Knock, knock—
Only after Hikaru and Chairman Rose had fully exchanged their views, expressed regret over their disagreement, and mutually reserved the right to take further action did Sonia arrive late.
That said, the conversation had not actually wasted much time.
"Ah! She's here! Allow me to introduce her!" Chairman Rose happily introduced her to Hikaru. After all, Galar's affairs were what the Chairman truly cared about. Whatever happened in Almia had nothing to do with him.
Even if Blake Hall had ambitions, they could not affect this place.
Probably.
Rose said, "This is Sonia, assistant to Galar's famous scholar Professor Magnolia! Professor Magnolia is our local authority on Dynamax research. Thanks to her assistance, Macro Cosmos was able to smoothly develop the technology and tools used to artificially control Dynamax!"
"Though I can't help saying these things every time..."
"Now then, Sonia, allow me to introduce this person to you. This is Sir Hikaru, an Elite Four member from the Paldea region, a Steel-type expert with deep ties to the Unova region, and someone who seems to have considerable achievements in the study of myths and legends!"
"The Elite Four are a position the Galar League does not have. It is said that each of them has the chance to claim the Championship, and they are the strongest iron walls guarding their local Leagues!"
Sonia answered excitedly, "And the person before us has already successfully entered the Hall of Fame! Speaking of which, I didn't really understand what the Hall of Fame meant at first..."
"Hello! I already heard about you from Professor Magnolia, so I asked Chairman Rose for help. Ah, Professor Magnolia is my grandmother!"
From the moment the Galar League had been born, it had followed the model of competitive sports. Although it also promoted battles between Pokémon Trainers, its style was extremely local. That was probably because Galar was isolated overseas.
Because of that, this region did not seem to have a Hall of Fame.
Sonia said, "In the Galar region, the meaning of Champion seems a little different from other regions. The Champion is called the undefeated king and is a representative figure of the region, but they aren't actually one of the highest directors of the League."
Rose said, "Indeed. That kind of tedious work should be left to people like me. As someone who failed to win the League, whose strength only reached runner-up... I can only do a little insignificant work."
"Supporting Champions like Leon, ensuring that they can continuously discover and cultivate Galar's young talent, and letting them focus on battles instead of splitting their energy on useless matters—that is the method by which Galar becomes the strongest region!"
"And that is precisely why I call Leon the strongest Champion! That is no exaggeration. That man truly has such strength. Even the Battle Legends may not necessarily—"
"Ahem!"
"Furthermore, our Galar Champion Leon is this Miss Sonia's childhood friend. That includes the current Dragon Storm Raihan, and the beautiful raging wave of Hulbury, Nessa. They were all contestants from the same generation."
"Chairman... When you say it like that, it makes me sound very strong." Sonia was extremely embarrassed. "But because I couldn't defeat Leon, I gave up my dream of becoming a Trainer."
Rose said, "There is no need to belittle yourself like that. Even now, as a professor's assistant, you are still contributing to this region's development!"
"What do you think? Galar's future shines brilliantly, not inferior to Unova's in the slightest. If it can provide some constructive inspiration to the Paldea League, I think that would be quite excellent as well."
"But as for Unova, we have no guidance we can offer. I suppose that is the advantage of moving first."
Hikaru said, "I see. As a rising League, the Paldea League does not carry enough weight in the world yet. Still, it is true that the Paldea League has been developing with the Galar League as one of its references."
However, Galar's atmosphere was the classic operating model of sports events plus sports fandom, which also echoed British football. In terms of commercialization, it had indeed succeeded quite well. Yet in other aspects, it always gave off a certain sense of disharmony.
"In that case, I will carefully observe Galar's operation and development. As for Paldea's construction, treating it as campus sports should work nicely. For example, something like the Academy Ace Tournament."
Rose was stunned. "Campus sports? I had thought it would be promoted on a much larger scale."
Hikaru said, "You must understand that Naranja Academy is one of the world's foremost universities, with eight hundred years of history. The academy's scope is the entirety of Paldea. However, the reason it is limited to campus sports is..."
"Our region has already decided to follow the example of Hoenn, Johto, and Sinnoh by constructing a Battle Frontier."
"Battle facilities are still the main challenge projects in every region of the world. Galar's competitive sports turn Trainers into celebrities. That is somewhat unfavorable to the performance of wild Trainers."
"And there is far too much that battle facilities can do. Rules. All kinds of different rules. They can even incorporate supernatural powers!"
"Wild Trainers..." Chairman Rose pondered for a moment. "Mm. That is a good suggestion. Indeed, although our League also sponsors orphans and helps them realize their wish of becoming Pokémon Trainers, we should pay more attention to those wild Trainers."
"However, those various strange rules, those house rules, should probably be kept to a minimum in a formal League. Still, I will take this suggestion into consideration as well."
Hikaru immediately smiled.
House rules were the strongest rules!
"Chairman... um..." Sonia looked at Rose, who had started chatting away, and felt somewhat awkward. Hikaru took the initiative to greet her, easing the strange atmosphere.
"As for Miss Sonia, I've long heard of you as well."
"As Professor Magnolia's assistant, you seem quite outstanding."
"Oh! You're far too kind! I don't have any real fame!" Sonia waved her hands repeatedly, but then immediately sank into thought.
Mm. Had she done any especially impressive research? Had she co-signed any famous papers with her grandmother?
It seemed... she had not.
Still, for a strong Trainer from another region to know about her, Master Mustard had probably praised her a little during his earlier introduction.
"This really is embarrassing..." Sonia recalled the state of her past research and felt awkward.
Come to think of it, she had been an assistant for many years now, ever since she gave up battling.
Even now, she still could not establish an independent research lab. Was it because she lacked the talent to become a professor?
"Um, I'll get straight to the point! I'm very sorry!" Sonia's mind was a little scrambled for a moment, but she did not forget why she had come here. "I came here because I heard about the legend of the Darkest Day!"
Hikaru said, "Exactly. Chairman Rose also specially squeezed out time in order to hear about the Darkest Day."
Rose said, "Hearing you say that makes me a little sad. The person I admire is you, the expert."
Both sides tacitly understood each other. In truth, Hikaru also knew that Chairman Rose had long since investigated the Darkest Day clearly, and that by coincidence—or perhaps by fate—he had captured Eternatus.
Of course, it was also possible that Eternatus had already been beneath Wyndon from the beginning, and that the city had been built here precisely because Eternatus was here.
The true reason would have to wait until a work like Legends: Galar to be revealed.
As for the Darkest Day, he had already explained its origin from twenty thousand years ago.
And once the topic reached three thousand years ago, the great war in Kalos was unavoidable.
"Please sit." Hikaru invited Sonia to sit down. Oleana knocked on the door and entered. She looked toward Chairman Rose, intending to say, "There isn't enough time," but Rose unusually waved his hand.
There was still plenty of time.
This is what I have been waiting for.
That was the message in Rose's eyes.
"Then why does someone from another region know Galar's lost legends?"
Sonia was deeply curious.
Hikaru brought out a true historical event, an ancient reason that was flawless and impossible for Sonia to verify.
"A very long time ago, some people suffered disasters in their homelands. They were attacked by rampaging Pokémon, and fear took root in their hearts. So they boarded ships and fled across the sea to distant places, trying to forget the past and begin new lives, setting out in search of a new world without conflict."
"Among those people were some from Galar."
"They brought Galarian and Kalosian things with them, armor transferred from Kalos, and local snacks to distant lands. They passed them down, and after localization, those things became something completely different."
"Something like that actually happened?!" Sonia was shocked. "Galar has many immigrants now, and it even particularly encourages immigration from outside. But from how you describe it, this place wasn't suitable for living in the past..."
Rose remained silent.
Hikaru glanced at the Chairman as he recalled the past, then said to Sonia:
"In Motostoke's Budew Drop Inn, there should be a large golden statue. The sword is a blue gemstone, the shield is a red gemstone, and beneath their feet is a vortex that looks like both a red dragon and a giant serpent."
"The hero holding sword and shield drove away the Darkest Day. Though this fairy tale has been passed down in Galar until now, almost no one truly cares about its details."
"That statue is fake."
"Huh? That famous statue...?! The one said to have been built in the image of the hero in people's hearts is fake?!" Sonia was astonished. Though she had not investigated that statue, nor had she ever really thought of it...
When she had challenged the Gyms in the past, of course she had stayed there. After all, Motostoke was a large industrial city that had existed since long ago, so the Budew Drop Inn was also a famous hotel that had been open for decades.
That statue had been there for a very long time too.
Come to think of it, she had never paid attention to it at all!
Hikaru said, "The sword and shield are people. They are also Pokémon. They are also two weapons. They are legendary things that appeared together with the kings of the people. That is Galar's founding legend."
"The ancient geoglyph in Turffield and the stone mural in Stow-on-Side both record matters related to the Darkest Day."
"A black vortex enveloped all of Galar. The core at its center absorbed the energy welling up from the entire Galar region and distorted the surrounding space-time. During the long night, gigantic Pokémon ran wild everywhere, Corviknight vanished from the sky, and the Galar region was driven toward destruction."
"It seems that in ancient times, that thing was also called something like an evil god."
"The legendary tapestries are also kept in Hammerlocke Vault, are they not? The false statue was carved because of them. The fifth tapestry was half-burned. Someone hid everything in order to conceal the truth of the legend, to receive endless admiration and rule this land for all eternity."
"But they never expected that this would also cause their own clan to disappear into the long river of history."
"The fifth tapestry?!" This time, not only Sonia, but even Chairman Rose's expression became unusually serious.
Ordinary people could not enter Hammerlocke Vault. The League had to arrange it first, so Sonia had never gone inside. But Rose had seen those four tapestries.
But there was a fifth?!
"The fifth tapestry was hidden by someone. Later, perhaps because the descendants of the sword and shield mismanaged it, it appeared on the antiques market. Perhaps it is now in Stow-on-Side, where antiques are sold. Or perhaps it is in some shop in Circhester, where the legend of the hero's healing remains and where the Hero's Bath stands."
"The picture depicts the two heroes after they had lost the sword and shield."
After the nation of the First World had fallen, a new country had been built. That was a peaceful world without the Darkest Day.
Three thousand years ago, in an era without Mega Evolution, the sudden Dynamax phenomenon that occurred in Galar must have brought unimaginable pressure and terror to neighboring countries.
Add in the story of AZ's younger brother, who coveted the throne and brought outsiders who did not belong to Kalos into Kalos...
"Remember this: the core of the Darkest Day absorbed the energy welling up from Galar's land and became a calamity from the sky. This absorption began twenty thousand years ago. Perhaps that is also the root cause of Galar's poverty in resources."
"In order to obtain more resources, someone used the terrifying ruling power of the Darkest Day to guide disaster toward a neighboring country that was already at war, while also cooperating with someone who coveted the throne."
"However, that is an unknown legend of the neighboring country."
Sonia hurriedly pressed him.
"And after that? Did Galar's history just—no, where did the Darkest Day go after it was defeated?! You said it had a core. So it wasn't an abnormal natural phenomenon, but some kind of actual existing thing!"
"Does 'dispersing the darkness' mean defeating the opponent? Was it a Pokémon battle?"
"This is incredible. This is an incredible myth! Are you a mythologist?"
"If the Darkest Day—no, the calamity in the sky—could be repelled by the power of people and Pokémon, then... could it be... Was the Darkest Day also a...?"
"The founding heroes who commanded the sword-and-shield Pokémon in battle three thousand years ago, the kings of the people...?!"
"Then where did the sword and shield go?"
Hikaru said, "I think when the time is right, they will call the corresponding people to the place where heroes sleep."
"It's time." Chairman Rose rose after a moment of thought. "Although I would still like to continue this conversation, the Champion Cup opening ceremony is about to begin."
"You two, please enjoy the Galar region's largest annual event together. If possible, I would even like you to serve as a special guest and battle Leon a little to heat up the atmosphere."
"It would certainly bring the battle atmosphere to its peak!"
Hikaru said, "You're that convinced Leon won't lose? That's hard to say. Still, I'm only here as a spectator."
Rose said, "Haha. Confidence is a good thing. But I understand Leon's strength better than anyone. It seems you do not intend to appear as a special guest, though. What a shame. An Elite Four member challenging a Champion, a collision between two regions—events like that seem to be held occasionally in Unova as well."
Of course, Leon would not lose.
Rose believed that firmly.
That man was the strongest, someone who would never lose no matter what enemy he faced. Therefore, only with Leon's assistance could Rose suppress the Darkest Day. Now, with the special technology provided by Altru Inc., the success rate had already reached over seventy percent.
Even if the energy skyrocketed, it would be fine.
Let Champions from other regions become stepping-stones.
Rose said, "Of course, it seems that several Gym Leaders have been strengthened this time. They all seem to have plenty of confidence. I wonder why."
"I wonder which one you favor?"
On the first day, all Trainers who had completed the Gym Challenge would fight in the semifinals for spots in the finals. After passing through layer upon layer of trials, they had finally gathered in Wyndon.
However, Piers would only appear as a guest today and would not participate in battle. The Trainers who advanced would compete against the top seven Gym Leaders in the next day's finals for the right to challenge the Champion.
So this grand regional event, the final battle of the Champion Cup, lasted only four days from opening to closing. But if the time spent on the Gym Challenge and other matches was included, then it was much longer.
"Although I'm friends with Piers, and I'm also looking forward to Raihan bringing out Duraludon to fight Leon, if I have to make a final pick, it still has to be Bea."
"After the Champion Cup ends..."
He would head to the Crown Tundra to find the big-headed king.
Although the king was constantly consuming its power because of its stubborn commitment to the riding system...
Faith, like river water, was also continuously flowing into its body.
Rider: Calyrex.
Saber: Zacian.
Caster: the dark wraith of the King of Almia.
Berserker: Bea.
Assassin: Sordward and Shielbert.
Lancer: Chairman Rose. Luck E. G-Max Steelsurge.
Archer: Leon. The Unbeatable Champion. G-Max Wildfire.
And then there was Zamazenta, which possessed Behemoth Bash, a projectile-like move. It could be considered a Shielder, and also an Archer.
"It will happen at some point. Not now, but I might as well choose the Servants in advance and prepare for the Great War."
"Come to think of it, the old castle where the King of Almia and the three princes once lived is basically Lordran, the Ringed City, or... Lothric! Combined with the torturous mechanisms in the three princes' dwellings, it matches completely."
"The red-haired prince, the eldest son of god, was exiled to a volcano, stripped of his name and history. After leaving behind the ritual of the Snow Ceremony, few knew of him."
"The blond prince, the second son of god, was exiled to the desert, yet befriended the King of Giants and transformed the barren land into an oasis."
"The blue-haired prince, the third son of god, remained in the old castle. Even now, the blue crystal still guards the divine city-state of the old days."
Southern Galar, Slumbering Weald.
Zamazenta, in its Hero of Many Battles form, once again appeared in the depths of the dense fog.
[The mysterious shield-bearer I foresaw in dreams...]
[And the power settling deep within this land. Something from outside... has appeared!]
Behind it, the phantom of Zacian, like its elder sister or perhaps its rival, appeared in the same Hero of Many Battles form.
A powerful energy was brewing within the Galar region. Something great seemed faintly on the verge of happening.
And that feeling was very familiar to them.
Only...
Their current power was far from enough!
[The craftsman who bears the role of Noble Phantasm smith... If someone can once again awaken the power of sword and shield...]
[This time... they are repeating Kalos's mistake by bringing something from outside into this land. But then again, what on this land is not something from outside?]
[If we are caught by that terrifying Dark Soul...]
[At our current level, we would probably exit the stage right here.]
[So... we must continue gathering power...!]
(End of Chapter)
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