Catch Feelings, Not Just Pokemon

In the grand tapestry of the Pokémon world, the tale of Ogerpon stands out as one of the most brutal.

Unlike most stories in this universe, hers deals with something all too real—death. And not just any death, but one steeped in cruel plunder and cold-blooded murder.

A long time ago, Ogerpon and a foreign traveler arrived at Greengrass Town.

Because the outsider and Ogerpon looked so different from the locals, the people of Kitakami Village rejected them outright.

Eventually, the two had no choice but to retreat to the Fearsome Cave atop Oni Mountain, living a humble and secluded life.

Moved by sympathy, a mask artisan from Greengrass Town crafted four glittering masks for them using gemstones the outsider had brought from afar.

With those masks, they were able to disguise themselves as locals and take part in the town's Mask Festival.

But the peace didn't last.

News of the radiant masks eventually reached other lands, attracting the greed of the mythical Pokémon Pecharunt, who manipulated three Poison Beast Pokémon—Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti—to steal them.

Taking advantage of Ogerpon's absence, the three broke into the Fearsome Cave and seized three of the masks. Only the Verdant Mask was saved, fiercely protected by the foreign traveler.

As for the traveler themself… while the Pokémon legends never explicitly say so, the fact that no record of them exists afterward suggests they likely perished during the raid.

When Ogerpon returned and discovered what had happened, she took the last remaining mask and her thorny club, and defeated the Poison Beasts in a rage.

Wounded, she dragged herself back to the Fearsome Cave alone. She never did retrieve the other three masks.

And yet, in a cruel twist of fate, the villagers of Kitakami, who had witnessed the aftermath, believed it was the three Poison Beasts who had saved Greengrass Town from the "evil ogre."

They gave the trio grand funerals, built statues and a shrine in their honor, and began reverently referring to them as the "Loyal Three."

From then on, Ogerpon was branded not as a protector, but as the "Ogre of Malevolence"—a wicked spirit to be vanquished.

But the truth is, those three "Loyal" Pokémon never died.

Not only that—Pecharunt, the mastermind, also lived on.

Maybe Ogerpon had spared them at the last moment. Or maybe it was simply the overwhelming resilience granted to mythical Pokémon and semi-legendary beings. Whatever the case, one day they would inevitably rise again…

…and come seeking revenge against Ogerpon.

As fate would have it, in the game's story, the very shrine standing before Professor Haru—a structure adorned with three statues—actually holds the three Poison Beasts within.

But here's the contradiction: Ogerpon's tale supposedly took place centuries ago.

And yet, this shrine is clearly new—built only in recent years.

By all logic, there's no way the three beasts buried long ago could be here.

Yet here they are.

A paradox? Or had someone simply moved their resting place?

Either way, it was obvious the villagers of Kitakami had no idea that the "Loyal Three" were sealed right under their noses...

"Professor Haru, are you perhaps interested in the Loyal Three of Kitakami?"

Haru had apparently lingered too long before the shrine, catching the attention of the local community center manager, who had been chatting with some middle-aged townsfolk nearby.

At first, the manager had simply treated Haru like any other visiting "tourist," following the standard welcome procedures.

But he hadn't expected that one of them would be such a big deal—someone who could casually summon a legendary Pokémon.

Kitakami might be remote, but that didn't mean they were clueless about what a legendary Pokémon was.

In this world, most information about Pokémon was considered "common knowledge."

They knew full well that a legendary Pokémon was incomparably rarer than even a shiny—and stood as a living embodiment of power.

And many of them were not only powerful, but breathtakingly beautiful—eternal, ageless, and magnificent.

So ever since then, the manager had kept a close eye on these travelers from Paldea.

He didn't think they'd cause any trouble; he was just deeply curious about what kind of people could own a legendary Pokémon.

Naturally, that curiosity extended to Haru as well—especially as someone so close to a legendary Pokémon's trainer.

"Oh, don't mind me," Haru said with a smile and a shake of his head. "Just looking around."

He made no comment on the term "Loyal Three."

Because sometimes, even if you lay the truth and undeniable evidence bare before people, they will simply ignore it—and continue to recite lies that have circulated for generations.

That was the tragedy of Ogerpon.

Even if her name were cleared, even if the villagers were shown that she had never been the villain, they would still raise funds to rebuild the statues and shrine of the "Loyal Three," and continue passing down the same distorted tale.

Haru found it infuriating—but he also understood.

Greengrass Town no longer cared whether the story of the ogre and the "Loyal Three" was true or not. They had turned it into a marketing tool for tourism.

At that point, whether Ogerpon was truly an ogre or not didn't matter anymore.

"But I'm curious," Haru asked. "Was this shrine built by you locals?"

"Oh, the shrine?" The manager shook his head. "No, actually, we didn't build it."

He went on:

"About two years ago, some travelers came by—just like you lot. They were really into the local legends."

"After learning about the Loyal Three, they volunteered to fund a new shrine in their honor. That's the one you're looking at now."

"Truth be told, we owe them quite a bit. The old shrine had long since fallen into disrepair."

"And it's thanks to them that the legends of Kitakami have spread beyond our little village."

"Look around, Professor Haru—see all those rows of red torii gates?"

"They were put up by those outsiders, too. Each one is inscribed with stories of the ogre and the Loyal Three."

Haru frowned slightly. "Outsiders?"

"Yes, outsiders."

"Do you know where they were from?"

The old man furrowed his brow in thought. After a moment's pause, he said:

"Seemed like they might've come from Sinnoh—but I can't say for sure."

"I see. Thank you."

Feeling he could dig no further from this elderly man, Haru gave a polite nod.

"Oh, and Professor Haru—tomorrow's the Mask Festival here in Kitakami. You must come join the fun!"

"Absolutely," Haru replied.

He had no interest in festivals.

But when it came to Ogerpon… his interest was anything but casual.

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