Kieran's memories continue to be revealed. This time the good portion of the memories. Minor blood mention up ahead.
Kieran looked around and found himself in an area where he saw some people setting up what appears to be stands. About four of them were prepped for food and the remaining four were set up with colorful Pokémon masks, including a certain trio and ogre. "Kitakami hall…" Kieran realized he was back in his home region. "They're setting everything up for the Festival of Masks." His train of thought got interrupted by a voice.
"Hurry up Kiki! We're gonna miss story time!"
Kieran swore he heard that voice before. It sounded like a little girl. All of a sudden, a little girl ran past him. She had black hair with red underlights, and bangs that partially covered her face. She donned a red dress and black Mary Jane shoes. She also wore a yellow headband in her hair. The girl appeared to look younger than his previous memories. Kieran instantly recognized her. "That's Carmine…"
"Wait for me, Sis!"
Kieran heard another voice, this time belonging to a little boy. As it turns out, it was a little boy, who's running suddenly slowed down. Poor kid was out of breath and had stopped running to catch his breath. The boy was smaller than the girl, he appeared to be five. His appearance in terms of hair was similar to Carmine, the only difference was the under layer of his hair was purple, but he had the same yellow headband as her. He wore a sky blue shirt with a Yanma on the front of it, and white shorts. He also wore white tennis shoes with blue socks above his ankles. In his hands was a Sentret plush doll.
"Kiki! Hurry up already!" Carmine, who was ahead, called impatiently.
"Hold on just a sec! I'm coming!" The little boy yelled at his sister, annoyed and ran off.
Kieran knew who the little boy was.
"That's me…" When he was a young child.
Unlike the previous five memories, this one took place many years ago into his earliest days.
Kieran finally caught his breath and catched up to his sister.
"About time you showed up!" Carmine chastised her brother.
"C'mon Sis! You know I got short legs!" Kieran complained.
"Whatever." Carmine dismissed him. "C'mon. We don't want to miss story time." In spite of that, Carmine guided Kieran, and sat down with a bunch of kids similar to their ages. They all sat in front of a elderly, bald man in a purple scrub outfit. Everyone knew him as the caretaker of the Community Center in Mossui. The caretaker stood in front of a giant wooden stand with three masks encased in it.
"I remember this," Kieran said his thoughts out loud. "This was our first time hearing about Ogerpon and the Loyal Three."
"Who's ready to hear the famous legend of the Loyal Three and the ogre?" The caretaker asked.
Me!
I do!
Yes please!
The kids answered excitedly.
"Well then… let's get right to it shall we?" And so, the caretaker began telling the tale of the old legend of Kitakami.
It all began many years with an ogre who lived alone in a cave up on a mountain. The ogre was a terrifying creature to all who dared approaching it. It is said the ogre had the power to steal souls of living people if one wasn't wearing a mask at night. Speaking of which, the ogre possessed four masks, each had a special power to its cudgel depending on which mask it wore. If the ogre wore the blue mask, it could stop the flow of an entire river. If the ogre wore the ashen gray mask, it could break the hardest stone in two. If the ogre wore the crimson mask, it could turn a candle's flame into a raging inferno. And If the ogre wore the teal mask, it could bring withered greenery back to life. One night, the ogre made its way to the village of Kitakami and caused terror to it and its villagers. The villagers were terrified, but then, three pokemon showed up on that same night and fought against the ogre. Their names were Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezpendipiti. After a long fight however, the three pokemon had fallen to the ogre, but managed to wrestle away three of its four masks. The ogre left the village wounded and weak, and returned to its lonely home in the mountain, never showing its face ever again. To honor the three pokemon who protected the village from the ogre, the villagers named them "The Loyal Three". The villagers interred them with care, and built a shrine with three statues resembling the Loyal Three to honor their memory for their brave deeds.
The caretaker finished the story and stepped aside to present the ogre's three masks. The kids were fascinated by them. The first one was a blue mask with crystal teardrops in its eyes. The second one was an ashen gray mask with a crystal face along with a rocky exterior. And the final mask was a crimson mask with a look of anger in its crystal eyes. The kids were warned not to go up the mountain or "Oni Mountain" at night, it was the ogre's home after all. That however, intrigued Kieran. Although he was told that the ogre was a villain, he couldn't help but be amazed by how it managed to put up a fight against three opponents all those years ago. Before parting ways, the caretaker reminded everyone that the festive event known as the "Festival of Masks" was next week and encouraged everyone to partake in the fun.
After story time was over, Kieran and Carmine made their way back to Mossui with the former holding the latter's hand. They stopped for a moment in front of the Community Center. "So Kiki, did you like the story?" Carmine asked.
"Yeah, I-I did." Little Kieran replied with a small smile.
"Me too!" Little Carmine expressed her liking too. "What did you like about it?'
Kieran thought for a minute before answering. "I really liked the part where the ogre fights the Loyal Three."
This confused his big sister however, hearing the ogre first before the Loyal Three. "Wait, you like the ogre?"
Kieran nodded excitedly. "Uh huh! It was 3 against 1! The ogre was fighting all by itself! Wowzers! I think that's really cool!"
Hearing his younger self be all excited and saying those words made Kieran smile a little. For the first since witnessing his bad memories, he actually felt happy. I thought the same thing all those years ago.
But the brief of happiness soon dampened by a taunting sound of laughter. "Look at that…" A mocking voice filled the air.
The two kids looked up to see a trio of boys about Carmine's age, one on the right, one in the middle, and one on the left. They all looked intimidating with naughty smiles. The middle who was wearing sunglasses took two steps closer to the siblings. "Guess the ogre's not the only freak around here."
Instinctively, she stood her ground and turned to her brother. "Get behind me," She whispered. Kieran did as instructed and hid behind his sister. "Who are you and what do you want?!" She asked, demanding answers.
Feeling scared, Kieran hugged his Sentret plush tight.
"Anyone who thinks the ogre is cool is a freak! Like you!" The middle boy mocked Kieran and laughed at him some more.
Kieran whimpered and his eyes watered. He let out a couple of sniffles.
Carmine's anger flared up and balled up her fists and shook them in her chest. "WHAT DID YOU SAY TO HIM?!"
"A freak that's what!" The middle bully snuck up from behind and scared Kieran before taunting him some more. He pushed him to the ground, making the little boy fall to the ground.
"Kiki!" Carmine was horrified.
Poor Kieran let out some soft sobs but loud enough for Carmine to hear. His big sis had had enough. "WHY YOU!" In anger, she pushed the bully back hard, surprising him and the other two. "That's what you get for making my little brother cry!"
The left and right bully were prepared to fight back for pushing their boss, but the latter put his hand up, stopping them. "Ha… Whatever. We gotta bounce." The bullies left.
"Good riddance…" Carmine said under her breath. Her attention shifted to Kieran next. Poor kid was still sniffling and tears streamed down his face, and squeezing his plushie as tight as he could. Carmine's expression saddened, seeing her brother in the state he is. "Kiki? Are you okay?" She helped him up on his feet.
Kieran felt sad for his younger self. He wanted to comfort him. But when he tried to lay his gentle hand on his younger self's shoulder, his hand went through the little boy. He realized he couldn't touch his memories even if he wanted to take the pain away.
He couldn't hold it in. Kieran cried harder and the stream of tears turned into a river, sobbing loudly. Hearing the bullies calling him names was too much for him.
Carmine pulled him in and held him close in her arms. "It's okay, Kiki. The mean boys are gone." She gently told him.
"But… But…" The mean words lingered in Kieran's head. "Ow!" He felt a sharp pain.
"What's wrong?" Carmine asked, very concerned. She looked down and gasped in horror. "Oh no… you scraped your knees." Both of Kieran's knees got scraped after he fell. They were covered in red blood.
Kieran sniffled and cried some more. "It really hurts."
"Carmine! Kieran!" A man called from afar.
Kieran heard another familiar voice. It was Yukito and Hideko running towards their grandkids with concerned looks. "Grandpa…Grandma…"
"Kieran, what's wrong, honey?" Hideko asked, picking up her crying grandson. She then noticed his wounds. "Oh my goodness! You're hurt! We better bandage those knees of yours right away!" And with that, the family went back to their home to treat Kieran.
Kieran followed behind them back home.
After going inside their home, Carmine took Kieran inside his room and placed him in her lap while sitting on the bed. Yukito cleaned the wounds and placed a couple of white bandages on Kieran's knees.
"There you go, Kieran. Your knees should heal by tomorrow." Yukito comfortably told him and rubbed the top of the little boy's head.
Kieran sniffled. "Okay Grandpa. Thanks." He still felt bad after what happened outside, but his sister's embrace did alleviate a little bit of the mental pain he was feeling.
For Kieran, he felt saddened getting picked on by the bullies back then, but grateful inside that his sister was there to defend him. His grandfather tending to his injuries was the extra comfort he needed.
"Yuki, may I have your help in the kitchen?" Hideko called her husband.
"On my way dearest." Yukito replied. "I'd better go help Grandma. You two stay here." He took his leave while the kids stayed put.
Kieran voluntarily pulled away from his sister's embrace and laid on his bed.
"Do you feel better now, Kiki?" Carmine asked him, hoping for something positive.
"Maybe…" He hugged his Sentret plush tight. "Do you think I'm a freak?"
"Of course not!" Carmine told him. She was shocked to hear her brother ask that question. "Why would you think that?!"
"The boys outside said I was a freak for liking the ogre." The little boy sadly explained, "You were there."
"But you're not a freak, Kiki. No way!" She said assuredly.
Kieran looked up at her in surprise, but felt a sense of relief. "Really?"
"Of course not! Anyone who picks on you will get a piece of my mind!" Carmine took a deep breath and calmed herself. "Listen, I don't really understand why you like the ogre more than the Loyal Three, but that shouldn't make you sad. You like the ogre and the bullies don't. You got that?"
Kieran started to get the idea of everyone having different opinions. " Y-Yeah, okay. Thanks Sis." He started to feel better. "And thanks for protecting me."
"Of course! You're my little brother and I love you." She scooched closer to him and hugged him tightly and lovingly.
Feeling her embrace again, Kieran's heart warmed up and smiled at her. He let out a little laugh and hugged her back. "Aw… I love you too, Big Sis." Suddenly, Carmine smothered Kieran's cheek in multiple small kisses, causing more laughter to come out of him. "H-Hey! Hehehe! S-Sis, that tickles! Hehehe!"
Both grandparents watched the action from behind. They smiled seeing the grandchildren together, bonding. After a minute, they came in to check in on them. Hideko presented two white mochi to the kids to which they accepted. The two ate the treats and their eyes lit up at the taste.
"Are you feeling better, Kieran?" Hideko asked an important question.
"Yeah." Kieran answered without a hint of sadness. "Carmine made me feel better."
Yukito smiled as did his wife. "That's our granddaughter. Well done, Carmine." said the former proudly.
Carmine smiled hearing her grandfather's pride. "Well, I just wanted to see my brother happy." She hugged him again and in turn, Kieran snuggled into her arms.
"Sis fought off the bullies…"Kieran smiled fondly at his younger self and Carmine. They might get on each other's nerves sometimes, but they loved each other in the end. Carmine looked out for him like she would in the present. "She really does love me…"
All of the sudden, a white flash appeared before his eyes, flash forwarding to a new memory.
Kieran was in his living room with a tv in the front, a couch in the back, and a coffee table in the middle of the room. He watched himself and his sister, still little kids, drawing pictures on the coffee table with crayons.
Carmine was just finishing up her picture, setting down her red crayon. Yukito and Hideko came into the room. "What are you kids drawing there?" Their grandfather asked.
Carmine proudly showed her picture to her family. "Do you like it?" It was a self portrait of herself, completed with her red underlights and yellow headband. "It's me!"
"Oh my! What a lovely picture!" Hideko complimented in delight.
"Yes, indeed! Such art!" Yukito seconded that.
"Thank you everybody!" Carmine happily.
"What about you, Kieran? What did you draw?" Yukito asked curiously.
Kieran put his purple crayon down and showed it to everybody. "Here's my drawing." The picture depicted little Kieran along with his black and purple hair and yellow headband. He was holding hands with the smiling ogre. They're having fun on a picnic.
Kieran chuckled at the cute drawing. "Aw… Look at that…" It was one of the memorable drawings he did as a child.
"My my. Is that you and the ogre?" Yukito asked intrigued.
Kieran nodded excitedly. "Uh huh! It's us being friends!"
"What a sweet drawing!" Hideko complimented once again.
"Very creative, Kieran." As did Yukito.
Carmine noticed the items her brother and ogre were holding. "Are those sandwiches?"
"Yeah! That's us having a picnic." Kieran explained. "Do you like it?"
Carmine smiled a little. "Yeah. It's a nice drawing, Kiki."
"Aw thanks Sis!"
Kieran expressed his thanks.
Kieran warmly smiled at his younger self receiving positive compliments. "Everybody liked my drawing… Even Sis" It was a memory where he didn't feel sadness or regret.
The background rippled and shifted, transporting Kieran. The sun was setting outside. He was outside on rocky ground with a little bit of grass, and saw a cave next to him. "I'm on Oni Mountain…" The sound of footsteps caught Kieran's attention. It was his younger self again, running to the cave.
"To think I made so many trips up here…" Kieran remembered when he used to climb up the mountain all the time to meet the ogre but never did.
Kieran knocked on the side of the cave a couple of times, not wanting to be rude and just barge in. "H-Hello? Hello ogre? It's me, Kieran. Are you home? May I come in? Let's be friends." Nobody answered. That didn't stop his curiosity however and went inside.
Kieran followed behind him.
But when he went inside, the ogre's home was not what he expected. It was dark and cramped. The ground felt hard too. "There's nothing here… Aw… " He looked around for something. "Poor ogre… There's no toys… no bed… no kitchen…" Seeing that the ogre didn't have much made the young boy sad for it. "It must be so sad living here all alone." That's when he decided. "Now I really want to be friends with the ogre."
Kieran showed a small grin on his face, thinking back on his wish to befriend the creature.
Thunder boomed outside. "Uh oh! Sounds like rain. I better go home." The little boy realized it was time to head home before his family started to worry. Kieran got up on his feet and left the cave. As he was descending down the narrow path, he felt the drizzle of the raindrops. By the time he arrived and went down the staircase of Kitakami hall, The rain got heavier. He began to shiver and hugged himself to keep warm. "S-s-so c-cold…"
If Kieran could offer his jacket to little Kieran, he would without a second thought. But since it was just a memory there was nothing he could do.
"Kiki!"
Kieran heard his nickname and looked up to see his worried sister and grandfather running to him, carrying umbrellas. "Sis! Grandpa!"
"Kieran, there you are! You're soaking wet!" Yukito bent down and picked up his water soaked grandson to keep him warm. "Let's get you home and dry you off."
After a long walk, the family arrived home, greeting the worried grandmother.
"Kieran! There you are!" Hideko exclaimed, relieved her grandson was alright. "We were worried sick!"
Kieran couldn't stop feeling guilty for worrying his family for running off on his own. Aw man… I really had my sis and family worried that time, He thought to himself.
The next morning, it was still raining hard outside. Kieran woke up, but something didn't feel right. He felt dizzy as he held his head and moaned in pain. He also felt something coming up his throat. "*COUGH!* *COUGH!* *COUGH!*" A coughing fit popped out of nowhere. His throat was dry, sore, and itchy. He looked and picked up his Sentret doll. "*COUGH!* *COUGH!* *COUGH!* Oh… Sentret, I don't feel so good. *ACHOO!* *ACHOO!* *COUGH!* *COUGH!* *COUGH!*"
Kieran felt sad seeing his younger self not feeling well. "I remember this one. That was the worst cold I ever had."
Carmine, hearing all the coughing and sneezing, entered Kieran's room. "Kiki, are you feeling okay? You sound terrible." She asked, concerned.
Kieran agreed on that one. He sniffled before answering. "*COUGH!* *COUGH!* *COUGH!* I feel terrible too. *ACHOO!* My throat hurts and so does my head. *ACHOO!*"
Carmine moved his bangs aside and placed her hand on his forehead. "Uh oh… You feel warm, Kiki. I'll go get Grandpa and Grandma."
Carmine called their grandparents. Yukito took his temperature and confirmed it was a cold. He told Kieran to rest in his bed until he was better. The little boy was saddened and worried he was going to miss out on the festival, but Hideko assured him that the festival wasn't going anywhere and his priority should be getting better. She and Carmine left and went to the kitchen to make breakfast that would be easy for Kieran to eat. Yukito in the meantime gave Kieran some bitter medicine to help his cold. Reluctant as he was, Kieran took it and got it over with. Hideko and Carmine came back minutes later with the latter holding a small bowl of tan colored contents with steam coming out and a cup of orange juice. The grandparents requested their granddaughter to make sure Kieran was fed while they go take care of chores.
Kieran looked at the bowl with curiosity. "What do you have there, Sis?"
"It's oatmeal with honey." Carmine answered. "Grandma said it's good to eat when you're sick and your tummy's not feeling well."
"Really?" Kieran was intrigued.
Carmine nodded. "Uh-huh. Here." She scooped a small spoonful, blew on it and fed it to her little brother.
"It's good." Kieran said with a smile, liking the taste. One spoonful at a time, Carmine fed the rest of the oatmeal and gave him the juice. Since it was soft, it was easy to keep down in his stomach.
A little laugh came out of Kieran's mouth. He was heartwarmed by the sight. "Definitely tastes better than the medicine."
Three hours later after breakfast, Kieran had woken up from a little nap. Carmine entered back into his room with a little bowl of water and a small white towel. "Hi Sis. What do you have there? *ACHOO!*"
"Bless you," said Carmine. "Anyway, I have something that will help with your cold."
"That's good. *ACHOO!* *ACHOO!* *ACHOO!* Ugh…" Kieran sneezed and sniffled.
Carmine grabbed a tissue and gave it to her brother. "Here, blow."
Kieran did as instructed and blew his nose into the tissue and threw it in the trash bin. "Thanks."
"No problem." said Carmine. She took the white towel and dipped it in the water bowl. She wringed out the excess water and got on top of Kieran's bed with him.
"What are you doing?" Kieran asked curiously.
"Putting this towel on your forehead. Grandpa said it will help cool down your fever." Carmine gently pushed Kieran's bangs aside and placed the damp towel on his forehead. "How does that feel?"
"Kinda weird, but I like it." Shortly after, it appeared something was on his mind. "Hmm…"
"What's wrong, Kiki?" Carmine asked, seeing him in deep thought about something.
"I'm bored." He said with a sigh. "There's not much to do when you're sick and stuck in bed. *ACHOO!*"
Carmine thought for a minute and then had an idea. "Wait here. I'll be right back." She took off and soon came back with a bunch of books. "I got some books I can read to you."
"Yay!" Kieran cheered.
Carmine sat on the bed and opened up a book and read the title of the first book. "Piplup and Chimchar: The quest for the healing cave scale."
"Ooh! I like that story!"
Carmine read the story to him.
Once upon a time,
There was a Chimchar, who was taking a nice walk on a sandy beach. He spotted someone ahead and went over to see who it was. It was a Piplup that washed up on the beach. Chimchar woke up the penguin Pokémon to see if he was okay. Once he did, Piplup looked up as Chimchar introduced himself. Piplup was confused how he woke up on the beach, but was happy to meet Chimchar and became quick friends with the chimp Pokemon…
Carmine spent the next ten minutes reading the book to Kieran. He was so invested into the story; he forgot about feeling sick. After the first story was done, Carmine read him another story called "The Pokemon Book".
A warm smile sneaked up on Kieran. He loved it when his big sister spent time with him even when he was sick.
Another ten minutes passed, and Carmine closed the second book. Grandpa came in with a bowl with steam coming out. He also had a cup of water in his hands. "Hey kiddos. Grandma made lunch, congee on the table. Carmine, why don't you go eat with Grandma? Since you already fed Kieran this morning, I'll take this one."
"Okay, Grandpa." Carmine accepted the offer and left to go eat.
Yukito sat down on the bed with his grandson and spoon fed him the rice porridge. Five minutes later, Kieran ate all the soup, and his belly was satisfied. His grandfather gave him the cup of water to keep him hydrated. The little boy drank some sips and set his cup down on his nightstand. Once lunch was done, Yukito left to do chores and Carmine came back into the room and climbed back on the bed.
"I'm back, Kiki. Want me to read you another story?"
"Yes please!" Kieran happily replied.
The two siblings spent the next twenty minutes together. Carmine read the stories while Kieran listened. Two books later, Kieran wanted to do something else. After a minute of thinking, Carmine had an idea. She grabbed one of Kieran's toys, a Pikachu doll, and Kieran held up his Sentret doll. The two pretended the toys were real and moved them around in a walking and dancing motion and played house with them. The two giggled and had fun, Carmine was happy to keep her sick brother entertained and in turn, Kieran was happy to have company.
Looking at the fond memory reminded Kieran how much his sister cared for him. She protected him from bullies and cared for him when he fell ill.
The next morning, Yukito quietly checked up on the sleeping Kieran. He placed his hand on his forehead. He smiled knowing it wasn't as warm as it was two days ago. Kieran sleepily woke up to his grandpa. "G'morning Grandpa."
"Good morning, Kieran. Are you feeling better?"
Kieran nodded. "Uh-huh. I don't feel icky anymore. Does that mean I can go to the festival?" He asked with hope.
"It sure does." Yukito confirmed.
"Yay!" Kieran's eyes lit up. "I get to go!"
Carmine and Hideko came in, hearing the good news. "And just in time. Today's the first night of the festival." said the latter.
"And Kiki gets to come! Good!" Carmine added with excitement. "It wouldn't be fun with you." She ran up and got on her brother's bed to hug him, causing a fit of laughter out of the little boy.
"Aw thanks Sis." Kieran returned the hug.
A white flash appeared again, quickly transitioning to another memory taking place in the evening, to the first night of the festival.
The family was getting ready for the night of the festival. Hideko helped Carmine get dressed up in her blue jinbei outfit. Yukito helped Kieran get dressed up too, but in a white jinbei outfit. Once the kids were dressed up, the grandparents got themselves dressed. Hideko wore a red jinbei outfit, and Yukito in a green outfit. "I have gifts for you all." Yukito announced. He pulled out four masks behind his back; Okidogi, Munkidori, Fezpendipiti, and the ogre. The rest of the family awed amazed at the gifts. "Carmine, you go first."
Carmine looked at the masks for a moment. "I'll take Munkidori!" She picked up the blue-purple monkey mask.
"Your turn, Kieran," said Yukito.
For him, it was an easy pick. "I'll take the ogre!" He took it and hugged it tight.
Carmine shook her head in amusement. "Of course you would pick the ogre."
"Be nice dear." Hideko whispered to her. She picked up the Fezpendipiti mask and turned to her husband, speaking in a regular tone this time. "Thank you for the lovely gifts, honey. It was thoughtful of you." She nudged her granddaughter's arm, urging her to say thank you.
"Oh, yeah, thank you Grandpa." said Carmine.
Yukito warmly smiled as he put on his Okidogi mask. "You're welcome. It warms my heart to see my family with smiling faces."
Kieran's heart warmed too. Seeing his family happy made him feel happy inside. "Mine too."
At the festival, the family looked in awe, especially the kids. Several villagers wore jinbeis and masks. One kid had a Pikachu mask on, another an Eevee, and some dressed up like the loyal three and the ogre.
"Wowzers!" Kieran exclaimed with an excited jump. "This is so awesome!"
"Aw… I look so happy…" Kieran recalled the fond moment he attended the Festival of Masks.
"Yeah! Everyone's wearing masks and having fun!" Carmine added. She then spotted something. "Look over there! A game!" She ran off to said game with her family following behind.
"Wait up Sis!" shouted Kieran.
"Carmine! Sweetheart, don't go too far ahead!" Hideko called.
"Slow down, Carmine!" Yukito called too.
Kieran shook his head in a mix of exasperation and amusement. "You always were impatient Sis. Still are." He followed his family to a familiar game.
The family met up with Carmine at a game counter where the booth woman wore an ogre mask. "Step right up! Try popping balloons at Ogre oustin!"
Carmine wanted a go at it. "I wanna try! Can I? Please!"
Yukito chuckled. "Okay sweetie. You can play the game." He handed some money to the woman. She explained the rules to Carmine, using a pokemon to ride on and pop the balloons to collect berries and place them in the berry tables to earn as many points as possible before time ran out, and watch out for hungry pokemon.
"Watch this! I'm gonna get a lotta points!" Carmine proclaimed.
"G-Good luck…" Kieran wished meekly.
Carmine rode on one of the ride Arcanine stationed at the game. She rode it across the Kitakami Wilds and managed to pop quite a few balloons and place the berries at their berry tables. She went for a second round of berries, some Skwovet and and a Munchlax stole half of her berries but managed to scare them off and refill them. After two more rounds, time called and it was game over, earning Carmine a total of 3092 points.
She met up with her family to share her victory.
"Did you have fun, dear?" Hideko asked.
"I sure did! I got 3092 points!" Carmine proudly stated.
"Wow! That's quite a high score!" Yukito said, impressed.
"That's great…" Kieran quietly congratulated her.
"Thanks! Your turn, Kiki!" Carmine suggested.
But Kieran didn't want to, considering the ogre was his favorite character. "Umm… no thanks."
"What?!" Carmine was shocked.
"You don't want to play, honey?" Hideko asked, looking concerned.
Kieran shook his head and hid behind his grandfather. "No… I don't wanna pop the balloons. It's like I'm hurting the ogre."
"Seriously?!" Carmine asked with extreme annoyance. "You're no fun."
"Now Carmine…" Yukito intervened. "Be nice to your younger brother. He doesn't have to play if he doesn't want to."
Something caught the corner of Kieran's eye. "Look over there!" He looked over at one of the food stands and urged his family to come over. Once they got there, the kids stared at the shiny red candy apples on display in amazement.
"Four candy apples please." Yukito requested. He paid and offered the treats to his family. The kids took a bite, and their eyes widened and lit up. They smiled and savored the sweet taste.
"So good!" Carmine reacted happily.
"It's so yummy!" Kieran especially enjoyed his treat.
A chuckle came out Kieran's mouth, remembering his first experience with his favorite food. "Wowzers. It feels so surreal looking at myself."
The grandparents asked a person passing by to take some family pictures of them. Carmine and Kieran stood in front while Hideko and Yukito stood behind them. "Okay everybody, Say Chansey!"
"Chansey!"
The camera clicked five times. Yukito looked over at the photos and smiled proudly. "I must say, everybody looks nice with happy smiles."
Carmine whispered to Kieran. "Kiki, put on your mask. Let's give Grandma and Grandpa a show." He nodded and put on his mask. Carmine did the same.
The little act started by Carmine raising her cleaned candy apple stick as her 'weapon'. "Stop ogre! I, Munkidori, will chase you away, ogre!"
"N-not without a fight!" Kieran used his clean stick as his 'cudgel' and 'fought' his sister as they clashed their sticks like swords.
"Time for my tickle attack!" Carmine proclaimed and used her hands to tickle Kieran's underarms, causing a fit of laughter coming out of him.
"H-Hey, Sis! Hehehe! Th-That's not fair!" Kieran said through the laughter, unable to hold it in. "S-Stop! I surrender! I surrender!"
Carmine ended her tickling and lifted her mask and so did Kieran. The grandparents applauded their performance as the kids took a bow. After spending time at the festival for another hour or two the family had enough fun for the night and decided to head home.
"So, what did you kids think of the festival?" Yukito asked.
"It was so much fun!" Carmine said cheerfully. "I love ogre oustin'! That's my favorite part!"
"Y…Yeah, I liked the festival too!" Kieran added. "My favorite part was the candy apple!"
Kieran laughed. "Yeah, I figured…"
Another white flash popped out of nowhere, transitioning to yet another memory…
"Where am I now?" Kieran asked. He looked around and saw some greenery with a signboard. "Loyalty Plaza?"
"Are you done eating?"
"Yep."
Kieran heard more familiar voices and went over to see what was going on. "Me and Juliana…". It was him and Juliana having a picnic per the former's suggestion with all their Pokémon. While the Pokémon played with the latter's ball, Juliana brought up an offering.
"You have room for dessert?" Juliana asked.
"Sure. I'm always up for something sweet." Kieran replied.
Juliana dug through her backpack and pulled out goodies in a bag. "I bought some of these at a bakery in Mesagoza before I came here." She presented four little cookies with a chocolate drizzle on a plate.
"Looks good. What are they?" Kieran asked curiously.
"Alfajores. Butter cookies with salted caramel inside and coconut on the outside. Try one."
Kieran took up on her offer and grabbed one for a bite. The rich sweet taste made him smile. "Wowzers! They're delicious! Sweet, salty, and a little fruity from the coconut."
This made Juliana happy. "I'm glad you like them!" The two kids had two cookies each and finished the plate.
"Thanks for the cookies. It was really nice of you to share." Kieran thanked her for her generosity.
"You're welcome. Sharing is caring, right?" Juliana playfully asked.
"Y-Yeah, it is," he replied. Now it was Kieran's turn to share a treat. "A-And since you shared your treats, let me share mine." Kieran opened up his yellow bag and pulled out a bag with treats in different colors.
"Whoa! So colorful!" The rainbow treats thrilled Juliana. "What are they?"
"Mochi. My grandmother packed it for me. It's a popular snack here in Kitakami. They're made with rice flour and come in several flavors made with different types of berries and herbs."
"Sounds delicious! I'll try the pink one." She reached in and grabbed a pink mochi and took a bite. Her eyes lit up. "It's sweet and yummy!"
Kieran smiled seeing her smile. "Hehehe. I'm happy you like it. That's one made with pecha berries. I like that flavor too."
Juliana finished her treat and chuckled. "Well, I know two things we have in common."
"What's that?" He asked.
"We're both introverts with big sweet tooths." Juliana stated.
Kieran was a little surprised by the first one. "Wowzers. You're an introvert? But…but you're so good with talking to people and I'm not. I'm really shy and always struggle with what to say…"
"It's true." Juliana opened up, "Before moving to Paldea and becoming a Pokémon trainer, I didn't really talk to a lot of people growing up. It's been me and my mom for as long as I can remember. She was always busy working but would take me out to places like outdoor markets, bookstores, and bakeries sometimes to have fun when she had time. I kind of acted shy around everyone, even kids my age. It was easier talking to my mom's Skwovet than people. But then I met Floragato as a Sprigatito, and after I became a trainer and started school, I became open to new experiences and had all sorts of adventures. I even met a couple of students and became friends with them."
Kieran was touched by the story. "Wow. It's really cool that you have friends back at home. Like I said, I can't talk to anyone without freezing up."
"But you're talking to me right now, aren't you?" Juliana playfully asked.
Kieran realized that let a small grin appear on his face. "Y-Yeah, that's true."
"See? You're getting the hang of it. It just takes practice." Juliana encouraged him.
"Th-Thanks Juliana." Kieran smiled at her words. The two shared a laugh.
Kieran looked at them and smiled. He was talking to someone close to his age outside his family, and they're not even from the same region. "She really was fun to talk to…"
Another white flash appeared before him…
This memory, he found himself back in…
"The Underdepths."
Kieran looked up ahead to see Juliana, Carmine and Briar, and three of Juliana's Meowscarada, Cinderace, and Ninetales. He walked up to them. The three worriedly looked over his unconscious body, all still and quiet. He realized this memory was happening right now. He felt unsettled looking at himself. He wasn't moving other than breathing. Then he noticed Carmine and Juliana on his left side, particularly the latter holding his hand, and the former laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. He gasped a little.
"Juliana… Carmine…" He spoke even though they couldn't hear him. He thought back when they helped him get better when he wasn't feeling well. "They stayed by my side even though I was horrible to them…"
He reflected on his memories both good and bad. Since his change after the school trip, he acted mean and nasty to everyone who cared about him, especially his big sister and Juliana. When he was champion of his school league club, he gave up his wellbeing just to prove himself he wasn't weak. It got to a point where he didn't care less if he was exhausted from little sleep or the cramps in his stomach from not eating right or even at all. It never really occurred to him that he'd fallen low to where he was almost lost forever in the Underdepths.
But thinking back to the good memories. He smiled when remembered Carmine being there for him when he got bullied. She may be overbearing but meant well. She also took care of him when he was sick with a cold, reading stories to him and playing with his stuffed Pokémon toys. Then there was Juliana. She was the first person he talked to about his interests and felt a connection with her. She even called him her friend. And when he got sick from malnutrition, she made a tea to cure him.
"They did all they could to help me to get better… They're just waiting for me to wake up…"
Now thinking deep, Kieran decided right then and there, he needed to take responsibility for his actions and rebuild his life. He reached his hand and let himself combine with his physical body…
And so, concludes Kieran going through his memories. This was definitely a long chapter to write, but worth it. I included Kieran's picnic offer in Teal mask for his good memory with Juliana.
The first story Carmine read to Kieran, Piplup and Chimchar: The quest for the healing cave scale, The title was inspired by the animated short, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon; Explorers of time and darkness part 1. The second story title is a play on the story "Jungle Book".
Find out how it ends in the final chapter.