Part 97: Starting the costume gatering!

Sidequesting! Let's start off in Zaphias.





Leblanc is looking kinda down over in the public quarter. I wonder what he's worried about?





Nah, ya got me mixed up with somebody else.
I apologize! You are Sir Raaaaaaven, plain and simple!
There he goes again with the "Sir Raven, plain and simple."

This seems to be a translation error/inconsistency, it's referring to the "Sir Just Raven" joke back when we found them in the castle. It's the same term both times in Japanese.



Ah, well, you see, that is...
Concise reporting, Leblanc.
Yes, sir! I was agonizing over the future of the Schwann Brigade, sir! I believe that we should go help to fill the ranks of the Flynn Brigade, but other lieutenants claim that we should remain in the capital. With the officers paralyzed with hesitation about our next step, our subordinates are losing their faith in us as leaders! I am so ashamed! How can I ever face Captain Schwann like this?!
And yet, what if he happened to be standing right in front of you?
I am so sorry!!
Rita!
Ummm...Raven?
Well, I can't just turn a blind eye ta the brigade. It was Schwann who led 'em inta all this.
Are you going to gather the members of the Schwann Brigade together and lead them yourself?
...Leblanc. Is that what ya want me ta do?
Sir, no sir! I do not want to cause trouble for you, Sir Raven!
So then, who's going to decide where the brigade will go?
Sir, that would be me, sir! I will proudly bear the weight of the responsibility and guidance for my brigade!
If ya've made yer decision, then act on that decision. And I'm willin' ta bet that Schwann would think it's important ta support the Flynn Brigade in addition ta guardin' the capital.
Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!



Sounds like you gave him some good advice.
Nah, Raven just gave him a little push. Leblanc already knew what he wanted to do.
The first time I heard you were actually Captain Schwann, I didn't believe it. But you're just like the rumors said!
Just like the rumors said, but not just like you thought Captain Schwann would be?
No! That is, I mean...
It was the same when Harry and the guild members asked for your help. You really watch out for others, don't you, old man?
Nah, I listened ta what Leblanc had ta say. That's all I did.
Oh, is somebody embarrassed?
Aw, Judith baby, cut ol' Raven some slack, would ya?
You helping people without pampering them... That's tough. I wonder if I'll ever be like you, Raven...



Lots of people respect and admire Captain Schwann. So I don't think you really have to deny everything about him.
I can't argue with such a pretty girl!


And with that, we've got the first of many costumes we'll be getting in Part 3!



It's Raven's Schwann outfit! Now, this one we've gotten fairly arbitrarily -- most others actually make sense from a scene logic standpoint. For this one, we just have to assume Raven always had it with him but didn't feel like putting it on.


Anyway, this isn't the only thing we can do in Zaphias at the moment.



If we check the royal quarter, we can find Shel again. If you don't remember, it's the guy who was searching for his brother that was running around the world chasing criminals.



Lune's been waiting for him this entire time! I have to do something, so that the three of us can be happy again... I can't rely on anyone else anymore. I have to help him...
Does something seem odd about Shel to you?
Hey, Shel.



Well, it's about your brother.
Oh, don't worry about that anymore. I'm sorry I asked such an odd favor of you. Please, forget I ever said anything about it.
But what about Clay...?
I've been thinking about it, and I've decided that I can't entrust this sort of thing to anyone else. This is something that I have to do myself, so please, don't let it trouble you. Now, if you'll excuse me...



He said he'd handle it himself...ya think he's got some idea where his brother might be?
Hard to say. It still bothers me a bit, but if he says he doesn't want our help, I guess that's the end of it.
This leaves a bad taste in my mouth...


Next stop is Heliord, where we can find our eccentric italian friend again.







Th-that's Professor Sicily...isn't it?
Oh yeah, it is. We sure do run into him a lot.
You don't suppose he's following us around and then going where he knows we'll be...?
I wonder... Should we say hello?
Well old man, what're you waiting for?
M-me...?! Oh well, I guess I might as well...
B-buon giorno! How ya doin'?



Ho-hum...
Y-ya seem pretty down in the dumps. What's the matter?
Hmm? Di ricente, I just don't feel like doing much at all...
I-is that so...? I guess we all get a little bummed sometimes...



Mmmm?
Aren't you a really great engineer, Mr. Sicily? You can make weapons and stuff, right?
Eh? Si...
Then make a really awesome weapon for us!
A weapon, you say...? No, I'm just not too interested...
...Oh, I see... Too bad...
So it's true that you really have to be interested in something to work on it...
...



Huh...? My haircut? R-really...?
Oh! I just thought of something magnifico...!
Huh...?
Bambino, your haircut, it gave me a hint! Grazie! Grazie mille! I must go get some parts! Ciao, amici! Until we meet again! Arrivederci!



And there he goes...
What a weird guy...
I feel like we'll be seein' him again soon enough...


Well alright then. While we wait for him to come back, let's check out something else in Heliord. Remember when we had to make a costume for Estelle, Judith, or Karol to distract a guard in early Part 2, when we were heading back from Dahngrest towards Torim to cross over to the Desier continent?





I still have it right here. Do you want it?
Really?
Here you go.



S-sexy...t-typhoon...?

Now the shopkeeper interjects with:

*Whistle* Sexy typhoon, mama! If you can bring me cheagle fur, a spirit fragment, two pices of sacred tree and two cockatrice claws, then I can get started. What about that young lady over there?

...Which really makes no sense, so I'm gonna chalk it up as a bug or at least translation error. What's this supposed to mean is that he can make whatever two costumes he didn't make back when you actually had to make one if you bring them the listed items. Multiply the item amount by two if you want both.

You can get all of these things off enemies or search points at this point in the game. So we'll grab those and return, but before that, let's take a look at Estelle's costume.



I dunno why Tales games often only allow you to get costumes so late in the game, since they do help mixing things up. Even if (or especially because!) some scenes can be made extremely silly by putting on some of them.

Anyway. First time we bring him items:



Oh my, thank you very much.
Here you go.





Rules...?



...yeah. And second time:



Sorry, I'm not into that kind of thing.
Oh...
Uh...I mean, It's kind of small on me. It's probably just about Karol's size...
Karol...?



Sorry Karol, you're still getting that costume.



Perfect.




Some other scenes: If we fly Ba'ul near Mt. Temza, we learn some of Judith's backstory.





Heh heh. You feel the same way, Ba'ul?



Yeah. We were just remembering the time that we first met.
Would you mind telling me about it?



The townspeople all feared him... They thought of him as a giant, ferocious monster. But I talked to Ba'ul, and eventually, we became friends.
About how old were you then?
I don't remember exactly, but I think I was pretty young. From that point on, we started traveling together. My dad came, too.
Your father did?
My dad had a fierce passion for blastia. I feel like I was influenced a lot by him as I grew up. Soon after that, the Great War happened. I was about to become a statistic, and then Ba'ul saved me.
You were right in the middle of the battle, weren't you?
Yes... My fellow Krityans took me up into Myorzo for a while, but I went back down to the surface. And then, I decided to travel around the planet with Ba'ul. To destroy all of the Hermes blastia, and rid the world of its negative effects.
I see. So Ba'ul saved your life.
Yes.
I feel like I understand the connection between you two a lot better now. Thanks for sharing that with me.






And in Mantaic we can do our ritual of giving random items to an insane kid.






The sky's all squirmy...
Does it bother you?
Me? Nah. Who cares? No point in getting aaaall worked up about it!
So ya just take things as they come? Ya take more of a philosophical view of things?
I have a philosophy of going with the flow! You know, like a cloud, floating along with the breeze...
Hmmm, that mumbo jumbo almost sounds believable...
You should shut that big yap of yours before someone trips on it, Flatty. You wouldn't know hopes and dreams if they smacked you in the face!
Argh... You're really asking for it now!
Rita, control yourself!
Oh, Pheromone-Boy! You're so thoughtful. ♥ To show my respect for you, Pheromone-Boy, let me take some of your excess items.
We have excess items?
Not that I know of. We pretty much need what we have.



Come on, give them here! Gimme gimme! Pleeease!
Why do you want items so badly?
My tale is sad to hear and even sadder to tell. The reasons for my desires run deep, and are born of tears and sorrow! But it would take too long to tell you everything, so just take my word for it.
What the hell are you going on about? Stop being so vague!



Do you have any extras of these two items? If so, gimme!
Why do you want all this stuff? Here, just take it.
Oh ho ho. Thanks much!





Caatch!
Ant Lion Man: Oh ho, oh ho! Thankee, thankee!



Now then, to return the favor... Tadaaa!








Eh? Hmm... This ain't so bad...
Your very own set of gels! I like to call it the "Chewy Chewy Yummy Pack!"
I'd say we broke about even...
So what happens to the items that we give you?
Yeah, yeah, I wanna know, too!
Hmmm... That'd take a long time to explain. I don't wanna...
Come on, tell us!
Oh, would you look at the time! Come again, won't you? I'll be waiting! Ding-dong-ding! ♥




While screwing around gathering materials, Estelle learns Revitalize:





More or less heals the entire party full, but of course comes with a fairly high TP cost and cast time. Still, nice.

Now that some time has passed (it's actually tied to amount of battles fought, but whatever), let's see if Sicily is back.



Just as I thought... We meet again...
Heh heh... He looks like he's cheered up a bit.
Yeah, maybe he has.
It looks like he's got something...with him?
Guarda! Havva look at this! It's my masterpiece!



What the...?
It looks just like Karol...
Pretty cool, eh?
Pretty cool, huh? JAAARNK!
I-is this a blastia? It looks like a toy...
A t-toy?! You take that back! Professor Sicily! Say something, please! Jarnk!
Hmmm, well, si, you are pretty much just a toy...
Big shock!! Jaaarnk!



B-bigger shock!!
He's fully autonomous, right...? I just can't feel the same way about him as I do with other blastia...
So that can happen to even you, Rita...
I'm sorry! I don't want him! I mean, well maybe... No, I'm sorry, I can't! I can't take him!
Shock...!! ...I-i-impossible...!!



He ran away...
You don't think we should go after him...?
My amici...you all are very unique people!
He's not paying attention...
I think ya got us beat in the uniqueness category...



Woof!



Come on, we should follow him!
Che cosa? Follow who?
Barrelow X!
Oh yes? Si, si, I see. I'll stay here and relax.
Let's go!
Y-yeah...






Wh-wh-what do you want, jarnk! I-I'm not lonely or anything, jarnk!
You know, I think you're really cool.
...Th-that's obvious, jarnk! Why are you saying such obvious things, jarnk?! I'm shocked at how obvious that is, jarnk!
I was thinking maybe we could be friends...
...I-if you insist, I suppose I could make you my henchman, jarnk...
Uh, I wanted to be your friend, not your henchman... Anyway, let's go back to Professor Sicily, okay?
Okay, jarnk!



Professor Sicily! I've decided, jarnk! I'm going to go with these people, jarnk! This boy begged me until I agreed, jarnk! I didn't want to make him cry, jarnk!
That's not how I remember it...
Oh really? Eccellente! Then buona fortuna! Work hard! You can come back anytime, eh?
Professor Sicily...
Well, he is yours now... Feel free to give him a new name if you like!
Huh...?!
Hmmm, nothin' springs to mind...



All right, it's decided.



N-nice to meet you, Karolow X!
Uh, o-okay, jarnk. From now on, I'll be Karolow X! Jarnk!
Welcome to the party, Karolow X!



Why, jarnk? I can walk by myself!
Pretty please, with cherries on top?
Wow! O-okay, jarnk!



Ahh. Finally, some peace and quiet. Okay, let's go now.
...


Uh, okay. That's cool I guess. You might think this is only flavor, and it is for the most part, but getting Karolow X actually affects something! Two of Karol's Artes get a new variation each:







Gaia Bug gets a new item that Karol can pull out, namely Karolow X. It jumps out of his hand and explodes for pretty good damage. This is fairly common, so you'll probably see it eventually.


And then there's a variation for Bug Breath. This seems to have an incredibly low chance of actually activating, I had to burn through at least a thousand TP to get it once.



Most of the time you'll just get this regular thing, but sometimes, just sometimes...





Laser! Gotta love lasers.

And with that, we'll end today's update. Next time: More sidequesting!