Chapter 394: Zacian, You Wouldn't Want...
"Or do I need to come and invite you myself?"
Mammon's voice echoed softly through the empty clearing.
You? Who is "you"?
But Sonia didn't have the headspace to think about that, because what Mammon had just said was too explosive.
The three legendary kings: the legendary king Calyrex, the King of Swords Zacian, and the King of Shields Zamazenta!
In truth, Sonia had never even heard of Calyrex. She hadn't even worked out the names Zacian and Zamazenta yet.
But Mammon had said it plainly: the Darkest Day three thousand years ago had been resolved by the King of Swords Zacian and the King of Shields Zamazenta.
Is that real?
Sonia was both thrilled and skeptical. This answer was exactly the direction her research had been heading, but she still had her doubts.
Then again, why would Mammon lie to her?
Which means the Galarian royal family really did twist history and deceive the entire Galarian people for three thousand years?!
Mammon had no idea what Sonia was thinking. Seeing that nothing around them stirred, he clicked his tongue.
"Honestly. Still won't come out to meet me? I came here specially for you, you know."
Mammon walked slowly forward toward the crumbling gazebo.
"Or is it that you don't care about the land of Galar anymore? Because the Darkest Day is going to happen again before long."
There was a faint laugh in Mammon's voice.
???
Even Sonia, mid-brainstorm, froze at that and stared at Mammon in disbelief.
The Darkest Day is going to happen again? How is that possible?
At that moment, a light breeze drifted past, and Sonia's eyes flew wide.
Because she saw them: two wolf-like, dog-like Pokémon, one blue and one red, which had somehow appeared silently behind Mammon.
"Yo~ Finally decided to show yourselves." Mammon turned around to face them, the corners of his mouth slowly spreading.
"If you hadn't come out, I really would have had to force your hand."
If he'd had Dark Mewtwo blanket the entire misty forest with its psychic power, Mammon had no doubt he could have flushed Zacian and Zamazenta out.
But that would have been far too provocative. Mammon didn't really want to resort to it unless he had no other choice.
As it turned out, there was no need to get in their faces. All he'd had to do was invoke Eternatus's name, and Zacian and Zamazenta had jumped right out on their own.
They were the legendary heroes, after all, existing specifically to oppose the evil Eternatus.
Zacian and Zamazenta said nothing, just watched Mammon silently.
Caitlin and Sonia didn't come closer. They just studied the two Pokémon that had suddenly appeared.
There was no doubt: these were the King of Swords Zacian and Zamazenta that Mammon had just mentioned!
But...
Sonia looked at Zacian and Zamazenta in confusion. Both the legends and their titles clearly involved a sword and a shield.
But she studied both Pokémon carefully from head to tail. Where's the sword? Where's the shield??
"You two really are sensitive about the Darkest Day. The moment I mentioned it, you couldn't help yourselves."
Mammon tilted his head slightly, teasing Zacian and Zamazenta.
Zacian and Zamazenta. According to legend, some believed Zacian was Zamazenta's older sister, while others thought they were rivals.
But whatever their relationship to each other, they and Eternatus were absolutely mortal enemies, so long as no one else intervened!
What was the defining feature of the eighth generation?
Dynamax!
That was the single most important thing running through all of Gen 8's story, and it came from Eternatus.
Three thousand years ago, Eternatus had set off the Darkest Day to absorb Galar's energy, and the worst of that disaster was the Pokémon of Galar falling into uncontrolled Dynamax and Gigantamax.
Almost every Pokémon could Dynamax!
Only three could not: Eternatus, Zacian, and Zamazenta!
Even Calyrex could Dynamax, with a unique blue glow, no less.
But not those three.
Strictly speaking, Eternatus could, but only into its own Eternamax form, which only appeared in the story.
Of course, when Eternatus used its signature move, Eternabeam, the animation briefly showed it in its Eternamax form.
But normally, Eternatus couldn't Eternamax.
Which made sense. Eternamax Eternatus's base stats were so absurd that in a game ruled by mechanics and numbers, it would be unbeatable.
But for Zacian and Zamazenta, Dynamax was truly untouchable!
The Sword and Shield story made it clear that Dynamax energy was pure poison to Zacian and Zamazenta!
No exaggeration: inject even a little Dynamax energy into them, and Zacian and Zamazenta would go berserk, gradually losing their reason and destroying everything in their path.
So Zacian and Zamazenta could never Dynamax. And both of their signature moves existed specifically to counter Dynamaxed Pokémon.
In a sense, these two legendary heroes existed for the sole purpose of opposing and countering Eternatus.
"That vermin. It's going to come back?"
But clearly, Zacian and Zamazenta weren't in the mood for Mammon's teasing. A cool telepathic voice sounded in Mammon's ear.
Zacian?
Mammon glanced at Zacian. It looked like a wolf or a dog, with blue fur all over and white markings like scars across its body. Its presence was as cold as a sharpened blade; just looking at it sent a chill down your spine.
The telepathic voice was distinctly feminine, which meant Zacian really was female.
"You never killed it completely back then, so how can it 'come back'?"
Mammon raised an eyebrow and looked at Zacian with a half-smile.
At that, a freezing glint flashed in Zacian's eyes. Toward Eternatus, which had ravaged the entire land of Galar, Zacian's killing intent was clearly at its peak.
That was only natural. For Galar, no, for the whole world,
an Eternatus that needed to feed on energy to survive was a catastrophe.
"Impossible. We shattered its body back then." Another, deeper telepathic voice spoke gravely.
Zamazenta.
"Sure, you shattered its body. But that doesn't directly contradict it still being alive, does it?"
Mammon shrugged.
Three thousand years ago, Eternatus had been defeated by the King of Swords Zacian and the King of Shields Zamazenta working together, and its enormous body had been completely smashed.
Fragments of Eternatus's body scattered across Galar, becoming the Power Spots that let Pokémon Dynamax, as well as energy-filled items like Wishing Stars and Wishing Pieces.
You could say Eternatus's fragments had benefited all of Galar.
Zamazenta fell silent and looked up at its older sister.
It was still skeptical of what Mammon had said. No one understood what had happened back then better than it and Zacian.
Eternatus's body was shattered, and it's still alive?
That's... a bit too unbelievable.
"Where is that plague?" Zacian simply asked coldly.
Zacian was clearly far more aggressive than Zamazenta. It didn't care whether this human was lying to them.
If this human said Eternatus was still alive, then it would treat that plague as alive. Simple.
Then kill it again!
"I don't know." Mammon shrugged innocently.
Zacian: "?"
Zamazenta: "..."
The atmosphere stiffened for a moment.
"Human, is this a game to you?"
Zacian stared coldly at this human. It could certainly sense many powerful presences on him.
That was one reason she and Zamazenta hadn't wanted to show themselves in the first place. They could also clearly sense that this human's heart was not pure.
As the legendary heroes, Zacian and Zamazenta embodied basically every heroic "quality," so their standards for a trainer naturally demanded someone upright, brave, and fearless.
So even sensing Mammon was special, they had had no intention of showing themselves.
Only hearing that Eternatus would return had made them unable to hold back.
And now they were being told this human had no idea where Eternatus even was?
"I really don't know where Eternatus is. But I'll go looking for it." Mammon smiled.
"..."
Zacian gave Mammon a long, deep look. She understood what Mammon meant.
But...
Zacian glanced at her younger brother. Zamazenta looked back at her, torn and troubled.
"But if Eternatus does emerge, it'll probably already be a crisis. Having to come back to this forest to find you two then would be a real hassle."
Mammon went on.
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Zacian said flatly.
"Zacian, you wouldn't want Galar to be destroyed by Eternatus, would you?" Mammon said with a grin.
"Every few minutes you're late, Eternatus's Darkest Day causes that much more destruction."
"So, I hear you and Zamazenta each have a sword and a shield that can contact you even from very far away."
Mammon rubbed his fingers together, dropping the act entirely.
Zacian: "..."
Zamazenta: "..."
Off to the side, Sonia was staring, completely dumbfounded.
Wait, is this really okay?
Zamazenta looked even more conflicted. Damn it, this human is so freaking shameless!
This human clearly had plenty of powerful Pokémon on him, and he was perfectly capable of holding off that plague himself for a while. And yet he was demanding their sword and shield!
Zamazenta really did not want to hand over its "shield."
Zacian stared coldly at Mammon. Mammon just smiled and met her gaze.
After a long while:
"Fine."
Zacian's feminine telepathic voice spoke one word.
Awoooo~
A howl like a wolf's rang out.
From the bottom of the lake nearby, a long sword glowing with faint blue light flew out swiftly and landed in front of Mammon.
Zamazenta stared at Zacian in shock. Big Sister!!
"This is my 'sword.' I entrust it to you for now. If that parasite awakens, you may use it to call me."
Zacian said flatly.
"That's Zacian for you. So selfless. Unlike Zamazenta, who's so stingy."
Mammon took hold of the sword, not forgetting to take a jab at Zamazenta.
Zamazenta: "..."
Who're you calling stingy? Who're you calling stingy?! Is my "shield" something I can just hand out?
But if you're going to put it like that...
In a fit of anger, Zamazenta almost summoned its shield too, but before it could howl, Zacian smacked it back to its senses with one paw.
The blow knocked Zamazenta's head sideways. Zacian clearly hadn't held back.
But even after being smacked, Zamazenta didn't dare hiss at Zacian. If anything, it shrank back and hunched its neck.
"Do not call me unless there is need."
Zacian's telepathy remained aloof and cold.
"Don't worry, I'll definitely only call you when there's a need." Mammon still smiled brightly.
Zacian gave Mammon another long, deep look. A breeze blew past, and Zacian and Zamazenta vanished on the spot.
They had simply disappeared, leaving Sonia looking a little dazed.
It was as if nothing had happened at all. But the sword in Mammon's hand proved that all of it had been real.
"That was easier than I expected."
Mammon looked at the sword in his hand with great satisfaction.
The sword wasn't flashy at all. If anything, it looked old and corroded, but that was exactly what proved it was the real thing.
The Rusted Sword!
It was Zacian's key item. Only with this sword could Zacian transform into its Crowned Sword form.
According to legend, the sword the King of Swords held in its mouth could cut through anything in the world, which was why it was called "the Fairy King's Sword." It was so sharp it could slice through the thick scales of Dragon-type Pokémon like paper!
And now, this "Fairy King's Sword" was in Mammon's hands.
"Zacian, now that it's in my hands, where are you going to run?"
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