Pokémon from Galar

"This time, surprisingly, there was no fog..."

Last time, I was almost immediately enveloped by the thick fog as soon as I entered the forest. Today, I finally got a clear look at what the Misty Forest is like.

"The fog is to prevent unrelated people from disturbing their sleep. We're just visiting, so of course there won't be any fog."

As Wujita, who was walking in front, gently pushed aside the Dream Eater floating in front of him, answering Yuri's question in this way.

"That's a bit of a stretch... but Mengmengshi is so cute~"

Yuri moved her face closer, examining Mengmengshi, who was floating in mid-air, seemingly asleep or awake, in the dim light.

"Don't wake her up, it'll be a real hassle."

Mary tugged at Yuri's arm, giving her a reminder.

"I know, I do know this level of knowledge!"

Yuri stuck her tongue out at Mary after pulling herself back, which only made Mary smile indulgently.

We continued forward and crossed a small river, where there was a man-made stone bridge.

Mary crouched down and examined the stone bridge by the light. There was another stone bridge near the entrance, but it was clear that this bridge was not designed in the style of recent years.

"This bridge... could it be something from three thousand years ago?"

Mukyuu Tana glanced at it and said indifferently:

"Probably. The style is quite similar. Don't worry about the stone bridge. Our destination should be just ahead."

As for Mugentana, it is naturally impossible for her to understand the feelings humans have for ancient sites, since they are things that they have seen with their own eyes.

"oh oh--"

This time, the three of them followed the river that had changed course. After walking for about ten minutes, they passed through a dense forest. Suddenly, Mary's view opened up. The trees parted, and the exposed sky allowed the light of the stars and the moon to illuminate the area.

By the soft moonlight, Mary saw the tranquil lake and a broken altar.

"...Is this the place?"

The altar's appearance awakened Mari and Yuri's memories; there was a strikingly similar archway image on a mural they had seen in Battleground.

Wujitana stepped forward alone, bent down and picked up the broken sword and shield from the ground, examining them with interest before speaking:

"Hey, since you're awake, come out and say hello. It's an old friend visiting, after all."

As soon as the words were spoken, two long wolf howls suddenly rang out, and a light mist spread from the water's surface. Silently, two tall, wolf-like figures appeared before the three people, emerging from the mist.

Chapter 370 A Dialogue with the Gods

Mary looked up at the sword and shield that were gradually becoming clearer. The Zacian and Zamazant before her were almost twice as tall as she remembered.

In my memory, the two figures in the game seemed to be about the height of a person, but now that I've seen them in person, I realize that when they are standing normally, they are almost as tall as Xiao Qiu, with slender figures and a sense of power.

Bathed in moonlight, the two gods stepped onto the altar, their feet treading on the water. Yuri was so shocked that she instinctively half-hid behind Mary, staring blankly at the scene before her, speechless.

Cangxiang and Zamarant lowered their heads and sniffed closely at Mukyuutai. Then, Cangxiang asked in confusion:

"Are you giving up?"

Even without Eternatus deliberately activating his abilities, the Sword and Shield Gods could only barely discern Eternatus's aura from the little girl in front of them, and it was extremely faint.

"No, quite the opposite, I succeeded."

A small amount of energy emanated from around the body, and under Wuji Tai's deliberate control, the qualities contained within it were clearly perceived.

"I'm so lucky."

Zangmarante snorted and uttered a nonchalant remark: "The part of Wujitai that was revealed could be clearly sensed to contain another kind of high-quality energy. Obviously, Wujitai received help in that half-dead state."

"Hey, I think so too. Not only was it a perfect resurrection, but we also got to see old friends."

She didn't care about Zamazenta's attitude. After all, they had fought before, and the collapse of the kingdom due to the slumber of the Snowfield's Rairen King was also related to Mugentana. She knew that Zamazenta harbored resentment towards her.

"I just woke up following the prophecy, I never expected it to turn out like this... It's a real shame I can't beat you up one more time, did someone change the prophecy?"

Zangmarante's gaze was fixed on Mukyutana, as he waited for her answer.

At this moment, Zaoxiang turned his head slightly and looked at Yuri, who had been silent since earlier.

"It seems you've grown up very well in just a few days, human girl."

"Eh—ah, um... thank you."

Startled by Yuri's sudden conversation, Mary could clearly feel the force on her arm tighten, her voice stiffen, and she could barely speak.

"Don't be nervous, human girl. I remember your name is... Yuri, right? You can call me Zacian. His name is Zamazenta. Didn't the other boy come with you?"

"Ah, um, Hop is in special training right now. I only came over today because Tana said she wanted to take a walk... Did I disturb you?"

Mary helped Yuri stand up straight, as it wasn't proper to be half-hidden when talking to someone.

"It's okay, it's always good to see old friends."

Cangxiang's tone carried an inexplicable loneliness, which softened the atmosphere around him, particularly in Zangmarante.

Wujitana put down the worn-out sword and shield again, raised his hand to pat Zamazenta's head, but unfortunately he wasn't tall enough, so he could only pat its forelimbs with regret.

"There's no need to be so sad. The Lady Crown King isn't dead."

"Shut up!"

Zangmarante lowered his head and bared his teeth at Wujitai. Was this guy really not afraid that if he bit her, her path to rebirth would be cut short?

"Um, may I ask who this 'Crown King' you're talking about is?"

Yuri cautiously raised her hand and asked Zahyou her question. This was a good opportunity to hear a story. Normally, Mukyou rarely talked about the past, but today's atmosphere seemed suitable.

However, after hearing Yuri's question, the atmosphere between Zacian and Zamazenta became even more desolate.

"As expected, no one remembers anymore. Sister, why don't we go back there and take a look sometime?"

Zangmarante looked up at Cangxiang, and from his tone, it seemed that he wanted to do something.

"Do not disturb the king's rest rashly."

Cangxiang glared at Zamarante, then squatted down and looked down at Mary and Yuri.

"If I'm not mistaken, this girl must have some connection with Mukita, right? Can you tell me your name?"

"Hello, my name is Mary. I did help revive Mugentana."

Zacian nodded slightly, then said:

"Since you two want to hear it, I'll tell you a little story about the king, which took place three thousand years ago..."

Back when the Raecrown King was still in power and Eternatus hadn't yet spiraled out of control, the southernmost part of Galar wasn't covered in ice and snow; instead, it was the most prosperous area in the entire Galar.

Divine birds, pillar gods, black and white horses, and so on—the era in which the gods were most active. The Crane King ruled Galar, gaining the faith of the entire continent, and his power was unparalleled for a time.

At the height of his power, the Rachelon King foresaw disaster in a prophecy: his own slumber and the fall of his kingdom.

The Crowned King remained calm in the face of this. Those who peek into destiny are bound to suffer this fate. He was not concerned about his own future, but worried about the people of this land. The three legendary birds did not reside permanently in Galar, and his beloved horse might not obey his commands once it was freed from its restraints.

In order to better prevent disaster, Rairen ignored the strain on his body and forcibly peered into a more detailed and distant future. However, he was not a Celebi after all, and his theft of the power of time naturally provoked Dialga's counterattack.

His physical collapse was expected, but more importantly, he began to realize just how intractable a kingdom ruled by immortals could be.

So he chose Zacian and Zamazenta, who were still young at the time, and commissioned the Pillar God to forge weapons and personally trained their strength.

After arranging everything, the Crane King chose to fall into slumber, returning Galar to all living beings on this land.

After the abdication of the King of the White Horse, no one could stop them from disappearing from the earth. The Pillar God followed the King of the White Horse's advice and only took care of Zacian and Zamazenta, letting the land develop on its own.

Humanity eventually rebuilt the kingdom, and then Eternatus awoke. At its peak, Eternatus went berserk, its power far exceeding everyone's expectations.

The disaster swept across the entire land in one fell swoop, and no one was spared.

The rest of the story is pretty much what Yuri already knows, but there are some additional details. For example, the Pillar God also participated in the battle to subdue it; otherwise, Zacian and Zamazenta alone would not have been able to contend with the rampaging Eternatus.

"Until the end of the war, the pillar gods went into a deep sleep to repair themselves. Zamarante and I also declined the king's invitation and came to the forest closest to the kingdom's capital to begin our long slumber."

"Why refuse the king's invitation? They clearly became closer during the battle."

Yuri hugged her knees and looked up, curiously meeting Sohō's eyes.

“Because our power is no longer needed. The king’s last teaching before he fell into slumber was not to let our long lives affect the growth of this land. Moreover… the kingdom I knew has vanished, and we no longer belong to that era.”

"……I don't understand."

Seeing Yuri's slightly sullen expression, Mary pursed her lips, silently averted her gaze, and suppressed the turmoil in her heart.

摸了

Slacking off, slacking off

One hundred characters ...

Chapter 371 When the Alora people arrived

The journey out of the Slumbering Forest was just as quiet as the way there, except that Yuri was no longer as afraid as before, and Mari was also silently pondering other things.

Cangxiang's words left Mari somewhat bewildered. With only a few decades of life spanning both lifetimes, she could hardly imagine what kind of feelings Cangxiang and Zamarant had when they chose to leave the human world and come to sleep in this forest three thousand years ago.

A long life is not necessarily a good thing. After a long time, Mary recalled hearing this sentence in her previous life.

"...Mari-chan...Mari-chan?"

Lost in her own thoughts, Mary vaguely heard a voice calling her name. Her consciousness gradually returned, and by the time she came to her senses, Yuri had already brought her face very close.

"Marie-chan? What's wrong? It's dangerous to just stand here daydreaming."

"Ah... um, sorry, I was a little lost in thought."

"What are you thinking about? It's been like this since just now."

Yuri pulled herself back and carefully followed behind Mugentsuna, asking the question.

"Well, after hearing such a story, it's hard not to think about it. But Sonia might complain later if she finds out."

The topic was glossed over lightly. The questions Mary was pondering were too early for Yuri at this stage of her life; they weren't questions a girl in her early teens should be thinking about.

"Wow—it seems like it really does."

After imagining it for a moment, Yuri suppressed a laugh and sighed. Just imagining it, she could almost hear Sonia's annoyance and envy.

"Call Sonia when you get back; she's sure to have a sleepless night."

Thinking about Sonia's frantic state, Mary felt a little better, so she made a rather inhuman suggestion.