Let's Play Touhoumon - Gotta Graze 'Em All!

[Mirrinus]

I opened a thread for determining my next Let's Play game. Oh, and Terra, your guesses were amazing.

[Terraoblivion]

Or i'm just scarily nerdy and know what would by far be the most likely choices for something like this. Still neat to actually be right.

Also Maribel, as much as you trolled us there, you are still a long way from the masters, KyoAni and Ku:Nel Sanders. You might seek them out together with Tengu to study the ways of trolling.

[potatocubed]

I'd like to actually know these characters better, but the TV Tropes page is so hard to navigate...

Try the characters page of the Touhou Wiki (http://touhou.wikia.com). I just read through all the profiles in alphabetical order.

[Cubey]

Sunnymilk used Sunny Milk? Huh...
And I wonder what Sunny Day does. Looked pretty useless.

Also, surprised that Kogasa actually managed to scare someone! Not surprised that a certain someone jobbed terribly though. Jiao.

[Tengu_temp]

Also Maribel, as much as you trolled us there, you are still a long way from the masters, KyoAni and Ku:Nel Sanders. You might seek them out together with Tengu to study the ways of trolling.

Don't forget Hideo Kojima, the grandmaster! He's roughly the same troll as Ku:Nel, but scores extra points for being an actual, existing person.

[Tome]

Don't forget Hideo Kojima, the grandmaster! He's roughly the same troll as Ku:Nel, but scores extra points for being an actual, existing person.

And don't forget Captain Broken Aizen. Or the Ebon Dragon, who even trolls himself.

[Prime32]

Terumi from BlazBlue got declared the god of trolling a while back.

[Mirrinus]

And I wonder what Sunny Day does. Looked pretty useless.

In the normal Pokemon games, Sunny Day increases the power of Fire attacks by 50%, cuts the power of Water attacks in half, lowers the accuracy of Thunder, lets Solarbeam fire without having to charge up first, and a few more stuff.

[memnarch]

And in Touhoumon? Same thing?

[Mirrinus]

Should be. EX Utsuho one-shots Meiling with Hells Tokamak when Sunny weather is up, and Beach Utsuho uses Solarbeam without needing to charge up. (This occurred on an earlier unrecorded run.)

[Cogwheel]

Be fair, now. Tokamak one-shots just about everything.

[FantasyFoxMan]

Oh god yes, Beach Shikieiki. I never expected the Yama herself to have a beach form.

I guess everybody needs to take a break sometimes, amirite? :V

[Mirrinus]

Let's Play Touhoumon - Chapter 8-1

Hi there all. Maribel here, ready to tell you all about the worst date I ever had.

As soon as I stepped out of Cinnabar Gym, I was stopped by an old acquaintance. Hey, wait, how'd he even know I was here? Has he been stalking me this whole time?


http://i46.tinypic.com/ei72tz.jpg

Gee, spending some time alone on a little island with a guy I barely know. Would it really be wise of me to agree to this? Then again, by now I'm genre savvy enough to know that whenever I get asked a YES/NO question, there's only one answer that I'm allowed to give anyway, because I must, or something to that effect. So, might as well get this over with and play along.

All right, ZUN. But I sure hope you know how to treat a lady on our first date. (Oh, how foolish and naive I was then.)


http://i46.tinypic.com/nltpx2.jpg

Well, at least your ride's pretty impressive. But do you have to go ahead and blurt out that it's not really yours? I mean, I appreciate the sense of honesty, but you don't really know how to impress a gal, do you?

All right, I'll give you another shot. Show me that you know how to have a good time!


http://i46.tinypic.com/35isn00.jpg

What?! You take a girl out to a distant island on a pseudo-date, only to ditch her and hang out with your guy friend? And then you have the nerve to send the poor girl away on an errand while you two fiddle around with a stupid computer? This is the most lousy date ever! No wonder you're such a nerd.

Uh, fine, I'll run your stupid little errand. You're practically holding me ransom on these island anyway.

See, girls? This is why you should never agree to go out with a stranger on his friend's boat. You'll never know when you'll get stranded on an island while he's off playing video games with his buddies.


http://i50.tinypic.com/2yun3t3.jpg

So ZUN sends me off to deliver a chunk of meteorite to another friend of his, who's a collector of such strange things. He says the friend lives on Two Island (real original name, eh?), where he runs the Game Corner there. Oh gosh, another Game Corner. Don't tell me it's a front for another crime syndicate. I'm still trying to recover from the math puns here. Or maybe this time they'll be literature nerds?


http://i48.tinypic.com/mjalpl.jpg

I was able to quickly locate the crime syndicate boss friend of ZUN's, but the man just wouldn't listen to me. He just went on and on about his missing daughter, Lostelle, and implored me to find her. No matter what I said, he refused to accept ZUN's stupid rock. Uh...there's just so many things wrong with that.

For starters, what kind of parent names their child "Lostelle"? I suppose we're just lucky you didn't think to name her "Kidnapella", or "Molestina", aren't we? Second, why in the world aren't you going to find your daughter yourself? Just get your legions of mafia goons to go out and look for her! I mean, a mafia princess such as your daughter would be considered a prime target for rivial gangs, so shouldn't you have already prepared for this eventuality? If you're expecting me to go barging into a mafia hideout dressed in a Bonta-kun suit and shoot up the-


http://i47.tinypic.com/2s6k8z6.jpg

My internal rant was interrupted by a lone biker who just barged in for no apparent reason. Uh...what does this even have to do with anything? Are you suppose to point me to Three Island (gee, who would have guessed?), or are you just here to further highlight the lack of sense this world makes as a whole?

Okay, should I be looking for the big-lipped singing alligator right about now?


http://i50.tinypic.com/o9e6g8.jpg

I boarded the boat for Three Island, and was greeted with more bikers. Great. I get to fight my way through gang members while my "date" gets to play video games. I honestly don't know which one of us will be having more fun.

I wonder if the bikers would let me join their gang? I mean, I have a bike, and I could seriously use a distraction to get my mind off of this stupid date, and-

Wait, what do you mean, no girls allowed? Oh, you are so dead for that! What, do you actually think you can stand a chance against me? I bet you can't even integrate complex polynomials!


http://i48.tinypic.com/169gaap.jpg

Guess I know where I'm suppose to stand in this conflict. Of course, I understand if I'm the only person here in this town with Touhoumon strong enough to defend it. It's OK, go ahead and ask for my help. I don't mind. I'n getting rather used to being the center of attention wherever I go-

Oh no, I just realized I'm turning more and more into a Mary Sue! I have become that which I mock! Quick, I must think of something...


http://i46.tinypic.com/30a85k1.jpg

And another effortless victory for me. How utterly horrifying. I had no idea being the designated hero could be so demeaning and empty. Everywhere I go, the plot just wraps around me like a cheap shower curtain. Oh woe, woe is me...

Oh no, I just realized I'm angsting about being important! If there's anything worse than a Mary Sue, it's an angsting Mary Sue! Oh, surely there must be some way to escape the evil clutches of Suedom, isn't there? There's nothing more boring than a perfect heroine!

So, how can I avoid the taint of the Sue? Let's see...Plan A: Flaws.


http://i49.tinypic.com/2whjsqo.jpg

Oh, look at me! I'm such a poor, weak, pathetic trainer! I can't even win in battle against these juvenile delinquents! Oh, oh, poor townspeople, looks like you'll have to find some other way to save yourselves!

No, no, don't look at me that way, with your little hero-worship puppy-dog eyes!

No, Poppins, not you too! You're just such an adorable woobie that I can't bear to see you lose! Oh, all right, you win, let's just drop the act and flatten this guy.

Well, this isn't turning out well. Let's try Plan B: Explanations.


http://i48.tinypic.com/sltb0n.jpg

Look, see? It makes total sense that I'd lay waste to these misguided youths. They travel in packs and thus never had to feel the hardships of being alone and fending for yourself. I've had to deal with that ever since I came to this world, and it was only through much effort on my part that I became the Touhoumon trainer you see before you today. My gym badges came from hard-fought victories built upon sound strategy and quick wits. As for the plot following me wherever I go, I guess that's because, um...

Okay, I got nothing. Lousy main character syndrome.

Fine, fine, moving on now, Plan C: Plausibility.


http://i45.tinypic.com/28cq1ra.jpg

Well, of course I won! The plot's been centered on me all this time, hasn't it? Has it been absurd this whole time that I was able to defeat a brilliant criminal mastermind, overcome several champion trainers, and save an entire city from being brainwashed? Well, of course it's absurd! It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever that a clueless college student such as myself could do this, to say nothing of if a 10-year-old were to accomplish these feats. But you know what? The mere fact that this makes no sense makes it par-for-course with this world that lacks any common sense to begin with. Whether this is really Gensokyo or not, I cannot say, but I can say that this is where the impossible becomes possible, where that which you cannot believe lurks behind every corner. So my heroism is but a logical outcome of the world, is it not?

All right, that was a bit better, but it still makes me sound sort of like the world's avatar or something. That could use some work.

Oh, the fight's over already? I hardly noticed. My apologies; the fact that I've never had a single line of spoken dialogue in any of these screenshots suggest that I usually don't pay much attention to these conversations.


http://i50.tinypic.com/r77jh4.jpg

Ah, Lostelle, that lost girl with a terribly unfortunate name? Right, I almost forgot about her. Sorry, the whole Mary Sue angst sort of made me lose track of what I was doing. Sure, I'll get right on that. Bond Bridge is just to the west of town, so I left quickly in that direction, and predictably ran into some trainers along the way.

Huh, if I'm really that forgetful, maybe I'm not totally Mary Sue material after all.


http://i45.tinypic.com/ve42ld.jpg

Whoa. What's with the levels on these trainers' Touhoumon? Did I take a wrong turn and accidentally step into some sort of endgame area? I thought I was the only one around capable of defeating those bikers, but these kids are sporting Touhoumon that dwarf my levels by a large margin.

Huh, maybe I'm not as Mary Sue-ish as I thought. Maybe my myopia has blinded me to the fact that I'm not that special. Whew, that's a load off my mind.


http://i49.tinypic.com/29uu3wy.jpg

I mean, just look at these awesome and powerful Touhoumon that these trainers here have! They're way cool! I'm actually starting to have trouble with some of them, given their immense level advantage and fully evolved forms. Never before have I been so grateful to be losing.


http://i46.tinypic.com/11shv5s.jpg

Despite their very strong Touhoumon, these trainers still don't seem to be larger-than-life. Look, this one even had the (hilarious) misfortune of having her swimsuit torn, and is too embarassed to step out of the water! And her Touhoumon probably could have soloed the last gym leader, too. If someone this strong can be this humble (and humiliated), perhaps there's hope for me yet.

I suppose I should still lend her a towel so she can get out, though...


http://i49.tinypic.com/2cshonb.jpg

The beatdown that these trainers have been handing me has been quite refreshing. I think I've learned a lot from this experience: namely, how to mellow out and not worry about being a Mary Sue. Time to just lean back and let the plot take me wherever it goes.

At the end of Bond Bridge, I found a small forest. Ooh, I hope it's some sort of complex dungeon filled with powerful Touhoumon, difficult trainers, and loads of valuable treasure!


http://i48.tinypic.com/39dtg.jpg

...This is it? Just some trees, a simple path, and a few boring birds that can't do anything useful? Wow, I haven't been this let down since the ending of Angel Beats!

At the end of the path, I found who I was looking for: the girl with the very unfortunate name. What was she doing here? How did she get here? Why is an EX Iku attacking? How is this even important to the plot? I have no idea.


http://i48.tinypic.com/fkxw7d.jpg

Gee, after my horrible date, the Mary Sue angst, and the gauntlet of super-powered trainers, this was all rather anti-climactic, wasn't it? I suppose I should just be happy that I saved a lost little girl and a village of innocent townsfolk. Now, dear little Lostelle, might I suggest getting your name legally changed?


http://i45.tinypic.com/263iliu.jpg

Well, that annoying quest is now over with. Now where to...oh, right, why was I doing this again? That stupid date with ZUN. Now that this inane trip is done, it's time I head on over and give him a piece of my mind...

The Sevii Islands is somewhat strange in this Pokemon hack. All the trainers have been given about a 15+ level boost to their teams, and will all have fully evolved teams, including some powerful alternate 3rd stages. It's mostly meant for after you've beaten the Elite 4, I think, even though you can reach some of these places beforehand.

Speaking of which: where to next? Shall I continue with the first part of the Ruby/Sapphire sidequest? Keep in mind, I can't finish the other parts until after the Elite 4. Alternatively, I could just ditch the Sevii Islands now and head straight for Viridian Gym. What do you guys think?

[Terraoblivion]

Sidequest! Was there ever any doubt that people would vote for that?

Also that is a fairly bizarre combination of high powered trainers and utterly wimpy enemies for the actual quest material. Also Maribel is perhaps the most scatterbrained protagonist ever. She cannot stick to any plot or interpretation of events for more than a few minutes at a time.

[memnarch]

Ruby/Sapphire sidequest? Sounds good!

Personally, I think those were the best game in the series. Good graphics, only 200 pokemon, fairly good story too for the series.

[Cubey]

Double Tewi team.

Oh dear.

[Assassin89]

Go for the side quest. I am beginning to see our protagonist descending into insanity; too bad the useless bunny isn't present to cause it.

[Mirrinus]

Also Maribel is perhaps the most scatterbrained protagonist ever. She cannot stick to any plot or interpretation of events for more than a few minutes at a time.

Personally, I've always thought of Maribel as a cloudcuckoolander of some sort, so yeah...


Ruby/Sapphire sidequest? Sounds good!

Personally, I think those were the best game in the series. Good graphics, only 200 pokemon, fairly good story too for the series.

I should clarify: the sidequest has nothing to do with the Ruby/Sapphire games. It's just a quest to retrieve a ruby and a sapphire in order to power up Celio's trade machine thingy.

[memnarch]

Oh.


Well, sidequests are fun, so my vote stays the same.

[Penguinator]

Might as well do the sidequest, keeps the thing going a bit longer.

[Mirrinus]

Well now, this is a surprise.

While playing through the Sevii Islands sidequest, I discovered something completely unexpected (mostly because I didn't do this quest at this time on my other 2 playthroughs). Let's just say, I think I've solved the problem of deciding whether or not to end this LP at the Elite 4. Now it looks like I can both have my cake and eat it too. You'll see what I mean soon enough.

By the way, I think I'll be cutting the later parts of the Sevii Islands sidequest down to the bare bones, plot-wise. In other words, I'm trying to skip as many non-essential trainers as I can. This is mostly because if I don't, I'll be facing level 70-80ish Touhoumon with my team that's still in the 40's. And that doesn't seem quite so appealing to me right now.

[memnarch]

Heh, yeah. 70-80 vs 40 doesn't sound fun. Also, the point of a LP is to play through whole thing and/or be entertaining, right? So you could probably skip most of them and we wouldn't know the difference.

[Mirrinus]

When I originally asked if you guys wanted to see the Sevii Islands Ruby/Sapphire sidequest, I had expected only to complete the first part of it (retrieving the Ruby). The Sapphire shouldn't be available until after beating the Elite 4 and getting the National Dex. However...

Let's Play Touhoumon - Chapter 8-2

Well, it looks like ZUN really isn't any sort of gentleman at all. The nerve of him! I spent all day traversing multiple islands, battling evil bike gangs, and having a quarter-life crisis, and all he could say to me was "What kept you so long?" I swear, I was an inch away from socking him in the face, but Celio luckily intervened and held me back.

As it turns out, Celio's a pretty sweet guy. He apologized for what happened to me, and promised to make it up to me someday. His attitude was so much more reassuring that I had no problem agreeing to his next request.


http://i45.tinypic.com/es5105.jpg

Celio asked me to find a ruby gemstone needed to complete his machine. Normally, I'm against running errands for people I just met, but at this point I was so enthralled by his gentlemanly conduct that I somehow went along with it. Oh Maribel, you're so hopeless...

All Celio could tell me was that the gem was probably somewhere near One Island, but that's all I needed to hear. After all, there was only one direction for me to go.


http://i45.tinypic.com/s5li05.jpg

As I traveled north towards the smoldering peak of Mt. Ember, I ran into more trainers with startlingly strong Touhoumon. Is everyone on these islands this strong? One can only imagine what would happen if there was ever a conflict between these islands and the mainland...I shudder to think of the possibilities.

And yes, I do have a spiffy hat, do I not? Even if this isn't Gensokyo, I'm glad to see that's still important to the girls here. They've got their priorities straight.


http://i49.tinypic.com/wgt3ef.jpg

When faced with such strong opponents, it was no longer so feasible for me to just attempt a straightforward sweep. I needed a different strategy if I wanted to win. Luckily, all this time I have been preparing my team for just such an eventuality. For example, when up against foes that take little damage from my attacks, it's better to win using moves that work regardless of our level difference. Toxic is just one such example, letting Tachikoma here grind her foe down while stalling and healing as necessary.


http://i47.tinypic.com/28ulg2c.jpg

The rest of our team suffered some significant blows, but we somehow managed to press onwards. This particular island seems to be a hotspot for people wishing to train both their own bodies as well as their Touhoumon. It was sort of humbling seeing them work so hard, especially given my rather...embarassing episode from before.


http://i50.tinypic.com/mvt4t2.jpg

I must say, I resent the comment about my outfit. Why, I think it's totally amazing that I've accomplished all I've done thus far while still wearing this spiffy dress. Who says real women never wear dresses? Real women know how to kick butt while still looking stylish.


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Crossing another sea route, I made my way to the fabled Mt. Ember. Given that it was the only unexplored area on One Island for me, I figured the ruby just had to be here. Little did I know, far more awaited me. As I surfed nearer, I thought I heard a faint voice calling out to me. My ears didn't seem to detect it, but it registered in my mind. I dismissed it immediately, given that I really didn't want to think I was crazier than I already was just earlier.


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Climbing Mt. Ember proved to be a daunting experience. No, the grueling rock-pushing wasn't what made it difficult (after all, China-Li was doing all the work). Rather, it was having to endure inane trainers rambling about geology, as well as one particularly bad pun regarding a trainer's title. Ugh...if there's one thing I can't stand, it's bad puns.


http://i49.tinypic.com/2vxio37.jpg

Although the geology lesson certainly did try my patience almost as much. Why do I care about active volcanoes in the world, when I've got something much more exciting to attend to? Like this:


http://i45.tinypic.com/r0ovx1.jpg

All right! Cute little Poppins is certainly full of surprises! Now I've only got one unevolved Touhoumon left. Oh, why hasn't she evolved yet? Well...

Anyway, while climbing Mt. Ember, I ran into some familiar faces. Of course, their outfits looked familiar, but something about their speech just didn't sound right.


http://i45.tinypic.com/r0tn6e.jpg

I got it! They weren't making any math references! What, are these guys Team Rocket rejects or something? Wait...Team Rocket? What were they doing here? I thought I had already shut down their big old master plan...


http://i48.tinypic.com/2rz8111.jpg

A quick trouncing later, and I forced my way into the cave they were guarding. Pro-tip: if you're trying to keep a treasure secret, don't go talking about it when an adventurer on a side quest is walking by. Then again, if they're not smart enough to keep up with the math references, I doubt they'd have been smart enough to keep me away anyway.


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Fighting my way through increasingly stronger Touhoumon and a few more puzzles that were ironically solved by China-Li knocking boulders around, I found the ruby in a strange chamber surrounded by weird plaques with dotted messages etched into them. All in all, this whole sidequest ordeal was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Except...

As I turned to leave, I thought I heard a voice again. It was a bit louder this time, but I still couldn't understand what it was saying. Tucking the ruby away, I turned back into the tunnels of Mt. Ember, my curiosity blowing away any bit of common sense I had that told me to get out of there.

Going deeper into the caves, I treked across treacherous ledges held over the center of the volcano, snaking my way around the mountain until I at last reached the summit. And there it was.


http://i50.tinypic.com/15hlnr9.jpg

It was a Touhoumon, hovering still at the peak of the volcano. It felt just like the one I saw at Seafoam Island, yet it was still different. This one was absolutely terrifying. I beheld five giant floating eyeballs, held together by cackling strands of magic. All five eyes were staring straight at me, as though they were looking into my soul. For a minute there, I was too scared to react. My legs wouldn't move despite my common sense screaming at me to turn around and run.

I'm not sure if it was fear, courage, or stupidity that made me move at last, but my curiosity once again got the better of me, and I reached into to my bag for yet another stone. I've been meaning to save this for the last gym, but I figured now was as good a time as any to use this.


http://i49.tinypic.com/1zh37f4.jpg

If I want some answers to the voice in my head, I'm going to have to get them myself. And that starts with challenging this abomination. By this point, my idiotic determination had drowned out the last remaining ounce of common sense.


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The eyeball monstrosity, Yuugenma, took a sound beating from my newly-evolved and specially enhanced Asakura, dropping down to a pittance of health in a few short turns. However, it stubbornly refused to stay in my Ultra Orbs, breaking free each time as if fettered by mere paper. Realizing that this may soon turn into a battle of attrition, I let Souseiseki take over, knowing that she could recover her health as necessary to overcome this prolonged battle.


http://i47.tinypic.com/2bckza.jpg

Eventually, after countless Ultra Orbs wasted, I managed to subdue the freakish eyes. As I gripped the triumphant orb with my trembling hands, I heard the voice call out to me one last time, clearer than ever before. It said but one short message: "Welcome back, Master."

Too exhausted to spend much time contemplating what had just happened, I quickly headed back to the Eirin Center in town, where Celio was waiting for me. He greeted me with joy as he gratefully accepted the ruby I had found.


http://i49.tinypic.com/10zr2mr.jpg

Sheepishly, he admitted that there was still one more gemstone that he needed to complete his machine. He said that it was likely located somewhere among the Sevii Islands, but couldn't really give me any more details. As payment for my hard work, though, he gave me the Rainbow Pass, which granted me access to all seven islands. This took me quite by surprise, as I thought I was done for good with these islands. Looks like there's still much more left to see here.

I hope the last gym leader wouldn't mind waiting, whoever he is.

As it turns out, I had the National Dex all along, which is why I'm able to catch way more than 150 Touhoumon throughout this playthrough. Of course, I had already known this, but what I didn't know was that this means I'm already flagged for the entire Sevii Islands sidequest, not just the first part. Normally, I need to defeat the Elite 4 to get the National Dex, then use the National Dex to get the Rainbow Pass to access the other islands. Well, color me surprised at the recent turn of events. I guess I'll be sticking around the Sevii Islands for a lot longer.

But I'm guessing you guys won't mind this sudden development. After all, it means I can now do this:

A. Chiyuri Kitashirakawa (Water/Electric, tank or special sweeper)
B. Advent Cirno (Ice/Steel, physical sweeper)
C. Eirin Yagokoro (Water/Poison, annoyer and tank)
D. Kaguya Houraisan (Grass/Psychic, special sweeper)
E. Fujiwara no Mokou (Fire/Fighting, mixed sweeper)
F. Shikieiki Yamaxanadu (Psychic/Steel, special sweeper)
G. Rinnosuke Morichika (Normal, tank/physical sweeper)
H. Youki Konpaku (Ghost/Steel, physical sweeper, almost identical to Youmu)
I. Sasha Sashiromiya (Ghost/Dragon, mixed sweeper)
J. Mitori Kawashiro (Water/Steel, tank)

Ayanote pictures coming later, if you still need them for some reason.

Yes, the last 2 are fan-made characters who happen to be very popular for some reason. Sasha was created as a joke speculation character for TH 12.3; she's suppose to be a Kirin. Mitori is Nitori's half-sister, who has the "power to forbid" (she has a red dress with a lock as opposed to Nitori's blue dress with a key). Advent Cirno counts as a separate evolution line, so she's included here. Sorry, but I still can't seem to find Rika. Poor Rika.

This will be the last character vote, bringing our total team to 13.

[memnarch]

<- This one. No one else come close for my vote.:smallcool:

[Terraoblivion]

Oh Maribel, you're so hopeless...

She's also bizarrely straight for a Touhou character, it seems.

As for who to pick. Difficult choosing between Advent Cirno, she is still a version of Cirno after all, Princess NEET and Mokou. Think i'll go with Mokou, you can never have enough fire!

[Cubey]

How fitting that you can catch Eirin and Kaguya in the same location. And where is Kaguya, there is Mokou.

Advent Cirno, get!

[potatocubed]

I... quite like the idea of Mitori. Crimson kappa get!

[Tengu_temp]

Hmm, a hard choice, but I'll say Cirno.

[kamikasei]

I'll say Mokou.

[Tome]

She's also bizarrely straight for a Touhou character, it seems.

Yes, this is anomalous. Heterosexuality? In Gensokyo? HERESY!

That aside, I'd say go with Advent Cirno.

[Assassin89]

Mitori is in this game? Nooooo! She does not make sense, even within the context of the fan made phantasm stage, one that makes less sense than Lotus Land Story's extra stage. Why would Subterranean Animism have a phantasm stage, especially since Reimu or Marissa have no reason to go back underground? Ran at least told the player to return later, resulting in the phantasm stage. Koishi doesn't even give information about the character. Being the half sister of Nitori makes less sense than the relationship between Travis and Henry. Also, how in Makai is a half-kappa forbidden? /rant

I vote for Advent Cirno. I still stick by the nickname of Suiseiseki.

[Penguinator]

I like the idea of Mitori, and she has decent (Empoleon) typing.

[capfang]

Hey! A pokemon-like LP! I'll be watching this.

Uh.... I'll go with Fujiwara cuz it's got the same types as my favorite pokemon, Blaziken.

[Jm2c]

I feel like being contrary for my first post on this thread, so let's go with Eirin. I love her EX sprite. Help us, Eirin!

Is there a better/more up-to-date resource for the version you're using than the Touhou Wiki? I'm currently playing through myself, and while it's a good guideline, a fair number of things are different.

[Mirrinus]

Is there a better/more up-to-date resource for the version you're using than the Touhou Wiki? I'm currently playing through myself, and while it's a good guideline, a fair number of things are different.

I use YAPE (Yet Another Pokemon Editor), a ROM hacking program, just to view the information in the game. It gives all move and evolution levels, stat totals, EVs, and more.

[Mirrinus]

Yeah, I know the votes are currently tied right now between Cirno and Mokou, but I'm just going to call it right now for Mokou. Not because she has a better suggested nickname *cough*, but because I just realized that she has what's probably the most fitting moveset imaginable for her character:

Revenge
Fujiyama Volcano
Recover
Will-o-wisp

Okay, so maybe Will-o-wisp doesn't fit as well flavor-wise, but it complements the other moves well, and the rest of the set is just so perfect for Mokou that I can't resist. Thing is, this moveset is actually pretty potent. Either the enemy damages you and gets hit in return with a STAB'd base 120 fighting move, or doesn't damage you and gets hit with a STAB'd base 150 fire move. Very fun for mind games with human players, I'd imagine. Recover synergizes well with her attacks that work off of how much damage she receives, while Will-o-wisp neuters a physical offense and lets her stall out certain opponents in conjunction with Recover.

I'm just calling this now because I need a head start on training her up. Thank you everyone who voted (and still accepting nicknames for Mokou).

I'll be finishing up the essential parts of the Sevii Islands sidequest before taking the last gym, but it won't be easy. There are some inescapable battles against level 70+ opponents. Good thing there's always Toxic...

[memnarch]

Cool.

Nicknames..... Not very good at finding good names, but I got Lucca, Koume, and Iroh from the character list on wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fictional_characters_who_can_manipulate_fi re). Someone can come up with a better nickname probably.

[Mirrinus]

Well now, you guys asked for this sidequest...

Let's Play Touhoumon - Chapter 8-3

With my new Rainbow Pass in hand and another quest on my checklist, I departed for the first of the unvisited islands: Four Island. This island was remarkably small, with nothing but a small town and a single cave nearby.

Icefall Cave, as the locals called it, was a site where many rare Touhoumon lived. It sounded like a good a place as any to begin my search for Celio's sapphire.


http://i45.tinypic.com/14e6vq1.jpg

The locals really should have warned me just how inhospitable this place was. Precarious ice paths that cracked as I walked across, slippery slidey frozen mazes, and one particularly daunting waterfall all challenged me to turn back. But I managed to fend my way through the cave, and made it all the way to the final chamber in the very back of the cavern.

No, I did not find the sapphire there. What I found was a beautiful young woman being harassed by a group of Rocket gangsters. My first instinct was to rush in and save her, but it soon became apparent that she needed no help from me.


http://i50.tinypic.com/hraqvr.jpg

Wow, talk about style. I mean, I've kicked around more than my fair share of Rockets, but I still haven't turned any of them into human popsicles yet. If there's anyone in this world who belongs in Gensokyo, it's this lady right here. Not only was she powerful, but she had great fashion sense as well. That black vest with the violet skirt combo, and those heels? All she lacked was a nice hat or hair ornament...unless her ponytail tie counts?

It's taking a fair bit of self-control just for me to resist asking for her autograph, and I didn't even know her name yet!


http://i46.tinypic.com/orqnv6.jpg

After pummeling the Rockets into submission, she forced them to reveal the location of their base of operations here on the island. However, to get in, a pair of passwords is needed. Team Rocket members are each assigned only one of the two passwords, and thus can only get into their own base if partnered up with someone that has the other password. And just our luck, these goons all had the same password: the same one that I received at Mt. Ember! What a waste of time!

Once the woman had the Rockets freeze-sealed for the authorities to pick up, she turned her attention to me. Wouldn't you know it, she's actually heard of me before! I mean, I know I've been doing some pretty cool stuff lately, but it just feels like such an honor that a woman of her caliber would even know who I am! (Whoa there Maribel, ease up on the hero worship!)

The red-haired beauty introduced herself as Lorelei, a native of the Sevii Islands. Her home was located here on Four Island, and she graciously offered her hospitality to me. I never would have guessed that under that cool exterior, she was such a little girl at heart. I mean, her house was filled with plush dolls everywhere!

"Team Rocket has recently shown up on these islands to capture Touhoumon for some plan of theirs," Lorelei informed me. "I've been able to keep their activity to a minimum so far, but we need to strike at the center of their operation. You seem like a girl who has demonstrated great care and skill in raising her Touhoumon. Would you be willing to help drive these wretched Rockets away from the Sevii Islands?"

Honestly, does she even need to ask? Of course I'll do it! She responded to my assertion with a smile that could melt ice.

"You'll still need the other password to enter their base. Until you find it, is there anything else I can help you with?"

"There is one thing," I said. "I'm looking for a sapphire. It's part of a matching set with a ruby I found in Mt. Ember, and is supposedly located somewhere in the Sevii Islands. Would you happen to know where it is?"

I did my best to explain to her how I found the ruby, including the strange dotted etchings carved in the chambers where it rested. This seemed to stir Lorelei's memory a bit.

"On the southern portion of Six Island, there's a valley that holds an ancient ruin. I've heard of dotted messages found written in the stones nearby. Perhaps that should be your next destination."

Amazing: not only is she a skilled trainer and a snazzy dresser, but she even provides helpful information! I thanked her for her assistance, and promised to return to her home once I retrieved the sapphire for Celio.


http://i45.tinypic.com/2z6ie0k.jpg

Six Island proved to be even more difficult than all the previous islands. No, the terrain was not a problem at all. Rather, the trainers were far more fierce than I had ever imagined. I can see how Lorelei got so strong; practically everyone here has Touhoumon that dwarf mine in comparison! I needed every ounce of wit I had to survive the few encounters I ran into, and ended up just dodging the watchful eyes of the rest. Never before had I have to seriously avoid other trainers!


http://i48.tinypic.com/2jg45jd.jpg

After many close shaves, I finally made it to the ruin at the center of the valley. However, it appeared to be sealed shut with a strange door of some sort. Etched into the door were some more dotted symbols. Well, that's just great! I knew I should have taken that course on archeology during freshman year when I had the chance! Now what am I suppose to do?

Ugh, forget this! If I can't figure this out, then maybe I can bust my way through with force. Hey, if it works for insurmountable two-foot-high plants, maybe it'll work on mystic dotted doors! All right, let's slash our way through!


http://i45.tinypic.com/2pzd4sw.jpg

...Huh. That was a lot easier than I expected. I guess the ancient people who built this place didn't really have very high security standards.


http://i47.tinypic.com/2qwejo7.jpg

Inside, I found myself faced with a maze of passages, with a single plaque with a dotted message presumably telling me where to go. Well, I still haven't figured out how to read this dotted moonspeak gibberish, but it soon became clear to me that these ancient people speak English. Well, sort of. At the very least, they have the same number of letters in their words as English does. Two dotted letters is "up", five is "right". Sure, "down" and "left" are sort of indistinguishable like this, but a 50/50 chance isn't so bad, is it?

Using this strategy, I was able to make my way to the deepest chamber, where the sapphire conveniently awaited me.


http://i48.tinypic.com/a4xzyg.jpg

I knew this was too easy! Apparently, I was just way too sluggish at grabbing the sapphire, because some random scientist popped out of nowhere and snatched it! Refusing to listen to what I had to say, he mumbled something about selling the sapphire to Team Rocket, before somehow escaping. Oh, but I'm not going to take this sitting down, no-sir-ee! He unwittingly blurted out the other piece of the password for the Rocket Warehouse as he left.

It's time to pay the dear scientist and his Rocket pals a little visit...

I got impatient and already recruited Mokou, nicknaming her Yakitori. Unless anyone has a better suggestion, I'm sticking to it for now. She'll make her debut in the next segment.

Next time is the exciting conclusion to this sidequest! See me battle against trainers with Touhoumon 15-20 levels higher than the last gym leader's team!

But trust me, that won't be anything compared to what I have in store for the finale of this Let's Play. Remember what I said about whether or not to do the Elite 4 round 2? Well, once I complete this sidequest, there's no longer a choice, lol.

Who will be the lucky six to join me for the final challenge? They're going to need quite a bit of grinding...

[Terraoblivion]

Heh, i see that Maribel is starting to behave more like a proper Touhou character in regards to who she is crushing on. Makes sense to me.

As for who to use...

China-Li, and seriously did anybody think i wouldn't vote for Meiling?
Magic Mary, she is your starter after all.
Mukyue, yes, i'm totally playing favorites.
Tachikoma, though i still think that having your tank around might be a good idea.
Souseiseki, and having other support might help too.
Yakitori, we won't get to see much of her otherwise.

[Prime32]

The trainers are level freaking 80? :smalleek:

[Cogwheel]

The trainers are level freaking 80? :smalleek:

It gets worse. Oh god, does it ever get worse.


Mirrinus: While I did grind up to the appropriate level the normal way myself, may I suggest sparing your sanity by means of quick Gameshark levelling instead of grinding?

[Prime32]

Mirrinus: While I did grind up to the appropriate level the normal way myself, may I suggest sparing your sanity by means of quick Gameshark levelling instead of grinding?That would result in weaker mons than grinding, since their EVs don't increase.

[Cogwheel]

That would result in weaker mons than grinding, since their EVs don't increase.

Not quite, there's a code where you just hold... one of the triggers, I forget, after an opponent faints, and the XP rolls in for as long as you see fit. Functionaly, I assume, identical to fighting something that just happened to give a pile of XP. That, and as far as I remember, EV doesn't increase past L50. So I'm told, anyway.

[Prime32]

Not quite, there's a code where you just hold... one of the triggers, I forget, after an opponent faints, and the XP rolls in for as long as you see fit. Functionaly, I assume, identical to fighting something that just happened to give a pile of XP. That, and as far as I remember, EV doesn't increase past L50. So I'm told, anyway.Incorrect. You always get exactly 3 EVs per fight (every mon to take part receives them, with the figures depending on the species of the opponent). The only cap is that you can have only 255 EVs in one stat, and 500 total (figures may be off, but it's something like that). Lv100s can't gain EVs (except possibly through a method which involved putting them in a box after every fight so their stats are recalculated).

Pokérus and the Macho Brace each have the effects of doubling the EVs you gain in battle, and there's a guy in one game who'll give you an Effort Ribbon for a mon who has max EVs.

[Cogwheel]

Incorrect. You always get exactly 3 EVs per fight (every mon to take part receives them, with the figures depending on the species of the opponent). The only cap is that you can have only 255 EVs in one stat, and 500 total (figures may be off, but it's something like that). Lv100s can't gain EVs (except possibly through a method which involved putting them in a box after every fight so their stats are recalculated).

Pokérus and the Macho Brace each have the effects of doubling the EVs you gain in battle, and there's a guy in one game who'll give you an Effort Ribbon for a mon who has max EVs.

Bah.

Humbug to you, good sir, for knowing more than I ever will.

[Jm2c]

Prime is correct. Yes, even on the numbers.
However, for what it's worth, the Effort Ribbon (or a similar badge, depending on the game) is in every game since RS, IIRC.


Heh, i see that Maribel is starting to behave more like a proper Touhou character in regards to who she is crushing on. Makes sense to me.

As for who to use...

China-Li, and seriously did anybody think i wouldn't vote for Meiling?
Magic Mary, she is your starter after all.
Mukyue, yes, i'm totally playing favorites.
Tachikoma, though i still think that having your tank around might be a good idea.
Souseiseki, and having other support might help too.
Yakitori, we won't get to see much of her otherwise.
I agree with this setup, but substituting China-Li for Myazaki due to personal preference. Also, a ghost-type will come in handy against Agatha - especially since Myon is also a steel-type, so she doesn't suffer double damage from Ghost attacks herself.

Also, just to show how accurate the name is:
http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Just-my-2-cents/Motivators/neutral_good.jpg


Reimu: Gee~z, can't you listen to your target without slashing them?
Youmu: You're wrong. Slashing will tell me who the target should be.

Youmu: Well, when we assume that the person who produces spiritual mist stays here, there's no doubt that this is the place.
Patchouli: So?
Youmu: I'm here to slash it.

Youmu: When I slashed you, did I also slash your memory? But even so, again, you're getting slashed.

For context: Youmu has a sword that reveals the truth/"cuts through people's confusion". Must be nice combining 'ask questions' and 'smite' into one easy step, without having to worry about priorities.

[potatocubed]

Now read that spoiler again, but instead of reading slash as 'to cut', read it as 'to make erotic fiction of'. :smalltongue:

[Jm2c]

Now read that spoiler again, but instead of reading slash as 'to cut', read it as 'to make erotic fiction of'. :smalltongue:

I lol'd. Someone should make a doujin out of this.
It wouldn't be the strangest one by far. :smalltongue:

[Terraoblivion]

While i like Meiling a lot more than Youmu. I mean Youmu is fine, but hardly one of my favorites, while Meiling is the one i like the most. So i stand by my vote for her over Youmu. Who can't love a hapless, lazy and at times overenthusiastic gate guard who is still very friendly, kind and helpful to those she feels close to?

[Jm2c]

Mechanics aside, it's a matter of personal preference and exposure, really. PCB was my first game, and I've tried my hand at EoSD exactly once so far, which is basically the only game she has any sort of importance in. So I'm more like "yeah, okay" towards Meiling. But then again, I don't hate the Watatsuki sisters, so obviously I'm weird. :smalltongue:

Also, I think you might like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPkU4Dhpznk (Some mildly NSFW pics in the slideshow)

[Assassin89]

Heh, i see that Maribel is starting to behave more like a proper Touhou character in regards to who she is crushing on. Makes sense to me.

As for who to use...

China-Li, and seriously did anybody think i wouldn't vote for Meiling?
Magic Mary, she is your starter after all.
Mukyue, yes, i'm totally playing favorites.
Tachikoma, though i still think that having your tank around might be a good idea.
Souseiseki, and having other support might help too.
Yakitori, we won't get to see much of her otherwise.

I'm also voting for this team, but I would rather give Mouku the nickname Phoenix or Signum.

[kamikasei]

For a nickname, how about Lina? Or Mustang?


Who can't love a hapless, lazy and at times overenthusiastic gate guard who is still very friendly, kind and helpful to those she feels close to?

Sakuya?

*ducks*

[Terraoblivion]

*ducking isn't powerful enough to avoid a harissen strengthened by the power of love rampant shipping*

Though i do support the idea of calling Mokou by the name Mustang.

[Assassin89]

Also Sakuya can stop time, ensuring that you will be hit regardless of ducking.

As for the nickname Mustang, do any of the girl in Touhou wear TINY MINISKIRTS?

[kamikasei]

Ouch. Worth it!

As for the nickname Mustang, do any of the girl in Touhou wear TINY MINISKIRTS?
Yes, and she's a soldier to boot.

[Terraoblivion]

Or an action hero (http://danbooru.donmai.us/post/show/653168/animal_ears-bunny_ears-combat_bizen_osafune-gun-ha) depending on the artist in question. She also proves that a small herbivore is one of the most badass animals around.

[Jm2c]

Or an action hero (http://danbooru.donmai.us/post/show/653168/animal_ears-bunny_ears-combat_bizen_osafune-gun-ha) depending on the artist in question. She also proves that a small herbivore is one of the most badass animals around.

Or just insane (http://moe.imouto.org/post/show/136030).

[memnarch]

China-Li, Magic Mary, Mukyue, Tachikoma, Rangiku, and Yakitori. Haven't seen Rangiku in a gym fight yet and Yakitori won't likely be seen otherwise.

Phoenix and Signum sound like good alternatives to "grilled chicken".

[Rolaran]

I am heartily in favor of Mustang for this firestarter. This twisted firestarter.

[Penguinator]

You always get exactly 3 EVs per fight (every mon to take part receives them, with the figures depending on the species of the opponent). The only cap is that you can have only 255 EVs in one stat, and 500 total (figures may be off, but it's something like that).

Almost right. You get # for what stage the Poke/Touhoumon is, for example, Caterpie gives you 1, Metapod gives you 2, and Butterfree gives you 3. The max total for EVs is 510, and every 4 EVs gives you 1 point in the stat, effectively making stat max at 252, and you have two extra points for some odd reason. Most sets you'll want a 252/252/4 spread.

[Mirrinus]

I'll rename Mokou "Mustang", but I've already screencapped the next segment, so the correction will have to wait.

I'm already done with EV training, actually, so that's not a problem either. I told you I was meticulous about these things.

I didn't really expect anyone to submit suggestions for who to use already, since there was still some information that I wanted to give regarding who to level up to 80+ (such as new movesets, etc.). But since you're all so kind in offering suggestions, I'll use them for the last gym battle.

[Penguinator]

Hm? Oh, I was making sure everybody got their information fed to them correctly. Remember, if you ever have any questions, consult serebii.net! Or bulbapedia, that works, too.

[Mirrinus]

Let's Play Touhoumon - Chapter 8-4

It really baffles me how no one has figured out that the Team Rocket base for the Sevii Islands was located here on Five Island. Pretty much the only notable landmark on the whole island is this mysterious warehouse surrounded by Team Rocket members. I mean, it's not even hidden underground or anything!

I know what you're thinking, but I'm not going to say it. I'm not going to do it. I'm not...oh, all right, I will.

Worst. Law enforcement. Ever.


http://i47.tinypic.com/5eg8x0.jpg

To my chagrin, the Rocket members stationed here seemed to have some rather beefy leveled Touhoumon. Does spouting math references somehow drop your Touhoumon's levels or something? If Team Rocket had such strong henchman all long, why didn't they throw them at me before? Don't tell me they have a sorting algorithm for this kind of nonsense.

The higher levels and lack of math puns weren't the only things new about these Rocketeers. The other difference involves longer hair and a pair of Toho orbs located higher up on the body.


http://i47.tinypic.com/2v3367t.jpg

You know, I would have never guessed that Team Rocket was an equal opportunity employer. They may be an evil gang of kidnappers and brainwashers, but by golly, they stand for gender equity with their hiring policies! I suppose every evil organization still has to have some standards.

Battling my way through the forest of Team Rocket grunts, I made my way to the warehouse and input the two nonsensical passwords. It suddenly occurred to me that before I go in, maybe I ought to swipe a female Rocket member's uniform and disguise myself, just in case that would help avoid any unnecessary confrontations. I entertained the notion for a while, noting that their hats were kind of cool, but in the end I decided it just wasn't worth putting on those tacky miniskirts. Tiny miniskirts as part of a uniform? Who came up with that idea? Ugh, I take back what I said about gender equity in Team Rocket.


http://i49.tinypic.com/fp41lv.jpg

Before, I managed to get by on the Sevii Islands by just avoiding confrontations with hostile trainers. However, the ridiculous workspace design of the Rocket Warehouse made avoiding enemies rather difficult, and forced me into some tough battles. It soon became apparent that hacking my way through with a traditional sweeping strategy just wasn't going to cut it. It works well against your run-of-the-mill trainer, as their individual Touhoumon usually went down with just a single hit. However, foes that are at a much higher level are capable of surviving and countering with a devastating blow. So rather than just relying on brute force, I figured I needed something a lot craftier.


http://i46.tinypic.com/2uonq69.jpg

That something was the nifty TM06 that Koga had given me earlier. Poison cares not whether the afflicted target is strong or weak, as it will take them down all the same. Once Toxic has afflicted my opponent, it was only a matter of stalling for time until they succumb to its relentless grasp. It just so happens that my team is well-suited for that task. Many possess ways to recover health, giving us plenty of resources to outwait our foes.

Avoiding what I could, I made it to what appeared to be the main office of the warehouse in one piece. However, the woman guarding the door proved to be a cut above the rest, in battle prowess if not personal wisdom.


http://i47.tinypic.com/15x7t37.jpg

I soon learned that Tachikoma was far too valuable to leave exposed for any significant length of time, so I must only use her to inflict Toxic before quickly fleeing so that someone else can take the brunt of my opponent's attack. Regrettably, several sacrificial lambs were needed to buy enough time for the poison to do its work. The Rocket's Dark EX Momiji was a shocking surprise, capable of countering the usual ghost types that I used for walling her previous forms. But even after I managed to outlast her, the Dark EX Suika exacerbated the situation with her potent Sandstream ability.

With a sandstorm somehow tearing it up inside the building (I really need to figure out how this one works), we were faced with residual damage on top of the Dark EX Suika's excellent spread of attack types. Thankfully, China-Li was able to withstand the punishment for a remarkable number of turns by simply slacking off (again, I need to figure out how this works).


http://i46.tinypic.com/ejbmet.jpg

Oddly enough, the Rocket took her loss gracefully and even allowed me a chance to return to the Eirin Center for some much-needed healing. Are all female villains this kind and considerate? Or has being forced to wear a tiny miniskirt uniform while losing to a clueless blonde finally made her realize how low she's sunk in her life? Poor girl, I almost feel sorry for her.

After a quick rest, we were ready to face the leader of the operation. Surprisingly enough, he wasn't Italian.


http://i49.tinypic.com/k36qrs.jpg

Eh? You mean all this was just a set-up to eliminate little ol' me? I don't know whether to be terrified or honored that I'm considered such a threat to the world itself. Surely you're exaggerating, right? I mean, I know I've littered a little, and sometimes leave the water running when I'm brushing my teeth, but that doesn't mean I'm going to destroy the world!


http://i45.tinypic.com/14keb1z.jpg

I went with the same strategy that brought me victory earlier: poisoning my opponent and stalling for time. As expected, it worked like a charm, except for the very same roadblock that nearly ruined me last time: Dark EX Suika. Once again, dealing with her went from "walling every attack and recovering back all health" to "throwing things in her way and hope I don't run out before she succumbs to Toxic." Yeah, packing Cross Chop, Rock Slide, Thunder Punch, and Steel Fist on top of Sandstream and very high levels tends to lead to such a situation.


http://i47.tinypic.com/215v21.jpg

It was a bitter struggle, but I eventually managed to put down even this Team Rocket admin. He bitterly said something about how this wasn't over and that Giovanni will be the one to finish this for Team Rocket, but I kind of got used to death threats by now, so I sort of just ignored him and let him run off. I was more interested in recovering Celio's sapphire anyway.

I found the scientist who stole it cowering in the back of the warehouse. With Team Rocket no longer sheltering him, it should be easy enough to kick his-

Oh, wait, my bad. Apparently he has super-high-level Touhoumon as well, just like everyone else on these blasted islands. And with my usual team exhausted from the battle against the Team Rocket admin, I should be easy pickings, right?

Wrong. So very wrong. For starters, who said that was all I had with me? Oh, did I not mention our latest member?


http://i47.tinypic.com/2q9i6fk.jpg

I picked her up while taking a bit of time off at Seven Island earlier. Not only is she at a notably higher level than the rest of my team, but she's able to apply the same strategy that Tachikoma was using to enemies that are normally immune to poison, thanks to her cute little penchant for burning things.


http://i46.tinypic.com/9anwok.jpg

Thanks largely to the efforts of our newest teammate, we put the scientist in his place and snatched the coveted sapphire from him. Of course, that wasn't the only reward we had earned.


http://i47.tinypic.com/t510ew.jpg

Satisfied with a good day's work, I returned to One Island exhausted but triumphant. I couldn't wait to deliver the good news to Celio and see just what the whole ruby/sapphire business was all about.


http://i48.tinypic.com/2mqkaqu.jpg

What?! You mean all that work I did was just so you could hook up with your girlfriend? What a waste of time! I feel so...used.

Angrily, I stormed out of the Eirin Center without so much as a good-bye. I was sick of these stupid islands with its ridiculously high-leveled trainers and utterly pointless sidequests. Good riddance to such rubbish.

Well...there was still one good thing I got out of it. I figured before I left, I really ought to visit Lorelei one more time. I did promise her, after all.


http://i49.tinypic.com/119o17t.jpg

Huh? Where'd she go? Her house was completely devoid of all life when I dropped by, although the stares from the many dolls still made me feel unwelcome somehow. I inquired around town a bit, and found out that she left town just recently all of a sudden, but no one could tell me where she went. Weird.

I hope we'll still see each other again someday.

I wasn't sure how to end this sidequest at first, but once it occurred to me that Maribel should have no clue who Lanette was, this was just the logical outcome.

Next up is the last gym challenge, so of course I'll still be accepting requests for who to use against the gym leader, as usual.

[Terraoblivion]

Yeeeep, it appears that all the guys just try to get Maribel's hopes up and then dashing them. Which is why she is doing the right thing in seeking solace in Lorelei's arms!

Also i find it quite fitting that your Mokou has a serious nature, even if serious isn't quite the word i'd use for that badass sprite.

[Jm2c]

Giovanni is the Earth leader. Beach Alice is a Water/Ice touhou. I think you know where I'm going with this. Also, Alice in a swimsuit.

Oh, and... (http://moe.imouto.org/post/show/132877/crossover-fujiwara_no_mokou-fullmetal_alchemist-lo)

[Assassin89]

Considering the previous encounters with Giovanni, you will need someone effective against a Suika and any ground types. Tachikoma and Mustang should also come along for continual damage through toxic and will-o-wisp respectively.

I wonder if Roy Mustang is responsible for all female Rockets wearing tiny miniskirts.

[potatocubed]

Yeeeep, it appears that all the guys just try to get Maribel's hopes up and then dashing them. Which is why she is doing the right thing in seeking solace in Lorelei's arms!

> Quickly retrieve arms from Lorelei.

Wait... I think I'm getting my memes mixed up. :smallconfused:

[Jm2c]

Considering the previous encounters with Giovanni, you will need someone effective against a Suika and any ground types. Tachikoma and Mustang should also come along for continual damage through toxic and will-o-wisp respectively.

I wonder if Roy Mustang is responsible for all female Rockets wearing tiny miniskirts.

Well, the continual damage was mostly necessary because the Rockets' touhoumon on Five Island were ridiculously overleveled in comparison to Mari's. Since Giovanni is just a regular gym leader, he ought to be unaffected (mons in the realm of 50-60, I'd assume), so we should be able to get away with the usual tactics.

[Penguinator]

Shinku and China-Li should help with Giovanni, unless of course his touhou aren't part-rock like normal pokemon.

[Mirrinus]

Interesting fact about Giovanni: in this game, he seems to just ignore his own official representative type. He'll have only one ground type during the gym battle, which also happens to be the only one weak to water, given that rock lost that particular weakness in this game.

[Penguinator]

...Everything I know is a lie...
So what types is he using?

..And I still support use of Shinku and China-Li.

[Neon Knight]

I vote for Miyazaki, Poppins, Rangiku, Souseiseki, Magic Mary, and Tachikoma. For no particular reason.

[Randfeon]

EMokou? Well, I'm okay with that, but somehow I was expecting AMokou for some Magcargo-styled awesomeness (there's also the fact that you haven't used any Advent Touhou so far).

Well, whatever, I'm being a bit too selfish. I can pretend she's a lava snail on my own run. I'm looking forward to things are going to turn out in the E4, and I wish you luck a bit too early. Possibly.

[FantasyFoxMan]

I read in the forum where this hack can be obtained at that Chibi Rikas are found in the Lost Cave on Five Island. Whether that's true or not is beyond me, I haven't gotten that far yet. :V Irrelevant, I know, but I just wanted to say it regardless. 3:

However, I'm a teeny bit disappointed that the next Touhoumon was already picked. I was gonna vote for Chiyuri despite the fact that all the votes were going towards Mokou and my favorite idiot. xD

[Mirrinus]

You know, after the RAGE that was the Sevii Islands, Viridian Gym is sort of anti-climactic by comparison. Oh well...at least chapter 9 promises to deliver.

Let's Play Touhoumon - Chapter 8-5

With the hellish deathtrap that was the Sevii Islands now behind me, I could finally relax a bit back on the mainland. Well, if by relax you mean the last gym challenge, then sure. But honestly now, this is relatively relaxing compared to what I've just been through.


http://i45.tinypic.com/y2qnl.jpg

Viridian Gym was closed down when I first passed by, way back at the beginning of my journey. Now that I've finally returned, I feel like a completely different person compared to what I was like before. At first, I was headstrong, naive, and reckless. Now, I'm...well, I'm still all those things, I guess. But I've got a much stronger arsenal by my side to justify things!

It's odd how people here don't seem to even know who their own gym leader is. It's like if someone in Japan doesn't know who the current Prime Minister is. You'd think his identity wouldn't be a heavily guarded state secret, right?

The trainers here in the gym don't really help shed any light on the matter. They don't even seem to have a decisive theme regarding the types of their Touhoumon. Maybe someone forgot to tell them Rule #4 in the Touhoumon Gym Member's Handbook? "Always use only a single type of Touhoumon. If your opponent exploits your weakness, just throw more of the same type at them, and they'll eventually given in somehow."


http://i46.tinypic.com/2mf0v1u.jpg

The trainers don't even fit one particular theme. I see karate masters, cooltrainers, and...this creepy guy who's really into BDSM. He's got the whip and rope and...is that a lollipop? They don't let children into this gym, do they? For heaven's sake, this is no place for kids!


http://i48.tinypic.com/2utp447.jpg

It's like as if the trainers were all in unanimous agreement that they'll keep their gym's identity a secret. They can't even decide on the same type to use! I see all sorts of different kinds of Touhoumon. What kind of game are they playing here?


http://i48.tinypic.com/35bfbkg.jpg

Looks like all I can do is steel myself for whatever surprises may be in store. It's okay, I'm confident in my success. I haven't spent who-knows-how-long in this logic-forsaken world for nothing, you know.


http://i48.tinypic.com/dghwle.jpg

This is the last gym leader, eh? With my luck it's probably going to b-

Oh. It's you.

"Welcome, Maribel. I did say this wasn't over yet, didn't I?"

"What, no mind control gimmicks, no Team Rocket henchmen, just you alone?"

"Precisely. You still wear the red pin, do you not? Haven't you wondered why you never succumbed to our control?"

I remained silent. Best let him do the talking, and reveal as much as I can get from him.

"I know who you are now. You're not from this world. In fact, that's not the only thing that's unique about you. Of course, I'm not the only one who knows. They know as well. The Conductor of this world has been using you this whole time for his plan, thwarting me at every turn, and you've blissfully followed along. But I can't let them win. My original plan may have failed, but I still have one last chance. I can still eliminate you!"

He seemed even more serious now than ever before. I've faced him at the climax of his plan, when he was surrounded by his goons, but now that he's alone, he somehow felt more threatening, more cunning, and more desperate.

"I owe you no more explanations! Only destruction!" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_ncYStGb2c)

All right, so here's what's going down: since I've completed the Sevii Islands sidequest already, the Elite 4 will already be on Round 2 mode when I reach them. Unfortunately, Round 2 mode for this version of Touhoumon is like ~20-30 levels higher than Round 2 for the original game. Since I don't feel like getting everyone up to level 80 or so, I'll only go for it with a select group of 6. But since I'll still eventually be facing down a full team of lvl 100 characters at lvl 80ish, I'd like at least some balance for the party, so here's what I'll do. I'll divvy up everyone into two categories: sweepers and supporters. I'll be taking the top 3 voted choices from each group, for a full team of 6. Here's your choices, including any new moves they'll get:

Sweepers:

Marisa (Magical Mary)
Electric/Fire
> Blazing Star
> Dragon Meteo/Fire Blast
> Master Spark
> Mana Charge

Comments: Even with a severe level disadvantage, Mana Charge and Speed Boost will raise her special attack and speed enough to easily sweep lots of higher-level foes. The only hard part is surviving long enough to charge up. Fire Blast is technically better than Dragon Meteo, but I kind of like the idea of having her attacks named after her actual spellcards.

Alice (Shinku)
Water/Ice
> Surf
> Ice Beam
> Psychic
> Mana Charge

Comments: Basically Marisa with a different type spread and Water Absorb instead of Speed Boost. Speed Boost is still better, but Alice gets better type coverage. Same pros and cons still apply.

Ran (Believe it!)
Ground/Psychic
> Earthquake
> Shadow Ball
> Steel Fist
> Bulk Up

Comments: Bulk Up isn't quite as good as Mana Charge or Mind's Eye, but it gets the job done. Same strategy applies: find some time to pump yourself up, then attempt a sweep. Good type coverage as well, although Steel Fist is a bit inaccurate, and she only gets one STAB.

Aya (Asakura)
Flying/Fighting
> Aeroblast
> Cross Chop
> Extreme Speed
> Mind's Eye

Comments: Basically a physical version of Marisa/Alice, but with better speed and worse attack, although Mind's Eye helps out with the latter. Her biggest problem is the relatively low PP on her admittedly very strong attacks, leaving her prone to run out on the latter battles. Oh, and I guess the less than perfect accuracy on Cross Chop and Aeroblast.

Patchouli (Mukyue)
Psychic/Dark
> Five Elements
> Ice Beam
> Flamethrower/Fire Blast
> Morning Sun

Comments: Hits 11 types for supereffective damage. Fire Blast should be there unless Marisa needs the TM. By far the slowest of our sweepers, so she'll need some Quick Claw hax to help out. Good thing she's bulky.

Youmu (Miyazaki)
Ghost/Steel
> Shadow Ball
> Petal Storm
> Razor Wind
> Mind's Eye

comments: Another physical version of MAlice, except with slightly worse speed. Immunity to normal and fighting moves is good for switching in. Note that Steel is not resistant to Ghost or Psychic in this game, though.

Orange (Apple)
Normal
> Double-Edge
> Brick Break
> Counter
> Bride Study

Comments: With pure power, she actually has the highest attack or special attack out of our entire team before stat boosts are used. In other words, she doesn't need to set up to hit hard. Counter is also potentially awesome against high-level opponents. Unfortunately, she has poor type coverage, and can't do a thing to ghost types, so she'll have to sit out completely against Agatha.

Support

Wriggle (Souseiseki)
Bug/Grass
> Signal Beam
> Sing
> Heal Bell
> Bride Study

Comments: Statistically, she's arguably the worst member of our team, but she does have one valuable gem going for her: Sing. With a lucky sleep hax, she can potentially buy enough time to let someone else set up with their stat-boosting moves for a sweep. She's got decent durability, but not as high as dedicated tanks, and a ton of weaknesses to boot.

Yamame (Tachikoma)
Bug/Ground
> Earthquake
> Toxic
> Rest
> Spider Web

Comments: She needs no introduction. The Elite 4 may be packing Full Restores and Full Heals, but they'll still run out eventually, and Toxic gets the job done then. Spider Web is sort of useless in game, but I just can't bring myself to get rid of it for flavor reasons.

Meiling (China-Li)
Fighting/Dragon
> Brick Break
> Rock Tomb
> Roar
> Slack Off

Comments: She's arguably the best physical wall we've got, but her special defense is lackluster. She doesn't do much damage, but if you've got some residual damage effect on the opponent, like poison or burn, she could potentially stall them down until they expire.

Kogasa (Poppins)
Ghost/Flying
> Surf
> Shadow Ball
> Yawn
> Recover

Comments: Yawn puts things to sleep, which buys you time to set up for a sweep. She's also a great all-round tank if you need to stall, but on her own her damage output is worse than Meiling's.

Komachi (Rangiku)
Water/Ghost
> Shadow Ball
> Confuse Ray
> Life Counter
> Slack Off

Comments: She's hoping for some confusion hax here. She also does have great attack power, and Life Counter will always make a difference by halving your opponent's HP regardless of how strong they are. If confusion hax favors you, Slack Off lets her stay in the game.

Mokou (Mustang)
Fire/Fighting
> Revenge
> Fujiyama Volcano
> Will-o-wisp
> Recover

Comments: She's actually capable of doing quite a bit of damage, but Will-o-wisp will at times be just as valuable as her attacks, neutering physically-inclined foes and causing residual damage. Revenge and Fujiyama Volcano both have the potential to hit extremely hard, but they take some cooperation on your opponent's part and good prediction on mine.

There you have it. Voting will continue for a while, since I still have to get past Victory Road first.

[memnarch]

Sweepers; Magical Mary (Marisa), Mukyue (Patchouli), and Shinku (Alice).

Support; Mustang (Mokou), Rangiku (Komachi), and Tachikoma (Yamame).


Also, Mokou got really lucky in the video.

[potatocubed]

I vote Magical Mary, Shinku, Apple, Tachikoma, Poppins, Rangiku.

Mostly because a) they're my favourite Touhou characters in the list and b) I love water types. Balance? What balance?

[Assassin89]

Sweepers: Magic Mary, Shinku, and Mukyue.
Support: Mustang, China-Li, and Tachikoma.

The continual damage should help, but relying on confusion will not be that helpful.

[Terraoblivion]

Okay time to choose then, based solely on personal preference and none of this silly balance or playability stuff. Except for adding Tachikoma over Rangiku i guess.

Sweepers: Mukyue, Magic Mary and Believe It!
Support: China-Li, Mustang and Tachikoma

[Jm2c]

Difficult. I'm inclined to agree on Shinku, Magic Mary, and Mukyue for sweepers, but then we'd have exclusively special sweepers. I'm worried you'd get owned by a special wall. But these three are my favourites of the bunch, hands down, so I'm finding it hard to peg one to be replaced by Apple or Myazaki. However, perhaps my support choices will help balance this.

Support-wise, I'm going to go with Tachikoma, Rangiku, and Mustang. As she impressively showed in Giovanni's gym battle, Mustang can hit pretty hard with Revenge even without being hit herself first. Tachikoma has just performed awesomely and is our primary source of Toxic. Finally, Komachi is just a personal favorite of mine.

[Penguinator]

All right, I guess I'll go for Magic Mary, Shinku, and Miyazaki. I would vote Mukyue, but I'd like to see some variety as far as Special/Physical.
For support, I'd like to see Tachikoma, Mustang, and Poppins.

[Tono]

Youmu and Meiling. I don't care about the rest.

[Deme]

Magical Mary has to be on the team. I'm not a good pokemon strategist, and I know basically nothing about Tohou, but she's your starter. You start a story with her, you finish a story with her.

[FantasyFoxMan]

Special sweepers are always a must, so my votes go for Marisa, B.Alice and F.Patchy. As for Support characters, definitely Kogasa and Yamame, two of my personal favorites. :3 And also Mokou just because.

[Penguinator]

Let's see, current voting holds Sweepers at
Magic Mary-9
Shinku-6
Mukyue-6
Miyazaki-3
Apple-1
Believe it-1

And for Support
Tachikoma-8
Mustang-7
China-Li-4
Poppins-3
Rangiku-3

Okay, now it's current. Very much wants Poppins...

[memnarch]

Eh, it looks like only Magic Mary is really secure in the position.

Unless you are talking about the 3-way tie, in which case we might have a runoff vote.

[kamikasei]

I'll vote:
- Magical Mary, Mukyue, and Miyazaki
- Tachikoma, Mustang, and China-Li.

[Mirrinus]

Wow, thanks for tallying it up, Penguinator! That makes things a little easier for me.

Let's Play Touhoumon - Chapter 9-1

The final gym leader stood defeated before me. He reluctantly handed over the Earth Badge, obviously distraught over the whole ordeal, but his dignity did not allow him to beg for mercy or ignore the rules of his position as gym leader. A loss was a loss, and he bore it with honor.

(If this is how we're starting the chapter, something tells me this last chapter won't be as humorous as our previous escapades. Lousy plotlines that need to be resolved. I blame Cerebus.)


http://i45.tinypic.com/2ahbeoo.jpg

What's this? Now that the villain has lost, he still seeks to spread strife between friends? Come on, I'm genre savvy enough to know not to trust what the villain says. Regardless, it's time I take my leave and head for my final destination: the Indigo Plateau.

It was only a short walk west of Viridian City before I ran into the very person I was just thinking about: Renko Usami. Even though we've been apart for most of this trip, it feels like we still knew a bit of what each other has gone through. And even now, when we both stood poised to enter the final area of our journey, we still greeted each other the way only close friends could do: with a battle.


http://i48.tinypic.com/1461bt.jpg

Renko has grown much stronger since we've last met, but then again, so have I. As always, she lead off with her EX Aya, but I showed her that my own forgotten character still packed a meaner punch. She retaliated with a familiar face, thinking she has the upper hand. And who could blame her? A strong Dynamic Punch coming from her EX Meiling is quite effective on poor little Apple, who could only stand there and take the beating.

Heh...psych!


http://i46.tinypic.com/9rljxg.jpg

A crushing Counter threw the punch back at double the strength, resulting in a savage one-hit KO. At this point, Renko got the message and decided not to play around anymore, unleashing her most powerful Touhoumon that I've seen: EX Sakuya. With Mind's Eye doubling her attack power and her deadly signature spellcard, Soul Sculpture, she made quick work of poor Apple. It was only by the skin of our teeth that Asakura was able to take down Sakuya in return.

The battle continued in a vicious cycle, with my being forced to switch out due to low health each time Renko used a new Touhoumon, only to take a crushing attack and be forced to switch out again when the next foe came along.


http://i47.tinypic.com/11ilfmd.jpg

It just occured to me how similar our teams really were. I suppose good friends think alike?

With that exercise completed, Renko beckoned me to continue on to the Indigo Plateau, where she was sure we'd be able to see each other again. It looked to be the perfect final challenge to close out our trip. Some vacation this turned out to be, eh?

According to Renko, the path to the Indigo Plateau was guarded by one last obstacle for aspiring champions. Entrance into the dungeon is permitted only to trainers that have proven their mettle against the regional gyms, which of course I have passed with flying colors. In excitement and trepidation, I entered the infamous Victory Road.


http://i49.tinypic.com/2zr2whx.jpg

Victory Road was an eclectic mix of both puzzles and strong trainers. The puzzles were not much of a challenge to a college student, in all honesty; why, I bet even a ten-year-old could solve them! China-Li ended up doing all the heavy lifting anyway.


http://i46.tinypic.com/aloitd.jpg

The trainers, on the other hand, were the real amazing point about the place. Now, granted they weren't as overboard level hax as the few I met on the Sevii Islands (I'll never live that down), but they still surprised me with the sheer quantity and variety of their teams. For the first time ever, I saw some marvelous EX forms of Touhoumon that really did impress me. I was almost too distracted by the eye candy to pay attention to beating them.


http://i50.tinypic.com/rwrp0n.jpg

Some of them came from other regions that I had never heard of. Some of them had badges that I had never seen (that explains how Viridian City could get away with being closed). But all had one thing in common: they were training here to challenge the most powerful trainers in the world: the Elite Four. And from the looks of it, it seems like none of them even got close to winning.


http://i47.tinypic.com/15i4w0p.jpg

Hearing them talk about the Elite Four made me realize just how little I knew about them. I didn't even know their names or anything! From the way it sounds, it seems like they're still way out of even my league. And no wonder! I have to admit, I think I've been a bit too arrogant this whole time. Here I am, a relative newcomer to this world, blasting my way through the ranks when all this time there have been people quietly honing their skills here for ages. Perhaps they're right, and I'm not ready yet. Perhaps there's still much more for me to learn and do.


http://i48.tinypic.com/zl7xc9.jpg

Admittedly, it's been fun this whole time, but now it looks like I'll have to buckle up and press my limits. Even if I can already defeat many of these trainers as I am, there are still things that I could learn from experienced veterans like them. They knew the challenge that awaited them at the Indigo Plateau, and knew that they were not yet ready to face it. Two such trainers were kind enough to tell it to me straight.


http://i46.tinypic.com/29bhov4.jpg

Despite successfully fighting my way through Victory Road, I somehow felt weaker and less confident as I left than I did when I first arrived. As I stood at the threshold of Indigo Plateau, I was hesitant to open its doors. Indeed, there was still much work to be done before I could undertake this challenge. I knew what I had to do.


http://i49.tinypic.com/2ue4t2r.jpg

Turning back, I returned to Victory Road, now more humble than ever before. For all the snark and ridicule that I've heaped on the inhabitants of this world, I still held some measure of respect for their ability to have survived in this insane environment. And now, it was time for me to partake of it with them.

"Excuse me...I was wondering if you'd be willing to help me train?"

I love Victory Road. So many cool new EX Touhoumon to see. In the interest of saving space, I probably didn't even screenshot half of the trainers I met here.

So, it looks like our sweepers are fairly set, and our supporters are almost getting there. The 3rd spot for the latter is the one that seems most in contention, but it looks like Meiling's in the lead for that position. You guys can keep voting if you'd like, I'll start by training the ones that for sure will be making it into our final team.

Also, one more question: I've still got that one Fire Blast TM. Who should get it: Marisa or Patchouli?

[Jm2c]

Pretty sweet, yes. I'd say give Fire Blast to Marisa. She seems more the kind to blast away at full power with no regard for accuracy.

Did you ever get the Old Amber from the museum in Pewter? I'm kind of curious as to what comes out of that. The fossils provide pretty good hints, but that one just says it's 'clear with a reddish tint' - if I recall correctly, exactly the same blurb as in the original.

[Mirrinus]

Did you ever get the Old Amber from the museum in Pewter? I'm kind of curious as to what comes out of that. The fossils provide pretty good hints, but that one just says it's 'clear with a reddish tint' - if I recall correctly, exactly the same blurb as in the original.

Old Amber yields Dolls, which will evolve into either Shanghai or Hourai. I included them in the vote when we got to Cinnabar Island, including their pictures.

[memnarch]

What would replace the slot for Fire Blast if it doesn't go to one character? (Marisa gets what if Patchy get Fire Blast?)

[Mirrinus]

What would replace the slot for Fire Blast if it doesn't go to one character? (Marisa gets what if Patchy get Fire Blast?)

Either Flamethrower (both can get it) or Dragon Meteo (for Marisa).

Dragon Meteo is slightly worse than Flamethrower, but it's in-theme for Marisa. Come on, she gets 3 attacks named after her actual spellcards!

[memnarch]

Give it to Patchy; I like the idea of Marisa having spell card attacks.

[Penguinator]

Okay, now the list is current.

[Terraoblivion]

I concur. Marisa should get to keep her actual spell cards.

[Randfeon]

I vote Patchouli, as Draco Meteo(r?) is too awesome of a name to be skipped.
Although, given my usual bad luck at critical times, I'd rather use Flamethrower instead (for some added 236B/Cness).

[Mirrinus]

I vote Patchouli, as Draco Meteo(r?) is too awesome of a name to be skipped.
Although, given my usual bad luck at critical times, I'd rather use Flamethrower instead (for some added 236B/Cness).

You know, I thought it was "Draco Meteor" at first too. But this is 3rd generation, and it's "Dragon Meteo", named after one of Marisa's player spellcards from Scarlet Weather Rhapsody. It's basically similar to Flamethrower, but not quite as accurate, yet gains a flinch chance instead.

I personally prefer Fire Blast for sweepers, as mathematically I believe the extra 25 base power is worth losing that 15% accuracy. Patchy could also use a 120-base special attack, anyway.

I think I'll use Black Wind in place of Morning Sun (i.e. Energy Ball), since Patchy gets STAB on that, and I the different type coverage might be worth it.

[Jm2c]

You know, I thought it was "Draco Meteor" at first too. But this is 3rd generation, and it's "Dragon Meteo", named after one of Marisa's player spellcards from Scarlet Weather Rhapsody. It's basically similar to Flamethrower, but not quite as accurate, yet gains a flinch chance instead.

I personally prefer Fire Blast for sweepers, as mathematically I believe the extra 25 base power is worth losing that 15% accuracy. Patchy could also use a 120-base special attack, anyway.


Mathematically, yes, it's worth it, if barely - Flamethrower hits for 95 base damage all the time, whereas Fire Blast hits for 120 85% of the time, resulting in a weighted average of 102 base damage a round. However, practically I'm of the firm opinion that the AI is a cheating bastard, so I prefer accuracy in order to deny it even the faintest excuse. :smalltongue:

[Mirrinus]

It's time. I'm ready.

Here's the team that will be representing us:


http://i50.tinypic.com/2w74bcy.jpg

Just a few points of interest for the upcoming battles:

* The Elite 4 each have 5 Touhoumon, with the final trainer with 6. The average level of each trainer's team will increase by about 4-5 levels for the next successive trainer.
* With our team, I'm expecting Lorelei to not be too hard, since her levels are only in the mid-80's. Also with our team, Bruno will probably just fold to awesome special sweepers like Alice and Patchy. Then again, I never really liked him anyway. After that, though, things will likely start getting scary.
* Each trainer will use at least one Final style and one Last Word style Touhoumon. Both styles have 600+ base stats (basically equivalent to lower legendaries), with the former concentrating on tanking and the latter on sweeping. The exception is Lance, who ignores tanking in favor of multiple Last Word sweepers.
* Each trainer has 2 Full Restores, I believe. I'm still playing with no in-battle items and Set battle style, but I'll be healing in between fights.
* The last trainer's team will differ depending on who you chose as your starter, of course. I think only her first character remains the same regardless of your starter, but I'm not sure. And if I may say so myself, I think choosing Marisa as your starter gives you the most epic batch of Round 2 opponents for this last battle.

All right, I think that's it. I'll begin recording soon, but it takes a while to load the videos, so I might not have them up until tomorrow. I'm excited to do this, and I hope it'll be enjoyable for you all!

[memnarch]

Patchy looks a little shaky there with a bunch of 5 PP moves.

[Elder Tsofu]

Good luck!

[Mirrinus]

Throughout this Let's Play, I've been changing the game's text and dropping hints everywhere, as shortly after I started I already had an ending in mind. It's changed a bit over time (*coughTWEWYcough*), but the core of it has remained intact. At last, it's time for the payoff where everything finally comes together. Things will be a bit different from now on, but I hope you all will enjoy the rest of this last chapter as I try my hardest to make it as epic and interesting as possible.

Let's Play Touhoumon - Chapter 9-2

So this is it. All the silliness, all the banter, all the contemplation about this world has somehow lead to this final challenge. I took a deep breath, and stepped on in past the last door separating me from the legendary Elite Four. As I entered the room, I gasped, inhaling a lungful of chilled air that nearly made me cough. However, it wasn't the temperature that made me gasp. It was the person who stood before me.

"Lorelei?" I choked out, struggling to adjust to the frosty climate.


http://i46.tinypic.com/sou39e.jpg

She greeted me with the same warm smile from before. "I had high hopes for you back when we first met, Maribel. You've truly exceeded my expectations, and saved my hometown from Team Rocket in the process. You have my utmost thanks for that."

Wow, so she was a member of the Elite Four all along? Looks like I was right to idolize her. Glancing around the room, I noticed that I was standing in an arena with ice columns surrounding us. "So...aren't we suppose to battle now, I guess?"

"There's no need for that," she replied, still showing that winning smile. "You've already passed the tests we've laid out for you to measure your abilities, and we'd like to ask you to join us. I'm sure you'll be a great part of our plan."

I couldn't believe my ears. "Awesome!" I cried. But suddenly, a little voice of suspicion in the back of my mind made me inquire a bit further. "Er, what do you mean by tests? Do you mean the eight gym badges?"

"There was that, yes, but there was also the extermination of Team Rocket, of course. Those criminals lead by Giovanni have been opposing our plan from the very beginning. Truthfully speaking, we of the Elite Four are powerful enough to have destroyed their plots on our own, but our leader wisely chose to let you handle it instead. We've marked you out as our top candidate ever since the start of your journey, and closely monitored your progress."

As she spoke she reached out for my hand, grasping it to reassure me. "You've done so well, it's only fair that I explain what you've been through. We of the Elite Four were with you each step of the way in the battle against Team Rocket. Remember Team Rocket's hideout in Celadon City? The elderly lady who contacted you afterwards and pointed you in the right direction was one of us. The members of Saffron's Fighting Dojo were also disciples of another one of our members, keeping an eye on the developments at Silph Company." She laughed a bit when she said that. "Of course, I heard they weren't very courteous with you."

"And then there was my role in the Sevii Islands. I admit, I was pretty underhanded there. I feared that you were so preoccupied with your quest for those silly gemstones that you'd ignore Team Rocket's activities, since they weren't directly related to you. So I took matters into my own hands." Lorelei flashed a playfully devious smirk as she continued. "Ever wondered how that scientist knew just where to find the sapphire, and got there right when you did? Who do you think told him where to find it, and who to sell it to?"

I admit, at this point my heart sank a little. "That was you?"

"Indeed it was. I even collected the other half of the password to Team Rocket's base, and fed it to the scientist to pass on to you. I'm pleased to say that worked out perfectly." She tilted her head down a bit while still fixing her gaze on me. I could almost swear she was going for the puppy dog look. "Will you forgive me for deceiving you?"

"Of course," I said with the slightest amount of hesitation. "I mean, everything turned out okay, right? And I suppose I'm now part of your plan, then, which is..."

"I'm glad you asked." The smile faded from her face as she put on a serious expression. "Our leader mentioned it when he first met you, but I suppose this is the first time we could it to you straight. We of the Elite Four will eradicate all those who mistreat Touhoumon."


http://i49.tinypic.com/uy06u.jpg

"Wait, what?! By 'eradicate,' you mean..."

Lorelei spoke in a tone that assured me this was no joke. "I mean to destroy, wipe out, kill. The same thing that unscrupulous so-called trainers do to Touhoumon every day. I know you've met the dredges of our society during your journey, and I hope you can come to see it our way. The Elite Four is dedicated to the welfare of all Touhoumon. All we desire is for these wonderful creatures to live in peace and safety, with the best of our race harmoniously co-existing with them. And we can't do this without you."

"H-hold on just a minute," I stuttered in reply. "I didn't sign on for any genocide here. As admirable as your goals are, I really don't think I can be any part of that. I mean, where I come from, that'd be considered murder."

"Means and methods are insignificant in the eyes of justice, dear," she said as she made some gesture with her arm. Her disappointment with me showed as her voice quivered a little. "I do hope you'll one day come to see it our way."

Suddenly, the two doors on either side of the room closed shut.

"I respect you as a trainer, Maribel, so how about a little wager? Let's have a Touhoumon battle right here. If I win, you join us."

"And if I win, you'll reconsider your plan?" I asked.

She laughed at my naive insolence. "Of course not. But you will be one step closer to leaving this place. Now, let's begin! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njqUroXHj9Q)"


http://i49.tinypic.com/2h4gto8.jpg

"You probably aren't very familiar with my Touhoumon," she said as she released her first orb. "We of the Elite Four like to use some very rare and powerful breeds."

Lorelei started off with a Cirno, or so I thought, but her Touhoumon grasped an enormous sword. Given the decor of the room as well as her starting choice, it was easy to figure out her preferential element. I lead with my own fiery tomboy. "Go, Mustang!"

"Cirno! Cut her down with Braver!"

"Not good enough! Mustang, Fujiyama Volcano! Incinerate all!"


http://i45.tinypic.com/1zdcd8p.jpg

With her energy still high, Mustang unleashed an enormous explosion that shook the whole room, even bringing down an ice column or two. Lorelei's Cirno was no match for this epic firestorm.

Lorelei wiped some sweat off her brow after recovering from the intense heat. "Looks like I underestimated you. I really should have known better, given all you've accomplished so far. Sakuya, you're next! Earthquake!"


http://i48.tinypic.com/avr41e.jpg

This I've definitely seen before from Renko, even if she does look somewhat different. I knew just how to handle the situation. "Mustang, keep up the fireworks! Fujiyama Volcano, again!"

"Of course, I didn't expect to win with just that," said Lorelei as her Sakuya and Mustang exchanged heavy blows. "The power of the attack you chose fluctuates wildly with your Touhoumon's strength. Sakuya was a necessary loss to weaken Mokou enough for me to finish off with little difficulty. Now you face one of my best: Alice!"

This version of Alice was certainly very different from my Shinku, but I knew just what she was capable of all the same. Sensing no need to fight a losing battle, a change of Touhoumon was in order here.

"Alice, show no mercy! Psychic!"

I acted just in the nick of time. "Enough of this. Mustang, return! Let's see how well our mages fare against one another. Mukyue, let's go!"

Mukyue, with her unsurpassed mystical defenses, shruggled off Alice's attack like it was nothing. I smirked at Lorelei, trying to show her that she still didn't have me beat. "Let's return the favor with Fire Blast!"


http://i47.tinypic.com/10hm1xi.jpg

Lorelei sighed as another one of her Touhoumon went down in flames. "It seems I can't hope to beat you in a direct confrontation. Then let's try something different. Sanae, it's time!"

It soon became apparent that I couldn't rely on striking hard with effective attacks against this defensive monstrosity of hers. Even Mukyue's best attacks could only just dent her. If this was Lorelei's best tank, then let's see how she stacks up against another immovable force.

"Let's just see who's the better tank. Tachikoma, wear her down with Toxic!"

"It seems the tide now favors me," Lorelei retorted. "Your little spider will succumb to the chill of Ice Beam. Surely you know that your bug cannot stand the cold?"

Tachikoma bravely weathered multiple blasts of ice, still hanging in there despite her disadvantage. "She can take it. She's handled worse. Tachikoma, Rest!"

"Then it seems we need to step up our own game. The blessings of the goddesses will strengthen us and grant us victory. Miracle Wind!"


http://i50.tinypic.com/eq9qf5.jpg

A swelling gale filled the room, raising Sanae up and invigorating her body. Lorelei smiled, believing herself to have finally trumped me. "Now, let's try this again. Ice Beam!"

The blasts of ice were larger and more forceful than ever before. Tachikoma staggered under the sheets of frost that pummeled her poor body. Silently, I prayed that she would hold on and endure, when suddenly...

"What?!" exclaimed Lorelei as Sanae collapsed onto the floor, writhing in pain.

"Looks like our strategy won this race," I calmly stated. "Tachikoma, return. You've earned your rest."

Lorelei glared at me, her expression a mix of fury and apprehension. "This may be my last Touhoumon, but I'm not backing down yet! Let's finish this, Yumemi!"

"I agree, it ends here. Shinku, let's wrap this up!"

"You're not going to defeat Yumemi with the little firecrackers you've shown so far," warned Lorelei. "She's the paradox of fire and ice, two diametric opposites, combined into one relentless force. Mana Charge, and prepare to blast apart all our opposition!"

"True, I can't beat you with the same old tactics I've used so far," I mused, "but here's a new trick for you. Shinku, douse her last flame with Surf!"


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Before Yumemi could unleash all the magical energy she had stored up, she was swept away in a surge of water, her concentration dissipating in the waves that smothered her. Lorelei could only look on in despair, dejected and beaten.

"You win. But don't think this is over. The Elite Four has still stronger trainers, and they certainly won't be as kind as I. They will make you see things our way."

The door behind her opened as if on cue, and she beckoned me forth. I walked passed her in a daze, still uneasy over what just transpired between me and my idol. As I crossed the threshold, I looked back to see her watching me, forcing herself to smile.

"But if you could do me a favor, Maribel, do try and knock some sense into your next opponent for me. Thanks."

[kamikasei]

Ngh. I daren't open the spoiler. Guess I'll have to hold off on reading this LP until I've finished TWEWY.

On the other hand, the final team looks pretty badass.

Good luck!

[Mirrinus]

Oh, don't worry. I don't spoil a single thing from TWEWY in this update, at least. The Pokemon Special manga, on the other hand...

In all honesty, my own envisioned ending for this story is not the same as TWEWY's. I just borrowed the terminology, the red pin subplot, some of the earlier jokes (like Fuschia and Cinnabar Gym), and the awesomeness of Sho Minamimoto. I'll warn you if there's anything from TWEWY that I might spoil (it might come with either Agatha or Lance, haven't decided yet).

[Jm2c]

I suppose it's too late now, but I think your supporters could really benefit from Spikes or a similar attack in there. Between Will-o-Wisp, Toxic, and Roar, you could devastate even teams that are severely overleveled in comparison to yours (such ass the level 100 one you've foreshadowed). Of course, your supporters' movesets are already very tight, so it would be hard to fit in without losing Spider Web from Tachikoma, which you've said you don't want to do.

[Assassin89]

I wonder how Agatha will turn out because I expect Bruno to be curbstomped. Also it would be an interesting thing to point out that the actions of the Elite Four have brought more harm to Touhoumon.

Edit: Also is it just me, or does that YHSanae look more like a pallet swap of Reimu? And what does YH mean anyway?

[Terraoblivion]

Let's just say that the Elite Four might hold a somewhat extreme position, even if saving all those poor touhoumon who get mistreated by their trainers is a worthy goal.

Also Lorelei looks pretty badass, i'd say. Even if i wonder what YH means as well.

[potatocubed]

I read somewhere that the YH prefix is used instead of the L prefix because Sanae doesn't have a last word spellcard in the original games. Or it might be instead of the A prefix because she doesn't appear in Marisa Fantasy or Advent Cirno. Something like that.

Where the letters YH come from, though, no idea.

[Cogwheel]

I read somewhere that the YH prefix is used instead of the L prefix because Sanae doesn't have a last word spellcard in the original games. Or it might be instead of the A prefix because she doesn't appear in Marisa Fantasy or Advent Cirno. Something like that.

Where the letters YH come from, though, no idea.

According to the video description, that'd be Youkai Hunter.

[memnarch]

Oh, don't worry. I don't spoil a single thing from TWEWY in this update, at least. The Pokemon Special manga, on the other hand...
...

I caught that by the second picture.

[Mirrinus]

This is absolutely ridiculous.

I just got totally HAX'd by Bruno. It's like he knew that I disliked him, and prayed to the Random Number God to fix the fight so that everything that could go wrong for me and right for him did. There was exactly a 1.25% chance that he could defeat my Alice with his Final Mokou, when otherwise she might have swept his entire team single-handedly. But it happened, somehow. And then it got worse from there.

You'll see what I mean as soon as I get the video ready and type up the next part of the story.

[Penguinator]

I just got totally HAX'd by Bruno. It's like he knew that I disliked him, and prayed to the Random Number God to fix the fight so that everything that could go wrong for me and right for him did.

That happens. At least this isn't a Nuzlocke.

[FantasyFoxMan]

Now I'm kinda scared to see what Bruno has in store. D:

[Cogwheel]

Let's just say he had one character who's... not exactly in keeping with the theme of his team. Gave me a lot of trouble.

[Mirrinus]

Let's Play Touhoumon - Chapter 9-3

The next room was a bare sparring arena, occupied by a musclebound maniac that looked like he desparately needed a shower. Immediately, I could tell that this was going to be an unpleasant experience.

"So, you dare reject our offer?!" the man bellowed. "Then it is my duty to crush you beneath our supreme power! You will stand with us, or grovel below us! Kneel before our might!"


http://i50.tinypic.com/fu8igx.jpg

He spat on the floor in disgust. "I am Bruno of the Elite Four! Let me make it clear to you that I've never understood what the others saw in you! To me, you are just a weak little girl who does not deserve to join our glorious revolution. And yet you still reject the honor that the others have bestowed upon you! For that, I shall punish your insolence!"

Any fear I may have felt since entering quickly changed into anger at what he was saying. I'm beginning to see just why Lorelei herself couldn't even stand this man.

"If that's how you feel about me, then let's skip the exposition and get straight to the battle," I said, letting my rage fuel my courage.

"Humph, very well! I don't profess to understand the schemes that the others go on and on about, but the one thing I do know is the power of brute force! Maribel! Let's see if you can withstand it! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0gniMMgmjI)"


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Bruno continued to shout, as he didn't seem to have much of an indoor voice. "My Hong Meiling will smash you to pieces! You who shame yourself by giving the name of China cannot hope to compare to our undefiled strength!"

I groaned a little at his over-the-top antics. This was definitely someone who needed to be taught a lesson, and I intended to humiliate him thoroughly. "Let's just see who can overwhelm who. Shinku, Mana Charge!"

I had little doubt that Bruno's team could outmatch mine in a physical confrontation, so I had little incentive to play his game. Instead, I decided to set up for a relentless sweep of his party with our sheer magical might.

"Shinku, let's get ready to lay waste everyone we come across. Ice Beam!"


http://i48.tinypic.com/1iybs7.jpg

Despite being heavily outmatched even with his superior levels, Bruno stubbornly chose to stick to his guns. He kept sending out one brute after another, only to fall prey each time to Shinku's effective and enhanced spells.


http://i45.tinypic.com/2z6saas.jpg

"Just give it up, Bruno. This little girl's got you outclassed in a different kind of brute force!"

Bruno refused to listen, still sending more of his Touhoumon to their defeat at the hands of Shinku.


http://i48.tinypic.com/vylj6x.jpg

"I do not know how to give up, for my strength shall still overcome you! Mokou, Fujiyama Volcano!"

A familiar attack greeted Shinku and I, but I wasn't afraid. After all, unlike Lorelei's, my Shinku was part water type, and shouldn't be defeated by the same fiery tactic. All we had to do was weather that one blast and-

"What?! How did you..." I staggered as Shinku collapsed after just that one blow.

Bruno grinned in triumph. "This is the kind of overwhelming power that I have dedicated my whole life to! With our sheer determination, we will land the critical blows that turn the tide of battle! Maribel, I hope you're prepared for this!"

Shocked at the loss, I recalled Shinku and silently swore to avenge her. "Mukyue, let's return the favor! Five Elements!"


http://i48.tinypic.com/97pids.jpg

Mukyue and Mokou traded blows for several rounds, each refusing to succumb to the other. Eventually, we were victorious, although not without cost.

"There's still one more for you to face, Maribel! Here's my last and most powerful Touhoumon! Youmu, annihilate your foe! Sakura Splendor!"

With a brilliant flash of cherry petals, Youmu delivered a painful slash across poor Mukyue, who was far to slow to react. I knew she had had enough, and recalled her for a well-earned rest. I still had one more magician in my arsenal, and knew just what to do to end this.

"Magical Mary! Let's finish this with Dragon Meteo!"

As Mary launched her fiery beam to incinerate Youmu, I could practically taste our victory. But just before the blast could roast its target, Youmu just vanished from its path, dashing so fast that I couldn't even see her movement.

"Wait, what? We missed?!"

"And here's the counterattack! Shadow Ball!"

Youmu's attack struck hard, but Mary managed to hang in there, injured yet still standing. Thanks to her Speed Boost, I knew we still had one more shot at this. "We're not missing this time! Mary, Dragon Meteo again!"

"Not fast enough! Youmu, Extreme Speed!"

To my horror, Bruno's Youmu moved even faster than before. Even though we began our attack first, it was like she practically teleported to Mary's side and struck her. Hard.

"No! Mary!" I cried, frantically trying to think of what to do next. The three fallen mages were vital to my strategy. China-Li couldn't do much against a half-ghost like Youmu, and the still-sleeping Tachikoma can't poison her either. All I had left was Mustang, but she had expended much of her firepower against Lorelei, and had maybe only one more shot of Fujiyama Volcano left in her. We had to make it count. "It's all up to you, Mustang!"

"I know Mokou's tricks well," Bruno retorted. "She needs tremendous stamina to use her best attack properly, and we shall deprive you of that very resource! Youmu, obliterate her with Shadow Ball!"

With the strength of Youmu's powerful blows keeping Fujiwara Volcano from reaching its peak performance, we couldn't hope to defeat her with our one remaining blast like that. We needed an alternate plan first. "Mustang, use Will-o-wisp!"


http://i49.tinypic.com/29z4heg.jpg

The blazing ghostfire encircled the half-ghost and left hideous burn scars over the physical half of her body. I wanted to cringe at the sight, but I needed to see this through.

"What do you hope to accomplish with this cowardly act?!" demanded Bruno.

"Enough to cripple your offense and buy us time! Now, Mustang, Recover!"

With Youmu's strength diminished and Mustang quickly outpacing any damage with her regeneration ability, we stood poised to take back this contest. There was no way that I was going to lose to this man. And besides, even after what we've been through, I still had fulfill Lorelei's favor.

"Let's see you dodge this. Mustang, torch up the whole place! Fujiwara Volcano!"

The firey blast from the now-healed Mustang rocked the whole room as I dove for cover behind a stone pillar. Our last-ditch attack struck Youmu dead-on, and knocked Bruno himself down on the floor. Right on cue, the door behind him opened. I did not hesitate to recall Mustang and make a run for it.

"Welcome to Gensokyo!" I shouted back as I crossed the next threshold. "Here, you'd do well not to insult any little girls!"

Yeah, the battle with him didn't go anything like I had planned it would, thanks to his Final Mokou's crazy Quick Claw (20% chance) x critical hit (6.25% chance) hax to ruin my sweeping strategy. The good thing about the whole incident was that it made for a much more exciting battle to write about. In hindsight, I think I'm fortunate that it happened the way it did, because otherwise I don't know how else I'd have made this segment more interesting. I mean, Bruno doesn't strike me as the expository type, so I didn't really want him spending the whole time developing the plot, you know?

[memnarch]

Pretty cool.

Of course, your team is looking quite beat up now. No healing to fix stuff like Sleep in between battles?

[Terraoblivion]

Hard to take a big, buff, very Japanese martial artist named Bruno seriously. Well, of course it is hard to take anybody named Bruno seriously, but this just makes it harder.

His skill at smashing your team does make it easier though.

[Mirrinus]

Pretty cool.

Of course, your team is looking quite beat up now. No healing to fix stuff like Sleep in between battles?

I'll heal before the next match, of course. I was just feeling too confident about Bruno, and, well, you know what happened.

[Assassin89]

I'll heal before the next match, of course. I was just feeling too confident about Bruno, and, well, you know what happened.

So I guess you have several full restores and elixirs/ethers in your inventory. I guess for the next battle, China will be useless as always.

[Mirrinus]

So I guess you have several full restores and elixirs/ethers in your inventory. I guess for the next battle, China will be useless as always.

You'd think that, but...

[Mirrinus]

WARNING: This segment does contain references that may spoil parts of the last chapter of The World Ends With You, particularly the master plan of the main antagonist and his motives behind it. If you don't want to spoil this good game for yourself, you've now been warned.

Let's Play Touhoumon - Chapter 9-4

The next room was another barren arena, with a thin veil of fog obscuring the air. Looking ahead, I saw the old woman who contacted me back in Celadon city. Thanks to what Lorelei told me, I wasn't surprised at all.


http://i48.tinypic.com/25heank.jpg

"I am very disappointed in you, dear child." The old crone spoke slowly, but her voice sounded like it was tempered with steel. Unlike the previous trainer, who brandished his strength loudly, this woman kept hers like a closely guarded secret.

"Lance often spoke of you as the bright star of the future. It is truly a shame that your ideals do not conform to ours. Oh, but I suppose such is to be expected when one puts their hope in the younger generation."

She stepped towards me and gestured with her cane. "You remind me of one of my former pupils. Like yourself, he showed so much potential when it came to raising and battling Touhoumon. He also believed that this world was corrupt, and needed to be cleansed. Back when the Elite Four was still little more than Lance and myself, we offered that man a chance to join us in our quest to purge this world. Yet like you, that man chose to betray us, and has chosen to pursue his own agenda against us all this time. But none of this should come as a surprise to you; after all, you've met the man yourself. His name was Giovanni."

Actually, that did come as a surprise to me. It just occurred to me that despite our many confrontations, I still had not understood just what Giovanni was after.

"My former pupil wanted to change the world just like we did, but he loathed the idea of killing even the scum of society. He broke all ties to us, and founded his own clandestine organization of whatever grunts he could scavenge. It was some time later before we discovered that he had a plan to gain control of the masses and force them to conform to his view of an ideal society. I am speaking, of course, of the red skull pins, of which even you yourself possess. The poor fool thought that if all individuality was erased, then people would obey and become good, so that our plan to eradicate them would no longer be necessary. He actually believed that slavery was preferable over death! What silly nonsense."

She laughed a coarse laugh before regaining her stern composure. "Oh, but I have been so rude to you so far, not even properly introducing myself! I am Agatha of the Elite Four. Do not be afraid of me; after all, I am far more civilized than that brute you've just had the pleasure of meeting. If you wish, go ahead and take the time to heal your Touhoumon. Call me old-fashioned, but being enemies is no excuse for being discourteous."

I obeyed her suggestion, thankful that at least she had some honor to her. I reached for the potions that I had stockpiled but never used, but I admit I was distracted while performing the task. My mind still reeling over the revelation of what Team Rocket had been doing, I could scarcely speak, but tried to anyway. "S-so, all this time you've been having me do your own dirty work?"

"Oh-ho, yes, dear child," said Agatha. "You were our prized piece in our bid to win Giovanni's little game, and you played the role wonderfully! But cheer up, child. I'm sure you wouldn't think that Giovanni's plan to enslave the world is any more virtuous than ours, correct?"

I had to pause for a moment before answering. "Maybe not, but that still doesn't justify either of your sides. And I refuse to be your pawn any longer."

"We'll see about that, dear. I will be your next opponent. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkGX-a5vR-k)"


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"Let's see how a young upstart like you measures up against a wizened veteran like myself. I'll begin with my invitation to the darkness. Come forth, Rumia!"

I've seen many forms of Rumia before, but none quite like this one. Still, if she's anything like the others, then I knew just who to handle her. "China-Li, let's do this!"

Our representative Touhoumon began their brawl by trading blows. It soon became clear that both favored defense, and neither one could overwhelm the other. However, I was confident that I had the advantage.


http://i50.tinypic.com/2ppegpe.jpg

"It seems this will be far too boring if we left this battle like this, so allow me to turn this to my favor by turning your own strength against you. Rumia, use Swagger!"

Rumia let loose a cloud of murky darkness that enveloped China-Li, strengthening her significantly, but enraging her so that she would no longer obey my commands. Agatha smirked as she commanded Rumia to go in for the kill, but I wasn't lacking in tricks of my own.

"China-Li, dispel your confusion, and use Brick Break!" Instantly, China-Li snapped out of her berserk trance and delivered a massive blow to Rumia, backed by the enhanced strength that she had been granted.

Agatha gasped in shock. "How did you..."

"Persim berries," I replied, vindicated by my victory. "Magical Mary's been picking up berries ever since I first met her, and I've got a bag full of them. They're just the thing to clear the mind and bring anyone back to their senses."

Her cunning smile returned to her face, as if acknowledging that I would be a worthy opponent. "Impressive, dear child. I won't underestimate you again. In fact, here's an opponent that I prepared just for you. Yuyuko, appear and use Amnesia."


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Agatha's Yuyuko took on an expression of emptiness, letting herself achieve a blank state of mind. "I've seen your battles with Lorelei and Bruno," said Agatha, "and I know that you rely too much on your magical sweepers. With Yuyuko's Amnesia protecting her from your magic, you cannot hope to defeat her."

Not wishing to find out if what she said was true or not, I decided not to risk it. "China-Li, let loose your Roar!"

China-Li released a mighty cry that could scare away any intruder. Even Agatha's Yuyuko could not resist the deafening warcry, leaping back into her orb and forcing a fellow comrade out instead.

"You're only delaying the inevitable, child," warned Agatha. "Kana, Hypnosis."


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With China-Li now drifting off to sleep, I quickly recalled her before Agatha could do any more damage. She had exceeded my expectations already for this match, though, so it was now time for the rest of my team to take over. "Mukyue, show her our brand of darkness! Black Wind!"

A powerful gale of magic swept through the room, blowing away much of the fog that lingered and weakened Kana substantially. Agatha gracefully accepted her loss.

"It was a worthy endeavor to seal away your only chance to erase the enhancement gained from Amnesia. But with your crutch sound asleep, how will you plan on dealing with my Yuyuko now?"

"Like this. Tachikoma, you know what to do!"

Just as she always has done, Tachikoma arrived to inflict her brand of deadly poison on our ghostly opponent. The poison didn't seem to take effect at first, but I knew from experience that its strength will intensify at the most crucial moment. I just hoped Agatha wouldn't notice until it was too late. Tachikoma was doing a great job of enduring Yuyuko's attacks, but leaving her out too long without doing anything would only make Agatha more suspicious. I needed to distract her.


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"Your earth spider is unable to injure Yuyuko with any direct attacks, is it not? My ghosts' ability to levitate will restrict your options greatly."

I reached for an orb and got ready to switch. "Perhaps you're right. Let's have a change them. Magical Mary will take over this fight!"

"Oh? You plan to try to overcome our immense defenses?" inquired Agatha, amused.

"Of course!" I bluffed. "Magical Mary, Mana Charge!"

"We won't be giving you enough time to prepare. Yuyuko, Shadow Ball!"

Mary could only trust me as I let her take the attack. Her faith did not go unrewarded, though, as after the attack Yuyuko drooped lower and lower in the air before finally collapsing to the ground.

Agatha's sarcastic displeasure seeped into her voice as she spoke. "Well played, child. Even this old teacher can appreciate a good pupil. If only you would agree to join us. Oh, how thankless the young are towards the older generation! Perhaps my Mima could persuade you."

Seeing the strange new Touhoumon before us, Mary hesitated. I, however, was undaunted by Agatha's speech and could not be deterred. "Magical Mary, show her what this pupil can do! MASTER SPARK!!!"


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With all the magical energy that Mary had built up against Yuyuko, she unleashed an enormous blast of raw energy, delivering a crushing direct hit. Her opponent didn't even stand a chance against that single attack.

"I've been an old fool all this time, thinking I could slowly savor this battle," said Agatha, shaking her head. "You've overcome so many of my defenses that I've painstakingly built over the years, and it had all been for naught. In light of this, all I can do now is unleash my own best offense. You've defeated one of my precious Yuyuko partners, but now I'll have my revenge with the other."

Agatha released another Yuyuko, but this one looked different. While the former was easy-going, this one looked serious. I beckoned for Magical Mary to return, knowing that she had expended much of her energy with her last attack, and was in no condition to remain in battle. But to my surprise, she refused to return, wanting to see this through to the bitter end.

"A-are you sure about this?" I asked, not expecting her to answer me straight. "Uh...all right then, Dragon Meteo!"

Mary delivered another solid blow, but it was not enough to down Yuyuko. Agatha still had her revenge. "Leaf Blade," she whispered. A barrage of razor-sharp leaves spread forth from Yuyuko's fan, striking Mary dead-on. I couldn't bear to let this continue any longer, and recalled her immediately.

"This ends here, Agatha!" I cried. "You may mock my mages all you'd like, but we've got more than enough firepower to defeat a senile old coot! Shinku, Ice Beam!"


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Agatha's last Touhoumon fell to the ground amidst a flurry of ice, the chill of winter smothering her ghost's cherry blossoms. Agatha only nodded her head slowly, as if nothing could phase her anymore. "Even victory is no excuse for name-calling, child. But I digress; you win this round. However, the worst is still to come. Go on, and face the strongest of the Elite Four."

As I treated Magical Mary's wounds while walking to the newly-opened corridor, Agatha still had one last thing to say to me.

"You poor, ignorant child. Do you still not know why we chose you and you alone for our plan? No matter; you will find out soon enough."

Well, so much for all the easy battles. Now it really gets difficult. From here on out, I'd consider myself lucky if I survive with just a single character left standing.

[Assassin89]

So China was useful for once, but I was expecting all of Agatha's team to be resistant to fighting. And we finally see Master Spark in action.

[Terraoblivion]

She's been useful before in this let's play and she is quite frequently not useless in doujins of various kinds.

Also what a nice old lady. Not genocidal or mean spirited or arrogant or anything! Having two Yuyukos seem like a sure way of ruining yourself, though. Think about all the food they are going to need.

[memnarch]

To be fair, the last one looks like it isn't a lazy bum who eats all day.

[Mirrinus]

Let's Play Touhoumon - Chapter 9-5

When I first began this journey, I met a red-haired young man who told me to become an exemplary trainer. Now, at the very end of this journey, with all the skills, tactics, and instincts that I've learned, how fitting it is that I would be tested by this very man. For indeed, the final member of the Elite Four was none other than he.


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"It has been a long time since we've met in Viridian Forest, Maribel. As I'm sure you've realized by now, I am Lance, the leader of the Elite Four."

Ever since Lorelei dropped the bombshell of the Elite Four's plans on me, I had been hesitant to confront them directly about it. But now, with three of their members left defeated in my wake, I felt as though I finally had the courage to ask the questions that had plagued me.

"You're the only one left, and I want answers!" I demanded. "Why am I so important to you? Couldn't you have picked any other random trainer as your promoted pawn?"

"Come on now, you're a smart girl. I'm sure you've had at least some inkling of why we chose you. Of course, for starters we know your little secret: that you aren't from this world."

That little statement stunned me; I had been careful not to tell people about that, hadn't I? But how did he know? I mean, I know there was Lt. Surge, but other than that...

"Oh, do not be concerned with your own petty mistakes. I knew before I first met you that you were from another world. But more importantly, I knew that you played a special role in this world. Would you like to know what that is?"

I nodded slowly, my gaze intent on watching his every move as he spoke.

"Music requires many things. Melody, performers, instruments...but the key element in the most divine music is a Conductor, to hold it all together. This world is very much the same. As the most powerful trainer of this world, I have held it for years, managing and delegating everything from the gyms to the Eirin Centers. Those who work closely with me refer to me as the Conductor, who will bring all under the sway of my direction. And under one Conductor, one ideal, this world will march toward bliss."

Lance gestured around as he spoke, as if instructing his own invisible orchestra. "But you of all people fall outside of my control! No, it is not solely because you are not from this world. Rather, it is because you possess power far greater than my own. As mighty as the Conductor is, in the end he still remains bound to the score written on his sheet. The one person who can change this score to remake this wretched world is the Composer. And the Composer of this world is you."

Like a key in a lock, suddenly everything clicked together. The mysterious research logs left in the ruined Scarlet Devil Mansion, the fact that this world called itself Gensokyo yet was a twisted mockery of the real realm, and my past visit to Gensokyo: it all fit together.


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"It all began with the Strange Space incident that plagued Gensokyo. When you last passed through the Hakurei Barrier, your incredible dormant reality warping powers were unleashed and quickly spiraled out of control, producing an entire world from your fevered imagination. Eventually, your wild powers were contained by a group of Gensokyo's heroes, who brought you back to your senses and sent you home with your powers sealed. However, the world that you created did not just disappear. Yukari Yakumo could not destroy it; only seal it away from Gensokyo, where it grew and mutated into what you see today. The wildlife took on the visage of the explorers who had ventured into the Strange Space, the diverse landscapes fused into a single coherent region, and the lost humans who had been trapped in here before the incident was resolved managed to create their own civilization. As the passage of time here hastened in comparison to the other worlds, all that you see before you came into being from your own creation. You are the Composer that wrote the score for this world."

Lance examined me, as if trying to discern the impact his startling revelation had on my psyche. I did my best to refrain from betraying my own tempestuous feelings.

"I know your powers have returned to their dormancy since you created this world," he continued, "yet I know you are on the brink of unlocking them again. After all, how else could you have entered this world again from your own? And now, with the Composer of this world finally before me, I humbly ask as your Conductor to remake this world for the good of Touhoumon and humanity. What kind of irresponsible creator could refuse this petition?"

Silence and stillness followed his speech. Choosing my words carefully, I paused for a long moment before finally giving my reply.

"I might be the creator of this world, but to me it looks like this world has done well enough without me for this long. Sure, it's not perfect: parental neglect and law enforcement could use a lot of work, after all, but at its core it has still held together, has it not? You call me irresponsible, but you yourself already command so much power. So are you going to make me clean up your mess, or are you going to do it yourself?"

It looked like I struck a nerve with him. Lance scowled as he dropped the subject. "It doesn't really matter, because it looks like I'll have to coerce you anyway. I'm done with talking, I have a revolution to lead. Maribel! I shall test my will against yours! Let's finish this! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcUvKvlFTJ0)"


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Fine with me. This man was all that stood between me and freedom from their oppressive plan. Whispering a prayer of courage to my team, I began with the loyal partner who has been with me since the very beginning. "Magical Mary, you can do this! Go!"

Lance looked at me and my partner with contempt. "Yes, I am quite well aware of your very first Touhoumon. What better way to show you your place against Elite Four? I'll start with Marisa as well."

He too released a Marisa, but his was very different. She sported a pair of white wings, and adopted the same expression of contempt shared by her trainer. Lance laughed and gave his command. "Marisa, Blazing Star!"

I was familiar enough with the attack, but familiarity offered little protection from the lightning-quick tackle of Lance's Marisa. She was even faster than Magical Mary at her peak. I knew we couldn't win if we played his game, so I decided to take a major gamble. "Mary, prepare for assault with Mana Charge!"

"I'm not giving you the chance!" shouted Lance. "Marisa, one more Blazing Star ought to do it!"

To be honest, I didn't know if we could take another hit like that. All I could do was watch and hope. But as the energy from the collision settled, there still stood Magical Mary, barely able to maintain her stance, but still standing proud.

"All right, now's our chance!" I cried, tears starting to well up. "MASTER SPARK!!!"


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I don't know how we managed it, but the mana-charged blast of magic combined with the damage Lance's Marisa had suffered with her repeated ramming attacks was just enough to bring down our opponent. In the fight between David and Goliath, David just barely won with a laser beam to the forehead.

Lance's shock was understandable. "Unbelievable! So this is the power of the Composer, is it? Well, as the most powerful trainer of this world, I cannot let this slide. I'll have my revenge with Yorihime!"

Lance released his next Touhoumon, another serious-looking contender with that arrogant gaze of contempt, as if goading us on to wipe that look off her face. Lance didn't seem to mind. "With your Marisa so critically weakened, we can take our time playing with you and set up for a severe pounding."

Indeed, he was right. Marisa had expended too much energy with her last attack, and couldn't pull off that same trick again. If she continued to fight, she surely wouldn't be able to win this. But if we didn't attack and switched out instead, Lance knew to use the time to strengthen one of his best Touhoumon without any interference. There was a third option...but would Mary be willing to make the sacrifice? Looking at her, panting and exhausted but still fighting to remain conscious, she looked at me and gave me a knowing glance. I knew what we had to do, however difficult it may be. "Magical Mary, Blazing Star!"


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To the surprise of all, Mary collided with Yorihime in a most explosive manner, sacrificing the last of her stamina to severely injure her opponent and prevent her from acting, while still giving me the opportunity to field my next partner. I will not let her bravery be spent in vain. "Mukyue, take it away from here!"

Seeing his prized Touhoumon on the verge of collapse, Lance quickly made a substitution of his own. "Iku, it's your show now! Thunder!"


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"We're not losing in a contest of magic!" I retorted. "Ice Beam, now!"

The back and forth volley of thunder and ice sent shards of ice crystals flying everywhere, but we proved our magical mettle as Mukyue forced her foe to succumb to the encroaching frost of defeat. Lance did not seem to take the cold particularly well. "Yorihime, get back out here!"

"Why? Can't you see she's already nearly out of health?"

"A mistake and a sacrifice can often look similar, but they produce very different results. Any revolutionairy must be prepared to make sacrifices," he sneered. "But of course, you would know all about that, wouldn't you?"

I bit my lower lip in anger, as Lance continued his assault. "Yorihime, Earthquake!"

Mukyue endured the hit, but she looked like she couldn't take much more punishment. Her counterattack defeated her opponent, but more was still to come.

"With each sacrifice, victory comes ever closer," said Lance, still maintaining his confidence. "Sasha, your foe's weak! Get her!"

With Mukyue's sluggish speed and low remaining stamina, I didn't think we could take another opponent. That is...unless a little miracle happened. "Mukyue, Ice Beam again!"


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"What?! How could that be?!" roared Lance as Sasha went down before she could even act. "That can't be right!"

"Just a little trick I picked up from one of your colleagues," I gloated. "A little burst of speed in at a timely moment. If it could work for Bruno, it could work for me."

Feeling just a little too confident now that Lance was down to his last Touhoumon while I still had five standing on my side, I continued the verbal beatdown. "What's the matter, Lance? Is this the best the Conductor of the world can do? Is your title really nothing more than that?"

Lance let his rage simmer while still keeping his composure. Obviously, he still did not consider the battle lost. "I only need this one last Touhoumon to finish you off, Maribel. Keep talking; it'll only make my final victory all the sweeter. I'll show you why I'm the greatest trainer of this world! Go, Remilia! Aeroblast!"

A piercing blast of razor-sharp wind ripped right through Mukyue before either of us could act, throwing her like a rag doll. All I could do was quickly recall her, knowing that she had no more fight left in her.

"This is the most powerful attack in our arsenal," boasted Lance. "I know your party has no defenses against it either. This will be the end for you. Now, let's see who you'll offer up next!"

His words cut to my heart, but I couldn't give up now. That would desecrate the sacrifices we've already made. "Shinku, you can do this!"

"You absolutely will not. Aeroblast!"


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With just that one command, Shinku too faced the relentless blades of winded death. That alone was too much to bear, and she too fell trembling and spent.

"What's next?" asked Lance, clearly enjoying his newfound control over the battle.

"Tachikoma, let's go!"

"A mere bug cannot weather this windstorm. Aeroblast again!"

Even the normally stalwart spider tank couldn't take too much of Remilia's incredible attack. Tachikoma tried her best, but was woefully out of her league as she was sent flying by the sheer power of the blast.

"This is too much," said Lance. "You're almost out of options, aren't you? Can even one of your Touhoumon survive my assault?"

I knew that Mustang couldn't hope to survive what even Tachikoma couldn't. But...what about the other?

"China-Li, stand strong!"

"We'll see about that. Remilia, Aeroblast!"

The blades of wind cut and slashed, but miraculously, China-Li stood her ground, almost ready to pass out yet still holding on. In hopeful joy, I cheered her on. "China-Li, quick! Recover back your health!"

"Maribel, you know well enough that you cannot hope to win if you will never even attack my Remilia," taunted Lance. "And nothing prevents me from doing this again. Aeroblast!"

The second raid proved too much to handle. China-Li dropped down, with no more energy left to remain in the fight. I was down to my very last Touhoumon, with my opponent still standing strong and healthy.

"What was the point of all that?" asked Lance. "I thought you were a better trainer than this. Is this the best the Composer of the world can do?"

"You tell me," I responded. "A mistake and a sacrifice can often look similar, but they produce very different results, or so I've heard. Mustang, make your teammates proud, and make use of their sacrifice!"

"This won't take much longer," said Lance. "Remilia, Aerobl-"

He stopped himself, suddenly realizing what was going on.

"One for Mukyue, Shinku, and Tachikoma, and two for China-Li. That makes five, doesn't it?" I finally smiled, seeing that my gambit paid off. "You only had five shots of Aeroblast, am I right?"

"You conniving witch!" he shouted, realizing that I had been leaving decoys for him all along. "We can still win this. Remilia, Poison Bomb!"

"Not this time. We're going to neuter the rest of your attacks. Mustang, Will-o-wisp!"

The vengeful fires found their mark, crippling Remilia's strength and sapping her of her stamina. Despite this, Lance was still undeterred from ordering the final advance. "This ends now! Remilia, use Overheat!"

"My thoughts exactly. Mustang, vindicate the sacrifices made by all your teammates! Revenge!"


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With one final ferocious blow that carried the courage of all our allies, Mustang clobbered her opponent and dashed Lance's remaining hope for his twisted new world order. Our victory now secure, I prepared to treat our fallen friends before leaving this dreadful place for good.

"There, Lance, I hope you've learned your lesson," I said. "You've got the power and resources to make a difference your own way, without needing me to do your dirty work for you. I just hope your next plan doesn't involve genocide."

"Oh, but Maribel, this still isn't over. There's still one more person who wishes to see you."

"What do you mean? I beat you, the most powerful trainer. What more could you possibly throw at me?"

"The most powerful trainer of this world, yes. But you know as well as I that you're not the only one who's not from this world."

For a man who had just lost his most important duel, he continued to speak as though he still had an ace up his sleeve. "Maribel, how do you think you first came into this world? Who do you think first made contact with the outside world to bring you here? And who was the first person to ever tell you about us, the Elite Four?"

I thought back, all the way back to when this whole journey first started. The first time I heard about the Elite Four...that was right after I came to Viridian City, right after I met Shinku, when I had a battle with...

My heart sank like a stone dropped into a pond.

"Yes, you realize it now, don't you? There's no way we could have known so much about you and gotten so close to you if we didn't have someone helping us this whole time. Before you can leave and return back to home to your world, there's someone you need meet, isn't there?"

"Maribel, your good friend Renko would like to have a word with you now."

Okay, some some of that backstory might not have made much sense if you haven't read my previous LP of Labyrinth of Touhou, but from the beginning I had wanted to tie the story back to it. I even had a plan for a Plus Disk story to cover the events in between, but that's currently in limbo...

I got lucky so many times in my battle with Lance, and he still nearly beat me in the end. But everyone played their role perfectly, however seemingly small and insignificant it was, and everything came together in the end to seal this victory. I truly enjoy it when the game helps write the story for me.

Fun fact: As of this battle, I have now used every single attack of every single member of my party at least once during the Elite Four challenge. Yes, even Spider Web served a purpose (Agatha is one of the few trainers in the game who DOES normally switch on her own).

Next update will be the last one. I hope it'll be satisfying to all.

[Terraoblivion]

So if i understand this correctly, you swept every Touhoumon up to Remilia, losing Magic Mary in the process. Then Remilia has an insta-kill attack that is negated by Gate Guard, but still deals heavy damage and which knocked everyone else out before Mustang could finally take her down by the power of Will-o-wisp. Would this be a correct understanding of the rules of the game?

Also Renko is apparently an utter butch who just flat-out betrayed Maribel. Good to know, i guess.

[Cogwheel]

Well played. Wasn't expecting most of that.

Also? Congratulations on your ridiculous luck against Yorihime. I didn't have much trouble against Remi (entirely different team from yours, so I didn't have to fall back on strategic genius like you did), but Yorihime completely annihilated my team about five times with items.

[Mirrinus]

So if i understand this correctly, you swept every Touhoumon up to Remilia, losing Magic Mary in the process. Then Remilia has an insta-kill attack that is negated by Gate Guard, but still deals heavy damage and which knocked everyone else out before Mustang could finally take her down by the power of Will-o-wisp. Would this be a correct understanding of the rules of the game?

Close. Aeroblast isn't a guarenteed insta-kill; it's just a 100 base power move coming from a monstrosity with STAB, 135 base attack, and 19 levels higher than me, which makes it strong enough to OHKO most of my team on its own. Meiling survived because she's got by far the best defense of my entire party, even though the attack is super-effective against her (and half my team, incidentally). Aeroblast only has 5 uses, so it was essential that I make Lance use it all up before letting Mokou out for the win.


Also? Congratulations on your ridiculous luck against Yorihime. I didn't have much trouble against Remi (entirely different team from yours, so I didn't have to fall back on strategic genius like you did), but Yorihime completely annihilated my team about five times with items.

Yeah, Bulk Up tends to do that. Best things to use against her, I believe, are Yuyuko and Kogasa. They're both immune to all of Yorihime's physical attacks, and have high enough special defense to survive Outrage, which only has 5 PP anyway, and runs off of Yorihime's weaker attack stat.

Out of curiosity, which starter did you choose? Your rival's team changes almost completely depending on who you picked, of course, so I was just wondering which team you got to face. Because as it turns out, with Marisa as my starter I get to face a certain user of Bulk Up that I personally believe to be even tougher than Yorihime. Yes, he's certainly giving me by far the most trouble out of all the opponents. And no, my usual fallback strategy of burn/toxic does NOT work on this one.

[Cogwheel]

Me? Went with Sakuya, eventually EX Sakuya. And yes, my Advent Yuyuko would have been very helpful there, and at several other points. Only she wasn't. Can't recall why, but she barely contributed.

Incidentally, my team consisted of EX Sakuya/Advent Yuyuko/Final Patchouli/EX Wriggle/Final Remilia/EX Marisa. Marisa was from Viridian forest, mind you. Had a couple others of similar level in the box, but they sat this one out.

[Assassin89]

If I could guess Renko's team, it would consist of some form of Sakuya, Aya, Patchouli, Youmu, Meiling, and Momiji. However, that would most likely apply for the first round.

[memnarch]

Aeroblast is a Flying type move right? They didn't change that?

[Rolaran]

"One for Mukyue, Shinku, and Tachikoma, and two for China-Li. That makes five, doesn't it?" I finally smiled, seeing that my gambit paid off. "You only had five shots of Aeroblast, am I right?"

Know your Touhoumon's shot limit (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIFYkFefCx4)!

[Mirrinus]

Me? Went with Sakuya, eventually EX Sakuya. And yes, my Advent Yuyuko would have been very helpful there, and at several other points. Only she wasn't. Can't recall why, but she barely contributed.

Incidentally, my team consisted of EX Sakuya/Advent Yuyuko/Final Patchouli/EX Wriggle/Final Remilia/EX Marisa. Marisa was from Viridian forest, mind you. Had a couple others of similar level in the box, but they sat this one out.

That means you faced EX Shikieiki, EX Utsuho, EX Suwako, Advent Ran, Advent Yukari, and Last Word Reimu, correct? I think I've managed to work out what your Rival's team is for each starter now, and indeed Shikieiki is the only one who's present on all 3 teams. However, Utsuho and Suwako each appear on 2 teams.

Only your Rival's starter appears on both their normal team throughout the game and in their Round 2 team, albeit in a different form.

@ Memnarch: Yes, Aeroblast is unchanged from the normal Pokemon game. The only difference is a slight buff from the fact that Rock no longer resists Flying.

[Cogwheel]

Mirrinus: I believe that was the team, yes. Nowhere near as bad as Lance, actually.

[Mirrinus]

Let's Play Touhoumon - Finale

The door opened, and out stepped my best friend, Renko Usami. My mind was racing with confused thoughts as she approached me, wondering what to ask first or how should I be responding, or even if I could still trust her right now.

"I'd like to speak to Maribel alone, Lance," she said. "Please leave us right now."

Lance stepped out without a word, leaving the two of us alone together. I wasn't going to find a better opportunity than this to get some answers.

"What's going on, Renko?" I demanded. "What are you doing here with them? Don't tell me you're going along with their plan!"

Renko shook her head earnestly, begging my permission to explain herself. "I'm sorry, I've kept so many secrets from you. But let me just say that everything I did, it was all for your sake. Please, let me explain from the very beginning. I hope you'll come to understand."

Here eyes looked brutally honest as she spoke, as if admitting the truth were causing her pain, yet she still persisted. Given how distraught she appeared to be, I decided it was worth hearing her out.

"A while before we decided to return to Gensokyo, I received a strange message from a group of scientists from this world asking for the one they called the Composer. I was in contact with them for some time, during which I learned about the true nature of this world and how it was created by you when we were last in Gensokyo. It horrified me to learn that this dreadful dimension that once nearly claimed your life still existed. Worse still, when I got to speak with the scientists of this world, I was informed of the possibility that this world could still be expanding, and eventually encroach upon its neighboring dimensions. I began to fear that this world may still be a danger to others, including us who are already tied to this place. However, the scientists told me that they had a working theory for how to reawaken the powers of the Composer and fix the potential threat. It was then that I began to make plans for us to enter this world."

"And you didn't tell me any of this?" I asked, baffled.

"Our plan was to break it to you slowly, but things soon went awry. I didn't know it at the time, but some time just before we came to this world, the Elite Four discovered the research being conducted by the scientists, and thought that they could use it in their plans. They coerced most of the scientists into helping them, and left their original lab on Cinnabar Island as nothing but a shambling ruin. I'm sure you've seen the aftermath for yourself. The Elite Four knew about the existance of the Composer, but now they had identified you and knew that you and I were coming. They tried to intercept you when we first arrived in Pallet Town, but they met me first. Claiming to be working with the people I had been in contact with, they convinced me to bring you to them, and so I did.

"Of course, it wasn't long before I had figured out their real agenda. However, I thought that I could continue to use them. They still possess all the research texts that explain the essence of this world and how you can control it. All I needed to do was convince them that I was a strong trainer willing to work with them and my best friend, and I could get close enough to find out everything that they knew. If I stuck with them, I could also keep them from laying a finger on you, letting me watch you as your silent guardian. In the end, though, I have my own plan that I want ask you to do. Please, Maribel, for your sake, you must use your powers to destroy this entire world."

"What are you saying!?" I exclaimed. If I was bewildered or surprised before, it was nothing compared to hearing those words from my best friend. "Why must I destroy this world?"

"Originally, I had thought the greatest danger was some vague concept of expanding dimensions and other mystical mumbo-jumbo, but I realize now that the biggest threat to us is the people here. You saw how you were being targetted by both Team Rocket and the Elite Four. And now that they know that you are the Composer, there are people who won't stop at anything to use and abuse you for their own purposes. The Elite Four may just be the beginning. We can't let this go on. I...I can't bear to lose you again like before."

Tears started to well up in Renko's eyes as she desperately pleaded with me. "Please, I just want to keep you safe! We don't even have to do it their way either, or continue to work with the Elite Four to harness your powers. We can just go to Gensokyo and ask Yukari for assistance if you want. Just...please, this is the only way we can erase this past mistake, and make things right again. Let's get rid of this unnatural thing that shouldn't even exist. Mari...will you do it?"

"I...I...I can't. What you're suggesting is no different from what the Elite Four want, only on an even larger scale. Maybe if you had asked the past me, I might have said yes. But now, after having spent so much time in this world, even making the many Touhoumon friends and partners that I have, I can't bring myself to agree."

I hugged Renko as I whispered to reassure her. "We can overcome whatever they throw at us, together. Trust me, we're not alone. We've got friends in Gensokyo, don't we? And we'll always have each other."

Despite my best words and intentions, Renko still didn't seem fully convinced. "Mari, I'm sorry, but I still can't let you go like this. Isn't there any way I can convince you? Maybe...we ought to settle this like how everyone else here does: with a battle. If you win, I'll trust your judgment and let you decide what to do. But if I win, we're going to Yukari to ask her to help us erase this world. How's that sound?"

"My mind's already made up," I replied, "but you're still my best friend, and I still need you to be convinced. Very well then. Let this be our final battle in this world. A fight between friends, with our ideals on the line. Let us begin. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0KV994kDC0)"


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"Do you really think you stand a chance against me, Renko?" I asked as I readied my first orb. "I mean, I did already defeat the Elite Four."

"Oh, I think I'll manage somehow," said Renko, wiping the tears from her eyes and smiling at me for the first time today. "Personally, I'd say I've discovered a knack for training Touhoumon. I think I'll start with...Miss Eiki!"

"I've seen her before, but not with you," I mused. "What other secrets have you been keeping from me? Well, time to find out. Allow me to begin with Mukyue!"

"I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by who I have with me," she teased. "Miss Eiki, let's begin with Doom Desire!"

Huh? I've never heard of that before. However, as I looked intently at Shikieiki, nothing seemed to even happen. "What was that even suppose to be, Renko? Oh, nevermind, Black Wind now!"

"Pretty good," remarked Renko, "but I'll do you one better. Miss Eiki, finish her off in one blow with Last Judgment!"

An enormous blast of light ruptured through the room, but its aim looked just a tad off. It veered to the side and narrowly missed Mukyue. "Huh," sighed Renko. "Looks like the verdict was Not Guilty. Maybe I shouldn't have bet so much on that longshot."

"Sorry, pal, but I'm not letting you off the hook for that. Mukyue, Fire Blast!"


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Our red-hot scored a direct hit, scorching Shikieiki and forcing her out of the battle. Renko looked concerned more for her Touhoumon's state than for her losing position in this battle. "Don't worry, we're far from finished. Flan-chan, this is yours to win!"

Before Mukyue and I could act, an explosion burst out of nowhere and injured Mukyue. She still managed to stand after that unexpected attack, but looked worse for wear. "What was that?" I asked. "Did Flandre do that?"

"That was just a parting present from Miss Eiki," answered Renko. "Our first turn wasn't for naught, you know."

With Mukyue now injured and Flandre looking quite menacing, I hastened to make a switch. "China-Li, you can handle this!"

"I wonder about that," said Renko. "Flan-chan, pummel her with Steel Fist!"

Flandre delivered a savage beating to our stalwart gatekeeper, who valiantly struggled to hold her ground. But even with her daunting defense, the sheer might of that Flandre wielded looked to be too much. All we could do was try our best to retaliate. "China-Li, Break Break!"


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The two combatants bravely tussled with one another, both proudly showing their strength, but in the end Flandre just barely emerged the winner. China-Li had put up a great fight, though, and all we needed was to exploit Flandre's now-weakened state. "Mukyue, let's come back and finish this!"

"I doubt she's fast enough to handle us," proclaimed Renko. "Flan-chan will snap her like a toothpick before she gets a chance. Steel Fist again!"

"We'll see about that. Mukyue, Ice Beam!"

A flash of pure frost ripped across the room like a clear-blue lightning bolt, striking Flandre dead-on before she could get close. Renko looked quite shocked at the turn of events, so I mercifully explained the matter. "Quick Claw, my friend. Gives even the slowest of us a chance."

Renko smiled back, undeterred. "It's what I should be expecting from you, my friend. All right then, let's even the playing field a bit with this oddity. Go, Mr. Rinnosuke! Take her down with Braver!"

While I was still recovering from the surprise of seeing a man on the Touhoumon battlefield for the first time ever, Rinnosuke had already closed in on Mukyue and delivered a tremendous slash with his scarlet-golden sword, putting her out of commission. Talk about unexpected. "All right, you've got me there. But we'll still handle you with Mustang! We'll start by weakening you with Will-o-wisp!"

The ghostly flames found their mark, searing Rinnosuke with its sickening blaze. However, Renko looked positively exstatic at this turn of events. "Now that's your mistake, Renko!" she shouted eagerly. "Mr. Rinnosuke will only fight harder when afflicted like this! And we're not giving you any more opportunities to surprise us with your speed! Mr. Rinnosuke, Extreme Speed!"


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"You can go ahead and have your enhanced speed and attack," I countered. "Our reprisal will only be stronger! Mustang, channel your pain and anger back at him with Revenge!"

Rinnosuke looked like a surprisingly tough individual, but was no match for the phoenix's undying flames of vengeance. Still, he left heavy marks on our team before finally succumbing, leaving Mustang with little strength left.

"My next partner should come as no surprise to you, Mari!" Renko called out. "Well, she may look a little different, but she's still the same close partner I've had all this time. Go, Miss Sakuya! Finish them off!"

A bolt of silver whizzed through the air, striking Mustang without warning. She was already nearly expended, and her time in this battle had come to an end. "It's okay, you've earned your rest. Tachikoma will take it from here!"

"What do you plan to do with that?" inquired Renko, puzzled. "You're not going to be able to poison someone like Miss Sakuya. Now, we'll take you on with Soul Sculpture!"


http://i27.tinypic.com/xnu5wi.jpg

A fierce barrage of knives appeared out of nowhere, pinning poor Tachikoma down on the ground like a bug. "We don't plan on using poison this time," I said, unphased by the predicament. "This spider's actually got more than one trick up her poofy sleeves. Tachikoma, Earthquake!"

Tremors shook the battlefield, dislodging the knives that pinned Tachikoma down while a fissure aimed straight for Sakuya, who had lost her footing. With Tachikoma back on her feet and advancing towards her prey, we had the upper hand once again. However, Renko wasn't going to give up yet. "Miss Sakuya, take her down with Hydro Cannon!"

An enormous blast of water gushed forth from the ground and pushed Tachikoma back, but only for a moment. With her legs digging into the ground, Tachikoma braced herself and let loose another mighty tremor, this time striking Sakuya dead-on. Our opponent collapsed amid the rubble, but Tachikoma herself looked completely spent as well.

"After all that, it still looks like we're evenly matched, huh?" observed Renko. "Miss Suwako, wash away the rest of that bug for me."

Suwako hopped out of her orb and blasted Tachikoma with a spray of water, finally knocking her over for good. Looking at what I had left, I realized that Magical Mary was of little use against a goddess who commanded both water and earth. Without much of a choice, I had to go with the other magician. "Shinku, show that you can match their waves with Surf!"


http://i28.tinypic.com/mcq2s3.jpg

The pounding waves of water threw Suwako for a loop, but the frog goddess soon hopped back on her feet. Renko issued her next order without missing a beat. "Miss Suwako, Body Slam!"

Suwako sprung into the air with a mighty leap and came crashing down on poor Shinku. She couldn't take another hit like that, but she could still do what she can for when her last teammate took over. "Shinku, freeze that frog with Ice Beam!"

The frost solidified over Suwako, but to our dismay it was not enough to stop her movement. Renko ordered her final assault, crushing Shinku beneath their leap as I was left with my final Touhoumon.

"Magical Mary, it's all up to you! You're our last hope, so let's make it count. Mana Charge!"

Suwako remained covered in some ice shards, but still seemed able to move. Renko, taking notice of this, played right into my plan. "All right, we ought to take it easy for now. Let's both cleanse and attack with Mishaguji-sama!"

A gushing geyser of water sprung forth from under Suwako, rinsing the ice particles off of her as the deluge struck Magical Mary. If it had been any other attack, we may have bit the dust, but Mary still injured but firm. "Should have finished us off when you had the chance!" I boldly told Renko. "Magical Mary, Dragon Meteo!"

Suwako still hadn't seemed to have gotten over her bout with Shinku, for the fiery beam scorched her enough to bring her down to her knees, unable to continue battling. Panting, we awaited Renko's last Touhoumon, and our last obstacle to victory.

"Very well done, Mari. I'm truly honored to call you my friend. I guess it comes down to the wire now, doesn't it? This is all I have left: Miss Remilia, go!"

"You've fought well, Renko. However, I can't yield my will after this entire journey, after all I've been through. And now, I hope you'll understand just how strong my will has become. Let's give it everything we've got, Magical Mary!"

"MASTER SPARK!!!"


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With one final ferocious blast, it was all over. My very first partner and I stood trembling but victorious, with the fate of this world decided.

Renko knelt down on the floor in silence. I reached over to her, extending my hand to lift her up. "It's okay, Renko," I assured her. "Let's go home."

Deep down, I knew that we'd still be returning someday. After all, we still needed to release the Touhoumon we had with us. When Renko chose Suwako's well-being over a swift victory, I knew that even when she had asked me to end this world, she still loved her own Touhoumon too. Maybe not as much as she loved me, but the feelings were indeed there. It gave me the confidence to believe that she too would one day come to enjoy this world as much as I have.

I glanced at my Touhou Orbs, where my proud partners were taking their well-earned rest. These brave beings had fought hard on my behalf, and not just these six, but everyone that I had the pleasure of working with on my journey. As I lifted Renko up and walked with her towards the final door, I whispered my gratitude to them, believing in my heart that I had made the right choice.


http://i25.tinypic.com/30if4ph.jpg

"Thank you, all of you. I'm truly glad to have met you."

THE END

[Assassin89]

Another awesome end to another let's play. I'm not sure where Kourin comes from in the game.

[potatocubed]

Congratulations!

I suspect that by now you've done so much grinding you're more or less a 'ground' type yourself, huh? :smalltongue:

[memnarch]

Nice way to tie the LP together.:smallcool:

Nice ending too.

[PhoeKun]

*claps* Very nicely done. That was a warm little moment to end on.

I'm a little short on words that don't sound hokey or stupid right now, so I'll keep this brief. Even though I never made a comment in this thread that made it past my own self-censoring and deletion, I enjoyed reading this immensely, and it's a delight to see it reach its planned conclusion. Congratulations on a job well done!

[Elder Tsofu]

Well that wraps it up.
I've enjoyed reading this thread - I've certainly have. Keep it up with your new LP (which I found in your signature only yesterday). :smallsmile:

Now just to find a day with bad weather so I can check out your old one too.

[Randfeon]

Some things I wanted to comment:
- Wow, Guts out of nowhere. Things would probably have gone a bit better if you hadn't WoW'd that FRinnosuke, I believe.
- Stupid but lovely AI, if only you hadn't gotten too greedy with Suwako's signature attack and instead had just shaken the ground, our friend here would have to tell another tale on another day.
- MASTER SPARK FINISH. I don't think I can say much besides "glorious".

And well... thanks for all this, I can say that I enjoyed it greatly. Good job mixing stories from different games and things like that too, I found it awesome even though I haven't played TWEWY yet for whatever reason... and I also like how I had just finished the RBY arc of Pokémon Special when this all started. Hahah.
Thank you once again, friend.

[Penguinator]

Very interesting. My computer doesn't have sound, so I'm only left to wonder what the battle cries sound like.

[Terraoblivion]

And we see that calling Renko a friend was indeed an understatement, which is a very fitting ending for a Touhou game. Really, it had the three things central to Touhou: Fighting, heartwarming dialog and thinly veiled lesbianism.

[Mirrinus]

Thank you everyone for following this with me for over the past two months. It's been fun writing this, and all the comments, feedback, and chitchat you've given me have made it even more worthwhile.

In the meantime, I've still got my other LP to do, but I think I might still want to take a break from writing for a little bit longer. (After all, I have plenty of writing to do with my applying to medical school right now and all.)

And then there's the Labyrinth of Touhou Special Disk, which just came out recently. I've sort of been commissioned to play through the 3.01 version with a team full of the oft-neglected characters (Reisen, Rumia, Mokou, Keine, etc.) to gather data on their main-game viability for the wiki. Yeah...it's weird. Maybe I'll record some videos of that later (3.01 does have new music, and lets me use better character art in place of the default; I'm using the SWR-style portraits for everyone).

[Terraoblivion]

Why are they often neglected? Because they are kind of awkward and not very good in Labyrinth of Touhou?

[Mirrinus]

Pretty much. Here's what the team looks like:

Reisen - low damage output on anything with decent MND, relies too much on debuffs.
Rumia - poor stat growths, kind of gimmicky.
Nitori - also somewhat low stats, but 3.01 buffed her best attack's damage formula a lot.
Iku - tricky to use, average damage output.
Orin - good in normal battles, but awkward and subpar against bosses.
Mokou - subpar damage for a heavy mage nuker compared to Patchy or Utsuho.
Keine - the very definition of average, normally joins too late.
Renko - zero damage output, best spell has heavy drawbacks.
Maribel - needs buffs to be effective.
Wriggle - completely reliant on poison for damage, which is difficult to measure, and useless on bosses that resist poison.

Rest of the party is Meiling and Minoriko, but not because they're bad characters. On the contrary, with the two of them I'm fairly confident I can clear the main game no matter who else is in the party without having to grind much.

My goal is to see how good they can be if I give them my attention, as I think some people are just put off by using them due to the stigma they have, or in some instances their late joining time. I want to see if they can be useful for other purposes, like Mokou tanking Flowing Hellfires, or Rumia as a backup healer. Maybe they'll find a niche like that.

[memnarch]

Didn't get a chance to vote on the team for the first play through and a team like this is great to see.


Still want to see you do a LP of the game you had voted on though.

[Eliirae]

I'm interested to see how the special disk works out, myself. especially an English patch >_>. Buuut I'll save that for another thread (or a PM) so this one doesn't get derailed too much. (is that even possible now that the LP is over though?)

[Mirrinus]

Topic derailment? Oh, I don't even care now, since we're done with the LP. You can talk about whatever you want now, as far as I'm concerned.

English patch for 3.01 is available already, actually.

[FantasyFoxMan]

Oh man, I missed so much over the past few days. Stupid loss of internet. xD

Well, this ending, if not this whole LP in general, deserves a standing ovation, and if I wasn't typing on my laptop at 5:30 in the morning I would give you one. (I'll do it tomorrow when I have the time) This was a great LP, and I'm glad I took the time to experience it with everyone else who read it here.

...Although, the one thing that bothers me is that I still can't seem to find myself a Mannosuke. Although I was able to get a Shinki again, so that made up for it. :D

[Mirrinus]

...Although, the one thing that bothers me is that I still can't seem to find myself a Mannosuke. Although I was able to get a Shinki again, so that made up for it. :D

Check Pattern Bush, located on the northern half of Six Island (Fortune Island).

[Eliirae]

Topic derailment? Oh, I don't even care now, since we're done with the LP. You can talk about whatever you want now, as far as I'm concerned.

English patch for 3.01 is available already, actually.

Really? I keep tabs on the labyrinth of touhou page on the wiki regularly, and haven't seen anything. Guess it's just not updated that often.

Could you PM me a place to get the 3.01 patch (is that the special disk?) and the english patch when you have the time? Moon runes are not my strong suit.

[Mirrinus]

Here's the English Patch (http://www.mediafire.com/?nozkkndjmud) for 3.01.

[Jaxen93]

Hey, i have just found this thread and was browsing through it. i found you have alternate forms of Touhou, and they do not appear in the Tou Hou Dex excel file, or in the notepad i had received. do you mind listing how to get them? it would be great to know how to get them. the Wiki is extremely out dated, and is missing some you have, such as Princess/Beach Wriggle, and others.

[Mirrinus]

To easily look up how everything evolves, I use YAPE (Yet Another Pokemon Editor), a ROM editting program that lets you look at evolution, moveset, stats, and other data. It works for all 3rd generation Pokemon games and their respective hacks, I believe.

In general, though, here are how alternate evolutions work:

If a character has a Final form, it's obtainable via Moon Stone (I think Final Alice is an exception)
If a character has a Last Word form, it's obtainable via Sun Stone
If a character has a Beach form, it's obtainable via Water Stone
All other forms (Advent, Princess Wriggle, etc.) are gained via other elemental stones. For example, Princess Wriggle uses Leaf Stone, Advent Marisa uses Thunder Stone, Advent Mokou uses Fire Stone, etc.

Those are the general rules. There might be exceptions, in which case YAPE usually answers it for me.

[FantasyFoxMan]

They have a new Wiki up, and while it's incomplete, the full Ayanote is there.

You can find it here. (http://amarilloviridian.co.cc/wiki/index.php5?title=Main_Page) I hope this helps somewhat. :smalltongue:

On a related note, I really like Neko Remelia's sprite. :3