Chapter 393: The Legendary Heroes! You're Team Rocket's Mammon?!
The Slumbering Weald was a mysterious forest south of Postwick.
To most people, it was just a foggy, mysterious forest, a place worth exploring.
But the fog was sometimes so thick that explorers often didn't want to come here at all.
Mammon, though, knew perfectly well that the Slumbering Weald was the home of the legendary heroes, Zacian and Zamazenta.
Mammon and Caitlin entered the Slumbering Weald. It was fine at first, but the deeper they went, the thicker the fog became.
Visibility was down to about two meters, and blurry at that.
"Caitlin, hold on to me, and watch your step."
"Mm~!"
Caitlin held Mammon's hand tight and nodded firmly, smiling.
Feeling the touch and warmth of his hand in hers, Caitlin's smile deepened.
They walked for about ten-odd minutes. The fog grew denser still, and visibility dropped to under a meter, but none of that was much of a problem.
If he hadn't been worried about startling Zacian and Zamazenta, Mammon would have cleared away the fog long ago.
"Eek!!"
Just then, a frightened woman's voice came from somewhere nearby.
Someone else is here?
Mammon and Caitlin paused. After a moment's thought, Mammon led Caitlin toward the voice.
"Ow ow ow ow!"
When they arrived, a young woman with orange hair was lying on her side, rubbing her backside, her fair face scrunched in pain.
She'd clearly taken a nasty fall.
She quickly noticed Mammon and Caitlin approaching and froze, rather embarrassed.
What she'd just been doing hadn't been very dignified.
Mammon raised an eyebrow, because he recognized her right away: the researcher Sonia, Leon's childhood friend.
Though Sonia looked less like a researcher and more like a stylish, pretty young woman.
"Hi there, you two! Are you here exploring?"
Sonia put on what she thought was a very friendly smile and waved at them.
"We are. Didn't expect to run into you, Miss Sonia. Need a hand?"
Mammon didn't answer directly. He glanced at Sonia's left foot, which was trembling slightly and hanging at an odd angle. Probably sprained.
"Ah~ So you know who I am. Even better."
Sonia's smile got even more awkward. She might be a researcher, but she was still a young woman, and being seen in such a sorry state was a bit embarrassing.
"Could you help me up, handsome? I twisted my ankle, and I can't get up."
"Sure."
Mammon stepped over, helped Sonia up, and carefully supported her over to a tree stump to sit.
"Hsss~ Phew. Thanks, handsome. I'd have been in real trouble otherwise."
Sonia hissed through the pain, then let out a relieved breath.
"Miss Sonia, coming to a place like this alone is a bit too dangerous. You should at least bring a friend."
Mammon couldn't help smiling as he watched Sonia dig through her bag.
"Eh~ We researchers aren't that delicate. I just got startled by a Musharna that suddenly floated out of nowhere."
As she talked, Sonia found a Super Potion.
"But what are you two doing here? The Slumbering Weald is pretty mysterious right now. It's not exactly a great date spot."
Sonia winked at Mammon and Caitlin, teasing them.
Sonia was a pretty outgoing person.
"You're quite cheerful, Miss Sonia."
Mammon smiled and didn't correct her. Caitlin certainly didn't; she could barely keep the smile off her face.
Her opinion of this researcher who'd popped up out of nowhere shot way up.
"Life is full of ups and downs, right? But I believe everything will work out for the best."
Sonia replied casually. She tried to pull off her boot, but unfortunately, her ankle hurt too much and she couldn't manage it.
Sonia could only look up innocently at Mammon.
"Handsome, help big sis out?"
"You should really thank us for happening to pass by today."
Mammon didn't refuse. He crouched down, pulled off her boot, and rolled up the leg of her jeans. The ankle was red and swollen.
She'd clearly twisted it badly.
"See? Everything works out for the best. Look at me now... Hsss!!"
"Gently, handsome! Big sis isn't scared of a little pain, but you don't have to be so rough!"
Sonia went pale from the pain and said it in a hurry.
Mammon didn't say anything. His hand lit up with golden light, and the gentle glow gradually healed Sonia's sprain.
"Ahh, that feels nice~"
Sonia's eyes widened slightly, but she soon felt a warmth spreading through her ankle.
"Done."
Mammon soon withdrew the power of Arceus.
The red, swollen sprain on Sonia's ankle really was gone without a trace. Sonia was stunned.
"Wait, handsome, isn't that ability a little too convenient?"
Sonia pressed on the spot where the sprain had been. She couldn't feel any pain at all. She immediately put her boot back on and stamped her foot.
"Unbelievable!"
Sonia felt like the Super Potion in her hand was completely useless. What good is this junk medicine?
"Keep it on the down-low. I don't usually show off miracles like this."
Mammon replied very modestly.
"Pfft~ Sure, sure. That's the first time I've ever seen someone with abilities who isn't a psychic."
Sonia covered her mouth and laughed, but after one step she sucked in a sharp breath and clutched her backside.
"Looks like you landed pretty hard there too. Want me to heal that?"
Mammon held up his hand.
"Ha~ I'll pass on that one. I'm afraid your girlfriend would get jealous."
Caitlin's lips curved up.
"I'll just spray some medicine on it later. Thanks, both of you. Oh, I don't even know your names yet."
Sonia said breezily.
"Mammon."
"Caitlin."
As soon as they said their names, Sonia froze.
"Mammon?"
Sonia was quiet for a moment, then asked anyway.
"Yep. Something wrong?" Mammon looked at Sonia with a half-smile.
"Heh heh heh..."
Sonia let out two dry laughs and shifted her feet slightly, as if trying to put a little more distance between herself and Mammon.
Oh no oh no! How did I run into Mammon?!
Sonia was Leon's childhood friend. She'd once been a Pokémon trainer herself, but her talent as a trainer was just so-so.
She'd collected badges smoothly enough, but she'd never once beaten Leon, which nearly made her withdraw from the world. In the end she gave up on her dream of being a trainer altogether.
But that very setback became her path into Pokémon research, and she followed in her grandmother's footsteps to become a researcher.
Even though she'd given up being a trainer because of Leon, Sonia and Leon really did get along. After all, how many people in the whole world had monstrous talent like Leon's?
For a trainer of ordinary talent, being born in the same era as him was a tragedy in itself, and giving up the competition was a reasonable choice.
So Sonia and Leon still kept in touch now and then. She'd heard from Leon about when he went to Hoenn and Unova to help the local Leagues fight Team Rocket.
And the single most crucial factor in all of that was: Mammon!
"Tch~ No need to be so tense. You can relax, Miss Sonia. Team Rocket is a perfectly legal, legitimate organization."
Mammon understood exactly why.
"If I were really a bad guy, I wouldn't have helped you just now, would I?"
Mammon spread his hands, the picture of innocence.
"Heh heh heh... You sure like to joke, handsome."
Sonia's smile grew even more awkward.
Still, after hearing him out, Sonia did let her guard down a little. Spending time with these two, they really didn't seem like bad people.
"Why did you guys come to Galar, handsome?" Sonia asked, puzzled.
"To expand the organization's territory and influence." Mammon answered offhandedly.
Sonia: "..."
"And what brings you to the Slumbering Weald, Miss Sonia?"
"For certain reasons, I wanted to investigate a legend here. The true historical legend!"
Sonia didn't hide it. Her current research project was a commission from Professor Magnolia to investigate the legend of the sword and shield.
"Handsome, do you know the history of our Galar region?"
Now that they were on her area of expertise, Sonia was chatty again.
"The history of 'the legendary heroes'?"
"Right!"
"I know a little."
Mammon chuckled.
"Tell me what you know." Sonia's interest was piqued.
"Let's talk as we walk."
Mammon nodded. He still wanted to try his luck at getting the "sword" or the "shield."
The three set off carefully again, Mammon holding Caitlin's hand, and Sonia holding Caitlin's other hand.
"Three thousand years ago, a great disaster struck the Galar region. A black vortex blotted out Galar's skies and caused many Pokémon to Dynamax and Gigantamax out of control. It was called the Darkest Day."
Mammon's voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to Caitlin and Sonia.
"Giant Pokémon rampaged everywhere, wreaking havoc, and Galar nearly fell. At that critical moment, two heroes, one wielding a sword and the other a shield, joined forces to defeat the source of the Darkest Day and restored Galar to the way it was."
"And so the legend of the heroes has been handed down to this day."
That was the story of the Darkest Day. And the Darkest Day that nearly destroyed Galar three thousand years ago was none other than Eternatus, the Pokémon Rose had called the strongest, most evil Pokémon in the game's story!
The Darkest Day had begun because Eternatus wanted to absorb Galar's energy to sustain its own life.
Yet that simple act had nearly destroyed an entire region.
"Impressive~ I didn't expect you to know our region's history so well, handsome." Sonia was quite surprised.
"I know a little about the legends of every region." Mammon smiled.
"Actually, in the history our region knows, the two legendary heroes were members of Galar's royal family. But..."
Sonia's brows knit tightly. Based on her research, she seriously doubted that version of history.
While investigating the ruins in Stow-on-Side, she'd happened to discover, thanks to Bede's destruction, hidden statues of Pokémon holding a sword and a shield.
That had left Sonia with a strong sense that something was off.
"The royal family? As if they deserve that."
Mammon sneered without the slightest restraint.
"?" Sonia blinked.
"These days any sorry excuse for a human can call themselves a hero. Useless trash who only know how to bury history and steal a reputation they never earned."
Mammon held the so-called Galarian royal family in utter contempt. A bunch of do-nothings who used the royal family's influence and power to twist the historical truth.
"What do you mean, handsome?" But Sonia had already thought of something.
"Exactly what you suspected, isn't it? The legendary heroes weren't human at all. They were those two Pokémon."
Mammon looked ahead. The thick fog was thinning more and more. They were now deep in the Slumbering Weald.
Sonia's eyes lit up instantly.
"The Galar region has three kings: the legendary king who ruled all of Galar in ancient times, Calyrex, and the two who saved Galar on the Darkest Day: the King of Swords, Zacian, and the King of Shields, Zamazenta!"
"But after the disaster three thousand years ago was resolved, certain foolish, ignorant people feared the two heroes would threaten their rule. They sealed away the statues of the twin kings and slowly twisted history beyond recognition."
"By now, no one remembers they ever existed. The heroes have been completely forgotten."
The fog had thinned away completely. Mammon looked out at the meadow, the gazebo, and the lake ahead.
To Zacian and Zamazenta, empty glory probably meant nothing.
But as Mammon saw it, giving ground too often only invited people to push harder, exactly like in the game's story.
Those two idiots of the Galarian royal family had honestly made Mammon laugh.
"Such pitiful people. They even handed down their twisted history as the truth, generation after generation, all the way to today."
"Still not coming out? I think I've given you plenty of face already."
Mammon looked around and tilted his head slightly.
"Or do I need to come and invite you myself?"
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