"Where are you planning to go next?"
Still at the town's entrance, Marnie took out a small mirror and neatly fixed her hair, her fair face returning to its usual calm expression as she asked Ryuu Shiro with curiosity.
"The Crown Tundra. I'm heading to the Crown Tundra."
Ryuu Shiro didn't hide his plans, casually replying. It was clear that he trusted this girl quite a bit.
Eternatus was currently in a state of energy depletion, so Ryuu Shiro's top priority was to restore its vitality!
The most suitable places for this were the Power Spots scattered across the Galar region!
And coincidentally, the Crown Tundra had plenty of Power Spots, and it was also sparsely populated. So, Ryuu Shiro decisively chose the Crown Tundra.
"The Crown Tundra… I'm coming too."
Marnie blinked her beautiful eyes, tilting her head slightly before speaking up.
"No problem. Then you can lead the way."
Ryuu Shiro nodded. His acquaintance with Marnie dated back to two years ago.
Back then, he was only sixteen, sent on a mission by Pryce to gather information about Eternatus in the Galar region for future preparations.
By chance, he encountered Marnie, who was running away from home after a fight…
And this stubborn girl, with her almost powerless Morpeko, had dared to venture into the Wild Area.
It was Ryuu Shiro who saved Marnie from being chased by a wild Dynamax Pokémon, and since then, the two had become close.
"Dragonair."
Ryuu Shiro tossed a Poké Ball, and the pinkish-purple Dragonair appeared before them. The Crown Tundra was quite a distance from this town, so walking wasn't an option.
"After you, my beautiful Miss Marnie."
Ryuu Shiro walked up to the hovering Dragonair and smiled at Marnie.
Marnie rolled her eyes in a charming manner and agilely leaped onto Dragonair's back.
Ryuu Shiro sat behind her, his hands naturally resting on her waist.
"Behave yourself."
Marnie's eye twitched again, her cheeks slightly flushed, but her tone remained calm.
After all, they'd known each other for two or three years, and Marnie knew full well that Ryuu Shiro was no gentleman.
If she had a Pokémon capable of long-distance flight, she would never have agreed to sit like this with Ryuu Shiro.
"Don't worry. Don't you trust me?"
Ryuu Shiro's smile didn't waver as he replied without hesitation.
"Then can you explain where your hand is right now?"
Marnie glanced expressionlessly at the hand that had slid onto her thigh, and to make matters worse, it was even squeezing?
They hadn't even taken off yet!
Slap!
Marnie unceremoniously slapped Ryuu Shiro's hand away. This guy couldn't be allowed to take advantage.
"Tsk tsk~"
Ryuu Shiro's smile deepened. The feel was so nice, truly befitting the fair and clean Marnie.
"Dragonair~"
Dragonair let out a high-pitched cry and carried the two toward the Crown Tundra.
Dragonair wasn't flying particularly fast. According to Marnie, as long as there were no unexpected delays, they should reach the Crown Tundra by the afternoon.
"Shiro, did things go smoothly in Hammerlocke?"
With the wind brushing against her face, Marnie took in the scenery along the way before hesitantly asking Ryuu Shiro.
"The results were excellent, thanks to your intel."
Ryuu Shiro rested his cheek on Marnie's shoulder, inhaling her faint fragrance as he replied with his eyes closed.
Yes, the information about Rose and Leon's absence had come from Marnie.
Without it, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly.
"You really caught Eternatus?"
Marnie's eyes sparkled with a hint of wonder, her usually calm tone tinged with surprise.
When Ryuu Shiro had asked her to keep an eye on Rose and Leon's movements and to notify him in time, Marnie had agreed, but not without reservations.
She was grateful for Ryuu Shiro saving her life, and over time, their relationship had grown deeper.
But no matter what, she was still a Trainer from Galar, and her dream was to become the Galar region's Champion. Her brother was even the Gym Leader of Spikemuth.
It was likely she would inherit her brother's position in the future.
Yet, in the end, Marnie had chosen to pass the information to Ryuu Shiro. What she had been thinking at the time, even she didn't fully understand.
She knew very well that Ryuu Shiro was no saint.
"Is it that surprising? I'm Ryuu Shiro, after all."
Ryuu Shiro chuckled, his tone filled with an astonishing level of confidence.
"Tch~" Marnie clicked her tongue in annoyance, but she couldn't help feeling amazed deep down.
That was Eternatus, after all. She knew Ryuu Shiro was strong, but the legend of Eternatus was just too deeply ingrained in people's minds.
"So… how's Hammerlocke?"
After a moment of hesitation, Marnie asked in a low voice. Ever since she'd passed the information to Ryuu Shiro, she'd been keeping a close eye on Hammerlocke.
Although the exact details hadn't been revealed, she knew Ryuu Shiro had caused quite a stir there yesterday.
"It's fine. About a third of it was destroyed." Ryuu Shiro raised an eyebrow. Marnie's heart was still a bit soft, huh?
But then again, she was the future Gym Leader of Spikemuth, taking over her brother's position. She was a girl with a cold exterior but a kind heart.
"…"
Marnie frowned slightly. A third of Hammerlocke had been destroyed?
But before she could think further, her eye started twitching again because a hand had somehow slipped under her skirt…
"Get your hand out of there!"
The girl's indignant 'roar' echoed through the sky.
....
The Crown Tundra, located in the southern part of the Galar region, is a vast Pokémon habitat and one of the most dangerous wild areas.
In fact, compared to Mt. Silver in the Kanto region, it's even more perilous!
From a distance, the Crown Tundra appears as a breathtaking landscape of towering snow-capped mountains, but that's just the surface!
Not only does it house countless powerful wild Pokémon, but it's also home to numerous Power Spots within Pokémon dens.
What are Power Spots?
Three thousand years ago, when Eternatus awakened and caused the Darkest Day phenomenon, it was stopped by Zacian and Zamazenta, and its body was shattered.
The fragments of Eternatus's body scattered across the Galar region, transforming into various items.
And thus, Power Spots were born!
At their core, Power Spots are the remnants of Eternatus's energy. As a result, near these Power Spots, Trainers can use their Dynamax Bands to Dynamax their Pokémon.
In the wild, these Power Spots are almost always occupied by wild Pokémon, forming what are known as Pokémon dens.
And in most Pokémon dens, there are wild Dynamax Pokémon.
"Brr~ it's so cold."
Amid the towering snow-capped mountains, the beautiful and sacred Dragonair descended from the sky, and Ryuu Shiro and Marnie jumped off its back.
Rubbing her hands together and blowing on them, Marnie's fair face was slightly pale from the cold.
Although her physical fitness wasn't bad, the temperature here was undeniably low.
She'd been careless!
Marnie glanced into the distance, taking in the vast expanse of white snow. It was a stunning sight.
But it was so damn cold!
She'd been too careless, forgetting to buy a coat on the way.
"It's a snowy mountain, after all. I've heard there are quite a few Legendary Pokémon here."
Ryuu Shiro took out a fluffy coat from his backpack and draped it over Marnie, carefully tightening the collar for her. After pinching her fair cheek, he turned his gaze toward the snow-capped mountains.
The Crown Tundra is one of the truly treacherous areas of the Galar region.
But within the Crown Tundra, Legendary Pokémon also reside!
"Huff~ Legends aren't so easy to encounter."
With the coat on, Marnie let out a sigh of relief, feeling alive again. She glanced at Ryuu Shiro, a faint smile tugging at her lips, but it quickly disappeared.
"There are rumors that the King of Galar's legends resides in the Crown Tundra, and some have even seen it galloping across the snow. But that's just a legend."
"And there are people who claim to have seen the Legendary Birds in the Crown Tundra too."
Marnie pursed her lips and tilted her delicate chin upward, her tone dripping with disdain. Clearly, she had no patience for baseless rumors.
She always believed in seeing things with her own eyes. After all, rumors stop with the wise!
Was Marnie the type to easily believe rumors? Not a chance!
"Calyrex, huh…"
Ryuu Shiro raised an eyebrow, giving Marnie a somewhat strange look.
The King of Galar's legends was none other than Calyrex!
In ancient times, Calyrex was the ruler of the Galar region and the only Pokémon to have truly held the title of King.
And Calyrex's classification? The King Pokémon.
Although Zacian and Zamazenta are the most famous Legendaries in Galar, strictly speaking, aside from Eternatus, which is an outsider,
Calyrex is also an incredibly powerful Legendary Pokémon! In fact, its strength is definitely on par with Zacian and Eternatus.
And if Ryuu Shiro remembered correctly, Calyrex really does reside in the Crown Tundra…
Oh, and the Galarian Legendary Birds also live in the Crown Tundra.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Marnie's senses were sharp, and she noticed Ryuu Shiro's gaze, prompting her to ask in confusion.
"I just feel like you're especially beautiful today. Did you put on makeup?"
Ryuu Shiro's lips curled into a smile as he looked at Marnie's delicate face and asked with a grin.
"Always with the sweet talk. Save those lines for the other girls. Come on, aren't you looking for an Power Spot?"
Marnie was momentarily stunned, then rolled her eyes and replied in a flat tone. After speaking, she took the lead and headed toward the snow-capped mountains.
However, after passing Ryuu Shiro, a faint smile appeared on her lips again, clearly in a rather good mood.
"This girl."
Ryuu Shiro chuckled, put on his coat, and followed Marnie.
Although his physique was strong and he had the power of the Dragon Clan, he was still just a human. Short exposure to the cold was fine, but enduring such low temperatures for long periods would be suicidal.
The two of them trudged through the snow, leaving footprints behind, while Dragonair floated beside Ryuu Shiro, keeping watch over their surroundings.
In a place like the Crown Tundra, Ryuu Shiro naturally wouldn't return Dragonair to its Poké Ball. If they were suddenly attacked by wild Pokémon, it would be too dangerous.
"Dragonair, use Dragon Rush."
By an icy lake, Ryuu Shiro gave Dragonair an order.
"Dragonair~"
Dragonair let out a high-pitched cry, its long body glowing with a blue light. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a ferocious dragon.
Boom!
Dragon Rush charged forward at high speed, striking the chest of a towering black giant dozens of meters ahead.
The black giant roared continuously but couldn't withstand Dragonair's impact.
With a loud crash, the black giant fell heavily to the ground. The faint ominous red light surrounding its body dissipated, and its size rapidly shrank, turning into a Grimmsnarl that fainted on the spot.
"A Dynamax Grimmsnarl couldn't even withstand one hit. Dragonair's power is as mesmerizing as ever."
Seeing this, Marnie gazed at the sacred and beautiful Shiny Dragonair floating in the air, her eyes sparkling with admiration. She really wanted a Shiny Dragonair too!
So beautiful and majestic—it was simply perfect!
"Found the Power Spot. Eternatus."
Stepping over the defeated Grimmsnarl, Ryuu Shiro walked up to a glowing red Power Spot. After examining it, he took out a Heavy Ball and tossed it.
"Roar~"
Amid a flash of white light, a sinister crimson glow appeared, and the Poison Dragon floated quietly above Ryuu Shiro.
"This is Eternatus!"
Marnie's clear and bright eyes sparkled even more as she gazed in awe at the legendary dragon that had nearly destroyed the Galar region.