As the final round began, Ogerpon finally took the field. She wore no mask, revealing an adorable little fang. Her starry eyes fixed a fierce yet cute stare on Pikachu, who had stopped in front of her.
"Wum~"
At the sight of Ogerpon, even Ash looked surprised, let alone the spectators. He tilted his head, practically sporting a question mark.
"Huh? That's a Pokémon?"
"I always thought she was his little sister. I keep seeing him leading her around."
"She looks more like his daughter to me..."
"It's because her expressions are so much like Mingyou's."
"I think she's a rare Pokémon called Ogerpon. You can find her name and type in the Pokédex, but everything else is unknown."
"Ogerpon's so cute. I want to cuddle her to sleep..."
The crowd buzzed with discussion. Ogerpon always wore her Ogre Mask when she ran around, and she followed Mingyou everywhere like his little shadow. People who hadn't looked into Ogerpon usually took her for an oddly dressed little girl.
This was Ogerpon's first real appearance before the public, and Mingyou had planned it that way. He had specifically chosen her as his Starter Pokémon to face Ash's Starter Pokémon.
He also wanted Ogerpon to become a star Pokémon on this stage, with all eyes on her—to win everyone's affection and let the world know who she was!
Meanwhile, in the stands, Iris and the others finally caught on. Their faces filled with disbelief. "Ogerpon's a Pokémon?"
"We've moved past that topic."
Carmine answered with a smile, suddenly feeling as though she had something to brag about.
Akari smiled. She hadn't expected them to spend so many days together without realizing it.
Was Ogerpon's disguise that convincing, or were these people just that dense? Either way, the match mattered more.
As the