–+–
Sera and Ogerpon could never have guessed that, back in Kitakami, a pair of siblings were secretly concocting a plan to help Ogerpon reclaim the masks that rightfully belonged to her.
The very next day, as the young girl opened her eyes, she pulled up the simulator.
–+–
[Task Objective: Raise Ogerpon to Level 15.
Current progress: 15/15]
[Task Completed]
[You have received 5 Effort Values and 30 Raising Points.]
–+–
…Ogerpon already hit level 15?
Sera, who had assumed this would take quite a bit longer, was pleasantly surprised and scrolled back through the logs to see what had happened.
[Ogerpon is having sweet dreams while accompanied by the mysterious doll.]
[Ogerpon’s affection for you has increased!]
[Current Affection: 50]
[Ogerpon has leveled up!]
[Ogerpon has reached Level 15!]
[Because Ogerpon leveled up, you have received 1 Effort Value!]
That mysterious doll, which looked exactly like her, had worked its magic again, helping Ogerpon boost her affection even while she slept.
The thought of Ogerpon missing her so much that it even influenced her dreams brought a warmth to Sera’s chest, and a soft smile tugged at her lips as she read the system notifications.
Though she didn’t quite understand the mechanics behind it, she remembered that early on, it was exactly that 10-point bump in affection that had allowed Ogerpon to regain the power of her mask.
It was clear now: affection truly did empower her.
Having pieced together why Ogerpon had suddenly hit level 15, Sera’s attention shifted to the next stage of the quest.
–+–
[The Ogre of Oni Mountain: Part IV]
[Ogerpon, once rumored to be a terrifying oni, has finally recovered the better part of her strength.
She trusts you implicitly, but due to the burdens of the past, she cannot progress any further.
Please join Ogerpon in retrieving the masks lost to history.]
[Task Objective: Retrieve the lost masks.
Current progress: 0/3]
[Task Rewards: 10 Effort Values, 50 Raising Points, 1 Raising Slot]
–+–
[Note: Due to the limitations of the masks, Ogerpon’s level cannot increase further until new masks are found.]
–+–
Ogerpon couldn’t level up any further?
After reading the task information over and over, Sera furrowed her brow.
This quest revealed a wealth of information.
She had previously assumed Ogerpon was classified as the Mask Pokémon simply because she channeled her power through the Teal Mask—after all, it made sense for a Grass-type Pokémon to use a grass-themed mask.
But now, she took another look at the description of the Teal Mask.
[Teal Mask: A grass mask containing mysterious power.]
According to the latest intel from the quest, Ogerpon was actually missing three more masks.
Even just the Teal Mask had been enough to spark Sera’s imagination.
Since a Grass Mask existed, perhaps there were Fire or Water ones, too?
There were plenty of Pokémon that could change their type based on held items.
If other types of masks existed, could Ogerpon possess that same ability?
If that hypothesis was true, then even without the quest, Sera would be determined to help Ogerpon retrieve every single one of them.
Besides, the rewards were incredibly generous.
Leaving the Raising Points aside—after three years of daily check-ins, Sera’s stash was well into the four digits; she couldn’t spend them fast enough.
But the 10 Effort Values were a massive incentive.
After pouring yesterday’s points into her Psychic ability, she understood just how potent they were.
Ten points were enough to grant her power comparable to an actual Pokémon move.
If she used her psychic potential as a benchmark, she estimated that if she saved up another thirty or forty points and dumped them into Aura, firing off an Aura Sphere with her own hands might not just be a pipe dream!
And then there was the most crucial reward: an additional Raising Slot.
A new slot meant Sera could pull a second Electronic Pokemon.
As long as the system didn’t glitch out, her efficiency in farming Effort Values could potentially double.
The rewards were too good to pass up, and more importantly, Sera simply couldn’t stand the thought of Ogerpon being wronged or held back.
Retrieving those three masks was non-negotiable.
As she hauled her suitcase out the door, Sera started planning how to tackle the mission.
What were the other three masks, and how could she obtain them?
To accommodate users who weren’t well-versed in Pokémon lore, the system shop sold “Task Hints” for 10 Raising Points to help guide them.
Sera hadn’t paid much attention to them before, but now she realized her own knowledge was limited.
Luckily, she wasn’t short on points.
With a tap of her finger, she bought the hint.
[Ding—]
[The locations of the remaining masks have been unlocked!]
A clear directional pointer appeared in the center of her screen.
Sera looked closely and realized the pointer was actually composed of three overlapping markers, which was why it appeared so bold. The source of this chapter is g.com.
Are all the masks in the same place?
Sera had been bracing herself for an RPG-style grind—hunting down each mask one by one, likely facing a boss for every single one.
Finding out they were all in one spot was a relief.
While Sera was busy tapping away at the simulator, Ogerpon stirred from her sleep.
“Pon~!”
[Ogerpon senses your presence.]
[Ogerpon is very happy.]
Sera recalled that ever since the first day they met, every time she checked the system, it would invariably tell her that Ogerpon was happy.
Does this child ever have a bad day?
she wondered.
[Ogerpon wants to play with you.]
“Pon, pon!”
Inside the screen, Ogerpon held up a ball.
Usually, Sera would have immediately jumped in to play along.
But she was rushed today; the best she could do was set the simulator aside, ensuring the little oni didn’t feel lonely.
As she handed her suitcase to the security officer, she tapped the screen to touch Ogerpon, trying to convey her mood.
She had discovered that simple taps helped Ogerpon understand her emotions—though sometimes the signals got crossed, she made a habit of trying anyway.
“Pon?!”
[Ogerpon senses your prompt!]
“Pon?!”
Ogerpon noticed that the presence she felt from her trainer seemed a bit restless.
If it were any other day, she would have gently stroked her head and played.
But today, after the touch, her trainer just stood there quietly, moving no further.
Has something bad happened?
Ogerpon put the ball down and thought hard.
But no matter how she looked back on their time together, her mind was flooded with wonderful memories.
She was more than satisfied with their life; as long as she could be with her trainer, no hardship was too great.
Besides, even though her trainer got a bit impatient when going out to meet other Pokémon, she was always very tender and caring.
Could it be… that she had run into trouble?
“Pon!”
At the thought, Ogerpon stood up instinctively, reaching into her chest to pull out her Ivy Cudgel.