Gathering information turned out to be much easier than Natsu had anticipated.
At first, he was treated like a walking half-million in cash, but conversing with the younger crowd was surprisingly smooth.
After all, these were people who had grown up in the modern world, imrsed in the internet.
Nothing really surprised them anymore.
A Trainer exploring the area? That was nothing.
Even if soone decided to do a handstand in the middle of the street while suffering from an upset stomach, the most people would do was casually record the spectacle and send it to their friends—just to gross them out.
"No way I'm suffering through this alone!"
—
"So far, it seems like those three have been sticking around this area without straying too far."
"But they also never appear before humans."
Based on the information Natsu had gathered and the scarce eyewitness accounts, he was fairly certain those three Pokémon were still nearby. For so reason, they hadn't left yet.
Maybe they were waiting for Ogerpon to return so they could snatch its last mask.
Or perhaps they were keeping an eye on each other’s masks.
Who knew?
Natsu could hardly understand human motives, let alone those of Pokémon.
"Gallade, what do you think?"
Closing his notebook, Natsu turned to the Pokémon beside him.
As a Psychic-type, Gallade possessed a certain level of insight into human emotions.
Especially its evolutionary line, which included Gardevoir.
Gallade was no exception.
While it couldn't analyze and strategize like a Slowking, it could at least help Natsu discern truth from lies.
"Gallade."
Standing half a step behind Natsu, arms crossed, Gallade contemplated for a mont before concluding—
Enough talk. Ti for action.
So far, those three thieves showed no intention of revealing themselves.
If they had the Teal Mask, maybe they could try using it as bait.
But unfortunately, they didn’t.
Strictly speaking, Ogerpon itself would make even better bait than the mask.
If Natsu let Ogerpon out, word would spread across the town in an instant.
It probably wouldn’t take long before those three showed up on their own.
But that idea was quickly dismissed as soon as it ford in Gallade’s mind.
On normal days, Ogerpon got along well with those three.
It even helped babysit Gallade and Gardevoir’s younger siblings from ti to ti, giving them a rare chance to relax.
Though, to be fair, Ogerpon mostly just wanted to play.
Still, their friendship was real.
They had all been forced to leave their hos, wandering from place to place until they finally found sowhere to belong.
In so ways, Gallade could understand the sadness in Ogerpon’s heart.
Forcing it to stand in the place it was driven from, surrounded by hostile gazes from all sides…
That was just cruel.
Strength and emotional resilience didn’t always go hand in hand.
Ogerpon might be strong, but deep down, it was still just a child.
And for sensitive children, even an unintentional glance could be unsettling.
"Yeah, just wandering around like this isn’t getting us anywhere."
After thinking it over, Natsu had to agree.
If not for his goal of clearing Ogerpon’s na, he wouldn’t have wasted ti probing the townsfolk’s opinions about it and those three thieves in the first place.
After all, in the gas, those three were nothing more than punching bags for Ogerpon.
Natsu figured even Corviknight could take them in a one-on-one fight.
"Wait… these guys are supposed to be legendary?"
Tapping his fingers against his notebook, Natsu hesitated.
According to the gas, they’d be classified as Mythical Pokémon at best.
But their story?
Stealing things, getting absolutely wrecked by Ogerpon, and then being given a grand burial by the locals?
Yeah.
Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti got completely obliterated by Ogerpon.
That’s… quite the reputation.
Or rather—what reputation?
This was almost as bad as Phione, the so-called "Sea Drifter" that had been relegated to nothing more than a common species due to its numbers and poor in-ga performance.
Actually, no. In so ways, Phione was better.
At least it was cute.
Phione had them beat in terms of looks—three to one.
Yeah. That made it even more embarrassing.
Now that he thought about it, Natsu kind of hoped those three were classified as Legendary or Mythical Pokémon.
That way, Suicune could finally shed its title as the most disgraceful Legendary.
Sure, Suicune might have had so embarrassing monts, but back in the day, the Legendary Beasts still carried an air of dignity and elegance.
What changed?
Pokémon used to have so much personality—cool ones, cute ones, terrifying ones.
Even the ugly ones had their own distinct charm.
But these days?
A lot of them just looked weird. Forgettable, even.
Well, except for Basculegion.
That one was aweso.
It had the kind of powerful beauty that made an impression.
"Rotom, bring up the map."
"Got it, Roto!"
Still dizzy from its motion sickness, Rotom had been resting in Natsu’s pocket.
It floated out, and the phone screen lit up automatically, displaying a map with a chibi avatar of Natsu in the center.
That was sothing Rotom had designed a few days ago when it was bored.
It had been quite a challenge.
Unlike those characters who wore a single outfit throughout an entire story, Natsu’s appearance changed too often for one distinct look to stand out.
Rotom had put in a lot of effort to create this design.
"Let’s start with Munkidori."
"If I rember correctly, the last sighting was around…"
Holding his phone, Natsu studied the map.
Generally speaking, monkey-like characters—or monkey Pokémon, for that matter—tended to have a few common traits.
Cunning. Sneaky.
The mont they sensed trouble, they’d imdiately hide or escape.
Which inevitably led to drawn-out chase scenes.
A complete waste of ti.
Munkidori was a Poison/Psychic-type.
Just looking at that typing, Natsu could already tell it was going to be an annoying opponent.
He’d probably have to deal with so headaches.
To prevent it from hiding, he decided to deal with it first.
Take down the most slippery one first, then move on to the other two.
After that, he could gather the evidence needed to clear Ogerpon’s na.
Natsu wasn’t planning to convince the townsfolk of anything.
Changing a belief that had been ingrained for years wasn’t easy.
In the past, this kind of situation would have required a crisis—one where Ogerpon had to step in, prove itself through countless trials, and finally, finally resolve the misunderstanding.
But now?
This was the internet age.
Once he had proof, all he had to do was reach out to so dia outlets, throw so money around, and flood the web with reports.
Slap it on the trending list for a few days.
Done.
People loved drama.
If anything, watching idols fall from grace was an instinctual, almost primal form of entertainnt.
Warlords defeated. Saints exposed as frauds. Wealthy tycoons bankrupt.
People never got tired of that kind of story.
Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti had once been revered as noble companions…
And now?
They were about to be exposed as nothing more than common thieves.
Natsu could already picture the chaos online.
Would people believe it?
The answer is: absolutely. And a lot of them, too.
Because stories about a dramatic downfall and reversal are exactly the kind of narratives people love to see. Once they latch onto it, they’ll cling to it as truth.
"Gallade."
Natsu, fix your expression.
Walking half a step behind, Gallade gently poked Natsu’s arm.
Natsu’s current expression looked… questionable, to say the least.
Like one of those scheming ani villains plotting against the protagonist.
In short, not the face of a good guy.
"Ah, right."
Natsu rubbed his face and returned to his usual expression.
This is what you call changing faces (strike that).
"Co on out, Gardevoir, Absol."
After leaving the town, Natsu tossed two Poké Balls.
With a flash of white light, two figures erged.
Gardevoir, a Psychic-type, was perfect for locating the hiding Munkidori.
Even if the target tried to escape, Gardevoir could lock onto them with psychic powers— a trick Natsu had learned from w.
As for Absol, a Dark-type, it had the advantage against the Poison/Psychic Munkidori.
And it could also double as a tracking hound.
Four-legged stance, canine features, keen senses.
That’s basically a search dog, right?
If anything, even better.
"Absol?"
Just as Absol landed on the ground, a sudden chill ran down its spine. It lifted its head, scanning its surroundings.
Weird. Why does it feel like soone’s badmouthing ?
I’ll rember this.
Even if I don’t know who’s talking smack about , I’ll just keep a grudge anyway!
"Gardevoir, I need your help finding a certain Pokémon."
A town’s outskirts might not sound like a large area, but trying to locate a small, conscious Pokémon that was actively hiding was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Natsu could only let Gardevoir try first, expanding its psychic field to see if anything stood out.
If that didn’t work, well…
Plan B: w, fetch that monkey.
Oh, mighty w, please deliver this Munkidori unto .
Cough cough, kidding.
Natsu didn’t want to rely on w for everything unless absolutely necessary.
Otherwise, he might develop a bad habit of dependence, which wasn’t good in the long run.
It’s just like those martial artists in ani.
At first, they master techniques and strategies.
Then, once supernatural elents co into play, the once-brilliant fighters devolve into mindless brutes.
If a problem can be solved with a punch, why overthink it?
Sure, brute force was quick and effective.
But if you keep relying on it, you end up like a certain superhero—
Wise before transformation, brain-dead after.
"Garde."
Gardevoir nodded and, mimicking Slowking, unleashed its psychic energy.
A shimring blue aura spread outward, forming a visible do that expanded from Gardevoir’s position, enveloping the surroundings.
Even the town itself was included.
The townspeople panicked. So followed the light’s source, trying to see what was going on.
But by the ti they got there, Natsu and his Pokémon were already gone, leaving nothing behind.
"?"
Deep in the forest, Munkidori, who had been casually toying with a blue heart-shaped mask, suddenly froze.
Its cunning eyes flickered with doubt.
What was that imnse psychic wave just now?
Did the town have a Pokémon that powerful?
It absentmindedly fiddled with the Well Mask, then instinctively concealed itself.
The reason it lingered here all this ti…
Was to get the last missing mask.
Originally, it planned to keep pressuring Ogerpon.
After all, Ogerpon was undoubtedly stronger than them.
But then, one dark and stormy night— Ogerpon ran away.
And that threw them off completely.
Dude, you’re strong.
Why the hell did you run when we were playing with you?!
Munkidori had considered searching for Ogerpon.
But it had no leads.
So, it stayed here, hoping Ogerpon would return.
Strictly speaking, Munkidori wasn’t actually that interested in the mask itself.
It only tried to steal it because a certain Pokémon told it to.
Still, the mask was kinda cool, so it figured— why not hold onto it a little longer before handing it over?
But instead of Ogerpon, sothing even more troubleso had co knocking.
Whoever that was, they weren’t just here for sightseeing.
"Tch."
Munkidori scratched its head, annoyed.
Better lay low for now.
At all tis, priority number one was self-preservation.
It didn’t understand phrases like "live to fight another day,"
But it did know one thing:
Those two idiots? If they died, whatever.
They were replaceable.
But if I die? That’s ga over.
What, soone will avenge ?
Pfft. Like I’d even be around to see it.
With that thought, Munkidori grabbed the Well Mask and the small stash of treasures it had collected over ti and prepared to escape.
Only to find its path blocked.
"Ah, hello there, thief."
Natsu raised a hand and gave a friendly wave to the startled Munkidori.
If he rembered correctly, in the ga, Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti had only managed to steal the masks from a human by working together.
Then they got absolutely wrecked by Ogerpon.
Embarrassing.
In the ga, they stole from a person.
In real life? They waited until Ogerpon wasn’t around and stole it.
Because, let’s be real—
With their strength, trying to take sothing from Ogerpon was about as feasible as making Aqua from Konosuba pass a calculus exam.
Aqua could maybe write her na.
They could maybe stand in front of Ogerpon.
And then?
Nothing.
Just stand there and wait for the end.
"Tchik!"
Upon hearing the word thief, Munkidori instantly realized what was happening.
Ogerpon had brought backup!
"Gallade!"
Standing behind Natsu, Gallade wasn’t in the mood for chit-chat.
His arms glead with energy, transforming into sharp, crossed blades.
In the blink of an eye, he teleported behind Munkidori—
And slashed.
"Tchik!!"
Munkidori, who had just thrown out a Psychic attack in an attempt to flee, took the X-shaped slash straight to the face.
With a pained scream, it was sent flying.
The attack left a deep, glaring wound across its face.
"Gardevoir."
Gardevoir, watching Munkidori hurtling through the air, had nothing but pure disdain in its gaze.
It had zero sympathy for creatures like this.
Raising a hand, it summoned an overwhelming psychic force, slamming Munkidori into the ground.
Boom!
The impact shattered the ground, sending cracks spider-webbing outward.
Absol, who had been gearing up for a finishing move, was just about to bring its scythe-like horn down when—
"Oma!"
A familiar voice rang from behind.
And in the next second—
Sothing leaped off Absol’s back.
It caught a glimpse of a small, shadowy figure soaring overhead—
Ogerpon.
Wielding its thorned club.
And it brought it down hard on Munkidori's skull.
Even after landing a successful hit, Ogerpon still didn’t feel satisfied.
The thorned club in its hands seed to beco an illusion, striking Munkidori's head dozens of tis in a single second.
At that mont, Absol felt as if it had heard sothing shatter.
Though its angle of view was limited, Absol was certain—Ogerpon was absolutely furious.
It wanted nothing more than to tear this guy apart.
After hesitating slightly, Absol dissipated the Dark-type energy it had gathered.
Well, it might as well let Ogerpon have this revenge first.
Like Gallade, Absol could understand Ogerpon quite well—just in a different way.
Gallade sympathized with the pain of being displaced from ho.
Absol, on the other hand, understood Ogerpon's desire to understand.
Even now, Absol still rembered the embarrassing history of nearly being crushed to death by Ting-Lu.
Even though Ting-Lu was now a companion on the farm, that didn’t stop Absol from always being ready to settle the score.
Just you wait—one day, I’ll make sure you get what’s coming to you!
Absol, three years old this year, holds grudges very strongly.
Under the relentless assault, the well-crafted Water Well Mask slipped from Munkidori’s tightly clenched hands, tumbling to the side.
At this mont, the exquisite mask was treated like a re roadside pebble, left unnoticed.
Gardevoir pressed Munkidori down with one hand while extending the other, using Psychic to lift the mask into its grasp.
This was the very reason they ca here—losing it due to so accident would be unacceptable.
Screech.
Munkidori planted its hands on the ground, struggling to lift itself.
But the intense pain and dizziness from the blows to its head caused its arms to buckle, and it was once again pinned down by Psychic.
Strictly speaking, Munkidori was actually a very powerful Pokémon.
A total base stat of 555, with 130 in Special Attack and 105 in Speed.
Moreover, its signature ability, Toxic Chain, granted a 30% chance to badly poison its target with every attack.
With its high Special Attack, impressive Speed, and an annoyingly persistent ability, Munkidori should have been an absolute nace in most battles.
Unfortunately, Natsu had no interest in playing fair.
What fair fight? What nonsense.
Winning was the only thing that mattered.
Besides, base stats were only a reference—a asure of potential, nothing more.
And this particular Munkidori clearly hadn’t tapped into its full potential.
It was weak.
“Uhma!”
As soon as it hit the ground, Ogerpon, still fuming, lifted its thorny club to give Munkidori another brutal strike.
The more it looked at this pathetic figure, the angrier it beca.
Why had it ever been bullied by this kind of opponent?
Back then, I should’ve just beaten them all senseless and hung them from a streetlamp for three days!
After coming to the farm, Ogerpon had experienced many things.
It had made many important friends, t people who were kind to it.
Every day on the farm had been healing the wounds in its heart.
The timid and sowhat self-doubting Ogerpon from before no longer existed.
“All right, all right, Ogerpon, calm down first.”
“I have so questions to ask.”
Natsu spent so effort soothing Ogerpon, barely preventing it from smashing Munkidori’s skull open.
And make no mistake—Ogerpon could absolutely do it.
For Pokémon, losing the ability to battle typically triggered a self-protective state.
As long as they weren’t struck again, they wouldn’t be in life-threatening danger and would gradually recover over ti.
But on the flip side, if they sustained severe damage after already losing their ability to fight, things could turn deadly.
Pokémon were resilient, but not immortal.
Even legendary Pokémon were no exception.
“Uhma.”
Hearing Natsu’s words, Ogerpon, who had been puffing with anger, obediently lowered its club.
At so point, it had co to realize that all those flashy moves were far less effective than its thorny club.
That so-called ultimate attack strengthened through endless buffs?
For Ogerpon, it was just a matter of one good strike.
If one hit wasn’t enough, then two would do.
After this epiphany, Ogerpon had abandoned all the flashy techniques.
In battles, it now relied solely on its thorned club and a few support moves—like Protect.
“I’ll ask you—did soone instruct you to steal the mask? A human or another Pokémon?”
Crouching down, Natsu looked at the heavily restrained Munkidori and asked.
Persian and the Shiny Furret jumped out of their Poké Balls on their own, positioning themselves in front of Natsu.
They had seen plenty of sneaky Pokémon that pretended to submit, only to launch a surprise attack at the right mont.
After asking, Natsu locked eyes with Munkidori.
In the ga, they had been ordered by Pecharunt to steal the mask.
To be precise, after consuming Pecharunt’s Chain Mochi, they had beco completely addicted, rendering them utterly obedient to him.
But in reality, Natsu wasn’t sure if Pecharunt even existed.
So far, he had never heard any ntion of this figure.
Not even in the town’s legends was there any sign of him.
Even among the various unknown, mysterious figures, there was no indication that Pecharunt was one of them.
That left Natsu uncertain.
If he did exist, then Natsu could deal with him too and check if the Verdant Mask was in his possession.
If he didn’t, then the Verdant Mask would have to be found so other way.
“Scraa—”
Pinned to the ground, Munkidori’s vision was starting to blur with stars.
Ogerpon’s attacks just now had been completely rciless.
If it didn’t get treatnt soon, Munkidori had a feeling it might actually die here today.
It needed to answer quickly and hope this human would heal it.
Just as it was about to speak—
A sudden crashing noise echoed from the forest, like trees being toppled.
Sothing was rampaging toward them.
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