"Mr. Aiden, did you see something?"
Noticing Aiden stop in his tracks, Carmine quickly turned around and looked in the direction of his gaze.
"Mm, it seems to be a Pokémon I haven't seen before?"
At this point, directly mentioning Ogerpon would leave Carmine and Kieran confused, so Aiden could only hint indirectly.
"A Pokémon we haven't seen before?"
After pondering for a moment, Carmine suddenly realized.
"Mr. Aiden, could it be that you're…"
"Seeing ghosts?"
"Ghosts???"
The moment those words left her mouth, Lacey instantly jumped in fright, curling up behind Nemona.
Caitlin reacted similarly, though not as obviously—after swallowing nervously, she discreetly grabbed the hem of Cynthia's coat.
If anyone found out that a Psychic-type trainer was afraid of ghosts, it would definitely be embarrassing!
"If ghosts are a type of Pokémon, they must be very powerful, right? I'd really like to see one!"
Compared to Lacey, Nemona was much calmer, even fantasizing about battling a "ghost."
"Mm, that's a legend that's been passed down in Kitakami for over a hundred years."
Carmine nodded as she scanned the surroundings and continued recalling the details.
"It's said that long ago, there was a terrifying ogre in Kitakami, lurking in the mountains behind the village and often scaring people who ventured into the woods."
"One day, the ogre suddenly became enraged and descended the mountain, plunging the villagers into panic. Thankfully, three Pokémon known as the 'Loyal Three' fought with all their might to drive the ogre back into the mountains."
"For this reason, our ancestors regarded them as heroes who saved the village and built the current Loyalty Plaza to honor them forever."
"Even tourists visiting Kitakami have probably noticed many souvenirs related to the Loyal Three, right?"
After listening, Arven nodded.
"There are indeed a lot of them, and their prices are also quite 'precious.'"
"..."
Catching the sarcasm in Arven's tone, Carmine sighed and rubbed her forehead.
"The villagers have gone a bit overboard in recent years. If this continues, it won't be good for Kitakami."
Though equally frustrated by this behavior tarnishing her village's reputation, Carmine felt powerless to change anything.
After all, she was just a young person with no say in the village.
However, this reaction earned her some respect from Aiden.
As a local of Kitakami, she didn't blindly side with her fellow villagers.
"I think this story is a bit strange, though?"
Ever since hearing the tale, Cynthia had been deep in thought and suddenly spoke up:
"If this ogre was so powerful and capable of attacking humans… why hasn't it retaliated against your ancestors after the Loyal Three supposedly died?"
"Exactly," Caitlin chimed in. "And why would such a powerful ghost live on the barren mountain behind the village? Logically, if it were truly strong, there should be plenty of suitable places to live in Kitakami, right?"
"While shopping earlier, I noticed that the mountain behind the village is completely barren—it's uninhabitable, isn't it?"
"This…"
Carmine was momentarily at a loss for words and could only brush it off.
"Well, legends are just how they've been passed down…"
Her weak explanation carried no conviction.
Seeing this, Aiden quietly reflected.
Sure enough, even Carmine herself likely didn't fully believe the legend—the inconsistencies were glaringly obvious.
Without needing him to point it out, everyone immediately spotted the flaws in the story. How much more so for the locals of Kitakami, who had passed it down for over a hundred years?
But because the Loyal Three had become the face of Kitakami, and people tend to believe what they want to believe…
Even knowing there might be misunderstandings, the legend persisted uncorrected.
Anyone questioning it might face backlash, so even those with doubts kept silent.
"Perhaps the real history is completely opposite to the legend."
Aiden casually dropped this remark, instantly piquing Nemona's curiosity.
"Exactly! So to uncover the truth of this history, we'll have to ask the ghost itself, right?"
With an excited look, she turned to Aiden.
"Teacher Azure, let's go find traces of that ogre together!"
Aiden glanced at Nemona.
I'm not mistaken…
She doesn't care about history or legends at all—she just wants to test the "ghost's" true strength, right?
Still, he had planned to try his luck anyway, hoping to encounter the poor little Ogerpon.
Wrongfully ostracized by the villagers for over a hundred years, even the man who made its mask—like a father figure—was persecuted to death by the Loyal Three, leaving it to live alone in the Dreaded Den.
It's clearly a lonely, adorable creature but forced to endure over a century of solitude, too afraid to enter the village.
Just thinking about it made Aiden's heart ache.
Damn it, my fists are clenched!
"If we can uncover the lost truths of history, it would be quite interesting."
While Aiden was lost in thought, Cynthia soon chimed in.
Before becoming a champion, Cynthia's main profession had been a mythologist, so she was naturally interested in researching other regions' histories.
"In that case, I'll follow Cynthia!"
Caitlin quickly voiced her agreement.
"Me too!"
Arven didn't need to say anything, and seeing everyone else fascinated by the "ghost," Lacey could only sigh.
"Alright, I'll join too!"
Unconsciously retreating behind Carmine, Kieran gazed longingly at the group.
Unlike the others in Kitakami, he actually felt a fondness for the "ghost."
Like him, the ogre was an "outsider" in Kitakami.
But unlike him, the ogre was far stronger and seemingly indifferent to being shunned by humans—even defeating the Loyal Three single-handedly!
In his eyes, it was incredibly cool.
If only he could join them and see the ghost's true form…
"..."
After a brief silence, Carmine shook her head.
"If you want to know about the ogre, you can wait until tomorrow when I take you to meet my grandfather—he knows a lot about Kitakami's history."
"But tonight, Grandpa is preparing for the Festival of Masks, so he won't have time."
"So tonight, you should stay in the village and enjoy our local festival celebration—the Festival of Masks!"
...
Following Carmine's guidance, they arrived at the Pokémon Center in Kitakami. While the Pokémon were being treated, Cynthia walked over and looked at Aiden.
"Regarding the legend of that 'ghost' in Kitakami, it seems you know quite a bit?"
Though Aiden hadn't explicitly said anything, Cynthia sensed from his demeanor that he likely knew some hidden clues.
"Mm, I do have a few guesses."
Aiden nodded, explaining while deep in thought.
For an outsider to suddenly reveal a century-old secret of Kitakami wouldn't carry much weight.
But there was one thing he was confident about.
"Actually, I've been curious about something since before coming to Kitakami—"
"Why does Kitakami have such an abundance of Tera Crystals in its Crystal Pool, when they're supposed to only appear in Area Zero?"
Anyone with even a basic understanding of Area Zero would notice this.
Those special crystals in the Crystal Pool—they're none other than the raw Tera Crystals from Paldea's giant pit!
This might be exactly why President Geeta chose to invest in Kitakami.
"It's said that those who followed Heath into Area Zero are now scattered across the world."
"So I suspect that perhaps some of them came to Kitakami, leading to the appearance of the Crystal Pool."
"And the 'ghost' in Kitakami's legend might also be connected to them."
Given that the root of Terastallization, the mysterious existence called Terapagos, lies deep within Area Zero…
Why does Kitakami, thousands of miles away, also have a Crystal Pool, allowing Nemona to freely use Terastallization like she did earlier?
The answer might be tied to the man who brought Ogerpon to Kitakami.
"Indeed."
Cynthia nodded.
"Now, all the clues seem to converge on that 'ghost.'"
"I wonder what its true form looks like."
"Don't worry. Judging by the fact that it hasn't entered the village in a hundred years, it's definitely not a bad guy."
Aiden smiled faintly.
"If we really run into the ghost, it might actually be a stroke of luck."
Ogerpon is so cute—although no one knows, she's my cutie!
Since the villagers don't cherish it, don't blame me for taking it away~
(My beloved Ogerpon…)
...
Time quickly passed to the evening.
It must be said, these cunning villagers of Kitakami are professionals at making money.
The Festival of Masks, originally held to commemorate the Loyal Three who took the ogre's mask, had long become part of the local culture after a century of development.
As modernization swept through, the once-a-year Festival of Masks evolved into a distinctive tourist attraction.
Seemingly, no matter which holiday you visit, you can experience their annual Festival of Masks.
After splurging on a traditional Kitakami kimono, Aiden emerged from the resort gritting his teeth. By then, Cynthia had already changed into her kimono and stood smiling beside him.
Perhaps because she was from Sinnoh, the kimono accentuated Cynthia's beauty, her golden hair cascading naturally, exuding a regal air.
(Something like this style?)
Good… handsome?
Aiden didn't know why, but instead of "beautiful," the word "handsome" popped into his mind first.
"Let's go."
Seeing Aiden step out, Cynthia quickly smiled and spoke.
"Tonight's Festival of Masks—please accompany me, Teacher Aiden~"
"My pleasure."
Aiden nodded seriously.
However, his response made Cynthia pause for a moment before breaking into soft laughter.
The sweet, bell-like laughter reached Aiden's ears, and only then did he realize…
Had his reaction just now been a bit too formal?
But with Cynthia dressed in a kimono, she radiated an elegant, noble aura akin to an ancient princess.
As for himself…
After glancing at his own attire, Aiden decisively pushed the thought aside.
Never mind!
A/N:
The parts about Ogerpon and the man's origins are my own interpretation—just take it as entertainment, it ain't that serious.
That said, Ogerpon's mask and the Crystal Pool are clearly related to the crystals the man brought to Kitakami, which are tied to Terastallization. So I gave it a bit of a backstory, though it'll only be mentioned just this once.
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