team-heavenly - Tumblr blog

[team-heavenly]

Me on Floor 15 of a 99F dungeon after filling my last recruit slot with Regirock: Okay time to go home! tries to use escape orb

Dungeon: lol this is a boss floor so you can't

Me: oh okay can I at least get the orb back

Dungeon: no

Me: ...you realize I now have no way out and I can't reset because you made me force save

Dungeon: :)

Me: do you at least spawn escape orbs

Dungeon: we do :)

Me: Okay good, chances are I'll find one long before we hit 99F

Me, on floor 64, not having found a single escape orb: OH COME ON-

[team-heavenly]

Chapter 26 Overflow

As previously mentioned, I had never tried leaving Aegis Cave partway through until now. And once again, even all these years later, I'm still finding new things in this game I've never seen before! Below are some snapshots from our guild buddies, who apparently just give up and return home.

Same, Pineco. Same.

When the mystery is so mysterious that you can't describe how mysterious it is, exactly, so it remains a mystery.

And then there's... *sigh* Tropius.

First of all, buzz off, m8.

Second, iirc, Totodile is still singing about Perfect Apples during this time.

Lastly, it was only after reading these dialogue boxes that I realized:

We last saw the crew enter the dungeon at the first waypoint.

Until now, I never knew they left during the mission.

Meaning that I should have caught on to the "fact" that they were in the cave when it collapsed.

(For some reason, I never made this connection.)

So I guess my subconscious just assumed they escaped during the cave collapse and everyone was doing just fine?!

So, uh. Yeah. There's that.

(Click here to return to the story line.)

[team-heavenly]

Chapter 26 - Part 5

(1) (2) (3) (4)

This spells the end for our heroes... or does it?

Oh sureee, leave my poor girl Teresa at the back-end as a debris cushion, why don't you!

🥺️🎻

*cast beam of light, angels singing, etc etc*

A... hole in the wall?

I know, I'm such a kill-joy.

Meowth, that's right!

*giggles, kicks feet up* I mean, if you insist-

*Corphish/Pineco voice* Hey hey, likewise!

And so, all's well that ends well :)

I'm not sure who's actively following my blog at this point, but thank you for your patience on this one. Between my job and my mental health, I'm barely treading water here. I'd be surprised if I managed to get the next part out before I go AWOL for several weeks starting April 26. (Or maybe not being at work after the 26th will give me more time than ever? To be determined...)

Regardless, take care.

[team-heavenly]

Chapter 26 - Part 4

I've counted it out and *sigh* we're gonna need five parts again. And I thought this chapter would be shorter than Sky Peak...

Part Un.

Part Deux.

Part Trois.

The real question is, will we be two for two on the bosses?

Hmmmmm. Okay, so we have...

An eldritch creature beyond our comprehension/perception

One smol Rhino Boi

The second of three (3) consecutive Starter Fire-Fighting middle evolutions

...

(It's very possible I used this meme already somewhere on the blog, but I don't feel like digging through over 100 posts to find out.)

By the way, this chamber was called, and I kid you not, Electric Trapdoor.

If Monferno had any moves, we didn't find out what they were. All it took was Mud Slap, Octazooka, and the Celebi Combo. (Garchomp missed, but that barely mattered.)

And then suddenly, Team Charm out of nowhere!

Team Heavenly, who beat Monferno within one turn without even blinking:

Don't, uh... Don't even worry about it! That's what Rescue/Explorer Teams do, right? 😅

Well, we can't say no to that. Besides, I have a feeling we'll need that back up real soon...

The group reaches the final waypoint. But first, we have a bag full of common goodies. Another quick trip home is in order.

Ah, what a beautiful sight to behold after all this time spent suffering without :')

I really want to include these next shots but I won't be able to fit them in here or Part 5, so click here for a brief detour.

Oh and, wonder of wonders, this Exclusive Item happened to be in Dodrio's offerings today! Considering that I recruited a handful of Unown (C, G, I, K, N, O, R, T, and U, to be precise), this is nifty!

Now, back to the Entertaining Slide, AKA the Aegis Cave Pit.

Hm, what's that I see in the distance? Let's tread closer and find out.

*wheezes*

YES, TREMBLE BEFORE THE MIGHT OF OUR GUARDIANS! SOME SEA STARS, SOME LAVA BABIES AND.... THE WALKING TERROR HIMSELF, THE POM POM BUNNY!!!

I love it. 10/10, no notes.

Oh, those were stone statues? I couldn't tell 😅

And in record time, we have a promise fulfilled!

Climatic battle highlights:

Octazooka took out one Magby immediately, and Chatter alone claimed one Staryu

Powder Snow took nearly everyone else out within two turns, though it froze Plusle and a lone Staryu

Oddly enough, Plusle knew Aura Sphere, just like its predecessor

The remaining Staryu knew Lava Plume

Charizard knew Triple Kick?!

And some good ol' fashioned Deja Vu (sorry about the angle here, I didn't think I was sharing this at the time of recording):

Don't worry, we got there eventually though.

Suddenly, a wild red tablet appears!

Teresa used Spirit Flow!

It's... super effective??

(Part 5.)

[team-heavenly]

Chapter 26 - Part 3

You know the drill by now. Part one is here, part two is here...

Yeah, so uhhh, fun fact! In all my years of playing this game, I never once tried to leave Aegis Cave apparently, because this genuinely surprised me. THERE'S AN INVISIBLE WALL. YOU CAN'T LEAVE. YOU CAN ONLY FINISH THE STORY LINE, FAINT, OR USE AN ESCAPE ORB.

And this kinda upset me because, y'know, for the first time this entire damn run, I finally had a pile of Orans and Apples and other basic things, and I wanted to drop them off in storage to make room for more.

The good news: I did in fact pick up an Escape Orb, so we said SEE YUH!

While we were back in town, I fed a Wonder Gummi to Celebi via Rotom's juicebar, and we got two surprises packed into one!

WUH- OKAY THEN.

And now, some moments that nearly gave me a freaking heart attack.

Damage runs deep </3 Hell of a line.

Also, moments that nearly make your eyeballs fall out of your head until you remember your Garchomp has Huge Power.

Speaking of, here is a non-inclusive list of the moves and abilities I remember seeing from the Unown (either in dungeon or from recruits):

Moves:

Ice Ball

Faint Attack

Thrash

Hyper Beam

Luster Purge

Lunar Dance

Gunk Shot

Dark Pulse

Extrasensory

Hammer Arm

Spit Up

Flash Cannon

Abilities:

Sturdy

Illuminate

Truant

Aftermath

Natural Cure

Serene Grace

Bad Dreams

Drizzle

Cloud Nine

Snow Warning

Heatproof

Filter

A true grab bag, which was honestly kind of fun when it wasn't trying to kill us.

Anyway, we only had to go through three times before getting all the stones we needed and then some! IYKYK.

When we return to the waypoint, we do a funky little dance just kidding, we only close our eyes.

So, here I am, entering the Nonsensical Expanse, getting pumped we get to find out who the first of the three Regis are, right?

But then I have something so unexpected happen that my 3DS nearly falls from my hands.

Wh-

WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT ISN'T HERE?!?!?!

No, but I was legitimately upset over this. I consulted my friend @exploring-the-sky to see if love knew anything about it.

Well, this is what happens when you use a build from nearly two years ago, I guess.

At every portion of Aegis Cave, I left at least once and came back, and it was always the same. There was no one to fight. So now we'll never know who Regice is! That beautiful guidepost I put together to translate every character and place from their canon counterparts? You know, my actual pride and joy? I literally CAN'T put anything down for Regice now except ??? or ERROR 404.

THANKS A LOT, GAME!!! >:l

Or just replace it with any Pokémon you want, I don't make the rules here.

Next stop: Neat Creek.

We already have C and K so this shouldn't be too painful... I hope.

Nevertheless, when we inevitably come back around, we find what looks like a letter...

Wait, did y'all actually run into a boss? DID Y'ALL ACTUALLY FIGHT A BOSS?? PLEASE, TEAM CHARM, I'M BEGGING YOU-

Ugh, well. Guess we're about to find out, anyhow. We enter the Colossal Rift and hold our breaths...

OH THANK ARCEUS, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY I AM TO SEE YOU!!

...Words said before disaster, Part 21,894-

Despite our one-two punch of Meteor Mash and Powder Snow on Celebi, Rhyhorn wouldn't go down easy. In fact, he got off some Dragon Dances , which made me kinda nervous! And Seed Flare missed, like, 4 times in a row?? Then I REALLY started to panic when he used Mirror Move! But in the end, we persevered.

Ohhhh, I see... so, Not Regice just granted us the guardian's permission pre-emptively and went "lol bye losers, I'm out"? That's the explanation I'm going with, anyway :P

When we approach the Nonsensical Trench, there seems to be no sign of Team Charm...

We picked up two E stones in the last segment of the dungeon, so all we're missing is S, T, and L.

Why, hello there! This one even gave us a stone right away :)

It turns out Unown S and T also spawn on this very first floor! I stuck it out as long as I could and, lo and behold, we didn't have to go through more than once! \o/

Okay, now you gotta do the ritual thing to move on to Part 4.

[team-heavenly]

Chapter 26 - Part 2

Don't skip the matinée just so you can get to the main course!

🥺️Pwetty pwease with a 🍒 on towp?

EVERYBODY GET HYPED!! 😤

Wait, but we can't all go, right? Who will keep watch over the Guild?

Ah, okay. Just don't expect me to carry your head on a platter after Totodile and/or Tropius f*cks you up 🤷‍♀️

But before we head off for adventure, a juicy tidbit reveals the real members of Team Raiders to us!

Bruh, are you for real 😂

I can't exactly tell who is who until they show up in post (post), so look forward to that later! In the meantime...

Aegis Cave Luxurious Manor, here we come.

...Gee Pineco, ya don't say.

Nah, it just exists to troll everyone into thinking you can go farther when it's actually an impossible puzzle. OF COURSE THERE'S A TRICK TO IT, GOD-

Team Charm and the guildmembers scamper off. But let's check out those odd grooves Beedrill mentioned first.

Teresa: "Oh, okay. I know exactly what to do now." *hovers into the dungeon without any hesitation whatsoever.*

Andrea et al.:

Oh and, incidentally, this area is called The Gigantic... Uhhh, The Gigantic... *squints at the word before googling it*

...This ain't even a place, it's an idea. Wtf.

ANYWAYYY, here's an updated look at the Team! Garchomp, my beloved. Also #girl power.

So this probably goes without saying, but the dungeons and Pokémon* aren't randomized here. Otherwise it would be literally impossible to advance. Finding a random blue gummi who knows where is one thing (and that's already hellish enough). Finding a multitude of Unown Stones? Forget it.

Oooooo lookie lookie, one of the letters we need right off the bat!

*That being said! The moves and abilities of the Unown are totally random, so we still have at least a twist of fun. More on that later.

*Count from Sesame Street Voice* TWOOOOO LETTER I'S, AHAHAHA-

Also this dungeon was completely silent the first time through, but none of the subsequent times for some reason? Wack.

OH, AND BECAUSE ITEMS WEREN'T RANDOMIZED?? TREASURE HUNT GALORE FOR THOSE SO RARELY SEEN COMMON ITEMS LIKE ORAN BERRIES 😭

. Indulge me for a moment here, because I have a relatively new-ish blorbo, but this is the very first thing I thought of:

Sounds like a skill issue, idk.

Alright, you go do that. We'll be right behind you, but first, a message from our sponsors.

[team-heavenly]

Chapter 26: The Ladies of Charm

Wait, that's not...! Who says we're trying to make enemies?! D:<

Also yeah, I know my title is bland... but I couldn't think of anything better.

Let's just dive right in, shall we?

Lovely? Team Charm?! I thought this was Team Raider!

But, alright, humor me. Who is who, here?

Does this look like Mega Charizard X? Those ears are maybe 6 inches long at best.

...I want to laugh, but I'd feel like a jerk. Still, considering Gardevoir's reputation with, um, the fans (*awkward coughing*), I cannot think of a worse replacement for her 😔

A rock creature being a fluid, dynamic dancer? Rampardos, thy name is irony.

This is, uh, quite the line-up 😅

Eventually, the guildmaster hears all the hubbub and makes an appearance!

Is this really that surprising? Totodile's a legendary Guildmaster, Team Charm are legendary treasure hunters... Yeah, the world's big and all, but it doesn't feel improbable they wouldn't have met at some point.

(Can you tell I have Cinemasins on in the background while I write this?)

The power of friendship, obviously. You just said so yourself!

Everyone, but especially Team Charm:

*one Perfect Apple bribe later*

*a bunch of cartoon crashing noises later*

So if the key is Unown-shaped... There's 28 different possibilities, right? Which form do you think it is? Cast your votes now!

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Classic Wigglytu- I mean, Totodile!

Then they departed, never to be seen again, and that's the end of the chapter.

...Naaaaaah, of course not. You know what to do.

[team-heavenly]

And Now, An Interlude

Since it's taking me way longer to get my sh*t together for Team Charm than I'd like.

This is mostly me showing off a slew of new teammates, so don't get too excited.

Oh noooo, a Monster House full of bugs in cocoons, whatever shall we doooo?!

Incidentally, I had two "Hey, let's go exploring!" requests in the queue so we unlocked:

Shimmer Hill (which has become Sad Tomb for our AU)

And Midnight Forest, which is an abandoned sandbar! Huh.

While we were exploring said sandbar, a wonderful thing happened:

^My face exactly when we got this IQ skill. We just keep winning!! 💥😎💥

I also found a Ginseng for Teresa and got the lucky boost! Mud Slap+3 became Mud Slap+6 🙌

Most of the remaining images are showing off new recruits from Abandoned Sandbar. These guys ALL joined us on that one trip.

Superpower Rhyhorn :0

Sunkern... Well, you tried.

Surf STAB Surskit, my beloved.

We got two Natu (one of which subsequently evolved into Xatu), so you get to see Natu's abilities as well.

Did a hard double take when I saw the PP for Rock Smash before remembering you can use it to dig through walls XD

TEAM SKULL REAL??

The face of an unrepentant murderer.

And, last but not least, triple AAA Wingull! Get it? Eh? Ehhh??

*gets booed off the stage*

...Okay yeah I deserved that one.

Alright so this image is from a ways back, just before I started Sky Peak. And the Gold Box icon that appears after you get all 7 Treasures is there. Which is all fine and good except I still only had 6 Treasures when this shot was taken.

At the time, I simply shrugged and concluded the randomizer screwed up the flags somehow. Only 5 months later did it occur to me-

that I might not get any of the Special Mission dungeons as a result.

And JUST when I started panicking over this:

OH THANK FREAKING ARCEUS I'M NOT SOFTLOCKED OUT OF THESE DUNGEONS AFTER ALL!!

So yes, the plan is to eventually have "And now, an interlude" post highlighting the new dungeons and masters for the Seven Treasures :)

That's all for now! Give me a week or two and hopefully the Team Charm Arc will be up by then! (There's some surprises to look forward to 😃)

[team-heavenly]

Chapter 25 - Part 3

Part One.

Part Two.

Grab your tissues.

And with a single, uneven slide of their sleeping sprites... they're gone.

...Uh, I mean-

You could say... I'm too sad... to even move...

...Yeah, you're right, Andrea... Such a short time in our lives, yet he meant so much... the smallest, yet brightest of stars in our sky.

Our sadness must be stark, for the residents of Nautical Cottage try to cheer us up, one by one...

Still, we hold heavy hearts. Having a few Treasure Chests from Witty Sinkhole to pry open, we go to see Gastly. And the first box contains...

You could say I released a choked sob at this one, yeah.

...And that's the end of Chapter 25.

Until next time.

[team-heavenly]

Chapter 25 - Part 2

We're about to square tf up, and if you don't know why then you should go back here and see.

...Mmmm, I dunno... Not only do we have better odds, but we have a land shark and a mythical fae being on our side.

Step away now while you have the chance. This is your only warning.

...Fine.

We obliterate this dude so hard that I'll spare him the embarrassment. All it took was Dizzy Punch, Blizzard, Giga Drain, and Confusion. That's IT. It was over after a single turn.

Never underestimate an angry mama bear.

Oh, we will. Trust me. But what about you?

Actually, don't answer that. Get out of our sight.

DO YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN ABOUT THE IDOL THING?? FRONT-FACING SHIFTRY IS A MENACE!!

Obviously, we were going to ask for this anyway, but I appreciate the opportunity to take out our desperation (and frustration) on some random brute.

(Idk why he's standing on his hind legs here, but there ya go.)

🥺️ M-me too... Oogie...

😢💔

If... we must... Oh, our dear, sweet child...

He... uh?? I mean, sure, I guess. Not even the weirdest thing we've seen tbh. (Rescue Team AU?)

...Okay, real talk for a moment.

This scene. Upset me terribly as a kid.

Yes, it was the right thing to do. Just as Togetic sacrificing himself for Teresa and Andrea was the right thing to do. But damn, if that doesn't make it hurt even more.

I have a vivid memory of my first time through this story arc... My hero was Piplup, and my partner was Phanpy. That was the first of my duos to actually make it through to the very end. And for days afterward (irl, not just in-game), I was still grieving the loss of Manaphy.

I had recently picked up a do-it-yourself journal with prompts from a Scholastic Bookfair (for reference, I was 11). And one of the prompts was the following: cut out this card with a lock icon on the one side. Flip it over and write a wish on it. Then fold it in half with the lock side showing, and tape it inside this drawing of a door. Leave it there, locked behind the door flap, and one day that wish may come true.

I don't believe (?) I have this book still. But inside my card, I wrote something along the lines of,

"I wish for Baby Manaphy to come back to Piplup and Phanpy one day... We miss him so much."

...Imagine how I felt, many weeks later... when Manaphy did, indeed, return. 💗

But that's neither here nor there... so let us return to our sorrowful farewell.

As for what comes next... well...

❓❓❓

...Yeah, I'm still at a loss for how to explain this one. (Although it did nearly knock me off my seat for a second.)

Unfortunately, we aren't done quite yet, so click here to see the conclusion.

[team-heavenly]

Chapter 25 - Farewell, Sweet Prince

...I know I said it wouldn't take too long to get this out... but my job had other ideas.

I really like the title I came up with for this one! Too bad it's going to instead be known as:

Oh, you mean the first dungeon we ran into back in the dark future shortly after nearly getting executed? It's alright, you can be more colorful than that. Tell me how much you really hate it!

Um, anyway. We left off having found our sweet Baby Turtwig collapsed on the Beach...

Not to immediately kill the somber mood or anything, but I NEED you to see how he was animated back at the bluff:

Okay, you can go back to being concerned now.

NOT MA TURTWIG!! 😭

*nods sadly and gives a small sniffle* Alright Tropius, so what do you recommend?

S...Shiftry Dew?? What even is that 😭 Shiftry's sweat? Ugh, better not think too hard about it...

Don't think about it don't think about it don'tthinkaboutIT-

If this baby dies, I will kill everyone in this room and then myself. So we hightail it over to the Miracle Sea Witty Sinkhole as fast as our wings and flippers can take us.

OUT OF OUR WAY B*TCHES WE HAVE A CHILD'S LIFE ON THE LINE!!

I. SAID. OUT OF THE WAY!!

We descended ever onward until our Witty Sinkhole became the Tremendous Flats. And along the way...

We actually wound up in the Miracle Sea?! So that was a thing. (What are the odds?)

Deep in the "Critical Corridor"...

I, uh... don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't... No, actually this is very much what I was told to expect.

Also, I can't quite put my finger on why, but these Shiftry are very much giving me the "Idol monsters" vibe from Spyro 2...

But I digress.

*nearly does a spit-take at Gyarados getting replaced with a screaming Doduo*

...Well, we can't have that, now can we? 😠

(Transition to Part 2 to unlock Team Heavenly's rage.)

[team-heavenly]

Chapter 24 - Part 4

Part numero uno

Part numero dos

Part numero tres

She has a point, but I wouldn't be bringing him into dungeons at this stage, either 😳

WUBDUDSUYEFBVHWEHEUFAAEFS LOOK AT US BEING A LITTLE FAMILY!!!

Of course, we let everyone in Nautical Cottage fuss over our baby along the way...

...Oh right, I forgot the "enhance" effect is f*cking awful on the beach. Eughhhh.

Turtwig doesn't seem to mind, though :') Bless his heart

And now, a live reaction from the mod:

I think this is the first time throughout the entire run that I've had a narrative screen come out halfway decent.

...Uh oh.

(Mana-who?)

AUGH!! FRANTIC SEARCH, COMMENCE!

We cover every square inch of Nautical Cottage with no success and rising heart rates...

Oh my God, no... please, please, no, please...

👉👈 Haha, welllll... Do you remember us saying we promise nothing was gonna happen to Turtwig? Funny story about that...

;-; LISTEN WE FEEL BAD ENOUGH, OKAY-

Splitting up is a good idea, but also... if Turtwig had gotten into the guild, you would surely know! Remember sentry duty?! There was a whole plot point around this!

Ugh, anyway. The only place left to look is the beach...

*imagine him collapsing suddenly*

😧Baby, no!! 🥺️

...And that's all for now. But don't worry, I am using the power of plot armor to ensure Turtwig remains safe until the release of Chapter 25 (coming soon - it'll be much faster since the pics are already prepped).

[team-heavenly]

Chapter 24 - Part 3

Part 1: Babynapping

Part 2: oh god oh f*ck, he's hatched

Part 3:

Tropius disses us as (adopted) parents, apparently.

Urgh... Can't really argue with that logic, though. But watch Andrea try anyway.

(AU Hero/Partner Turtwig: *rotating in his non-existence grave*)

Andrea, I'm not sure you know what you're promising, exactly. I mean, this is an entire CHILD.

(Baby Turtwig: :3)

I think he folds here only because we aren't officially apprentices anymore skdhfgfgsd

Andrea, I REALLY DON'T THINK YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE-

It should be noted that Baby Turtwig repeats what you say A LOT, so this is one of the few exchanges between us that didn't get trimmed. (This arc is already long enough!)

Teresa: *turns and gives the camera a deadpan stare*

Listen, she loves the little guy, but she's flabbergasted Andrea would promise them to be good parents without even having a plan.

Oh thank god, she thinks, that's something they can do incredibly easily.

I love how simply getting rid of the prepositions somehow makes it easier for the kid to understand.

(long, quiet sigh at the loss of my image real estate)

Wuh oh... here comes the sleepy monster! 😴

Wait, why doesn't he take on the sleeping sprite here?! He clearly had one!! What?? No please tell me, I don't understan-

🥹💓

They grow up so fast...!!

Does Team Heavenly have any idea what to do from here?! Guess you better go find out.

[team-heavenly]

Chapter 24 - Part 2

Heyoooo, be sure to start from Part 1 so you can have the Full Experience!™️

TL;DR: Psyduck raved about a Questionable Hut open for the first time in 10,000 years, and we decided to steal an Egg that became our newborn baby! We may be in over our heads, so we run to Tropius for guidance!

Man, how funny would this be if the Hero and Partner were still regular starters for some reason?

Tropius: "I've literally never laid eyes on this Pokémon in my entire life."

AU Hero or Partner Turtwig: "...Am I a joke to you?"

At least a turtle hatching in the sea makes sense 🤷‍♀️

hmnsgfhMSNDHFGH HE'S SO FREAKING CUTEEEE 😭💗

Andrea and Teresa: "...................................................."

IDK ANDREA, MAYBE YOU SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THAT BEFORE WE KIDNAPPED A CHILD.

But then suddenly...

(Yeah idk why but he takes on a sleeping sprite for this.)

(Guilty as charged for modifying the text so it would fit.) Also, a Water type? You sure about that bro??

Oh right, this is the part where we go back to Craggy Coast Large Arena to comb for Blue Gummis-

And then it hits you.

This is a randomizer.

THANKFULLY, I had the foresight for this while I was grinding the Poliwhirl Dojo dungeons and saved every Blue Gummi I found instead of giving them to Andrea (which I usually do by default). So I effectively saved myself from a world of pain.

I wasn't sure if it was two or three Gummis so I saved four just in case. c:

Side tangent, but I had a somewhat comedic situation develop by happenstance:

Um-

Good... Good luck with that one, Croconaw. Do you want to take on my job...?

When withdrawing the Blue Gummis, I found we had a bunch of other Gummis to clear out, too. So we hit up Rotom's cafe.

Man, I'm telling ya! Best. IQ Group. EVER.

I also recalled I previously went back to recruit Shaymin Onix and wanted to check out her moveset:

OMG she actually has Rock Blast still. And look at these moves!! I should throw her on the roster once in a while.

After that, we hurry on back to feed our little hungry Turtwig.

AND THE CROWD GOES WILD!!

I mean, yeah, we gotta take accountability for our actions at some point here skdjhfghfgs.

So all is well... right?

[team-heavenly]

Chapter 24 - The Jewel of Surrounded Sea

Or rather... *clears throat, checks random number generator*

Spoilers: You're A Human

WOW, WAY TO BE BEHIND THE TIMES, PAL. WE BEEN K N E W

This one is going to be like a dozen parts if I don't break it up, so this isn't the entirety of the Manaphy arc. My justification: 1) the main story does this too (ex: the guild expedition is over several chapters), 2) I've kept you guys waiting long enough, and 3) I'm the mod so I do what I want lol

It's an ordinary day around the ordinary Nautical Cottage with ordinary weather and another ordinary list of jobs to tackle... or is it?

"The Questionable Hut?" we ask, unknowingly signing up to go find it somewhere 20,000 leagues under the sea.

Um, yeah that sounds exciting! I'm sure we'll find... uh, a lot of permafrost and stuff... Yeaaahhhh 🎉

...Do they really? How is that thing still standing?!

But what kind of exploration team would we be, passing up the opportunity to check out a place in stasis for over 10,000 years? So naturally, we pick up the torch and make our way over.

Saaaay, this isn't the ocean...! (Also yes, if you're wondering-

(-this was a one-room floor.)

If you would kindly cast your eyes to the blue star below and follow the numbers and colors (yellow, red, green, purple):

LITERALLY if I had gone right instead of left, I would have found the stairs in no time flat without exploring the entire FREAKING FLOOR.

Also I guess this was the first time I picked up a Stun Seed in the wild?! If that tells you anything about the item distribution in this randomizer 💀

Ngl, this one made me pause for a second because it felt like Celebi was talking to me directly about my mental health. God, I love her :')

Speaking of, here's an updated look at her moveset. She's a little low PP-wise, but this combination of moves is pretty stellar! And, as you can see, I linked the first two for maximum effect. It RULED in Monster Houses!

I say this like there wasn't a two-room monster house on this very floor with Andrea in the back, unable to help with Blizzard, while getting our sh*t rocked by Agility, Sandstorm, everyone getting frozen, and the Intimidator IQ skill. I still don't know how we got out of that one alive.

Out of sheer curiosity on my part: what do you all call this kind of floor layout? For some reason, my brain has resorted to calling it a "maze floor" even though this is... literally the opposite of that. What would make more sense? A crossroads floor? A labyrinth floor? Would love to hear your thoughts!

So we arrive at the final floor, pick up our three Deluxe Boxes, and then...

Proceed to kidnap an unborn child. As you do.

Right on cue, we begin to hear some suspect wobbling coming from the nest.

:O!

I'll be honest, I didn't think too hard (if at all) about who I wanted Manaphy to be. Something cute? Something Legendary? Something completely off the cuff?

But as soon as I laid eyes on this little guy, I knew... I didn't want it any other way.

PRAISE BE TO LORD ARCEUS FOR BLESSING US WITH THIS PRECIOUS CHILD!!

...Although it does make all the talk about him being a rare, strange Pokémon kind of hilarious 😂

Amazing, that's 30 images and this is a perfect segway to Part 2.

[team-heavenly]

Posting spoilers without context

[team-heavenly]

Heya folks‚

I played through the Surrounded Sea arc almost a month ago. I waited until after Thanksgiving‚ then procrastinated a little longer when I got spooked by how many images I had to sift through. And then I’ve been repeatedly hit with severe financial bombshells during the month of December.

In other words‚ I was originally hoping to get the post out before Christmas‚ but now I don’t think that’s happening… so hang tight for just a little longer ^^;