Despite her delicate and cute appearance, Marnie, who had always been fiercely competitive since childhood, wasn't the type of girl to judge things solely based on looks.
Eternatus's appearance was far from beautiful. In fact, to most people, Eternatus, with its skeletal dragon-like form, might give them the immediate impression that it was an "evil Pokémon."
But Marnie really liked Eternatus. Why? Because it was a Legendary Pokémon, and it was undoubtedly incredibly strong!
"Eternatus, absorb the energy here first."
Ryuu Shiro looked up at Eternatus and smiled. The priority now was to absorb the energy here and then head to the next Power Spot.
Eternatus's white, spot-like eyes flickered as it slightly lowered its body. The red light in its chest and abdomen grew brighter, eerie and ominous.
Under the watchful eyes of Ryuu Shiro and Marnie, the energy particles from the glowing red Power Spot turned into a stream and quickly flowed into Eternatus's body.
"Do you like it?"
Seeing that Eternatus was absorbing energy, Ryuu Shiro glanced around. The surrounding Pokémon had already been taken down by Dragonair.
And after Eternatus appeared, the area fell completely silent.
Pokémon's senses were far sharper than humans'. The dangerous aura of a top-tier Legendary like Eternatus was something sensitive Pokémon could detect, and they naturally fled as far as possible.
Finally, Ryuu Shiro's gaze landed on Marnie. Seeing her beautiful eyes fixed intently on Eternatus, he smiled slightly and asked,
"Well, who doesn't like Legendaries? But I'm too weak right now."
Marnie was momentarily stunned, then nodded, her voice calm and pleasant.
In a world centered around Pokémon, no one would turn down the power of a Legendary.
Marnie, of course, also longed for it. But she had a clear understanding of her own position. What did she have now that would make a Legendary take notice of her?
Especially a top-tier Legendary like Eternatus, which had nearly destroyed the Galar region.
"Remember what I told you before? You're exceptional. Even a Legendary might not be out of your reach in the future."
Ryuu Shiro encouraged her with a smile. Whether it was her appearance or her strong personality, Ryuu Shiro had a lot of fondness for this girl.
And Marnie's talent was undeniable. Her brother, Piers, was one of the top Trainers in the Galar region. Because Spikemuth had no Dynamax Power Spots, Piers disliked Dynamaxing.
Yet, even without using Dynamax, Piers had given Raihan a tough fight in the original story.
But even someone like Piers had high praise for Marnie, saying, "Her talent makes me feel ashamed," and after the game's protagonist became Champion, Piers immediately stepped down and let the more experienced Marnie take over as Gym Leader.
This alone showed just how talented Marnie was.
"And… I'll help you. After all, you're my… little contributor."
Then Ryuu Shiro grinned, showing his signature mischievous smile, and looked at Marnie as he spoke slowly.
"Tone down your expression. You look like a villain."
Marnie's eye twitched as she retorted with a hint of annoyance. Even though she was used to Ryuu Shiro's smile, it still made her a bit uncomfortable.
And… are you really trying to help me? You're just after my body!
Marnie made a sarcastic remark in her heart, turning her gaze to the Grimmsnarl nearby. She had long since gotten used to Ryuu Shiro taking advantage of her.
She didn't dislike Ryuu Shiro either, or else why would she let him flirt with her so many times?
But Marnie was strong-willed. Even though she had a lot of affection for Ryuu Shiro, she couldn't bring herself to confess her feelings to him.
After observing the Grimmsnarl for a while, Marnie turned her gaze back to Ryuu Shiro.
"This Grimmsnarl's strength is decent, and its quality isn't bad. It's worth catching."
Ryuu Shiro understood what Marnie was thinking and, after examining the Grimmsnarl, gave his opinion.
Marnie was different from most female Trainers. She wasn't interested in cute Pokémon that looked soft and cuddly but lacked combat prowess.
Perhaps because her brother Piers specialized in Dark-types, she also had a preference for Dark-type Pokémon.
"Then I'll catch it."
A faint smile appeared on Marnie's pretty face. As for Ryuu Shiro's use of words like "decent" and "worth catching," Marnie simply filtered them out.
She knew Ryuu Shiro had extremely high—even absurdly strict—standards for the talent and potential of his Pokémon.
But how many top-tier Pokémon were there in the world? And how many of them would catch her eye?
Marnie didn't have such excessive demands, but she trusted Ryuu Shiro's judgment. If he said it was worth catching, then this Grimmsnarl must be quite good.
"Poké Ball, go!"
Marnie took out an empty Poké Ball and expertly tossed it at the Grimmsnarl.
The Grimmsnarl, already heavily injured by Dragonair, had no ability to resist. The indicator light flashed three times before coming to a complete stop.
Marnie caught the returning Poké Ball, and the smile on her delicate face seemed to deepen slightly, her beautiful eyes narrowing into crescents.
After all, she had just gained a new partner.
Ryuu Shiro looked at the happy Marnie and couldn't help but smile. She really was adorable.
But just as Eternatus was absorbing energy, in a forest far from the Crown Tundra…
By a clear stream, Zacian, who had been about to drink, raised its head, its cold gaze sending chills down one's spine.
"So you couldn't hold back after all."
A/n - 250 PS for one extra chapter guys :)