Under the faintly red-tinted sky, the Dragon meteors fell toward the earth like raindrops.
At a glance, there was no end in sight. The sheer scale of this Draco Meteor was utterly terrifying!
One could imagine the devastation such a carpet bombing would bring—the earth would be riddled with craters!
"No!"
In a corner of Hammerlocke Stadium, Oleana's face turned pale as she looked up at the countless glowing points in the sky, her eyes filled with despair.
A deep sense of powerlessness and exhaustion washed over her, and her injured body could no longer support her. She collapsed to the ground.
It's over…
"..."
Taking a deep breath, Raihan clenched his jaw tightly, his trembling eyes fixed on the dazzling "meteor shower."
His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white from the strain.
"So, what will you choose, Zacian?"
In stark contrast to Oleana and Raihan, Ryuu Shiro still wore a faint smile, even taking out his phone to capture the scene.
After all, a Draco Meteor of this scale was something even he had never seen before.
"Why?"
"Why what?"
Ryuu Shiro raised an eyebrow, turning to Raihan with a hint of surprise.
"Why would a Trainer like you do something like this?"
Raihan's voice was low and hoarse, his once-bright eyes now bloodshot, making him look almost frightening.
"You're so powerful, so why did you join Team Rocket? If you wanted to capture Eternatus, why drag innocent people into this?"
"This is their home!"
Raihan's emotions finally boiled over, and he roared at Ryuu Shiro in anger.
He couldn't understand. How could someone as powerful as Ryuu Shiro be so heartless?
Did he really not have an ounce of compassion?
Hammerlocke… this was the entire city of Hammerlocke!
It was home to so many families, so many memories!
But soon, all of that would be lost. With their homes and livelihoods destroyed, many would be left homeless.
To pursue his own interests, Ryuu Shiro was willing to destroy the happiness and lives of others.
How could someone like this still smile so shamelessly?
Hearing this, Ryuu Shiro only sneered.
"How naive. Truly naive, Raihan."
Ryuu Shiro raised a finger, wagging it at Raihan as he spoke calmly.
"It's a wonder you managed to reach Champion level. What is the essence of the world?"
"The strong dominate everything. At your level, you still don't understand this?"
"Pain, suffering, helplessness, fear… I've seen it all."
Ryuu Shiro spoke with biting sarcasm. This was a harsh, realistic world, far from the idealized version portrayed in Pokémon anime.
"So, as someone who claims to be strong, you think it's okay to trample on and take away their homes?"
But Raihan only laughed in anger. This was nothing but sophistry!
"Power isn't a tool for you to act recklessly. The world isn't like this!"
As a Trainer with a kind heart, Raihan had formed his own convictions from the moment he became the Gym Leader of Hammerlocke.
He loved Pokémon. He loved Pokémon battles!
He was the protector of Hammerlocke, and he was willing to face danger for the sake of its residents.
That's why he could never accept the twisted values of this Team Rocket Executive.
"Hmph~ How noble. Then, with your sense of responsibility, please enjoy this beautiful rain."
Ryuu Shiro shrugged. He hadn't expected Raihan to agree with him, as their values were completely opposite.
For Ryuu Shiro, he had his own clear goals and path. As for others?
What did they have to do with him?
Besides, he didn't have time to continue arguing with Raihan. In this short span of time, the Draco Meteor had already begun to descend!
Ryuu Shiro looked up at Zacian, the Crowned Sword, the legendary hero of Galar. Just as he had expected, Zacian didn't pursue the fallen Eternatus!
"Damn parasite!"
Zacian's gaze was icy cold. Below it was the human city, home to countless lives.
In its eyes, this Draco Meteor was clearly Eternatus's way of taunting it!
After all, the reason Zacian targeted Eternatus was to protect this land and the lives on it.
After a moment of hesitation, Zacian chose not to press its advantage against Eternatus. Instead, it turned to face the Draco Meteor.
Eternatus was already severely injured and couldn't escape. Zacian could focus on blocking the Draco Meteor first.
While it couldn't stop all of it, it could at least minimize the damage to the city.
A brilliant blue light enveloped Zacian's body, and the shining sword in its mouth transformed into a massive blade.
Behemoth Blade!
Zacian swung the giant sword with tremendous force, and a golden energy surge erupted, instantly engulfing a large number of the Dragon meteors.
The sheer power of the attack lit up the sky with golden energy!
"What a respectable hero."
Seeing this, Ryuu Shiro's smile deepened. Yes, this was exactly what he had planned!
Though Zacian was cold and aloof, it was indeed a benevolent legendary Pokémon. With Eternatus already on the verge of defeat, Zacian wouldn't allow the city to be destroyed.
And taking advantage of this opportunity, Ryuu Shiro could use a Poké Ball to capture Eternatus and make his escape!
....
"Terrifying~ truly terrifying, this power."
Ryuu Shiro gazed at the golden energy surge that covered the entire sky, licking his lips in awe, his crimson eyes filled with a strange light.
Yes, this golden energy was the result of Zacian's Behemoth Blade erupting.
Relying on its incredible speed, Zacian, the Crowned Sword, raced across the sky, intercepting the falling Dragon meteors!
Hammerlocke was a massive city, as it was the heart of the Galar region and one of its most prosperous cities.
Yet, Zacian single-handedly managed to intercept a large portion of the Dragon meteors!
How terrifying was that?
Protection was always far more difficult than destruction—the two were on completely different levels of difficulty.
"Zacian!"
In contrast to Ryuu Shiro's amazement, Raihan and Oleana were filled with relief and joy.
They had never expected such a reversal in this situation.
The legendary hero had once again saved them!
Although the sheer scale of the Draco Meteor meant Zacian couldn't intercept all of it, this outcome was far better than the entire city being destroyed.
It was a relatively ideal result.
"Hmm~"
A melodious hum sounded as the pink-and-purple Dragonair gracefully flew back, its long body swaying as it moved at high speed.
"???"
Raihan and Oleana frowned, watching Dragonair, which had disappeared for a while. They exchanged glances, unable to figure out what Dragonair had been doing.
Dragonair flew to Ryuu Shiro's side and opened its mouth, dropping a Heavy Ball into his hand.
"Finally… hahaha~"
Looking at the Heavy Ball in his hand and feeling its weight, Ryuu Shiro's expression was one of pure excitement. He even laughed heartily, something he rarely did.
Finally! Finally, he had obtained it!
"Eternatus!"
Seeing Ryuu Shiro's expression and the Heavy Ball in his hand, Oleana and Raihan's faces changed. They instantly understood.
Eternatus! He had captured it!
"You had Eternatus use Draco Meteor just to distract Zacian!"
Oleana's face turned pale, then red, her earlier joy at Zacian saving Hammerlocke now completely overshadowed. She gritted her teeth, speaking to Ryuu Shiro in a low, angry voice.
Her mind raced, piecing together everything from the moment Eternatus was released, to predicting Zacian's appearance, and now using Zacian's pressure to capture Eternatus…
Everything had been calculated by this man from the very beginning!
"Of course. Zacian is a legendary hero, isn't it? Eternatus's awakening would naturally draw the attention of the Sword and Shield heroes."
"It seems you've figured it out. As expected of you, Miss Oleana."
Calming his emotions, Ryuu Shiro tightly gripped the Heavy Ball. Having obtained Eternatus, his mood was clearly elated.
"You've really gone to great lengths."
Pursing her lips, Oleana spoke with bitter resentment.
Eternatus…
They had worked so hard to find Eternatus, only for everything to end up benefiting this young man!
How tragic was that?
Thinking of Chairman Rose's disappointed expression when he returned, Oleana's heart was filled with bitterness.
Eternatus was the source of Chairman Rose's dreams, and now, it had been taken by this man.
"Thank you for the praise, Miss Oleana. Today has been very enjoyable. I'm sure we'll meet again."
Ryuu Shiro grinned, recalling Dragonair and giving Oleana and Raihan a gentlemanly bow.
Yes, it was time to leave!
Ryuu Shiro had already assessed Zacian's power—it was something he couldn't contend with right now.
While a top-tier Champion could stand against a high-level wild Legendary, even among high-level Legendaries, there were tiers of strength. And Zacian, the Crowned Sword, was simply too powerful.
"Gardevoir, Teleport!"
Ryuu Shiro glanced at Zacian, who was still intercepting the Dragon meteors, and with a wide grin, he tossed a Poké Ball.
A flash of white light, and the elegant Gardevoir appeared. It gracefully crossed its slender arms, its eyes glowing with a deep blue light.
Teleport!
In an instant, Gardevoir and Ryuu Shiro vanished from the spot.
"It's over…"
Watching Ryuu Shiro leave so brazenly, Raihan closed his eyes, a deep sense of powerlessness washing over him.
The tamer of dragons!?
He was nothing but a joke.
"Team Rocket!"
Oleana leaned against the wall, her fair face dark with anger as she spat out those three words.
Team Rocket! This grudge was now set in stone!
Her eyes flashed with cold determination. While Galar was far from Kanto, separated by an ocean, that didn't mean they couldn't do anything!
The wounds and humiliation Ryuu Shiro had left her with today—she would repay them tenfold!
"He's gone?"
The moment Ryuu Shiro left, Zacian immediately sensed it and turned its gaze to the ground.
It expanded its senses to the maximum but could no longer feel Eternatus's presence.
Zacian's expression turned cold. That parasite had actually escaped!
"So, this was just a means of escape? What a cunning insect."
With a quick thought, it realized that the Draco Meteor had merely been a distraction.
Zacian's eyes glinted with cold light. Run all you want, Eternatus. I'll find you eventually.
As a parasite that needed energy to survive, Zacian wasn't worried about losing track of it.
Eternatus had to absorb energy—it was a necessity! Only then could it maintain its vitality!