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The Mask Pokémon, Ogerpon.
…Wait, which one is that?
A slew of question marks appeared over the girl’s head.
This world was indeed slightly different from the Pokémon world she remembered.
For example, alongside the familiar Galar region, there was now an extra region called Paldea.
Sera had looked it up on her computer and found that this Paldea region was teeming with Pokémon—about as many as you’d find in a mainline game.
It was highly likely that it was a new region she hadn’t encountered before.
So, is Ogerpon a Paldean Pokémon?
After guessing for a long while, Sera even climbed out of bed to specifically search for it on her computer.
Naturally, she found nothing.
—This was even stranger.
No matter how rare a Pokémon was, you could usually find at least some information about it online.
Yet, the name “Ogerpon” had no records whatsoever, as if it didn’t exist at all.
When Sera turned her attention back to the handheld console, she made a new discovery.
The pixelated, chibi-like Pokémon on the screen stirred, waking from its slumber.
Sera finally got a good look at it.
A grass-green cloak wrapped around its roly-poly body.
Its eyes, still half-closed from sleep, revealed star-shaped patterns, and its tiny mouth was slightly open, showing fangs on either side.
“Poni…”
[Ogerpon lets out a yawn.]
The emulator played Ogerpon’s cry through the speakers, accompanied by a bit of narration.
What a cute Pokémon.
Compared to the many Pokémon in Sera’s memory, Ogerpon could definitely be called adorable.
Although she hadn’t officially raised any Pokémon yet, she had pretty much figured out the features the simulator offered.
She tapped on Ogerpon’s stats panel.
–+–
[Ogerpon]
[Category: Mask Pokémon]
[Level: 5 (20)]
[Gender: Female]
[Type: Grass]
[Tera Type: Grass]
[Ability: Defiant]
[Nature: Lonely]
[Moves Known: Vine Whip]
[Affection: 0]
[Current Status: Sleeping]
–+–
“…Defiant?”
A female Pokémon with the Defiant ability?
Sera blinked.
After confirming she hadn’t misread it, she gasped.
Had Game Freak’s design philosophy become this bold since she transmigrated?
It was like they were practically trying to manufacture a popular Pokémon!
The Defiant ability: every time a stat is lowered, the Attack stat increases by two stages.
Surely, a Pokémon named Ogerpon wouldn’t have a particularly high Attack stat…
Wait!
Since it was the Pokémon she was raising, the higher the stats, the better, obviously!
The girl sternly corrected her own train of thought.
As she mused, Sera placed her finger on the screen.
Even though she knew she could only touch the glass, she couldn’t help but want to pet Ogerpon.
And with that light tap—
“Poni-oh?!”
On the screen, Ogerpon suddenly froze.
[Ogerpon has sensed your presence.]
[Ogerpon is somewhat panicked.]
“…?”
Sera paused, tentatively pulling her hand back.
Ogerpon was still shaking its head from side to side, as if trying to figure out who had just touched it.
Let’s press again.
“Poni!”
[Ogerpon feels very afraid.]
[Ogerpon has fled the Dreaded Den.]
Sera had an epiphany.
This Electronic Pokémon Raising System had far more comprehensive features than she had anticipated.
Just like that, by touching Ogerpon through the screen, the latter clearly reacted as if it had truly felt the touch.
Lost in thought, Sera watched as Ogerpon stepped out and began running across the mountainside, her brows knitting together slightly.
She had just noticed the information provided by the system.
The place where Ogerpon had been sleeping was called the Dreaded Den.
Although the cave was cramped, Sera had at least seen grass and bushes outside, and a waterfall not far away—the scenery was decent enough.
But once Ogerpon left and ran to a place called Oni Mountain, all Sera could see was a desolate, barren cliffside.
Is this the kind of place my Pokémon has to live in?
After observing for a while longer, Sera discovered that Ogerpon would encounter wild Pokémon on Oni Mountain.
[Ogerpon encountered a Chingling!]
[Ogerpon chose to flee…]
[Ogerpon encountered a Geodude!]
[Ogerpon chose to flee…]
Without exception, it automatically chose to flee every time.
Sera pulled up Ogerpon’s stats again, looked at the level, and found the reason.
[Note: Unable to utilize the power of its masks, Ogerpon’s current level is rated at Level 5.]
Level 5.
The same level as the starter Pokémon a player first receives in the games.
What a weak little Pokémon.
Perhaps it was because its level was so low that its living conditions were so poor.
Thinking this, a bright idea occurred to Sera—she figured out a way to increase Ogerpon’s affection.
Judging by its level, Ogerpon was currently stuck in a predicament she didn’t yet understand.
The situation with the masks could wait to be learned later.
But a Pokémon’s life, just like a person’s, boiled down to food, shelter, and transport.
Sera opened the system shop in the simulator and started browsing.
Since the first day she had obtained the Electronic Pokémon Raising System, she had been earning one Raising Point every day just by signing in.
Originally, these points were meant to purchase items to speed up a Pokémon’s growth, but until now, this was the first Pokémon she’d actually had to raise.
Skipping past a series of items that looked fancy but were useless, she flipped to the Berry section.
She selected some Cheri Berries and spent one point to buy ten.
“Let me try this…”
Sera dragged a Cheri Berry from her inventory and pressed it onto the screen.
Sure enough, the berry dropped right in front of Ogerpon, who was hiding in a corner.
“?”
A question mark appeared over the pixelated Ogerpon’s head.
It seemed a bit startled again.
But this time, Sera didn’t recklessly touch it with her hand, so after hesitating for a moment, Ogerpon approached the Cheri Berry.
It tried picking up the berry, holding it up to its face to take a sniff.
“!”
An exclamation mark floated up.
[You fed Ogerpon a delicious Cheri Berry.]
[Ogerpon is happily eating it.]
That’s great.
The tiny Cheri Berry was nibbled and savored by Ogerpon as if it were a precious treasure.
Just watching it, Sera couldn’t help but smile.
There was no need to be stingy.
Sera dumped all the remaining Cheri Berries onto the screen in one go.
[You fed Ogerpon a large amount of delicious Cheri Berries.]
[Ogerpon is very surprised.]
[Ogerpon ponders for a moment.]
[Ogerpon’s affection for you has increased!]
[Current Affection: 10]
Affection increased?
Sera felt a pleasant surprise, but then the system chimed again with a series of notifications.
[Ogerpon’s level has increased!]
[Ogerpon has reached Level 6!]
[Due to Ogerpon leveling up, you have gained 1 Effort Value!]
[Note: By consuming Effort Values, you can improve your own aptitude and abilities as a Trainer.]
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