Disclaimer: I do not own any of the material appearing in this story. The OC's belong to their respective owners
A Long Time Ago in the Pokemon World
A rowboat made its way into Paldea, a lone man with scraggly long hair, a bulky build and a cleft chin while wearing nothing but raggy clothing rowed his way into Casseroya Lake. He was accompanied by Ogrepon, who was absolutely fascinated by the waters of Paldea.
"Pooooon…" Ogerpon's eyes sparkled.
BGM: Casseroya Lake (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
"Just a little further." The man said as they rowed across the lake. Ogerpon looked into the water and saw Veluza swimming by, alongside some Dratini and Dragonair. One Dratini looked up from the water and curiously looked at Ogerpon.
"Poni Pon!" Ogerpon waved.
"Tini~!" Dratini smiled as Ogerpon gently booped it on the nose with a smile, causing the Dratini to giggle and went back underwater.
"Pon~" Ogerpon giggled as well as they continued to row past a Gyarados and a Vaporeon, the latter curiously watching them while swimming. Ogerpon looked at the Vaporeon until it vanished within the waters.
"Poni…?"
They made landfall as the man hopped out of the boat as Ogerpon climbed out. The two of them walked up the large hill as Ogerpon witnessed Gogoat grazing the land while a Hawlucha pulled a banana off of a Tropius.
Once they reached the top of the hill, the man stared at a mountainous wall in front of him. "The crater that we've heard about."
"Poooon…" Ogerpon looked on in awe.
"Let's go."
"Pon!"
End BGM
The duo made their way toward the Great Crater as Ogerpon wandered around and said hi to the local Pokemon before they came across a small settlement.
The locals went about their day when one of them noticed the man and Ogerpon. "What the…?" A local wondered as the duo approached the settlement.
"Greetings." The man greeted.
"You new around these parts? Never seen you around here before."
"We're travelers. I am Momotaro and this is my partners, Ogerpon."
"Pon Pon~!"
"My my, such a little cutie!" The man smiled, patting Ogerpon on the head, which was enough to make Ogerpon blush.
"Poni Pon Pon~!"
"Where are you two from?"
"A long distant land."
"Ah, well, you've traveled far. Welcome to Paldea." The man said.
"Pon…?" Ogerpon turned her head to see a Corviknight crashing to the ground before scrambling to get back up in the air… only for a massive rock to smack into it, sending it crashing to the ground.
"Tinkatah!" A Tinkaton cheered, climbing on top of the Corviknight and raising the hammer up high while little Wattrel circled around the Corviknight's head.
"Pon Pon…"
"Ah, the Tinkaton claimed another victim… that poor fella didn't stand a chance."
"Does this happen often?" Momotaro wondered.
"Yes. Tinkaton hunt Corviknight for sport. No idea why they do, but many Corviknight seek refuge in the Great Crater of Paldea due to this."
"Poor thing…" Momotaro frowned as the Tinkaton dragged the Corviknight away.
At that moment, they heard the sound of trotting as they turned around to see a carriage being pulled by a Rapidash.
"Whooooa!" The driver slowed the Rapidash.. "Excuse me, but have you folks seen a castle around here?"
"Just go further down until you reach Mesagoza. The castle is over there." The local explained.
"Thank you kindly."
"What's in that bag?" Momotaro wondered.
"Oh, just some… collectables from far east. I'm sure the king would love these treasures that I've found."
"And who are you?"
"Just a friendly traveling merchant. Yah!" He snapped the reins as Rapidash ran off.
"Pon Pon…" Ogerpon frowned.
"Indeed. Something about that troubles me… but the merchant's already long gone." He turned toward the crater. "Come, Ogerpon."
"Pon!"
"Wait, you're not seriously going into the Great Crater, are you? It's a whole different world down there…"
Momotaro smiled. "We'll be careful."
"Don't say I didn't warn you."
Momotaro and Ogerpon made their way to an opening inside the rock wall, climbing through a few slopes before going through the entrance. They walked toward the cliff side as they saw nothing but clouds overtaking the entire quadrant.
Ogerpon picked up a rock and threw it into the cloudy sea. She put her hand to her ear, hoping to hear something… but nothing was heard. "Pon…" Ogerpon sweatdropped.
Momotaro smiled. "Climb on my back, little bud."
"Pon!" Ogerpon nodded, climbing onto his back as he started to climb down, disappearing into the cloudy sea.
Meanwhile…
The Rapidash came to a stop as the merchant picked up his bag and walked into the castle. He walked into the throne room as a king was reading a book.
"Hmm? Now who would you be?" The king demanded to know.
"I am but a humble traveling merchant, your majesty. I come from a far away region where I've heard that you have a keen eye for treasure."
"Treasure?" The king perked up. "...What kind of treasure do you have?"
"My liege, allow me to show you…" He said, gently kneeling down and placing the treasures before him.
"Behold, the Wooden Tablets of Resentment. Note the fine dried up leaves on it."
"Oooh…"
"The Sword of Hatred. Note how it has been broken and is encased in ice. If it thaws, you will just have a regular sword.
"The texture of that sword makes it special. I do not care."
"The Vessel of Fear. The dirt and rocks add a unique characterization for it."
"Fascinating…"
"The Beads of Envy. It's fiery texture will strike fear into anything."
"I will take them all!"
"All of them, sire?"
"Yes. Here is a gold bar for your efforts! I will take them to my treasure room!"
"Then it is a deal! But there is something I must warn you. There is a legend that these four treasures are cursed and will only awaken to someone of pure greed-"
"It is only a legend. They will never awaken… now shoo! Get out of my sight!" He said as he picked up the four treasures, having a wild look in his eyes. "Preeeecioooouuuussssss…"
The merchant smirked. "As you wish, but don't say I didn't warn-"
"GUARDS! Show him the exit!"
A few guards grabbed the merchant by the arms and hauled him out.
"Consider this as a thank you for these gifts!" He said as the merchant was thrown out.
"Ooomph!" He grunted, dusting himself off. "You're welcome. But none of it matters as I am free from those cursed treasures… I should still flee Paldea before things get out of hand."
He hurried off to his carriage and hopped on, snapping the reins as Rapidash took off.
"May the gods show mercy on you, my king…"
The king put the treasures into the room, placing them down gently. "You four are my most precious and valuable treasure." He said as he turned around and walked off… unaware of a sinister aura wrapping around them.
Back with the duo…
BGM: Area Zero (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)
The duo landed on the ground, both of their eyes sparkling in wonder. Altaria flew overhead while some bruised Corviknight were being treated by some Chansey and Floette. The two of them looked at each other before nodding, then wandered down the long path downward, all of them seeing curious sights.
A Farigaraf opened its eyes whilst taking a nap, looking at the two who were busy examining the place. The Farigaraf went back to nap with her little Girafarig.
As they continued, the mere sight of Area Zero overwhelmed them, seeing the pure mystery around them as Raichu wandered around with some Garganacl, Volcarona flew with Talonflame, Braviary and Frosmoth.
It was like it's own secret paradise.
They went further down until they reached grass and waterfalls, Surskit skating around the water playfully while Masquerein watched them as a Medicham and Meditite meditated on a rock.
Momotaro knelt down and tasted the water. He smiled, as it tasted pure and fresh as he and Ogerpon drank some of it before going back to exploring, where Ogerpon waved at a Camerupt that was taking a snooze.
They soon came across a rock formation that had an entrance that went deeper into Area Zero. The duo made their way in, finding Tera Crystals deep within the cave. Their eyes sparkled in wonder as they walked down the path. Glimmet and Glimmora curiously looked at them, including a Dudunsparce and some curious Deino. They went further along until they reached the bottom, finding nothing but Tera Crystals all around them.
"What are these…?" Momotaro wondered.
"Poooon…" Ogerpon whispered before she walked forward and noticed a large hole in the center. "Pona Pon…?"
Momotaro looked inside of it. "Fascinating. Want to go inside?"
"Pon!" Ogerpon nodded, hopping on his back as they descended deeper.
BGM: Area Zero Underdepths (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk)
Once they have fully made their way down, they saw more of the Tera Crystals all around them. Pure Tera Crystals.
"Wow…"
"Ponaaa…"
The duo walked together, looking around and walking further into the cave with curious Carbink looking at them. A Garchomp glared at them but with a curious raised eyebrow, wondering why a human and a small creature decided to explore the depths.
They jumped over some pilllars standing over a dark abyss before going deeper, walking down a spiraling path as they ran into some purified water at the bottom before continuing on, where the walls turned into pure Terastal crystals.
They reached the final room where their bodies reflected off of the Tera Crystals. At the far end of the room featured a small ancient rock. The two of them curiously looked at it as Momotaro gently scooped it up.
Suddenly, the rock glowed as they looked on in awe, seeing a Pokemon form in front of their eyes.
"Terapah…?"
"Well, hello there little one. What is your name?" Momotaro asked.
The little Pokemon smiled. "Pago Pago!"
"Terapagos? That's a cute name for such a little thing." He said, gently headpatting it as he let it down as Terapagos and Ogerpon looked at each other, both of them circling around each other in curiosity.
"Pon Pon~! Poni Pon Pona!"
"Tera Tera!"
Momotaro chuckled, watching the two Pokemon play together without a care in the world. He sat down and watched them play, smiling as they did so.
Eventually, Terapagos made his way toward Momotaro, jumping into his lap and nuzzling against him. Momotaro patted his head as the Terapagos smiled and then had an idea, quickly running off and coming back with a chunk of Tera Crystal in his mouth, plopping it in his hands.
"You're giving this to me?"
"Tera!"
Momotaro smiled. "We came here when we heard about this phenomenon… and it seems that you're the reason for this." He said as the Terapagos nodded.
"Pagah Pogo Pogos."
"You want me to take this to a location around the world where the Tera Phenomenon will spread into different regions?"
Terapagos nodded again.
Momotaro smiled. "I'll see what I can do, little one." He said, stroking his neck as Terapagos leaned into it. "We must leave now… but I promise you, little one… we will come back and play again some day."
Terapagos' eyes sparkled, nuzzling against him and nuzzled against Ogerpon before making his way back to his resting place. The two waved goodbye as they walked out as Terapagos waved back before curling up to sleep once more.
Several Carbink awaited them as they slowly picked them up and carried them out of the depths.
However, as they were being carried, the whole cave shook.
"What the…?" Momotaro wondered.
End BGM
Back at the castle…
"What in the name of…?" The king wondered before his eyes widened. "I must protect my treasure!" He exclaimed as he ran into his treasure room, but as he did… he was caught off guard by what was standing in the room before him.
"Scriiiiibe!"
"Cut! Cuuuutttt!"
"Pouuurrrr!"
"Splaaashhhyyyy!"
Four Pokemon stood/floated before him.
Wo-Chien, Chien-Pao, Ting-Lu and Chi-Yu, to be exact.
"What… are you…?! What did you do to my treasures?!" He demanded as Chi-Yu had accidentally melted all the treasures.
"Pour…" Ting-Lu said, bowing his head before the king… but by doing so, a massive fissure opened up.
"Ack! Rrrgh…!" The king grunted, grabbing onto a ledge.
"Cut!" Chien-Pao jumped over and tried to reach its paw toward the king, but his hand immediately turned frost bitten along with his whole arm, rendering it useless before the king plummeted into the fissure.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGHHHHH!"
The castle rumbled as the fissure destroyed the very foundation of the castle. Debris started to fall as the four Pokemon started to make a run for it, making their way out of the castle as it crumbled behind them.
The four Pokemon turned toward each other before wandering away from the castle ruins, the trees and foliage wilting and dying near Wo-Chien's body while Chi-Yu's mere fiery presence was enough to melt the ground underneath it.
The locals spotted the four as their eyes widening, screaming in terror as they ran away as buildings burnt up.
Nearby, Momotaro and Ogerpon climbed out of Area Zero with the help of Carbink as they heard the sound of screaming. They turned toward each other before they ran toward the source, where they found the four Ruinous Pokemon.
"Whoa…" Momotaro said as he and Ogerpon cautiously approached the Pokemon.
"Cut?" Chien-Pao spotted them and jumped over to them, curiously looking at Ogerpon.
"Pona." Ogerpon softly smiled at it as Momotaro knelt down and petted Chien-Pao's head, and unlike the king getting frostbite, Chien-Pao only felt like walking into a freezer. Cold, but manageable.
The other Pokemon approached Momotaro as Ogerpon petted the Chien-Pao before doing the same with the other three. Just by being near the duo made the four feel more comfortable. In fact, just by touching Chi-Yu felt like touching a friendly Flareon.
"It seems like you four are causing damage unknowingly. Perhaps we ought to make sure you four can get a grip on your power so you don't cause everlasting damage."
The four smiled… before suddenly, a dark magic ring wrapped around the four.
"Scribe/Cut/Pour/Splash?!"
"What?!" Momotaro wondered as he spotted a lady with purple hair with dark clothing as she had a book in her hand. "Who are you?!"
"I go by many names in Kalos, but you may call me the Hex Witch… and these four are a danger to the Pokemon World!" She declared as she chanted some words as the four Pokemon were split up and separated within the four corners of Paldea.
"What did you do?!"
"Saved Paldea." She said as she put her book close to her mouth. "Whomsoever has a pure heart may awaken the four beasts of Paldea. May their pure hearts purify the beasts before the beasts corrupts their heart."
She opened the book as stakes shot out of the book and flew off all over Paldea.
"They were innocent creatures! They did not know what they were doing!" Momotaro protested.
"Pona Pon!" Ogerpon agreed angrily.
"Hmph. I saw them for who they really were. Monsters." She closed her book. "You may have a good heart, but it is not pure." She said as she turned around. "Those Pokemon destroyed the Paldean Castle. They are not innocent. Consider yourselves lucky that I was kind enough to spare your lives. I could have watched them devour you both before I made my move."
She walked off.
Momotaro let out an annoyed growl, then noticed Ogerpon pulling out her Ivy Cudgel, slowly approaching the Hex Witch.
"There's nothing we can do, Ogerpon."
"Pona…" Ogerpon pouted.
"I know. I want to rescue them too but I do not know if we have it in us." He said as he turned toward Casseroya Lake. "Come, let us go to a different land."
"Pon."
A few days later…
BGM: Kitakami Region (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Teal Mask)
Momotaro and Ogerpon walked through the grounds of Kitakami after making landfall. "This is a good stopping point…" He said.
"Pono!"
They both walked into Mossui Village where a few people walked by and saw them.
"Greetings." He greeted.
"EEEEEEEEK!" A woman shrieked. "They're hideous!"
"Ugly monsters!" An old man exclaimed.
"Coooool!" A few kids said in awe.
"Hey mister, you look cool!" Another kid said.
"Aw, that creature is so cute!" A little girl smiled.
"Look away, children!" An overprotective mother said. "Those beasts will devour you if you get any closer! They are both hideous ogres!"
Momotaro raised an eyebrow. "Overreactive, much?"
"Overreactive? How dare you! Get out of our town, you hideous creatures!" She said, picking up a rock and throwing it at Ogerpon.
"Pona?!"
Momotaro immediately shielded Ogerpon, the rocks bouncing off of his chest. "Climb on my back." He said as Ogerpon nodded, hopping on his back.
"Go away, monsters!" The woman yelled as the other residents (minus the kids) threw more rocks at them.
"I see who the real monsters are within your hearts." He said as he walked off, moving at every turn so Ogerpon wouldn't get hurt until they both disappeared into the mountains. The adults cheered while the kids were left confused.
"They were outsiders, children. We throw rocks at those who do not belong here."
"Ooooh! Okay!"
Nearby, a mask maker witnessed the whole thing.
"Ugly, are they…? Why, they don't look half bad." He mused as he glared harshly at the locals.
At Oni Mountain, Momotaro made way into a small cave. "I suppose this is our home now for the time being."
"Poni…?"
"I'm afraid so, but…" He smiled. "We have each other."
"Pon!" Ogerpon smiled and hugged Momotaro.
A few days later…
Momotaro and Ogerpon made their way to the top of Oni Mountain, finding the Crystal Pools before them. They approached it in curiosity and knelt down. An idea came to Momotaro as he pulled out the Tera Crystal that Terapagos gave him.
With a smile, he dove into the pool and put the crystal into the pool amongst the curious Arrokuda.
Momotaro climbed out of the water and smiled. "There you go, Terapagos. Soon Kitakami will Terastalize just like the Great Crater."
"Gone for a swim, have you?" A voice asked as they turned to see an old man approaching them.
"Ah, come to throw rocks at us too?"
"No no, I'm not like them. I've seen you wander around Kitakami the past few days. Have you been to Kitakami Hall?"
"We have, but… we're not welcome there either."
"You have to forgive them. The people of Kitakami are traditionalist at best… though I've never seen such xenophobic behavior like that. I take it you are not from here?"
"We are not. We are from a faraway land… and we just came from Paldea."
"Are those crystals from Paldea? My my, it seems fascinating." He mused.
"A Pokemon asked us to spread its Tera Crystals all over the world. So far, we've only done KItakami. We probably should leave soon… as we are not welcome."
"Now now, I know of a way where you two can fit in just fine."
"Hmm?"
The Mask Maker smiled. "Indeed. You two stay put, I'll be back before you know it… by the way, what are your names?"
"Momotaro… and this is my partner, Ogerpon."
"Pon Pon!"
"A pleasure to meet you both." He smiled warmly as he walked off.
"Wonder what he has in mind…"
"Pona Pon…"
A day later, in the cave…
"Excuse me!" The Mask Maker called out to them as Momotaro and Ogerpon walked out, seeing the man walk out.
"Ah, can we help you, sir?" He asked.
"I have some masks for you. I would have come by earlier yesterday, but I got a bit carried away." He said, pulling out four masks. "The Teal Mask, the Wellspring Mask, the Hearthflame Mask and the Cornerstone Mask."
"Fascinating!" Momotaro said, wearing the Teal Mask.
"Pona Pon!" Ogerpon donned the Cornerstone Mask, where suddenly, her body started turning gray and black in color.
"Intriguing… I don't recall putting any properties in the mask." He mused before smiling. "Well, whatever. You two do look fine!"
"I'd hate to cover my face to the public…" Momotaro said.
"I am not a fan of it as well, but given how the people have treated you… this is a hail mary at best. Let us take a walk to the village."
"If you insist."
"Pon!"
"Just one question, sir… do you think we are ugly?"
"Now why would you think such a thing? I see a fine gentleman and an adorable Pokemon before me! …Though, admittedly, given how the locals have treated you, I do not blame you for thinking that way."
"Apologies…"
"It's alright." He said as they walked off. "By the way, how did the locals in Paldea treat you?"
"With respect."
"Hmmm… and here in Kitakami, the people treated you harshly. Hmph. Traditions are nothing but negative junk."
Once they got into Mossui Village, the locals all noticed Momotaro and Ogerpon, the two obviously feeling nervous.
"Wooooow! Those are cool masks!" A lady smiled.
"Yeah, they look wonderful!"
"So cool!" A kid exclaimed.
"I want to play with the kid!" Another kid said.
"Pona Poni?" Ogerpon wondered in surprise.
"Incredible…" Momotaro chuckled.
Infuriatingly incredible… The mask maker thought with a small growl, but smiled when the people interacted with them well into the night during the Mask Festival.
…However, a few malicious eyes had spotted the mask wearers. They seemed rather intrigued by the masks.
"Grrifi?" Okidogi turned toward a floating peach.
"Cha Cha… Pecha."
"Mmkay!" Munkidori nodded as they all maliciously giggled, their eyes purple.
End BGM
Later…
"Pona Pon Poni!"
"Okay, you go get a drink of water." Momotaro said as Ogerpon skipped off happily while Momotaro put the masks up.
"Maybe living here isn't so bad." He said.
"Pecha Pec!"
Momotaro turned around, seeing the Pokemon standing before him.
"Grrific!"
"Mmkaaaaay!"
"Yip-ip!"
"Who are you?" Momotaro demanded as Pecharunt opened up its armor.
"Cha Cha PECHAAAA!"
Meanwhile…
"Poni Pona Pon~" Ogerpon hummed, taking a few sips of water. "Aaaaah, Pon!" Ogerpon smiled as she grabbed a leaf and scooped some water up to act as a dish, then carefully made her way down the mountain to deliver it to her friend.
He's gonna be so happy to have some water delivered!
"...Poni?" Ogerpon wondered, seeing the Loyal Three and Pecharunt wander off with masks in their hands, but as it was dark, she didn't know what they were holding. "Pona Pon…" Ogerpon shrugged and walked over to the den.
"Pona Pooooniiii! Ponnnnn!"
No answer.
"Pona Pon? Pon Poni Pon."
No answer still.
Ogerpon giggled. He probably fell asleep. Nothing like a midnight drink to keep him from being parched in the morning.
Once Ogerpon reached the cave…
"PONA?!"
Ogerpon dropped the leaf in shock, splashing water all around her as she saw her friend sprawled out with blood pouring out of his skin.
"Ponya! Ponya!" Ogerpon ran over to her friend. "Pona… Ponyi Poni Pon…" She desperately shook him. "Pona Pon! Poni! PONI! POOOOOONIIIIII!" She cried out but to no available. Tears swelled within Ogerpon's eyes as she softly sobbed over his body.
She looked over, seeing the Teal Mask held in his hand. She flashbacked to the Loyal Three holding the items… but they weren't ordinary items. They were their masks.
"Ponya Pon… Pon…" Ogerpon growled in rage, wiping her tears as she grabbed her cudgel and donned the masks. "POOOOOOOONYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
With the Loyal Three…
"Grrr Grrr if If!" Okidogi cackled, bragging about what had transpired as the masks were lay before Pecharunt.
"Cha Cha…" Pecharunt's eyes sparkled.
Maybe now he will be liked even further!
"PONYOOOO!"
The Loyal Three and Pecharunt turned their heads to see Ogerpon rushing toward them.
BGM: Battle! Ogerpon (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Teal Mask)
"Pecha cha?!" Pecharunt yelped in horror. "Cha Cha Pecha!" Pecharunt ordered, shooting mochi out as the three chomped down, squaring up against the angry Ogre.
"Mmkay Kay!" Munkidori challenged.
"Ponyo… Poni Ponya Ponyo… Ponya… Ponyo…"
Ogerpon suddenly started to crystallize.
"POOOONYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Ogerpon screamed, Terastalizing before them as the mask grew gigantic.
"Grriiff?!"
"Muh… Mukay…?"
"Yip-Py…"
Pecharunt started to sweat nervously as Ogerpon charged forward, swinging her Icy Cudgel with sheer ferocity.
Fezandipiti unleashed its pheromones while Munkidori used his psychic powers to try to get a good read on Ogerpon. "Mmm Kay Kay!"
"Grrrifff!" Okidogi swung his chain to wrap around the cudgel, but Ogerpon angrily pulled him toward her. "IIIIFIIIIC?!"
Ogerpon mercilessly beat Okidogi as she made her way toward Munkidori and Fezandipiti, both of them trying to fight back but were mercilessly taken out.
"P-P-Pecha… cha…!" Pecharunt whimpered as Ogerpon leapt into the air and slammed her Ivy Cudgel into Pecharunt with enough power to send Pecharunt flying. "Cha cha…!" Pecharunt cried, using the last of its strength to close his shell before rolling downhill.
End BGM
"Pona… hah… hah… Ponya…"
"EEEEEK! THE MONSTER KILLED THEM!" An onlooker shrieked.
"Quick! Get a rock! Hurry!"
"Pona!" Ogerpon tried to reach for her other masks, but got pelted by rocks. "Poni…!" Ogerpon whimpered, her Terastalization disappearing as she was forced to disappear into the forest.
"Yeah, good riddance!" A man said as they picked up the masks and carried the Loyal Three away to bury them and build a shrine dedicated to them.
Ibuki: *tearing up* Poor Ogerpon...
Deadpool: Man, that's a downer...
Credit to Jacob for the idea to name the man "Momotaro".