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"Pon..."
Ogerpon, whose tiny hand was being held by Aiden, watched as another human quickly approached. It immediately began to panic.
Because—
That human exuded an aura that felt eerily familiar and instinctively repulsive to Ogerpon.
The malicious presence it sensed was similar to the Loyal Three it had dealt with a hundred years ago.
This instinctive discomfort caused the small Pokémon to hide behind Aiden.
"Dear guest, I know ogres have the power to bewitch people, so if you distance yourself from this ogre now, there's still time."
After approaching, the mayor of Mossui Town spoke first, giving Aiden—who was wearing the Cornerstone Mask—a warning glare.
"Don't be fooled by its seemingly harmless appearance; this vicious ghost is extremely dangerous. If we don't drive it away, it could harm tourists at any moment!"
After hearing this old man's words, Aiden almost burst out laughing in anger.
So they're blatantly lying, huh? Can't they see who's really full of malice here?
Moreover, this old man looked very familiar—he didn't even need to think about it to remember.
Isn't he the same old man who, after the truth came to light, still chose to rebuild the shrine for the Loyal Three?
And he even scammed me out of a million Poké in the game!
Thinking about this made Aiden furious, and his tone became much harsher.
"I'm not sure if it's a ghost, but you villagers seem more like vicious ghosts to me!"
"Are you really going to justify your blatant hostility toward a Pokémon that clearly has no ill intentions just because of some vague legend passed down by your ancestors?"
"Compared to this pitiful Pokémon, isn't your current open threat to me more like the image of an 'ogre' from the legends?"
If there were any concrete pieces of evidence, perhaps it would carry some weight.
But obviously, they had none.
The truth of history was completely opposite to the legend, and only Aiden, who knew the real history, could speak with confidence.
Relying on a vague legend to pull this nonsense—how can these people act so brazenly?
"This..."
Clearly, the mayor was momentarily stunned by Aiden's imposing demeanor and stammered for a long while without saying anything convincing.
And after Aiden "exploded" on them, countless tourists, after a brief moment of thought, decisively distanced themselves from these Kitakami villagers, looking at them with strange eyes.
Just as this masked man said, whether the ghost was scary or not, they didn't know—but the villagers' behavior just now was far scarier than any ghost or ogre!
Even Carmine and Kieran, after frowning and reflecting, quietly distanced themselves from their neighbors.
Carmine sighed silently.
As juniors, she and Kieran didn't have much say, but they also didn't harbor as much prejudice as the other villagers.
What they did this time was indeed wrong.
As Aiden said, the villagers truly went too far this time.
If this escalated, it could instantly ruin the reputation of the entire Kitakami Village...
But maybe this was for the best.
At least it might make them come to their senses.
It was better than gradually sinking into greed and destroying their reputation by overcharging tourists.
"..."
As for Kieran behind Carmine, he silently observed the "ogre" and Aiden beside it.
Even with the mask on, he could roughly guess that this brave tourist was none other than Aiden, who had previously displayed extraordinary battling skills.
Though he noticed the ghost's presence at the same time, ...
He lacked the courage of Mr. Aiden.
Considering the looks the villagers might give him, Kieran ultimately hid behind his sister and didn't take that crucial step.
However, Mr. Aiden confidently chose to trust the "ghost," remaining calm despite everyone's stares.
So cool!
I'm still too weak...
Watching Aiden's confident figure, Kieran couldn't help but think this way.
If I were as strong as Mr. Aiden, would I also have this kind of confidence?
Just like him earlier—not only did the spectators become friendly, but even such a powerful "ghost" became amiable due to his actions.
Kieran's eyes filled with admiration as he gazed at Aiden, and a flicker of determination ignited in his heart.
If I become stronger, could I become friends with the ogre?
While Aiden and the villagers were in a tense confrontation, he suddenly noticed something unusual from the direction of Mossui Town behind the crowd.
A purple mist had unknowingly enveloped most of Mossui Town.
At the same time, while everyone's attention was focused here, the dense fog seemed to be slowly moving toward Loyalty Plaza.
Pecharunt!
A name instantly appeared in Aiden's mind.
Its image originated from the well-known story of "Momotaro," but its character was completely opposite to the righteous Momotaro.
Pecharunt was the embodiment of desire, and its existence had nothing to do with justice.
Its peach-shaped shell stored highly toxic substances, and when humans or Pokémon inhaled these toxins, it quickly triggered their inner desires.
As a unique mythical Pokémon, Game Freak even dedicated a promotional video to introduce Pecharunt's story.
After being adopted by an elderly couple, it quickly used its innate ability to control poison to amplify their desires, gaining affection by taking what the two elders coveted.
And when their next target became the exquisite masks of Kitakami Village, Pecharunt immediately set off for Kitakami.
To strengthen its forces, during its journey, it used its venom and Toxic Chain to control three Pokémon—
Which are now known as the Loyal Three.
When they finally defeated the man guarding the mask and stole it, they were easily beaten by the enraged Ogerpon, who arrived without delay.
The Loyal Three perished on the spot, but Pecharunt used its shell to conceal itself, waiting for an opportunity to revive.
This was the true history.
While wandering through the commercial district, Aiden had deliberately searched for traces of that "undying peach." If found, he could solve all problems swiftly.
But unfortunately, it wasn't openly displayed like in the game.
Now, perhaps sensing Ogerpon's presence or having finally accumulated enough strength,
Pecharunt revived and was secretly releasing the toxins from its body...
Aiden frowned, no longer wanting to tangle with the old man in front of him.
"Pon?!"
Feeling that familiar yet repulsive presence, Ogerpon behind Aiden let out a mighty cry.
At the same time, its other hand unconsciously tightened, gripping the Ivy Cudgel hidden under its cloak.
Even the kind-hearted Ogerpon, who silently endured the villagers' misunderstandings and ostracism, had limits that must not be crossed.
Between it and Pecharunt lay an irreconcilable blood feud.
Now, it was time to settle the score!
Feeling Ogerpon's grip tighten around his hand, Aiden seemed to sense some of its complex emotions.
The purple mist rapidly approached, unnoticed by everyone, and had already spread outside Loyalty Plaza.
However, at this moment...
"Togekiss, blow the mist away with full force!"
"Milotic, use Safeguard to cover Loyalty Plaza!"
Two commanding voices rang out, followed by two Poké Balls being thrown.
Cynthia keenly noticed the changes around them and immediately took action.
The serpent-like Milotic gathered energy, and soon a mysterious glow descended from the sky, covering the people in the plaza before disappearing.
The white airplane-like Togekiss spread its wings, and gusts of wind blew forcefully, quickly dispersing the stealthily approaching mist.
As the purple mist was mostly blown away, the Pokémon hidden within soon revealed itself.
Resembling a peach pit, its entire body was a purplish-pink color akin to venom, its expression initially listless but quickly turning to obvious anger.
It was the missing piece of the Kitakami legend—
The mastermind behind everything, Pecharunt!
Its appearance quickly caused most of the villagers' eyes to fill with an abnormal purplish-pink hue.
"Kibeh kibeh!"
They collectively began performing eerie dances, accompanied by what seemed to be somewhat uncouth words.
This scene instantly shocked countless tourists.
So it was like this after all...
Aiden sighed.
Besides using the purple mist to control minds, Pecharunt also had the ability to make toxic sticky rice cakes.
Lurking in Kitakami for nearly a century, these people had likely been inadvertently controlled by it long ago, becoming slaves to their desires.
Even Safeguard couldn't eliminate the effects.
Thus, the closer it got to Pecharunt's revival, the more their desires were amplified, leading to the frenzied money-grabbing scene...
Though it made sense, it was clear that besides Pecharunt's influence, their own desires also played a significant role.
A bunch of scoundrels!
Aiden quickly labeled this incident in his mind.
These weren't ordinary scoundrels—a heavy hand was needed!
"Pon oh!!!"
Behind him, Ogerpon let out an angry cry, and even through the mask, one could feel its cute starry eyes now filled with rage.
Just as Ogerpon waved its Ivy Cudgel, preparing to charge forward and end this feud, Aiden reached out to stop it.
"Pon?"
Ogerpon looked up, its expression filled with confusion.
"Wait a moment, Ogerpon."
Aiden narrowed his eyes and took out his Rotom Phone while speaking.
"Before we act, I need to inform President Geeta..."
Though it would be satisfying to act first and report later, cleaning up afterward might be troublesome, so—
Aiden directly dialed President Geeta's number.
"Hello, President Geeta."
"I've encountered a bit of a situation in Kitakami Village. In short..."
"Whatever happens next, it's all self-defense on my part!"
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