civilwarnovels Chapter 577 - 577: 575
Chapter 577 - 577: 575
After the villagers learned the truth of history, their reaction was not entirely unlike the original story. In the original plot, they had been almost indifferent to it. They accepted Ogerpon quickly enough, yet for the Loyal Three, one could still hear remarks like this from people passing through Kitakami:"They may have done bad things, but they're still so cool."
That meaningless praise, paired with the fixed smiles of NPCs, made one feel disgust and revulsion. But that was because the Loyal Three had never threatened their personal safety, and because the entire epilogue incident had been stopped by Juliana, the protagonist, and Kieran.
Once that terrifying thing actually happened to them, once they experienced it firsthand, no one could say anything so meaningless as liking the Loyal Three anymore.
"Grandpa Yukito."
As the villagers left the plaza in fear and curses, Raikiri and Kotetsu looked toward Yukito and asked him a question.
"Was this plaza split apart like this because of that foreign swordsman's power?"
Yukito said, "Hmm. Do you think he destroyed this place, so you want to demand compensation from him?"
"No, no, no! Of course not! If the swordsman hadn't stopped that evil ogre, we'd all have been finished." Kotetsu shook his head over and over. "I just thought that guy was really strong. Even though I was being controlled, I could still feel how strong he and Ogerpon were in battle. Looking back on it now, it feels like a hazy dream. My Pokémon should have been obeying my commands, but they were still defeated so easily."
"But you didn't explain the battle here in detail to the villagers. I just wanted to say that it might be better to let everyone think this was destroyed by the evil ogre. That would make them feel awe, and they might treat Ogerpon more kindly too."
Yukito glanced at Kotetsu in surprise, then looked toward Raikiri, who nodded.
"Hmm. In any case, that evil ogre is sealed here. You're right. If they believe this place was caused by the evil ogre, they'll fear it more."
"That evil ogre will be suppressed here for a thousand years. Even after we die and our bones have melted away, that Pokémon will still continue to exist here. The lifespan of that evil ogre is truly long. I heard it is because, as a Mythical Pokémon, it almost never dies of old age."
"The villagers must properly protect the stake and tombstone here. Didn't the caretaker say so just now? He thought of a new method: build nine stone statues of Ogerpon around Pecharunt's sealed cave. The righteous masked ogre defeated the evil ogre and sealed it here. Anyone who touches the masked ogre can receive luck and the aura of justice."
"He wants to use something like that as a new tourism slogan and selling point."
Raikiri said, "Ha! Isn't that total nonsense? But that's just the kind of guy the caretaker is. Fine, whatever. The gist is close enough anyway."
"And after persecuting Ogerpon, the masked man, and the foreign swordsman for hundreds of years, they're now going to use them as a tourist attraction. Doesn't that make us look too shameless?"
"Also, he won't turn the stake into some kind of 'must-pull attraction,' will he? If someone really pulls it out, we'll be in serious trouble!"
Yukito said, "Hmm. I don't think he would do something like that. This stake is like the masks that used to be kept in the shrine. We can build a little shrine here and suppress it inside."
"The cracked mountain stone and ground can also let tourists feel how intense the battle here once was."
"There's no helping it. Like you said, the caretaker is just that kind of person. Unless someone could go back to the past and stop history... no, even that would be impossible. Our closed-minded ancestors rejected outsiders, so no matter how many people came, they would never have changed their prejudice."
"So, I say this. If you intend to broaden your horizons, then leave Kitakami and travel and battle elsewhere. The Kitakami Ogre Clan may be famous here in Kitakami, but in other places, you should still be able to carve out a place for yourselves."
Raikiri said, "I see. Then from now on, we'll act under a new creed based on the idea of being Masked Rider worshippers! We'll travel to other regions, take on challenges, and spread the story of the Masked Ogre Ogerpon defeating the Evil Ogre Pecharunt to even farther places!"
"We'll also become Pokémon Trainers as strong as that swordsman! At the same time, we have to train ourselves too, so we won't end up forcibly controlled like this again!"
"If we become martial artists, then in the same kind of terrifying predicament, we should be able to break through!"
Kotetsu asked, "Did that foreign swordsman's spirit disappear? And where did Ogerpon go now? Will it still stay on Oni Mountain?"
Yukito said, "Its mission is already complete. After sealing the Loyal Three and Pecharunt, they'll leave this place. I don't know where they went."
But in truth, Yukito did know.
Right now, his grandson and granddaughter were helping with the sealing. For them, this would surely be an unforgettable journey in their small lives.
"A human life lasts only a brief hundred years. But if the correct history can be passed down to future generations, and if my grandson and granddaughter grow strong after gaining this precious experience, then they too will become righteous and proper people. My education was not successful, but if I can accomplish this one thing, I think my life has already reached fulfillment."
"Even the eight young members of the Kitakami Ogre Clan will gain brand-new lives because of this. In the future, this village will surely be renewed as well. Ogerpon, ancestors... your wish has come true."
"Yes. This is what the heavenly god called the fulfillment of life."
"This place is... the Timeless Woods."
Kieran and Carmine carried the stakes. They wanted to accompany Hikaru and do what little they could. Considering how badly the two children had been frightened earlier, and taking their feelings into account, Hikaru allowed them to go with him.
With Miraidon, overloading did not matter anyway. This place had no Pokémon like Tinkaton that loved flinging hammers.
He drove one stake into the beautiful Wisteria Fields, one into the northern Paradise Barrens, and of course, the final stake had to be placed in the Timeless Woods, where almost no one would enter.
The wood here possessed a special power, exactly like the climate and environment of Hisui, Sinnoh, and Sinjoh.
Carmine said, "I heard there are terrifying Pokémon here. That's why people from the village almost never come in."
Kieran said, "But apparently, no one has ever seen that kind of Pokémon. Maybe it's just Ghost-type Pokémon?"
Entering the Timeless Woods at night seemed to make it even more dangerous. They could even see red eyes drifting nearby, which frightened the siblings. But on second thought, they had already seen a dangerous evil ogre like Pecharunt. Wild Ghost-type Pokémon were nothing to be afraid of.
Compared to that naturally wicked little demon, Ghost-type Pokémon were only wandering aimlessly and scaring people along the way.
"The terrifying Pokémon that lives here is not the ghosts. It's a bear."
Hikaru answered the siblings' question.
Just as the real-world model for the Sinnoh region was the well-known Hokkaido, the model for Kitakami was northern Tohoku: Aomori, Akita, and Iwate Prefectures.
Those places had also been among the regions of Japan most seriously plagued by bears since ancient times, and horrifying incidents of bears eating humans had once occurred there.
Because of that, in many works, a person capable of killing a bear was regarded as an absolutely top-class master.
In Platinum, one could only encounter the bear-representing Teddiursa and Ursaring through dual-slot mode. But in Kitakami, apart from the Bloodmoon hidden in the woods, the only bear-related Pokémon was Munchlax. As for Ursaring, Teddiursa, and the like, they were completely absent.
And in reality, northern Tohoku only has black bears. So why would Bloodmoon Ursaluna, modeled after a brown bear, appear here? The answer was that in the distant past, brown bears really had crossed the sea and reached northern Tohoku, only to go extinct later for unknown reasons.
The so-called "harsh survival environment" referred to precisely that legend.
"Kitakami still retains the same, or at least a similar, climate and local character as Hisui. Long ago, a Pokémon called Ursaluna crossed the sea and came to this land. It survived in a natural environment even harsher than Sinnoh's."
"Because of the changes of time, its original features and appearance underwent enormous changes. Pokémon whose forms change because of differences in local environment, becoming regional forms, producing entirely new evolutions, or even mutating completely into different individuals with completely different abilities, have been discovered more than once in other regions as well."
"This forest is the home ground of the great bear with the blood moon on its forehead. However, I have seen the same kind of creature before."
"Bloodmoon Ursaluna has a spine like a skeleton. It looks like a terrifying beast, and also like fossils and bones have been fixed to the surface of its body. It protects itself with mud as hard as iron, and it possesses a left eye that can see through darkness. In other words, it is watching us from within the darkness of the forest."
"In the legends of distant regions, bears seem to be revered as mountain gods. There was once a great bear that existed as a Noble."
"Bloodmoon may have been an individual that failed to become a Noble and dragged its scars to this unfamiliar land. But now, it has already become stronger than the old Noble."
"We've come far enough. If we go any deeper, we'll invade that great bear's territory. Look. The fog has appeared."
A great amount of fog surged up from the depths of the forest ahead. The fog was caused by the climate. In places like forests, mysterious energy easily gathered. Many people with psychic powers had said as much.
"It is said that on nights covered in heavy fog, Pokémon different from the usual ones will appear. Apart from Bloodmoon, there are more than ten other kinds of Pokémon different from normal that may show up. But Bloodmoon will not appear before humans."
Hikaru knew a wild Bloodmoon in Sinjoh. Under a fixed local environment, Ursaluna could possibly become like this because it echoed the original model of "brown bears crossing the sea and leaving fossils and bones behind in Honshu."
Therefore, after Hisui's climate disappeared, the new Sinnoh environment could not support such a huge species transformation for Ursaluna.
Moreover, this Bloodmoon itself could also be regarded as an Arch-Tempered King-like existence.
Hikaru led the siblings to drive in the final stake, watching the faint red glow flickering in and out within the fog.
"The old Noble has already become bones. The descendants of the later Noble that served as Ride Pokémon have also passed away."
As Hikaru spoke, he merely said aloud the answer he had guessed in his heart.
In the darkness, Bloodmoon watched Hikaru's arrival.
It sensed an extraordinary power from this human. He seemed to carry the presence of one of its own kind, as well as an extremely familiar power from its homeland.
In other places in the world, were there still lands with such harsh local environments? Were there still places like the land of old Hisui?
"Wugash..."
The old Noble?
The Noble territory of the king of bears lay in the Crimson Mirelands of Hisui. It was a good place, rich in peat resources.
All bear Pokémon gathered there.
At the end of the mirelands, there was an area where large numbers of bear Pokémon lived together.
That place was called the Ursa's Ring.
Ursaring, Teddiursa, even Snorlax... and the Noble. They would all arrive there, compete, and test themselves. At the same time, it was also competition between groups.
There were humans in pink and white clothing who called themselves Pearl.
They would care for the Noble's descendants, allowing them to inherit the throne and become the new Noble.
And on the northern land of the mirelands, along a certain mountain path, there was also a group of humans wearing dark-blue clothing who called themselves Diamond.
In the ancient era, the Noble seemed to follow the humans of the Pearl Clan and wage battle against the humans of the Diamond Clan. Those were extremely fierce battles. It was said that they fought because they worshipped different Pokémon.
It had grown up in battle, then challenged the Noble among its own kind. As one of the alphas, it had only wanted to test its strength. But that was merely natural competition among its species.
Later, it left the Ursa's Ring and came to this place. By accident, it survived, and in that way, it lived for long ages.
So that was it.
The Noble of that time was already dead. And there was no new Noble among its descendants either?
It had not expected so much time to have already passed.
Just how many hundreds of years had it been?
Bloodmoon touched its own left eye. Even now, the scar left behind from battle still throbbed faintly.
"Gawoo!"
Just as Hikaru prepared to leave, fog spilled out from the depths of the forest, and Bloodmoon actively appeared before the three of them.
"Wah! It really is a bear!"
Its huge body and terrifying face made the still-young Carmine and Kieran turn pale with fright. But Bloodmoon ignored the two local children. After glancing at Ogerpon, who was looking at it with curiosity, it shook its head.
Another oni that crossed the sea? It had not expected this one to mix with humans again. But that was its way of life.
Ogerpon did not know Bloodmoon existed, while Bloodmoon knew of Ogerpon's existence. That was because that man had once come near the forest to gather timber.
Bloodmoon looked toward Hikaru.
"Gawoosh."
Human from my homeland. I received interesting news from you.
After several hundred years apart, it had learned of the Noble's death.
It roared toward the sky and used its signature move, Blood Moon. The crimson moon lit up the fog, coating the entire forest in a bloody red.
At that instant, the Capture Styler suddenly reacted and burst with light.
After the Styler opened, a strange wavelength appeared on its screen, and a sign emerged.
Obtained: Bloodmoon Ursaluna's Summoning Sign!
As if responding to that sensation, after the miraculous light bloomed, the Bloodmoon hidden deep within the fog also perceived something. A special pattern automatically surfaced in its mind.
Sensed a mysterious pattern. Your hearts have connected with Bloodmoon.
Some people could see it, while others could not. Ranger Signs were things originally recorded on the Symbol Tablet. Because Hikaru carried an imitation of the mysterious plate, even Pokémon that originally had no signs now manifested signs.
Once a sign appeared and was recorded in the Capture Styler, one could connect heart-to-heart with that Pokémon and summon it across distant space-time to battle.
At present, it was still unknown whether summoning could cross distant time, but in terms of space, there were no restrictions.
In the story of Guardian Signs, the protagonist was also the first to perceive the signs. As a local Ranger, Targe could only see dazzling light and nothing else.
"I made the plate imitation into the shape of cards. If I can collect forty signs, plus the Capture Styler worn on my wrist, doesn't that look like..."
"A duel?"
Ha! But stuffing forty Monster Cards into a deck was still too vanilla. Without Spell Cards and Trap Cards, there was no way to play that deck.
"Gawoosh!"
A bear's roar came from the darkness and fog. Bloodmoon Ursaluna was pondering the power of that pattern. It was the first time it had ever seen such a strange thing, but it did have a faint connection with that peculiar human.
Yes. With a human from its homeland. Put that way, were they not fellow countrymen?
Since they were fellow countrymen, if that pattern could summon it, then if there was ever a need, he should call upon it.
Bloodmoon looked toward the dark sky.
Several hundred years of time and tempering had brought it to a realm beyond the Noble. But the Noble was already dead. Put that way, had it reached fulfillment?
Hikaru brought Carmine and Kieran back to Apple Hills.
Up ahead was Mossui Town.
"The final stake and seal are complete. The three poisonous beasts have been sealed in separate areas. Okidogi is sealed in Paradise Barrens, Munkidori is sealed in the lake at Wisteria Fields, and Fezandipiti is sealed inside the fog of the Timeless Woods."
"Only the two of you know the locations of the stakes' seals. This is also a kind of inheritance. Tell these secret seal locations to your descendants. You must remain vigilant."
"If there is still a chance, I will try to detoxify them, although success is not guaranteed."
Carmine looked a little embarrassed.
"No matter what, this was all thanks to you. Otherwise, Kitakami really would have been finished. With just the two of us and Grandpa, we wouldn't have been able to escape very far."
"I'm really sorry for blocking you at the Kitakami Center earlier. I'll change from now on."
"And Ogerpon is really strong! Right, Kiki?"
"Mm-hmm!" Kieran nodded. He smiled. Though he said nothing, he had seen the ogre he loved accepted by everyone, and the ogre had become a righteous figure who subdued the evil ogre. Was that not the real classic hero plot?
Just like in cartoons. Masked Riders were so cool. Should he wear a mask in the future too, just like the Kitakami Ogre Clan?
"Do you want a mask?"
"I have one more here. I'll give it to you."
Before the siblings' astonished eyes, Hikaru took out a green mask from nowhere. In shape, it looked exactly like Ogerpon's Teal Mask.
Kieran was shocked. "This is the one the Kitakami Ogre Clan wears. It's Ogerpon's Teal Mask! Wowzers, is this a real mask?"
Hikaru laughed. "Of course not. It's a fake I made."
"But in terms of appearance alone, it's worlds apart from the others, right? When it comes to craftsmanship, my skill is no worse than your ancestors'."
There were four masks in total, so there were also four fakes. Three had been used for substitutions, and the last one was simply an ordinary craft piece.
After all, the genuine Teal Mask was currently on Ogerpon.
Hikaru said, "The teal mask possesses the power to revive withered plants. It represents the first of nine emotions: joy."
"All things begin with joy and reach fulfillment in happiness."
"Boy, even if you are not the protagonist of the world, there will surely be a stage where you can shine. From now on, you are also a Masked Rider!"
"Ponii!" Ogerpon hopped once and looked happily at Kieran. Kieran stared blankly at the mask in his hands, then looked toward Ogerpon.
"Mm-hmm!"
"Ogerpon!" Kieran faced Ogerpon solemnly, drew a deep breath, and spoke with great seriousness, almost like a confession. "I've always loved your legend. The people in the village were all afraid of ogres, but I loved the ogre legend. I really liked you. I admired you!"
"I want to be as cool as you. I want to be as cool as Big Bro Ogre too, just like you both!"
"A masked hero of darkness!"
"If, if I become really strong in the future, strong enough to be like you, and if we meet again, will you battle me?"
Because the course of events had deviated, Kieran did not go through the original "using battle to decide who Ogerpon belongs to" operation. Instead, he transformed that admiration into strength, and at the same time, he developed the thought: I want to become a masked hero too.
"What could make someone more ecstatic than seeing a childhood dream come true right before their eyes?"
"Then please watch my transformation!"
Kieran put on the fake Teal Mask. The gemstone on it was not Tera crystal, but it still shone brilliantly.
Wearing the mask, Kieran struck a cool pose. "Mask Change!"
Ogerpon also put on the Teal Mask and let out a delighted cry.
Joy, joy! The emotion where everything begins.
"Ponio!"
Hikaru smiled and nodded toward Kieran.
"Ogerpon says she also wants you to watch her final transformation."
"To defeat her sworn enemy, she really did train."
"The so-called teal form comes from a plant called the gentian. Gentians bloom in autumn and grow in mountains and fields. They are named because their taste is bitter as gall."
"In the language of flowers, this flower means victory, justice, and loving you in your sorrow."
"Next, the one who must train is you, boy."
"We will meet again someday. It's a promise. When that time comes, I'll look forward to crossing hands with you. Don't worry about whether I'm alive or dead. All you need to do is battle."
"Ugh, that's so unfair! I want a mask like that too." Carmine pursed her lips and clenched her fists, her heart full of disappointment. "When we get back, I'll have Grandpa make one for me too. Nine masks means there are still plenty of options to choose from!"
Kieran grinned. "Heehee. This time, this time I'm the one who won, not you, Sis."
They watched Miraidon take flight. After the foreign swordsman and Ogerpon of Oni Mountain disappeared beyond the edge of the forest, flying toward the summit of Oni Mountain, Carmine stared at the dark sky for a long time. That shining golden lightning was like hope tearing through the night.
Then...
"Dawn is about to come."
"Kiki, I was thinking... next year, do you want to go to my school and attend classes with me?"
"We're way too weak at Pokémon battles. We said we'd make those evil ogres pay, but in reality, we never even had a chance to act. If we can't become really strong, then we'll never be able to battle that spirit or Ogerpon."
"Sis, you really don't understand anything." Kieran shook his head, making Carmine angry again.
"What? When it comes to battling, I'm clearly just a little bit stronger!"
"That's not what I mean." Wearing the mask, Kieran shook his head. Though the mask hid his face, the joy in his words made Carmine pause slightly.
"Kiki, you seem really happy."
"Yeah." There was an indescribable joy in Kieran's voice.
"Big Bro Ogre isn't a spirit. Well, he kind of is, but he's a foreign swordsman. Maybe he has incredible, supernatural power too."
"He must be an amazing traveler, just like the stories he told. Every few hundred years, travelers with magical arts appear and seal away monsters causing trouble all around the world."
"Now... people with that kind of power are called Masked Riders. If he's a swordsman, then in the language of a faraway region, it's... there was a really cool word, I think..."
Carmine snapped her fingers. "Ah! I know this one. It should be Saber! But that's not some really cool word. It just means sword. I think it's a language from Galar. Yeah, a really faraway region. I've never been there in my life."
Kieran said, "In the future, I'm going to become someone as amazing as him too. Victory. I'll obtain victory and justice! That's... decided!"
Kitakami, the summit of Oni Mountain, Crystal Pool.
"Gah-pon?"
Ogerpon arrived before Crystal Pool and gazed at the shimmering lake water, then turned to look at Hikaru with some confusion.
This final place was for saying goodbye to the man of the past. But could such a thing really be done?
Although she had already learned in the dream that, by borrowing the power of the land god from a distant land, the dead could return, they could just use the statue directly. Why come to this pond?
"Since we're in Kitakami, of course we have to use the power of Crystal Pool."
"What the statue summons is only the man's soul. But what will be summoned here is the true him from the past."
"This memory will become one part of the history he experienced. Although, because of the power of Terastal energy, he will not remember the details. Still, I think with the power of the statue and the land god, you will be able to see his soul again at any time."
"When he sees you again, he will understand everything. And I think completing this work here is the true fulfillment, isn't it?"
"I know that when you attended the festival in the past, you wore the mask representing happiness, while the man wore the mask representing joy. Joy and happiness. Beginning and conclusion. Starting point and fulfillment."
"Here, let us put a fulfilled end to all of this. How joyous and auspicious."
Hikaru raised his hand and first took out a Strong Tera Orb. However, it did not seem to have much effect. After a brief thought, Hikaru drew out the first steel card.
"Duel! Just kidding. This should be Card Swap!"
"Ranger Sign! Summon: Terapagos!"
From distant Area Zero, the little turtle currently conducting research with Professor Sada sensed the summons. Amid a burst of shining light, it crossed distant space-time and appeared in Kitakami.
"Kamekame!"
Terapagos let out an astonished cry.
Whoa. It really could travel across distant space.
"Gah?"
Ogerpon stared in shock at the little turtle that had suddenly appeared in dazzling light. It was so beautiful that it seemed like a gemstone had come alive. Countless stars were reflected in Ogerpon's starry eyes, as if they lit up the entire black curtain of the night.
Terapagos understood why Hikaru had summoned it. Through the Ranger Sign, it learned everything.
Good. Since there was such a mysterious power, it had to take a proper look too.
Let it activate the Tera energy here. Something incredible should really happen.
"Tairako-pari!"
Terapagos released brilliant light. Then, heavy fog abruptly rose and spread.
In the lake, a Terastallized Milotic seemed to be called by something and suddenly leapt out of the water, as if trying to interfere with what was about to happen. But a heavy black iron ball struck it directly and smashed it back into the bottom of the lake.
"This is exactly when Heavy Balls become very useful. I didn't plan to catch you anyway, so just faint for a while."
That Milotic was a fixed Pokémon that appeared at Crystal Pool. It would obstruct the protagonist from collecting Tera Shards from the bottom of the lake. Its fixed Ghost Tera Type, plus its serpent-like shape, also seemed to allude to the underworld and similar concepts.
In the fog, Ogerpon looked around. Suddenly, she saw a tall man appear ahead.
"Po, Ponio?!"
The mysterious man said, "What is going on here? The mountaintop? Ogerpon? Why are you here?"
"Poponi."
Ogerpon had spent a very long time with the man. Without words, they understood what the other was expressing. She looked at the man, whose expression was blank but who seemed to have guessed something. She put on the Cornerstone Mask again, then handed the mask of joy to the man.
Still, she wanted to borrow the mouth of the legendary craftsman and tell the man, one by one, the story she had experienced and everything that had happened over the past several hundred years.
And Ogerpon wanted to tell him.
She really, truly missed him.
"Ponii! Oh!"
Ogerpon hoped the man would put on the mask again, just as he had in the past.
Let's dance again. Let's happily dance at the festival.
You wear the mask of joy, and I will wear the mask of happiness.
"I don't quite understand what happened, but for some reason, Ogerpon, it feels as though I have not seen you in a very long time... Huh? Tears?"
The tall foreign man touched the corner of his eye and realized that, at some point, tears had begun to fall.
"Why is this happening? My heart is filled with a strange joy. These are Ogerpon's emotions. Did you pass these feelings to me?"
"Your clothes are different from mine and from those of this village. Are you also from a foreign land? A traveler with special powers?"
"Ogerpon, why are there both joy and sadness in your heart? Why do you miss me so much? Although I do not know why, and although the questions I want to ask are as numerous as grains of sand on the shore..."
The man put on the mask and stood together with Ogerpon, hand in hand, looking toward Hikaru.
"As long as I am with Ogerpon, every sorrowful thing is forgotten. My heart is full of joy, happiness, and peace, as if some knot has been untied. How strange."
"But you must be a friend who knows Ogerpon. Therefore, you are also my friend. My friend, this may be our first meeting, or perhaps our last. Even so..."
"Hello!"
Hikaru said, "My friend. Preserve the joy of the past, etch it forever in the heart, and reach fulfillment."
"How joyous and auspicious."
(End of Chapter)
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