"I never expected the students to be so moved that they're speechless—haha, that's the power of Kitakami's mochi!" The administrator chuckled to himself, completely oblivious to the strange state the students were in.
"Here, here—eat, eat some mochi…"
Old Lady Tozawa approached, carrying a tray of the purple-colored treats.
"Oh? You saved some for me too? Well, I won't say no—haha." The administrator picked up a piece and popped it into his mouth. The soft, chewy texture and subtle sweetness filled his senses.
Ah, yes. This is the true taste of Kitakami's mochi.
The moment he swallowed, the administrator's arms suddenly shot up, elbows bent, and he began swinging them up and down in an awkward, jerky dance.
At the same time, the students who had eaten the mochi all began moving in unison, their mouths mumbling strange sounds:
"Gibé~ Gibé~"
Hiding in the shadows, Carmine and Kieran watched the scene unfold, stunned.
"This is bad. Pecharunt's making its move. We have to tell Summer—fast!"
"…But, uh, that dance is hilarious. Seriously, what kind of taste does Pecharunt have?" Carmine stifled a laugh.
"Kieran, Carmine! What are you two doing here? Why aren't you joining the activity?"
The sudden voice startled them both. They turned sharply—only to breathe a sigh of relief when they saw who it was.
"Grandpa!"
"What's with those ghostly expressions?" Grandpa Tozawa chuckled. "Look—your classmates are heading over here too! Hmm? And… isn't that my wife over there?"
Carmine's eyes widened. "They're coming this way?! No good! Kieran, take Grandpa and run to find Summer! I'll hold them off!"
"Wait—sis, you have a phone! Wouldn't it be faster to text him? I'll stay and hold them back—you get the message out!"
"…Huh?" Grandpa Tozawa blinked, watching the approaching students. "What's wrong with you two? And why are your classmates dancing like that? Is this some new trend in big cities? I swear, I don't understand young people anymore."
Kieran snapped. "Grandpa, weren't you listening?! Summer warned you about this! It's Pecharunt! Those people are being controlled!"
"Ohh, Pecharunt, huh—"
Grandpa Tozawa suddenly froze. His eyes flashed purple, and his grip tightened on their wrists. Then, he grinned eerily.
"…So you already know my name, huh~? Gibé~ Gibé~"
"…No way."
A chilling, smug voice echoed through their grandfather's mouth.
"My apologies—this old man has been mine for quite some time. He just couldn't say no to his dear wife's cooking~ Gibé~!"
"Pecharunt!!" Carmine shouted, her fists clenched in rage. "You coward! Show yourself!"
"No rush~ Soon enough, you'll both be under my control. You'll make perfect bargaining chips for that human I so despise~ Gibé~!"
The students closed in, their arms outstretched, grinning as they moved with unnatural jerks.
But before they could grab them—
"Sorry, Grandpa!"
Kieran suddenly yanked Grandpa Tozawa's beard.
"GIBÉ—?! OWWW!!"
The shock broke his grip, giving Kieran just enough time to grab Carmine's arm and bolt.
Behind them, their possessed grandfather howled in fury.
"GIBÉ~!! GIBÉ~!! PAIN!!!"
The students' heads snapped up, their bodies lurching forward as they sprinted after the siblings, grinning eerily.
Carmine glanced back mid-run and snorted. "Pfft—oh man, if Amarys and Lacey could see themselves right now, they'd die from embarrassment."
"Sis!! Not the time!! Just—hurry up and text Summer already!!"
Carmine skidded to a stop, yanking out her phone. "You go hold them off—I need a second to type this!"
Kieran groaned but turned around, standing his ground. He was already out of breath, so he might as well fight.
"Alright, fine! Appletun! Incineroar! You're up!"
Two Poké Balls burst open—revealing a chubby apple dragon and a towering fire-wrestler.
Appletun's sweet aroma filled the air, causing the possessed students to pause, dazed.
Then—ROAR!!!
Incineroar let out a mighty battle cry, sending a wave of fear through the horde. Some stumbled back, hesitating.
"…It's working!" Kieran pumped his fist. "Appletun, cover the ground with Sticky Web! Incineroar, stay near Carmine and protect her!"
Appletun's tiny serpentine heads peeked from its apple and spat out a web of thick, sticky nectar—trapping the students where they stood.
"Message sent! Now let me in on the fun—Poltchageist! Mabosstiff! Let's go!"
Poltchageist crawled out from its teacup, while Mabosstiff let out a deep, menacing growl.
As they braced for battle, two figures emerged from the possessed students—Lacey and Amarys, their eyes glowing.
"Gibé~! Fight!!"
"Gibé~! Battle!!"
Carmine smirked. "Ohh, so now you wanna fight? Well, Pecharunt, I hope you're ready to eat some Kitakami dirt!"
"…Sis, you're just using this as an excuse for revenge, aren't you?"
"SHUT UP, KIERAN."
Meanwhile, outside the Civic Center…
A purple-pink peach hovered in the air. It had cylindrical ornaments on its head, a dark circular gem at its center, and two eerie white pupils glowing from within.
"Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!!"
Pecharunt trembled violently.
"Those Loyal Three—their betrayal caused too much backlash! Now that I don't have my Chains, I can't control this many people at once! My control is sloppy—AND THOSE TWO BRATS WEREN'T EVEN SCARED?!"
Below it, Abe—his body completely overtaken—stomped his foot angrily. He was nothing more than a puppet now.
"…At least I got three of the strongest humans under my control."
Pecharunt's eerie grin stretched across Abe's possessed face.
It turned to look at its prized captives—Lacey, Amarys, and Crispin—standing silently, awaiting orders.
"Gibé~! With them, we can take down that damn Ghost and his human!"
Abe danced excitedly, laughing wildly.
"After that, I'll steal back my precious treasures! Those four masks WILL BE MINE AGAIN! Gibé~ Gibé~!"
But just then—
A crushing weight suddenly slammed into Pecharunt, pinning it into the dirt.
"WHAT?!" Abe's face contorted in rage as he whipped around—
Only to see a masked figure step from the shadows.
"…You weren't supposed to be here yet… HOW DID YOU GET BACK SO FAST?!"
Summer lifted his head slightly, his cold gaze piercing through the mask.
"Wanna know how?" He smirked. "Not telling you."
"…Bastard!!" Pecharunt screeched.
But it couldn't move—Hatterene's psychic grip had it locked in place.
"Keep it pinned, Hatterene," Summer ordered, reaching for a Poké Ball. "It's game over, Pecharunt."
(End of Chapter)