More Moe Is Needed: Let's Play Moemon: LeafGreen, Thread II

[Toric]

I would like to say at this point that Bruno was my favorite Elite 4 trainer. Emphasis on was. I still like the original character but man, that was just brutal.

Good job on Rya and Terra baring their teeth in their own unique ways. For what was basically "Fight four guys, then fight your neighbor" in the game story, this is proving a very thrilling section.

[billtodamax]

Just archive binged on this thread - it's so gooood. Your writing is excellent and I can't wait for the next update.

[Squiggly-Thing]

AWESOME! brunos a ****

[Deme]

Chapter 71: To the Top of Indigo Plateau, Part 2

Spoiler

Show

And so, with a heart heavy with anticipation, I advance to the next fight.


When the old lady speaks, I recognize her voice.
She was on the rooftop at Celadon. Which means... That behind the next door is the caped man who was planning to kill Bill.

"...I don't have anything specific against you, so let's make this a clean fight."

Agatha:"That's just the sort of thing I'd expect from someone like you."
Now, see, this is not a good way to keep me not having a specific reason to hate you.
"What do you mean, someone like me?"

Ok, now, it is slightly creepy for me to imagine him as young and handsome. He's sort of the guy I wish was my father, you know?

"Even if he recovers from the initial confusion of losing the gift -- and settle down, girly, he probably will -- he'll never be the same."
"Wait wait wait wait -- he had -- you can -- you can lose it?"
"It's a rare thing...I swear, kids these days don't grasp complex magics intuitively anymore."
"...Gee, sorry for disappointing you."

"I don't see the problem with that; it's pretty good."
"Please? Pokemon for study? Understanding the natural lives of pokemon, and the way bonds form between them and humans? Those are the things he designed it for, but in the end..."

"..."

"Alright...But don't think you won't get to see it, too!"




Agatha's Gengar: "Boss, this'll be a breeze. Putting up some big muscle-head..."
"Hey, don't you underestimate me; I've been getting ready for this for a long time, after all."
The first shadow ball's just an experiment, to see how much resistance they put up.

But I should have listened to Spike, and not underestimated him either.


"I won't deny that pokemon fight; that that's something they want in their hearts. But I've met pokemon who bake and cook and dream of opening museums for balls."
Agatha: "...What?"
"I don't pretend to understand it either!"


"But what I understand is that they put themselves in my charge... I can't fail their missions! I can't destroy their dreams!"
Her Gengar prepares a hypnosis attack...
"...That's because you're still young. Human dreams and pokemon dreams... When two beings are close, something's got to give!"
And the Gengar's attack misses.

From there, it doesn't matter; Spike wipes her up.

"Will you really...Be able to help fulfill all those dreams? You're one person, after all."
"...I can try. I won't just take that they're doomed for a given."

I get the sudden impression she's stalling...Or maybe she thinks that the real battle is less important than the one we, as trainers, are having.
"Oak's spoon-fed you all of this. I can hear it... Samuel... When he was a young man, he'd say such things. When I was a young girl, I'd believe him."
She says, with a bit of bitterness.

"I think I understand you, old woman... Never trust something that's betrayed you, least of all a heart, right?"
The pokemon before me and the old woman across from me both crack a dry, bitter smile.
"...How did a pokemon like you end up on her team?"
"How could I not? I couldn't live...Under a trainer who saw me only as a tool of war. Besides… The risk of idealistic dreams, the risk of success or failure… Is far more interesting than the foregone conclusions of old spite."
"My pokemon are themselves. More than for battle, they're for themselves! Because I believe that, because I respect it when it's not totally evil... That's why we have the strength..."

"The strength to beat you without breaking a sweat!"
"A teleological argument by way of tautology? Someone must get this girl a basic understanding of philosophy..."


Seeing the score, she laughs.

"You couldn't find a better student of his philosophies if you tried..."
"Hey! I really --"


I begin to walk forward, into the next room.
"Certainly, you'll believe me more if Lance beats you. Fallen idealists... We're the worst sorts of cynics."



The path to the next room is a long and winding hallway. The pause gives me time to think:
I'm really doing this. That sound is my foot on the path to the final member of the elite 4. Holy FrigHoly...


But I can also think. The caped man... The dragonmaster.
Why did he plan to murder Bill? Why is Bill still alive? What the heck is this league about?

He gives me a big congenial smile as I approach. It's very...Disarming.

"Oh, like wha --"

"Wait!"
"What?"
"...Oh, oh yes! She has something to ask you. If that's OK?"
"...Umm...Well... You have me at a disadvantage, little pokemon..."
"It's Missle!"
"Missle, then. What is it you need to ask me? We're sort of here for a fight, and --"
She jumps from the railing and gives him a pamphlet.
"'Protect the rock of the gods'?"
"Sorry! Wrong Pamphlet!"
He reads the other pamphlet.
I prepare to offer an impassioned defense for Missle's wish.
"Well...I don't see where it'd cause too many problems. When Blaine's little buddy Fuji was there, he'd've fought for it, but...Yeah. Go see Lorelei about the paperwork."
"*bark* Yay! Reach out a paw, and a path will open!"
...What.
What just happened?
Did this guy...Just do something nice for pokemon, without having to be beaten first? This...Makes no sense.
Maybe he sees my confusion, because he says this:

"And as such, I have a duty to uphold the league's policies, and to maintain order for the peoples of Kanto and Johto, and with other leaders, the world...
But your little friend's request didn't have anything to do with league policies."
"...Then why?"
"Please. I'm not Lorelei, only doing things if it says I can in the rules."

"...So you did it because nothing was stopping you?"
"Well, because it'll make pokemon happy...And nothing was stopping me."
He freezes when he notices I'm still glaring. I see right through him.

"If you care about happiness...Then what about Bill?"
"...So you heard about the debate? Well...I'm not proud of what I would have done."
"Would have?"
"It was the league's decision. A person on the verge of a breakthrough is...unstable, if they go too long. Some never get all the way through."
I remember Terra telling me about that.
"He could have said too much, and we couldn't ask him to... A month more after my second check-up... THat was all I could argue for."
I can see this guy. He thinks he's nice. He thinks he's some sort of champion. That he does his best with a heavy heart.

But he. Was willing. To kill. A guy.

He sees the look in my eyes and sighs.

"I'm glad to have two good challengers. Maybe one day, my role in this job'll be done... But understand: I take pride in the strength of the dragons that brought me to this power."
His face becomes colder, harder. He's professional now.

"They're fierce and loyal, because they see that devotion in training."
"We'll see who's shown more devotion then."






Darnitdarnitdarnitdarnit.
Darnit.
I need to switch out quick, quick, quick like a bunny.

I'd like to add that Gyrados is not a dragon. That is all.

"Not a bad show, but are you ready for what's next?"
"Yeah, pretty ready...But let's not play nice."


Oh, I've been worrying about this forever. Rya's special attack isn't...It's not...
No. Devotion. Trust.
"Rya, ice beam!"
"Yes, mistress! Please, magic candy...help me..."

"Woo-hoo! Go Rya!"
It's like a weight off my shoulders.


"Yeah. You're boned."
"Such scorn...But is an arrogant girl any better?"

That could go bad pretty quickly...

Oooh…Darn. He'll heal, then get in another shot. I can see that coming.

Exactly. But...
"You've gotten very quiet."
"...I was thinking. You really think...that a little attitude is an equal crime to murder?"

He gets ready to bring out a dragonaire. Rya's pretty beat; I'd like a turn where she's not getting pounded to heal her, or at least see...


At least see how ZuZu does.
"What did you mean, murder? I've never killed --"
"Right now, that doesn't matter! This isn't a court of law -- this is seeing which of us is the better person!"

Rats. Cue another song and dance and --

Paralysis. Darnit. Ok, we'll see what happens next.



The dragonaire uses Safeguard. I try and remember what exactly that does, and keep talking.
I then decide to go ahead anyway.
"You agreed to the order to have one of Beau's pokemon killed. So he'd toe your line and *not* help people against Team Rocket, or stand up for himself, or take out legendaries. Right?"
"..."
"You accepted the weight of Angel's life! Just because someone else did it, doesn't mean you're not responsible!"


And here it is. The big guns.
"Azula... We've come this far."
"We have, Mistress. And here... I will stand above the rest! This is the strength that was my foolish heart's desire!"

Lance and his Dragonite: "Is that...All?"
"No, that's not all...""No, that's not all..."
"Not by a long shot."

Lance: "I'll wipe that smirk off your face. I won't allow you to tarnish my name with murder!"
"Then you shouldn't have...Because I was offered a choice. A choice to kill a man who did evil -- not just was a threat, but did honest evil!
And I knew... I knew that if I even accepted the offer, if I accepted the chance...If I fully intended to kill him..."
"No one in this room has killed anyone!"
"Shut up! If I decided to kill him with all my heart, then that didn't matter! In my heart, I'd have already become a murderer. I said no...And you said yes.
And I will never forgive this league for that!"
He snaps his fingers. His Dragonite takes a breath...And fires off a Hyper Beam.


"Azula!"
"No. I can still fight. I can finish this..."
Dragonite: "With your puny little claw?"
"No. This isn't the pride of a pokemon, afraid of being thrown away. What you heard...Was my Mistress's heart.
This is for that heart... For its saftey and its happiness...
This is for my heart's truest desire!"

And with that...

They're all blown away. By the strength of my pokemon's hearts... And mine.



"..." I consider saying that it's because I was more devoted, and maybe it's so...
But, after the fight...He looks tired. Maybe he realizes the weight of his choices. Maybe he's known all along.

"You heard Azula. She was fighting for my heart -- isn't that that loyalty and fierceness you value so much?"
"..."


"...Really?" What about Beau?

Oh, I call unfair! It’s no good to yank my chain!


"Duh. Duh, Lance, Duh."
I say, in my best cynical voice. More dispassioned than I feel.

"...Not for long."
I'm somehow excited and scared at once. Excited because I'll... I'll be seeing him again. Fighting him again...And I can say what I realized in Bruno's room.
And scared, because I'm fighting him, here, for all the marbles. Someone's going to lose.

And all I can think is that someone -- maybe everyone -- is going to have their heart broken. That's what losing means now.

It could even be what winning means.

Will Seed be able to beat Beau? What was it she realized back there? Will Seed have any weapons to use against someone she doesn't have principals opposing? What am I planning to do to increase the size of a chapter that could be only one battle long?

Join us next time, for the final battle against Beau!

[Tome]

What am I planning to do to increase the size of a chapter that could be only one battle long?

All I know is that, whatever you do, it shall be awesome.

[fizzmaister]

Yet another great chapter. Reminds me that I need to fix the Unown. Time's running out, since you'll be there soon.

[Forum Explorer]

The answers to the above questions are: Yes, the fourth wall and a candy apple.

[Water_and_Wind]

I dunno the answers, but onward to the glorious final battle!

[Deme]

Well, after some slight delays... You see, I'm sick today. I hope to be feeling better in the evening, but I'm mainly concious through my willpower and tylenol only right now, and that'll put a hamper on playing/writing for a bit. I'll keep y'all posted.

[Water_and_Wind]

I hope you get better soon, your health takes precedence!

I have some goodies in store. No, not cookies, or Internets. Sorry.

[Fredaintdead]

Get well soon Deme. Just take your time and get better. As Water_and_Wind said, your health takes precedence.

[Qwertystop]

I have some goodies in store. No, not cookies, or Internets. Sorry.

No cookies, no internets...

Potatoes?
Inside joke. Ask if you want.

[Eledragon]

Inside joke. Ask if you want.

i just have to know....... what?


also, Deme, i have been lurking here for a long time and i ADORE this LP.

hope you get well soon!

[Water_and_Wind]

No cookies, no internets...

Potatoes?
Inside joke. Ask if you want.

I love potatoes, but I want to know too.

[Fredaintdead]

I love potatoes, but I want to know too.

My first guess would be that it's a reference to Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. More specifically the character known as Eduardo, who liked potatoes. Probably a longshot though.

[FantasyFoxMan]

...I like potatoes.

[Deme]

Ok, guys... Chapter will still be delayed. I'm thinking it'll be up tommorow. I kind of had a mini-crisis that, if it were not for the power of wiki answers, would have ended the LP. No, I'm not kidding. I was already planning my explanation and how I'd have re-worked the ending and EVERYTHING.

I am, I think understandably, a little shaken... So I'm gonna take a breather from the work for probably the rest of the day, since I have work to do later.

The good news is, the problem appears to be fixed without deleting all my data. Hurray!

[fizzmaister]

without deleting all my data. Hurray!

You didn't use 128k save right?

[Deme]

I didn't know I needed to until I really needed to. But yes, that is what happened.

[Water_and_Wind]

How do you convert from 64 to 128k then? I wasn't aware you could do it for a game in progress. Thank goodness it worked in your case though.

[Deme]

Delete your .sav files, then go to 'options' 'emulator' 'save type' and go from there. Your savestates should be fine.

I've actually run into an oddly specific counter-problem, in that these solutions only seem to work when I'm loading the game post-credits, but not if I start the game up again after that. The good news is, I now have a save-state on the other side of the credit-and-reload sequence, so I'll never have to worry about it again, I'm pretty sure.

[Deme]

Chapter 72: Victories and Losses

Spoiler

Show

Lance:"It happens very rarely, two people beating the Elite 4 in such close succession. I wonder...Which of you did Destiny favor? Which of you is bound to greatness...And who will plummet to the earth?"

I shrug him off and walk forward. There's only forward, and no going back.
But what I think is that... I don't believe in destiny. I can't look at my life and accept Destiny behind it. I don't care if it all turns out OK in the end -- who gave the universe the right to decide that everything'd be better if my dad was a psycho and my sister were murdered by him, huh?

Lance: "In the end...I hope you do what's right. The both of you."

That's all he says as the door closes behind me, and I look at him.

Beau, with his ridiculous hair -- I mean, I know my cut isn't great, but how much gel does he use in the mornings?
Beau, with that way of standing, like you've caught him in the middle of a cocky saunter, like he's trying to look cool.
Beau, with that little grin...

That I never want to see leave his face.
That was what I realized.

And, maybe it's just because I'm smiling to see him, but he smiles wider when he sees me come in.

"Hey, Beau." We laugh a little, a bit uneasily. Shoot.
Feelings make everything complicated. Don't think...That even though I know I want him to be happy, as happy as I can make him, forever...
Well, don't think it means I have any intention of losing to him, either!



"Of course. But you've been keeping me on my toes, so we'll just have to see who's sharper."
It's really too easy to fall into this pattern. He just gets it out of me. But...
I can enjoy this moment, too. I just have to tell him before I go... Tell him how I feel.


"Are you seriously bragging about the size of your collection *here*, where only 6 of those pokemon can help? Are you -- *snerk* -- compensating for something there, buddy?"

"H-hey! I'm being serious! I guess you just have pokedex envy! Because..."


"Should I prepare my golfclap now? I did that too. Spike alone can work average damage strength against any type..."

"Hey, Seed, can we drop the snark for five seconds? Not that I don't kind of like it."

"Y-yeah. O-ok. Let's...Let's be honest, for a minute."
...Ok. Now, I admit, I'm a little bit terrified. Or something like that. My heart's racing and it feels like I have a full insectarium taking residence inside me: butterflies in my stomache and dragonflies trembling their wings in my skin...

I rally myself to say something, but...




And he smiles at me, a big puppy-dog smile. He's the most excited guy in the world.

"...Beau...I'm here to fight that. To see if that's really true."
"Yeah, I know. I'd not respect you any other way... But you'll see that!"

I never really realized he respected me... But, I'm glad that that's what he respects me for. It's one of my better traits.

"I want you both to know I'm rooting for you!"
"You can't root for both of us."
"She's right, Ange. You can't. Because we both can't win."
"...No fair... Master Beau's my first... But... Mistress Seed's vengence made Bruno know she was the Lady when she laid it upon him..."
Most mangled quote ever, there, Angel.
"Angel... It's mutually exclusive."
"That's right."
"You've got to choose."

"NO FAIR~!"
We share a glance like a pair of parents. This will take a while.
"Tell you what..."
"Why don't you think about it for a while..."
"And tell us later who you wanted to win."
"Ok..."

We thumbs-up each other. Major battle delay averted.

"Let's...""Do this."

We both smile, then, locked eye-to-eye. Neither of us like a life without a little fight -- we've lived in each other's orbit too long for that.




"I AM PLEASED TO FIGHT YOU, IF ONLY ONE LAST TIME."

Beau's Pideot: "I...Very much admire your courage...Facing me..."
She flinches from the blow all the same, giving us a chance to make that courage count. I think we'll only get this one more before she really lays the hurt down.

"SHE WAS A GOOD FOE."
That's probably the best compliment FISTI really has in her, I suppose.
Maybe she just says it because of how far we've come. I mean, if I remember this right, that pidgey was her first real opponent. I think there's a bit of goodbye there.


"Ok, let's do this!"

Ooh...That's...Sort of a wierd one. But it throws into sharp contrast how we fight.
"I've always wondered...Why are we stuck playing by different rules?"
"I don't know... I hope it doesn't bug you too much that I've never held back."
"Nah. I hope it doesn't bug you too much that you’ve never won."

After the last fight against Lance, I've grown a little more confident in Rya's skills. I’m not worried.

Maybe Bite just sucks. But what can you do?

You know, if there are psychic-type legendaries… I might be a little worried.

But let’s take this one step at a time.



As the next round begins, an attack hits Rya through space-time. Or something.
"It's complicated magic, but as you can see the results are limited."
"Huh. I wonder how that -- wait, wait. I don't have time for lectures! Rya, attack!"


"The next one...Won't be so easy..."
"I would hope not! I don't want to just steamroll you!"


Not when a little challenge feels more...worthwhile.
Because Beau doesn't deserve to lose like a punk. What does being a rival mean? I think, that for the two of us...

It's someone who'll catch your fist every time. Someone who you can pick on without fear, because they'll always be able to take it. That's the sort of thing we are... We're always there for each other.

Whatever happens, I'll remember that!
"Let's keep going, Rya!"
"Rodger-Dodger!"
She's starting to wear a little thin. Even I can see that. Yeah, she's probably got one or two strikes left.
If Beau's smart, it'll be exremespeed again...

Yeah.
Speed, but no power...
"I'll make it count, Mistress!"
That's Rya's strength. It doesn't matter how tired...She'll fight anyway, with a big bright smile. I kind of envy her for that.

"I'm sorry about this, Mister Beau"
"N-no worries..."

So says you. I think I see some sweat.



"So there but for the grace of great spirits and gods would I be, hm?...Well. I think, in the end..."

"My mistress made the better choice."
She seems a little dissapointed that that's her part in this fight...It's a little sad that he left his team kind of anti-fire, at least from where I stand.

But to our satisfaction, we see the nerves on his face. Like me, he's come this far.
"C-cold...Well, here it is: my last shot!"
"Give it your all, Beau!"

Neither of us can stand to lose.


"Chu-Chu...It's time to end it right here."
She nods. To my surprise, she realizes how seriously I'm taking this. She giggles at my surprise.

"Don't be so sure...We're not finished yet!"


The opening move's pretty straightforward; I think maybe he was expecting me to lay groundwork, but I have the advantage, so I'm cutting to the chase here.

He's already realized his groundwork's a mistake. Neither of us are saying anything, to our pokemon or to eachother. I will Chu-Chu to keep going...And he...

He's watching me as his pokemon takes a pause. We've put weight on our gazes, and it warps the world around us until we stand alone, nothing but each-other. Like a string that holds the universe together.
And we both know that it doesn't really matter what Chu-Chu does next. What matters is what he does next. That's the choices we make.

The final moment of this fight, all his chance in the world, depends on if he heals now or not.
And I realize something, from the way his brow knits and his posture shifts. Mock-casually, he tosses his pokeball in his hand into the air, then catches it again.
He's not going to retreat. He won't heal.


And in that moment, the fight's over.

...Holy raptor santa.

I won.


"Beau...It was a good fig--"

He doesn't let me finish.



And you know what? I don't feed him that stupid line about life not being fair. He's not a child. He knows... But... We all wish it were. That's what makes it unfair.


Angel, overhead, is speechless. I don't think she ever decided who she really wanted to win.



I look at him. And I remember what I was thinking that whole fight against Bruno.
Imagining Beau in real pain, crying... That was not an image I ever wanted to have be real, ever again.



"I guess...You're really just out of my league..."

I try and wake up my mouth. I want to say that it doesn't matter who won or lost; we both fought our hardest. I want to say that I want to be friends again, and better than friends. I want to say that I am so not out of his league.
Come on, Seed, say it!

Come on, Seed, say that you love him!

... And... And in the end...



I don't say anything at all.

Oak just rushes in past everything, though I'm not entirely sure how.


I still can't say anything -- I'm still trying to say what I came here to say. And maybe they're used to it, me keeping all my monologue inside my head.
I guess even in my own story I'm a silent protagonist when it counts.


...Yeah. Yeah. I guess... I guess I am.


"...To work on the pokedex."

He puts a hand on my shoulder, and then on Beau's. I can't look either of them in the eye, but he seems to understand.


It's a wierd feeling. Kind of excited and kind of like I want to kick myself... Coming of age...
Yeah. I guess I've left a lot of childhood things behind me now.



"...Yes'sir."

My pokemon break out of their balls and into celebration, and my body joins into hugging them without my really thinking about it.

"Good work, everyone!"

The old man smiles.




He grabs me by the hand.
I wonder, if I turned now and said something, if I said so...
But I already know I can't.
I let myself get pulled away.


"I think that's already been covered, Professor."


Oak: "It's a new system, so there isn't much entered in it yet."

"As it should be."


"Professor, there's only so many times I can hear 'congratulations' in a five-minute span before it gets old."
"Well, prepare for it to get very old very soon, my girl."

I place my pokeballs in the machine and scan them in.


FISTICUFFS, my capslocked warrior...

Azula, my first and champion... The pokemon I started my journey with...

Rya, my precious little one...

Chu-Chu, my spunky sparkster...

Terra, my mysterious advisor...

And Spike, my guardian knight...


"My most precious...And loyal friends...
From the bottom of my heart, thank you."
”And from all of us, thank you right back.”



That dream of my sister's...That dream that we shared... Because of your courage, I at least...Have allowed that to come true.



And so now I head home, The Professor and Beau going on ahead.

"We aren't done yet, Mistress... But, I think it's fair to say, we can rest on our laurels for a while."

And that's exactly what we do for the next week. There's hugging and crying and my mom's first real smile in what feels like forever and a freaking TV interview. They ask me what I'll be doing next, and I answer that I'm just going to go exploring for a while. I think they wanted me to say that I'm going to DisneyLand.
I've gotten fanmail now. It's...A little unsettling. Yeah, I worked hard... But I don't feel like I really deserve fanmail. Spike got a laugh out of that, and said 'welcome to my world.' A little cheeky there.

But I don't get to see Beau again -- I think he's avoiding me now... I don't really know what I'm supposed to do there.

The least I can do is keep moving forward. We’ve got a whole lot left to do before my journey’s over.

I have a con I'm going to next week, so I think I'll be taking a little time off. Besides, this is as good a time as any for a little break...

But join us next time for the start of the final leg of Seed's journey: the post-game content, and the quest for Mewtwo.

[Eledragon]

...Well.

that was certainly...an interesting ending there.

i LOVED it.

[Water_and_Wind]

The good news is, I now have a save-state on the other side of the credit-and-reload sequence, so I'll never have to worry about it again, I'm pretty sure.

*REDACTED*

I am a slowpoke.jpg.

Congratulations on making champion!

[Qwertystop]

...I like potatoes.

The "potato" thing was a reference to Halloween a few years ago. My parents set out a bowl of candy, and another bowl with potatoes.

One kid took one, then ran back to the street yelling "I GOT A POTATO!!"

[ScionoftheVoid]

I listened to this while reading this chapter. Fantastic as always!

[Eledragon]

-image-

You won.

in other words: NEATO!!!!!

[Deme]

*REDACTED*

I am a slowpoke.jpg.

Congratulations on making champion!

*hugs and squeezes*

That may be the most awesome thing I have ever recieved.

[Dusk Eclipse]

...Damn am I the only one who was worried for Rya when she was hit with the Future Sight? It felt really close...

Cograts Deme, this chapter was even more awesome than the usual, take your break (you deserve it) and have fun in the con, we will be here waiting to read the next big adventure.


Water_and_Wind:
....:speechless: <- we totally need that emote.

[Forum Explorer]

Nice ending. I would like to suggest that you use the legendaries against Mewtwo. It could be interesting to see that showdown I have to admit I've always felt sorta bad for Beau in this story since I knew that defeating him would be easy. At least you cut out the part where Oak lectures him.