So, this and that, and the other thing.
After Giratina finished explaining everything, Hikaru finally understood the whole sequence of events.
In short, it was still a change caused by the Sinjoh Ruins.
Arceus's descent had caused the Palkia of this world to sweep past the Distortion World, and the places where Giratina transplanted those apple trees were very likely somewhere around Kitakami.
Truth be told, Kitakami wasn't some huge place. It only had a single town. It was the standard "rural little town," the kind of location that pops up in the anime every few episodes.
The only reason it became famous was because it appeared as the stage for the Scarlet/Violet DLC, and also because…
This tiny little countryside region, tossed into some corner of the world where you wouldn't even find it on a map, somehow kept having Legendary Pokémon show up one after another.
Even though they were mostly outsiders… they still left stories behind here. A gathering of remarkable figures indeed.
Which rather matched Professor Oak's classic saying.
There are still many unknown places in the world, and many unknown Pokémon.
The Pokémon in front of them was one of the Legendary Pokémon known by nicknames like "Little Widow" and "Little Orange"—Ogerpon. She looked like a lively girl in a green coat, with an orange face.
Of course, under that green coat, she was hiding Ogerpon's exclusive weapon—the Ivy Cudgel. It was both a weapon and a move, and it had even been called the "Thunder Bagua" of battling at one point.
Mm… a Legendary Pokémon…?
Ogerpon only had females, with no corresponding male Pokémon.
Ogerpon was highly intelligent and liked pranks, with a playful side. She was also very curious about how other Pokémon and humans lived. In the past, she seemed to have done mischievous things like secretly eating the village's food or stealing items that caught her interest.
Long ago, Ogerpon had crossed the sea from a distant land, following a man, to arrive in Kitakami. But the villagers were afraid of their appearance, so they distanced themselves from them.
However, most of the "legends" that appeared in Kitakami—including Ogerpon—were, for the most part… the result of mutations.
Bloodmoon was merely a variant of Ursaluna. The Loyal Three were granted power by a Mythical Pokémon. So these so-called "Legendaries" were better understood as special individuals within certain populations.
And Ogerpon might be the same. Perhaps in her original homeland, she had kin of her own. But as time passed, those matters had long become obscure and impossible to verify.
"Boponi!"
Ogerpon tried to greet Hikaru. She was still a little nervous. Even though she had watched many stories through "mirror broadcasting," that was still nowhere near familiarity.
At best, it meant she was familiar with this human on her side alone—not that this human was familiar with her.
If it were an ordinary person, she definitely would have hidden herself, too afraid to let them see her, too afraid to reveal her true face.
But if it was this person… then it was okay.
"Ogerpon, huh… Nice to meet you. I'm the master of the Dream Workshop. My name is Hikaru."
"Bo, boponi…?"
"Yes, you heard right. I really can understand what you're saying. Well? There's nothing strange about me, right?"
"Boponi… boponi!"
"You're saying you're from Kitakami, you live in the Dreaded Den, and sometimes you go play in the Distortion World. You're happy to meet me… You're way too polite. I'm happy to meet you too."
Little Orange was very polite. Maybe it was because she was often discriminated against in Kitakami's history, or maybe it was something her former partner had taught her.
With that timid, adorable look, nobody would ever imagine that Little Orange had once clubbed three Pokémon to death—three that even countered her.
Ogerpon had connected to the Dream World through the Distortion World, so it still wasn't certain whether the Sinnoh region could connect directly to the Dream World.
But as the Tree of Connection recovered and continued to grow, even Paldea could receive the signal now. Sinnoh should be fine as well. And Kitakami—situated on a landmass near Sinnoh—would naturally also be covered by the Dream World's signal.
Ogerpon had waited for Hikaru for a very, very long time. Just as Giratina had promised her, the fabled artisan was going to help repair her broken masks.
Still… compared to all those strange and wondrous tools and creations, her masks might be a little… shabby and unremarkable.
But even so, those masks were her most precious treasures.
No matter what, no matter what, she had to ask him to fix them.
Ogerpon had always thought that way.
Hikaru took the mask and studied it closely. "This mask isn't an ordinary thing."
Ogerpon tilted her head, curious. "Boponi?"
"Yes. Craftsmanship-wise, it's not exactly top-tier, but the materials used are extremely impressive."
"This should have been made for you by the village's mask artisan several hundred years ago, right?"
"Because your makeup and appearance didn't match the villagers at all, you were treated as outcasts and weren't allowed into the village. Seeing that, the village's mask artisan carved four masks for the man and for you, to hide your faces, so you could blend in."
"You were deeply grateful for the artisan's kindness. From then on, you would put on the masks and secretly join the village festivals."
"The mysterious troupe's masks were so exquisitely made that they became wildly popular, and the news even spread to faraway lands…"
"Boponi!" Ogerpon was startled. She fluttered her green cloak, visibly excited.
Just like Giratina said—this legendary artisan really was someone who "knew everything."
Hikaru said, "There's a lot I know. Giratina did a good thing too. You must've been lonely for hundreds of years, huh? But you made new friends…"
Hikaru gently stroked the old mask.
"Truly something to celebrate. Truly something to celebrate."
"Boponi!" Ogerpon glanced at Giratina and happily voiced her agreement.
Giratina, meanwhile, looked a bit dissatisfied. At first, it wanted to argue with Hikaru—because wasn't the implication basically "you didn't do good things before"?
But then it thought about it.
The most hurtful thing isn't lies. The truth is the sharp knife.
And… it really wasn't wrong. Before this, it had mostly just caused trouble…!
It really hadn't done much good at all!
But then again, if you traced things back to two thousand years ago, when the people of Shenhe were still prosperous, it had also been a "recipient of worship." Sometimes it bestowed blessings and protections and such. How could that count as doing nothing?
"Alone… We are all lives living on this planet. Don't be afraid. Live bravely."
Goddess Mewtwo looked at Ogerpon. Her psychic power activated, reading part of Ogerpon's memories, and her heart ached slightly.
A precious loved one died, and she lived alone for hundreds of years—and the true culprit behind this tragedy…
Even among Pokémon, could there be such vile individuals?
Ever since Goddess Mewtwo escaped the laboratory, the Pokémon she met had all been very friendly. But the few shadows she saw within Ogerpon's memories made her fall into a rare silence, and she began to think deeply.
Calyrex grabbed a carrot from the pile of ingredients (fish bait) nearby and started chewing.
"Hm… Even among Pokémon, there are those with nasty dispositions. When I ruled Galar, I too encountered such beings."
"Um…" Goddess Mewtwo's attention was drawn to Calyrex's fishing rod. "If you use a carrot, can you really catch something?"
The atmosphere, which had grown slightly heavy, became light again.
Ogerpon didn't understand what kind of riddle Mewtwo and Calyrex were talking about, but she did think of the past, and her mood dipped a little.
But she had new friends now!
She wouldn't be afraid or lonely anymore, so it was fine!
Hikaru examined the mask carefully.
[Secret Craftwork: Teal Mask (Damaged).]
[Description: A wooden carving mask made to resemble an oni's face, decorated with crystalline ornaments. It once held a gemstone brought from a foreign land by a certain man—sparkling, brilliant, and luxurious. Those gemstones were fragments of Terastal. Now, due to an accident, it has been damaged; the Tera Shards and gemstone have been lost, and no one knows where they went.]
[Its material is a special kind of wood from the Timeless Woods. After combining with Tera Shards and enduring centuries of time, it still maintains a like-new condition—neither rotting nor decaying.]
[The Timeless Woods' harsh natural environment is similar to Hisui and Sinjoh. That is to say, like Eterna Forest, it is timber that can slow the flow of time and coexist with it.]
[Ogerpon uses this special mask to battle. The mask seems to possess the power to help Ogerpon change her type and Ability. Drawing on Terastal energy, it can fuse emotion and memory into the mask, allowing Ogerpon to Terastallize on her own and surge in power!]
Originally, the mask had nothing especially remarkable about it.
But after centuries of change and symbiosis with Terastal, it had become something special.
"Emotion and memory becoming strength."
Four masks, corresponding to joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.
Hikaru said to Ogerpon, "Repairing the mask isn't difficult. We just need to gather some Tera Shards again. The Teal Mask needs Grass Tera Shards, and it just so happens that where I am right now, Tera Shards are everywhere."
"It's not very convenient to fix it in a dream. Later, I'll go to the Distortion World and fix it for you."
Ogerpon blinked. "Boponi?!"
"That reaction… So you really aren't from Paldea."
Even though Ogerpon's former partner brought sparkling gemstones from a foreign land, Ogerpon had no impression of Paldea. Which meant that elsewhere in the world, Terastal crystals might exist as well.
And in ancient times, there were also those "legendary merchants"—people whose job was to buy a nation's treasures and sell them in another nation for a high price.
And back then, Paldea likely still had many small states. If those states bought Terastal jewelry and sold it to other regions, they could definitely make a fortune.
"However, aside from this mask, I want to ask one more thing."
"Do you want to take back the other three masks?"
"Boponi…?" Ogerpon froze slightly, then shook her head.
Those three masks were already gone, along with those Pokémon from the past…
Hikaru said, "The three masks are still there, in Kitakami Hall, being kept by those people. And the three Pokémon didn't die either. When you attacked, you didn't hit hard enough."
"But for a Pokémon like you, it's difficult to truly be ruthless."
This time, Ogerpon truly went blank.
Those masks, carrying ancient memories and her heart—things she thought were long lost… They were the treasures that man had left behind!
Could she really retrieve them again?!
Hikaru said, "That building in Kitakami Hall is always kept closed, right? Inside, three sparkling masks are stored. They were probably hidden away by those three Pokémon, and later, the locals found them by chance."
"Even though the locals knew the masks belonged to you, oni are a terrifying existence to them. And since the three masks were seized by those three Pokémon, they treated them as trophies and kept them protected."
From the old story, it was easy to infer what happened.
You defeated the Loyal Three and the poisonous peach, yet you didn't retrieve the masks—so naturally, humans must have picked them up.
[You've clearly never been there, but you seem extremely familiar with that place.]
Even Giratina started to ponder it. Hikaru often pulled these "mysterious know-it-all" acts, but every time, it still felt absurd.
Hikaru said, "Isn't there a network?"
Giratina: […]
Hikaru said, "I'm joking. I haven't been there, but I just know. Even if it's only a rural little town, that place is very special."
"You know what? The forest environment there is the same as Hisui and Sinjoh."
Giratina's expression immediately turned serious, and it became uncertain and wary. But no matter how it tried to recall, it couldn't remember Arceus ever specifically naming a place called Kitakami.
[Could it be that place has ruins like the Sinjoh Ruins, the Sinnoh Temple, or the Shenhe Monastery?]
"No."
[Huh?]
"I don't know everything either." Hikaru shook his head. "Considering Kitakami's location near Sinnoh, perhaps its environment is influenced by Sinnoh's climate. Or it could be because Terastal energy exists there too."
"That's geology and archaeology territory. Why don't you have Cynthia investigate it?"
Giratina fell into thought, muttering to itself.
"Since those things belong to Ogerpon, we should help her get them back. If you can't do it conveniently, I'll go instead."
Goddess Mewtwo spoke up, volunteering to help Ogerpon. She glanced at Calyrex, knowing Calyrex's true body was still asleep in Galar. If Giratina wouldn't handle it, then she would.
After all, she could go anywhere.
Goddess Mewtwo said, "With psychic power, I can take them out without anyone noticing. Those people will only think the caretaking was careless and the treasures were lost. At most, they'll sulk for a year or two. Then they'll probably make some fakes and put them in there to keep worshipping."
Even Hikaru was surprised by that and gave a light cough.
"You understand humans very well. That really is how it goes!"
"After all, they can't exactly announce to the world that they lost their prized treasures!"
Goddess Mewtwo's lips curved slightly as she smiled.
"I've seen more than a few people blinded by greed."
"Bo, boponi (Don't hurt them)."
"They slandered you, and you still don't want to hurt them? You really are gentle."
Goddess Mewtwo shook her head at Ogerpon, then murmured as if talking to herself, "What would Individual One do?"
If it were Individual One—and if it hadn't been corrected…
[All humans must die.]
Hikaru thought that Kitakami would probably vanish straight off the world map.
"That approach works, but Kitakami is also an important place."
"At the very top of its highest peak, there's a Crystal Pool. The water is rich in Terastal energy, and under certain conditions, it can let people see the dead who have already passed on."
Hikaru's words stunned the surrounding Pokémon. Even the mermaid hidden in the water was eavesdropping quietly.
And it wasn't only the Crystal Pool.
Kitakami had several "special attractions" that were clearly exaggerated. The loudest boast was about Wistful Fields—supposedly, drink one sip of the lake water there and you'd live forever.
Sure, attractions need hype, or nobody visits.
But this was hyping it a bit too much.
Still, aside from that, there was a place called Gracious Stones. It was an energy spot known only to those in the know. For some reason, not a blade of grass grew within the stone circle. And if you stared at it, you would inexplicably feel your motivation surge.
An energy spot…
In the Pokémon world, only one Pokémon had such a power: Stonjourner from the Galar region.
A stone that radiated energy—your first thought would be ancient rock infused with intense psychic force, or a meteorite fallen from beyond the skies.
As a material and research subject, it would be excellent, with significant research value.
"Also, there's a very dangerous and very important Mythical Pokémon there. Its toxin is extremely rare in this world, and it can be used to make special secret medicines…"
Even though something like "Toxic Candy" was obviously useless and looked like something only a villain would use, Hikaru thought that many Pokémon toxins could be used in medicine anyway. For example, Dragalge's poison barbs were an important ingredient in certain remedies.
Using poison to make medicine—Fullmoon would surely have the most to say about that.
And Pecharunt's toxins might not be incurable either. In the Alola region, there existed a Mirage Berry that could resolve any toxin!
If you kept feeding Pecharunt Mirage Berries, would it completely erase its Poison typing? Or would it be torture for it?
"If you're not in a hurry, I can go to Kitakami once."
"Ogerpon, since we're friends now… do you have a wish?"
"I mean… do you want to see that man again? To call back the departed—using special power, it can be done…"
Before Hikaru could finish—
Ogerpon stared at Hikaru, blankly.
At that moment, the vast water suddenly surged in violent turmoil!
A gigantic whirlpool formed on the surface. Calyrex's fishing rod suddenly went taut!
"Hm! I got one! I caught something with a carrot!"
Calyrex yanked hard on the rod, and from within the vortex, that "violent fish Pokémon" finally revealed herself!
But she wasn't coming for Calyrex!
Snap!
The good fishing rod broke!
"My good fishing rod!" Calyrex stared at the broken rod, almost crying. It was something he had worked so hard to pick up!
And the carrot on the hook had already been eaten clean by the mermaid. Now the mermaid sprang out of the whirlpool and landed directly in front of Hikaru!
Ha!
Caught you red-handed this time, didn't I?!
It's you, isn't it—using my power all this time to make the dead and the living meet again and again, right?!
"You are…"
"Tapu Fini!"
(End of Chapter)
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