Inside the inn.
Yukito held a magnifying glass, carefully studying the details on the mask. Occasionally, he would exclaim in awe, apparently amazed by the craftsmanship.
Hideko pushed two cups of hot tea toward Lucas and Perrin, glanced at him, and then said apologetically to the pair, "It looks like he'll be preoccupied for a while. If you don't mind, you can ask me any questions instead."
Lucas and Perrin exchanged glances and nodded lightly.
Lucas then looked toward the courtyard outside the living room.
Faced with the slightly wary gazes of Luxray, Mimikyu, and Serperior, Ursaluna was currently lying on its side, looking completely relaxed, letting Perrin's Growlithe playfully mess around on its body.
It held a bunch of grapes in its paw, munching on them now and then, occasionally handing fruit in front of it to Growlithe and Arcanine.
Perhaps, for Ursaluna, the presence of Growlithe and Arcanine reminded it of its days in Hisui, which was why it treated them so gently.
Lucas and Perrin had been back in Mossui Town for some time.
They'd borrowed Mr. Yukito's courtyard to tend to Ursaluna's injuries and observe its temperament a bit.
With Luxray and the others around, plus a Spectrier who could appear at any time, even in this yard, Ursaluna couldn't cause any trouble.
But reality turned out quite different from Lucas's worries.
After leaving the Ultra Ball, Ursaluna lost all the fighting spirit it had shown in its battle with Serperior. It just picked a spot, found a comfortable position, and flopped down, exuding utter laziness.
Before long, it had become the way it was now. Seeing its carefree look, it was hard to imagine that not long ago it had been fighting Serperior to the death.
Lucas looked away, turning his gaze back to Hideko, organizing his questions.
Meanwhile, Ursaluna, noticing the gaze disappear, breathed a sigh of relief.
Its thoughts were simple.
There were probably three more Pokémon as fierce as Serperior. Rather than rebel and get pummeled again, why not just lie flat from the start?
Lying down is lying down—does it matter where?
This guy is strong. Lying here should be more comfortable than in the Timeless Woods. At least it doesn't have to wait for the fog to lift just to get a drink or find food.
"We saw the ghost."
After a moment's thought, Lucas decided to be upfront.
Since they had questions to ask, there was no need to hide anything on their end.
Hideko's hand paused in the middle of pouring tea, surprise flashing in her eyes.
Yukito, on the other hand, was completely absorbed in his study of the mask's craftsmanship, completely unaffected.
After a while, Hideko spoke. "Since you came to ask me, it means you're doubting the town's legend, am I right?"
Both nodded softly.
No matter how you looked at it, the Ogerpon they'd seen was nothing like the vicious "ghost" from the stories.
Seeing the expressions on Lucas and Perrin's faces, Hideko already knew the answer.
She smiled kindly. "Since Ogerpon entrusted its mask to you, it means it trusts you."
"You two aren't townsfolk, so you don't have the prejudices that come from growing up here. Let me tell you the true story that's been passed down in my husband's family for generations."
"In return, you must promise not to spread this story."
Hideko, her hair graying, spoke solemnly.
Lucas and Perrin straightened up, nodding to show their promise.
Seeing this, Hideko sipped her tea to moisten her throat, took a deep breath, and began to recount the truth in a calm, emotionless voice.
"A long, long time ago, a foreign man arrived in Kitakami Village with a Ogerpon.
But back then, the village was extremely xenophobic. Because of their unusual faces and attire, the man and Ogerpon were treated as outsiders and shunned. No one allowed them into the village.
The man and Ogerpon didn't care about being outcast, only regretting that they couldn't buy supplies.
They chose to live quietly in a cave at the foot of Oni Mountain, not far from the village.
A local mask craftsman, seeing this, used the unusual gemstones the man brought to carve four masks for them. With these masks, they could hide their faces, blend in, and enter the village to purchase goods.
Perhaps because of the exquisite craftsmanship, or the mysterious origins of the gems, news spread quickly—even to distant lands.
Loyal Three—no, three greedy Pokémon—traveled over mountains and rivers to Kitakami.
While the man and Ogerpon were out, they sneaked into the cave, intending to steal the four masks.
Just as they put their plan into action, the man, for some reason, returned and caught them in the act.
No one knows exactly what happened in the cave. Hours later, when Ogerpon returned, all it saw were signs of a fierce struggle and the green mask the man had desperately protected.
Somehow, Ogerpon learned the truth. Furious, it donned the mask, rushed down the mountain, and found the three Pokémon, who were proudly preparing a banquet with the stolen masks.
To avenge the man, Ogerpon eliminated all three Pokémon.
At the same time, villagers gathered for a festival heard the commotion. When they arrived, all they saw was Ogerpon's rampage, and they were terrified, believing it was an evil, violent ghost.
Because the villagers arrived, Ogerpon had no chance to reclaim the remaining three masks and had to retreat.
The villagers believed those three Pokémon had protected the village from the ghost's evil and affectionately named them the Loyal Three, giving them lavish burials.
Ogerpon, wounded and grieving, returned alone to the home it had shared with the man.
Our ancestor, the mask maker who alone knew the truth, tried to tell the villagers, but not only did they ignore him, they persecuted him as a heretic.
In the end, for the sake of his descendants, he could only preserve the truth and pass it down through the family."
After finishing the story, Hideko sipped her tea again, moistening her dry throat, and watched Lucas and Perrin's reactions in silence.
Lucas felt heavy-hearted.
He'd suspected the story was off, but hadn't expected such a reversal.
In the true story, Ogerpon and the man were victims of persecution, while the three villains were honored—it was infuriating!
Perrin was even more upset, wanting to reveal the truth, but she quickly forced herself to calm down.
Even setting aside her promise to Hideko, after spending a month or two in Kitakami, she realized—even if the truth came out, so what?
Today's townsfolk weren't those from back then. Like the moral blackmail Lucas experienced with charity—some xenophobia remained, but the town's economy relied on outsiders, so they had to endure.
Does the truth matter?
They didn't revere the "good" Loyal Three or care about the "ghost." For them, legends were just a way to develop tourism and make money.
Everything had lost its meaning.
Even if they revealed the truth and convinced the people, they'd probably still build statues of the Loyal Three and cash in.
In the courtyard outside, the Pokémon listening to the story all had their own reactions.
Perrin's Growlithe drooped its tail in disappointment; Lucas's Arcanine was shocked—having never encountered such things, its worldview was shaken.
Serperior's eyes were complicated—it never imagined that little green Pokémon had gone through so much.
Empathetic Mimikyu was already heartbroken.
Luxray was pondering whether blowing up the Loyal Three' shrine at the plaza would cause trouble for Lucas.
Gyarados and Feebas, quietly staying in the pond, didn't really understand.
As for Spectrier, it would have once said all this tragedy happened only because Ogerpon was too weak, but after time at the farm, its outlook had changed a lot.
Now it was wondering if it could catch the souls of the Loyal Three at the shrine that night.
Compared to the others' reactions, Ursaluna's was very different.
Its eyes widened, memories flooding back with a complicated expression.
It vaguely remembered, when it first arrived in Kitakami, something that happened.
If that man was the one from the story… Ursaluna hesitated. Should it tell Lucas?
Next to it, Lucas had no idea what Ursaluna was thinking.
In the living room, except for the noise Yukito made studying the mask, the air remained heavy and silent.
It was Yukito who broke the silence.
"With this… I can repair it!"
Everyone looked at him.
Realizing the mood, Yukito understood his wife had told the truth and said, "Though my skills can't match my ancestor's, I can still repair this mask. Most of the materials I have, and the crystal fragments you brought are enough."
"But that's not the main point."
Looking seriously at Lucas, Yukito said, "Since Ogerpon entrusted its precious mask to you, it trusts you."
"And that trust may even surpass what my ancestor once had—perhaps even as much as the man in the story."
"It's been lonely too long. If possible, I hope you'll take Ogerpon away. Time can heal all wounds—don't let it linger here in pain."
"Besides, if it stays in Kitakami, it will only keep suffering unfair treatment and bear others' hatred alone."
Take Ogerpon away?
It would be a lie to say Lucas hadn't thought of that.
But…
After learning the truth, Lucas wasn't sure if Ogerpon would be willing to leave.
A first love is special because it's unique; a dead first love is even more so.
Was Lucas's presence really enough for Ogerpon to abandon its memories and leave home again?
He wasn't sure, so he could only answer, "I'll try."
Yukito nodded gently. "The mask should be finished by tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, you can rest or go find Ogerpon—do as you wish."
After a few more words, Lucas and Perrin got up to go out.
As they left, Yukito said meaningfully, "The other three masks are enshrined at the Loyal Three' shrine in the plaza."
The truth's impact was immense.
Even after a sleepless night, Lucas and Perrin weren't tired at all.
After a few seconds of silence, Perrin said she'd take some more photos in town and left with Growlithe.
Lucas knew she planned to scout the plaza, so he didn't stop her.
As Lucas headed toward Mossui Town, he ran into Carmine and Kieran.
The two greeted Lucas respectfully, and keen-eyed Kieran immediately noticed Lucas's odd mood, asking him carefully.
Lucas hadn't planned to tell the children anything.
But he remembered his judgment of Kieran's personality.
He realized this couldn't be kept from them forever. Even if he tried, Kieran would probably learn the truth from Yukito's family as he grew.
And given Kieran's love for "ghosts," Lucas thought, if he hid the story, and Kieran found out later, it might make his issues worse.
After some thought, Lucas decided to tell Kieran part of the truth.
He didn't tell the story Hideko had recounted, to avoid making the kids resentful; he just said simply,
"Last night, I saw the 'ghost' again."
Carmine gasped in surprise, while Kieran's eyes lit up, his voice full of excitement.
"Mr. Lucas, really?!"
"It's true," Lucas nodded.
Kieran, excited, wanted to hold Lucas's hand but worried about being too forward, so he just stood there, eyes shining. "Are you going to see the ghost now, Mr. Lucas?"
Lucas nodded slightly. "That's the plan."
Kieran asked, "Can you take me with you?"
"I'm afraid it's not convenient," Lucas apologized.
"I see…"
Kieran was silent for a few seconds, then, sensing Lucas had something on his mind, changed the subject.
"Then, when you get back, can you tell me more ghost stories?"
Lucas looked at Kieran in surprise, then nodded. "Of course."
"It's a deal!"
Kieran happily saw Lucas off.
After Lucas left, Carmine, who liked to look after her brother, asked worriedly, "Kieran… Aren't you the one who likes ghosts most?"
Kieran understood what she meant and nodded shyly. "Yeah."
"Then why…"
Carmine trailed off. She admired Lucas too, but at this rate, the ghost would be taken away!
Kieran put his hands behind his back, happy that Lucas hadn't hidden things from him just because he was a child.
For once, he smiled a little in front of Carmine and said softly,
"Hehe."
"The strongest trainer and the strongest ghost as partners—isn't that super cool?!"
…
…
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