Catch Feelings, Not Just Pokemon

To be fair, Ogerpon had originally come to attend the Masked Festival.

She'd always had a taste for lively crowds, and this place—Kitakami Village—was far too remote and dull for her liking most of the year.

As for battles... well, after a few centuries of swinging her spiked club at pretty much every kind of Pokémon, it had gotten a bit old. There just weren't any fresh faces left to whack.

Being a second-tier deity wasn't as fun as it sounded—it made finding worthy sparring partners almost impossible.

And without battles, what else was there for her to do? Lurking around the Terror Den every day, bored out of her mind... she was practically one existential crisis away from splitting off a Mini Ogerpon just for company.

So naturally, she wasn't going to pass up the rare chance to show herself in public for the festival.

Whether or not it'd be fun was another matter—but at least it would kill time. Plus, there was always the chance she'd run into that man.

But just as she finished her noodles, masked up, and headed out...

Her thorny club suddenly began to tremble.

She wasn't sure what it meant exactly, but it was definitely a sign: someone—or something—worth fighting was nearby.

At the very least, it had to be a strong opponent.

And so, she dashed downhill—and came upon Haru, sharing a quiet, moonlit moment with Lillie.

Which begged the question: what were they doing?

So intimate. It looked just like a mother cradling her child...

Could that golden-haired human be... the dark-haired one's mother?

That was the only logical conclusion, right? She was so much smaller than him, but maybe—just maybe—she was the elder after all?

Then again, many species did have larger females...

Humans. What a fascinating species.

But wait... is this how humans feed their young? Mouth to mouth? Why else were their lips so glued together?

Ogerpon, who until now had never paid much attention to human behavior, felt like her weird knowledge index had just gained a few new entries.

"Ogerpon... what are you doing here?"

Prompted by Lillie's whisper, Haru loosened his embrace, stood from the bench, and stared into the shadows.

Ogerpon was half-concealed behind a tree in the pitch-black woods behind him, her body mostly hidden from view.

Kitakami was remote to begin with, and these were mountain roads—there was no way streetlights could reach every corner. No wonder Haru hadn't noticed her until now.

If not for the natural glow of Ogerpon's starry eyes, even Lillie might not have spotted her.

"Looks like she's here to see you, Mr. Haru,"

Lillie said with a soft smile.

"I guess... you could call this a two-way fate."

"Want to try catching her?"

Even though Ogerpon had crashed her private moment with Haru, Lillie didn't seem the least bit upset.

In fact, she felt genuinely happy that Haru might be gaining another Pokémon.

After all, hadn't he already shown how captivated he was with her on their way up the mountain?

Why else would he suddenly pick her up mid-staircase just to snuggle in the middle of nowhere? That wasn't exactly the behavior of someone focused on their mission.

He was clearly infatuated with her—and that was all Lillie needed to feel content.

Compared to that, what threat could some inexperienced Pokémon possibly pose?

It's not like every Pokémon was a Mew or a Necrozma. Not every one could take human form.

"Maybe... but I'd like to spend some time with her first."

Haru rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Pokémon are lifelong companions. I can't just decide on a whim."

"And I think Ogerpon feels the same way."

Thinking back to how he'd technically captured Necrozma... it still felt a bit cursed.

He really didn't want to consider that a legitimate catch. I mean, who the hell uses a popsicle to catch a Legendary?

"Wooma-wooma!"

As if understanding him, the little Pokémon blinked and bounced excitedly in place.

Just like Haru said—she did feel a certain fondness for him after their earlier encounters, but to become his Pokémon just like that?

Way too fast.

It was like meeting a beauty twice—and after the first time he even whipped her with vines—and then on the third date, he pins her down?!

No way! The world couldn't possibly be that ridiculous!

"Alright. Since we've found Ogerpon, let's check out the rest of the festival together."

With that, Haru extended his left hand toward her, inviting her to take it.

Ogerpon looked at the hand, then looked back at herself, seemingly misunderstanding the gesture.

Suddenly, she pulled out a thorned club nearly as big as she was and shoved it into Haru's hand.

"..."

Haru opened his mouth to speak—but just then, a deafening explosion ripped through the night.

Ogerpon's smile vanished.

She turned sharply toward a distant corner of Kitakami Village, her excitement instantly shifting into sharp-edged hostility.

It was clear—she had sensed something.

---

Let's rewind time a little...

After Haru left, Kieran didn't follow orders to go home or continue his cross-country training.

No, he still wanted to check out the Terror Den on Mount Oni.

The ogre had fled earlier—it had to have gone back to its cave. And if he went now, he was sure to find it.

Even though Carmine had tried to stop him, going so far as to physically restrain him for his own safety...

Kieran was unusually stubborn this time. Nothing his sister did could stop him.

In fact, in their last battle, he won—somehow boosted by a mysterious surge of power.

And just like that, the siblings fell out.

So in the end, Kieran climbed Mount Oni alone, determined to find the ogre that had just escaped.

He had to catch it—for strength, yes, but also to fulfill a long-standing wish.

Unfortunately, even though he had seen the ogre with his own eyes earlier, the Terror Den was just as empty as ever.

There was nothing there. No signs, no trace—like it had never existed.

And in that moment, Kieran finally understood.

All those times he'd searched in vain—it wasn't because the legend was fake, or because the ogre was out and about.

It simply... didn't want to see him.

Because he wasn't the "main character."

Because he wasn't special.

But even so, Kieran refused to give up.

This might be his only shot at a legendary Pokémon.

If no one else was involved, he could bide his time, try other strategies. But if that guy—Haru—got to it first, the ogre would be lost to him forever.

At a moment like this, wasn't it justified... to do something reckless?

According to Kitakami legend, the ogre could unleash different powers through its masks.

Which meant the masks had to be important—crucial, even.

And Kieran, being a local, knew exactly where the remaining three masks were stored: inside the largest building at the center of Kitakami Village.

He didn't know why the ogre had never tried to retrieve them itself, but that didn't matter.

He could use them as bait.

Under the influence of a certain strange force... Kieran made up his mind.

He had to get those masks.

After all, nobody really believed the legend anyway—so what if he stole them? The adults would probably just make replicas, right?

Besides, the masks originally belonged to the ogre. He was just returning them to their rightful owner—or so he told himself.

Using his familiarity with the area, Kieran blended into the festival unnoticed and had his Pokémon steal all three masks with ease.

What he didn't know... was that he wasn't the only one acting tonight.

If Kitakami was a minefield, then these three masks were the final detonator.

Ancient beasts from centuries ago, Team Rocket lurking in the shadows—there were dangers far beyond what Kieran had imagined.

In fact, his decision to steal the masks wasn't entirely his own.

Since his return to Kitakami, he had already fallen under the influence of the mythical Pokémon Pecharunt, disguised as a peach doll.

He wasn't the only one eyeing the masks.

So was Pecharunt, the true mastermind behind Ogerpon's tragic fate.

This Pokémon had the power to awaken and amplify people's desires. Once under its influence, both humans and Pokémon would be consumed.

The greedy became gluttons. The aggressive became warlords. Those with... other desires, grew twisted in kind.

Even the Treasures of Ruin—second-tier gods—weren't immune.

But in exchange, Pecharunt was practically useless in battle.

If it weren't, it wouldn't need three underlings to go steal four masks—and still end up getting reverse-swept.

This time, after being revived, it got smarter. It stayed hidden and used humans as pawns.

That way, even if Ogerpon came looking for revenge... she wouldn't find it.

The plan was simple: once Kieran stole the three masks, it would seize control of him and take them for itself.

That should have been the plan.

But some actors who were never supposed to enter the stage... appeared out of nowhere.

Team Rocket.

And the resurrected Treasures of Ruin.

The moment Kieran touched the masks, the three slumbering gods buried beneath the altar stirred—and kicked open their coffins like they'd heard a call.

Yes—twisted by Pecharunt's influence, they wanted the masks too.

And Team Rocket?

They wanted everything.

Compared to Pecharunt or the Treasures of Ruin, they were the true embodiment of boundless desire.

And worse—they had also been corrupted by greed.

And they weren't the only humans affected...

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