend, the correct historical legend!"
Sonia didn't hide it. Her current project was originally commissioned by Professor Magnolia to investigate the legend of the sword and shield.
"Handsome, do you know the historical stories of our Galar region?"
When discussing her area of expertise, Sonia became talkative again.
"About the history of the 'Legendary Heroes'?"
"Yes!"
"I do know a little."
Mammon chuckled softly.
"Handsome, tell me what you know." Sonia became interested upon hearing this.
"Let's talk as we walk."
Mammon nodded; he still wanted to try and see if he could obtain 'Sword' or 'Shield'.
The three carefully set off again. Mammon held Caitlin's hand, and Sonia also held Caitlin's hand.
"Three thousand years ago, a great disaster occurred in the Galar region. A black vortex covered the Galar sky, also causing many Pokémon to Gigantamax and Dynamax uncontrollably, which was called the 'Darkest Day'."
Mammon's voice wasn't loud, just enough to reach Caitlin and Sonia's ears.
"Due to the rampaging destruction caused by giant Pokémon, the Galar region nearly faced extinction. At this critical moment, two heroes, using a sword and a shield respectively, worked together to defeat the source of the 'Darkest Day', restoring Galar to its original state."
"Thus, the legendary heroes have been passed down to this day."
This is the story of the 'Darkest Day', and the 'Darkest Day' that nearly destroyed the Galar region 3000 years ago was Eternatus, which Rose called the 'strongest and most evil Pokémon' in the game's storyline!
And the cause of the 'Darkest Day' was because Eternatus wanted to absorb the energy of the Galar region to sustain its own life.
But this simple act nearly destroyed the entire region.
"Amazing~ I didn't expect you to know so much about our region's history, handsome." Sonia was quite surprised.
"I know a little about the legends of various regions." Mammon replied with a smile.
"Actually, in our region's known history, the two legendary heroes were the Galar royalty, but…"
Sonia's brows furrowed. However, based on her investigation, she seriously doubted the truth of this history.
Because when she was investigating the Stow-on-Side ruins, she happened to discover statues of Pokémon holding a sword and a shield that had been hidden, due to Bede's destruction.
This made Sonia feel a strong sense of incongruity.
"Royalty? Do they even deserve it?"
Mammon, however, scoffed unceremoniously, replying with mockery.
"?" Sonia froze.
"Now, any worthless person can claim to be a hero. Useless beings, only capable of covering up history and deceiving the world for fame."
Mammon was extremely disdainful of the so-called 'Galar royalty', a bunch of incompetent individuals who used their royal influence and power to forcibly twist historical truth.
"Handsome, what do you mean?" But Sonia seemed to have realized something.
"That's right, haven't you already guessed? The legendary heroes are not humans at all; they are those two Pokémon."
Mammon looked ahead. The dense fog had already become thinner and thinner. They were now in the depths of Slumbering Weald.
Sonia's eyes instantly lit up.
"The Galar region has three kings: Calyrex, the legendary king who ruled the entire Galar region in ancient times, and Zacian, the King of Swords, and Zamazenta, the King of Shields, who saved the Galar region during the 'Darkest Day'!"
"However, after the disaster 3000 years ago was resolved, some foolish and ignorant people, fearing that these two heroes would affect their rule, forcibly sealed the statues of the dual kings, gradually distorting history completely."
"As of today, their existence is long unknown, and the heroes are completely forgotten."
The fog had completely thinned. Mammon looked at the grass, gazebo, and lake ahead.
Although for Zacian and Zamazenta, so-called false fame might be meaningless.
But in Mammon's view, giving in too much often only leads to things getting worse, just like in the game's plot.
Those two Galar royal fools really made Mammon laugh.
"What pathetic people they are; they even passed down distorted history as truth from generation to generation, right up to the present."
"Aren't you coming out yet? I think I've given you enough face."
Mammon looked around, tilting his head slightly as he spoke.
"Or, do I need to invite you out?"