The Loyal Three, devoid of free will and completely under Pecharunt's control, clearly had their combat abilities reduced.
Soon, Ogerpon, wielding a Ivy Cudgel that seemed to stretch 40 meters, swiftly knocked them out with a single strike each.
At this point, Pecharunt and the Loyal Three were no longer capable of fighting.
Aiden finally let out a sigh of relief and quickly joined Cynthia in front of Pecharunt, who was restrained by Togekiss.
"Kibeh kibeh!"
This time, Pecharunt was truly panicked but dared not flee again.
It could feel that the seemingly harmless white Pokémon before it would undoubtedly strike if it tried to escape, sending it to join the Loyal Three...
A white devil!
Unable to escape, there was only one thing left for it to do!
As the masked man and the blonde woman approached, Pecharunt decisively chose to grovel. Its already dejected ghostly face quickly contorted into an expression even more pitiful than crying.
"Kibeh kibeh!"
I know I was wrong, please forgive me... this time, the 1234567th time!
With its last ounce of strength, it repeatedly bowed and apologized, lowering its head even below the tip of its ghostly tail.
An overwhelming spirit of apology filled the air.
But it still felt this wasn't enough. Soon, it began kowtowing in the air, imitating human prostrations.
"..."
Aiden was momentarily speechless.
Changing faces without missing a beat, huh? This guy sure knows how to put on a show!
"What should we do with this Pokémon?"
Cynthia frowned slightly.
Though she wasn't entirely clear about the truth of history, from tonight's events, this existence hidden behind legends was clearly the mastermind behind everything, right?
Even the Loyal Three obeyed it, and it possessed the terrifying power to control the wills of humans and Pokémon.
Deciding how to handle this troublesome being was yet another challenge.
"Pon..."
Though its final target of revenge was within reach, Ogerpon didn't immediately swing its Ivy Cudgel to send Pecharunt to meet the betrayed Loyal Three.
Struggling to tear its gaze away from Pecharunt, it looked at the man beside it, seemingly waiting for his decision.
Simultaneously, Cynthia's gaze also turned to him.
The relationship between the two humans and one Pokémon was fully observed by Pecharunt, who was desperately thinking of ways to survive.
It immediately realized—
This masked man was the key!
"Kibeh kibeh!"
Thus, Pecharunt decisively moved forward, wailing like a child, pounding its chest and stomping its feet, seemingly repenting for its previous wrongdoings.
Of course, all of this was just an act.
Pecharunt was well aware of one crucial fact—
It was a unique existence in the world; there couldn't possibly be another Pokémon born from the desires of life!
Therefore, any greedy human would inevitably entertain thoughts of capturing and cherishing it.
And as long as it could ignite such desires within him, Pecharunt was confident it could survive today and gradually turn this human into its puppet!
So...
Everything it was doing now was merely part of its strategy for victory!
To survive, as long as there was still hope to live on and absorb human desires, it would do anything!
By absorbing more desires, sooner or later, it would become even stronger, to the point where even that powerful ghost wouldn't be a match!
Pecharunt kept its head low, but a hint of malice unconsciously flickered in its eyes, quickly disappearing.
"Ah..."
Aiden sighed.
If this were in the game, he might have considered capturing Pecharunt.
After all, one needed to complete the Pokédex.
However, in reality, this Pecharunt absolutely couldn't be spared.
Even if he didn't capture it, simply handing it over to other researchers for study could lead to various accidents.
The reason was simple—
Pecharunt was born from desire and naturally controlled the power to make humans and Pokémon lose control to their desires.
Whether or not it intended to, the kind elderly couple who adopted it gradually lost their sanity under Pecharunt's unintentional influence, becoming beasts driven by desire.
That was why they sent Pecharunt to Kitakami to steal the mask.
Even if Pecharunt harbored no ill intentions toward them, this special ability would inevitably affect every one of its hosts.
As long as it existed, incidents like what happened in Kitakami would eventually erupt again.
Moreover, all living beings had desires.
Aiden didn't dare to gamble on whether his own rationality would be affected by Pecharunt, and he trusted others even less.
Therefore, the best solution was—
"Ogerpon, go ahead."
Aiden's gaze gradually hardened, and a hint of pity appeared in his eyes as he looked at Pecharunt.
Perhaps, for Pecharunt itself, it was the same.
Initially believing that satisfying the elderly couple's desires would earn their affection, Pecharunt's original nature might not have been so evil.
But this power also drove its desires to spiral out of control, ultimately transforming it into the beast of desire that wreaked havoc in Kitakami and nearly caused a disaster.
Only through death could its desires be quelled.
A hundred years ago, Pecharunt's desires caused Ogerpon to lose its most important person, turning it into the "ghost" everyone despised, until today.
Now, it was finally time to settle this debt.
"Pon!"
Ogerpon nodded, and a great weight lifted from its heart.
Although it had entrusted the decision to this human, if it couldn't avenge that man today, its mood certainly wouldn't be good.
Ogerpon no longer hesitated and raised its Ivy Cudgel.
"Kibeh kibeh?!"
Clearly, Pecharunt never expected its disguise to have no effect; Aiden remained resolute in his judgment.
Thus, enraged and humiliated, it instantly dropped all pretenses, glaring venomously at Aiden while emitting a shrill, desperate cry.
Its eyes seemed ready to devour him alive.
Unfortunately, it no longer had a chance for revenge.
"Pon oh!"
The Ivy Cudgel was raised high, and the flames of vengeance had engulfed the black giant staff.
Ogerpon mustered all its strength and struck down with full force!
BOOM—
This time, without the protection of its peach shell, Pecharunt was utterly defenseless against this blow, collapsing to the ground and quickly dissipating into a purple light.
Ogerpon, having exhausted all its strength with this final strike, plopped down onto the ground.
The shining Terasterallized mask quickly lost its glow, reverting to its original size and falling to the ground.
Beneath the mask, tears streamed down Ogerpon's face.
"Pon..."
Under the moonlight.
The hundred-year-old fate of the ghost of Kitakami had finally come to an end.
Gently patting Ogerpon's shoulder, Aiden could only silently accompany it as it slowly processed this complex mix of emotions.
...
Perhaps because Pecharunt had dissipated, the villagers of Kitakami who had collapsed in disarray soon woke up.
"Isn't the Festival of Masks already over? Why are we here?"
"What happened..."
Before the baffled villagers could understand their situation, the old administrator let out a piercing scream—
"Ah———!!!"
"Damn it, who destroyed Loyalty Plaza!"
"The statues of the Loyal Three are all shattered too, which little punk did this!"
The ruined plaza and the terrifying cracks stretching hundreds of meters beneath their feet caused the true decision-maker of Kitakami's blood pressure to skyrocket instantly.
Without them, how would Kitakami continue to exploit... make money!
Therefore, after scanning the area, he quickly turned his gaze to the three figures nearby.
Upon noticing Ogerpon's presence, the entire scene quickly pieced together in the administrator's mind.
"So it was you, the evil ghost!"
The old administrator was instantly furious, disregarding any rumors of "evil ghosts harming people" and stormed up to Aiden and Ogerpon in just a few steps.
"You will compensate for all the losses in Kitakami today!"
Aiden had originally thought to comfort Ogerpon, but upon turning around and seeing this bald old man who had scammed him in the game, he burst out laughing in anger.
Sure, Pecharunt was just a catalyst; these scoundrels weren't good people either!
No, they weren't even human!
Even Cynthia was disgusted by his audacity to confront them without hesitation, her brows slightly furrowing, her gaze revealing a hint of lethal intent.
If not for Aiden and this Pokémon they called a "ghost," who knew how the chaos in Kitakami would have ended today.
How dare he threaten them outright?
To the old man's outrageous words, Aiden didn't rush to explain, not even sparing him a glance.
After waving his hand to the side, Nemona, Arven, and Lacey, who had silently observed the entire process from afar, quickly walked over.
The administrator's attention was soon drawn to them.
Noticing the glowing Rotom Phone in the pink-clad girl's hand, he was instantly dumbfounded.
"Teacher Aiden, you were so cool just now!"
Nemona immediately transformed into a fangirl, her face flushed with excitement.
The sight of Aiden standing alone in front of that "ghost" and commanding it in battle against four Pokémon had been witnessed by them.
Though they didn't know the specifics, the rights and wrongs were clear without explanation; observing both sides' actions made it obvious.
"Fortunately, Lacey had the foresight to start recording as soon as she saw the 'ghost.'"
Arven also let out a relieved sigh, looking at the administrator with a teasing expression.
Indeed, one can never be too cautious with bad people.
"Hey, old man, accusing good people without knowing what happened—is this how you treat guests in Kitakami?"
"Exactly! Teacher Aiden could never be someone who shields ghosts or ogres; your Kitakami is the problem, none of you tell the truth!"
Even the usually gentle Lacey was visibly angry now.
Teacher Aiden and that "ghost" were the heroes who saved Kitakami.
Yet this administrator of Kitakami accused them without discernment, trying to shift all blame onto Teacher Aiden!
They were absolutely despicable!
"I recorded everything that just happened; no matter how much you try to deny it, I won't believe you!"
The trio took turns speaking, leaving the old man stunned.
Finally, Aiden delivered the finishing blow—
"You're the administrator of Kitakami, right?"
Aiden smiled faintly, pulling out his Rotom Phone and displaying his Paldea League certification.
At the same time, he removed the mask from his face.
"I'm Aiden, Gym Leader of Paldea, investigating the rumors of Kitakami on behalf of President Geeta."
"Now, can you give me an explanation?"
"Why did Kitakami secretly harbor a dangerous Pokémon, and why did the Loyal Three you worship suddenly revive and attack us?"
As he spoke, Aiden's eyes carried a clear hint of mockery, seemingly waiting for the old man's excuses.
"This, I..."
The administrator had no idea what had happened, and suddenly, a huge responsibility that neither he nor the entire Kitakami could bear was thrust upon him, leaving him utterly bewildered.
"I don't understand what you're talking about!"
Seeing the old man still stammering, Cynthia, who already had a terrible first impression of him, exchanged glances with Aiden. Instantly, they understood each other's thoughts.
Then, Cynthia quickly spoke—
"If the word of a Gym Leader isn't enough..."
"Then as the Champion of Sinnoh, I should have the authority to temporarily interrogate you, right?"
???
The old man was utterly terrified.
If a Gym Leader was merely considered a backbone of the league, then a Champion was almost the sole spokesperson of the league.
Offending the Paldea League above him and the nearby Sinnoh League...
Ha, hahaha!
Kitakami is doomed!
The old man suddenly felt a wave of suffocation in his chest, and the world began spinning before his eyes.
Soon, he rolled his eyes back and fainted.
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