Rainbow Chara X
Impossible to gauge!
- 129
- Posts
- 8
- Years
- Shiny Hunting in Sinnoh
- Seen Apr 25, 2024
Oh wait, are we actually getting something good this time?
Chapter 21 - Dragon King's Blessing
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I still can't believe that the Deadly Seven were smart enough to gang up on you ten to one (Well, if you add all the Pokemon that's... a lot to seven. I'm not going to peek back to see how many there were).
It's an effective strategy, but damn! Let that be the standard for the game's difficulty from now on.
"We're having a drinking contest. Want to join?"
Sure, man. Jack needs another drink after everything he's done so far.
: ("Jack, are you really doing this again?!")
("This is a bottle of Shoggoth's Old Peculiar... This is definitely a step up from Magmar Whiskey. This could get messy...")
Maybe we should have listened to Bellamine's warning and not done this, but we can't chicken out now.
Why did Cutlerine make Jack sixteen again? Why didn't he settle for at least early twenties?
... Well, that's my canon age for him now.
"The Shoggoth's Old Peculiar tried to burn a hole in your soul, but you've blackened it too much with zombie killing. Okay!"
All of these messages are randomized, but I had to get this one for the sake of hilarity. The Shoggoth's Old Peculiar is like the alcohol of the Elder Gods, given how a few sips can sear through Jack's skull and make him see through time to get visions of Cthulhu. When you lose this one, it says Jack loses ninety critical brain circuits and passes out like he's been hit with a sledgehammer.
Like hot damn, Jack even being able to handle this level of drink means he's superhuman.
Oh boy, they're losing it.
"A bolt of lightning cleaves Tones in two... The Lord Thy God is a vengeful god..."
Shades: "Did Toneshhh jusssht die?"
Holy fuck!
Never challenge Arceus's drinking skills or you'll pay the ultimate price.
I chuckled like a madman at this entire scene, alright.
"Jack threw the Shoggoth's Old Peculiar high into the sky and caught the falling drops of liquor one by one on his tongue with lightning speed. Ideal!"
See what I mean by superhuman?! That's some Matrix shit.
"Shades projectile vomited and launched himself backwards into the wall, knocking himself out! It looks like Jack won!"
Excuse me, it looks like he won? He annihilated them and now the Pokecenter is irreversibly painted with Shades's lunch.
"In time-honoured tradition, Jack stole the Film Students' wallets! Jack stole 100,000 Pokedollars!"
Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Jack is the king of the drink!
However, since such an exposure to Elder God level beer would inevitably kill Jack later on, let's say this part didn't happen. 100,000 Pokedollars is chump change.
Oh yes, this is what the chef sells you. Blue Fish and Pink Ink have no worth in the game itself, but they do reference a Dr. Seuss book. The Red Stew is what we really need, although even I don't know what it's for.
Ballin, my boy. Your time has come to prove yourself to the Crew.
: [Sputters incoherently] ("Really, Jack?! I didn't expect this, but... I'm ready!")
I should mention that the entire city of Lilycove has been taken over by Inquisition Footmen and they're all back with a vengeance.
There was one right next to the Pokecenter, but Umbra took him out no problem.
[Breaks out the disco lights]
Let's dance.
Sure, it doesn't look any different than other Inquisition set-ups aside from the Cradily... but their Hombeast has a new move. It is called... the Curse Claw. It's an instant kill if it connects and I have to assume it is painful beyond comprehension, hence why I'm glad nobody got hit by it.
... Outside of practice runs, of course.
Any experience is good experience. You know, for the longest time, I've been part of the bandwagon that didn't know what type Cradily was. I guess that was attributed to it being the only
/
Pokemon in existence.
That's... a bit of a departure from the rest of the dialogue we've had in this game.
Back in chapter 5 or so, this would have been phenomenal for Tohru to do. Now though, it's just his daily workout routine. He has an Armaldo too, but Bellamine blasts it away off screen.
... fun fact everybody, "hijo de puta" is spanish for motherfucker
cutlerine you sneaky little man, putting foreign obscenities in your hack
"I am from Spain region. Illegal immigrants find good work here with current economic climate, no?"
what the hell do i even say to this
Let's just move on.
"I am one of the Inquisition's Five Ninja! Authorized to use Ninja Pokemon - for Ninja purposes only!"
We're under attack by Ninjas! Everybody panic!
Oh. Why was I scared? Beedrill, even with a STAB-boosted super effective Pin Missile, couldn't take Bellamine's health below half. Poor sucker doesn't get respect until his Mega Evolution comes by in Gen VI, so for now Bellamine swats his wings off.
Sevicious was here too, but Ambes took pretty good care of him thanks to liberal use of Flash and Thunderbolt.
Sevicious and
/
Milotic seriously need to be a thing in the real games.
I can't think of anything but Naruto, even despite the fact I haven't seen anything related to Naruto in several years. (Real ninja tend to be way cooler anyway)
"But step through that door, and you're giving yourself up for dead."
He's trying to intimidate Jack like the fight inside of the motel is worse than what we had to deal with to get into Lilycove. (spoiler: it's not)
Before we do that, though, let's mess around with a Footman before we enter.
See, I told you the Hombones were rental Pokemon. That sort of explains why most villainous teams use the same Pokemon over and over again unless they're Admins.
Ambes beat this dude at his own game. Breloom's specialty is punching things yet even he lost to Ambes's Ice Punch.
I made the right decision after all.
No, what you needed was a team that covered most, if not all, of your bases.
"I'm Randolph, and I collect certain Pokemon from the Numra region, like Magenpies. My Magenpies love Blue Rocks, and I love my Magenpies - bring me a Blue Rock and I'll teach your Pokemon new (or old) moves."
Oh sweet, there's the Move Tutor. Don't get too excited though, because this guy is a psycho. See that green-haired lady over there? Randolph thinks she's a Magenpie and is holding her here against her will. So uh... let's get the hell out of here.
Would you look at that, the docks were destroyed. I don't know why they would suddenly pop out of existence. It would have been easier to leave them unedited but unusable, but then again I'm not Cutlerine.
Hey, it's Chloe! Let's get some answers as to why the Inquisition is against Jack again.
"Everyone's trying to kill me!"
: "Hmph. Of course. You've served your purpose - you got rid of the Horsemen for us. Now, since you're a threat to our government, prepare to die! Guards!"
Oh, would you look at that! Both Taoists in the game are assholes. Gleis and Chloe have both been evil pricks since the beginning, and honestly I don't even understand this mindset. Why is she trying to attack Jack instead of manipulating him over to her side? At least make an effort. Have it fail spectacularly.
[Two footmen enter the room and corner Jack]
"Damn it! I can't take you all on like this for another two generations!"
Oh no, we are trapped by the limitations of the game! Whatever shall we do.
[Two dragons enter from the front door and attack the Footmen]
"Three people against one, and with zombie backup. What say you, Dragon Visigoth?"
(Visigoth): "I concur, Dragon Hun. Shall we take on these buffoons?"
(Hun): "I believe we should, as per his Majesty's commands. Jack, you take down this woman. We shall hold off these fools!"
Wait. Did we just get saved by Meteor's soldiers? Excellent timing.
[Theme I would use for the fight with Chloe: Vile Battle theme]
Chloe, your sprite needs some work babe. There's so many ugly gray splotches. That, and she's pretty much Lucy with differently colored hair and white pants. Her battle strategy is just as impressive as she looks, given how nothing she has should be a threat.
Case in point as our two regulars whip two of her Pokemon with ease.
If this were Gen 6, this would be a different story. But for now Wigglytuff is weak to getting punched in the face.
: ("Oh no, you got me.")
[Bellamine used Psychic!]
: ("Perhaps you should have attacked me first. Not that it matters anymore, of course.")
You know, despite several of Alicia/Horseman War's Pokemon getting casually beaten off by the The Crew at their current levels, I still hold her fight with high spirits. Chloe on the other hand is just pathetic.
Having a four times weakness to Fighting must be horrendous. Mega Aggron being pure Steel with an ability that weakens super-effective moves helps a lot, but regular Aggron? What should be a match made in Heaven for physical bulk crumbles the instant someone even flicks a finger at it.
Apparently, all Taoists have Faceleech for some reason. In terms of use, however, Faceleech has long since become obsolete as its incredible attack and speed isn't enough to take anybody down anymore. Ambes was hit with a Poison Fang by this thing, and it only took him to down half health. Ambes is not known for his bulk, which must be especially embarassing for Faceleech.
: ("I remember being so scared of fighting this thing yet now I don't even need to outspeed it.")
: ("Pretty disappointing for what's supposed to be the killer app of the Taoists, haha.")
Damn straight.
"Damn it. Alakazam, use Teleport!"
[Chloe disappears instantly]
And that's the last we ever see of her. Goodbye Chloe, nobody will remember you existed.
(Visigoth): "We ate them."
: "And the zombies?"
(Hun): "Them too."
: "... Oh."
^ My reaction exactly.
(Hun): "Dr. Blackthorn conveyed a message to His Majesty. Then we were ordered to come and help you. Please, ride on my back, and we'll take you to Mossdeep."
Huh. So the good doctor... was actually a good doctor. Interesting. Let's see how this plays out.
[Current audio in-game: Rustboro theme]
Fort Draco, huh? So the dragons took over Mossdeep and turned it into a dragon fortress. That sounds... pretty rad, honestly.
But where did the people go?
: "Oh, hero? I wouldn't say that but thanks."
Yeah, everybody that lives here is a dragon and they all like Jack. I wonder why.
I should mention that they built a Pokecenter and a Pokemart just for us, which makes them the nicest people we've met so far.
"These are something I took from a muscular-looking human a long time ago. I would like you to have them, to thank you for letting Meteor smile once again."
Awwww. Sure.
Well, it's the thought that matters. The Dumbbells boost Effort Values when you beat up Pokemon, but I don't see much use for it in a rom hack.
: "Oh. Well, of course."
They give us the Kingdra Rod, which is pretty much the Super Rod of Snakewood. Appropriate given how this place is surrounded by water.
"Come back when you've obtained the Secret of the Magi."
Well, that sure was helpful. I don't even know what this is about, but I have to assume it involves postgame secrets.
"This tunnel is the sole link between the Fort and the outside. Hence why there are three of us guarding it here."
Well, this place is pretty hefty to begin with. Nothing will be able to get in here, especially now that Jack is here.
Net Balls are a neat idea, but we have the team finalized except for some movesets and evolutions.
"The perfect place to let your pets get some exercise, don't you think?"
Endless Plains has and will always remain a mystery to me. All of the Pokemon here look like they're having fun though, so I guess that's fine and good.
"This is my Charizard. It gathers information about the region for me."
Ah, so that's the Charizard we keep encountering across our adventure. That explains a lot.
(hell that's even what the text says when you talk to the Charizard)
"Ah, Jack. Meteor had us rebuild the Pokecenter and Pokemart specifically for you. I hope you enjoy them."
Man, Meteor sure is a generous guy all of a sudden by having his men build stuff for Jack. Not that I'm complaining, of course.
"Ah, Jack... I could, if you wish, fly you to our training hall, which might be useful for you. Alternatively, I could fly you to the Tower."
Oooooh, decisions. However, let's back off his offer for now and go talk to the big guy himself.
: "I'll be right back."
I just realized I might have done this out of order, given how you had to talk to Meteor first but it's no big deal.
"Jack! I am so glad that you arrived here safely. Thank you, a thousand times thank you for rescuing my daughter!"
: "It was nothing, really. Here, take her back."
[Jack returns the Egg to Meteor]
(Meteor): "Thank you again. In return, please take this!"
Oh damn, we just got the best move in the game for travel. Meteor is a pretty cool guy. Maybe we just got off on the wrong foot?
(Meteor): "That's the HM for Fly. With that move, you can move about Hoenn without relying on Dragon Hun to carry you everywhere."
: "Thanks!"
Dr. Blackthorn: "By the way, before you leave, you might want to speak to Dragon Hun. He said he would take you to some interesting places."
: "Oh?"
[Dr. Blackthorn walks way only to turn around and talk to Jack]
Dr. Blackthorn: "By the by, Jack, the forces of the East have moved into Lilycove, looking for you. They're catching up fast, so be wary, understand?"
: "... Okay."
I love how Jack's reaction to this is just "oh boy more migraines for me to deal with".
[Dr. Blackthorn leaves the room for real this time]
"You may count on our support whenever you require it."
: "Well, you're welcome. Sorry about calling you an overgrown lizard earlier... it was the adrenaline speaking, you know?"
(Meteor): "That's long been forgiven. You are free to stay here if you so wish. Our fortress will always be a home for you, hero."
Well, now I have a new place for Jack to live if the zombie apocalypse ever blows over.
Alright Ace. Are you ready to claim the skies as your own?
: ("You call the shots, chief.")
Aw yeeeeah. Let's use it right now.
Oh, cocktease!
The Training Hall it is, then.
[Fade to black]
Ah, it's underground. Let's see just what this Training Hall is even about.
Oh, this looks complicated. But trust me when I say it's not. It's just some fighting and that's it. No real tricks.
"We took the floor tiles from the Gym here and built a maze. It trains the mind as well as the body!"
I both loved and hated the original Gym for Liza and Tate. Mostly because it was convoluted but at the same time it was... creative? I dunno.
With a name like that, you can tell he specializes in Water types.
And yes, there are six of them. There are no other trainers in the gym aside from a special someone.
MOLTRES?!
Everybody just has legendaries now. I don't know how to feel about this, but I can at least say it's kind of justified given how this Dragon isn't just any average joe.
Despite the intimidation factor, Ambes shoots down the Moltres with a few thunderbolts.
: ("Man, Jack, you sure picked the best time to evolve me into a Raichu. Everything's weak to either my Thunderbolt or Ice Punch. It's pretty surreal.")
The next fight over is with this guy. His name stems from Olympus Mons, a mountain on the surface of Mars that is nearly triple the size of Mount Everest. Let that be a good indication of what kind of Pokemon he uses.
Shadow Ball proves to be infinitely useful. The AI itself seems to be confused as to whether Shadow Ball is physical or special given how back in the fight against Veracity, the ever-lovable Torkoal used Amnesia more than Iron Defense to block it.
You would think this is a horrendous idea, given that Whiscash could tear Jeanne into pieces with Earthquake even with halved attack. Surprisingly, he succumbed to Confuse Ray and wound up putting my plan into progress.
It consisted of Tohru wailing on the thing until it cried out uncle.
Ambes keeps defying his type weaknesses. Ice Punch is so good.
You're telling me. This team is made up of normal Pokemon instead of the "super special brand new" Fakemon Cutlerine wants you to use to cheese the game instead. Not to say there won't be any in the future, given how Valor and Ballin are due to evolve, but I'm just saying.
Ah yes. We're already up to the third of the Six Elements. I'll give Cutlerine credit for not making this torture.
A fancy dragon typing isn't enough to save you from your fate of being a fried seahorse.
: "Oh, really? Tell that to my Raichu, then."
You know, in hindsight, this entire sequence is more of Ambes's training montage than anything else, given how he keeps doing most of the work.
This Skarmory uses the last of her strength to puke spikes all over the ground, but alas. The battle's already over.
: "I'm not giving you points for the wind puns."
Wait a minute... We beat four guys.
,
,
and
respectively. Where's the other two?
Oh whatever. We're at the end, anyway.
"You defeated the Four Horsemen... and now you have overcome the powerful Six Element Dragons. I cannot begin to comprehend from where your spirit rises... But I will strive to emulate your warrior's heart!"
: "En garde, Dragon King."
[Theme I would use for the fight against Meteor now: Wisdom of Ages]
Here we go. The final fight against Meteor, and this time under the prospect of a gentleman's challenge rather than "I'm going to kill you." I like this fight a lot, as you can tell by the more serious music.
Meteor's seriously stepped up his game since the last time we've fought him, with his team being more well-rounded. It took me a few tries to beat him, and I assure you it wasn't stupid at all.
: ("Oh hey, you're the guy I beat up before. Look, I'm sorry for what happened before.")
Dragon: ("It's fine. I can take another beating for His Majesty as long as it's for a higher purpose. Now prepare yourself.")
: ("Yeah, of course.")
Tohru handled the Kingdra because Ambes was taking too much of the spotlight.
Oh, this was one was masterful. See, this guy used Fire Pump/Flamethrower and it wound up activating Synchronize, leaving both of them with burns. Given how Dragons are primarily physical fighters aside from Fire Pump, this screwed him over something fierce.
Hi, Altaria. This one in particular knows Fury Dance (which is just Dragon Dance but more... angry) and will not hesitate to spam it to completely overpower whatever you have.
Ambes shoves a four times weakness in his face for his troubles.
Don't be confused, this is a different one than the one she fought just a second before. It was slightly stronger. That's the only difference.
Surprisingly enough, I give this dude a warning despite him being the same
The level difference will really bite you on this one. He has the same moves as the last few Dragons, but the extra oomph might be too much if you didn't grind.
* pictured above - powered by multiple Swords Dances. The result? *
"There's no way for a Dragon to beat a Trainer Knight..."
I didn't know the fantasy movie back in the University was actually foreshadowing.
"I have conferred upon you the title of Knight, because you are a warrior that surpasses even draconic power. Ah! But that is not nearly enough. Take this, too!"
Oh?
"That Technical Machine contains a move that works best when performed by Dragons. Use it wisely. Knight Jack, you are truly an amazing figure. You will be welcome in Fort Draco for as long as you live."
Oh, that just touches my heart right there. That sure is a hell of a way to show off gratitude for everything Jack and the Crew have done.
Oh hey, Birch is calling. I wonder what he wants.
"This guy called Tones has just called me up from Lilycove. The city's been flooded with zombies, led by some weird guys. There's an old man, a man dressed in white and black, and a guy in a suit with blue magic beams!"
: "Gleis and Temulence?!"
: "You know them?"
: "We've crossed swords before..."
"Swords."
: "But that's not all! Jack, Tones said he saw a Swampert there, fighting the zombies!"
: "... So?"
Jack, show more respect for a Pokemon that fights the undead single-handedly.
"That's your brother's signature Pokemon!"
: "Landon!"
: "Exactly! Get to Lilycove as soon as possible!"
: "Right!"
[Jack hangs up]
Things sure are heating up around here, aren't they?
Ace, you are cleared for takeoff.
: ("Roger that!")
Sorry to leave you guys on a cliffhanger, but next time on Pokemon Snakewood we get into some high-stakes action. See you then.
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Team setup:
(Bellamine,
, Level 42,
) - "What did Birch mean by an 'old man'? For some reason, I can't help but shiver the closer we get to Lilycove."
(Ambes,
, Level 47,
) - "You're right, miss Bellamine! I'm trembling too! What in the world is going on over there?"
(Jeanne,
, Level 45,
) - "It seems to be the work of some dark power... I can't put my paw on what it might be, but it's powerful. Keep your guard up, everybody."
(Ace,
, Level 40, has Anadrin Talon,
/
) - Is currently surveying the land below and notices a flood of undead
(Ballin,
, level 31,
/
) - "Whoa! So much stuff is happening at once... I can't keep track!"
(Tohru,
, Level 46,
/
) - * cracks knuckles in anticipation *
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Back-up Team:
(Reggie,
, Level 33, has Leftovers,
/
) - "They be beasting 'em."
(Valor,
, Level 39, has Plus Band,
) - "Jack's a Knight now. Niiiice."
(Zagon,
, Level 33,
) - "The dragons all seem like very nice people."
(Alice,
, level 12,
) - "Nya... Even Ballin got a chance to go. I want to go fight zombies too, nya..."
(Krusha,
, level 12,
/
) - Gets shivers at what might happen
(Umbra,
, Level 43,
) - "Don't worry, Alice. I'm sure you'll get your chance to bust some heads."
(Pumbloom,
, level 14,
) - "Wow! Ballin, be careful! You can do it!" * jumps up and down *
(Helmaroc,
, Level 44,
/
) - "This force... It can't be... Him, can't it?! No, His presence shouldn't be known in the mortal realm..."
(Benedict,
, level 43,
/
) - "Oooh! Way to go, Jack! I'm rooting for you!"
(Cherry,
, level 12,
/
) - "... What is Helmaroc talking about?"
(Beatrice,
, Level 26,
/
) - "Fort Draco looks like an excellent vacation spot. I'd love to live there."
(Shine,
, level 12,
) - "Ambes is really pulling his weight out there. He's such a cool big bro."
(Spark,
, level 12,
) - "I know, right? Especially since we lost Big Sis..."
(Alpha, level 50,
/
) - "LETRO, YOU CAN'T IMAGINE HOW I FEEL. LOOK AT WHAT HUMANITY HAS WROUGHT WITH THIS DISEASE THAT PLAGUES THE LAND. I DO WHAT I DO TO STOP THE WORLD FROM GETTING WORSE. EVEN THE ONE YOU CALL JACK IS FLAWED."
(Letro, level 31,
/
) - "YOU'RE A PRODUCT OF A FILM UNIVERSITY, RIGHT? YOUR ACTING IS PRETTY GOOD, BUT I'M NOT FALLING FOR ANY OF THIS. YOU JUST WANT BLOOD TO BE SHED. YOU DON'T INTEND ON HELPING ANYBODY, DO YOU? BZZZT!"
(Juno,
, Level 38,
) - "Aaaagh! What is going on in Lilycove? It's like I'm getting crushed the closer we get!"
(Menti,
, level 37,
/
) - "Wh... It's so terrifying... I also feel... more powerful for some reason. Is this an omen...?"
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Chapter 21 - Dragon King's Blessing
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spoiler:
I still can't believe that the Deadly Seven were smart enough to gang up on you ten to one (Well, if you add all the Pokemon that's... a lot to seven. I'm not going to peek back to see how many there were).
It's an effective strategy, but damn! Let that be the standard for the game's difficulty from now on.
"We're having a drinking contest. Want to join?"
Sure, man. Jack needs another drink after everything he's done so far.
("This is a bottle of Shoggoth's Old Peculiar... This is definitely a step up from Magmar Whiskey. This could get messy...")
Maybe we should have listened to Bellamine's warning and not done this, but we can't chicken out now.
Why did Cutlerine make Jack sixteen again? Why didn't he settle for at least early twenties?
... Well, that's my canon age for him now.
"The Shoggoth's Old Peculiar tried to burn a hole in your soul, but you've blackened it too much with zombie killing. Okay!"
All of these messages are randomized, but I had to get this one for the sake of hilarity. The Shoggoth's Old Peculiar is like the alcohol of the Elder Gods, given how a few sips can sear through Jack's skull and make him see through time to get visions of Cthulhu. When you lose this one, it says Jack loses ninety critical brain circuits and passes out like he's been hit with a sledgehammer.
Like hot damn, Jack even being able to handle this level of drink means he's superhuman.
Oh boy, they're losing it.
"A bolt of lightning cleaves Tones in two... The Lord Thy God is a vengeful god..."
Shades: "Did Toneshhh jusssht die?"
Holy fuck!
Never challenge Arceus's drinking skills or you'll pay the ultimate price.
I chuckled like a madman at this entire scene, alright.
"Jack threw the Shoggoth's Old Peculiar high into the sky and caught the falling drops of liquor one by one on his tongue with lightning speed. Ideal!"
See what I mean by superhuman?! That's some Matrix shit.
"Shades projectile vomited and launched himself backwards into the wall, knocking himself out! It looks like Jack won!"
Excuse me, it looks like he won? He annihilated them and now the Pokecenter is irreversibly painted with Shades's lunch.
"In time-honoured tradition, Jack stole the Film Students' wallets! Jack stole 100,000 Pokedollars!"
Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Jack is the king of the drink!
However, since such an exposure to Elder God level beer would inevitably kill Jack later on, let's say this part didn't happen. 100,000 Pokedollars is chump change.
Oh yes, this is what the chef sells you. Blue Fish and Pink Ink have no worth in the game itself, but they do reference a Dr. Seuss book. The Red Stew is what we really need, although even I don't know what it's for.
Ballin, my boy. Your time has come to prove yourself to the Crew.
I should mention that the entire city of Lilycove has been taken over by Inquisition Footmen and they're all back with a vengeance.
There was one right next to the Pokecenter, but Umbra took him out no problem.
[Breaks out the disco lights]
Let's dance.
Sure, it doesn't look any different than other Inquisition set-ups aside from the Cradily... but their Hombeast has a new move. It is called... the Curse Claw. It's an instant kill if it connects and I have to assume it is painful beyond comprehension, hence why I'm glad nobody got hit by it.
... Outside of practice runs, of course.
Any experience is good experience. You know, for the longest time, I've been part of the bandwagon that didn't know what type Cradily was. I guess that was attributed to it being the only
That's... a bit of a departure from the rest of the dialogue we've had in this game.
Back in chapter 5 or so, this would have been phenomenal for Tohru to do. Now though, it's just his daily workout routine. He has an Armaldo too, but Bellamine blasts it away off screen.
... fun fact everybody, "hijo de puta" is spanish for motherfucker
cutlerine you sneaky little man, putting foreign obscenities in your hack
"I am from Spain region. Illegal immigrants find good work here with current economic climate, no?"
what the hell do i even say to this
Let's just move on.
"I am one of the Inquisition's Five Ninja! Authorized to use Ninja Pokemon - for Ninja purposes only!"
We're under attack by Ninjas! Everybody panic!
Oh. Why was I scared? Beedrill, even with a STAB-boosted super effective Pin Missile, couldn't take Bellamine's health below half. Poor sucker doesn't get respect until his Mega Evolution comes by in Gen VI, so for now Bellamine swats his wings off.
Sevicious was here too, but Ambes took pretty good care of him thanks to liberal use of Flash and Thunderbolt.
Sevicious and
I can't think of anything but Naruto, even despite the fact I haven't seen anything related to Naruto in several years. (Real ninja tend to be way cooler anyway)
"But step through that door, and you're giving yourself up for dead."
He's trying to intimidate Jack like the fight inside of the motel is worse than what we had to deal with to get into Lilycove. (spoiler: it's not)
Before we do that, though, let's mess around with a Footman before we enter.
See, I told you the Hombones were rental Pokemon. That sort of explains why most villainous teams use the same Pokemon over and over again unless they're Admins.
Ambes beat this dude at his own game. Breloom's specialty is punching things yet even he lost to Ambes's Ice Punch.
I made the right decision after all.
No, what you needed was a team that covered most, if not all, of your bases.
"I'm Randolph, and I collect certain Pokemon from the Numra region, like Magenpies. My Magenpies love Blue Rocks, and I love my Magenpies - bring me a Blue Rock and I'll teach your Pokemon new (or old) moves."
Oh sweet, there's the Move Tutor. Don't get too excited though, because this guy is a psycho. See that green-haired lady over there? Randolph thinks she's a Magenpie and is holding her here against her will. So uh... let's get the hell out of here.
Would you look at that, the docks were destroyed. I don't know why they would suddenly pop out of existence. It would have been easier to leave them unedited but unusable, but then again I'm not Cutlerine.
Hey, it's Chloe! Let's get some answers as to why the Inquisition is against Jack again.
"Everyone's trying to kill me!"
Oh, would you look at that! Both Taoists in the game are assholes. Gleis and Chloe have both been evil pricks since the beginning, and honestly I don't even understand this mindset. Why is she trying to attack Jack instead of manipulating him over to her side? At least make an effort. Have it fail spectacularly.
[Two footmen enter the room and corner Jack]
"Damn it! I can't take you all on like this for another two generations!"
Oh no, we are trapped by the limitations of the game! Whatever shall we do.
[Two dragons enter from the front door and attack the Footmen]
"Three people against one, and with zombie backup. What say you, Dragon Visigoth?"
Wait. Did we just get saved by Meteor's soldiers? Excellent timing.
[Theme I would use for the fight with Chloe: Vile Battle theme]
Chloe, your sprite needs some work babe. There's so many ugly gray splotches. That, and she's pretty much Lucy with differently colored hair and white pants. Her battle strategy is just as impressive as she looks, given how nothing she has should be a threat.
Case in point as our two regulars whip two of her Pokemon with ease.
If this were Gen 6, this would be a different story. But for now Wigglytuff is weak to getting punched in the face.
[Bellamine used Psychic!]
You know, despite several of Alicia/Horseman War's Pokemon getting casually beaten off by the The Crew at their current levels, I still hold her fight with high spirits. Chloe on the other hand is just pathetic.
Having a four times weakness to Fighting must be horrendous. Mega Aggron being pure Steel with an ability that weakens super-effective moves helps a lot, but regular Aggron? What should be a match made in Heaven for physical bulk crumbles the instant someone even flicks a finger at it.
Apparently, all Taoists have Faceleech for some reason. In terms of use, however, Faceleech has long since become obsolete as its incredible attack and speed isn't enough to take anybody down anymore. Ambes was hit with a Poison Fang by this thing, and it only took him to down half health. Ambes is not known for his bulk, which must be especially embarassing for Faceleech.
Damn straight.
"Damn it. Alakazam, use Teleport!"
[Chloe disappears instantly]
And that's the last we ever see of her. Goodbye Chloe, nobody will remember you existed.
^ My reaction exactly.
Huh. So the good doctor... was actually a good doctor. Interesting. Let's see how this plays out.
[Current audio in-game: Rustboro theme]
Fort Draco, huh? So the dragons took over Mossdeep and turned it into a dragon fortress. That sounds... pretty rad, honestly.
But where did the people go?
Yeah, everybody that lives here is a dragon and they all like Jack. I wonder why.
I should mention that they built a Pokecenter and a Pokemart just for us, which makes them the nicest people we've met so far.
"These are something I took from a muscular-looking human a long time ago. I would like you to have them, to thank you for letting Meteor smile once again."
Awwww. Sure.
Well, it's the thought that matters. The Dumbbells boost Effort Values when you beat up Pokemon, but I don't see much use for it in a rom hack.
They give us the Kingdra Rod, which is pretty much the Super Rod of Snakewood. Appropriate given how this place is surrounded by water.
"Come back when you've obtained the Secret of the Magi."
Well, that sure was helpful. I don't even know what this is about, but I have to assume it involves postgame secrets.
"This tunnel is the sole link between the Fort and the outside. Hence why there are three of us guarding it here."
Well, this place is pretty hefty to begin with. Nothing will be able to get in here, especially now that Jack is here.
Net Balls are a neat idea, but we have the team finalized except for some movesets and evolutions.
"The perfect place to let your pets get some exercise, don't you think?"
Endless Plains has and will always remain a mystery to me. All of the Pokemon here look like they're having fun though, so I guess that's fine and good.
"This is my Charizard. It gathers information about the region for me."
Ah, so that's the Charizard we keep encountering across our adventure. That explains a lot.
(hell that's even what the text says when you talk to the Charizard)
"Ah, Jack. Meteor had us rebuild the Pokecenter and Pokemart specifically for you. I hope you enjoy them."
Man, Meteor sure is a generous guy all of a sudden by having his men build stuff for Jack. Not that I'm complaining, of course.
"Ah, Jack... I could, if you wish, fly you to our training hall, which might be useful for you. Alternatively, I could fly you to the Tower."
Oooooh, decisions. However, let's back off his offer for now and go talk to the big guy himself.
I just realized I might have done this out of order, given how you had to talk to Meteor first but it's no big deal.
"Jack! I am so glad that you arrived here safely. Thank you, a thousand times thank you for rescuing my daughter!"
[Jack returns the Egg to Meteor]
Oh damn, we just got the best move in the game for travel. Meteor is a pretty cool guy. Maybe we just got off on the wrong foot?
Dr. Blackthorn: "By the way, before you leave, you might want to speak to Dragon Hun. He said he would take you to some interesting places."
[Dr. Blackthorn walks way only to turn around and talk to Jack]
Dr. Blackthorn: "By the by, Jack, the forces of the East have moved into Lilycove, looking for you. They're catching up fast, so be wary, understand?"
I love how Jack's reaction to this is just "oh boy more migraines for me to deal with".
[Dr. Blackthorn leaves the room for real this time]
"You may count on our support whenever you require it."
Well, now I have a new place for Jack to live if the zombie apocalypse ever blows over.
Alright Ace. Are you ready to claim the skies as your own?
Aw yeeeeah. Let's use it right now.
Oh, cocktease!
The Training Hall it is, then.
[Fade to black]
Ah, it's underground. Let's see just what this Training Hall is even about.
Oh, this looks complicated. But trust me when I say it's not. It's just some fighting and that's it. No real tricks.
"We took the floor tiles from the Gym here and built a maze. It trains the mind as well as the body!"
I both loved and hated the original Gym for Liza and Tate. Mostly because it was convoluted but at the same time it was... creative? I dunno.
With a name like that, you can tell he specializes in Water types.
And yes, there are six of them. There are no other trainers in the gym aside from a special someone.
MOLTRES?!
Everybody just has legendaries now. I don't know how to feel about this, but I can at least say it's kind of justified given how this Dragon isn't just any average joe.
Despite the intimidation factor, Ambes shoots down the Moltres with a few thunderbolts.
The next fight over is with this guy. His name stems from Olympus Mons, a mountain on the surface of Mars that is nearly triple the size of Mount Everest. Let that be a good indication of what kind of Pokemon he uses.
Shadow Ball proves to be infinitely useful. The AI itself seems to be confused as to whether Shadow Ball is physical or special given how back in the fight against Veracity, the ever-lovable Torkoal used Amnesia more than Iron Defense to block it.
You would think this is a horrendous idea, given that Whiscash could tear Jeanne into pieces with Earthquake even with halved attack. Surprisingly, he succumbed to Confuse Ray and wound up putting my plan into progress.
It consisted of Tohru wailing on the thing until it cried out uncle.
Ambes keeps defying his type weaknesses. Ice Punch is so good.
You're telling me. This team is made up of normal Pokemon instead of the "super special brand new" Fakemon Cutlerine wants you to use to cheese the game instead. Not to say there won't be any in the future, given how Valor and Ballin are due to evolve, but I'm just saying.
Ah yes. We're already up to the third of the Six Elements. I'll give Cutlerine credit for not making this torture.
A fancy dragon typing isn't enough to save you from your fate of being a fried seahorse.
You know, in hindsight, this entire sequence is more of Ambes's training montage than anything else, given how he keeps doing most of the work.
This Skarmory uses the last of her strength to puke spikes all over the ground, but alas. The battle's already over.
Wait a minute... We beat four guys.
Oh whatever. We're at the end, anyway.
"You defeated the Four Horsemen... and now you have overcome the powerful Six Element Dragons. I cannot begin to comprehend from where your spirit rises... But I will strive to emulate your warrior's heart!"
[Theme I would use for the fight against Meteor now: Wisdom of Ages]
Here we go. The final fight against Meteor, and this time under the prospect of a gentleman's challenge rather than "I'm going to kill you." I like this fight a lot, as you can tell by the more serious music.
Meteor's seriously stepped up his game since the last time we've fought him, with his team being more well-rounded. It took me a few tries to beat him, and I assure you it wasn't stupid at all.
Dragon: ("It's fine. I can take another beating for His Majesty as long as it's for a higher purpose. Now prepare yourself.")
Tohru handled the Kingdra because Ambes was taking too much of the spotlight.
Oh, this was one was masterful. See, this guy used Fire Pump/Flamethrower and it wound up activating Synchronize, leaving both of them with burns. Given how Dragons are primarily physical fighters aside from Fire Pump, this screwed him over something fierce.
Hi, Altaria. This one in particular knows Fury Dance (which is just Dragon Dance but more... angry) and will not hesitate to spam it to completely overpower whatever you have.
Ambes shoves a four times weakness in his face for his troubles.
Don't be confused, this is a different one than the one she fought just a second before. It was slightly stronger. That's the only difference.
The level difference will really bite you on this one. He has the same moves as the last few Dragons, but the extra oomph might be too much if you didn't grind.
* pictured above - powered by multiple Swords Dances. The result? *
"There's no way for a Dragon to beat a Trainer Knight..."
I didn't know the fantasy movie back in the University was actually foreshadowing.
"I have conferred upon you the title of Knight, because you are a warrior that surpasses even draconic power. Ah! But that is not nearly enough. Take this, too!"
Oh?
"That Technical Machine contains a move that works best when performed by Dragons. Use it wisely. Knight Jack, you are truly an amazing figure. You will be welcome in Fort Draco for as long as you live."
Oh, that just touches my heart right there. That sure is a hell of a way to show off gratitude for everything Jack and the Crew have done.
Oh hey, Birch is calling. I wonder what he wants.
"This guy called Tones has just called me up from Lilycove. The city's been flooded with zombies, led by some weird guys. There's an old man, a man dressed in white and black, and a guy in a suit with blue magic beams!"
"Swords."
Jack, show more respect for a Pokemon that fights the undead single-handedly.
"That's your brother's signature Pokemon!"
[Jack hangs up]
Things sure are heating up around here, aren't they?
Ace, you are cleared for takeoff.
Sorry to leave you guys on a cliffhanger, but next time on Pokemon Snakewood we get into some high-stakes action. See you then.
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Team setup:
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Back-up Team:
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