Part 25: Sonata Hills

Hello everyone and welcome back. I really wish this update didn't have to come right after the latest one from Reborn but... what can you do? So without further ado, let's head off toward the hospital.



We get this far before our pokegear starts ringing.







Uh... can this wait?



Fine I'll be right over.



In a random urge, I send HenryDavid in and he comes back with a heart scale.



I don't believe I've shown this before. Everywhere highlighted with a yellow dot is somewhere that the pika taxi can take us... this includes the Whirl Islands. In this case, we're back off to Suntouched City to further our television career.





the many Torren Forests.







If you remember way back to just before we did the Suntouched Gym, we had two broadcast missions back to back. I warned then that it would be an incredibly long time before we returned. Well, we're back. Defeating Audrey at the Whirl Islands plus walking a random amount of steps were the triggers for the next part of the sidequest



This lady remains the best NPC in Insurgence.













No pressure, right?



The area is very linear. Just follow the path and at the end...



Oh. It's Latios. Maybe I'm alone in this, but I just don't care about either Latios or Latias. Can someone explain their draw to me, because it feels like the whole world loves them both and I just don't get it.



Um...



Welp. This happens before we even get the chance to act.



Latios flies off immediately.













I'd complain that we're getting screwed in this deal, but we're also nearly a fifth of the way to this game's money cap even without their patronage. So I think it evens out.

sure to call you again!



And just like that we're done with the third Broadcast Tower mission. The next one will occur after we get our sixth gym badge.



Back in Sonata City, there's an exit to the north, right next to the pokepon machine.



We could have come here earlier, but there wasn't much to find besides an old lady that forgot to do her trash pickup duties. Amy doesn't want to step across discarded bottles and chip bags, so we're stuck in and around Sonata until we progress with the plot.



I'm not sure a combination hospital and rest home is a good idea...



We've seen a bunch of these golden statues around. We won't get the ability to do anything with them for a very long time, but the item that's back there with it is Zebstrikite.





Dear god what happened to you, Zebstrika? The Mega version is Electric/Fairy type and its BST shoots up from 497 to 597. Its Mega ability is Multiscale. (Reduced damage taken at full health) I can't help but think this was their inspiration.



Progress is down in the basement. But before we do, there's a lot of looting to be done on the upper floors.



Both the floors are large squares. So let's just work our way around.



Those don't belong to you!



Fair enough. It's just an Ultra Ball, a Paralyz Heal, and a Hyper Potion, so no big loss. (We could totally steal them, but that would be rude.)



I'm heading around this floor counter-clockwise. So this is the top right room. There's also nobody in here, so this is free game!



There's a few of these scattered around the floor.





Smart idea!





I don't even need this, but it was left behind so it's mine now.







Uh... mine now?





Look you're lecturing the wrong kid. It's Damian that makes all the noise, not me!



Anyway, that was all there was on the bottom floor. So let's go counter-clockwise again...











Hell yeah!







He might need that great ball. I've got enough Ultra Balls, so I'll just leave his stuff alone. Plus it's a massive dick move to steal someone's stuff from their hospital room while they're sleeping.



Not much else up here. This room will be important in a few minutes, so keep it in mind.



So let's get this over with and head down into the basement.



Nora, Damian, and Harmony are already here.



This is Harmony talking.

: Pleased to see you again, Harmony. You too Amy, Nora. My name's Taen if you don't remember. I'm a part of Perfection.
: Don't worry, I didn't forget.



: You, at the back! I don't know why you're tampering with our power, but you better start explainin'!
: Don't worry, Harmony, we'll turn the power back on. We just want to talk to you, that's all.



I don't believe we've run into NPCs that tell this yet, but Harmony, Reukra, Sylvan, and a future character named Anastasia all went to university together.

: I want to make a deal with you, Harmony.
: A deal? With the power source to the hospital? Are you... actually blackmailing me with the lives of the people here? Reukra, what happened to you? You used to be so-



A beat later...

: Thank you. That's right it is me. It's been a while. I'm not the person you knew anymore- I'm the leader of Perfection Cult now. As for why I'm here... I was trying to find you. You run the hospital here, right? You have access to all the patients in the building. We want access to the room containing the patient "Malde".

him, and you know it.

: I thought you might say that. We actually have your father's best interests at heart, believe it or not. We know he's sick. We know what his condition is.



: I'll put the power back on, like you want. Then we'll go to Malde's room on the top floor, and we can talk.
: Fine, whatever. Just hurry up! People's lives are at stake here.
: Very well.



That's so much better.

: Now, follow me.



: You used to be so... different.



Shut up, Nora.

: Who's this "Malde"? More importantly, how does Harmony know a cult leader?
: No clue, but I'm planning on following them. Amy, you should come along. I'd love some support.

Damian is pointedly not looking at Nora when he says this. Then he walks out.



: He's still not talking to me after what I said... I can't blame him. What I said was awful. I just hope that he won't snap and betray us. Wait up, I'm coming!

Does she practice being this awful, or does being a jackass come naturally to her? Jesus Christ...



Anyway, let's head up to Malde's room. It's the one I pointed out earlier.







Hi Kim. I'm just passing by...



Oh good, we got here just in time for the show.

: I don't care how desperate I am, I'm not going to let you force-inject some weird chemical into his bloodstream! It doesn't matter if we were friends. I'm not letting you touch him or any other patients here. You're a psychopath! A cultist! No way!
: Fine then. You can do it. Here's the vial. Analyze it, do whatever you need to do to convince yourself it's safe.
: Fine. Maybe I will.



Gonna warn you now, this is gonna get incredibly stupid here in a minute.



: After Deoxys was defeated above Mossdeep City, people below started reporting strange fevers. Everything ended up being fine, but testing showed that everybody's DNA was slightly... tainted. Not enough to be significant, but enough to be noticed if you looked closely.



: And there's one in particular that I find interesting...



Hey can I get a vial of that over here? Y'know, for science.

: This isn't dangerous, we've known about this for years!



: The pokerus is very unique as infections go. It helps the pokemon rather than hindering it. It allows it to grow stronger. In the scientific world, we call this mutualism.



: Now, even though the virus doesn't affect ordinary people, it might be able to help your father.



I had to include this screenshot because if I typed it out, you all would accuse me of making it up. No, it really says something as stupid as that. This is easily the dumbest line in all of Insurgence.

: With some fine-tuning, we might even discover a path to immortality. What do you say, Harmony?



: This really is just the pokerus virus in a tube... How do I know you're not lying?
: You don't. I owe you, Harmony. And at the moment, our interests happen to cross. You want your father healed, and this could be a breakthrough for our cult's research.





: You're right about the DNA thing. He told me that a long time ago. I'm desperate enough to try it. But double-cross me, Reukra and I swear...



: Let's just get this over with.
: Um... Listen... I don't like needles. If you guys don't mind, I think I'm going to wait outside.



Poor kid.



: Okay, Dad. Hang in there. Three... two... one... and done.



: I don't think it-





: Oh, you're awake! Are you okay?



Some sort of godawful screeching starts happening while the lights flicker.





Oh that's... really fucking not good.



You know what, I'll give her a pass this time because fucking hell.



: <sub>(We need to talk quietly. Be careful not to provoke him.)
: (Reukra, what on earth did you do? This wasn't supposed to happen!)
: (I'm not sure, but he looks a bit like Deoxys. I wonder if there's a connection?)



: (You better fix him, Reukra, or I'll-)
: (I think he's been healed, at least. He should live longer too. The problem is that the virus may have impacted his mind somehow. It seems this experiment needs far more fine-tuning.)</sub>









Malde is standing on the same square as HenryDavid.





And now Malde and Damian are gone.



: What have you done?! This is your fault!
: This didn't go quite as planned... but what a breakthrough it's been! If he really is immortal now, then I'm sure we can find a way to use it without the drawbacks!
: Do you not care at all that someone just got kidnapped? What about my father? What did you do to him?



: As for the boy, I'm sure he's fine. He may be infected, but the pokerus helps, not hinders.

Did he just say that Damian is infected like Malde?

: My father would never do that.
: It's not really up to him at this point. ...And now it's time for me to take my leave. I have an appointment to keep with a Gym Leader.





: What a jerk. After all Sylvan and I did for him, you'd think he'd be a bit more appreciative.



: We'll find your friend, I promise. Come with me. We'll try to figure out where Malde took him.
: I'd... I'd like that very much.
: Amy, you can help us if you want... but you might find it more useful to head to Kepler City. I'm worried that Reukra might ahve been talking about Anastasia, the leader there when he said he had an appointment.



: If you guys see him again, you have to let me know. We need to figure out a way to reverse this. For my own sake, I have to believe that it's possible.



Harmony is good people. Even though she would be well within her rights to want to be by herself, she's going out of her way to be kind to a little girl who's probably freaking the fuck out.



No point in hanging around here...



Looking Ahead

Route 10

Azumarill
Politoed
Breloom
Empoleon
Carnivine
Maractus

Route 10 Hidden Grotto

Phanpy
Turtwig
Chespin
Honedge

Malestrom 9

Floatzel (Surf)
Seaking (All Rods)
Kingdra (Dive)

Kepler City

Beldum (Trade a Fire/Electric type) (So a Microwave Rotom)

NEXT TIME: On to Kepler City

Also if you guys have a preference between Poliwrath and Politoed, let it be known now. We're going to be needing the services of one very, very soon.