Another Encounter with Sinistcha (Please keep reading)

That afternoon, at the Manor.

"Mm..."

Ogerpon sat crouched on the steps by the entrance, hugging the Ogre Mask they had recovered, like a child who had disobeyed their parents and made a mistake, waiting to be scolded.

But how could Mingyou possibly scold Ogerpon? He could hardly dote on them enough. Still, remembering what had happened at Kitakami Center, he decided they needed a proper talk.

"You still really want to come with me, don't you?"

"Mm..."

Ogerpon nodded gently. They didn't want to stay home playing, unable to help at all, while Mingyou went out to earn a living for the family. But...

Mingyou already knew what Ogerpon was worried about. It all came down to that story in Kitakami, which made its people hate the ogre and want to drive them away. But didn't Ogerpon hate and fear those people just as much?

Everything had to have a cause. This had happened hundreds of years ago, and all the people from that time had long since turned to dust. Only Ogerpon remained.

Thinking of this, he stroked Ogerpon's head and asked softly, "So what exactly happened hundreds of years ago? Do you still remember?"

"Mm..."

Ogerpon shook their head. Too much time had passed, and with the masks that held their memories missing, they struggled to recall what had actually happened.

But it seemed they really had... used Ivy Cudgel to beat three Pokémon to death.

"I see. I understand..."

Mingyou didn't press any further. Ogerpon was so considerate that even when Munchlax secretly took their snacks, they wouldn't snatch them back. They would only smile, happy to share. He almost never saw them get angry.

Would someone with that temperament kill Pokémon? Those Loyal Three must have done something to make Ogerpon lose control and beat them all to death.

After all, Ogerpon was his companion. Whether out of affection or principle, he would stand by them. That was what trust meant.

"It looks like Kitakami's history might be hiding some truth that's yet to come to light..."

Mingyou pondered this. It seemed that besides recovering Ogerpon's masks, he now had another task: helping clear Ogerpon's name!

But returning to their earlier topic, there really wasn't any way to take Ogerpon to Kitakami Center for fun just yet. They would definitely be recognized, and that might cause an uproar.

"Oh, right..."

Something suddenly occurred to Mingyou. He immediately turned to Ogerpon and said with a smile, "I heard the Festival of Masks starts in a week. Everyone will be wearing masks there, so you can wear your Ogre Mask and come with me. That way, no one will recognize you."

"Mm?"

Ogerpon did have quite a few memories of the Festival of Masks. It seemed they had gone with someone before... But more often, they had stood alone at the edge of a cliff, gazing down at the lively festivities below.

"What do you think? Want to go?"

"Mm!"

I want to go have fun with Mingyou!

Watching Ogerpon jump to their feet, Mingyou stroked their head and said with a smile, "All right, then. Just wait another week. I'll make some preparations too."

"Mm~"

"Woo!"

A sudden, shrill cry interrupted their conversation. Looking up, he saw Latias dive down from above the villa. The gust she whipped up nearly blew Mingyou off his feet.

She was furious. Why hadn't he invited her along when he went out to have fun? No wonder she hadn't found anyone despite spending half the day wandering around the Manor. She had been left behind again.

"I only went out to run my stall today..."

Mingyou scratched his head, then continued, "Besides, you can't exactly go there openly. If Latias showed up, you'd definitely draw a crowd. I was planning to take you along when the Festival of Masks starts, with you using your invisibility."

"Woo..."

Only then did Latias blink in realization. Invisibility... She could indeed cover her body with glasslike feathers, refracting light to change her appearance and conceal herself.

But that would be no fun. If nobody could see her, it wouldn't feel like she was part of the festivities at all...

No, I have to think of something!

Latias promptly left. With his hands on his hips, Mingyou watched her fly away, unsure what this silly girl was planning now. As long as it wasn't too outrageous.

He looked back toward Gible, who was peeking out from beside the sofa in the living room, and asked with a smile, "Want to come have fun with us?"

"Gib..."

Gible hesitated, but still turned and ran away. Although Gible had begun to feel a sense of belonging at the Manor, there was still some distrust of humans.

Mingyou smiled helplessly. Naturally, he wouldn't force the issue. It was enough that Gible enjoyed living here.

"Then let's eat first, and tomorrow we'll head out to run the stall again!"

"Mm~"

Over the next few days, Mingyou settled into a routine of going to Kitakami Center with Wyrdeer and Munchlax to run his stall. He would return home at noon to cook for Ogerpon and the others, then head out again in the afternoon, staying busy until evening.

Business wasn't particularly good, though. The number of tourists had clearly increased, but his stall was still too far out of the way. Even with Professor Kukui helping advertise, the same limited selection of moves made the goods hard to sell.

Of course... he also encountered more tourists looking for trouble. They would see what his advertisement said and accuse him of ripping people off without even asking a question. Some even took videos and photos and posted them online.

Mingyou could only laugh it off. He was running a business, after all. How could he argue with customers? But if they wanted to get physical, that would be a different matter. He wasn't afraid of them.

At last, the day before the Festival of Masks arrived. That afternoon...

"Let's go. Time to pack up and head home for dinner."

Mingyou packed away the goods he had brought. He had actually sold some apple snacks today. At only a few bucks a portion, they tasted better than the other stalls' offerings and were a little cheaper too.

Wyrdeer stood up and released psychic energy, securing all the goods inside the bags carried on either side so they wouldn't fall out on the way home.

Munchlax yawned. Over the past few days, Munchlax had often run around nearby, and everyone knew this was Mingyou's Pokémon. Nobody connected Munchlax with the culprit who had stolen the Loyal Three's offerings two months earlier.

Mingyou recalled Munchlax into a Poké Ball, then climbed onto Wyrdeer. Just as he was about to head down the mountain and go home, he suddenly felt someone watching him and instinctively looked over.

Beneath an ice cream stall, a familiar tea caddy was secretly watching him. It was Sinistcha, whom he hadn't seen for nearly a month after their departure from the Manor.

"Wait a moment..."

Mingyou had Wyrdeer stop, then climbed down and walked toward the stall opposite them.

The stall owner was a middle-aged man who also lived in Verdant Town. He and Mingyou weren't close, but having seen each other often over the past few days, they were at least acquainted.

"Want some ice cream, young man?"

"Uh... then..."

Mingyou was just thinking he might as well buy some to take home for Ogerpon when the stall owner noticed that his gaze wasn't on the stall, but underneath it.

He instinctively looked down... His expression froze for a moment before he let out a terrified cry.

"...There's a Sinistcha!!!"

In Kitakami, Sinistcha was almost universally a source of childhood trauma. If someone hadn't been frightened by their parents' stories about Sinistcha sprinkling matcha powder when they were little, their childhood simply wasn't complete.

Of course... that excluded anyone without parents.

Startled by Sinistcha, the stall owner loudly complained about his rotten luck. Matcha flavoring was banned in Kitakami because everyone feared that Sinistcha might mix in their own matcha powder, then drain the vitality—or even the life—of anyone who drank it!

Seeing that they had been discovered, Sinistcha floated straight out from beneath the stall. The owner's shout, however, had already drawn over some tourists and students.

"Sinistcha? Is it wild?"

"Looks like it..."

"It really is a tea caddy, just like in the Pokédex!"

"It doesn't look anything like Sinistea. It's not as cute as Sinistea either."

"You guys keep chatting. First come, first served!"

"..."

Sinistcha were currently found only in Kitakami, and they were extremely rare. Many people had only ever seen one in the Pokédex. Naturally, now that one had appeared, someone would want to catch it.

Seeing this, Mingyou stopped in his tracks. Only when he noticed the angry expression appearing on Sinistcha's tea caddy did he realize he might have made a mistake and ruined their plan.

"My fault. I actually forgot that people in Kitakami are afraid of Sinistcha..."