Part 17: Day 6 - Mt. Steel

Got your moves all organized?

Okay!



Everything you want in your toolbox?

Uh huh!



Did you go to the bathroom?

Yes!

Then let's go!





My name is Haberdashery. I require safe passage to level four. There I will unite with Maduo. You will be suitably rewarded for this task.

Escort missions, to put it plainly, suck. Most of you already know that. To those wanting to know the details...



That's right, he's level one. And we can't change his move settings or tactics to keep him from, for instance, trying to help fight some level 99 monstrosity. With Take Down, a move that causes recoil damage. And if he dies, we get kicked out of the dungeon without even the option of sending rescue mail. Escort missions suck, and the only reason I'm doing one now is so I don't have to do one ever again.  Except of course for the one time the plot requires it. 

Now remember, Jake, this isn't just some hiking trip. There are wild Pokémon on this mountain, and most of them will be trying to kill us. You need to be ready to--

Yaaaah!



...

Did I do good?

...Yeah, you did good, kid.

Yay!

(Why do I feel kind of guilty?)



Mister Keyboard Fox, we have the apple you wanted!

Ah, very good. I knew I could rely on you. As promised, I shall repay you when you return from the mountain.



Well, that was easy enough. Let's keep going.

The rest of the first and second floor passed without incident, save that we didn't find an Oran Berry on the second floor (as AniseApples had wanted). While the item can always be generated on the floor in question (which is why, when I moved this mission from Thunderwave Cave to Mt. Steel, I changed the item requested, which was originally an apple), its generation is not guaranteed. That's all right, though; we brought our own.



Look out, Jake! It's an ambush!

Look out, mister Beldum!

The next video is longish, but contains no dialogue. It's an example of escort mission stupidity, but fortunately not a fatal one.



Whew, that was close.

Mister Beldum, please let us handle the fighting. We don't want you to get hurt.



Before departing for this dungeon, I linked Jake's Growl and Scratch moves to take advantage of the bonus experience from hitting Pokémon with linked moves. As previously noted, the link will break when one of the moves, in this case Growl, runs out of PP; we can also choose to break it ourselves. In either case, relinking the moves requires a visit to Gulpin, barring an item we won't see for a while.

Hey look, that Slowpoke isn't attacking us!

Hey, buddy, you need a hand?

...

...uh, hello? Buddy?

...yes.

Well, okay, we can use our rescue badge to get you out of here.

What's your name?

...I...

'Eye'?

...can...

(Oh boy.)

...hear...

Let's just send him back.

...you...



I wonder how he wound up here.

I wonder what his name was.

Well, maybe we can find out when we get back to town.

If we can wait that long.



Hey, look, it's another orb!

It's a Petrify Orb. It'll paralyze other Pokémon in the same room when you use it.

Actually, it's better than that; Petrified status prevents them from moving or taking any action, unlike the Paralysis status, which only prevents attacks.

In the box!

Got it.

I'm getting hungry.

It's too bad the store didn't have more apples. You could eat that ginseng, though.

Okay!



It's crunchy!

Look closely at the next animation, and you'll see the effects of Jake's snack...



Ginseng is a good thing, and hard to come by unless you cheat.



Yeah, whaddaya want?

Ah, Maduo. It is I, Haberdashery. We have business to discuss.

This is kinda a private transaction, if you catch my drift.

Of course. These gentlemen were only securing my safe passage. Gentlemen, I believe our business is concluded. If you will excuse us.

Okay! Bye, mister Beldum! Bye, mister Shroomish!



What a nice Pokémon.

If you say so.

The next video is longish, but contains no dialogue. I'll discuss the important points after.



I screwed up when I tried to change my set move from Scratch to Bite, but the mistake points out that you can use moves directly from the menu. If it's a highly situational move, like Synthesis (a healing move), this is handy.

Hey, what's this?

It's a Blowback Orb. It's like a Hurl Orb, only better; it pushes Pokémon back from farther away. In the box?

In the box!



One of the disadvantages of using linked moves is you get hungry faster. If our Belly empties completely, we start taking damage over time, much like poison, until we faint or eat something.

I'm getting hungry again...

It's too bad the store didn't have more apples. Well, we do have that gummi. How about you eat that?

Okay!



That gummi was worth 30 Belly points; as previously noted, the better Jake likes a gummi, the more it fills him up.



...uhh... wh... where am I?

Hey, he's snapping out of it!

Hooray! Hey, mister Meditite, are you okay?

Yes, I believe so. My aura has been most unbalanced of late; I thank you for releasing me from this state. Who may I thank?

My name's Jake. And this is Sheldon!

Yo.

We're Rescue Team Hugs! Would you like us to rescue you?

I owe you a debt that cannot be repaid through mere money or trinkets. May I join you in your quest to aid others?

You want to join the team? Great! Welcome to Team Hugs!

What's your name?

I am known as Ramsay. I look forward to--

Huuugs!



Ramsay (Meditite, #307) is hugged! Pokémon hugged: 6. (Thanks, Tank_Sledgehammer (art) and Kataranisword (name)!)

...

...he named the team.

It is quite all right. I admire his enthusiasm.

I didn't want to use 'Garlic Jr.', as it's too for this LP, but Ramsay means either 'strong garlic' or 'garlic island', depending on which baby-names site you visit. After I lost the Zigzagoon I used your suggested name for to a program crash, I wanted to use a name you suggested.

Let's keep going!

Right!

I shall follow new, new companions!

Team Hugs's newest member:

Next time on Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Hugs faces hunger, failure, and disturbing mental images! Don't miss it!