Crystal Pool itself wasn't very large, nor did it have much to admire.
However, Aiden had a need for the large chunks of Tera Crystals at the bottom of the lake—
Ogerpon's masks had been in use for over a hundred years, and the embedded Tera Crystals had long since lost their luster.
If those three masks hadn't been carefully preserved by the villagers of Kitakami and never used, they might not have even been able to unleash the power of Terastallization back then.
Thus, Aiden decided to gather some Tera Crystals, take them back to Mossui Town, and ask Yukito, the descendant of the mask craftsman, to help repair the masks and further enhance Ogerpon's strength.
"Mio~"
Upon hearing that Ogerpon needed something, Milotic quickly nodded cheerfully and performed a backflip into the lake.
When it soon leaped back onto land, its tail was wrapped around a piece of Tera Crystal about half the size of a person, which it offered to Aiden.
"So this is the origin of Paldea's Terastallization phenomenon?"
Staring at the massive, dazzling crystalline structure emitting light, even Cynthia, who had seen much in her travels, became intrigued and reached out to touch it.
It didn't seem particularly special on the surface.
Unfortunately, she wasn't an expert in stones or minerals.
If Steven, the champion of Hoenn, knew about this situation, he'd probably be extremely interested!
...
After returning to Kitakami, Aiden immediately headed to Carmine and Kieran's house, where he met their grandfather, Yukito, once again.
Although an elder of Kitakami, Yukito's demeanor was completely different from that of the Administrator Old Thing. Even in his old age, he exuded a vibrant and energetic presence.
"Ah, so you want to replace the gemstones on Lord Ogerpon's mask?"
"Of course, I can do that! I've been wondering how to thank you and Lord Ogerpon anyway!"
Yukito laughed heartily and accepted the task without hesitation.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Mr. Yukito."
Aiden nodded.
"You're too kind, Aiden-sama!"
"To bring life back to a decaying village—calling you the greatest benefactor of all of Kitakami wouldn't be an exaggeration. This small favor is nothing!"
Perhaps out of gratitude for what Aiden and Ogerpon had done for the village, he addressed Aiden as "Sama," ignoring the age gap entirely, showing just how highly the old man regarded them.
Though Aiden tried to get him to stop using such formal titles—it felt awkward to him—the stubbornness of the elderly couldn't be swayed.
So he let it slide.
"I'll start working on it right away, and I should be able to complete Aiden-sama's request by tomorrow!"
With that, Yukito hurried toward his workshop.
But halfway there, he suddenly stopped and turned back to look at Aiden.
"Speaking of which, if your goal is to explore all of Kitakami..."
"Please avoid the Timeless Woods."
"According to the oral traditions passed down by the ancestors of Kitakami, there is a terrifying beast named 'Bloodmoon' living in the Timeless Woods. It attacks all creatures indiscriminately, making the forest extremely dangerous."
At these words, Aiden's interest was piqued.
The Timeless Woods was located in the northeastern corner of Kitakami, requiring passage through a wilderness zone to reach. Thus, almost no one ventured there.
As for the reason, even the current villagers likely didn't fully understand.
But Aiden knew exactly why!
Ursaluna, the Peat Pokémon.
Its base stats in the game were comparable to Urshifu from the Isle of Armor DLC, and its power was equally terrifying, earning it another nickname—
Underground Urshifu!
These were originally special Pokémon found only in the Hisui region (the predecessor to Sinnoh), known for their powerful bodies and control over the earth.
They were said to be under the mysterious protection of Arceus and were revered in the Hisui region.
Logically speaking, regions other than Sinnoh should rarely, if ever, see Ursaluna.
However, there was one exception.
A certain Ursaluna, relying on its immense physical strength, swam across the entire Sinnoh Sea over a hundred years ago, arriving in Kitakami and surviving here.
After more than a century of environmental adaptation, its body underwent some changes.
The crescent moon pattern on its head turned red, one of its eyes adapted to darkness and became deep gray, and its battle-hardened limbs allowed it to walk upright for extended periods.
Its combat power now surpassed that of ordinary Ursaluna, making it a truly unique existence.
The Battle-Hardened Ursaluna, Bloodmoon!
Looking into Yukito's earnest gaze, Aiden quickly nodded.
"Alright, I'll keep that in mind."
Of course, it was just a precaution.
He still intended to go!
While he had no plans to capture Bloodmoon Ursaluna, it possessed a terrifying move. If Sylveon could learn it…
That would be Blood Moon with the Pixilate ability!
He couldn't even imagine how powerful it would be!
...
Late at night, the Timeless Woods was shrouded in mist.
"Haa—so sleepy..."
Sitting in the grass, Caitlin couldn't help but yawn and glanced at Aiden, who was meditating with his eyes closed beside her.
"Hey, Aiden, are you sure your information isn't fake? It's almost midnight, and we haven't seen a single Pokémon…"
"..."
Aiden opened his eyes and looked at her with an expression of exasperation.
Originally, he had planned to come to the Timeless Woods with Cynthia to stake out and see if they could catch a glimpse of "Bloodmoon Ursaluna."
But Caitlin had learned of their plan and tagged along.
"If you're really tired, you can go back first. Aiden will definitely take photos, so I can show them to you tomorrow for a quick look."
Cynthia gave a fond smile and ruffled the already drowsy Caitlin's hair.
"No way! I missed out last night, so today I absolutely must see it with my own eyes!"
At Cynthia's words, Caitlin instantly perked up.
Of course, her main purpose wasn't to see some vague legend but rather something deeper.
In the middle of the night, alone with two men in the wilderness—if anything were to happen between them...
In any case, she absolutely refused to be left behind!
"Still, it is indeed quite late."
Cynthia looked up at the half-moon hanging high in the sky.
"According to the legends passed down through generations in Kitakami, Bloodmoon is an extremely cautious Pokémon."
At this moment, Aiden spoke again, sharing some of the information he knew to lighten the mood.
In this atmosphere, ghost stories might actually be more effective at keeping everyone alert.
But alas, a certain "brave" psychic-type little girl couldn't handle such stories.
If she got scared, her psychic energy might scare Bloodmoon away!
"To encounter Bloodmoon, you need to carefully sneak into the Timeless Woods on a foggy night with no clouds obscuring the moon."
"All conditions are now met. If we miss tonight, who knows when the next opportunity will be."
"It's said that before Bloodmoon appears, the color of the moon in the sky will also change."
After Aiden finished speaking, Caitlin whispered, voicing her confusion:
"Change the color of the moon? Not even legendary Pokémon should have such abilities, right?"
"At least, that's what the legends of Kitakami say."
Aiden nodded.
After all, this was the Pokémon world. Supernatural phenomena were normal, and he was almost used to it.
"For an exceptionally powerful Pokémon, it's possible."
Cynthia chimed in, though what she thought of wasn't some legendary being but a special Pokémon from Unova.
Zoroark!
It was said that Zoroark could emit a force that confused both humans and Pokémon, causing nearby creatures to hallucinate and constructing terrifying illusions to scare off opponents.
Perhaps this "Bloodmoon" had similar abilities?
As the three quietly chatted to pass the time, Aiden soon noticed subtle changes in the surrounding environment.
Their camping spot had been carefully chosen, located opposite the lake at the center of the Timeless Woods.
It was because of this lake that the area around the Timeless Woods became foggy at night.
But—
Isn't the fog a bit too thick now?
Feeling the rapidly decreasing visibility, Aiden quickly lost interest in continuing their idle chatter.
He looked up at the bright moon hanging in the sky.
Then, his eyes widened instantly—
Less than half an hour ago, he had seen only a crescent moon, but now, inexplicably, it appeared full and emitted a chilling blood-red glow.
A blood moon hung in the sky, sending shivers down their spines.
"It's here!"
Aiden jolted awake, stood up, and quickly retrieved a Poké Ball.
"Sylve~?"
The sleepy Sylveon appeared in his arms but shivered upon noticing the surroundings.
It suddenly remembered that before entering its Poké Ball to sleep, its Trainer had mentioned that something unusual might happen tonight.
But this scene was too frightening for a Pokémon! Why had the moon turned red?!
Wait...
A red moon...?
A bold idea flashed through Sylveon's mind:
Such a rare sight—I must paint it and show it to Master Smeargle when I return!
With that thought, Sylveon, who had been tense moments ago, suddenly became excited, and its ribbons began to unconsciously flutter in the air.
"Sylveon, tonight's sketching subject should be quite impressive."
Noticing its change in expression, Aiden's gaze pierced through the endless mist and revealed a smile.
"If you can learn a move from it, you'll become even stronger."
"Sylve~?"
Sylveon didn't feel particularly moved by Aiden's grand promises.
But painting was painting, so it might as well include what the Trainer mentioned and show it to Master Smeargle at the art gallery!
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