With the official backing of the Paldea League, the events in Kitakami quickly became known worldwide at minimal cost.
It was Aiden's unique position that allowed the potentially explosive "Loyal Three Revival" incident to conclude at lightning speed.
Not only did he hold the title of Gym Leader in Paldea, but he also had the full authority granted by President Geeta, legitimizing all his actions.
As for whether it followed proper procedure?
Sorry, in Paldea, all rules are dictated by President Geeta.
There can be no two suns in the sky—Paldea has only one sun, and that is Geeta.
Whatever she says goes!
Meanwhile, the invaluable footage left by Lacey became the best evidence of his "righteous enforcement," widely disseminated through his other identity as a major Pokémon TV streamer.
With both witnesses and physical evidence present, the villagers of Kitakami had no way to explain themselves.
As for other methods...
Setting aside the obvious close relationship between Gym Leader Aiden and the Sinnoh Champion, angering her would escalate the matter beyond Paldea's borders.
Even if Ogerpon made just one move, they'd be in deep trouble.
According to the century-old legends of Kitakami, the Loyal Three were heroic Pokémon, embodiments of bravery and fearlessness.
Yet in the video, they were effortlessly defeated like ants, one strike each by Ogerpon.
Those three strikes shattered the villagers' prejudice against the "ghost," prompting them to immediately reconsider their stance.
Thus, the Loyalty Plaza was swiftly renamed to Verdant Plaza, with plans to replace the statues of the Loyal Three with those of Ogerpon and Aiden, the two formidable figures.
As for the Loyal Three and Pecharunt?
They were nothing more than the culprits behind the century-long misunderstanding of the righteous ghost, Ogerpon.
We don't know them!
The facts showed:
When armed with the truth, even the most foolish and wicked people could instantly revert to normalcy, suddenly understanding reason as if they'd had an epiphany.
Regarding the rectification plan for Kitakami, after a single phone call from President Geeta, full authority was handed over to Aiden.
"As long as you don't demolish and rebuild the entire village, you can do whatever you want. After all, it can't get worse than before."
These were President Geeta's exact words.
And in this regard, Aiden, known for his "compassion," devised a simple solution:
It was clear that Administrator Old Thing had a deep connection with Pecharunt and likely continued to be influenced even after its death. Thus, he "voluntarily" stepped down from his position as mayor.
As for the new mayor, naturally, it would be someone who uncovered the historical truth and was also a descendant of the original mask craftsman.
That person was Yukito, the grandfather of Carmine and Kieran.
As perhaps the only villager who knew the history, he provided substantial evidence to corroborate the historical narrative after the incident.
At the same time, this elderly man might also be the most "normal" person in Kitakami, which is why Aiden felt comfortable entrusting him with the subsequent cleanup work.
Though Aiden's confrontation with Pecharunt temporarily caused significant losses for the village—dooming future sales of Loyal Three merchandise—it might not necessarily be a bad thing.
At least, these scoundrels would no longer dare to blatantly exploit tourists.
Moreover, the villagers quickly discovered a new business opportunity:
Their best-selling item had always been Ogerpon's masks. The Loyal Three merchandise often required forceful selling tactics; otherwise, it wouldn't sell at all.
Even the locals couldn't lie with a straight face and claim the Loyal Three were better-looking than Ogerpon.
Now, thanks to Aiden-sama's arrival, the "ghost" had been legitimized into an official hero, allowing them to openly sell Ogerpon dolls.
Adding to this, Aiden, their "God of Wealth"…
Upon learning that Aiden was a globally influential streamer, the villagers of Kitakami instantly changed their attitude toward him.
As long as they could ride on Aiden-sama's coattails, the number of tourists visiting "Aiden Plaza" would surely skyrocket. Wouldn't their village's prosperity increase tenfold?
Therefore—
To Aiden, the greatest hero in the history of Kitakami, we offer our loyalty!
...
"So, all of this happened last night?"
Standing in the Pokémon Center of Mossui Town, after Cynthia succinctly recounted the previous night's events, Caitlin felt as if the sky had collapsed!
So many interesting things happened, and she had slept through it all, completely unaware?
Of course, there was one thing that intrigued her even more—
How did Aiden manage to capture another adorable Pokémon in just one night?
Caitlin's gaze instinctively turned to Aiden. A cute Pokémon, seemingly wearing a green robe, hid behind him, peeking out with half its head while cautiously observing its surroundings.
She found it hard to connect this seemingly harmless Pokémon with the "ghost" in the video that effortlessly wiped out four opponents while wearing a mask.
So cute… I want to touch it…
"Pon?"
Sensing Caitlin's gaze, Ogerpon quickly withdrew its head, hiding completely behind Aiden.
Clearly, it remained cautious of all humans except Aiden.
Although she understood and sympathized with its centuries of ostracism after hearing its story, ...
I clearly mean no harm! Why is Aiden the only exception?
Caitlin once again put on a pouty face.
Indeed, all the fun is yours, and I just find it noisy!
Cynthia merely chuckled softly.
If Caitlin had been present at the time, her powerful psychic abilities—which surpassed even Alakazam's—might have deterred Pecharunt from appearing at all.
After all, Psychic moves were highly effective against Poison-type Pecharunt and the Loyal Three.
Perhaps it wasn't a coincidence from the start but rather Pecharunt deliberately avoiding her, leading to this outcome.
"Speaking of which, theoretically, Pecharunt and the Loyal Three are as unique as Ogerpon, possibly even classified as Legendary or Mythical Pokémon, right?"
Cynthia's gaze rested on Ogerpon, almost glued to Aiden, and she smiled as she spoke.
"Never expected that even such beings could have good and bad sides."
"Perhaps Pecharunt's intentions weren't inherently evil, but its very existence was too dangerous for humans."
After Aiden summarized this insight, he sighed.
He knew more about Pecharunt than others. After all, the Pokémon world didn't have Game Freak's promotional videos explaining how Pecharunt decided to head to Kitakami a hundred years ago.
Pecharunt's mere existence unconsciously influenced the desires of those around it.
Even the kind-hearted elderly couple who adopted it eventually became puppets driven by desire under its influence.
Their amplified desires, in turn, fed back into Pecharunt, shaping it into what it became.
Who could say they harbored no desires in their hearts?
And as long as there were desires, interacting with Pecharunt could easily lead to losing one's sanity, ultimately becoming its puppet.
Thus, only a dead Pecharunt posed no threat to humanity.
As for keeping it for research or redemption...
Regardless of whether Pecharunt's warped mindset could reform, a being nearing Legendary status would attract unnecessary trouble.
If Pecharunt were captured by a more ambitious human, the consequences would be unimaginable.
So, it was best to let it go.
Aiden's gaze shifted to the ruins of the former Loyalty Plaza, now a wasteland from last night's battle, and his lips twitched involuntarily.
"Come to think of it, these scoundrels of Kitakami really know how to do business. If they operate normally in the future, it might actually have more potential than it does now."
Initially, Aiden had refused when the villagers wanted to build a statue of him.
After all, he was still alive and only eighteen—building a statue felt somewhat ominous...
But he couldn't resist the villagers' enthusiasm, with phrases like "Aiden-sama's kindness can never be repaid" and "We pledge eternal loyalty to Paldea" being thrown around.
What could he say?
However, after dismantling Kitakami overnight, the subsequent reconstruction didn't require his involvement. The new mayor and specialists sent by Paldea would soon take charge of re-planning.
Aiden could finally enjoy his vacation again.
...
Crystal Pool, a volcanic lake atop Oni Mountain, was one of the six classic attractions of Kitakami.
Today's destination for Aiden and his companions was here.
Due to the "ghost" legend and the presence of unfriendly Pokémon on the mountain, few dared to climb Oni Mountain.
Even Paldea knew little about this lake rich in special crystals.
But now that the "ghost" had been captured by Aiden, there was nothing to fear!
As for any Pokémon daring to block their path, they would become experience fodder for Sylveon and Riolu.
Oni Mountain wasn't particularly tall, so the climb and battles didn't last long. Aiden soon reached the summit first.
Upon seeing the large, colorful crystal cluster in the lake, Aiden quickly revealed an expression of confirmation.
His guess was correct.
The crystals in Crystal Pool were none other than the Tera Crystals from Area Zero!
"Pon..."
Meanwhile, Ogerpon wore a nostalgic expression.
Even during the climb, it had stayed hidden behind Aiden, yet it now stepped forward on its own, slowly approaching the lakeside as if wanting to reach out and scoop up the crystals.
Seeing this, Aiden became even more certain of his suspicions—
Crystal Pool might indeed be a natural landscape of Oni Mountain, but the crystals within were clearly connected to Ogerpon—or rather, the man who brought Tera Crystals to Kitakami.
Both the gemstones embedded in the masks and Ogerpon's current behavior confirmed this.
Among humans who encountered Area Zero a hundred years ago, only members of the Heath Expedition or their descendants were likely involved.
Just then, the lake surface began to tremble slightly.
"Pon?!"
Ogerpon, lost in memories, immediately stopped and cautiously prepared for any potential enemies emerging from beneath the water.
Aiden also tensed up.
Soon, a slender black shadow appeared beneath the rippling surface.
With a loud splash, a massive creature leaped out of the water, landing on the shore and emitting a threatening roar.
"Mio!!!"
A serpentine Pokémon of immense size appeared before Aiden.
Milotic!
But unlike Cynthia's Milotic, this one was even larger, likely due to prolonged exposure to Tera Crystals.
Its body glowed with a deep purple light, and the Tera energy emanating from its head formed a ghost-like shape.
Clearly, like wild Pokémon that wandered into Area Zero, it had absorbed Tera Crystals to gain the ability to Terastallize continuously.
Aiden suddenly recalled that in the game, encountering this battle was part of the storyline upon first visiting Crystal Pool.
Was this Milotic the guardian of Crystal Pool?
"This Milotic is powerful—far beyond the level of the Pokémon we encountered earlier."
Even Cynthia felt its overwhelming presence, furrowing her brows as she took out a Poké Ball, preparing for battle.
"It seems we're going to have another fight."
Aiden sighed, about to command Ogerpon, when he noticed its joyful expression upon seeing Milotic.
"Pon yoh~"
Ogerpon trotted toward Milotic, waving its hands repeatedly.
It seemed to recognize Milotic.
"Mio?"
Upon seeing Ogerpon, Milotic, which had previously looked ready to attack, instantly softened, its eyes narrowing into slits.
Milotic quickly moved, gliding across the ground to Ogerpon. Wrapping its soft, moist body around Ogerpon, it emitted sweet giggles.
Seeing this, Cynthia relaxed.
She owned a Milotic herself, so she understood the meaning of this body language.
Only those with extremely close relationships would engage in such contact-maximizing actions.
"This Milotic seems to know Ogerpon, and their relationship appears to be very good?"
Aiden was momentarily stunned, then realized.
"Ah, I see. Perhaps this Milotic was left behind by the legendary man from a hundred years ago?"
This also explained why, in the storyline, this Milotic couldn't be captured and had to be defeated to approach Crystal Pool.
Thanks to Ogerpon's presence, they had avoided a troublesome battle.
Ogerpon soon finished interacting with Milotic. After a brief exchange, Milotic retracted its long tail, which had been blocking access to Crystal Pool.
The security system of Crystal Pool was effortlessly dismantled by "face-hacking" Ogerpon.
After politely nodding to Milotic, Aiden stepped forward, scooping up a handful of lake water to examine closely.
Not only were there crystals at the bottom of the lake, but even the water contained tiny Tera fragments, identical to the material used in Tera Orbs...
Confirming his suspicions, Aiden quickly took out his Rotom Phone, capturing everything he saw.
With Area Zero temporarily sealed off, perhaps Tera phenomenon research could continue through Crystal Pool?
In any case, he'd send the intelligence to President Geeta first.
---
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