Part 14: I'm Actually Forced to Make This Joke, or the Later LPs Don't Make Sense Because They Refer to It.

Note that this update was written last week, and thus some of the commentary might be a bit obsolete in regards to topics the thread has discussed.



MegaMan logically concludes that since the BubbleWash is connected to the Net, the culprit is likely around online.



COMPUTERS ARE THE PROBLEM, COMPUTERS ARE THE SOLUTION.



You have to jack-in from Mayl's computer upstairs. There's a Purple Mystery Data in her computer that contains an HPMemory, but I declined to use one of my precious Unlockers on it.

But-but your completion!!



Meet BubbleMan.EXE. He is, without question, the most annoying character in this game. Because Japan seems to have some sort of twisted fixation with this kind of character, BubbleMan actually became a recurring character in the manga and cartoon adaptations. BubbleMan is literally the Tingle of Battle Network in those cases, I am not distorting the portrayal one iota.

His design like if FreezeMan went all wrong.

_{also i like tingle}



BubbleMan planned all of this, though you have to wonder how he got the resources to make the actual BubbleWash units.

He clearly hit the blub-time (blub-time? seriously?)



BubbleMan is an independent Navi, and holds a grudge towards operated Navis because they all teased him for it. Sort of like StoneMan and BombMan from the first game.

BUBBLEMAN IS A STRONG, INDEPENDENT NAVI AND HE DON'T NEED NO OPERATOR



This is, what, the fourth time?

It's a gift every time!



God, shut up already, why does Japan fucking adore these absolutely annoying characters no matter what series is in question!?

It's an excellent portrayal of real life on the internet. Full of people who will drive you up the wall.



MegaMan is recognized by the villain, as usual the only situation when that happens. I forget if I've stated this in an update or not, but my pet theory for how to explain away nobody recognizing Lan's accomplishments between games is that almost everyone in Battle Network is an idiot. Which really goes a long way towards explaining the eccentric parts of the series, like "why does everything seem to have fail-deadly features the minute a virus is involved" and such. Because the person who made it is a dipshit, that's why.

We never see a hint of government structure besides Princess Pride and Dex wanting to be the ACDC Mayor someday, so I envision a rather twisted variation of Plato's "philosopher monarch" ideal where society is run by the 1% of the population that's not functionally stunted. Lan even demonstrates that one can be skilled in non-intellectual fields and still be considered competent for the vague meritocracy.

There's a Michael Moore documentary in there somewhere.

I like to believe that everybody's like "an 11-year old kid beat the WWW?? Naw that's got to be fictional" and then just forget about it.



Equally as usual, the villain imagines a juicy reward for taking him down. Though BubbleMan notes that a location this public could potentially draw the attention of an Official, so has no intention of doing so here.

Just a reminder that in the previous game Lan and Mega were licensed and did the work of officials and in the game before they also were the ones to take down the WWW in lieu of actual officials doing so because ???

But naw it's the officials y'alls got to watch out for.



The game even teases you, you could solve all this crap and prevent any of the inane garbage of this scenario right here.



Instead... Though for what it's worth, the Bubble Brigade does exist and we'll see them next update.

The Bubble Blubgade. BLUB BLUB.



Sigh. Worth mentioning that BubbleMan can circumvent Security Cubes by just hopping over them, an action I cut out to reduce the number of images. It begs quite a few questions, but remember the theory: 99% of the MMBN population is dumb as a brick. I think it was Tteraj or Method1cal during the charity stream who even suggested that maybe the weird computer-radiation that digital devices seem to generate (as seen in MMBN2's final area) is the cause of that.



Don't even bother trying to make sense of it. Computers work in mysterious ways.



At least BubbleMan secretes bubbles as he goes along, so following him is ridiculously easy.



Mayl passes along the RollV2 and MaylCode items, the latter of which opens the security cube right in front of MegaMan. The former of which will not be used, because I'm a little weird/OCD about folder codes and will almost never introduce a new code to the folder that isn't part of the final EPM tricode setup.

Roll chips really are fantastic for the beginner folder though, can't overstate that enough.



Amusingly, chasing BubbleMan to Yoka via the Cyber Metro, an NPC laments the fact that they have to clean up the mess. Though come on, they're bubbles, how hard can it be?

Counterpoint: Mayl and Ms Mari are covered in bubbles, too.



Once again, you have to wonder why Yoka is coded like this. Once again, the answer is probably "an idiot made it that way".

Much like networks in real life, often things just get put together in an ad-hoc sort of way, leading to extensively retarded architecture. ~The more you know~



BubbleMan is very light, so he could cross, but here we are stuck on this side.







Lan is exasperated as we all are, I assure you.

I especially like how Bubbletubs is just dancing around like a spaz on the other side of the path. A real class act, that one.



Oh hey, what a coincidence. Contrived stupidity and being ridiculous, it's been a bit since that was the case here!



Off to SciLab!

The moral of the story is "always pay attention in class (if you want to go on a really lame fetchquest that will negatively impact gameplay for the rest of your game)".



SciLab is busy trying to find a way to deal with the bubbles, meanwhile. Presumably they're trying to hijack the BubbleWash's control signal or something. In an interesting bit of foreshadowing for the end of MMBN6, if you come here earlier in this scenario while looking for a Wind *, the scientists will actually be rather impressed that Lan came up with the idea of Navi Compression, remarking that he's taking after his father. While that sounds a bit silly, given how obvious the application is, it does illustrate why it can be useful to get an outside perspective on matters one is experienced with: without preconceptions and ideas of "what can't be done", you can get some very interesting insights.

If you go too far to the outside then you get Capcom's perspective on science though, and nobody wants that



In we go, time to get the most annoying item in the game! Sorta!

Semi-interesting concept, terrible execution. Capcom all round!



The Mr. Prog forks over the PressData after mistaking us for an intruder at first.



However, it clarifies that the PressData is incompatible with the NaviCust, because apparently the NaviCust is too advanced and not backwards-compatible. In Yuuichiro's defense, he had no idea that the entire compression algorithm his workplace uses would need to fit on the thing at some point.

Take the Microsoft approach: always never aim for compatibility.



Fifth time!



Anyway, the Mr. Prog advises that the program could theoretically be modified for the NaviCust.




That said...that's apparently some seriously high-tech stuff that almost nobody would actually be capable of, probably because the NaviCust is something exclusively Lan's at this point and hasn't been adopted for public use yet. It'd be like asking someone to learn an entirely new programming language on the spot.



How the heck does everyone know about NaviCust, anyway?? Yuuichiro must have mad skillz at fast rollouts



WHAT A COINCIDENCE.

HOW INCONVENIENT.



WHAT A COINCIDENCE.

HOW CONVENIENT.



Higsby to the rescue!

Hooray for paying attention earlier!! And hooray again for Higsby!!!






Except not. Higsby has no idea how/where to even start with this.

Oh, I guess everybody doesn't know about NaviCust. A bad assumption to make! Tsk tsk.



A dark time indeed. I need a miracle. I need someone who can defy the contrived silliness of the setting...

*gasp* C-can it be done?!



I...NEED...A...HERO!



BEEEEEAAAARDMAN!





BeardMan! The world is in danger from a stupid situation! Can your mighty brains and competence save us!?

_{....oh my gosh you still have that picture I drew last LP that is awesome}





Only the best and brightest of the world can be of any hope!



: It's BeardMan! We're saved!



: Oh, you magnificent man! I knew you'd come!



: A knight in shining armor! Take us away, BeardMan! Atop your noble BeardSteed!




: Someday, I wanna be just like him when I grow up!



BeardMan sees a challenge, and no such thing will go unmet!



A minute! A mere minute is all it will take for the manliest of men, the beardliest of beards!




The world waits with bated breath...



He's done it! BeardMan to the rescue! We all had faith in him!



: Oh, BeardMan! Take me now!
: MOM!?



And yet, BeardMan knows that the true act of virtue is bringing out the hero in others.



Like a cowboy vanishing into the sunset, BeardMan makes his humble exit, waiting for when the world needs him anew.



Fanboying ensues immediately. MegaMan is captivated.

That was so captivating I couldn't even type a word. BeardMan-!



MegaMan even claims that BeardMan may be superior to Yuuichiro in terms of programming capabilities. I want you to think about who's saying that about who.



With BeardMan's aid, nothing can stop us now!