At this moment, deep beneath Hammerlocke City in Galar—
A terrifying dragon's roar echoed underground. The massive body of Eternatus lifted into the air. Having broken free from its restraints, it was now ready to leave!
Crimson energy particles rapidly condensed in front of Eternatus's chest, converging into a chilling red glow that suddenly shot outward.
Dynamax Cannon!
The overwhelmingly powerful Dynamax Cannon blasted forth. The thick, reinforced walls were pierced through with a deafening explosion, and sunlight streamed in through the gaping hole.
Without the slightest hesitation, Eternatus flew straight out through the breached opening.
Lucas didn't try to stop it. He simply smiled as he watched Eternatus's figure vanish into the sunlight.
"This is going to be really bad."
Seeing this scene, Oleana's face turned deathly pale. The energy plant was located right beneath Hammerlocke City!
But the incident had come too suddenly. The city was completely unprepared. The sudden appearance of Eternatus would undoubtedly cause mass panic among the citizens.
The gigantic dragon burst forth from the underground. Hovering in the sky, surrounded by a faint red glow of danger, Eternatus radiated a terrifying draconic pressure with its enormous body.
"ROOOAARRR—!"
Eternatus raised its head high and let out a deep, resonant roar that echoed across the heavens—its cry reached across nearly the entirety of Hammerlocke!
The legendary catastrophe known as "The Darkest Day" from Galar's history… had reawakened after 3,000 years!
The once-clear sky had somehow turned dim and overcast, with a sinister crimson glow faintly bleeding through the clouds.
This scene—like a natural disaster looming overhead—threw most of Hammerlocke's residents into panic.
"Warning! Warning! A highly dangerous wild Pokémon has appeared in the city! All citizens, please evacuate from the stadium immediately!"
"Warning! Warning!…"
Emergency broadcasts repeated from every corner of Hammerlocke. Police officers flooded the streets, guiding frightened citizens toward safety.
As one of Galar's central and most prosperous cities, Hammerlocke could not afford any incidents!
"What on earth is going on?!"
A young man with bronze-colored skin grabbed a police officer and asked in a low, grave tone.
"Y-You're… Gym Leader Raihan?!"
The officer froze momentarily before suddenly recognizing the youth in front of him, exclaiming with surprise.
Yes, this was Hammerlocke City's Gym Leader—Raihan!
"Gym Leader Raihan, you're finally back! A terrifyingly powerful Pokémon has appeared near the stadium—it's trying to break through the defensive barrier!"
"Please, you must stop it!"
The officer pleaded rapidly. The situation had escalated too quickly—there had been no time to prepare.
The protective barrier around the stadium had originally been designed to allow spectators to safely enjoy Pokémon battles. Now, it was the city's last line of defense.
"A dangerous Pokémon, huh? I understand. Focus on calming the citizens and guiding the evacuation."
Raihan frowned even deeper. He had just returned to Hammerlocke from outside, prompted by Oleana's emergency message.
And the coordinates Oleana had sent—were exactly at the stadium!
What had happened?
A terrible sense of foreboding welled up in Raihan's chest.
"Rooaaarrr!"
Low, thunderous dragon roars echoed nonstop. Another massive beam of crimson energy blasted outward.
Dynamax Cannon!
The destructive red beam shot straight through the air—only to be blocked midway by a translucent barrier.
It was the stadium's safety shield.
In Galar, where Dynamax battles were common, Pokémon competitions weren't something that could be casually observed. The stadium's security barriers were designed to keep even top-tier Champion-level Pokémon in check. Breaking through them wasn't supposed to be easy.
But now, cracks—dense and spiderweb-like—were spreading across the entire barrier.
It wouldn't last much longer.
Once that shield shattered… Eternatus would be fully unleashed upon Hammerlocke!
"What incredible power… This red energy—it's beautiful~"
"Don't you agree, Miss Oleana?"
Standing at the edge of the Hammerlocke Stadium, Lucas gazed at the attacking Eternatus in the sky. His face was filled with irrepressible excitement.
Yes, this was the kind of power he longed for. The kind of overwhelming force only high-level legendaries possessed. The kind of strength that couldn't be denied.
This was the kind of dragon that Lucas had always dreamed of.
Eternatus, grotesque and skeletal in appearance, was seen as terrifying or monstrous by the public. But in Lucas's eyes, it was breathtaking.
"You're insane! Do you even know what this means?!"
Clutching the wall to keep herself from collapsing, Oleana's face was completely drained of color. She glared at the smiling Lucas and shouted through gritted teeth.
How could this guy still be smiling?!
"Look out there! Really look at it!"
Oleana raised a trembling hand and pointed outward. Her eyes locked onto Lucas's. Her tightly-held emotions finally broke free, her voice growing shrill and cracked.
"This is a bustling city! Thousands of people live out there! If Eternatus breaks through this shield, they'll lose their last line of defense!"
"If Eternatus goes out of control—this entire disaster will be your fault! You monster!"
Yes, in Oleana's eyes, this was all Lucas's doing.
If he hadn't broken into the energy plant and released Eternatus, none of this would have happened.
And now—even now—he was still smiling?
What the hell was wrong with this guy?!
"I see… So should I say sorry, then?"
Lucas's smile didn't change one bit. He cast a sidelong glance at Oleana, then shrugged, utterly free of guilt.
"Miss Oleana, your sense of humor is truly unexpected. That joke was almost funny enough to kill me."
"Why should their lives matter to me?"
Then, the smile on Lucas's lips turned cold and mocking.
"Besides, if you people hadn't found Eternatus and sealed it away here, would I have had this chance in the first place?"
"I've actually felt quite grateful to you this whole time."
His once-handsome face was now twisted with thick malice. Leaning in closer, Lucas stared directly into Oleana's eyes, smiling softly as he said:
"Truly. Thank you, Miss Oleana."
"You bastard! You—!"
Oleana's pale face turned green. She was so furious, she could barely speak.
This man—he was the very definition of evil.
But before she could explode in a fury, the sharp sound of shattering glass cut through the air.
Oleana looked up with a grim expression—sure enough, the stadium's defensive shield had shattered!
"Now the real show… finally begins~"
Lucas licked his lips as he watched Eternatus roaring madly into the sky, unleashing its draconic pressure without restraint. Clearly, Eternatus—now truly free—was ecstatic.
And now that the stadium's shield was gone… those two so-called "heroes" should have sensed it by now.
---------------------------
At that same moment, in the slumbering Slumbering Weald, deep within the misty forest—
A beautiful forest blanketed in thick fog.
A cold-eyed, wolf-shaped Pokémon lying on the grass slowly opened its sharp, glowing eyes and raised its head toward the distance.
It had sensed… that cursed presence!
Eternatus was not a native Pokémon of this planet.
Yes—just like Deoxys, Eternatus had come from outer space.
Unlike Deoxys, who had the bad luck of running into Rayquaza, the ruler of the skies, Eternatus had arrived on the planet via a meteorite 20,000 years ago—and somehow managed to escape Rayquaza's notice.
Eternatus was a very unique type of Pokémon. Its continued survival depended on its ability to absorb energy to sustain itself.
3,000 years ago, in order to replenish its energy, Eternatus had attempted to absorb all the energy particles in the Galar region to maintain its life force.
And it was because of this that the disaster known as "The Darkest Day" occurred.
The energy released by Eternatus formed a massive black vortex, causing a surge in Pokémon Dynamaxing and even Gigantamaxing across the region.
Out-of-control Dynamax Pokémon wreaked havoc everywhere, nearly plunging Galar into total destruction.
This was the true cause behind the legendary disaster known as the "Darkest Day."
In the end, it was the two legendary heroes—the Sword and the Shield—who defeated Eternatus and shattered its massive body, saving Galar from destruction.
And the so-called heroes of sword and shield were none other than Zacian and Zamazenta, the legendary Pokémon of Galar!
To the Galar region—and especially to Zacian and Zamazenta, who once saved it—Eternatus was a calamity incarnate.
Its very way of survival was parasitic. To live, it had to devour energy. An endless leech.
That's how Zacian and Zamazenta saw Eternatus: a parasite that could never be satisfied.
"It's been three thousand years… and it's awakened again after all."
With its cold blue, wolf-like body, Zacian slowly stood up and gazed into the distance.
It would never forget the presence of that monster.
"Sister?"
From within the mist, Zamazenta stepped forward. Its steady gaze met Zacian's.
Zamazenta resembled Zacian in many ways, though its red body was clearly bulkier and more muscular.
Their bond was the most unique among all legendary Pokémon—they were sister and brother.
But compared to the younger brother, Zamazenta the Shield King, the older sister, Zacian the Sword King, had a much colder and more ruthless personality.
"I'll deal with it. That worm must not be allowed to recover."
Zacian tucked the worn sword into the fur on her body and stepped forward a few paces, her voice calm but resolute.
Eternatus was too dangerous. Its life force was incredibly strong—it had to be dealt with swiftly.
Three thousand years ago, she and Zamazenta had even shattered Eternatus's body, scattering its fragments across Galar as various substances.
But no one had expected that Eternatus would awaken once again.
"You don't need me to help?"
"No. It hasn't fully recovered its strength."
Refusing Zamazenta's offer, Zacian broke into a sprint—and transformed into a flash of blue light that vanished across the sky.
Zamazenta raised his head and watched his sister disappear over the horizon. He knew Zacian's personality: cold and proud. Unless absolutely necessary, he would never go against her.
Besides…
Eternatus wasn't at full power. Zamazenta didn't believe that even now—Zacian would lose to that parasite.
(End of Chapter)