Disclaimer: I do not own any of the material appearing in this story. The OC's belong to their respective owners.
BGM: Kitakami Region (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Teal Mask)
Click!
Click!
Click!
Click!
"Man, this is some really great scenery!" Perrin said, eagerly snapping photos of some Noibat flying around, Magikarp jumping out of the water near a waterfall, a Salazzle being surrounded by her Salandit gang, just to name a few of the things she took a picture of.
"No kidding. It's so picturesque." Mahiru said.
"It's this way!" Kieran said as he walked up the slope as they followed him, where Mahiru and Perrin wasted no time on snapping photos together.
Those two are like two peas in a pod. Hiyoko thought with a giggle as they continued walking past some Bonsly and Geodude, though they noticed one Geodude was a bit sparkly compared to the rest.
"What in the world…?" Perrin wondered. "Is that supposed to be a shiny Geodude?"
"I don't think it is. Weird… I've never seen this Geodude before." Kieran said as they got closer to it.
"Geo…? GeoDUUUUUUUDE!" It cried as it suddenly Terastalized into a Fighting Tera type.
"What the…?!" Kieran exclaimed. "I wasn't aware Pokemon could Terastalize here!"
"So that's what Terastailization looks like…" Perrin snapped a picture before they all went around the beefed up Geodude and then took off.
"Geodude! Dude Dude Dude!" The Geodude huffed before it was poked on the back. "Geo?" The Geodude turned around… only for a club to come down and smacked the Geodude, knocking it out of its Terastalization.
"Okay, so THAT was a thing!" Jaune said.
"Tell me about it. Talk about territorial." Nora agreed as they walked through a narrow path before they reached the ogre's den.
"Here it is, the ogre's den." Kieran said. "It's said that the ogre lives here, but I've been in the den plenty of times and I haven't seen the ogre at all. Hmmm…"
"Maybe you're scaring it away?" Ren asked.
"Or it's just so incredibly shy…" Kieran said. "Hmm, I wonder… ah! Perhaps we can draw it out by battle." He turned to Ren with a smile. "Ren, battle me again!"
"Whoa, you sure about that?" Nora asked. "You sure you don't want to fight someone else or-"
"No, it's okay." Ren said.
"Yeah, it's totally okay. I'm a lot more confident than last time. Besides, I'm considering Ren to be a friendly rival." Kieran joked with a chuckle. "Uh… if that's okay."
Ren chuckled. "I wouldn't mind."
Kieran dug into his bag, pulling out another Pokeball. "I was only confident enough with two… but I think I can do it with three this time. …Oh, wait, that reminds me!" He pulled out a few Full Restores and some Revives, tossing one to Ren. "Here, I don't think you healed up your Spidops."
"Thanks." Ren nodded as he used a Revive and used a Full Restore on his Pokemon.
"So where did this whole "drawing the ogre out by battle" come from anyway?" Erza asked.
"Well, you see, Blueberry Academy is known for having students participate in a lot of Pokemon battles. They believe it's to help people grow as trainers and make new friends. A lot of wild Pokemon are drawn out and watch us fight, so… why not?"
"Oh neat. Where is it?"
"It's in the Unova region, completely submerged underwater. It's an underwater terrarium!"
"An underwater terrarium? …That's a new one." Hiyoko said.
"It may sound weird but it's not so bad. We got tons of Pokemon from all around… heck, we even got Alolan variants there, and some Galarian Slowpoke too. In fact, Blueberry has found resources to revive extinct Hisuian variants."
"Wait, really?" Nora asked in surprise.
"Yeah! So far it's just only Kleavor and Overqwil, but it's slowly coming around."
"I have two Hisuian Growlithe." Perrin said. "Not sure how they're still around but, hey, they're a lot cuter than their Kantonian counterparts."
"Grow!"
"Come to think of it, I think I've heard there's some White Striped Basculin in the Timeless Woods nearby… but I never could find them. Oh… what I wouldn't give to see a Basculegion up close." Kieran said. "Agh! Focus on the ogre, Kieran…"
"Doesn't Jade have a White Striped Basculin?" Pyrrha whispered.
"She does." Jaune whispered back. "I don't think it's evolved yet."
"That's what I thought."
"I think I've seen a Hisuian Sneasel, but I couldn't get a closer look…" Perrin said.
Ren gripped his Pokeball. "You ready. Kieran?"
"I'm ready!" Kieran nodded. "You don't have to go easy on me this time, Ren. This time I'm coming for ya! …Wait, that sounded too cocky. Can I try again?"
Ren laughed. "I know what you meant."
"Phew…"
End BGM
BGM: Battle! Kieran (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Teal Mask)
"Go Rami/Furret!"
Ogre Seeker - Kieran
"Quick Attack!"
"Use Snipe Shot!"
Furret lunged forward, immediately striking the Intelleon head on. "Intel…!" Rami grunted before he fired the Snipe Shot point blank, knocking the Furret back.
"Furret, you okay?"
"Furrrrr!" Furret responded, shaking it off with a smile.
"Use Double Edge!"
Furret got on all fours and started running with a sharp aura around him. "Dodge it!" Ren ordered as Rami avoided the attack, only for the Furret to turn around and struck the Inteleon.
"Intel…!"
"Furr!" Furret said while wincing.
"Use Dig!"
"Fur Fur Furrrrr!" Furret dug underground.
"Sorry about this… Rami, use Hydro Pump in the hole!"
"Wait, huh?!" Kieran said in surprise as Rami used Hydro Pump inside the hole, where a few seconds later, the ground cracked a foot away as a geyser shot out with the Furret on top.
"Furrrrr!" Furret cried as the geyser dissipated as the Furret fell flat, KO'd.
"I… gotta admit, that was pretty smart." Kieran said.
He recalled the Furret. "Go Yanma!"
"Yan Yan!"
"Use Air Cutter!"
"Dodge it and use Acrobatics!"
"Yaaaan!" Yanma unleashed Air Cutter, only for Rami to jump over and heel kicked the Yanma in the head. "Maaa…!"
"Gotcha! Use Giga Drain!"
"Yan Yaaaaaaaan!"
"Intel…!" Rami grunted as he felt his energy being taken away as his Yanma was fully replenished.
"Now finish it with Bug Buzz!"
Suddenly, rocks popped out of the ground and surrounded Yanma. "Ma ma!" Yanma unleashed Ancient Power instead.
"Wait, that's not Bug Buzz!" Kieran exclaimed as Rami managed to avoid the attack, and as he did, Yanma started to glow. "...Oh!" Kieran said in surprise.
"I had a feeling that would happen the moment it used Ancient Power!" Hiyoko said.
"MEGAAAAA!" His Yanmega cried.
"...Neat!" Kieran smiled with a sparkle in his eye. "Alright, Quick Attack!"
"Hit it with a Hydro Pump!"
"Yaaaaan!" Yanmega launched itself as Rami used Hydro Pump, only for the former to push through the massive torrent of water and slammed into Rami.
"Leo…!" Rami grunted.
"Giga Drain!"
"Acrobatics!"
Rami glared as he swung his foot up, smacking Yanmega underneath it's head as it was knocked up, disrupting the Giga Drain as he then flipped over and heel kicked the Yanmega to the ground, then he jumped back.
"Giga Drain one more time!"
"Snipe Shot!"
Rami instinctively jumped back and then pointed his finger at the Yanmega as it flew over toward him.
"Dodge it!" Kieran ordered as the Yanmega dodged it right as the Intelleon fired… but no water came out.
"Yan…?" Yanmega wondered.
"Why did no water come ou-" Kieran's eyes widened. "It faked you out! Yanmega, watch out!"
But it was too late, Rami pulled up his other hand with his fingers glowing and then unleashed Snipe Shot, striking the Yanmega with pin point accuracy and knocking the Yanmega down.
"Yaaaaan…"
Something twinged within Kieran… something that he hadn't felt before.
Was this… anger? Or was it frustration?
Kieran shook that feeling out. He kept smiling regardless of the outcome.
"Well played…" Kieran said as he recalled his Yanmega. "But now… it's time to get serious!" He called out his last Pokemon.
"Poliwhirl!"
Ren looked over at his weakened Inteleon as he recalled him, then called out his Spidops.
"Now for something my good friend Drayton taught me… use Belly Drum!"
"Poliiiii!" Poliwhirl drummed his belly as a red aura surrounded him for a few seconds.
"Take Down!"
"Silk Trap!"
"Spidoooo!" Weber cried as he made a web and then jumped away right as Poliwhirl ran through the webbing, getting himself sticky.
"Whirl…!"
"Quick, use Haze!" Kieran said before realizing something. "Wait, no, that will get rid of your buffed up attack. Don't do it! Just use Liquidation instead!"
"Circle Throw!"
Weber ran over and grabbed the Poliwhirl by the arm and then threw him in a circle before slamming him into the ground. Poliwhirl got back up and unleashed Liquidation, but Spidops moved out of the way by Ren's order, and then scurried over to him and used Skitter Smack to finish it off.
End BGM
"Nnngh… aw man…" Kieran pouted, recalling the Poliwhirl as he sighed in defeat.
"Hey. You did pretty well!" Ren reassured him.
Kieran smiled. "Thanks."
He then looked around. "Aaaand… no sign of the ogre…" He said before slumping. "Well… can't blame me for trying…"
"Maybe it's taking a nap and is just a heavy sleeper?" Nora wondered as she walked into the den. "Helloooooo! Mr. Ogreeee~! …Nope, not in here!"
"I had a feeling." Kieran said as they walked into the den… unaware of someone watching from behind the rock.
"Hmm?" Mahiru turned her head right as the ogre hid. "Hmm…" She shrugged. Must've been a shy Pokemon. She thought as she walked in to join them.
"Goodness, it's dark in here." Perrin said. "And… cramped. I don't envy the ogre."
"Neither do I." Hiyoko walked to a few rocks. "Is this supposed to be the bed? I think it needs something softer."
"Right? It must be so miserable…" Kieran said. "Poor ogre… we have plenty of room in our house. I would've totally let it stay."
"Ooooh, we can have a slumber party!" Jinx smiled.
Kieran sweatdropped, chuckling nervously. "Ahehehe… well… the problem is, we don't have that much room for a slumber party."
"Eh, your loss!" Jinx chuckled.
"Although, if the ogre actually did decide to show up… the whole town would freak." Kieran said as he walked outside, noticing that it was getting dark out. "Oh shoot, is it getting dark out already? I guess we'll have to do that sign tomorrow then."
"Seems like it." Ren nodded.
"Oh, by the way, tonight's the first day of the Festival of Masks over at Kitakami Hall. It's this big event where everyone puts on masks and runs around celebratin'... I mean, it's not like you've gotta go or anything, but if you've wanted to… ya know… check it out…"
Jaune smiled. "That's actually one of the bigger reasons why we're here. This festival might just be the thing to cheer Pyrrha up."
Kieran's eyes sparkled. "Oh really? That's awesome! It'd be a lot of fun! There's just a few things we'd have to get ready first, so we should swing by my house before we head for the festival. We live in the northwest corner of the village. It's… um… maybe I can draw you a map…"
"Oh, I know where it is. I've seen you and Carmine go there all the time when I was busy taking pictures of Kitakami." Perrin said.
"Really? Wow, nothing really escapes you!" Kieran said.
"Hahaha, yeah…" Perrin smiled before looking away. "Except for one…" She mumbled quietly.
"Hmm?" Mahiru tilted her head, having caught Perrin's change of tone.
Perrin then put up a smile. "Come on, let's head on over to Kieran's place."
Once at Kieran's home…
BGM: Mossui Town (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Teal Mask)
"Grandpa! I'm home!" Kieran greeted as they walked through the gate.
"Ah, Kieran. Nice to see you ho-... oh my!" His grandfather saw the group. "I wasn't expecting a large group with you, especially with one intimidating beast."
"Oh, these are my friends. They're not from the exchange program from Paldea… they're, from what Briar said, substitute students."
"Oh really? First time I've heard of that." He mused.
"They're Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, Ren, Jinx, Erza, Hiyoko, Mahiru and Perrin. Oh, and this is Mahiru's monster, Basalt."
"Pleasure to meet you all. I'm Kieran's grandfather."
"Nice to meet you, sir." Jaune said.
"Sir!" The grandfather chuckled. "Please, call me Yukito."
"My my, this is a wonderful surprise." A voice said as they saw an old woman approaching them.
"Ah, Hideko. I was just talking to Kieran's friends."
"Oh, that's nice!" Hideko smiled and turned to Basalt. "My my, that's a handsome beast…" She said, which was enough to make Basalt blush a bit.
"Huh, I never took you to be the bashful type." Mahiru snickered.
"I had just invited them to the Festival of Masks." Kieran said. "Do we have enough jinbei?"
"I know I've made some spares, but that depends if they would want one." Hideko said.
"Hmm…" Jinx looked at herself. "Nah, I'm good."
"I'm already a kimono, so I'm fine as is." Hiyoko said. "In fact, I've got a spare one for my big sis if she wants."
"Why am I not surprised?" Mahiru giggled.
"I'm good." Perrin said.
"I got something in mind." Erza said.
"I'll take one!" Jaune said.
Pyrrha nodded. "Same here."
"I will as well." Ren said.
"Count me in~!" Nora smiled.
"Very well." Hideko nodded and walked in with Kieran.
"Now, what exactly do you have in mi-"
"REQUIP!" Erza yelled, immediately transforming into a scarlet red-like kimono… which, considering it's Erza, it was slightly open to reveal her chest. Her hair was also in a ponytail.
Yukito blinked. "I'll just pretend that was a naturally occurring thing."
You have no idea… Everyone else thought, minus Perrin who looked like she was seeing things.
"Hey JNPR! Come in for a sec!" Kieran requested as JNPR walked in.
"How did…?" Perrin wondered. "...Ya know what, not gonna dwell on it."
A few moments later, JNPR came out wearing their own jinbei, with Jaune wearing white, Pyrrha wearing red (Yet more modest than Erza), green for Ren and pink for Nora.
"I feel absolutely free in this!" Nora said.
"Try a Kimono next time, you'll feel more free." Hiyoko giggled with a wink.
"Hey Gran?" A voice called out as Carmine walked out. "I can't find my mask, have you seen-... what the hell are you guys doing here?!" She asked in surprise.
"They said they'd go with me to the Festival of Masks…" Kieran said.
"Oh really, is that so? Even the cheap photographer over there?"
Perrin glared. "They let wild animals go to the festival?"
"Who are you calling a wild animal?!" Carmine growled before turning away. "Never mind that! Gran, I can't find my mask for the festival. Do you know where it's at?"
"Oh, the masks? They should be in the shed. I put them there after last year's festival."
"It shouldn't be locked, so you all can go and see if you can't find a mask in there. If you so wish, of course." Yukito said.
Carmine smirked as she immediately started running. "First one there wins!"
"H-hey! Cheater…!" Kieran called out as he ran after her.
"Sooooo…" Nora leaned next to Yukito. "Why's Carmine the way she is?"
"Hmm…" Yukito rubbed his chin. "Believe it or not, deep down, she is a sweetheart once you get to know her. That said, I'm not sure how this cold attitude came to be…"
"'Sweetheart", riiiight…" Perrin rolled her eyes as they walked off toward the shed.
Once at the shed…
"Rrrgh, come on… I could've sworn there were more masks in here!" Carmine growled, rummaging through the shed. "Eevee, Pikachu… I could've sworn we had more than these!"
"You sure you haven't misplaced them?" Kieran asked.
"Aaaagh, don't be ridiculous, Kiki! I could've sworn-... ugh, I swear there was a Sylveon mask lying around here…"
"How about a Leavanny?"
"Nope, I swear that was here… okay, maybe-... AGH! Where the hell are the Entei, Raikou and Suicune masks?! Ho-oh? Lugia? How about Reshiram or Zek-... okay, I SWEAR they were here before!"
"How about that one weird mask we got last year… I think that mask guy said… uh… Terapathos or something…"
"Terapagos? Such a Pokemon doesn't exist. That mask dude ran out of ideas and made it up…"
Kieran pouted. "Right."
"...Okay, I swear to Arceus, if Gramps mistook some of the masks as firewood, so help me…!"
"Need some help?" Ren asked.
"Ack!" Carmine yelped as she turned around. "No! No! No need to help! There were only two masks available here anyway~!" She lied, closing the shed doors. "Sorry~! First come first served!"
"I mean, that's fine… they have masks at the festival, right?" Pyrrha asked.
"Oh! Yes! Yes! They do! You can go ahead and get one! They're dirt cheap like… ten Pokedollars a piece! Hahahaha! Hey, how about one of us has a battle to get our mind off of this mask thing! Nora, you look capable of battling!" She said, pushing Nora away.
"Whoa whoa, easy on the sandals! I just put these on!" Nora exclaimed while everyone else sweatdropped.
"Is she a bit jumpy all of a sudden?" Hiyoko asked.
"I… think so." Ren said.
"Hmmm…" Kieran turned his head toward the shed and opened it up.
End BGM
"There you go, you can be waaaaay over here and I can be over here!" Carmine smiled nervously as she got into position.
"What's with you? You were cold one minute and now you look like a nervous wreck the next!" Nora pointed out.
"Oh, you're just being silly… me? Nervous? Hahaha! Never!" She smiled a bit weirdly, causing Nora to sweatdrop.
"Ooookay…" She shrugged as she pulled out a Pokeball. "Well, I'd be happy to battle you anyway."
"Good!" Carmine smiled before bringing out her Pokeball. "Time to bring out a Pokemon that I brought with me from Blueberry."
BGM: Battle! Carmine (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Teal Mask)
The Mask Nut - Carmine
Carmine threw the Pokeball into the air, where it opened up and released Toucannon. "Toucaaaan!"
"Oh neat!" Nora smiled. "Sparky, you're up!" She called out, throwing her Pokeball in the air.
"Amphaaaaaa!"
Carmine grimaced. "Oh boy…"
She then smirked. "We'll see how that Ampharos does!" She said. "Dual WIngbeat!"
"Cannooooon!" Toucannon flew up into the air, the wings starting to glow as it flew toward Ampharos.
"Hold… okay now! Power Gem!"
"Phaaa!" Ampharos cried, summoning gems and threw them at Toucannon, which tried to fly around them, but one gem hit it in the wing.
"Tou…!" Toucannon grunted before using Dual Wingbeat on the Ampharos.
"Ampha…!" Ampharos took it like a champ as the Toucannon flew back.
"Alright, now use Beak Blast!"
Toucannon's beak glowed red hot with intensity… but suddenly, electricity wrapped around the Toucannon. "What?!" Carmine exclaimed in surprise.
"Got a little too close there, did ya?" Nora smiled. "Thunder!"
"AAAAMPHAAAAAAAAAAA!" Ampharos cried, unleashing Thunder on the Toucannon, which was enough to KO the Pokemon.
"Augh…" Carmine sighed as she recalled the Pokemon. "Alright… Morpeko, let's go!" She tossed Morpeko out.
"Mohpeh!"
Nora recalled her Ampharos. "Let's go, Gigabyte!" She called out.
"Galvaaan!" Galvantula cried.
"Use Sticky Web!" Nora ordered as Galvantula spat out a sticky web that wrapped around the entirety of Carmine's side.
"Ha! Nice try… Aura Wheel!"
"Mohpeh peh peh peh!" Morpeko conjured up an Aura Wheel and launched toward Gigabyte.
"Use Screech!"
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLL!"
"Moooh!" Morpeko winced before slamming into the Galvantula. She then jumped back and immediately went into its Hangry mode.
"Lash Out!"
"Slash!"
"Galva/MOOOH!" Both of them swung at each other, both hitting each other at the same as they were knocked back as Morpeko winced as did the Galvantula, but then Morpeko ate a berry and went back to her happier state.
"Seed Bomb!"
"Discharge!"
Morpeko brought out a few seeds, lit them up and threw them at Gigabyte, but he used Discharge on the Seeds, eradicating them and striking Morpeko as well. "Mohpeeeh…!" Morpeko shook it off before going back to Hangry Mode.
"Lash Out/Slash!" Both called out as they jumped toward each other and hit each other head on, both of them landing on the ground… before both fell unconscious as both of them recalled them.
"You did pretty well." Nora smiled.
"I'm just getting warmed up!" Carmine said, calling out her Leavanny.
"Leavaaan!" Leavanny cried, but then got caught in the Sticky Web. "Leav…" She mumbled.
"Let's go, Lucy!" Nora called out her Glaceon.
"Glaaaace!"
Carmine's eye twitched. Oh, this is gonna go well…
"Leavan?"
"X-Scissor!"
Leavanny's arms glowed as she ran straight for the Glaceon.
"Blizzard!"
"Glace!" Lucy unleashed a Blizzard that blinded the Leavanny, and to make matters worse, the Leavanny was frozen solid.
"Crap!" Carmine groaned, reaching into her bag and using an Ice Heal on the Leavanny. "Don't worry, sweetie! I got you-"
Leavanny collapsed as soon as the ice melted, swirly eyes already in effect.
"-...Covered." Carmine sighed, recalling the Leavanny.
"Atta girl!" Nora smiled, high fiving her Glaceon.
"Mightyena! Let's go!" Carmine called out her Mightyena, which let out a growl. "Use Howl!"
"Aroooooooo!" Mightyena howled.
"Melt that Glaceon with a Fire Fang!"
Mightyena charged straight for Lucy, only for Nora to command Lucy to dodge as she jumped away to avoid being chomped on. Nora then recalled her Glaceon as she turned to the side and whistled.
"Tinka!" Magnhild jumped in and readied her hammer.
"Crunch!"
"Play Rough!"
Mightyena launched toward Magnhild, using Crunch on her, but the Tinkaton used her hammer to block it and then Played Rough with it, knocking it senseless before batting it away.
"Rawr…" Mightyena grunted, barely standing.
"Alright, use Howl and then use Fire Fang!"
"Don't let it use Fire Fang! You know what to do, honey!"
"Tinka!"
"AROOOOOOO-" A shadow was cast over the Mightyena as Magnhild pulled back her hammer. "OOOOO?!"
"TINKAAAAAAAAAA!" Magnhild unleashed Gigaton Hammer on top of the Mightyena, KOing it as soon as she flattened it.
"Raaawwwr…"
"Grrrr…" Carmine growled, recalling her Mightyena. How am I down to my last Pokemon already? Augh! I should've gone for Jaune instead! Not to mention I shouldn't have left Ninetales in the house! She thought. "Go Sinistcha!"
"Sinist!"
"Alright, you take a rest, hon!"
"Tinka!" Magnhild walked back.
"Go Pancakes!"
"...Pancakes?" Carmine raised an eyebrow.
"Rai Raiiii!" Her Alolan Raichu cried.
Carmine's eyes sparkled. "You named a shiny Alolan Raichu "Pancakes"?! Oh, that's the cutest name I've ever hear-... uh, I mean… ha! Like your Alolan Raichu can take on Sinistcha!"
Nora smirked. "You think it's adorable~"
"Pffft, yeah right…!" Carmine lied. "Alright, use Stun Spore on that Raichu!"
"Dodge it! Then use Iron Tail!"
Pancakes "surfed" around the Stun Spore as her tail glowed and then smacked the Sinistcha with the Iron Tail. "Rai!"
"Light Screen!/Matcha Gotcha!"
"Raichuuuuu!" Her Raichu put up a Light Screen right as the Matcha Gotcha was sprayed, with the Light Screen absorbing most of it while some went through and struck the Raichu. "Raich…!"
"Hang in there!" Nora said.
"Shadow Ball!"
"Dodge it and use Thunder!"
Pancakes surfed to avoid the Shadow Ball. "Raaaai… CHUUUUUUUUUU!" Pancakes cried, striking the Sinistcha.
"Sini…!"
"Foul Play!"
"Double Team!"
Pancakes quickly used Double Team to confuse the Sinistcha as it used Foul Play, but it hit an illusory copy instead… and then got smacked into the ground by Pancakes' Iron Tail to finish it off.
End BGM
"Ugh…" Carmine looked away in disgust as she recalled her Sinistcha.
"Rai Rai." Pancakes flew up and smiled at Carmine. "Rai Rai~!" She smiled and handed her a pancake.
"...Oh… I can't stay mad at that…" Carmine mumbled as she was also handed a fork as she took a bite out of it. "...Oh wow!" Her eyes sparkled. "This is-... I mean… it's alright…" She blushed a bit.
"Hey sis!" Kieran approached with a container. "I found those masks that you were trying to find-"
Carmine immediately stiffened as sweat started to roll down her face.
"-Turns out they were in the front row out in the open!"
Oh thank Arceus! Carmine turned around, giving him a glare. "Right, I knew that, you dork. I was just teasin' them!"
"...Uh-huh." Hiyoko folded her arms as they approached the container as Carmine opened it up.
"Alright, uh… feel free to pick something out. I got my own." She said, pulling out a Munkidori mask and Kieran pulled out his Ogre mask.
Jaune pulled out an Aegislash mask. "Oh neat!"
Pyrrha pulled out a Ho-oh Mask. "I guess that will do…"
Nora pulled out a Zeraora mask. "Oooooh~!"
Ren pulled out a Snorlax mask. "Well… I guess that will work."
"Oooh, is that a Sensu Style Oricorio Mask? I'll take it~!" Hiyoko smiled, happily picking it up.
"Any other takers?" Carmine asked as no one budged. "Okay then." How did we get so many masks…? She wondered.
"I believe we're all set. Now let's head off!" Kieran smiled.
Once at Kitakami Hall…
BGM: Kitakami Hall (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Teal Mask)
From the mountain, a certain ogre approached the festival with a mask on its face. "Pon Pon~!"
With the others, they walked up to see the Mask Festival in full effect. "Here we are, the first night of the Mask Festival." Kieran said. "It goes on for a while."
"By the way, you like my mask? It's one of the heroes of Kitakami!" Carmine smiled proudly, which was enough to make Kieran snicker.
"You don't know the full story like I do…" Kieran snickered.
"Hey! I know the full legend of Kitakami like I do, you damn pest! That ogre was a menace and the three are heroes!"
"Hmph…" Kieran looked away.
"Oi… sorry, he tends to be quite enamored with this ogre." Carmine mumbled.
"...Oh! Hey! Candy Apples!" Kieran said as he took off running.
"Ooooh, are they doing some traditional dancing over there? I'll show 'em how it's done!" Hiyoko took off running.
"You want to see her kick butt?" Mahiru asked.
"Sure." Perrin nodded as she walked off with Mahiru, shoving into Carmine's shoulder on the way.
"Hey, watch where you're going, you bitch!" Carmine glared as Perrin shot back another glare before she turned back. "Ugh… what is her problem…"
"Well, I think I know what her problem is." Erza said, giving Carmine a stern look. "You see, the reason why is-"
"Shortcake! Get your shortcake made by Alcreamie here! We got a few flavors! Chocolate, Oran Berry, strawberry, and razzberry!"
"-Hold that thought!" Erza took off running. 'Yes, I would like to try your finest shortcakes!"
They all sweatdropped.
"I could go for a snack myself. I wonder if they have any cotton candy." Jinx walked off.
"Oooh, that sounds delicious!" Nora walked off as the rest wandered off.
Carmine chuckled. "Well, I suppose we all can have some fun."
A few minutes later…
"Hey Ren!" Kieran waved him over. "You should check this out. It's Ogre Oustin'!"
"Ogre Oustin'?" Ren asked as he walked over, which was enough to catch Pyrrha, Jaune and Nora's attention.
"Yeah, all you have to do is basically ride a Pokemon and gather up as many berries as you can while popping balloons. You only have a few minutes though. I heard there's a special prize this year but I'm not sure what it is." Kieran explained. "Oh, and if you don't have a Ride Pokemon with you… you can always use that Stantler over there."
"Can we go as a team?" Jaune wondered.
"I think you can…"
"You can!" The lady at the front desk said. "Oh, but you're from Paldea, yes? I can't take money from a tourist! It's on the house!"
Carmine walked by. "Ogre Oustin', eh? I've just done it myself. My high score is six thousand, three hundred and ninety three. Nobody can beat my high score, even with your combined total! I'm sure you guys can knock out four thousand easily."
"Do you have any ridable Pokemon?"
"Well, we have two that can give us piggyback rides." Jaune said, as she and Pyrrha both called out their Pokemon.
"Kiiiing/Queen!"
"Hehehe, I got one that I can roll on!" Nora called out her Hisuian Electrode.
"...IS THAT A HISUIAN ELECTRODE?!" Carmine yelled in shock. This girl is something else, are you kidding me?!
Ren looked at his Pokeballs and then looked at the Stantler. "...I'll take the Stantler."
Pause BGM
Once on the field…
BGM: Ogre Oustin (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Teal Mask)
"You ready, Arthur?" Jaune asked.
"Nido!"
"Nimue, let's go." Pyrrha said.
"Nido!"
"Alright, sweetie. Let's roll~!" Nora smiled.
"Electrode!"
"Let's just take our time…" Ren said, stroking the Stantler's neck.
Once the timer began, the four of them started running/rolling down the hill as the Stantler turned his head and looked on in complete surprise that Nora had the stamina to roll on an Electrode like it was nothing.
"Stant…" Stantler blinked before turning his head back as they started popping balloons left and right as Nora grabbed a tree with her hand and swung around with the Electrode popping balloons, then they all ran back up and tossed the berries into their respective bags and went back to collect more.
The more they collected and stored in the bags, the more a few Greedent came by, lured in by the sweet smell of the berries.
"Nido?" Arthur turned his head. "King King!"
"Hmm? Uh oh! We got a few freeloaders!" Jaune exclaimed.
"I got it! Scare 'em away, big guy!" Nora jumped over and hammered her Electrode toward the bags.
"ELECTROOOOOOODE!" Her Electrode unleashed powerful static electricity that scared the heck out of the Greedent as they ran away. "Trode!" He smirked and rolled back as Nora hopped back on.
"I'll stick around the bags, you guys hurry along and-"
Riiiiiiiiiing!
"Oh! Never mind."
Two more rounds later…
End BGM
Resume Kitakami Hall BGM
"That was amazing!" Kieran cheered.
"Oh please, I doubt they did much." Carmine said.
"Congratulations! Your combined total is a grand total of: Twenty thousand and five hundred!"
"TWENTY THOUSAND?!" Carmine yelled in disbelief.
"Congratulations, you've received the grand prize!" The lady smiled, handing a Pokeball to Ren.
"Hmm?" Ren wondered as he tossed the Pokeball on the ground in front of him, which was a shiny Munchlax.
"Munch Munch? Munch!" The Munchlax hugged him.
"Oh! Heheh… I guess I got a Munchlax." Ren said, patting him on the head.
Carmine's eye twitched as she approached the counter. "Sooooo, you wouldn't happen to have any other grand prize, would you~?"
"Sorry. Try again next year."
"NE-NEXT YE-YEAR?!" Carmine yelled as she fell on her knees before an idea came to her as she grabbed Kieran by the shoulder. "You! Bro! Do me a solid and go in there and beat their combined scores!"
"Wh-huh?! There's no way I can top that!"
"Not with that attitude, you dummy! Now get in there and get oustin'!" Carmine then turned to JNPR. "Don't mind us~! Feel free to wander around while I convince him!"
The four of them walked away.
"Sooo, we're gonna confront her later when we're alone with her, right?" Nora whispered.
"I was hoping so, yes." Ren nodded.
"Good."
"Hey Jaune! Pyrrha!" A voice called out as they turned to see Mahiru. "Perrin wants to take the three of us to the Timeless Woods! You want to come? It's a lot less chaotic than this place!"
Jaune turned to Pyrrha. "Wanna go?"
"Sure…" Pyrrha nodded as they walked off.
"Ooooh, camping out in the woods at night~" Nora giggled. "Now I wonder if they have any pancakes in this festival…" She walked off.
"Alright, you ready to go?" Perrin asked as they nodded. "Alright, let's go!"
End BGM
Later…
BGM: Timeless Woods (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Teal Mask)
"Here's a good camping spot…" Perrin said as she proceeded to set up a tent with a hum.
"So… is there a reason why you wanted to come out here?" Mahiru asked.
Perrin sighed. "There's a reason why I came to Kitakami in the first place." She said as she turned around. "You see, as much as a great photographer I am… I've… been in a slump for a while. Yeah, I can make great photographs, but unfortunately… things just haven't really clicked in a while. That's when I heard there's an Ursaluna out here in Kitakami… I packed up my things from Sinnoh and came over here."
"An Ursaluna? I thought they were extinct." Pyrrha said.
"So did I, but apparently, this particular one has survived the impossible. This one is also different too… it has a special name: Bloodmoon Ursaluna."
"Bloodmoon? Oooh… freaky." Jaune said.
"Yeah, but the thing is, no matter how often I came here at night, I could never find the elusive son of a gun. I almost gave up hope… and then you guys came and I saw Mahiru's camera. I felt a new wave of hope wash over me."
Mahiru smiled. "You're welcome… I guess?"
Perrin giggled. "I also brought Jaune and Pyrrha here because, well, according to my ancestor's stories, you were there with an Ursaluna, so I thought… "Why not"?"
"Understandable." Jaune nodded.
"So, what inspired you to be a photographer?" Mahiru asked.
"Oh, it's simple. A lady in Kalos by the name of Viola makes tons of great photos, so I was inspired to become a photographer myself. Sadly, I'm nowhere near as a pro as I am like Viola, but you just roll with the punches."
Perrin then noticed Mahiru looking at her own camera thoughtfully. "Something on your mind?"
"Oh, well, my mother was a war photographer. Her photos showing the smiles of people despite the horrors of war just… lit a flame inside of me. I wanted to be just like her. Unfortunately, with her frequent travels, I was left off to fend for myself with my deadbeat father. He was never "there" to help around. If I hadn't been taking care of that deadbeat, I'd be traveling the world capturing smiles of everyone around them."
"You eventually did, right?"
"Of course. I always got praise for how my photos look, but I always wonder to myself, are they as good as my mother's? Does some dumb Ultimate title really matter? Are they really as good as people say…?"
"Good as people say…" Perrin gave her camera a slight look. "…Guess I'm not the only one."
"But it wasn't all bad. I even made a friend named Sato when I was in middle school in a photography club honing my skill. We grew close but…" She looked away in sadness. "I miss her…"
"Oh… I'm sorry." Perrin frowned before smiling. "But I bet she's smiling down somewhere in the afterlife, watching you take wonderful photos!"
Mahiru smiled. "Yeah. She's with me in my heart." She only wished that she could have done something sooner, noticed the signs, maybe then Sato and Natsumi would still be alive…
"Atta girl!" Perrin smiled, playfully slugging her shoulder.
"So, do we have any proof on this Ursaluna?" Jaune asked.
"Well, there is a photo I've found…" Perrin said, showing them the picture of the Ursaluna where they saw that it was shrouded in darkness with the only thing illuminating was its eye and a bright red circle on the forehead.
A shiver ran up Jaune's spine. "That's… really creepy!"
"I know, isn't it great?" Perrin giggled. "We got the whole woods to explore." She said before an idea popped into her head. "Oh! Perhaps if we take pictures of different Pokemon, maybe we could find the Ursaluna a lot easier. Process of elimination, ya know?"
"That works." Pyrrha nodded as she and Jaune brought out their scrolls.
"Alright." Perrin brought out a notepad and tossed a few walkie talkies to the trio. "We'll keep in touch with these. If you take a picture of a Pokemon, tell me so I won't have to worry about taking a pic of said Pokemon."
"Okay." Mahiru nodded.
"I recommend walking quietly. Let's not spook any of the Pokemon here."
Jaune nodded. "Understood."
"Alright team, let's rock and roll. We're gonna find that Ursaluna tonight!"
With a nod, the four of them separated into the woods.
Jaune snuck around the woods, hiding behind a few trees and pulled up his scroll, taking a picture of a Mimikyu interacting with a Phantump.
"Mimikyu and a Phantump." Jaune whispered in the walkie talkie.
"Copy that."
Jaune turned around, only to see a curious Dusclops in front of him.
"Clops?"
"Yagh!" Jaune yelped, falling over and falling off the cliff, landing on his back and startling the Mimikyu and Phantump. "Oooogh… Dusclops…"
"Roger that!"
With Pyrrha…
Pyrrha came across a pond, where she spotted some Johtonian Wooper swimming with some white striped Basculin, while behind her, a Grubbin was snoozing with some Charjabug, which she took pictures of.
"Wooper, Basculin, Grubbin and Charjabug." Pyrrha whispered, then noticed one Charjabug evolving into a Vikavolt, where it slowly flew away to find some food for the Grubbin. "Make that a Vikavolt too."
"Roger!"
Pyrrha heard rustling behind her as she turned her head to see Perrin's Growlithe approaching her.
"Grow!"
Pyrrha raised an eyebrow. "Perrin, your Growlithe found me."
"Oh? I wondered where he ran off too. I have two of 'em, so feel free to use the lil' guy!"
"Okay." Pyrrha nodded. "Let's go find that Ursaluna."
"Grow!"
Mahiru…
Mahiru peeked her head out of a bush, seeing a Gallade and a Lucario sparring with a Duskull and Kingambit watching them.
"Gallade, Lucario, Duskull and… a samurai Bisharp?"
"That would be a Kingambit."
"Right, thanks."
Mahiru continued to prowl around, spotting a Litwick munching on a berry. She took a picture of it, and then noticed a Toedscruel walking by.
"What the…?" Mahiru wondered as the Toedscruel turned to look at her, tipped it's head with a tentacle and continued walking. She took a picture after she snapped out of her confused daze.
"Litwick and a… Kitakamian Tentacruel."
"Kitakamian… Tentacruel?"
"Yeah, it was walking and was all brown-ish."
"I don't think I've seen one before. Man, I'm jealous!"
Mahiru chuckled, then disappeared deeper into the woods.
With Perrin…
Perrin got on one knee, writing down Kitakamian Tentacruel on her notepad and then took a few snapshots of a Hatterene sleeping alongside her Hattrem and Hatenna.
She then saw an Indeedee sleeping underneath a tree while some Aipom and Pachirisu rested above it.
Hatenna line
Indeedee
Aipom
Pachirisu
"Okay, we're getting closer and closer. I can feel it!"
She felt the ground underneath her vibrate as she heard a tree bending nearby. Her eyes widened as she turned around, hearing a massive growl.
"Oh baby, this is it!" Perrin prepared her camera as a shadow emerged in front of her. "This is it, the money shot! The moment I've been waiting for! The one, the only-"
"Laaaaax."
"...Snorlax?!"
The Snorlax emerged from the shadows, looking around for a midnight snack with it's stomach grumbling.
Perrin facepalmed. "Shinjirarenai…" (Unbelievable…)
A few minutes later…
The four regrouped. "Did you find anything?" Pyrrha asked.
"Nope." Perrin shook her head. "There was a Pokemon that I thought was the Ursaluna, but… unfortunately, it was a Snorlax."
"Ouch…" Mahiru frowned. "Well, I'm sure we'll-"
End BGM
Snap!
BGM: Encounter Ursaluna - Legends Arceus (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Teal Mask)
The four turned to see a beast approaching them. Perrin gasped, her eyes widening as the beast was none other than the Bloodmoon Ursaluna itself. "It's… it's the Ursaluna…!"
"Ursa…" Ursaluna snarled as a golden aura surrounded the beast.
"Wait… something's off about this." Jaune said. "You see that gold aura? It's reminding me of our time at Hisui."
Pyrrha's eyes widened. "The corrupted Warden Pokemon…"
"Right!" Jaune nodded. "Some of us had to throw bags at the Warden Pokemon in order for them to quell their rampage for a few moments. Though, granted, we had a friend calling out to them to snap them out of their senses… however, we don't have any of that, so this is going to be… lovely."
"Who needs bags?" Mahiru said. "I think we can quell the beast a different way." She pulled out her camera. "Perrin, get your flash ready. We'll quell this beast our way!"
Perrin smirked. "Now you're talkin'!"
"You guys get ready! We'll stun 'em for ya." Mahiru said as the couple got ready.
"URSAAAAAAAAAA!"
End BGM
BGM: Battle! Vs Hisui Wardens (Pokemon Masters EX)
Scarlet Beast - Bloodmoon Ursaluna
The Ursaluna snarled and charged at the group as they quickly got out of the way. The Ursaluna turned around with drool coming out of its mouth, but Perrin whistled to get its attention.
"Over here, big guy!" Perrin called out as the Ursaluna ran toward her. With a smirk, she snapped a photo with the flash on, causing the Ursaluna to yelp as Perrin rolled out of the way as the Ursaluna slammed into a tree, startling a few Hoothoot.
"Ursa…" Ursaluna snarled as it turned around to see Mahiru who casually waved. Ursaluna roared and charged at her, but Mahiru flashed him and then jumped out of the way as Basalt swung his tail and struck the Ursaluna, knocking it back several feet.
"Luna…" The Ursaluna fell on one knee as the golden aura disappeared.
"I'll go first!" Jaune said. "Galahad, let's go!" He called him out.
"Aegi!" His Aegislash was ready to go as Ursaluna narrowed his eyes at the Aegislash.
"While it's down…" Pyrrha scanned the Ursaluna with her scroll.
"Bloodmoon Ursaluna, the Peat Pokemon and the final evolution of Teddiursa. This Pokemon traveled across the vast seas of Hisui and made landfall in Kitakami. Ghost types have a unique fear of this Pokemon. It has survived the harsh conditions and went under a unique transformation."
"Jaune, I've got a bad feeling about using Galahad!" Pyrrha called out.
"We'll be fine!" Jaune said.
"Aegi!" His Aegislash agreed.
"Ghost types have a unique fear…?" Perrin wondered. "As far as I know, it's a Normal/Ground type so Ghosts shouldn't have a problem…"
"Sacred Sword!"
"AEEEGIIII!" Galahad swung down at the Ursaluna, who swiftly weaved its body before it's claws started to glow.
"Fury Swipes or Slash? It doesn't matter!" Jaune smirked.
"Aegi." Galahad floated still, knowing full well that it wouldn't work…
…Until it used Slash and actually hurt the Pokemon.
"SLAAASH!" Galahad cried.
"Huh?!" Jaune said in surprise as Ursaluna then used Hammer Arm, pounding the heck out of it and knocking the Aegislash away.
"That was Hammer Arm! What the hell is going on… that shouldn't have done anything!" Perrin exclaimed.
"Aegi…" Galahad groaned as it looked at the Ursaluna. He started to sweat nervously before quickly hiding behind Jaune. "Aegi Sla!"
Jaune grimaced. "Okay, return!" He recalled his Aegislash. "I don't get it… that shouldn't have done anything."
Pyrrha looked through Ursaluna's entry. "Oh, here we go! It has Mind's Eye… it ignores evasive type moves, you can't lower the accuracy and… it… can hit Ghost Pokemon with Normal and Fighting types!"
"What?!" Jaune said in surprise.
"Oh gosh… we're dealing with something dangerously special!" Mahiru said.
"Come on, Jaune! Don't tell me you're giving up yet!" Perrin said.
"Oh, I'm just getting started." Jaune said, calling out another Pokemon. "Gilles, let's go!"
"Siiiiir!" His Sirfetch'd cried as he prepared for battle as Ursaluna let out a few chuckling roars, getting into position.
"Meteor Assault!"
Gilles got into position, the tip of his leek glowing brightly. "Sir…"
Ursaluna got into position, the bloodmoon on his forehead glowing intensely.
Gilles lunged. "FEEEETCH'D!" He cried right as Ursaluna used Blood Moon, both moves clashing as Gilles felt the sting from the powerful attack causing him to wince, but he smirked as he pushed through the laser and struck Ursaluna in the chest, knocking the Peat Pokemon back.
"Luna…!" Ursaluna grunted as Gilles jumped back with a smirk. "URSAAAAAA!" He cried as a golden aura surrounded him again.
"Alright, back to flashing him!" Perrin said as Jaune recalled his Sirfetch'd.
Ursaluna launched himself toward Mahiru, but she flashed him and rolled out of the way as Ursaluna closed his eyes for a few seconds, unaware of Basalt charging in and headbutting him.
The Ursaluna turned around to face Perrin who whistled at him as he charged forward, but Perrin flashed him as she got out of the way as he slammed into a rock wall, startling a few Geodude and Pachirisu.
Once the golden aura was down…
"I got him!" Perrin said, pulling out two Pokeballs and tossing them into the air, as a Leafeon and Glaceon came out.
"Leaf/Glace!"
Ursaluna snarled, stomping on the ground to use Earth Power.
"Dodge it, both of you!" Perrin ordered as they both jumped out of the way. "Leafeon, Leaf Blade! Glaceon, Ice Fang!"
Leafeon ran toward the Ursaluna, her tail glowing as the Ursaluna used Hammer Arm on the Glaceon, but Leafeon leaped in and parried with Leaf Blade before jumping in and using it on its stomach while Glaceon jumped in and chomped down on the Ursaluna's shoulder.
"Ursa…!" Ursaluna grunted, shaking the Glaceon off as it used Blood Moon on the Leafeon, but Leafeon avoided the attack and used Leaf Blade again to make the Ursaluna stumble. "URSAAAAAAA!" Ursaluna cried as the golden aura wrapped around it again.
"Return, you two!" Perrin ordered as the two Eeveelutions ran back to Perrin.
"It's exhausted…" Mahiru said, noticing how the Ursaluna was panting.
"Yeah, but it's still got some fight left!" Perrin said. "Hang on, we're almost there!"
The Ursaluna growled, proceeding to unleash Blood Moon on them but with a whistle from Mahiru, Basalt fired a laser as both of them clashed against one another, but with Perrin and Mahiru both flashing, the Ursaluna grunted as the Gravios' laser pushed through and struck the Ursaluna.
"Luna…!" Ursaluna grunted, as the golden aura disappeared as it fell on both knees.
"Pyrrha!" Jaune called out.
"Right!" Pyrrha threw a Pokeball.
"Scizor!" Spartacus cried as Pyrrha hit the Mega Stone on her bracelet, causing Spartacus to Mega Evolve. "SCIZOOOOOR!"
"Mega Evolution! Sweet!" Perrin smiled, taking a quick picture of the Mega Scizor as the Ursaluna got up and with a growl, it used Hammer Arm on the Scizor, but Spartacus dodged.
"Bullet Punch!"
Spartacus flew over to the Ursaluna, proceeding to rapidly punch the Ursaluna before throwing an uppercut for good measure.
"Swords Dance!"
"Scizor!"
Ursaluna growled and used Earth Power, striking the Scizor during his Swords dance. "Sciz…!" Scizor grunted, shaking it off.
"Iron Head!"
Spartacus lunged toward the beast as Ursaluna used Blood Moon on him, but the Scizor avoided the attack and used Iron Head on the Ursaluna's chest, which was enough to make the Ursaluna fall on its hands and knees, desperately trying to get up.
Pyrrha pulled out a Dusk Ball and threw it at the Ursaluna, smacking it in the head as it opened up and pulled the Ursaluna inside, dropping to the ground.
One shake.
Two shakes.
Three shakes.
Everyone watched on with anticipation and baited breath.
Click!
End BGM
"Phew…" Perrin sighed in relief as the Scizor turned back to normal while Pyrrha picked up the Dusk Ball, and while she wasn't smiling, she felt proud that she has a new Pokemon with her.
"You happy you found it?" Mahiru smiled.
"Oh, absolutely! I got some great photos!" Perrin giggled. "So, can you show me this Kitakamian Tentacruel?"
"Oh, sure!" Mahiru nodded, showing her a pic of the Toedscruel.
"Ohoho! Look at that beautiful coat! That's amazing… I didn't think it could use its tentacles for walking!"
"Hmm…" Jaune scanned it from the camera. "I wonder what the dex says about this Kitakamian Tentacruel."
"Toedscruel, the Woodear Pokemon-"
"Huh?!" Perrin wondered.
"Wait, what?!" Mahiru said in surprise.
"-And the evolved form of Toedscool-"
"WHAT?!" Both girls yelled.
"-These Pokémon gather into groups and form colonies deep within forests. They absolutely hate it when strangers approach. It coils its ten tentacles around prey and sucks out their nutrients, causing the prey pain. The folds along the rim of its head are a popular delicacy."
"Huh, good to know." Jaune said.
"So it's not a Tentacruel but a… Toedscruel…?" Pyrrha titled her head.
"WHAT THE HELL IS A TOEDSCRUEL?!" Mahiru and Perrin yelled as Jaune sweatdropped.
"This is awkward…" Jaune chuckled nervously, all the while Pyrrha's scroll went off.
"Huh?" Pyrrha wondered as she pulled it out, seeing that Weiss was calling her. "Weiss? Wonder what she's calling for…"
Meanwhile…
BGM: Kitakami Hall
"Hmm?" Ren turned his head to see the ogre nearby. The ogre turned around and spotted Ren.
"Pon…!" The ogre ran off.
"Hey wait!" Ren called out as Nora, Jinx, Hiyoko and Erza witnessed it.
"Way to go, Ren… you scared a kid away." Hiyoko teased.
"I… didn't mean to." Ren said as the four walked after the ogre, all the while Carmine spotted them.
"Hmm? Now what are they up to?" Carmine wondered as she finished her candy apple.
The ogre approached the stairs before turning around to face the four.
"Hey, that's a cute mask, kiddo!" Nora smiled.
"Yeah, it's pretty cool." Ren nodded.
"Oh, so cute and fierce~!" Hiyoko smiled.
"And adorable!" Jinx added.
Erza smiled. "I bet you worked hard on that mask."
"Pon pon…" The ogre blushed behind the mask.
"Hey!" Carmine called out. "What are you guys doing back here?"
"Ponio!" The ogre ran up the stairs.
"Hey, wait!" Ren called out.
"Huh?" Carmine turned toward the ogre. "Hey kid, what are you doing up there? The mountain is dangerous at night! Come down where it's a lot safer…"
"Pon…" The ogre jumped back, but stumbled. "Po.. Po… Pon!" The ogre fell over, where the mask dropped down the stairs and rested near Ren's feet. He picked it up and then they looked up to see a very adorable orange face.
"Hey kid! You okay?" Carmine asked with concern as everyone else stared at the ogre in awe. "Come on down so I can look you over."
"You dropped your mask!" Ren said, offering the mask to the ogre as she looked down at Ren shyly before running away.
"What was up with that…?" Carmine wondered as she looked down at the mask. "I mean, it dropped it's ma-..." She paused, getting a closer look at it and then recalled the ogre's shape. Her eyes widened. "Holy shit… that was the ogre!"
"A very cute ogre, I'd say. I think it was a Pokemon." Hiyoko said.
"Well, it did say "Pon Pon" a lot…" Ren said.
"Oho! Kieran's gonna love this!" Nora said as she turned around as Carmine's eyes widened in horror. "HEY KIERA-"
"No!" Carmine panicked and quickly covered Nora's mouth. "Shhhh!"
Kieran walked over. "What's up? I thought I heard my name."
"No! No, you didn't hear a thing, you dork! It's just your imagination!" Carmine lied.
"...Oh, I see. You were making fun of me behind my back, were you?" Kieran frowned before shaking his head. "Whatever, I'm gonna head back."
He walked off with a grumble.
"Phew…" Carmine sighed in relief as Nora pulled her hand away.
"Okay, you better start explaining what the heck is going on." Nora glared. "Especially considering you treat Kieran so coldly."
"Yeah. What's the deal here?" Erza demanded.
Carmine groaned. "Alright… alright! I'll tell you why I'm… the way that I am."
End BGM
BGM: Scent of Silence (Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories)
"Okay, so… you know how Kieran loves the ogre, right? Like he's so enamored by the ogre that he won't stop talking about it, right?"
"Yeah?" Ren folded his arms.
Carmine pulled out her phone. "There's… a reason why he's like this. He's been fond of the ogre for so long that he… well…" She showed them some pictures. "He's made a shrine in his room dedicated to the ogre."
"Whoa…!" Nora said in shock.
The pictures have drawn pictures of the ogre, posters of the ogre, candles on the ground in a circle with a picture of the ogre. Ogre plushies on his bed and desk. Fanfiction of himself hanging out with the ogre titled: "My adventures with the Ogre".
"Are those… candles for a seance?" Jinx asked.
"It is." Carmine nodded. "This isn't just some cute fascination for the ogre like I thought it was… it's a straight up unhealthy obsession, and the moment I peeked into his room… I was absolutely horrified by what I've seen."
She closed her eyes. "My anger isn't out of malice… it's…"
"-Born out of worry?" Erza finished.
"Yes. I'm worried about him. Unfortunately, I don't know how to properly convey my feelings so I get all frustrated and… it turns into anger. It's… I have anger issues, okay? I've been taking some anger management classes to try to control myself but… every time Kieran talks about the ogre, it just swells back up. He's such a… pest when it comes to the ogre! I don't really mean the things I say to him but it's just… hard to convey what I want to actually say…"
Everyone gave Carmine an understanding look.
"I… have a weird coping mechanism of wanting to battle with folks to get my mind off things and to hope that I can get my frustrations out. It's not the best way to do it, but… it's the only thing I can think of."
"Okay, but why are you so hostile towards tourists then?" Hiyoko asked.
"It's because I'm a traditionalist and I want to keep things pure the way they are. Unfortunately, tourists have a habit of screwing around with things and destroying things that are valuable to the locals. They deface things, they brag about it on social media with their selfies… they're all horrible! I haven't met one nice tourist all my life because they're like "Oooh, pretty statue! Let's draw graffiti on it and boast about it for clicks"!"
"So that's why…" Hiyoko said.
"Yes. And… you people… you don't seem like the bad type. Perrin doesn't seem like the type of gal to do stupid things too. But… I call tourists "outsiders" because they'll just deface and vandalize things that they shouldn't…"
She closed her eyes. "I… deeply apologize for how I've treated you."
"I mean, you didn't treat us that horribly aside from that shitty attitude we've seen with Kieran." Hiyoko said.
"Right…" Carmine brushed her bangs to the side. "The reason why I covered Nora's mouth? I was afraid Kieran would chase after it. There's no telling what Kieran would do to the ogre if he got his hands on it… but, I'm genuinely worried that the ogre would be miserable if Kieran got a hold of it."
Carmine clenched her fists. "I… don't normally ask anyone but… please…"
She looked at them with some faint tears in her eyes. "I want one of you guys to capture the ogre before Kiki does!"
Ibuki: That's... an unhealthy obsession. Goodness!
Deadpool: Welp, and here starts his slow descent into madness!
Indeed...
By the way, I've just watched the first five episodes of Cobra Kai Season 6. Tory DESPERATELY needs a hug...