Chapter 324: Bonds Beyond Masks

Chapter 324: Bonds Beyond MasksThe story came to a close, and an uneasy silence settled in the room. No one spoke, the weight of the tale hanging heavily in the air.

Naoki's thoughts drifted to the cave he had explored earlier. He could still picture the stone bed, table, and bench, each carefully polished to a smooth surface. It wasn't hard to imagine the life that once existed there.

The traveler, an outsider, had arrived at the cave with Ogerpon, hoping to build a home. Together, they hauled large, uneven rocks from the mountains, smoothing them with care and anticipation of a peaceful future. A bed for sleeping, a table for meals, a stool for resting-it was a simple life, but it was theirs.

Then, those three greedy Pokémon shattered that peace. The man lost his life, leaving Ogerpon alone in a cave now filled with memories of loss.

Naoki's chest tightened as he remembered Ogerpon's sadness when he had asked if it always lived there alone. Now he understood why.

"Alas," the old man said with a heavy sigh. "The true history is the exact opposite of what the village believes. If they knew the Three Loyal Pokémon they honor were actually the villains, I can't imagine the chaos it would cause."

Naoki nodded solemnly, understanding the gravity of the situation. If the truth came out, the family of the mask craftsman might be persecuted all over again.

Just as the old man opened his mouth to say more, the door slammed open with a loud bang! A boy, around four or five, and a slightly older girl stormed in, their faces flushed with anger.

"This is so unfair!" the girl cried. "How could the villagers treat Ogerpon like this?!"

The old man and Hideko looked horrified. They rushed to the door, checking outside to ensure no one overheard, then quickly pulled the children inside and shut the door firmly.

Hideko clamped a hand over the girl's mouth. "Quiet! You mustn't let anyone hear you!" she hissed.

"But... but!" the girl protested, her muffled words furious.

The boy, meanwhile, stood silently, his fists clenched, his face a storm of emotions.

The old man frowned. "It's not right to eavesdrop on grown-up conversations!" he scolded.

The two children lowered their heads in guilt. The old man sighed again. "I was going to tell you both when you were older, but since you've overheard, listen carefully. This is a truth you must carry in your hearts and never speak of to anyone else."

Hideko gestured toward Naoki. "These two are my grandchildren-Carmine and Kieran," she explained apologetically.

Naoki nodded in greeting, acknowledging the siblings with a small smile. After calming the children, the old man turned back to Naoki. "You seem like a capable trainer," he said, his tone serious. "If that's the case, then I ask you to approach Ogerpon as a trainer would. Gain its trust and take it away from here."

Naoki hesitated. "If Ogerpon were a wild Pokémon, I'd agree. But from everything I've seen, it's clearly not. This place holds so many memories for it. I can't guarantee it will want to leave."

"Do your best," the old man urged. "If Ogerpon does choose to leave, then at least the villagers' debt to it will be partially repaid."

Naoki nodded, standing up. "I'll try," he said, bowing slightly before turning to leave.

Before he could reach the door, Carmine and kieran chased after him.

"Uncle!" Carmine called.

Naoki froze. 'Uncle?' His face darkened. Did he really look that old?

Carmine huffed in frustration and nudged her brother forward. "Kieran, stop being a coward! Say what you want to say!"

Kieran shuffled his feet before stepping forward hesitantly. "Um... are you really a trainer?"

Naoki nodded. "I suppose you could say that."

kieran's expression softened with relief. "I've always liked Ogerpon. After hearing Grandpa's story, I really hope it can live a better life. If it decides to leave with you, please take good care of it."

Naoki smiled gently. "I will."

With that, he bid the siblings farewell and mounted Koraidon, heading back to Oni Mountain. Arriving at the cave, he was surprised to find it empty.

Naoki searched the area, but there was no sign of Ogerpon. It seemed the masked Pokémon had gone out.

With no other options, Naoki returned to Mossui Village.

Late at night, Oni Mountain.

Ogerpon sat alone on the stone bench, its familiar mask held tightly in its small hands. Tonight, unlike usual, a pile of freshly picked berries sat neatly on the stone table.

Ogerpon's mind wandered through the events of the past two days. S~eaʀᴄh the Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

That first day, it had encountered a strange human on Oni Mountain.

No one had dared come to this place in a long, long time. When Ogerpon spotted the intruder, it quickly hid, observing the human cautiously from the

shadows.

To its surprise, the human spotted it almost immediately and followed it back to its cave. Panic overtook Ogerpon-it feared the human might try to attack or drive it away.

Instead, the human greeted it warmly, offering food with no signs of

hostility.

Ogerpon hadn't known how to react. It was too scared, too confused by the human's kindness. It had bolted from the cave and stayed away until the human

left.

When it returned, it found a small mountain of berries left on the stone

table.

It had assumed the human would never return. But the next day, he came back- kind as ever, speaking softly and leaving behind more food.

Ogerpon glanced at the overflowing pile of berries on the table. It couldn't possibly eat them all. Would the human come back again tomorrow? A flicker of anticipation rose in its chest.

As it stared at the food, memories from a long, long time ago surfaced. When it was still small, a tall human had brought it to this very cave. He had cared for it like his own child, tending to it with warmth and kindness. He, too, would bring berries from the village and leave them on the table.

To Ogerpon, that man had been like a father.

But then... he was gone.

That day, enraged by his loss, Ogerpon had gone to the village. It had hunted down the four Pokémon responsible and taken its revenge. But even so, its "father" never returned.

A single tear fell from Ogerpon's eye, landing on the worn green mask in its hands. Then another.

The longing it carried was endless. Ogerpon buried its face into the mask, muffling its sobs as heavy rain began to pour outside the cave.

Early the next morning.

A torrential downpour blanketed Mossui Village, forcing the suspension of the agricultural exchange meeting. Naoki remained indoors at the community center, listening to the steady rhythm of rain against the roof.

His Pokémon were sprawled across the room, looking bored and listless. After

a while, Naoki stood, recalling them into their Poké Balls. He donned a raincoat, mounted Koraidon, and flew through the rain toward Oni Mountain.

When Naoki finally reached the cave and spotted Ogerpon clutching its mask, he let out a relieved sigh.

He dismounted and approached cautiously. Koraidon followed, its large frame moving carefully through the narrow entrance.

After hearing Ogerpon's story the day before, Naoki felt a heavy weight in his chest every time he thought about the Pokémon's situation. Misunderstood and hated by the villagers, it had no choice but to live in this cave filled with bittersweet memories, clutching its mask as though it were the last

piece of its past.

Sympathy welled up within him. Adjusting the straps on his backpack, Naoki

stepped into the cave.

Naoki wasn't sure how to comfort Ogerpon. All he could think to do was pour the food he had brought onto the stone table, completely disregarding the fact that yesterday's fruits were still untouched.

Ogerpon stared blankly at the human bustling about in front of it.

It hadn't expected the human to return today... "Here!" Naoki said with a cheerful grin, pulling out a bottle of milk he'd heated at the community center. To keep it warm, he had tucked it into his jacket pocket and kept it covered. "It's cold and rainy today. Drinking something warm will help."

He gently pressed the bottle into Ogerpon's hands. Then, without waiting for

a response, he pulled a towel from his backpack and began drying the rain off Koraidon to keep it from catching a chill.

Seeing Ogerpon watching from the corner of its eye, Naoki said reassuringly,

"Don't be afraid of it. This is Koraidon. It might look fierce, but it's really very gentle."

"Raao!" Koraidon shook itself off, sending droplets of water splashing all

over Naoki.

Naoki chuckled and continued drying Koraidon's scales. Once he finished, he reached back into his bag and took out a blanket that the village siblings had packed for him. He spread it neatly over the stone bed in the corner of

the cave.

To further warm the chilly space, he released his trusty Slugma from its Poké

Ball.

The small, lava-bodied Pokémon crawled out, its glowing magma shell radiating heat. Warmth quickly began to fill the cave. The biting cold gave way to a pleasant heat, and the dim gray walls of the cave turned a soft orange, illuminated by Slugma's fiery glow.

In just minutes, the atmosphere transformed completely. The once-dreary cave became cozy and inviting, so quickly that Ogerpon seemed stunned by the

change.

Naoki didn't stop there. He pulled a frying pan from his backpack, placed it carefully on Slugma's warm surface, and began preparing breakfast. "Thank you, Slugma," he said, feeding the Pokémon a few berries. Slugma's glow brightened as it happily consumed the treats, raising its temperature further. The oil in the pan heated quickly, crackling as Naoki broke eggs into it. He added sliced Cheri Berries and a sprinkle of herbs before flipping the sizzling mixture. Finally, he toasted slices of bread over Slugma's heat, filling the cave with the aroma of freshly baked bread.

In a few minutes, Naoki had assembled a hot sandwich, layering the fried eggs

and berries between the slices of bread. He turned to Ogerpon and held it

out.

"Here. Try this!" he said warmly.

Ogerpon looked bewildered, its mask tilting slightly as it blinked at him in

confusion.

Realizing his actions might have come across as abrupt, Naoki softened his

tone. "Don't worry," he said, gently placing the sandwich on the table. "I just want to help."

Ogerpon tilted its head, its glowing eyes flickering with curiosity. Naoki crouched down to meet Ogerpon's gaze. "You don't have to be scared," he

said softly. "Ogerpon."

At the sound of its name, Ogerpon froze. Its wide eyes betrayed its surprise. "Pon...?" it murmured quietly, its voice trembling with emotion.

Naoki smiled and nodded. "A villager told me about you-about everything

you've been through."

"Pon..."

"That villager is the descendant of the craftsman who made your mask. He's

deeply sorry for all the pain you've endured."

"Pon..."

"I'm very sad about what you've been through," Naoki said gently. "But from

the moment I saw you, I knew you weren't the cruel oni everyone says you

are."

Hearing this, Ogerpon looked up, its eyes glimmering like bright stars.

Naoki grinned. "So, believe me, we mean you no harm. We don't hate you, and

we never will-because you've done nothing wrong."

Ogerpon stared at Naoki for a moment, then its expression softened into a

faint, happy smile.

"Pon... Oge~"

"Here, eat up!" Naoki said, motioning toward the sandwich he'd prepared.

Ogerpon finally took a small bite of the sandwich, but as it ate, tears began

streaming down its face. Large droplets fell one after another, splashing onto the stone table.

Years of loneliness, the pain of exclusion, the heartbreak of losing its mask, and the sorrow of its caretaker's death-all the emotions it had bottled up for so long came rushing out in waves. Ogerpon sobbed, unable to hold

back.

Naoki froze, unsure what to do. "Why is it crying all of a sudden?" he muttered to himself, panicking slightly. He stood abruptly, and in doing so, accidentally knocked a few Poké Balls from his pocket.

The balls hit the ground and popped open, releasing two Pokémon in bursts of

white light: Flutter Mane and Cyclizar.

Cyclizar blinked in confusion at the sight of the crying Pokémon. Meanwhile, Flutter Mane turned its sharp, spectral gaze toward Ogerpon.

As a Ghost-type, Flutter Mane could sense the deep sorrow and lingering attachment surrounding Ogerpon. Within that aura, it saw the faint silhouette of a tall, imposing figure standing beside the masked Pokémon.

The figure seemed to realize it had been noticed. Slowly, it turned its head

toward Flutter Mane, its gaze meeting the spectral Pokémon's.

As Ogerpon's sobs subsided, Naoki crouched down and gently wiped away its

tears. "Do you want to come with us?" he asked softly.

Ogerpon froze, its eyes widening in surprise.

"I'm a rancher," Naoki explained. "I came here from far away, and in a few

days, I'll be leaving this place. I want to take you with me-somewhere you'll be safe. Somewhere no one will fear or shun you."

He paused before continuing, his tone warm and inviting. "At my home, there

are lots of other Pokémon. You could make so many new friends and live in peace. Would you like that?" Naoki extended his hand toward Ogerpon, offering it a choice. Ogerpon hesitated. It looked down at the mask in its hands, then at the

human's outstretched hand. The thought of being left behind, alone in the cold, empty cave again filled it with dread.

Gathering its courage, Ogerpon slowly reached out and placed its small hand

into Naoki's.

Naoki smiled, relief washing over him. He gently clasped Ogerpon's slightly cold hand. "Then come home with me," he said softly. "Pon!" Ogerpon chirped, its voice bright with determination.

At some point, the rain outside had stopped. As Naoki and his Pokémon stepped

out of the cave, they were greeted by a clear, blue sky stretching endlessly

above.

Naoki paused, turning back to look at the cave's entrance. Silently, he made

a promise to himself: 'Don't worry, I'll take good care of Ogerpon. I'll

never let it go through this kind of pain again.'

At the same time, Flutter Mane glanced back toward the cave. It saw the ghostly figure standing at the entrance, gazing out at them with a calm expression. Slowly, the figure raised a hand in a gesture of farewell before fading away, its lingering attachment finally dissolving. "Flutter Mane?" Naoki's voice broke the moment.

Flutter Mane turned to see Naoki holding up its Poké Ball. "It's time to go

home," he said with a smile.

"Mreem," Flutter Mane replied softly. It gave one last glance at the cave

before diving into the Poké Ball in a swirl of light.

(P) (S): If you're interested, you can read up to chapter 358 @

patreon.com/Keepsmiling818

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Next Bonus Chapter @3000 Power Stones.