"We lost," Leon admitted after a brief moment of silence. Then he let out a breath and smiled.
"You really haven't changed, Naoki."
How could the man capable of forming bonds with so many Legendary Pokémon lose to him again?
Even though Naoki had said that Calyrex had left the ranch to travel the world, Leon knew better.
He had heard the stories, how Naoki had saved Calyrex in the Crown Tundra.
Deep down, Leon was sure of one thing. A Pokémon like Calyrex, who had once been saved by Naoki, would never leave his side, nor would it choose another trainer to journey with.
And even if it did, that person would still be Naoki.
Leon had pieced it all together long ago.
The Naoki standing in front of him now was the same mysterious figure who once helped protect the Hoenn region and even stopped the Creator Pokémon, Arceus.
He had realized this only after hearing more and more scattered accounts over time.
But since Naoki clearly preferred to keep a low profile, Leon chose to keep this truth to himself.
After the battle ended, Naoki turned to speak, but before he could, he noticed Iono walking sleepily out of the breeding treehouse, rubbing her eyes.
"Huh?" She blinked at the sight of guests. "Oh! We have visitors!"
"Hello, Miss Iono," Sonia greeted her with a warm smile.
Iono quickly recognized her. Sonia was a researcher from the Galar region, and she had attended Iono and Naoki's wedding alongside Leon.
"Long time no see, Sonia!" Iono beamed, her mood instantly lifting.
The two women began catching up, chatting cheerfully about recent events, including the baby.
Naoki and Leon stepped aside, giving them space.
Turning to Leon, Naoki asked, "Galar's focusing a lot on developing Gigantamax battles these days, right?"
Leon nodded slightly. "Yeah. That's right."
Naoki smiled. "That's good. If done well, it could really help the Galar region grow."
Leon hesitated.
Because the more he had looked into it, the more troubling things he had found.
Gigantamax energy, the energy that allowed Pokémon to grow to enormous sizes, seemed to be deeply connected to Eternatus.
Ancient texts passed down through the Galar region spoke of a phenomenon called the Darkest Day, when Pokémon suddenly grew to massive size, lost their minds, and laid waste to towns and cities.
Naoki added thoughtfully, "It's strange though. Gigantamaxing only works in Galar. Once you leave, it just… doesn't happen."
That simple observation hit Leon like a jolt of lightning.
Suddenly, pieces began falling into place in his mind.
Eternatus, Gigantamax energy, Power Spots, and the massive Energy Plant beneath Hammerlocke Stadium…
It all made sense now.
He understood Chairman Rose's real objective.
Macro Cosmos had been using the underground plant to extract energy directly from Eternatus, distributing that Gigantamax energy across the region.
Chairman Rose… was trying to harness the Darkest Day.
But Eternatus was unstable. It couldn't be controlled.
And with Hammerlocke being one of the most densely populated cities in Galar, if Eternatus ever awoke again, the consequences would be catastrophic.
"No, I need to head back and confirm something."
Leon turned to Naoki with determination in his eyes. "Thank you, Naoki. Something just occurred to me, something I have to act on. Let's pause here for today. I'll be back another time to talk more. Sonia, let's go."
"So soon?" Sonia was in the middle of a cheerful conversation with Iono when she heard Leon's sudden decision.
Leon gave her a serious nod. "I've had a breakthrough. Something about the Eternatus."
Hearing that, Sonia quickly understood the urgency. She stood up and smiled politely at Iono. "Let's catch up again soon."
Naoki raised an eyebrow slightly, curious. What exactly had Leon figured out?
"I'll fill you in once I've confirmed everything," Leon said, turning back to him.
Naoki thought for a moment, knowing Leon's nature well. Then he gave a calm smile. "Alright. I'll be waiting here. And if you ever need help, don't hesitate to reach out."
After all, the course of Galar's history had already been altered because of his influence.
Right now, Gloria and Hop were still just children. If Leon acted too hastily and directly opposed Chairman Rose, it could lead to dangerous consequences.
Leon paused for a moment, then looked at Naoki with sincerity. "Thank you."
And with that, Leon and Sonia departed just as quickly as they had arrived.
Naoki and the others watched them disappear into the distance. Once their figures had vanished beyond view, they finally turned their gazes away.
"Do you want to go back and nap for a bit?" Naoki asked Iono gently, guessing the battle earlier must have woken her up.
"If I sleep any longer, I'll turn into a Snorlax," Iono grinned. She glanced toward the path Leon and Sonia had taken, curiosity flashing in her eyes. "Hey, what's the deal between those two? Are they, like, together?"
"Them?" Naoki replied, amused. "Probably childhood friends. They grew up together."
"Whoa," Iono whispered, clearly intrigued. "Do you think Leon likes Sonia?"
Naoki scratched his cheek. "…I have no idea."
He turned away, suddenly reminded of Zacian and Zamazenta. After some searching, he found Calyrex quietly tending to the flower fields. Naoki approached and shared the news that Zacian and Zamazenta had chosen to work alongside Leon.
Calyrex nodded slightly after hearing it. "That human is suitable."
He had already been silently observing Leon's character and spirit, so he wasn't at all surprised that the Legendary duo had decided to place their trust in him.
Just then, Naoki's Rotom Phone buzzed.
He glanced at the screen and saw a new friend request from Sonia.
Naoki blinked, slightly surprised. He accepted the request, and almost immediately, a message came through.
[Sonia: By the way, Mr. Naoki. After Leon told me the full Sword and Shield legend, I went to investigate the Crown Tundra. Deep in a hidden ruin, I found something strange.]
[Sonia: It seems to be from ancient humans, maybe thousands of years ago. Sending photo now → image.jpg]
Naoki opened the image. It was a photo of an ancient mural, worn and cracked with age. Though faded, the story it depicted was still recognizable.
In the first panel, a towering Pokémon with a large crown-like head stood at the center of a temple. Before it knelt two Pokémon shaped like majestic wolves, Zacian and Zamazenta.
In another panel, a cyclopean figure appeared to be forging something, sharing a glowing object with the crowned Pokémon.
Further below, that object transformed into a sword and shield, which the crowned Pokémon then bestowed upon the two wolf-like creatures.
[Sonia: I've almost completed my research on the Sword and Shield Heroes. But there's still one mystery—who was that third figure helping forge the relics? Do you know anything about them, Mr. Naoki?]
Naoki did.
He knew exactly who that third Pokémon was.
It was Melmetal.
Long ago, Melmetal had helped forge the sacred blade and shield by providing metal for Zacian and Zamazenta. Then, as quietly as it had appeared, it vanished into the river of time, leaving no trace behind.
[Naoki: I heard from the Crown Tundra's legends that long ago, a Pokémon gave up parts of its own body to help Zacian and Zamazenta forge their sacred sword and shield. As far as I know, there is only one Pokémon capable of producing such metal—Melmetal, the mythical Pokémon.]
[Sonia: Melmetal? That's the first time I've heard of it. Got it. Thank you very much, Mr. Naoki. I'll continue investigating this Melmetal.]
As Naoki read Sonia's reply, his mind wandered to the sorrow and wistfulness that Calyrex had expressed when telling the story of Melmetal.
There was no doubt. In the legends of Galar, Melmetal was also one of the unsung heroes who helped save the region during the original Darkest Day.
Thinking of this, Naoki sent a message back.
[Naoki: I have a favor to ask.]
[Sonia: What is it?]
[Naoki: If one day you discover any solid information about Melmetal, its location, its condition, please let me know. Calyrex wishes to meet him again.]
[Sonia: Of course. I'll let you know right away!]
...
The next day, the holiday break at the gym came to an end, and Naoki returned to his usual work routine.
Inside the gym's office, Naoki sat at his desk reviewing a list of challengers handed over by his assistant, Anya.
[Name: Cross
Hometown: Kalos Region
Gym Badges: 0
Battle Record: 32nd place in the Kalos League Conference]
[Name: Ariel
Hometown: Unova Region
Gym Badges: 0
Battle Record: 10th place in the Unova League Conference]
[Name: Roel
Hometown: Hoenn Region
Gym Badges: 0
Battle Record: 8th place in the Ever Grande Conference, winner of the Hoenn Ribbon Master Showcase
[...]
Naoki flipped through the list and blinked, stunned.
"Why are there so many challengers today?"
Anya looked unsure but offered a sheepish explanation.
"Because of you. The gym has gone viral online recently. Trainers from other regions are coming here just to battle you..."
Naoki's face fell.
So that's what this was about. These weren't trainers collecting badges for the Paldea Conference. They were here to mess with him, and probably Zapdos and Jirachi too!
"There are also a lot of influencers and streamers," Anya added nervously. "They're gathering in the city's central plaza. Most of them just want to film legendary Pokémon for views."
Naoki massaged his forehead.
"They're just here to farm clout? And now I have to fight all of them?"
He clenched his fist in quiet frustration.
This wasn't a gym battle schedule. This was a content creator ambush.
Anya hesitated for a moment. "Should I start calling them in now for battles?"
Naoki exhaled slowly and stood up.
"Let's start."
...
Bonus Chapter @500 $tonks
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