Part 67: The Ineluctable Adventures of Mr. Shine and Mr. Bright (Frosty Forest)

I say, Mister Shine, I feel the pangs of ennui weighing down my buoyant spirit.

Quite so, Mister Bright. Since we descended from our former home in the sky, we've been rather at a loose end.

Perhaps we should participate in some of these rescue activities Master Jake has such enthusiasm for.

An adventure? Jolly good! Let us immediately venture to Pokémon Square and see who requires our assistance.



Good day to you, madam! We wish to secure some provender for our upcoming excursion!

You're one of Jake's boys, aren't you? Sure, let me just get your storage out.



Ah, hello there, chap! I require your expertise to prepare for an upcoming venture!

Uh, sure, I can do that.

Mr. Shine and Mr. Bright both have six moves to choose from. Mr. Shine has Harden, Tackle, Confusion, Rock Throw, Hypnosis, and Psywave; for this delve, we take Tackle, Confusion, and Rock Throw for three sources of damage and Hypnosis to (hopefully) shut down Articuno. Mr. Bright, on the other hand, has Harden, Tackle, Confusion, Rock Throw, Fire Spin, and Psywave; he takes Tackle, Confusion, Rock Throw, and Fire Spin.



Pardon me, lads. Rescue team Hugs here, just getting ready to set out.

(Where's the classy cat?)



I believe we've made the necessary preparations for our journey.

Indeed. Let us set out at once. Exeunt!



Huh. Where're they off to?





I say, Mister Shine, the air here is most bracing!

Indeed, Mister Bright. I dare say it's rather nippy this afternoon.



Why, it's young Master Neeksy! You're looking surprisingly fit.

Your good friend Miss Sammy sent us out to find you.

Oh, really? Because I'm looking for her, actually.

How very odd. She claimed you'd fallen to the attack of some vicious beast that she barely escaped with her life.

More like we saw an Azurill and she screamed "Oh gods my face" and ran off. She's a bit... high-strung.

Indeed. Well, we're quite pleased to see you full of vim and vinegar, and you'll be pleased to know she's safe in town.

I'd better go get her, then. Thanks.



...ohhh, my aching wings...

I say, are you Master Batmanuel?

Huh? Yeah, that's me...

Your companion, Master B. Brand, sent us to rescue you.

Oh, thank you! I don't think I could get back on my own.

We'll have you back home in time for tea. Rest easy, good sir!



Oh... I'm so, so lost...

Chin up, Master Emerald! Salvation is at hand!

Master Kyouran alerted us to your plight, and we set out at once!

I wanna go home! It's cold and scary here!

We shall deliver you from this chill forthwith!



That unfortunate urchin reminded me of young Master Jake.

Indeed, those were days of sorrow and joy. Oh! We've found a merchant hawking his wares!

Ah, welcome~♪

Good day to you, sir. We should like to trade in this Thief Technical Machine and this Stamina Band, if you please.

For the merchandise you have left me, I shall pay 1900 Poké. Is this acceptable?

Quite.

Your patronage is valued.

We should lay in a few of these Reviver Seeds, just in case.

Just so. We shall take two of them, my good man.

The merchandise you have chosen costs 1600 Poké. Is this acceptable?

Yes, yes. Take it out of our credit and give us the rest.

Thank you so very much. I'm looking forward to serving you again! I await your next vist.



What a curious place to run a business.

Who can understand the middle class? Ah, you must be Master Warner! Mistress Castina sent us to rescue you.

Oh, woe upon woe! Now my efforts to remove myself from her life to spare her pain have only compounded it! Can I do nothing right?

I say, sir, that seems somewhat a harsh--

I am only fit to deliver misery and shame! Curse this wretched wasteland for not delivering me to death's sweet embrace fast enough!

Master Warner, the frozen wastes can inspire a melancholy spirit, but surely--

How can she pity such a derelict as myself? How can she forgive my unforgivable utterances?

Sir, if you would but still yourself for just a--

Where is the bolt of heaven's justice to raze me to nothingness? How is it that I am permitted to languish upon this earth?

He seems to be paying us no mind.

Master Warner, if I might be so bold as to suggest now, Mister Bright!



That was most tedious.

Indeed.



Why, it's Master Haberdashery! What brings you to such a desolate place?

I'm trying to train myself to evolve into a Metang, but it's hard going when my only move hurts me as well. I've just about had it.

We should be pleased to offer you a swift return to town.

I'd appreciate that. I forgot my Escape Orb, and I'm not sure I could make it out on my own.



Oh, why did I think this was a good idea? You there! Wait!

Is there some matter with which I might assist you, good sir?

I sure hope so. I'm starving! I don't suppose you have a bite to eat?

Will a Big Apple suffice?

It will indeed. Thanks! The name's Santanna. Look me up when you get back to town, I'll give you something nice for your trouble.



Ohhh... this isn't good... Ground types and Ice don't mix...

It's Mistress Matilda!

Rejoice, Mistress Matilda! We have come to rescue you!

Oh! Did Jeremy send you?

Indeed he did. You shall be reunited posthaste!



My goodness, this trip has been productive!

Mistress Valerie! Master Jacob has sent us to come to your aid!

Well, it's about time. I thought I was going to freeze solid!

Yes, well, if you will hold still for but a moment, we shall send you to a warmer clime.

Thank you. I didn't mean to be short with you. It's him I'm mad at.



Well, this has been a most productive outing, Mister Bright.

Indeed, Mister Shine! We have aided many Pokémon in distress and shown as many blackhearts what for!

We should go on these outings more often.

Why stop here? Let us explore this forest further and see if any others require our assistance!

Capital idea.

If you take missions in any dungeon that segues into a second dungeon, as Frosty Forest goes on to Frosty Grotto, you'll be unable to go onto the second dungeon; you'll instead be sent directly to the 'collect rewards' screen without even a summation of your time in the dungeon. So we collect our rewards, which will be detailed later, and return to the dungeon missionless. While we're at it, we change Mr. Shine to party leader (as this is a pre-credits dungeon, we can't swap leaders inside it).



I say! It's snowing! Marvelous!

We certainly have seen a variety of weather since we joined Master Jake's rescue team, haven't we?

Quite correct, Mister Shine. I daresay it beats the unchanging void of space, what what?

(...I know talking is a free action, but come on...)



What's this? We seem to have come upon some sort of ice bird!

My word, Mister Shine! It's the legendary Articuno!

Surely not, Mister Bright! I thought Articuno was but a myth!

Like Rayquaza, Mister Shine? As I recall, our team members told a tale of Master Jake encountering this bird in this very forest!

Your arrival in this frozen forest means only one thing... you mean to challenge me!

Dare we offer such a challenge?

Dare we not? Imagine Master Jake's delight when we bring this fine specimen home with us!

I am Articuno! The warder of ice! Those that enter the forest... I shall destroy with all my might! No matter who it may be!

As the people of the street say, bring it!

Indeed!



I had a plan going into this fight: use Mr. Shine's Hypnosis to put Articuno to sleep, then hammer away at him with Mr. Shine's Rock Throw and Mr. Bright's Fire Spin. Using Confusion to confuse him would have been a good idea too, but I didn't think to do it. I knew it'd be a tough row to hoe-- Articuno is level 53 for this fight-- but I hoped that type advantages and strategy would carry the day.



Unfortunately, I learned a few things the hard way. For one thing, I thought it was Fire, not Rock, that had the 4x damage modifier, so I had Mr. Bright using Fire Spin, which doesn't actually do a lot of damage. I should have had Mr. Bright using Rock Throw and Confusion instead.



For another thing, Articuno knows Powder Snow, which is powerful enough to one-shot both Mr. Shine and Mr. Bright at the same time. Fortunately, we had a few extra Reviver Seeds we'd bought along the way.



And, of course, there's Agility, which is much better in PMD than it is in the mainline games. Suffice it to say that we would need both a better strategy and incredible luck to win this fight at our current levels, and with neither...



Mister Shine!

And now for you!

















How dare you interfere!

Khan, Captain Kebab, get back! You're not ready for this!

O-k-k-kay!

Bearing set: southeast! Defending the fallen!

...Master Sheldon? How on earth did you find us?

I've been following you since you left. Here's a Reviver Seed for Mister Bright. Stay back, I'll handle this.

So be it! I showed you mercy once! Now I shall fight you with my full power!

I've learned a trick or two myself! Come on!

BOSS FIGHT #10: ARTICUNO AT FULL POWER! Click here to watch the fight!

Sheldon is at a level disadvantage against Articuno, but it's not as severe of one as Mr. Shine and Mr. Bright, and more significantly his stats have been buffed with gummis. Combine this with the ability to dodge most of Articuno's blows (again, granted by gummis) and some powerful moves, and the only trick here was hitting Articuno's 30% recruit rate.

...unnh! How... how could a mere mortal defeat one such as I...?

Hey! I'm not a mere anything! I'm Sheldon of Team Hugs, and don't you forget it!

...Team... oh! You are the one who brought peace to the forest!

Well, I had help. Now are you gonna let us leave quietly?

I am... dishonored. Twice I am dishonored, once for attacking the savior of the world and once for failing in that attack.

(Are all legendary birds so full of themselves?)

I must redeem myself! I place my life in your claws, to do with as you will!

Uhh, that really isn't necessary--

You cannot leave me with this stain on my honor! Name my penance, and I shall deliver all that is in my power!

...okay. How about you join our team?

...what?

Capital idea, Master Sheldon!

Indeed! We were hoping to propose that very thing!

You did say I could pick whatever I wanted...

...so be it! From now on, I lend my strength to Team Hugs!



Far to the north is an island known as the Legendary Island, where I and my fellow legendary birds meet for matters of great import.



There you shall find me when you wish to call on my might. If you can persuade my brothers to do the same, they shall join me there. Until then, I shall await your call! Farewell!

Well. That was... interesting.

Huzzah! Team Hugs has triumphed in the face of adversity!

Such a stalwart beast cannot help but aid our cause!

Actually, Articuno isn't all that great. Sure, he's powerful, at level 53 with a selection of strong moves to choose from, but Sheldon just beat him in a fair fight... and because he's a four-star rare, he puts a serious cramp on our team size and ability to recruit. Still, if you want to see him in action, that can be arranged.

Let's head back to the base. You two have some explaining to do.

...oh dear.

Indeed.

Articuno (Articuno, #144) is hugged! Pokémon hugged: 35.

And our rescues are rewarded with... three white gummis, a royal gummi, a brown gummi, a black gummi, a purple gummi, a yellow gummi, a pink gummi, a Hidden Power TM, a Rest TM, a Facade TM, the Waterfall HM, a Special Band, a Power Band, a Munch Belt, 10 Gravelerocks, a Heal Seed, a Reviver Seed, a Ginseng, 1,200 Poké, and 380 rescue points. We have 4,120 rescue points total; only 3,380 to go to the next rescue rank!

Team Hugs's newest members: (Thanks to Orfeo for the names of Capt.Kebab and Khan, and to TapamN for the Sheldon-wearing-visor image!)

Next time on Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Sheldon goes to the beach and misplaces the ocean!