Chapter 326: New Memories, Unexpected Twists
Chapter 326: New Memories, Unexpected Twists
Naoki and Eguibao, riding on Golurk, had just descended the mountain and were about to reach Verdant Town when Eguibao's face suddenly wore an expression of fear.
"Poni..."
"Agassi?"
Golurk turned to look, then landed outside the town, turning with Naoki to face the frightened Eguibao.
"What's wrong?" Naoki was perplexed, but then he realized that Eguibao might be afraid to enter the town because of the previous rejection by its residents.
"You don't want to go in?" Naoki asked.
"Poni..." Eguibao nodded slightly.
Just then, a villager carrying a hoe walked by.
Eguibao immediately panicked, donning her mask and hiding behind Naoki.
The villager glanced their way, recognizing Naoki as the farmer who had come from out of town for the Northern Village exchange program.
With a smile, the villager waved and greeted them, "Good afternoon! Have you had lunch yet?"
"Not yet," Naoki replied politely. "We were just sightseeing outside and are now heading back."
The villager smiled and nodded, then continued on his way with his hoe slung over his shoulder.
Golurk let out a helpless "Agassi..."
"Don't be afraid," Naoki said, turning to Eguibao. Thinking for a moment, he asked, "It was the descendant of the village's mask craftsman who told me about you. His ancestor once tried to reveal the truth to the other villagers, but they persecuted him to the point of losing his life."
"Poni..." Eguibao hesitated, stroking the mask on her face as memories of the craftsman who had made these masks for her surfaced in her mind.
"The craftsman's descendant has always been worried about you and feels deeply sorry," Naoki continued. "Would you like to come with me to meet him?"
Concerned about Eguibao's fear, Naoki reassured her, "Don't worry, this time no one will hurt you. Whether it's me, Golurk, or anyone else, we'll stand by your side."
"Agassi!" Golurk voiced his agreement.
Eguibao looked up at them, her expression softening.
She hesitated for a moment before mustering the courage to nod gently.
Naoki reached out to pat Eguibao's head. Turning towards the town, he noticed that they were still some distance from Wu Li's house and would likely encounter many villagers along the way.
Eguibao might get scared again.
After a moment's thought, Naoki took out an empty Poke Ball. "If you're scared, you can go in here first!"
Without much hesitation, Eguibao stepped into the Poke Ball.
The red and white Poke Ball wobbled slightly before becoming still.
This indicated that the capture was successful.
However, Naoki's emotions were vastly different from when he had captured the Druddigon and the others. Even knowing that this Pokemon might be a legendary one, he couldn't bring himself to feel any joy.
Eguibao was just too pitiful.
She was the most unfortunate Pokemon after Leygong, and in some ways, even more tragic.
"After we get back to the ranch, I'll ask Sister Frostleaf and the others to take good care of Eguibao and keep her company," Naoki thought.
He sighed quietly, pocketed the Poke Ball, and then, alongside Golurk, entered the town. Sure enough, they encountered quite a few villagers who greeted him along the way.
Naoki responded to each greeting, and soon, he arrived at Wu Li's house.
Wu Li's grandfather, Xue Zhong, was by the Magikarp fountain, feeding a Lombre. When he saw Naoki approaching, he quickly got up and asked, "Have you seen Eguibao?"
Naoki nodded and took out Eguibao's Poke Ball, releasing her from it.
The moment Xue Zhong laid eyes on Eguibao, his eyes widened in surprise. He quickly shut the courtyard gate and ushered Naoki and the two Pokemon into the house.
Xue Zi, who had been preparing lunch, also looked up in astonishment, the iron basin she was holding clattering to the floor.
On the sofa, Wu Li and Dan Yu, who had been watching TV, stood up as well.
Dan Yu covered her mouth in shock, while Wu Li simply stared at Eguibao, dumbfounded.
Though he hadn't witnessed it himself, the masked figure was so familiar!
Dan Yu asked in disbelief, "That Pokemon is..."
Naoki glanced at Eguibao, who was hiding behind him, and introduced, "This is Eguibao."
At that moment, Wu Li felt incredibly excited.
He had always loved ghosts since he was little because they were so powerful. The fact that a single ghost had taken down three Poke Partners was just so cool!
And now, after learning the truth about the ghost from his grandfather, he admired it even more.
Xue Zhong, after making sure the doors and windows were securely closed, looked at Eguibao with tears in his eyes, murmuring, "Thank goodness... thank goodness..."
"Poni?" Eguibao was still timid, cautiously eyeing the unfamiliar humans before her.
Naoki explained, "This is the descendant of the craftsman who made the mask for you. And these two are his grandchildren."
Turning to Xue Zhong, Naoki continued, "Eguibao is willing to leave with me. I plan to take her away from here after the exchange program ends in a couple of days. We'll go back to my hometown."
Xue Zhong explained, "The mask, Eguibao's mask!"
"My ancestor made four masks for the ghost, and it seems that only one remains with it now... Hmm? This mask is damaged?" Xue Zhong observed carefully.
Hearing this, Eguibao took off the mask and looked at the damaged Emerald Grass Mask in her hand with a saddened expression.
Naoki had intended to ask about the whereabouts of the other three masks, but upon hearing this, he changed his question. "Can the mask be fixed?"
This item was so important to Eguibao, carrying memories of its past. If it could be repaired, he wanted to make sure it was done.
"Although my craftsmanship is not as exquisite as my ancestor's, rest assured that fixing this mask is well within my capabilities!" Xue Zhong assured them as he examined the mask closely.
"That's good to hear." Naoki breathed a sigh of relief.
"I have all the other materials needed for the repair here," Xue Zhong continued, "but there's one crucial material that I need your help with."
"What is it?"
"It's a crystal fragment that lies at the bottom of the Crystal Light Pool. However, the pool is located at the summit of Ghost Mountain, and the path there is fraught with dangerous Pokemon. It won't be easy to reach." Xue Zhong explained.
Hearing this, Eguibao, who was standing beside them, couldn't help but feel worried.
Naoki ignored the latter part of the statement, as he knew that with Golurk and Mudkip by their side, even the strongest wild Pokemon wouldn't pose a problem. "The summit of Ghost Mountain? Alright, I'll head there now."
Naoki took out a Poke Ball and recalled Eguibao before turning to leave. He mounted Golurk and set off toward the summit of Ghost Mountain without another word.
However, midway through their journey, Eguibao suddenly popped out of her Poke Ball of her own accord, her face filled with concern. "Poni..."
Naoki immediately sensed Eguibao's anxiety and reached out to pat her head reassuringly. "Don't worry, everything will be fine."
But Eguibao was still fretful. After a brief hesitation, she decided to stay outside the Poke Ball.
Although she wasn't particularly skilled in battle, she wanted to help if Naoki needed her.
So, with Eguibao by his side, Naoki rode Golurk toward the summit of Ghost Mountain.
Meanwhile, back at Xue Zhong's house...
Xue Zhong held the damaged Bicao Mask in his hands as he explained to the curious Dan Yu and Wu Li, "There were originally four masks for the ghost: the Bicao Mask, the blue Water Well Mask, the red Fire Hearth Mask, and the gray Foundation Stone Mask."
"What?!" Dan Yu eagerly pressed for more information.
"However," Xue Zhong continued with a sigh, "the other three masks are now kept in the shrine of the Northern Center as relics of the three Poke Partners..."
"Darn it! How could they do that?!?!?" Dan Yu exclaimed, her fists clenched in anger.
Although Wu Li remained silent, he, too, tightened his fists.
"Ah, never mind that for now," Xue Zhong sighed. "The most important thing is to fix Eguibao's Bicao Mask first." With that, he put aside his lunch and focused entirely on repairing the mask.
After finishing their lunch, Dan Yu and Wu Li grew increasingly agitated as they thought about the situation.
They ventured into town, where Dan Yu fumed, her entire body trembling with rage. "It's so infuriating! Those masks rightfully belong to Eguibao!"
Wu Li gazed in the direction of the Northern Center and then tugged on his sister's sleeve. Mustering his courage, he said, "Sister, let's go get the masks back for the ghost!"
Hearing this, Dan Yu's eyes lit up as if a light bulb had switched on in her head. "That's right! I can't believe you're so clever, Wu Li!"
Dan Yu looked around. "It's lunchtime, so everyone should be eating right now. There won't be anyone at the Northern Center. Let's go get the masks back for Eguibao!"
The siblings quickly devised a plan and stealthily made their way to the halfway point up the mountain, where the Northern Center was located.
At the summit of Ghost Mountain, thanks to Golurk, Naoki was spared the arduous climb and arrived at the very top.
However, when he took in the scene before him, he froze in place.
A beautiful lake rested peacefully atop the mountain, and beneath its serene surface lay countless crystals, each one glowing with a dazzling radiance!
These were the same crystals found at the bottom of the Paritia Giant Pit, imbued with immense Tai-jing energy, according to Dr. Orchid.
In that moment, Naoki realized how the lava worm he had encountered before had become Tai-jing-ized.
But... why was Tai-jing, which was supposed to be unique to the Paritia region, present here, on the other side of the planet?
Eguibao, oblivious to these complexities, gazed at the sparkling stones beneath the lake's surface, her mood suddenly lifting. "Poni!"
She could sense that her mask had once held this same power!
Seeing Eguibao's joy, Naoki assumed she was delighted by the stunning Crystal Light Pool.
Egibao shook her head and then scampered towards the lake with quick, light steps. Her eyes sparkled as she gazed at the beautiful stones at the bottom of the lake.
With no other humans around, Egibao was completely relaxed.
Naoki and Golurk smiled and followed her.
Naoki observed the lake bed, thinking about how he could obtain the crystal fragments below.
He looked around, noticing that the ground surrounding the Crystal Light Pool had an unusual white color with scattered rocks.
"It seems Ghost Mountain used to be a volcano," Naoki speculated.
On an unknown day in the past, after a volcanic eruption, the Crystal Light Pool gradually formed in the crater.
The vast amount of volcanic ash that fell in this area made the land extremely fertile, attracting people to settle here and establish Northern Village.
"Could it be that Tai-jing originated from underground?" Naoki wondered.
"Poni?"
At that moment, Egibao's face showed a troubled expression. The stones she admired were underwater, and she didn't know how to reach them.
Naoki smiled and said, "Leave it to me!"
Under the sun, his graceful figure dived into the lake. Soon, he emerged with several crystal fragments in hand.
A moment later, Naoki resurfaced, smiling at Egibao. "Mission accomplished!"
"Poni!" Egibao exclaimed happily.
Naoki got dressed and didn't linger. "Next, let's head back to town and repair the mask!"
He mounted Golurk, reached out to pull Egibao up, and then they returned to Verdant Town together.
As they approached, Egibao was still afraid and voluntarily ran back into her Poke Ball.
Seeing this, Naoki sighed helplessly.
He didn't feel like staying any longer in Northern Village, as Egibao didn't seem to like it there at all.
"Forget it. Let's see if we can end the exchange program early and return to Paritia," Naoki thought.
Golurk landed in Xue Zhong's courtyard, and Naoki handed over the Tai-jing fragments he had collected to Xue Zhong.
Xue Zhong was astonished by his incredible speed. "So fast?!"
"That's thanks to the help of my Flying-type Pokemon!" Naoki smiled.
Golurk proudly exclaimed, "Agassi!" Yes, it was all thanks to him!
"As I thought, I didn't misjudge you!" Xue Zhong took a deep breath. "Now, the final step awaits!"
He placed the Tai-jing fragments on the mask and picked up his tools to continue working.
Taking advantage of this time, Naoki turned and looked around but didn't see Wu Li or Dan Yu.
"Hmm? Where did those two go?" As Naoki wondered, Xue Zhong suddenly exclaimed in delight from inside the house, "It's done!"
Naoki quickly walked over and saw Xue Zhong holding a brand-new Emerald Grass Mask.
The mask had a crystal embedded in it, emitting a beautiful radiance with a strange energy flowing within.
Just one glance was enough for Naoki to sense the extraordinariness of this mask.
It was undoubtedly Egibao's exclusive item, just like Diancie's Mega Stone!
"Alright, let's release Egibao now!" Xue Zhong said excitedly.
Naoki nodded, and with a flash of white light, Egibao appeared in the room.
Naoki took the mask from Xue Zhong and handed it to Egibao.
Egibao stared blankly at the new Emerald Grass Mask, and in that moment, time seemed to turn back.
The mask craftsman from the past must have given her the mask in a similar way.
Egibao's eyes glistened with tears as memories of the past resurfaced.
She looked up at Naoki, wiped away her tears, and put on the mask that carried new memories.
As Egibao donned the mask, at the top of Apple Hill, in the Partner Pokemon Plaza...
As if sensing the mask's aura, a towering pillar of purple light erupted from the shrine dedicated to the three Partner Pokemon.
Three Pokemon with an ominous aura, arms crossed, strode out of the light column with domineering strides.
Their faces contorted into evil grins as they beheld the familiar world once more.
Meanwhile, Naoki was inquiring about Egibao's feelings about wearing the new mask when a worried voice interrupted them from outside.
Immediately after, a young girl rushed in, exclaiming anxiously, "Grandpa Xue Zhong, something's wrong! Wu Li and Dan Yu were caught trying to steal the masks from the Northern Center!"
(End of Chapter)
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