Chapter 229: Pecharunt’s Past

The next morning, in the Kitakami Hall's office, the administrator wiped the cold sweat from his forehead as he watched the security footage of last night's chaos. If Summer hadn't stepped in, he didn't even want to imagine how disastrous the consequences could have been.

"This… I never expected such a dangerous Pokémon to be hiding in Verdant Town… I don't even know how to properly thank you, Lord Summer!"

Still dabbing at his sweat, the administrator's mind raced. Never mind the village's reputation—his own life had been at risk! Not only had the townsfolk and Blueberry Academy students been in actual danger, but he himself had even helped Pecharunt by distributing the toxic mochi!

How could I have been so blind? How did I not notice something was off?

But even worse—if Summer hadn't agreed to keep quiet about what happened, the administrator's life as he knew it would have been over.

Nope. No way. As soon as Summer leaves, I'm deleting this footage.

And then… I need to come up with a believable excuse for the students. They can't ever find out about this…

Summer, meanwhile, remained composed. "Administrator, my contract still has a few days left. I'll be staying in Kitakami for a bit longer to finish my assigned work."

"Stay as long as you'd like!" The administrator forced a grin before hesitating. "…Wait. There aren't any more toxic mochi left, are there?"

"There shouldn't be. Pecharunt reabsorbed the scattered energy in order to fight me."

Summer stood up. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

The administrator quickly sprang up, rushing ahead to open the door for him. "No, no, no! Absolutely nothing at all, sir!"

As soon as Summer left, the administrator shut the door behind him and let out a huge sigh of relief.

Why does Kitakami keep running into such big problems lately?

First, the Loyal Three revived. Then, Ogerpon was cleared of blame after centuries. And now, a Pokémon that could control people nearly turned the village into a disaster zone…

Could there be even more dangers lurking in this village that I don't know about…?

—

"Hey! Over here, Summer!"

As Summer stepped outside, he spotted Carmine waving enthusiastically. Kieran was beside her, raising a hand in a smaller, more reserved greeting.

Summer approached them. "How are your grandparents doing?"

Carmine shrugged. "Grandma's totally fine. Grandpa's back's acting up again, though. She's staying home to take care of him."

"And your classmates?"

"No real issues, surprisingly," Kieran said, thinking it over. "Maybe it's just 'cause they're younger?"

"As long as they're fine, that's good. By the way… Where's your teacher?"

Last night, after Summer had told Briar about the emotions imprinted on the Tera crystals, she had suddenly gotten way too excited. She clapped her hands together, shouting something about "Everything makes sense now!" and how emotions were the missing factor in Tera energy fluctuations.

Then, before Summer could even react, she thanked him profusely… and vanished into the night.

Who knew where she ran off to, or what she was doing?

Carmine sighed. "Briar-sensei? Yeah, uh… She went back to Blueberry Academy."

Summer blinked. "Wait, what? She just left you guys here?!"

"She is coming back," Carmine said dryly. "She said she'd return by the end of the trip. And guess what? She put me in charge while she's gone."

Carmine groaned, rubbing her temples. "I dunno if it's 'cause I helped stop the disaster or just 'cause I live here, but she was way too trusting about it…"

Kieran patted her shoulder, grinning. "Hey, look at the bright side—congrats on your promotion!"

Carmine slowly turned to face him, grabbing his shoulders with an eerily calm smile.

"Oh, Kieran," she said sweetly. "You're not getting out of this. Briar also put you in charge—she just told me to tell you since you don't have a phone."

Kieran froze.

"Wait—what?! But I wanted to battle Ogerpon today!"

"Too bad, Assistant Manager Kieran!" Carmine cackled, dragging him away. "We've got responsibilities now!"

"NOOOOOOO—"

Summer watched the two siblings disappear into the distance, shaking his head.

With the immediate crisis resolved, he could finally turn his attention to Pecharunt.

It definitely knew valuable information. Most importantly—the whereabouts of the man who had traveled with Ogerpon in the past.

This was his chance to give Ogerpon the closure it deserved.

—

A quiet hillside.

Pecharunt sat there, surrounded by all-too-familiar faces.

It was confused.

It should have been terrified.

After all, these were the ones who had defeated and humiliated it. And now that it was in human captivity, they would surely torment it—just like it had tormented others.

And yet…

It felt calm.

Summer didn't speak immediately. Instead, he observed the glowing text that appeared around Pecharunt.

[Pecharunt – Poison/Ghost-Type Pokémon]

[Ability: Toxic Puppet]

[Potentials: Overclocked Poison (Inactive), Parasitic Control (Inactive), Treasure Sense (Active)]

[Overclocked Poison: Those poisoned by Pecharunt's toxins temporarily gain enhanced abilities—but at the cost of exhausting their own life force. It also amplifies their most deeply craved desires.]

[Parasitic Control: Those poisoned by Pecharunt's toxins fall under its control. If linked via Toxic Chains, Pecharunt can share in the target's power-ups and status boosts.]

[Note: If Pecharunt creates Toxic Chains that detach from its body, the control becomes permanent. These chains permanently alter the target's form. However, if a target breaks free, Pecharunt suffers severe backlash.]

Summer's eyes narrowed.

So that's how Pecharunt's powers worked…

This explained everything—how it had controlled others, why the Loyal Three had transformed, and even why it had become weaker after they rebelled.

It had suffered from the backlash of losing them.

But now, its two main abilities were completely inactive.

It had lost all its power to control others.

Was it because of those two purple crystals?

Was Pecharunt's own fear enough to cripple its abilities?

Then, Summer turned to its remaining ability.

[Treasure Sense: Reacts to valuable objects—the greater the value, the stronger the reaction. However, it also causes an overwhelming obsession with hoarding treasures.]

Summer exhaled.

So that's why it stole Ogerpon's masks.

To Pecharunt, they must have been treasures of immeasurable worth.

If that was the case…

Had it come all the way to Kitakami just for those masks?

"…Alright, Pecharunt." Summer's gaze locked onto the trembling Pokémon. "Time to start talking."

He nodded to Hatterene, activating the psychic link for translation.

Pecharunt hesitated. "Peach?" (Talk about what…?)

Summer's voice was firm.

"Start from the beginning. Tell me everything about the masks you stole."

Ogerpon's expression turned serious—it needed to know what had happened after it left. What had become of the man who was like a father to it?

Pecharunt had originally planned to keep its mouth shut.

But now, with its deepest fears stripped away, the chains that once bound its heart were gone. Its face was unnervingly calm as it finally began to recount the events of the past—along with its own origin.

Pecharunt was born from the twisted desires of a Paldean king—willed into existence by his wish upon the fabled Wishing Tree.

If Ogerpon had been gifted a kaleidoscope of emotions by the man who raised it, then Pecharunt had been forged from only two feelings, endlessly spiraling into corruption.

The first was an obsessive need for control.

Its master, the king, lived in fear—fear of losing his power, fear of his people rising against him. To mask his own cowardice, he ruled with an iron fist, enforcing a brutal regime that bound the entire empire under his command.

Pecharunt's ability to manipulate others through its toxins was a direct manifestation of this fear.

The second was insatiable greed.

The king's craving for wealth and treasures fueled Pecharunt's own unnatural compulsion to hoard valuables. This obsession would later drive a wedge between them—ultimately leading to Pecharunt's betrayal.

When the king first discovered Pecharunt's abilities on the remote island, he had been ecstatic.

With this power, he could create an army of unconditionally loyal warriors.

He also noticed that the newborn Pokémon was highly interested in his extravagant jewelry.

So, he struck a deal—he would shower Pecharunt with riches, and in return, Pecharunt would use its poison to bind warriors to his service.

Upon returning to Paldea, the king—normally a stingy hoarder—generously bestowed treasures upon Pecharunt, and in exchange, Pecharunt created an elite battalion of poisoned warriors.

The king was thrilled.

But with each passing day, his joy began to erode…

And his fear grew.

One fateful day, the king bore witness to an experiment that finally shattered his trust.

He stood before an entire town's population—enslaved, reduced to puppets under Pecharunt's control.

And Pecharunt, staring up at him, demanded even more treasure.

The horrifying truth dawned upon him.

As long as he could keep Pecharunt satisfied, the poison would remain under his command.

But what if one day, he could no longer provide enough?

Would his own people turn against him? Would his entire empire become Pecharunt's to control?

The king, pale-faced and trembling, feigned agreement. He promised to fetch more treasures from the royal palace.

But in reality—he branded the entire town as "rebels" and ordered his army to slaughter every last one of them.

Pecharunt had been terrified.

Its very nature was built upon fear—and now, it had turned against it.

The army had been ordered to hunt it down.

With its nimble movements and clever tricks, Pecharunt barely managed to escape. But the betrayal left it scarred with a deep-rooted paranoia.

Humans could not be trusted.

They lied. They broke promises. They slaughtered their own without hesitation.

Pecharunt made a decision.

If it couldn't trust humans, it would control the simple-minded Pokémon instead.

It fled to a remote mountain range, remaining in hiding as it perfected the creation of its Toxic Chains.

After much searching, it finally found three ideal targets.

The trio were weak, insecure, and full of unchecked desires.

Most importantly—they had the potential to be powerful.

Using toxic mochi and its Toxic Chains, Pecharunt transformed the three into its most loyal subordinates.

With the Loyal Three under its command, Pecharunt began amassing an enormous fortune—stealing from passing merchants, plundering treasures from distant lands.

Then, one day, Pecharunt overheard rumors of the mystical masks of Kitakami.

The moment it heard about them, its Treasure Sense surged.

These masks were valuable beyond anything it had encountered before.

Fueled by overconfidence from its past successes, Pecharunt made a bold decision.

It would travel to Kitakami itself and claim these treasures for its hoard.

From there, the events were ones Summer already knew.

The Loyal Three invaded Oni Mountain, stealing the masks from the man who protected them with his life.

In the end, only the Teal Mask remained—saved by the man's desperate efforts.

But what about Pecharunt's side of the story?

In truth—Pecharunt had never even seen Ogerpon before.

It had been too arrogant, too sure of itself.

It had merely commanded the Loyal Three to carry out the heist, never once considering that anything could go wrong.

Then—the man spoke.

"You… you're Pecharunt?! I never thought I'd see the day… A Pokémon born from King Felipe I's greed… Has the royal family finally found a way to control you?"

Felipe I was the very king of Paldea who once led the campaign to exterminate Pecharunt. Recalling that bloody experience, Pecharunt was utterly terrified, momentarily losing control of its three companions and fleeing aimlessly in a panic. 

Seeing that the three companions had stopped moving, the man chose to pursue Pecharunt instead. 

Pecharunt had no idea what the man's intentions were, but in its panic, it suddenly heard a voice from the mountaintop calling out to it. Clinging to this as if it were a lifeline, it rushed toward the source of the voice at full speed. 

It only remembered that the voice at the mountaintop instructed it to unleash its power. Obeying the command, Pecharunt did as it was told, and the crystal at the bottom of the Crystal Pool erupted with a dazzling light. A thick mist spread out in all directions. 

By the time Pecharunt came back to its senses, the man had disappeared without a trace. Now calm, it quickly used its connection to the poisonous chains to locate its three companions. 

Pecharunt then arrived at the village at the foot of the mountain, only to witness its three companions holding up a mask and laughing wildly. Just as it was about to regain control over them, Ogerpon, wearing the Teal Mask, descended from the mountain. 

Overcome with rage, Ogerpon underwent a unique Terastallization and, wielding a thorned club, viciously beat the three companions. For some reason, the Terastallized attack traveled along the poisonous chains and struck Pecharunt itself. 

Ignoring the outer shell's defense, the attack pierced straight into its core. After enduring the fatal attacks that took down its three companions, Pecharunt lost consciousness and fell into a dormant state. 

Perhaps because of its somewhat endearing appearance, a villager picked it up. Over time, it was passed down through generations, eventually becoming the heirloom doll of Granny Ade's family, sleeping within the Ade store. 

Its partial awakening was triggered by the revival of its three companions. Albert's greed, no less than that of the King of Paldea, resonated with Pecharunt, causing it to swell with ambition once more, hatching a plan to control the villagers. 

However, the betrayal of its three companions drove it into a fury. Though the backlash from this betrayal weakened its condition, it ironically helped facilitate its complete revival, allowing it to execute its long-devised scheme. 

As for what happened next, Summer knew all too well—because he had experienced it firsthand. The question was, had Pecharunt spoken any lies? 

"Hatterene." 

Hatterene understood Summer's intent and shook its head. Everything Pecharunt had just said was true. 

Through Pecharunt's words, the hazy memories of the three companions suddenly became clear. 

They recalled that the battle scars in the Forbidden Cavern were not the result of an external fight. Instead, after breaking free from Pecharunt's control, they had been overwhelmed by their own intense desires and fought among themselves over the masks. 

Ironically, the brawl helped them regain some clarity and planted the idea of escaping Pecharunt's control. After a brief discussion, they each took a mask and fled to the village at the foot of the mountain. 

As for why one mask was left behind, it was simply because none of them wanted the others to gain an advantage, so they reached a compromise. 

"Summer, they're telling the truth too." 

Hatterene's voice echoed in Summer's mind, and he wore a thoughtful expression. "So that means Ogerpon's companion wasn't actually harmed? He disappeared because of the thick mist from the Crystal Pool?" 

Beside him, Ogerpon looked guilty. If its companions hadn't harmed the man, then perhaps it had been too heavy-handed with its retaliation. 

But… it was a great relief that the man hadn't been hurt. Someone as kind as him should never have suffered. 

"No, Ogerpon, I know you're a good kid. You don't have to feel guilty," Summer reassured it with a gentle pat on the head before shifting the conversation. 

"In the end, Pecharunt, you've never done a single good deed, have you? Controlling others, committing robbery, causing last night's chaos… It's time for some re-education." 

Pecharunt had lost all its arrogance, quietly accepting reality. Without that twisted obsession with control, its personality and thoughts no longer seemed as warped. 

"But still, we never found out what happened to Ogerpon's companion. What exactly occurred within the mist of the Crystal Pool? Looks like we'll need to investigate it." 

Back then, Pecharunt had used its power to create the mist. Since its power stemmed from fear, did that mean it was fueled by emotions? 

Summer had a new theory. If that were the case, then perhaps Ogerpon's special Terastallization could also trigger the mist at the Crystal Pool. 

Maybe they would soon uncover the truth hidden within the fog— 

And the true whereabouts of the man who once traveled with Ogerpon. 

(End of Chapter)