Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team Part #25 - Day 10

Part 25: Day 10 - Hugs Team Base

The next morning...

(...he looks so peaceful... I hate to wake him. But there's work to be done, I'm sure.) Jake? Jake, it's time to get up.

...mnrfl... five more minutes...

Jake, wake up. We need to get going.

...mrglbmn... I'm up, I'm up... what's going on?

We need to see what jobs need doing today. C'mon.

Can't some other rescue team do them? I'm tired.

I'm not gonna let you sleep the day away, Jake. Now c'mon. You'll feel better once you've had some sun.

I don't wanna. Go 'way.

Umm... hello?

Huh? Who could that be?

Why don't you go look and let me sleep?

Jake, this is for your own good. Get up and come outside!

Okay, okay... I'm up, I'm up...

Umm... is Rescue Team Hugs here?

That's right... huh? Wait, aren't you...

Forget it. We're not about to work for that.

But my friend needs a gust of wind! Please!

You're the Jumpluff from Pokémon Square. We saw Shiftry's team accepting your rescue job.

Yes. But Shiftry... He hasn't come back yet from the rescue mission.

Are you serious?

Our friend Jumpluff got wedged between some rocks. We Jumpluff can go anywhere if we can catch a wind, but... even though the skies are filled with thunderclouds, for some odd reason, the winds haven't blown.

Not even a breeze? That is strange...

Shiftry's leafy fans can whip up powerful winds. We thought Shiftry's wind would be able to dislodge our friend, but...

But Shiftry hasn't come back... It doesn't sound like that tough of a rescue... That is weird...

...

What do you think, Jake? Sounds like Jumpluff needs our help. Maybe Shiftry too.

...I... I don't think I can do it...

Jake. Look at me.

...

I know losing Shroob yesterday hurt. I feel bad too. But we still have a job to do. We have to go out there and make a better world for as many people as we can.

...I'm scared...

Jake.

...

Can you look him in the eye and tell him you won't help him?

...that's not fair!

Life isn't fair, Jake. You're the leader of this team. You always have been. If you're going to take responsibility for Shroob's death, then you have to take responsibility for this too.

...

...all right. We'll help him.

That's it, then! We'll go look for them!

R-really? Thank you!

Leave it to us!

Let's get to it, Jake!

O-okay.

(I wish I didn't have to be so hard on him... but Jumpluff needs us. And Jake needs to be needed.)

(Why is Sheldon being so mean? Why do I have to be the leader? I want to go home... wherever home is...)

My friend is stuck in a place called Silent Chasm. I hate to burden you, but you're our only hope...

I'm diverting from the actual plot here in two main ways. The first one is obvious, a callback to yesterday's loss; the actual events are Jake goes out of the hut, meets Sheldon (who says 'right, let's do good today'), then hears Jumpluff. The dialogue between the two proceeds as it did here, but instead of the argument between Jake and Sheldon, Sheldon just looks at Jake, says 'I knew you'd want to help', and agrees on your behalf. The second is timing; this event actually occurred on the previous game day, but I wanted to get in some recruiting and Wonder Mail in Sinister Woods before rushing off to Silent Chasm. With only a few exceptions, though, the plot will wait patiently for you.

We got a couple more Pokémon News letters, one talking about missions, the other about hunger. It's nothing we don't already know. Then it's in to town to organize our supplies, pick up a new friend area--

Tadpole Pond, in the Eastern Ponds-- and bank our cash. While we're here, let's see what the NPCs have to say...

I'm afraid Shiftry's team is always about the money. They went out on that rescue only because Alakazam told them to... I don't think they were very enthusiastic about it.

We heard. Shiftry hasn't returned? I wonder... Did Shiftry maybe just run off?

...hm. Snubbull's not here. Maybe he's to the south?

Maybe sometime we don't have so much on our plate. (He does have more courses now, if we need some quick experience.) Let's try north.

I can play with Metapod again! Thank you!

Jake and Sheldon, thank you!

It's good to see the youngsters back. I heard you saved them. Getting through the dungeon must have been very taxing on you. I'm also grateful for what you've done. Thank you.

Incidentally... I have heard of a particularly challenging dungeon somewhere in our world. It starts your level at one... clears all your gained stats... and empties your Toolbox at the start. In other words, it forces one to enter in a completely clean state. It has never been conquered by any rescue team... It has earned its title as the Ultimate Dungeon...

Perhaps your team will take on that challenge one day? Hohoho!

Interesting, but Snubbull isn't here either. Maybe over by the post office?

Ah, here he is!

Did you know that you get a reward if you complete a rescue job? Some Pokémon run rescue teams because they want the rewards.

Hey, haven't seen those guys in a while.

What do you think, our son? Isn't the sea vast?

Yes, Papa. ...Papa? Papa, have you ever gone out to sea?

...Of course. What do you take us for?

Oh! You have! Papa, you're so special!

...uhhh yeah. We'll just leave the trio von Munchausen and get back to business.

To rescue business!

Whew, this is some cliff.

So your friend Jumpluff is somewhere deep in this canyon?

Yes... I'm sorry to ask, but please help.

Hey, no problem. Let's roll, Jake!

...Wait!

Hah? What's up?

There's something I forgot to mention... This canyon is known as the Silent Chasm, but... It's rumored that an amazing monster sleeps here.

M... monster?!

Yes, but! It's only folklore! It's also true that Shiftry hasn't returned... I just thought I should let you know...

There's a wacky bit of dialogue here where your partner decides he doesn't like the sound of monsters and fakes a horrible stomachache as an excuse not to go after all. He gives you a cue to play along, but you can leave him out to dry, which pisses him off. Even if you play along, though, Jumpluff sees through your naked cowardice. At any rate, it doesn't fit Sheldon's character, so it's been omitted.

...So, this monster. What is it like?

I don't know very much at all... It is an old folktale. I wouldn't know if it existed or not.

All right... There's nothing we can do about that. We'll just have to hope the monster doesn't really exist.

My friend Jumpluff should be around B10F. Please take care!

You bet we will! Let's roll, Jake!

Some highlights of the trip into Silent Chasm:

Return fails to impress, doing a constant 5 damage. It would be higher if Jake's IQ was higher, but we should get him a more effective attack for the short term when we get the chance.

Farfetch'ds hit hard. Blinded by a Sand Attack, Jake is forced to retreat and let Sheldon deal with the threat.

And then Jake gets poisoned. Unfortunately, we didn't bring any Pecha Berries, and Jake succumbs to the poison before we can reach the stairs (going to the next level cures all status ailments). Fortunately, we did bring a Reviver Seed, so Jake is restored to full health the moment he collapses.

A new flavor of gummi! Gray gummis are Rock type. As previously noted, Jake's favorite gummi is the white gummi, since it and he are both Normal type; second favorite is the orange gummi, since it's Fighting and Fighting is 'super effective' against Normal. The only gummi he doesn't like is purple, which is Ghost type.

They taste like licorice.

The Special Band makes special attacks more powerful. Since this game is based on the third generation of Pokémon, that means attacks of certain elemental types, of which Water is one, so Sheldon could get some use out of this. It also sells for a decent price.

Wait, I surrender! Just please, get this Yanma away from me!

O-okay!

Jake! Jake, are you all right?

...I'm fine... just watch out for him...

Right, you big bug, you asked for it! Hya!

You saved me! Oh, thank you, thank you! I'll do whatever you want, just please don't hurt me!

Whoa, calm down! We're not like these crazy Pokémon. We're a rescue team. We're here to rescue a Jumpluff!

Okay! I'll join your rescue team, then! I'll be good, I promise!

(This guy's a little shell-shocked... better take him with us until he recovers.) Jake? Maybe we should use an Escape Orb and get outta here, bring some more--

No! I-I'm the leader, and I say we k-keep going!

...all right. (He's been like this before... I'd better keep a close eye on him.)

Theodore (Teddiursa, #216) is hugged! Pokémon hugged: 16. (Thanks, Phelix (art) and Gimpy Joe (name)!)

Pokémon with the Pickup ability get a random goody whenever they enter a new floor, as I may have previously mentioned. In this case, it's a royal gummi, preferred by Dragon Pokémon.

In addition to Sheldon gaining a level

, note Jake demonstrating that Gravelerocks can be thrown over the heads of your party members and at angles to hit enemies. (Make sure the Course Checker IQ skill is on to avoid accidents.)

This is a Power Band, which boosts non-special attacks. Sheldon could get some use out of this too, as it'd help his Normal type attacks. It's also worth some money.