Sora Kenji didn't stay any longer at Grandpa Yukitada's ho.
Having played the ga, he knew the old couple's character well, so he felt completely at ease entrusting the mask repair to him.
After finishing his conversation with the old man, Sora Kenji didn't linger around Mossui Town.
"Let's go, Lilligant."
He carefully scanned the surroundings. Seeing that no one was paying attention, he quickly slipped into the dark forest with Lilligant and followed the sa path back to the campsite cave.
"Bini!"
"Ponéun!"
The mont they saw Sora Kenji and Lilligant, Victini and Ogerpon rushed toward them excitedly.
Victini's reaction was expected.
What surprised Sora Kenji was that Ogerpon showed the sa level of affection.
"Alright, alright. Sorry to keep you waiting."
Holding one in each arm, Sora Kenji led them back toward the cave.
As they walked, he explained how he had gone down the mountain to find the mask craftsman.
"Sorry about that, Ponpon," he said.
"You'll have to be without your mask for a little while longer."
"Poné~~"
After listening, the little one simply shook her head.
She didn't mind when Sora Kenji would return the mask.
To Ogerpon, the mask was important—
but Sora Kenji was just as important.
Ponpon trusts Sora Kenji.
He couldn't understand her words, but so things didn't need translation. He could feel the trust she placed in him.
"Mm."
Sora Kenji gently patted her head and smiled.
"Tomorrow, once we get your mask back, let see your strength."
"Poné!"
Ogerpon imdiately agreed.
Even without her mask, she believed she could still protect Sora Kenji.
Of course, the mask mattered too.
With it, she could unleash her true power.
Night fully descended.
Sora Kenji switched off the lamp beside him, and the four of them squeezed together inside the tent.
"Poné..."
"Bi!"
"Lilligant~"
They leaned against one another.
At his side was Lilligant, giving off a gentle floral fragrance.
On his right, a small, curled-up Ogerpon clung tightly to his arm like a little dumpling.
"Mm…"
But the heaviest weight—
was the Victory Pokémon sprawled across his chest.
For reference, the official weight of Victini was 4 kilograms.
But Sora Kenji's V, thanks to recent good eating, had grown slightly heavier—reaching about 5 kilograms.
"Is this the true strength of Pokémon-world humans?"
Despite having such a solid weight pressing on his chest, Sora Kenji only felt as if he were hugging a soft plush toy.
Then again, considering the absurd durability of Team Rocket mbers, he still had a long way to go.
"Ah well."
He closed his eyes.
"Being able to live peacefully alongside Pokémon is already good enough. No need to aim for becoming so superhuman protagonist."
Soon, morning arrived.
Sora Kenji prepared breakfast for the Pokémon. He asked Ogerpon to stay behind while he returned to Yukitada's ho.
Dawn had just broken, and the streets were still empty.
He visited quietly.
The old man had already gone to bed, but Grandma Shuzi had been waiting.
"Mr. Sora Kenji, you've co?"
Seeing him, she quickly brought out the Teal Mask, carefully wrapped in cloth.
"It's been fully repaired. Please return it to that child."
"Thank you for your hard work."
Sora Kenji expressed his gratitude sincerely.
Kitakami might have many unpleasant people—
but there were still kind ones.
The reason he had been so cautious about direct contact was precisely to avoid dragging Yukitada and Shuzi into whatever might happen next.
"It's nothing," Grandma Shuzi said with a gentle smile.
She placed a hand on her cheek, her eyes filled with nostalgia.
"I haven't seen him like that in a long ti."
"It felt like we were young again," she continued.
"He's already so old, yet he worked all night like an excited child."
She complained lightly about her husband—but the deep affection between them was impossible to miss.
"Oh, right."
She looked at Sora Kenji seriously.
"Before going to sleep, he specifically asked to pass along a request."
"Please go ahead."
Having received their help, Sora Kenji had no intention of refusing sothing within his ability.
However, the request turned out to be unexpected.
"Please take that child away."
Grandma Shuzi spoke softly.
"It's enough. That child's future shouldn't remain trapped in this land."
"We're counting on you…"
"Understood."
Sora Kenji didn't respond with polite deflections like "We'll see what Ponpon wants."
He had co to Kitakami from the start to recruit Ogerpon—heart and all.
There was no point pretending otherwise.
After all—
he really did want Ogerpon on his team.
"As a trainer, that's only natural," he said with a smile.
"I'll take her out of Kitakami and show her the outside world."
The more Sora Kenji interacted with kind people in the Pokémon world, the more he felt how beautiful this world could be.
Yukitada.
Shuzi.
And the man who once cared for Ogerpon like family.
There was a saying:
People who love Pokémon can't be bad.
Maybe it was a bit absolute—
but Sora Kenji was willing to believe it.
"Lilligant?"
"Lilligant?"
"eting all of you… I'm really glad."
"Lilli~"
Lilligant didn't quite understand what he ant, but she gently took his hand with her leaf-like arm and let out a cheerful sound.
Sora Kenji didn't stay in Mossui Town any longer.
His objective had always been clear.
He headed straight back to the cave with the repaired mask.
"I'm back!"
"Ponpon—here."
He imdiately handed the mask to Ogerpon.
"It's been fixed. Try it on."
"Poné!"
Ogerpon stared blankly at the mask in her hands.
For a long mont, she said nothing.
Then slowly, she placed it back onto her face.
"Ponéao!!!"
In the next instant—
the gemstone on the mask burst into a brilliant green glow.
A powerful surge of energy erupted from within her.
She stood there—small in stature—yet the pressure she emitted was so overwhelming that even Lilligant, already above level 60, felt intense strain.
Strong.
Very strong.
If Ogerpon without her mask had been around level 50 to 60—
then now, with the mask restored, she had clearly surpassed level 70 and was approaching level 80.
"This… the change is that big?"
Sora Kenji wasn't a reckless battler like Ash.
He leaned more toward the analytical, research-oriented type of trainer.
Carefully comparing Ogerpon's condition before and after, he recalled the events from the ga.
"I see now," he muttered.
"No wonder Ponpon got bullied by those three without her mask."
—------------------------------
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