Behind Every Monster Is a Person in a Cute Costume: Let's Play Moemon Leafgreen!

[Penguinator]

One Doduo: Acquire!
Also: Aaww... Vaporeon is cute!

And finally: SpikexChuchu or SpikexTerra? Start of shipping wars?

[Dusk Eclipse]

To be fair, at the moment, he has the second highest special attack of the whole team. I expect this to change when Azula evolves, but there you go.

is that so??...I didn't know

[Deme]

is that so??...I didn't know

The exact order for special attack is, from least to greatest:
Rya, FISTICUFFS, Azula, ChuChu, Spike, and Terra.
Terra, of course, is the queen of special attacksville.

And finally: SpikexChuchu or SpikexTerra? Start of shipping wars?

For you, it may be a start. I've considered it a possibility since her first Freud joke.

[John Cribati]

And finally: SpikexChuchu or SpikexTerra? Start of shipping wars?

FISTICUFFSxRya is my OTP.

[Penguinator]

Yes, it has been a back-of-my-mind possibility as well since Freud. But Terra got a "real moment" with Spike before ChuChu did. So... yeah.

SpikexChuChu for the win! (...what's with that look? ... yeah, maybe not...)

[Deme]

Yes, it has been a back-of-my-mind possibility as well since Freud. But Terra got a "real moment" with Spike before ChuChu did. So... yeah.

SpikexChuChu for the win! (...what's with that look? ... yeah, maybe not...)

It could happen: I haven't really planned most of the pokemon relationship subplots, so there's nothing stopping it from working out from an authorial standpoint.

[Hunter Noventa]

That was an amazing update, fun and adorable. I really love this LP.

[John Cribati]

I really have nothing to add about team re-organization, but I only ask that you Double Team (Pun intended) Celadon Gym with Azula and Pixie only.

[Mando Knight]

The exact order for special attack is, from least to greatest:
Rya, FISTICUFFS, Azula, ChuChu, Spike, and Terra.
Terra, of course, is the queen of special attacksville.

When Azula evolves, she'll take second place unless you swap out someone for Aquamarine, who just barely beats out Charizard-Azula's SpAtk. If ChuChu had a Light Ball rather than evolving, then she actually would beat out Terra even if the latter had managed to evolve again, but Light Balls are extremely rare.

[X15lm204]

That chapter...was very touching. I think I have to say it was my favorite so far.

As for the team, I don't think it needs to be reorganized so much as expanded. Since Seed has already shown that she likes to train and bond with all her pokemon, I think it would be fitting for her to train another six to the same level and then at the same rate as the current team, allowing her to mix and match to create the best team for each challenge she meets. As for who to pick, I'd say definitely Aquamarine, Phoebe, Jasmine, and Erika, as well as either Mellow (if Seed can stomach it), Leafe, or Lila, and either Pixie, Toph, or Ala.

Also, I definitely think you should give Phoebe the chance to get some screen time, and have her join Azula in facing Erika's gym. Since Pigeotto learn Wing Attack at level 27 in this generation, she can easily be quite useful.

[Deme]

That chapter...was very touching. I think I have to say it was my favorite so far.

As for the team, I don't think it needs to be reorganized so much as expanded. Since Seed has already shown that she likes to train and bond with all her pokemon, I think it would be fitting for her to train another six to the same level and then at the same rate as the current team, allowing her to mix and match to create the best team for each challenge she meets. As for who to pick, I'd say definitely Aquamarine, Phoebe, Jasmine, and Erika, as well as either Mellow (if Seed can stomach it), Leafe, or Lila, and either Pixie, Toph, or Ala.

Also, I definitely think you should give Phoebe the chance to get some screen time, and have her join Azula in facing Erika's gym. Since Pigeotto learn Wing Attack at level 27 in this generation, she can easily be quite useful.

I've been toying with this idea, thinking I could possibly bring it up when we catch a ghost in Lavender: I'd like it very much, really...The trick with the extra 6 members would be avoiding redunancy, to to help with the question of 'who to use when' is managable for me on a regular basis.

As for your second suggestion...It's tempting: I'd either take up this, or Herpestidae's suggestion, should I need a pokemon other than Azula for this gym (which, I may, if I want to control the EXP flow.). Phoebe's going to start getting screentime soon, though: Fly is just around the corner.

[X15lm204]

Seeing as you're not seriously powerleveling your pokemon and you actually have to worry about their mortality, I wouldn't think about it so much as "redundancy" as "backup". There are some tough fights coming up that you may well need an extra fighter for. Consider Koga: of your main party, only Terra can effectively fight his two Koffings and his Weezing (Spike can easily destroy the Muk), and if one of them manages to get off a Toxic (or worse, a Selfdestruct), she's going to need someone like Erika to step in for her. Rya is also your only main who has a Dark type move to take on psychics and ghosts (both a serious danger to Spike and FISTICUFFS and a significant danger to everyone else), and her Special Attack is low, so Jasmine and Aquamarine can really help her out with them.

[Deme]

Seeing as you're not seriously powerleveling your pokemon and you actually have to worry about their mortality, I wouldn't think about it so much as "redundancy" as "backup". There are some tough fights coming up that you may well need an extra fighter for. Consider Koga: of your main party, only Terra can effectively fight his two Koffings and his Weezing (Spike can easily destroy the Muk), and if one of them manages to get off a Toxic (or worse, a Selfdestruct), she's going to need someone like Erika to step in for her. Rya is also your only main who has a Dark type move to take on psychics and ghosts (both a serious danger to Spike and FISTICUFFS and a significant danger to everyone else), and her Special Attack is low, so Jasmine and Aquamarine can really help her out with them.

Actually, Spike has shadow ball now, so he'll be a potentially good anti-ghost fighter. Not to mention... Aquamarine has bite, so that's an area that she and Rya both handle if both are treated as mains.

I view all pokemon in the reserves as 'backup,' hence why they're 'in reserve,' ready to be called upon when the time come... But some of your other points for how to expand the immediate team out are good ones. I'd like to also add that, while Aquamarine is better with ice moves and, I think, Bite, she can't learn a water attack for a while, so for the moment, there's something that Rya can do better, simply because she can do it.

[Mando Knight]

Horde, you're forgetting something important about Koffing and Weezing: they have terrible SpDef compared to their Def. Terra doesn't need to be the one that takes them out, since an evolved Azula with Flamethrower or Fire Blast will deal enough damage to take them out, as could ChuChu's Thunderbolt.

All Ghost types in pre-NatDex FRLG are Ghost/Poison (and of the Gastly line), and Agatha only has Poison types, so Terra doesn't need to fear them. That, and Shadow Ball is physical in this game, which is the Gastly line's weak attack stat. The only Psychics you have to watch out for are the Abra line, which are generally taken out by a good whack with a physical move. Unfortunately, they're fast and powerful enough that Spike will generally have problems getting in a Shadow Ball before they floor him, so giving Rya Return or Earthquake (possibly Strength, if you need someone with the HM, since it's not a bad move, just weaker than Return) is your best bet against them (except for Aquamarine going all "OMNOMNOM").

[X15lm204]

Those are good points. I've been a little paranoid about making sure to always use super effective attacks to be absolutely sure that the enemy would go down in one hit since losing way too many of my friends to pokemon like Koga's unexpectedly surviving attacks I thought would kill them in one of my own Nuzlocke runs, and I really don't want to see that happen here, but I may be overestimating the danger. Well, I'd ask you at least consider it.

I did miss the implications of Spike learning Shadow Ball, though. While he should still stay far away from Sabrina's gym, that probably makes him the best candidate for taking on Agatha's Gengars (and Arbok). Someone fast or more resistant should take out the Haunter, though, as its moveset can really screw him over if if goes first and gets lucky...

Yeah, ok, I'm probably thinking way too far ahead now.

[Deme]

Those are good points. I've been a little paranoid about making sure to always use super effective attacks to be absolutely sure that the enemy would go down in one hit since losing way too many of my friends to pokemon like Koga's unexpectedly surviving attacks I thought would kill them in one of my own Nuzlocke runs, and I really don't want to see that happen here, but I may be overestimating the danger. Well, I'd ask you at least consider it.

I did miss the implications of Spike learning Shadow Ball, though. While he should still stay far away from Sabrina's gym, that probably makes him the best candidate for taking on Agatha's Gengars (and Arbok). Someone fast or more resistant should take out the Haunter, though, as its moveset can really screw him over if if goes first and gets lucky...

Yeah, ok, I'm probably thinking way too far ahead now.

Well, I think you've all said the points here as best we can. And yeah: no way he's going against Sabrina. I guess the question of whether or not Aquamarine should be on this team, or an expanded team of some sort, can be held off until she can actually learn a water attack, right? So the status quo is probably a solid move right now.

As for whether or not it's too far ahead...eh. It's useful. It says to me 'If Spike survives, we (the readers) are supposing he'll be around until the end.' That's useful: it allows me to be a lot less cautious about these matters.

Also, thanks to everyone who commented liking the last chapter. It was, without question, one of my favorite and most difficult chapters to write, and your praise is much appreciated.

[Domochevsky]

Ah, Moemon... the Tales of Ba Sing Se version, this update. I like.

[Ranielle]

Oh, best update to date. Very well done.

[banthesun]

Epic update inspires me to make a relationship chart. I can't remember much of the early chapters, so I'm probably missing a few things here.

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I would like to see the team expanded, but would feel bad about asking you to go to more work training them than you do presently.

[Deme]

That's great ^^ I was going to make a chart with basically all the other sorts of relationships (For example, I percieve there being a partial line of dominance struggles between Spike and Azula, and Azula and FISTICUFFS, though I grant it's pretty subtle once you get it on paper, but it's something I'm always thinking about how to play up), but this is, in and of itself, really cool.
My stuff gets charts made by other people. I think I'm just going to repeat that all day.

Edit: I notice how many 'hypothetical' ship lines there are around FISTICUFFS. It amuses me.

[Penguinator]

I dunno, man. Helga and some of those Grass types. Pollination in action.

[X15lm204]

Ah, Moemon... the Tales of Ba Sing Se version, this update. I like.

This left me giggling madly in the middle of a very boring lecture. There were at least thirty people staring at me like I'd grown an extra head. Made my day.

[Deme]

*sniff* Next update may take a while. Not because I think it'll be tricky (the last chapter, I should add, was a touch tricky -- the good things always are), but because I'm feeling absolutely wretched. I blame college with its germs.

I should, however, eventually get around to finishing the cast update: I've updated all the old characters, but I've not yet added the newbies.

[FantasyFoxMan]

Honestly, I don't care what happens (or how many character relationship ideas get posted in this LP thread :V), as long as the Dratini gets lots of screentime then I'm happy.


What? Dratinis make me happy. :3

[Deme]

Honestly, I don't care what happens (or how many character relationship ideas get posted in this LP thread :V), as long as the Dratini gets lots of screentime then I'm happy.


What? Dratinis make me happy. :3

I'll do what I can. I like Ala, and the Moemon Dratini design is just sooo kyuuute. I feel like I want something like that as an avatar because that is just too adorable.

[Deme]

A very short chapter this time, but I'll try and work on the next chapter over the weekend -- I want the Rocket raid to at least have its own segment. Also, I'd like to finish updating the cast before all those fights mess it up again.

Chapter 32: Ghosts

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Ok, now that I've enjoyed the city, it's time for some detective work. Where are the Rockets, what do they want...and why can't this be someone else's job?
I don't mean that I won't do it. But I do mean that someone should know, and should be doing something about it. If they aren't, it means they don't want to, or they can't... I need to know which.

Well, if I were an evil organization, I'd be set up in that big mansion where I found Aquamarine. She was locked away in a little partitioned-off area, so it stands to reason she wouldn't know.
I enter the mansion, expecting to have to fight. It doesn't happen. I move through cautiously.

I find a woman with pokemon around her.
"Hello there, do you know..."

Aah, she may be deaf. Still, if I play along, she may tell me something.

"THANK YOU, MA'AM."
Free stuff!

Tea? She also hands me a teabag, so I can brew more. I take a polite sip -- it's something with a bit of lemon zest.

"IT'S VERY GOOD, MA'AM."
...But...there's something I may have to ask.
"HAVE YOU LIVED HERE LONG, MA'AM?"
Old Lady: "Oooh...Not very, dear. And do try and speak up. Young girls shouldn't mumble."
I guess she wouldn't know about Aquamarine's people. I kind of want to find them...Maybe I'll yell at them.


I go further up, but I still don't see any Rockets. The color scheme is... also not what I expected. Blue, with lots of little plants everywhere. What sort of evil lair colors is that?


The story of what? Why are you telling me about girl gym leaders? (And I've only met one, anyway...)


"W-WHAT?"
What sort of madness is this?
He drew me? How did he see me in advance?


...Ok, they're just computer nerds. That makes sense...(No, it doesn’t). Still, I'm getting out of here. What's next?

I go back to the department store, asking people for clues.

Yeah... Sage loved them. We ordered them online -- I haven't moved them. They're all in her room, right where she left them...Just...locked away forever.
...Don't feel sad, ok, Me? They're only dolls.

On the roof, I hear two people talking as I climb the stairs.
???: "So, then, how did Young Oak turn out?"
????: "It went well, I’m told – a little cocky, but... He definately has power -- no question. He may even come seeking revenge, right up to our doorstep."
???: "Haa...Don't say that like it's a good thing. Young men like yourselves always want a new challenge -- when you're old, you'll see you're only courting disaster."
????: "Even so...That's Bruno's guess. We'll have to find a good placement for him once he's leveled out; we don't want him running around causing trouble."
???: "He could stand to cause a little trouble, off the record. I miss the days when we could smush a bug like that man without risking a war."
????: "They were always risking a war; it used to be, they just didn't care. This way fewer of the lower types get hurt: that's worth something, isn't it?"
???: "Haa. People are still getting hurt. There's no way for them not to; you're young,m but not that young. Don't play pretend."
????:"...Yeah. I'd like that not to be true...But what could you do?...Why ask me to meet here, though?"
???: "I used to live here, once, back before I knew what sort of pokemon I really loved. I left that life behind... But I think well of the city...There was another of Oak's students at Pallet, who left with Young Oak..."
They're talking about me. I recognize the man's voice: the other voice, the one that asked after me, belongs to an older woman. It sounds like she's had a hard life.
????: "I doubt she's a concern. There's nothing in the bloodline but a touch of crazy."
Hey! I rush up the stairs, nolonger holding back...
But when I open the door, they've gone. I search the horizon to see something with some sort of antenna and wings flying off... I think it's maybe a dragonite. The man with the dragonite... How dare he write me off!

But now there's no one there. I walk over and check out a vending machine.

I sit and stare at the Lemonade I bought. I guess I'm not thirsty; I'm just waiting to see if they'd come back.

Eventually a boy and his sister show up. The girl rushes around, smiling; he follows after, looking proud.
I go over and talk to him.

"Be proud of her," I advise.
In another world, this could have been me. In another world, it'd be Sage marvelling over the rooftops of this big city. I'd be rolling my eyes a little, knowing that she's the one running the show...
Why isn't it me?
Why...couldn't it have been me?


"Here. Have mine; I don't really want it."



"Oh, thank you very much!"
I take away a TM, in case I ever need it.
I guess there are no clues here.

Nothing left to check but the game corner.
Now, if I were a secret basement, where would I be hidd-...

Please tell me they did not make it this obvious. I mean, these guys aren't that stupid.

They ARE.
I'm almost too busy laughing to fight.


"YOUR KIND ARE MY MISTRESS' MOST-LOATHED FOE...YOU DO NOT DESERVE A LESSON.... BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS. PREPARE TO DODGE -- YOU CANNOT SURVIVE MY PUNCH."
The Raticate bared her fangs, and FISTICUFFS prepared her attack.

And, as promised, it went down in a single hit.

This'll be ChuChu's first battle since her evolution.
"Let's see what you've got, ChuChu!"

Beautiful. I give her a pat on the head.

"Might? I'm pretty sure it's behind that poster."

And so he runs off, exposing the poster.
"And let me see...what's behind the poster?"

Yeah. You know, it's wierd: they have a lot of different schemes, so they must be multitasking... But at the same time, they're the dumbest criminal organization ever. I mean, they basically showed me their hideout.


And yet another rabbit hole to go down. Well, best not keep them waiting.

[Rae Artemi]

Is there a reason why FISTICUFFS' text was in green?

Oh, and also, after the conversation between Lance and his Dragonite, it should say write me off, not right.


Good chapter though.

[Deme]

Because I misplaced a letter of code. All fixed.

Also, I can assure you that neither participant was a dragonite. Nice guess, though: it'd have been another way to spin that scene, if I weren't determined to get more foreshadowing for my buck.

[originalpimp]

It was pretty obviously Agatha. If there were more old women in the Pokemon universe, maybe it wouldn't be so easy to guess that. :/

[Deme]

Well, I didn't intend that guess, right or wrong (after all, I could still pull out a surprise), to be a difficult one to make -- most characters in the pokemon world have very few distinguishing traits, which they don't share with other people, so if I mention a trait, it's a pretty big clue. But our heroine's still going to be surprised, just because many things of the world as she's lived in it tend to be mysterious: in all actuality, the Elite 4, a few of the later gym leaders... These are people that the public do not know clearly, even someone who spent time researching for the amusement of an obsessed little sister. It would take real, boring work in this world to turn up names, much less faces, much less pokemon. They're the sorts of people who can and do control knowledge.

...Which, I know, makes them sound like they're an evil shadowy cabal and so on, but they're not entirely. The Pokemon League as a whole is badly set-up to get a singular alignment reading.