"What Pokémon is this?"
Marnie looked at the unfamiliar Pokémon in front of her with confusion. She had never seen it before, but it felt strangely familiar.
"Spectrier!"
Soon, Marnie remembered the name of this Pokémon, her eyes widening in surprise.
Yes, another Legendary Pokémon!
In the past decade or so, she hadn't even seen a single Legendary Pokémon, but in just these past two days, she had already encountered three.
"Neigh~"
Suddenly, Spectrier let out a loud neigh, turned around, and galloped away, disappearing into the snow.
It had appeared abruptly and left just as abruptly.
Ryuu Shiro could have had Dragonair stop it, but he chose not to. After all, this horse had a powerful backer…
Stealing someone's steed was akin to killing their parents or taking their spouse and children. Ryuu Shiro had no desire to be hunted down by Calyrex.
"Shiro?"
Unable to understand, Marnie looked at Ryuu Shiro in confusion.
"Let's keep moving. It's allowing us to proceed."
Ryuu Shiro chuckled softly. Spectrier had likely been hiding near them all along, and he had only just noticed it.
"Oh…"
Marnie blinked in bewilderment but still followed Ryuu Shiro's lead.
What did he mean by "allowing us to proceed"? Marnie was still clueless, but she trusted Ryuu Shiro.
"Spectrier is a Pokémon that loves solitude and silence. Because it enjoys peace, it usually doesn't disturb the lives of other creatures."
Ryuu Shiro noticed Marnie's confusion and explained to her.
"But Spectrier is Calyrex's steed. Even if it's separated from Calyrex, it will still guard the king's palace."
"And Calyrex's palace is the Crown Shrine!"
Ryuu Shiro grinned. Calyrex was an extremely unique Legendary Pokémon because it could fight while riding its steed.
And its steeds were also Legendary Pokémon—the black horse Spectrier and the white horse Glastrier!
Fighting a mounted Calyrex was essentially battling two Legendary Pokémon at once!
Moreover, when mounted, Calyrex and its steed's combined strength was far greater than the sum of their individual powers.
"So, if we've seen Spectrier here, it means we're very close to the Crown Shrine."
Hearing this, Marnie instantly understood. If Spectrier lived in and guarded the Crown Shrine, then seeing it here could only mean one thing.
"Exactly. Spectrier doesn't actively interact with other creatures, but it will attack to drive away intruders who disrupt its peace."
"But Spectrier didn't attack us just now, which likely means it's allowing us to proceed."
Ryuu Shiro nodded with a smile. Of course, there was another possibility—Spectrier had sensed Eternatus's presence on Ryuu Shiro.
Knowing it was outmatched, Spectrier had run off to report to its master…
But…
Would the proud and aloof Spectrier really be that weak?
Or perhaps Spectrier had overheard their conversation and felt that these two humans respected its king, which was why it didn't show hostility.
Who knew?
Ryuu Shiro didn't care about the truth. Spectrier had left, and they could continue forward. No problem there.
"I see."
Marnie nodded in understanding, her eyes flickering with a faint light as she glanced at Ryuu Shiro.
She had always known that Ryuu Shiro was strong and incredibly knowledgeable, but she hadn't expected him to be so well-versed in Galar's historical legends.
Even as a native of Galar, she knew nothing about these stories.
In front of Ryuu Shiro, Marnie felt like a complete novice.
The two continued forward, walking for a while longer until they saw an ancient structure in the distance.
But just then, the sound of hooves pounding against the ground grew closer, and a white figure came galloping toward them from afar.
"Dragonair, Dragon Rush!"
Ryuu Shiro raised an eyebrow and, without hesitation, gave Dragonair a low command.
"Dragonair~"
Dragonair rose into the air, its body coiling as a dense green light gathered around it. In an instant, a ferocious dragon-shaped energy formed.
Dragon Rush!
Dragonair charged at high speed toward the oncoming white figure.
Dragon Rush vs. Double-Edge!
Boom!
A powerful shockwave erupted, sending snow flying in all directions as a surge of energy overflowed.
After a prolonged clash, Dragonair was forcefully pushed back, its long body retreating a considerable distance before it could dissipate the impact. Its gem-like eyes focused intently on the figure ahead.
"Dragonair…"
Seeing Dragonair at a disadvantage, Marnie's face showed shock. This was the first time she had seen Ryuu Shiro's Dragonair being pushed back in a direct confrontation.
Snow and dust filled the air, making it impossible to see clearly, but both Ryuu Shiro and Marnie could make out a tall figure slowly emerging from the haze.
Clop~ clop~ clop~
The heavy sound of hooves grew closer, and a snow-white horse came into view.
Glastrier!
And on Glastrier's back rode a slender, petite figure.
"Ice Rider Calyrex!"
Ryuu Shiro's eyes narrowed, a wide grin spreading across his face.
"So, it's you who have entered my territory?"
Calyrex's eyes looked down at Ryuu Shiro and Marnie, its dignified and clear telepathic voice echoing in their ears.