Disclaimer: I do not own any of the material appearing in this story. The OC's belong to their respective owners.
BGM: Mossui Town (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Teal Mask)
"Oh my…" The clerk at the front desk blinked, seeing Basalt getting pushed in.
"Heave… HO!" Erza grunted as they finally managed to push the Gravios through the door, which had her, Hiyoko and Mahiru fall to the ground.
"Haaaah… you gotta lose some pounds there, bud…" Hiyoko sighed.
"So… I… assume you guys are with the Paldean group?" The clerk asked.
"Yes." Jaune nodded. "Though we're not really "student" students. We're… substitute students!"
The clerk sweatdropped. "That's a new one…"
"Substitute students? I don't buy that for a second." A voice said as they turned to see the blue haired woman approaching with her Hisuian Growlithe.
Pause BGM
BGM: Perrin's Theme (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Teal Mask)
"Based on your outfits… well, you're definitely not from any regions I know. Definitely out-worldy if you ask me… though, to be honest, the blonde girl looks like she's straight out of Johto."
Hiyoko checked herself out. "Do I actually look Johtonian…?"
"How exactly do you know we're from a different world?" Jaune asked.
"Well, for starters…" She pointed toward Basalt. "That ain't a Pokemon. I realize there's an outbreak of creatures all over the world and I can tell which one is a Pokemon and which isn't. Secondly-"
She pointed to Erza's Fairy Tail mark on her upper right arm.
"Never seen that kind of mark before, nor have I heard of any clubs or cults resembling that. Thirdly-"
She pointed to Jinx.
"Homegirl over here looks like she's straight of a comic book or something."
"Comic book…?" Jinx wondered.
"And lastly… you just confirmed to me that you're from a different world." She smiled cheekily.
Jaune groaned. "Ugh, me and my big mouth…"
"Wait a second…" Nora approached her, getting a closer look at her hair. "...Adaman?"
"Adama-... oh! You mean my ancestor? Yeah, from what I read about my ancestor, dude was a really chill dude and often got in fights with the Pearl clan. However, they joined forces to combat this wild group called Team Plasma and formed the Platinum Clan in Hisui. Once this Ghetsis dude was done for, peace settled in the land and my ancestor settled with this Irida chick. The rest is complete history."
Nora's eyes sparkled. "So he was into her! Ren, you owe me fifteen Lien!"
"You still remember that…?" Ren sweatdropped.
"How do you know he fell in love with Irida?" The girl wondered. "Then again, come to think of it, he did mention the Platinum Clan helped a group out… he mentions the likes of: A girl in Greek armor, a Galarian Scotswoman, a red head with a plant for an arm, a white haired girl that looked like an heiress, an hyperactive orange haired girl with… a… Tinkaton…"
She trailed off, looking at Nora and her Tinkaton who was casually napping on her hammer.
"...Son of a gun. Y'all time traveled and you didn't get destroyed by Dialga? Impressive!"
"It's a long story." Jaune said.
"Welp. You guys are officially cool in my book. Name's Perrin and judging by what my ancestor had described-"
She pointed to Team JNPR. "Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren."
"...He remembered our names?" Pyrrha asked in surprise.
"Yup!" Perrin smiled. "Now, he didn't mention you guys. You seem new to me."
"Hiyoko Saionji, the Ultimate Traditional Dancer."
"Jinx!"
"Erza Scarlet."
"Mahiru Koizumi, the Ultimate Photographer."
Ultimate Photographer? I knew I was right to trust my instincts! Perrin thought.
"I see you're a photographer yourself." Mahiru said.
Perrin grinned, flashing the peace sign. "Dang straight! I've made some pretty cool backdrops for my pictures. I imagine someone with a title like "Ultimate" has some pretty neat photos!"
Mahiru smiled, giving her her camera. "Check 'em out."
"Whoa… WHOA." Perrin jawdropped as she looked at the various photographs, such as two Goombas sleeping side by side while at a beach, a Lynel battling Link, a Sawsbuck standing on top of a hill, a few Cheep Cheeps swimming along underwater with a Maw-Ray behind them, seemingly disinterested in them, Myra posing for the camera alongside the Shadow Queen, Mario doing a few flips in the air during sunset, Weiss riding Azure, Ness unleashing PK Flash on some Grimm, Sonia and Sarge pumping shotguns together… amongst other things.
"What do you think?"
"Damn girl, you make me look like an amateur! And I'm a professional for Arceus' sake!"
Mahiru giggled. "What can I say… I mastered the art of my craft."
"Obviously!" Perrin smiled. "Say, I was wondering if you could-"
The caretaker walked in. "They're all here! …Oh, hello Perrin! Would you like to join us?"
"Mmm, sure, I got nothing better to do." Perrin shrugged and then nudged Mahiru with a wink. "We'll chat things though later."
"Okay!"
End BGM
Resume Mossui Town
"Great, we're gonna have to push him back out…" Hiyoko grimaced.
"Not to worry…" Mahiru reached into her bag and pulled out a plethora of Mini Mushrooms and Super Mushrooms, pulling out a Mini Mushroom. "I came prepared."
"Is that a Mini Mush-... oooooh…" Hiyoko groaned. "You couldn't have done that earlier, sis?!"
"Well, for one, I thought he could squeeze through… soshite ni, (And two), he was already halfway through the door and I couldn't climb or crawl through and give him a Mini Mushroom."
"...Okay, fair point." Hiyoko nodded.
"I could have phased through the wall." Erza pointed out.
"Ahehehe~ Sorry Erza… didn't cross my mind." Mahiru sheepishly said as she gave Basalt a Mini Mushroom. "Here you go bud."
Basalt ate it up, and promptly shrunk… which was enough for Perrin to rub her eyes to make sure she wasn't going insane.
They walked out to meet up with the crowd, alongside Carmine and Kieran.
"Hey, why is the monster so tiny now?" A Paldean student wondered as Mahiru grabbed a Super Mushroom and fed Basalt, where he grew back to normal size… which was enough to startle those who weren't prepared for it.
"Yagh…!" Kieran hid behind Carmine.
"G-Go-Good… Ar-Arceus…! It's like straight out of Alice in Glimwood Tangle…!" Carmine said, putting her hand over her chest to recompose herself, taking a few deep breaths.
"WHY COULDN'T YOU HAVE DONE THAT ON THE PLANE?! …OR THE BUS?" A Paldean student demanded.
"Um… it didn't cross my mind?" Mahiru shrugged, causing the Paldean students to groan.
"I'm surprised it fit in the plane…" Perrin sweatdropped, then glanced over at Carmine who glanced back at her, both of them shooting each other a glare and looked away in disgust.
"Come on guys, it's not like Basalt's a Groudon or a Celesteela!" Nora pointed out.
"No, but it's a Wailord!"
"It's not even a Wailord either!"
Briar shook her head. "Oh well." She said. "Now then, Mr. Caretaker… if you would."
"Oh. Of course!" He nodded. "Now then, before we begin, let me introduce two of Blueberry's students who actually live here. If you would please introduce yourselves."
"Hiiiii, I'm Carmine!" Carmine waved with a not-so-friendly smile. "It's nice to meet you outsiders, er, I mean, transfer students!"
Perrin rolled her eyes while folding her arms.
"This is my little bro, Kieran."
"H-hi there…" Kieran waved shyly.
"I look forward to meeting with you all~!" Carmine smiled again.
"I don't trust that smile, do you?" A student whispered.
"She did call us outsiders…" Another whispered.
"Now now, let's not be afraid… it's time to mingle!" Briar smiled. "After all, what you will be doing here is orienteering."
"Indeed. Here you will find three signs all over KItakami going over our rich history. Think of this as a self guided tour of our land." The caretaker smiled.
Carmine had an idea. "Hey, Ren, was it? Earlier my little bro wouldn't stop clamoring over you and just would not shut up about you… soooo, how about you get to know him by a Pokemon battle?"
"Huh?!" Kieran yelled in surprise. "S-Sis, I'm not sure about-"
"It'll be fiiiiine!" Carmine got behind him and pushed him to Ren a little forcefully, something that Jinx and Hiyoko took notice of how forceful that push was.
"O-Okay…" Kieran tapped his fingers together. "I-If it's… fine with you, Ren… I… want to… battle with you."
Ren softly smiled. "I wouldn't mind."
Kieran's eyes sparkled. "Really? …Okay!" He nodded.
"Alright, clear the runway, folks! We got ourselves a battle commencing!" Carmine said.
"Of course you'd be telling people what to do…" Perrin mumbled as she stood next to Mahiru.
"You got history with her?" Mahiru whispered.
"That girl's a traditionalist… and believe me, she was definitely unpleasant when we met."
"Oooh… one of those types." Mahiru frowned.
Pause BGM
BGM: Battle! Kieran (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Teal Mask)
The Gentle Brother - Kieran
"Go Furret!" Kieran called out his Pokemon.
"Furrrreeett!"
"Let's go, Rami!"
"Intel!"
…I think I'm already boned. Kieran thought, looking at the Intelleon. I think I might have a shot though. Key word: "Might"... "Use Dig!"
"Fur Fur Fuuuur!" Furret dug underground.
"Use Snipe Shot the moment that Furret pops up!"
Rami focused, concentrating on where Furret might pop up. He felt something move under him as he looked down and jumped away right as the Furret popped right up. "Fur?" Furret wondered before getting hit by Snipe Shot. "Furrr!"
"Use Quick Attack!"
"Counter with a Hydro Pump!"
Furret launched himself toward the Intelleon, where Rami jumped back and hit it with a Hydro Pump to send the Furret flying and landing near Kieran, KO'd.
"Furr…"
"Aww… return." Kieran recalled the Furret. "Go… Yanma!" He said with less enthusiasm.
"Yan Yan!"
"Hmmm…" Ren hummed, recalling his Intelleon. "Let's go, Weber!"
"Spido!"
"You have a Spidops?" Kieran asked in awe.
"He has a Spidops?!" Carmine asked, absolutely seething with her eye twitching. He goes all out with me nonchalantly, yet he has the audacity to go easy on him?!
A confident and enthusiastic smile formed in Kieran's face. "Okay! Use Quick Attack!"
"Silk Trap!"
Kieran's eyes widened. "Flank him! Flank him!"
"Yaaaan!" Yanma flew around the Spidops and used Quick Attack from the side.
"Now use Air Cutter!"
"Dodge it and use Headbutt!" Ren called out, but since Weber was slow moving, he still got hit by it. However, Weber shook it off and then headbutted Yanma.
"Ma!" Yanma yelped.
"You okay?" Kieran asked as the Yanma nodded. "Alright, Giga Drain!"
"Use Skitter Smack!"
Weber crawled around Yanma and smacked the Pokemon, but Yanma responded by using Giga Drain to restore its health, and then used Air Cutter again as instructed by Kieran, where Weber went down.
"Sorry about that, Weber." Ren said, recalling Weber. "I just needed to boost his confidence a bit." He whispered to the Pokeball.
"Alright, I got this in the bag!" Kieran said as Ren called out Racer, which was enough to fill Kieran with dread, knowing how the Accelgor floored Carmine. "Aaaaand… I retract that statement."
"Water Shuriken!"
"Air Cutter!"
"Yan Yaaaaan!" Yanma unleashed Air Cutter, but Racer was already gone as he threw a few Water Shuriken at the Yanma. "Yan…!"
"Agh…! Use Quick Attack and hope for the best!"
"Let it hit you and then use Bug Buzz, then Water Shuriken for the finisher!"
Yanma flew toward the Accelgor, smacking it directly… and then was hit by a point plank Bug Buzz before being finished off by Water Shuriken.
"Maaaa!" Yanma cried before collapsing.
End BGM
Kieran slumped. "Aw man…"
Ren approached Kieran, putting his hand on the shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. "You did well."
Kieran's eyes sparkled as he smiled back. "Thank you…!" He said, giving Ren a tight hug as Ren was caught by surprise before hugging him back.
"Tch, bromances…" Carmine mumbled.
Resume Mossui Town BGM
"Well, now that we got that settled… I say it's time we get split into pairs." Briar suggested. "Kieran and Carmine will get to-"
"I pick Ren and his friends!" Kieran blurted out.
The caretaker turned to Carmine. "You're okay with this?"
"Fine by me. The little squirt can take 'em for all I care." Carmine said.
"I know where we can go first." Kieran said. "The first sign is at Loyalty Plaza way over there past the apple orchards." He pointed in the direction. "However… I… might stay behind from a safe distance because… ahehehe… crippling introvertedness."
"Welp, sounds like someone needs to get out of his shell!" Nora said, approaching him with a smile.
"Wait, what are you doing? What are you- whoa whoa WHOA!" Kieran yelped as Nora picked him up and sat him on her shoulders. "This feels… awkward yet… strangely fun too!"
"Nice one, girlfriend. I was thinking the same thing." Jinx said, fist bumping Nora.
"Eh, we can share him!"
"'Share'...?" Kieran sweatdropped as they started to walk off.
"You kids have fun now!" Carmine waved and then gave the other Paldean students a not-so-friendly smile, causing them to whimper.
"Is it too late to go back to Paldea now…?"
End BGM
BGM: Kitakami Region (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Teal Mask)
"Ugh… that girl's vile…" Perrin mumbled as they started walking up the hill. "How's the view up there, little man?"
"Honestly… it's… not as bad as I thought it'd be." Kieran said. "So um… what are you guys like anyway…?"
"Well, the four of us in particular are named Team JNPR." Jaune said. "I'm the leader, Nora is… well, the demolition's expert plus lightning rod-"
"Hehehe~"
"Wait, I'm sitting on-... uh oh…" Kieran whimpered, silently praying that a thunderstorm wouldn't roll by anytime soon.
"Pyrrha's the crowd control, has a magnetic personality and pyrokinetic-"
"That's about right…" Pyrrha said sadly.
Is she going through something? Kieran and Perrin wondered.
"And Ren's the silent and sneaky one."
"Indeed." Ren nodded.
"Silent? Coulda fooled me." Kieran chuckled.
"Meanwhile, as for me-" Jinx smiled. "Let's just say-"
A few horrifying minutes later…
"And that's about it~!" Jinx grinned.
"...Sweet flippin' Arceus, that's… WOW." Perrin grimaced as her Growlithe let out a whimper.
"Welp, I didn't need to sleep tonight…" Kieran shuddered.
"Eh, it's not all that bad. I may be crazy but I got hella good friends keeping me sane!" Jinx smiled.
"That's good…" Perrin chuckled nervously. Note to self, don't get her all agitated. …Wait, shit… Carmine might… She grimaced at the thought.
Carmine, whatever you do, don't make her upset… Kieran thought, dreading the thought of it.
"Sooo, what's with the "Ultimate" title anyway?" Perrin asked as they walked through the Applin orchards where she took a few pictures of Bellsprout interacting with Fomantis while the latter was being leary over an Ekans that simply observed it.
"In our world, it meant you were the best of the best of your talent." Hiyoko explained. "Heck, you could even be chosen for the prestigious school of Hope's Peak Academy… but uh… the less we talk about that, the better."
"Hmmm…" Perrin rubbed her chin. Bad memories, perhaps? Maybe it's not as great as they thought it was. Eh, I won't pry. "Soooo, you two related?"
"Not by blood. She sees me as a big sister." Mahiru replied.
"Oh! Aww, that's cute." Perrin giggled. "So Erza, how about you?"
"Well, I would say that my story sounds outrageous, but considering Jinx told her whole life story, I might as well tell you mine. I come from an ancient time where guilds were everywhere in Remnant. I came from Fairy Tail… and Pyrrha is my descendant."
"Wait, time out! You just came by for some family bonding?" Perrin asked.
"Something like that, yes."
"You're actually a ghost? …I… didn't know that." Kieran said.
"Here, watch this." Erza walked over to a fence and then fazed through it, which was enough to startle the heck out of a few Applin.
"Whoa! That's cool! …Man, I wish I could speak with my ancestors. Adaman sounded like a chill dude too." Perrin mumbled in envy. "Ah well, what can you do."
"Well, at least we know we've got a friendly ghost here…" Kieran lightly laughed.
Just as long as you don't destroy her strawberry shortcake… Everyone else thought.
The group then came across two signs.
Left Sign: Wistful Fields
Right Sign: Loyalty Plaza
"This way!" Nora pointed toward the right as they walked toward it as a few Sentret woke up from their nap from Nora's voice but went back asleep as some Starly cuddled in next to them.
"Well, here's the sign." Jaune said. "I guess we just have to read it?"
Nora set Kieran down. "There ya go, bud."
"I already know the story, so… go on and read it." Kieran requested.
Pause BGM
BGM: Fearsome Ogre Folktale (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Teal Mask)
"Long, long ago, there was a fearsome ogre in the land of Kitakami. The ogre made its home in the mountain behind the village, frightening all who ventured there. One day, the ogre came down from the mountain in a terrible rage, causing great fear in the village. By some stroke of luck, Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti all happened to be there as well. The three Pokemon laid down their lives to fend off the ogre and send it back to the mountain. In admiration, the people of the village bestowed upon this brave trio the title "the Loyal Three". Their remains were given a proper burial, and statues of the three were erected above the site."
"The Loyal Three just so happened to be there?" Hiyoko raised an eyebrow. "Talk about suspiciously convenient."
"Hmm…" Mahiru folded her arms. "Fascinating."
"I can understand why travelers would find that a bit odd." Kieran said. "But… I'm actually fascinated by the ogre itself. It's just so… cool!"
"And how do you think it's cool?" Ren asked curiously.
"Think about it. It faced three opponents at once without even hesitating. It's so inspiring!"
Ren smiled in amusement. "Well, I suppose that makes sense."
"I know, I know… some people would find ogres terrifying but this one isn't so bad."
"They have layers too." Hiyoko said.
"Yes, they have layers! …Wait, huh?" Kieran blinked. "Layers like… onions, you mean? That's a bit of an odd comparison but… okay then."
Kieran chuckled. "Still though, I don't think there's any reason to be afraid. I think this ogre is really special." He turned around. "When I was little, I went up to the mountain many times at night, all on my own, and I never saw the ogre… only scary thing that happened was the grown ups givin' me a real earful about it… and the Salazzle commanding the troops to go after me because I accidentally stepped on her tail that one time…"
He shuddered. "I couldn't leave the house for a few days after that. Carmine had to chase 'em off because they were ruining the flower garden."
Perrin grimaced. "You ran away from a pack of horny Salandit simps? Impressive! Still… I'd be upset too if someone stepped on me."
"Yeah… I could understand why but you'd think it'd be a forgive and forget type of deal." Kieran sighed. "...Oh right, we were supposed to take a picture of it, right? I don't have a smartphone, sadly."
"Do you have any kind of phone?" Perrin asked.
"Uh… not really."
This kid's not living right, what the heck… She pulled out her own phone and a selfie stick. "Not to worry, I got ya covered!"
Everyone gathered around the sign. "Smile! …Or make the most of it!" Perrin smiled, snapping a picture as everyone was posing and smiling, and then there was Pyrrha who didn't smile at all. She just had an indifferent expression on her face.
End BGM
Resume Kitakami Region BGM
"Hmm… close enough." Perrin said as Mahiru looked over the picture.
"Pretty good."
"Hehe~! I do what I can." She smiled as they walked over to the memorial containing the Loyal Three.
"Anyone… getting a bad vibe around these three?" Pyrrha wondered.
"That smirk from Okidogi feels sinister…" Jaune said.
"Gah, I don't know why I feel dread looking at these three." Jinx said.
"Come to think of it, I always did feel a bit uneasy around this… but perhaps this is just my love for the ogre talking." Kieran smiled as they walked off. "I'll keep my distance-"
"Oh no!" Jinx picked him up and placed him on her shoulders. "You're sticking right with us!"
"I feel strangely safe sitting on your shoulders, I don't know why…" Kieran then looked at Basalt. "I wonder if I could ride on you later?" He wondered.
"So, where to next?" Jaune asked.
"It's at Kitakami Hall. It's just the other side of town, cross the bridge and you just have to go up a hill to get there."
"You guys go on ahead. I'll catch up." Ren said.
"Ooookay, see ya when we get there!" Jinx smiled as they walked off, while Ren walked over to the sign, narrowing his eyes.
"Something up?" Nora asked as she had stayed behind.
Ren pulled out his scroll. "I don't know why… but I have a feeling there's more to this story. Why was this ogre in a rampage and why were the Loyal Three conveniently there at the same time? Not to mention there's a subtle air of unpleasantness around the shrine."
He knelt down and took a picture of the sign.
"Something just doesn't add up with me."
"Oh, look at you being a cute detective~" Nora smirked. "All we need for my boyfriend is to give you a detective outfit~!"
"Nora… I don't think I'll look good in plaid. That's basically Gloria's thing."
"Meh, what's a little decoration on ya!" Nora giggled. "Still… you think there could be more to this?"
"Yes. Something just doesn't feel right."
Ren turned around. "I may just be paranoid, but something's not sitting well with me."
Nora smiled. "Well, I'm sure we'll figure it out the more we stay here!"
With a nod, the couple made their way through back to the village, seeing Basalt disappearing up the mountains as they kept walking through Mossui Town.
"Hmm, you want a snack?" Ren asked.
"Oh sure, I could go for a candy bar." Nora smiled as the duo walked over to Peachy's as Ren scanned the various candies available. Nora, meanwhile, spotted something that caught her attention as she curiously took a closer look.
"A Pecha Berry plushy…?" She wondered, picking it up and curiously looking at it. It has a curious shape with a dark circle in front of it. She curiously tilted her head as she kept staring at it.
The more she stared at it, the more she felt entranced by it… almost like it was slowly starting to brainwash her as her eyes had a slight purple outline to them.
"Nora…? Nora!"
"Huh?" Nora snapped out of it, her eyes turning back to normal.
"I got our snacks. You ready to go?"
"Oh right." Nora nodded, putting the plushy away.
"What were you looking at?"
"I think it was like a Pecha Berry plush thing. I dunno, I felt weird holding it."
"Well, it does cure poison."
Nora nodded. "Yeah… probably my imagination!"
The duo walked away and crossed the bridge, both of them wandering through the pathway and watched some Furret scurrying through the grass while off in the distance, a Kricketune was playing a song that enchanted some Poliwag.
Further up the hill, they saw a Mienfoo and a Riolu sparring against each other while a few Spinarak scurried about, all the while a curious Poltchageist flew over to them.
"Hold on, this one's new." Nora said, pulling out her scroll to scan it.
"Poltchageist, the Matcha Pokemon - Counterfeit form: Supposedly, the regrets of a tea ceremony master who died before perfecting his craft lingered in some matcha and became a Pokémon. Poltchageist looks like a regional form of Sinistea, but it was recently discovered that the two Pokémon are entirely unrelated."
"Supposedly…?" Ren raised an eyebrow.
"This thing evolves into Sinistcha." Nora mumbled. "Hmm… Carmine has one, so maybe we can know more about it from her."
"You sure that's a good idea?"
"Eh, she might not be so bad once you get to know her! …Key word: Might."
Ren chuckled. "Fair enough." He nodded as they walked by as the Poltchageist followed them for a bit before getting distracted by an Ariados walking by and followed it.
They then arrived at the base of the stairs and made their way up… to see several locals backing away from the Gravios that was casually walking behind the group, all the while Mahiru and Perrin were sitting on him and taking pictures of the scenery.
"There it is!" Kieran pointed toward the sign near the hall as they approached it.
"Glad we could catch up!" Nora called out to them. "We went on a snack run too!"
"Oh good… I was feeling a bit munchy." Jaune smiled.
"Hmm, thank you…" Pyrrha nodded at them.
Hiyoko approached the sign. "Alright, what do we got here…"
End BGM
BGM: Fearsome Ogre Folktale
"The ogre possessed four mysterious, glimmering masks. It is said that depending on the mask the ogre donned, the powers of its cudgel would change. When wearing the teal mask, it would bring life back into withered greenery around it. When wearing the crimson mask, it could turn a candle's flame into a raging inferno. When wearing the blue mask, it could stop the very flow of a river. When wearing the ashen gray mask, it could easily break the hardest stone in two. Before the Loyal Three fell, they wrested away three of the ogre's masks, greatly weakening it."
Hiyoko folded her arms. "Interesting…"
"The masks the Loyal Three stole are kept over at Kitakami Hall." Kieran explained once Jinx put him down. "Everyone in town is scared of the ogre, but I really like it."
He turned to the sign. "It was strong… and cool… and it didn't even care when everyone shunned it. I've always wanted to be like that… ever since I was a kid. I want to be as cool as the ogre."
"Aw, cheer up, bud!" Jinx smiled, scruffing up his hair. "I think you're just as cool as the ogre!"
"Thanks… but… it's just that my sis ends up doin' everything for me… even when we're at school. I… wanna try to get stronger. So I can do things for myself, ya know? I'm gonna become someone people can rely on. Then, just maybe… I can be the ogre's friend."
"Hmm, but what if the ogre would want to be friends with you regardless of your strength?" Mahiru pointed out.
"Hmm… that's wishful thinking, I'm afraid." Kieran mumbled before his eyes widened. "Oh! Right! Picture!"
Perrin loaded up the selfie stick. "Got ya covered, bud!"
Everyone posed while Erza wrapped an arm around Pyrrha, though despite the camaraderie, she still couldn't bring herself to smile even when they made poses with everyone.
"Alright, on to the next signboard…" Kieran turned toward some stairs. "Oh, and you know the mountain the stories say the ogre lives on? It's actually Oni Mountain. You can climb the stairs from there. If you want, we could… go see the ogre's home? Folks call it the Dreaded Den. We can get through Infernal Pass, then there's a sign… and then we can get to the ogre's home."
"Sure. Sounds like there's plenty of photo ops there." Perrin smiled.
"Oh, I bet we can take lots of photos of the scenery too." Mahiru said.
"Hell yeah, girlfriend!" Perrin fist bumped her as they walked off, though Ren and Nora stayed behind as he took another picture.
"What ya thinkin'?"
"This ogre might actually be benevolent. I don't think an ogre would care about reviving grass fields just like that. But this one does, according to legend."
"Oooh, the mysterious plot thickens~!"
Ren nodded. "Right."
He turned toward the mountain. "Shall we then?"
"Lead the way."
Deadpool: Ta-daaaaah! *showing off the new Deadpool Xbox controller*
... *staring at it in horror with Ibuki*
Deadpool: What? It's cool, right?! *putting it on the display*
Ibuki: ... *texting someone*
Deadpool: And look at the back of this controller! It could rival America's Ass!
Ibuki: *walks over to the door* Hi Hiyoko-chan. He's right over there!
Hiyoko...? *sees her walking in with a paddle* Oh!
Hiyoko: ALRIGHT! It's gonna be five across the ass, Wade!
Deadpool: EEEP! *runs off with Hiyoko chasing him* NO! GET AWAY! And give me the paddle. I might need it when I'm up Shit Cree- YOW!
Hiyoko: WHERE DO YOU THINK I'M SENDING YA?!
Soooo, how long until Chiaki finds out about this controller?
Ibuki: Probably within...
*we both hear a horrifed "WHAT THE HECK AM I LOOKING AT?!"*
Ibuki: Right now.
That sounds about right.
(This lil' skit was Yoshi's idea.)