PDP Shard of Dreams Guide Part 15: Youkai Mountain Ascent

Part 14 can be found here.

Okay, beginning at the nearest Inn to Sanzu River / at the base of Youkai Mountain, please head to the right and up the nearby steps.

Once in the new area, head up and fight the brown-haired fairy with two level 27 Shizuhas. The grass behind her contains Shizuha, Minoriko, Hatate, Momiji (uncommon), and Aya (rare).
I recommend getting all your capturing done here since you're so near an Inn.

When you're done in the grass, head to the left and up the nearby stairs. Pass the Beast Youkai (she won't fight you), and head up. Head left next, then down the steps, and pick up the Yin Yang Orb in the grass containing a Topaz Hairpin (boosts the power of electric-type attacks). Then head up until you get to another Yin Yang Orb in another set of grass, this one containing Skill Card 56. Then head back to the steps, and go right and down the next set of steps. Fight the Tengu with two level 27 Momijis, then continue up the nearby steps.

Continue along until you see a purple-haired fairy. She'll fight you with a level 28 Cirno. Continue past her until you see some stairs, with two rocks in front of it a bit. Interact with the rock on the right to obtain an Oath Thread, then head up the steps. Continue along until you see some steps going down. Ignore them because there's nothing down there. But, do take this opportunity to save since we're about to fight Reimu.

Continue to the right. A bit across the bridge you will be stopped by Reimu. She will fight you with a level 34 AyaP, level 34 SuikaD, and a level 36 ReimuP. After defeating her, she gives you an Ecstasy Set. She'll then let you pass.

I know it may be tempting to head all the way back down the mountain to heal, but don't yet. There's a place to heal right up ahead.

Continue right and up, then up the steps. There's a house up here with a Tengu who will heal you when you talk to them. The Kappa outside sells items, specifically Rosary Beads, Talismans, Fuji Rice Cookies, Rice Dumplings, Chirei Buns, Myouren Tea, Seal Thread, and Contract Thread. Make sure you are healed and stocked up before you head into the nearby cave.

When you're ready, enter the cave. In here, you can capture Nitori, Momiji, Yamame (uncommon), and Hina (rare-ish).

Begin by heading up and to the right. Fight the brown-haired fairy with a level 28 Minoriko. Keep going up and head up the steps, then turn left. Fight the Tengu with a level 28 Hatate. Head down the steps to his left, then turn right. Pick up the Yin Yang Orb cozntaining Blue Earrings. Now head left, and then up. When you get the opportunity to turn left, ignore it and go up. Fight the ghost girl with a level 27 Yatsuhashi and a level 27 Benben. Head to her left and pick up a Yin Yang Orb containing a Prismatic Candy.

Go back to the ghost girl, and then down ever so slightly before turning right. Fight the girl near the steps with a level 27 Ichirin and a level 27 Murasa. Up the stairs next to her is a Yin Yang Orb containing Skill Card 79. Make your way back to the girl, and then go left. Keep going left (don't go back up to the ghost girl).

Ignore the nearby Tengu, and go up to pick up the Yin Yang Orb containing a Chirei Bun. Head up. Go down the nearby ladder.

 Head down, and then when you can, turn right and up some steps. When you can go down more steps, go to the right first and pick up the Yin Yang Orb containing a Contract Thread, and then head down the steps (left). Fight the Youkai with a level 28 Nitori. A few steps further, fight the Tengu with two level 26 Hinas and a level 26 Nitori. There's a ladder at the end of this area, so head up it.

Continue on, fight the girl with a level 28 Hina. Continue on until you get to some steps. Go up those and pick up the Yin Yang Orb containing a Chirei Bun. Go back down the steps, and then go down. Fight the Tengu with a level 28 Aya. Continue until you see a door.

Outside, go left and up. There's a house up here. Pick up the Yin Yang Orb outside containing a Cursebreak Charm. Inside the house, you'll find Hina and an Akyuu Box.

Hina will release any Puppets that you ask her to. They have to be in your party, and, sadly, you have to go through a rather long conversation with her in order to release the Puppets. Oh, and you have to release them one by one. Sorry.

Talk to her once to activate the ability to release, and the next time you talk to her you can release. Answer Yes to her first question to select the Puppet you would like to release. And then No to her second question to release it. Be careful not to release anything you want to keep!

Oh, and also, just in case you didn't know, placing your Puppets into the Akyuu Box also heals them, so this is a good excuse to heal your Puppets if you need to.

Head back into the cave and make your way back up the ladder and then back to the stairs.

Once back up the stairs, go right. Head down the stairs and keep going. Head down the ladder when you get to it. Then head down and pick up the Yin Yang Orb containing a Thorn Charm. Then go back up the ladder and head back to the stairs. Once there, go left, passing the first set of stairs, and going down the second (far left).

Now head down and to the left. The Beast Youkai here won't fight you, so go past her and up the nearby ladder. Head down and fight the Tengu with a level 27 Iku and a level 27 Aya. Head down until you see a door, which you should go through. Once out, head up.

The grass out here contains the same things as before you entered the cave, as far as I can tell. Next to a set of stairs you'll see Shizuha and Minoriko. They'll both fight you (separately). Shizuha will use a level 30 Minoriko (normal) and a level 30 ShizuhaS. Minoriko will use a level 30 Shizuha (normal) and a level 30 MinorikoP.

Head left past them, through the grass. Pick up the Yin Yang Orb containing a Food Rations. Head back to the Aki Sisters, and take the steps next to them. Head right and keep going right. You'll come across some narrow stairs and Momiji. Momiji will fight you with a level 29 Hina, a level 29 Nitori, and a level 30 MomijiS.

Head right past her. There's a male Kappa down there who uses a level 27 Nitori and a level 27 Rika. Up past him is a cave entrance.

I'm going to stop here and begin part 16 because this part is getting kind of long, and I think this next part deserves its own section because it's big enough.

Part 16 can be found here.