Pokémon Scarlet and Violet epilogue finally explains ominous warning sign in Kitakami

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet officially wrapped up the DLC storyline with the Mochi Mayhem epilogue released last week, and we finally have a clear explanation for an important sign we first came across in The Teal Mask.

Back in The Teal Mask, we learned about the history of Kitakami from the people who lived there. According to the Kitakami people, there was an evil ogre who killed the respected heroes of the land, the Loyal Three. At one point, we saw a large sign posted in Kitakami’s Paradise Barrens that warned everyone of a dangerous “shadowy figure.”

The sign advised everyone to wear a mask and hide their face if they encounter a shadowy figure outside the village. “If it is the ogre, you will meet your end, as do all humans whose faces are seen by it,” the sign read. “Once it sees your face, your soul will be forfeit. And you shall never return to the village.”

Initially, the player and the people of Kitakami were led to believe Ogerpon was the villain going around slaughtering humans who weren’t wearing masks. At the time, this made sense since Ogerpon is known for wearing different masks. But everyone was proven wrong by the end of The Teal Mask, where it was revealed Ogerpon was just a victim of the Loyal Three’s harassment. 

Now that we know Ogerpon is an absolute sweetheart, we know that sign was wrong to paint the ogre as a malicious being. But if Ogerpon wasn’t the shadowy figure, who was it? Players were quick to identify the true culprit—Pecharunt, the newest Mythical Pokémon and antagonist of the epilogue.

Think about it; Pecharunt shoots toxic mochi into humans’ mouths in order to gain control over them, essentially forfeiting their souls as mentioned on the sign. By wearing a mask, a human would be protected from having that mochi shot into their mouth. This also gave Pecharunt another reason to hate the mask-loving Ogerpon and her mask-maker human friend.

The pink mochi Pokémon went as far as sending the Loyal Three to beat up Ogerpon, kill her friend, and steal her masks. Personally, I believe Pecharunt just had petty intentions overall. It seemed to hold a huge grudge against Ogerpon over something as silly as masks. Or worse, Pecharunt felt threatened by the lovable ogre and needed to turn everyone against her. Perhaps it was a combination of both.