The Road to our Destiny II: The Galar Adventures

Chapter 58

Gwen, Sonia, and Winnie were quiet through the car ride to the Slumbering Weald. After Gwen called Timothy, she told Sonia of his idea to save Coovers and Goh, and Sonia became at ease, believing they would be rescued. Their ease silently faded away, however, as their minds returned to the matter at hand: wondering if they would find Zacian and Zamanenta as well as the sword and shield. Sonia kept the gas pedal on the floor, honking and forcing cars to move away as she drove down the road through the Wild Area.

They arrived at the opening to the Slumbering Weald, and Sonia slammed on the break, forcing her car to come to a screeching halt on the grass beside the train tracks. Gwen and Sonia got out of the car with Gwen holding Winnie and ran to the top of the hill leading to the forest. The two women stopped as they realized there was a small mist inside the forest and took a moment to prepare themselves before Gwen put down Winnie, and the three of them went in. Gwen and Sonia waited until they felt deep in the forest enough to call out to the mysterious Pokémon.

"Zacian, Zamazenta, come out!" Gwen shouted.

"Please come on out!" Sonia called out.

"Teddiursa!" Winnie shouted.

But call out as they might, nothing came to them. There was neither sound nor shadow to imply there was a living soul in the forest apart from themselves. As Gwen, Sonia, and Winnie walked down the path, the fog grew thicker until they were surrounded by it. Winnie climbed onto Gwen's head so it didn't get separated.

"Goh said the fog got really thick when he saw Zacian or Zamazenta. We might be getting close to finding them," Gwen said.

"I hope you're right," Sonia said.

"Teddi," Winnie said.

Just then, Sonia heard a ringtone, and she took out her Rotom Phone from her coat pocket. Gwen moved closer to Sonia as she opened her phone and selected the news app, revealing a reporter speaking on a helicopter flying around Hammerlocke Stadium. The sky was covered with dark clouds, and there was a massive hole in the stadium's tower.

"There are reports from all over of Pokémon Dynamaxing against their will, and then rampaging!" The reporter said.

The camera moved to the window and zoomed in on Leon, Ash, and Pikachu flying to the hole on Charizard and Dragonite.

"It's Leon," Sonia said.

"Ash?" Gwen asked. "I thought he was with Timothy and Sere-?"

Gwen's voice died in her throat, and her face grew pale. The news helicopter moved closer to the hole, revealing a shadowy figure of a vaguely draconic shape and a skeletal appearance. Winnie squealed and buried its face with Gwen's hair.

"It seems like this behavior is caused by a red light coming from Hammerlocke Stadium," the reporter said.

But as the reporter was talking, the shadowy figure's core glowed and fired a massive beam, hitting the helicopter. The reporter let out a grunt before the screen was nothing but pink, and the audio was static.

"No!" Gwen screamed.

"Gwen, what is it?" Sonia asked.

"That was Eternatus! Eternatus has been restored and has escaped from the core!" Gwen shouted. "And...and that beam...is the exact one it used to...to..."

It took a moment for Sonia to realize Gwen was talking about her mother's death. Then her heart grew still, and she looked back at her phone, realizing Eternatus had just used the same attack against Leon and Ash. She shut her eyes and shook her head before stepping in front of Gwen and lifting her head.