Let's Sperg Touhoumon (Screenshot LP) - Please Wait Warmly - Yet Another Pokémon Let's Sperg

[ChucklesTheJester]

A brief review of 2hu 18, now that the full release has been out for a bit and I've struggled my way to Normal 1CCs: it's trickier than 16 and 17, however much vampire Marisa might let you spam your way through everything. The cards aren't my favourite gimmick, but they're not bad either.
Without further ado, let's get back to Touhoumon.

Spoiler: Episode 12: No Longer Will I, Overpowered as I Am, Be Forced to Walk Around the World to Backtrack since I Can Now Teleport?!

We left off the last episode in the Moriya Shrine after a fairly brutal battle with Kanako, the happy merchant goddess resident in the shrine. There's still plenty to see, however, even before trying out the fancy new Superpower Glove that had MC-kun so excited.
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Heading further up the mountain past the shrine, MC-kun encounters a worshipper struggling with the formalities.
View attachment 2212631Gods are pushovers, friendo. Just battle them (and win, of course, like me) if they get on your nerves.
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He's also not the only fedora-tipper in the region.
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View attachment 2212631I bet she has some good loot.
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The ascent, meanwhile, grows ever more dramatic.
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Much like many of the tengu back in the village, this one is too lazy to do her job properly.
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This makes MC-kun start re-evaluating his stance towards Kanako. Nothing like some industrialisation to leave the ghouls behind.
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The tengu might be lazy, but the Youkai Mountain's other inhabitants are much more enthusiastic about Kanako's brand of marketing.
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The other youkai before the lake has some comments on the site itself: both the pillars and the greater region. MC-kun knew none of it, but doesn't really care either. He's still in the aftershocks of his violent Marvelgasm.
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Learning that the lake was imported isn't enough to stop him from sailing it.
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There's plenty to see: it's a massive lake, dotted with the pillars.
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There are also items to be found. This one lies just off the edge of the lake itself.
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Others, meanwhile, require bolder sailing.
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MC-kun's fear is less about the waterfall and more about the amount of cycling he'll have to do to regain the lost altitude. At least you don't have to walk down a waterfall.
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Eventually, however, he manages. There's nothing to do at Suwako's shrine for now, however.
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Passage further up towards the peak of the mountain is also blocked by boat, leaving only a grass-overgrown footpath.
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Another charm with no current use case.
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Nearby, a route deeper into the woods.
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That leads to a clearing with a lot of crates and a hut. MC-kun starts rifling through them and, sure enough, they're all packed with dumplings.
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Eventually, his pilfering catches the eye of one of the inhabitants.
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We didn't actually encounter Seiran and Ringo in the flesh in the Lunar Capital, with that absence despite them being catchable now getting an explanation.
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Seiran doesn't instantly defeat MC-kun like the other Lunarians, however, and immediately launches into battle.
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Rei'sen is fast, but she can only ineffectually chip away at ToTheMoon before being drained.
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Moon Wheat switches in to take a shot at the lesser Lunarian, but shows her weakness, getting dropped just below half HP on switch-in.
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I'm not about to let her repeat that performance, so the job instead falls to NoBadTactics, who no-sells Seiran's lightning and then effortlessly eliminates her.
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NoBadTactics sticks around for what turns into a vicious two-turn slugfest with Ringo as each survives the other's first attack despite mutual type advantages.
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NoBadTactics, however, is faster and thus strikes first to claim her victory.
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View attachment 2212631Do you know who I am?
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Seiran did a number on a Toyohime eight levels her superior, but she's still right: even the rabbits on the moon didn't permit a fight.
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View attachment 2212631I know all about that, friendo. I'm a regular in the Lunar Capital.
Leaving the bemused rabbit before she can comment, MC-kun continues to loot her camp and examine the new skills some Puppets acquired in the fight.

Spoiler: Skills

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Deplorable acquires a drain, but with her abysmal Focus Attack, I'd rather stick with Continue for healing.
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NoBadTactics, meanwhile, acquires a solid Dark move. She completes her journey to an edgy skillset by dropping Light Javelin for it: Godhotline covers that niche nicely at this point.

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The crates both contain healing dumplings, just like the ones outside.
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The same is true of the area's other storeroom, with even more crates alongside some slightly more interesting items.
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The TM is also useful, for once. Moon Wheat picks up a slightly better water attack.
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Orderly rocks block further passage by water, as they so often do, so there's little of the camp left to explore.
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View attachment 2212631Do I know you?
MC-kun decides not to mention that he caught a Ringo a good while back.
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Like Seiran before her, Ringo opens with a Rei'sen, but we've finally reached a level where there's some differentiation between them: Seiran went for speed, while Ringo goes for power.
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She makes a good test subject for NoBadTactics' new skill.
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Next up is a Defence Seiran, who has a whole lot of type weaknesses, some of which NoBadTactics covers.
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Last up is a Defence Ringo. She has a weakness to Dark and thus could easily have eaten a Dark Sphere, but I decide to give the fight to Godhotline instead. It turns out that she doesn't exactly have a great moveset for the job: she's got two Steel-type moves and both have just 60 power against a cost 90 Puppet like Ringo. She really suffers against weaker opponents.
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View attachment 2212631It was over 9 000 all along, pal.
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View attachment 2212631Not a very well-kept one.
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Both already knowing and having defeated Seiran, MC-kun decides that he's done all he can. Unfortunately, it seems that the rabbits aren't yet ready to purify the earth, nor do they want his help to do so. The cleansing of the ghouls will have to wait.
Indeed, that concludes MC-kun's business at the Moriya Shrine. One nap in Sanae's bed later and he's back to the wild slopes of Youkai Mountain proper.
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With a snap of MC-kun's fingers, the one of the two rocks blocking the path disintegrates.
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A short distance down the once-blocked path, MC-kun is stopped by a security tengu.
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In a step down from the shrine, we're back to seeing unstyled Puppets. Godhotline effortlessly cleaves through a pair of Momiji.
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View attachment 2212631Nothing personnel, kid. I just happen to believe that there is (almost) no such thing as bad tactics, only bad targets.
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View attachment 2212631No.
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It's been a while since we've encountered a Mystia, but this trainer packs three. All, unfortunately for her, are extremely vulnerable to Godhotline.
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She's in no state to care, however.
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Not everyone has the deepest motivations.
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Nor the deepest encounter design, for that matter. Moon Wheat does her best to spice things up and kills each Yamame with a different super-effective move.
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Further down the mountain is a rare sight. MC-kun wouldn't have the first idea of where to get started with danmaku, so he ignores the tengu altogether and heads on his way.
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There is a catch to be had on the road. When we first reached the descent, an NPC was looking for a Kasen, so it's probably for the best to snag the definitely-a-human-she-swears.

Spoiler: Stats

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Doesn't seem terrible, but I don't really have a use case and just grabbed her because she was mentioned as being rare.

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Food is left lying about on the path.
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But before MC-kun can return to his spelunking habits, he's accosted by a tengu.
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Godhotline slices and dices her way through a Momiji, then reminds the cost 110 Aya that her steel moves are only bad against weak Puppets.
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Leaving the honest and ethical journalist to do his thing, MC-kun enters the cave.
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To MC-kun, who barely pays attention to items, this comes as a revelation.
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Unfortunately for her, ToTheMoon cleanly counters her whole team.
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The Superpower Glove would be in tears if it were capable of comprehending MC-kun's feelings (and intentions) toward it.
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This is the sort of cave that branches. MC-kun proceeds to explore, thanking his lucky stars that the devs of this game didn't care to implement Flash.
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A rare hard-working tengu.
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It shows in the fight, too. NoBadTactics easily claws her way through a Kanako, but despite the massive level gap, Suwako buffs her evasion with her ability enough to chip away a fair bit of Godhotline's HP before a hit connects.
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Hard-working but not particularly bright.
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Some sake lies beyond.
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Down the other fork of the path is a cheapskate youkai.
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She guards (or doesn't) a hyper potion that could pay for any number of repels if sold.
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This fork terminates with a ghost and a ladder leading deeper.
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The ghost packs a half-ghost, who doesn't hold a candle up to NoBadTactics.
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MC-kun goes where he pleases.
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Aya and Hatate bash themselves uselessly against ToTheMoon with priority attacks.
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Sonic the Hedgehog he isn't.
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There's plenty to be found in the cave, annoying as it might be. 20% extra damage on super-effective moves would be no joke if being super-effective wasn't already almost a guarantee of a kill.
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MC-kun ain't afraid of no ghost.
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Especially not one which brings only a type to which NoBadTactics is immune.
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View attachment 2212631I'd take yours, obsolescent.
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Some take to a maze of twisty little passages, all alike, better than others.
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Had she explored just a little further to the north, she'd have stumbled upon an interesting novelty item. MC-kun takes it instead.
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This ghost is very cavalier about the whole situation. He doesn't even attack on sight, only after engaged in dialogue.
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Moon Wheat gets her chance to do some ghost bullying.
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Even the most singsong flattery won't get the ghost anywhere.
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This youkai's voice echoes through the caves, deafeningly.
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The Kyouko puppet is wholly unrepentant, even joining in with an echoing OHAYOU of her own.
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The spirit has no reason to be so forceful. MC-kun's body is more than big enough to share.
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Using ToTheMoon for most of the game at this point has instilled me with a strong understanding of just how fragile Nue is, even against many things she should counter. This one doesn't even have a style change or the inclination to spam a drain.
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Nearby is the Sound-type hairpin.
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There's also a ladder upward nearby. Is the cave venture nearly over or is it only getting started?
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Whatever is happening, a PLF fairy is found down a fairly linear path.
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Baka, as always, is given the honour of disposing of her imitators. After she misses and takes some chip damage, however, it's time to change to her hidden ability.
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The linear path continues and soon MC-kun escapes the caves, back to the mountain proper.
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As always, there are things to be found when interacting with random environmental objects.
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View attachment 2212631I've always wanted some recreational nukes. How much are you asking?
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View attachment 2212631Oh.
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NoBadTactics quickly shows that sometimes you can stare down a tank and win.
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A little further is the Poison-type hairpin. It also gives MC-kun a display of just how far he travelled: to either side are the cave entrance and exit.
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Presumably the PLF are afoot.
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MC-kun is no stranger to getting lost.
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However, it doesn't seem like the kind through which he can brute-force. This screen just loops endlessly, taking you back to the sign immediately if you head east. Presumably there will be a way forward later.
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MC-kun scoffs at the idea of climbing the mountain's descent.
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There are benefits of not caring that everyone wants to eat you. MC-kun catches his breath sharing some mochi with a youkai. A step or two later and the screen pans to a cutscene.
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MC-kun can't quite see what's happening, but he vaguely remembers the large doll that bumped into him a while back.
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The fairies obey.
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Meanwhile, a mysterious co-conspirator. One of the top competitors when it comes to power-level autism and one of the few survivors of the PC-98 era, it would be clear what was going on if MC-kun knew anything about 2hu.
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Medicine gives her orders as authoritatively as possible, then leaves.
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Yuuka can't resist a verbal snipe before she too makes her departure.
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As MC-kun approaches the sound of the voices, he's stopped by the fairies. No choice to battle through them; we're on the rails.
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There are more talkative youkai nearby. This one is particularly convincing.
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The reason for the noncombatants' presence quickly becomes obvious. There's a rest stop nearby.
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Inside, the travelling salesman carries no TMs, but all of the once-per-battle type resistance items.
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Some fairly inane comments can be found inside.
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Another tengu foreshadows what will probably be a future area, He looks like a crow tengu, so he's presumably lying about not having wings and simply won't take us to the castle out of youkai stubbornness. MC-kun resolves to see him exterminated once he's visited the castle in the clouds in the sky, presumably to deal with Seija.
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She's right that it's all beautifully sprited, certainly.
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With rocks blocking the use of the river as a shortcut, it's eastbound and up towards the abandoned village of Mayohiga.
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The area's theme is a slow and sombre arrangement of the 2hu 7 stage 2 theme, as might be expected.
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MC-kun quickly stumbles onto a confrontation.
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The two notice and CHEEEEEEEEEN takes the opportunity to make the village someone else's problem.
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The fairy isn't pleased, but MC-kun is feeling his fiery Boston blood boiling with pugnacity regardless.
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ToTheMoon drains Tokiko and Mystia alike.
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Chen doesn't interest MC-kun overmuch, so he continues wandering around the village. It's overrun with cats, presumably why the fairies think it belongs to her.
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There are things to be found in the dilapidated houses.
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A Chen to be found in the cupboard to, which I screencapped to showcase the indoors battle background.
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A severely-outmatched Kogasa gets drained.
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View attachment 2212631I can't help feeling peckish. What's a man to do? I only packed a small amount of food for a normal person.
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There are goodies to be stolen.
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As well as a surprising encounter; I was convinced until this that the area's whole encounter table was Chen. Ran gets caught, but there's no current use case for her.

Spoiler: Stats

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Poor IVs and a typing that largely overlaps with what we already have. It's nice to get another cost 120, but she won't be all that useful.

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As luck would have it, I encountered Ran on that very tile, just below a hyper potion.
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Another abandoned house houses a rare priority -6 move. It doesn't seem all that useful for now, but could presumably wreak havoc against some delicately-tuned compositions.
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The local fairies are very good at keeping secrets.
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ToTheMoon proves an admirable fairy exterminator.
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MC-kun hasn't seen any signs of building so far. They might have their lair destroyed before they've even started - probably before they've even resolved their property rights dispute.
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It's time for a fight with a sunflower fairy.
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We see a bit more variety this time, as NoBadTactics and Godhotline score their one-hits.
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For once, the NPC calling for retreat or disappearance actually does it.
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Far out in the tall grass, a symbol of faith. With that found, all that seemingly remains is to talk to Chen.
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Apparently Chen was warned of MC-kun's coming.
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A brief tutorial later and we have this game's Fly.
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Apparently even an AI is capable of being sarcastic in the face of MC-kun's silence.
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Inside, Chen has some cats, but no new dialogue.
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After all this time, we finally have access to a map, complete with access to metaphysical areas. This should speed things up considerably.
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Using the map has about the animation you'd expect, if you're at all familiar with the gaphag.
With an important milestone reached and the world opening up more than ever before as well as this update approaching 300 images, we'll cut this short here.

Edit: Forgot a LN title.

That a really cool way to incorporate a touhou style teleport.

 

[Penne Dreadful]

This has been delayed by technical difficulties; First I managed to catch myself off-guard updating Wine and had to roll back to a release where the game actually worked, then when it came time to write this up, my ISP decided that it'd be a great time to kill my upload speeds to unusable levels for no discernible reason, not great for an image-heavy format. Whining aside, at least the latter, much longer-lasting issue, didn't detract from actually playing the game.

On an unrelated note, since it's generally safe to assume that I always one-hit, I've taken to showing more of attacks rather than just the super-effective text after the HP reduction.

Spoiler: Episode 12.5: With Just a Snap of My Fingers, Rocks Crumble to Dust and the World Opens Up to Me?!

Apparently, the fairies guarding this pathway have fled now that the abandoned town has fallen. However, if I've learned one thing from this game, it's that it's a good idea to take a look at the side zones the instant they become unlocked, so as not to be even more comically overlevelled. With the Gap Map, at least, that's no longer much of a slog.

After a quick stop off at Kourindou (with no new stock that I notice) to sell off some junk, MC-kun begins going through the places where I remember being stopped by rocks in the past.

The first find is a novelty TM, hidden on the path to the Misty Lake.

Near the lake is a larger blocked path. After snapping it away, MC-kun proceeds. Running into a level 27 encounter in the blue grass just past them, he realises that this is, unbelievably, a lower-level zone than the Moriya Shrine, where he got the glove.

What follows doesn't differ all that much from the last episode: a broken old building. With a creak of the door, MC-kun enters.

The inside is far more grandiose than anything in the abandoned village.

Following his usual strategies, MC-kun walks through the first door he finds. He has an uneasy feeling as he enters the room, but still heads for the bed - even just teleporting everywhere through gaps is tiring at his level of fitness. How shocking, then, that he can't get any rest.

Before chatting with the apparition, MC-kun pauses to rifle through her dustbin.

No.



With that, it's straight into a fight with the poltergeist trumpeter.

Unfortunately, her whole team is critically weak to Wind, which Moon Wheat is more than ready to exploit.

There's no extra dialogue for leaving and re-entering the room. Perhaps it's for later in the game.

Another room on the ground floor exhibits both poltergeist activity and a Rare Candy in the bin. Leaving and returning reveals the source of the former.

Don't give up your day job, friendo.

Have you ever tried talking with a wastleland ghoul? Have you been accosted by one on Twitter?

Apparently Lunasa isn't quite as impressed with MC-kun as he is with himself.

Here we see the addition of style changes spicing things up a little. Power Merlin was a member of Merlin's team too and quickly falls to ToTheMoon.

Speed Lyrica, meanwhile, immediately lands a super-effective hit on ToTheMoon. Unfortunately for her, Charge Thief is a draining move.

Defence Lunasa is a change from the last fight, but doesn't get to show off any tricks of her own, as ToTheMoon reclaims her missing 7 HP.

Lunasa is as gracious in defeat as MC-kun isn't in victory, as he immediately starts spamming celebratory Tweets, many with clips of Ghostbusters 2016, one of his favourite classic movies, embedded.

With the ground floor fully explored, it's time to head upstairs. Strangely enough, the first floor seems larger than the one below it.

It's Superpower, in a type for which MC-kun has zero coverage. What's more, NoBadTactics can learn it. The only problem is that all four of her moves provide useful type coverage. Since forgetting a move has pretty much no consequences, Earth-coverage is left to Moon Wheat for now and NoBadTactics forgets one of her STAB moves for more edge case coverage.

Nothing spooky happens in the piano room.

However, a plate flings itself from the table as MC-kun enters this large room.

Psssh, of course not.
In a twist that might not surprise you, it's the third of the Prismriver sisters.


Gallantly refusing to exploit the 4x weakness to and STAB from Wind, Moon Wheat instead takes two turns to chip down a Defence Lunasa. The fights deserve some variety.

She's not so kind to Merlin.

Rather than just repeating the feat, she lets Godhotline close out the fight, taking only chip damage from the move that had previously hurt ToTheMoon quite substantially, before hitting back with her impotent laser.


All three sisters defeated, MC-kun returns to the piano room, where a picture floating in the air draws his attention. He takes a look before putting it down, entirely unstirred. It's gone once he leaves.

Left on the ground where it was, however, is something that moves MC-kun's heart: doubled loot. Given that all money in this game comes from vendor trash, he eagerly hands the amulet to Baka - she's overpowered enough not to need her cheat item at this stage.
That was all I could find after wandering the mansion for a while, so after that it's off to the next previously-locked spot.

Marisa still isn't home, but she's not why MC-kun was in the area. Instead, there are rocks to snap away in the southwestern forest.

It's a striking area that he reaches, overgrown with spider lilies. As you might expect, they act as tall grass.

I miss this ghost's pre-battle dialogue for screencap purposes. All he says is "I see a fire in your eyes...".

Against a striking background, we drop back below level 30 and face an unstyled Puppet. NoBadTactics eats a super-effective priority move, but barely notices.

As the ghost elaborates on his pre-fight words.

Across the river is an interesting TM. Deplorable can learn it and, with her burn chipping routine, would be able to make decent use of it, but I don't think it beats the utility of her current only attacking move getting rid of an item.

A rather lost fairy quickly lightens the tone.

Two Nazrins eat a 2x and 4x weakness respectively.

You should see this skill card I found.

The interesting things don't stop. Blow from Calamity is Baka's big laser and it's only okay if you can't give yourself a status.

It's a lucrative area, which makes sense given how far from the critical path it seems to be.

A sunflower fairy apparently prefers browns and yellows to reds.

The Watatsuki sisters collaborate to bring down a pair of Medicine.

And the fairy offers excuses.

There's an empty house to be found. MC-kun doesn't pass up on a chance to drink the alcohol that he finds.

A little further past the house, the smell of spider lilies becomes ever more overwhelming, with just a tint of cherry blossom to temper them.

Discarded possessions are simply strewn about in the open.


There are a bunch of Godstones to be found. Each increases the duration of a weather type.

There are also Puppets of humans to be found. Maribel Hearn is a normal university student who has absolutely no connection to any youkai with a similar appearance, powerset and name in common with Lafcadio Hearn (known later in life as Koizumi Yakumo). Renko, meanwhile, is her friend (and possibly the descendant of the similarly-dressed Sumireko currently roaming the clothing shop - the flow of time is convoluted in Gensokyo).

Spoiler: Stats

The two are very similar, although Renko has some decent IVs. I caught them for a novelty; humans are pretty bad here, although there might be some gimmicks with Shedinja Akyuu and Extra Kosuzu (neither of whom was caught here).

The TM for Protect can be found near the tree that dominates the area.

Amidst the forest of cherry blossoms, MC-kun has no clue how to proceed. He doesn't teleport away just yet, however. The Road of Reconsideration appeared to have a bottom loop and so he moves to explore that.

He's accosted by a fairy within a sea of lilies.

She uses a rare unstyled level 31, but it's to no effect.

MC-kun, not having realised his relationship with Reimu, Marisa and Sanae, has finally acquired a rival.

It looked as if there were nothing, but invisible items still obstruct pathing and so MC-kun stumbled onto a ruby pin hidden amongst the lillies. I think that's some thematic placement of what is a very mundane item.

There doesn't seem to be anything else to see in the sea of flowers.

Aside, that is, from a ghost asking if he's headed towards the place from which he's approaching.

NoBadTactics has little patience for Komachi.

A note on the fluff of the area - Muenzuka (translating as the Mound of the Nameless) is where the souls of the dead who don't have any relatives collect. This ghost will be waiting a long time.
After that, the loop in the path closes and all that's left is to gap away.

It's a region from the very start of the game, always tantalisingly inaccessible.

The surge of Marvel euphoria never really recedes.

And with that, it's a new route. Long dangled in front of MC-kun, it's now his to explore.

The first encounter of the route misjudges MC-kun's age. He's no spring chicken.

NoBadTactics swiftly gets a chance to try out her new skill. A 120 power move at 4x effectiveness is a sight to behold.

You've got that right, friendo. Let the Sega obsolescents go fast.

The next fight is with a youkai who makes her tastes extremely clear.

Immunity to Poison makes Godhotline seem like a good choice, but unfortunately Assist Hina has other tricks up her sleeve.

Things come to a close after that, however. Assist Hina gets one-shot, while Defence Hina gets in a chip after an attack misses before falling.

Spin those troubles away.



I imagine this whole exchange would be a lot more entertaining with a Jigsaw-like inflection

Another shrine at which to make an offering with a tip of MC-kun's fedora.

There are things to be found off the beaten path.

While the main road tires MC-kun out heading uphill until it hits a river. He soon finds himself in a fight with one of the two-mouthed youkai.

Parsee does what she can, and does it with the benefit of a style change, but she's no match for NoBadTactics.

MC-kun isn't setting his own plate at this cookout.

These two don't even want to fight, just to sing. MC-kun fancies himself a keen rapper, but they don't seem to approve.

As always, under the occasional rock it's possible to find a Hyper Potion.

A youkai guards the cave entrance, MC-kun fancies himself strong.

Chiyuri spams multi-hits and lands a total of nine hits, one of which was a crit, on ToTheMoon before retaliation can arrive.

At which point, all it takes is one.

With all that said, this strikes me as seemingly suspiciously like the critical path, especially after being warned that the Satori fight might be enjoyable, so it's off elsewhere to explore.

One spot immediately suggests itself: another breakable rock later on Route 1, equally taunting.

It leads to what the game tells me is Route 2, although it must be wholly disconnected from the other part.

MC-kun has been going around exterminating youkai for quite a while at this stage, but it makes sense for this NPC to have early-game dialogue like this: breakable rocks aside, he's a few seconds away from the Human Village.

A Puppeteer accosts MC-kun immediately afterwards, but at least she's not a youkai.

Yumemi puts the hurt on NoBadTactics without even having a type advantage, before Keine responds in kind.

The level difference speaks for itself.

There's gold in the fields.

Puppeteers too.

Banki opens, setting up weather with her passive. Given that the closest I have to a counter is Godhotline, she perfectly nullifies the situation and puts herself in a clear position of advantage.

Instead, it falls to Deplorable, who sets in for the long haul.

Only for the fight to end suddenly the following turn with an unexpected crit.

Power Banki follows Assist and forces a flinch until the weather clears, after which Deplorable lands her debuffs.

Hoping to grant an honourable defeat (now that the advantages have been largely nullified), a half-HP Godhotline switches into a super-effective barrage, but outspeeds Sekibanki and closes out the fight the following round.

Strange words for someone with two copies of one of the reddest.

After that, it's back to exposition and exploration. Vanished ruins sound exciting.

Locked behind water, this might have been the most conspicuous possible rock.

Nearby is the sister that the boy mentioned. MC-kun hates tomboys; they should just admit that they're stunning and beautiful transmen.

Speed Nazrin and Defence Momiji share a 4x weakness to Fighting, which Godhotline happily exploits.

The AI anticipates it, however. Defence Momiji, like Kisume, has the Indomitable trait, which prevents OHKOs. Recompensate is Endeavour and so the combo should be familiar to all readers.

Godhotline is faster, however.

On 1 HP and no longer having any advantage, she tags out to her sister. Moon Wheat does not encounter anything unexpected cleaning up Kyouko.

Not until you start T, you disgusting transphobe.

The path leads to a copse in the woods. There aren't any ruins, just as promised. They've vanished.

There's a leaflet, however.


Really makes you think.

There's also a TM to be found, for a weather synergy that we can't currently exploit.

What the grass patterns might symbolise is left as an exercise to the reader. Regardless, this seems to be a dead end for the moment, so it's off to the Youkai Mountain, to the path previously blocked by fairies. Apparently it isn't critical.

The path isn't fully devoid of PLF fairies.

This one is cheating. She has a level 29 Power Lily. It's not the sort of cheat that helps her at all, unfortunately.

MC-kun wouldn't either if he had something impossible.

It's a reminder of just how big the Youkai Mountain is after the last few areas. Found well out of the way, this kappa is willing to snitch.

We're still far from the ground.

Nearby, however, is a building.

This one isn't haunted or anything. It just contains a solid TM that no-one but NoBadTactics can learn. It's a shame, because Baka would appreciate it.

Things to be found abound.

As do challengers.

ToTheMoon doesn't think much of this one.


Some loot rocks are obvious. Others, like this one, demand that you leave no stone unturned.

We're finally near the bottom when we find a TM. Deplorable and Godhotline can learn it, but neither has the stats to make it useful.

Bold words for someone likely underlevelled.

More Charge Thief spam turns out to be the answer.

MC-kun has apparently ascended into a Gundam.

As competent as ever.

Missing an attack gets Godhotline hit, but it's not really a problem.

Give me all your money.

These two don't want to fight and just have some follow-ups to earlier areas of the mountain.

Deep within the grass, a weather synergy TM.

Sometimes, I wonder if rocks are worth it.

When suddenly, out of the way, a fight with a unique character appears out of nowhere.

Godhotline has a field day, using Clearing Mist against some opponents with a high enough cost to make it worthwhile.

Hatate ever getting involved and not just taking the Buzzfeed approach doesn't fit her typical non-canon portrayal, but maybe that's why she was just standing around out of the way.

I'm not paying your toll.

MC-kun's sudden libertarianism aside, he gets to battle. NoBadTactics suffers under some priority moves, but not as much as the opponents do.


All she guards is a one-way path back to the Misty Lake, so it's a teleport back to the rest stop and time to explore the river.

MC-kun is immediately awarded with a self-buffing TM for which he has no current applications.

A little distance later is a sign that he might be on the right track.

Along with an absolute wall of PLF goons.

The first falls easily enough to ToTheMoon's bag of tricks.



The next plays the Indomitable game with a Kisume, but doesn't have the follow-up.

Yamame, meanwhile, simply fares poorly.


The game continues to throw TMs at me, with this one following the now-familiar pattern of a spread attack only available to focused attackers - Godhotline and NoBadTactics, the latter of whom seems to have absolutely incredible TM coverage.

The last of the row of PLF fairies spouts the usual dogma.

Godhotline exhibits her variety of exciting Steel-type moves.


That leaves only one fairy blocking the way to the geyser. However, she's not the sort you can fight. I think this reads as a natural conclusion; the next episode will involve the storming of the Former Hell from Route 2.

 

[Penne Dreadful]

A short one, just so that this doesn't lose even more momentum.

Spoiler: Episode 13: In the Depths of the Former Hell, Can I, Overpowered as I Am, Face the Greatest and Most Terrible Threat?

It's time to conquer the Former Hell.

It's another map with a lot of verticality.

But with no fewer rocks to search.

Fights too.

Moon Wheat scythes through some chaff, but it's nice to see that we haven't regressed below style-changed Puppets.

At this point, you might have noticed that the font is off. At this stage, I realise that I'm not running the game in a Japanese locale and quickly fix it.


As such, the HP number is actually readable in the next fight. ToTheMoon is also slower than the Defence Parsee, which is amusing.


MC-kun quickly finds an excuse to take that advice, although it's hardly an adequate snack for a normal-sized man such as him.

It's this kind of cave.

There's a place for you in the superior future, with that attitude.


Truly a kindred spirit.

Wandering the caves to numerous dead ends only to be awarded with a Rare Candy doesn't mean as much as it might in games where levelling isn't so trivial.

The youkai quickly attempts to demonstrate the danger of the caves.

I think this is the first Koishi we've seen. Fitting, given that her stomping grounds are nearby.

Course, friendo. No-one tells me where to go.

Another first: a new enemy type. I'm pretty sure we've caught all the oni, so it's both easy to guess his roster and there won't be anything new - right?

Instead, he starts out with a surprise. This Suika is a big girl (for MC-kun) and I'm not entirely sure why in a mechanical sense - it certainly fits her fluff. She still falls to Moon Wheat, though.

Kasen isn't an oni, she swears.

Meanwhile, the surprises keep coming. Instead of a Yuugi, the third slot is a second Suika, at least with a different style.

The best.

Separated from the evil spirit earlier by a few tiles and two ladders, some money.

Why would I know that, obsolescent?

Moon Wheat continues to show her worth as she brawls it out with a Tojiko despite a 4x weakness..

Don't you know who I am, pal? I'm the world-famous MC-kun.
This fight convinces MC-kun for the need to be able to throw something without a massive weakness to Electric types at shocking problems, now that NoBadTactics can't pull that role.

Fortunately, Godhotline recently levelled into a suitable option.

There's gold in those rocks.

Continuing the trend of catching every SA 2hu, Parsee gets sealed the moment I see her.

The bridge above was right at the entrance to the caves, as things continue to loop around on themselves. A maze of twisty little passages, all alike. I can't complain about the skill - the fact that I taught it to Godhotline shortly before acquiring the TM should be evidence of that.

Soon, something somewhat unusual happens - a fight out of nowhere with a mainstay of the party. Deplorable might only be a Puppet facsimile of the real Kisume, but that's no reason to take the fight lightly.

Godhotline gets a chance to show off her new skill, but gets brutalised on switch-in. Fortunately, even paralysed, she's still faster than any Kisume.

More fortuitously still, Kisume, like Deplorable, relies on Panic Call for direct damage, which is less damaging after it knocks away the held item on the first application. Almost dead after eating two attacks from a tank, Godhotline finishes the job.

Defence Kisume follows Assist and Godhotline is looking low. ToTheMoon doesn't finish the fight in a single blow, but she only takes 10 damage from the spooky eyes.

With the second application comes victory.

MC-kun quickly tunes off the whining to do some of his own. Fortunately, no cave can block his magical, otherworldly Twitter connection.

Heading deeper still into the caves shows some progress - there are impenetrable ravines below instead of explorable paths.

There's also a rather dull TM, unusable by anyone in the party.

A precarious path is blocked by a bun.

Cycling along a one-tile-wide pathway is certainly reckless.

Mima will be in Touhou 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19, I feel it in my bones.
Unfortunately, she's not enough to win the fight for the spirit.

With a smug grin, MC-kun takes his leave.

At least it isn't another ladder.

Another oni encountered, this one female. MC-kun questions whether he, a man in his mid-40s (both years and stone), is an appropriate target for an ara~ara~ before egotism wins out.
Y-you too.

Spaghetti streaming from his pockets and his yellow fever burning, MC-kun takes down some oni.

At that point, his opponent realises that he only seems to be wandering mostly, not entirely, aimlessly and sends him on his way. At this cookout, MC-kun will have to make his own plate. He does so, stopping for a snack.

The cave passes by in a daze as MC-kun proceeds, until he's stopped by a youkai. She's no oni.

She also packs a rather underwhelming team, with a uniform weakness to ToTheMoon.


Soon enough, a spirit that wants to touch grass.

Seija's world is quickly turned upside down as she deals only chip damage to NoBadTactics.

With its defeat, its situation dawns on the spirit. MC-kun doesn't see the problem, though.
When life gives you a basement apartment, pal, make the most of it. This one isn't even flooded, unlike mine.

Broken from his reverie by the chat with the spirit, MC-kun is paying at least a little attention when he's jumped by a spider.

Wriggle opens the fight, predictably useless.

Yamame, her own ace, does a little better. She's able to land a solid crit on Moon Wheat before falling.

Godhotline tags in to finish the job against Medicine, no-selling the Poison attack as usual before continuing to make use of her new Rock Barrage.

MC-kun has no idea what she's on about, but at least she doesn't seem to want to eat him.

Below the bridge, a pure status move. No-one can learn it and the team is far too straightforward in their plans to use it even if they could.

Finally, a way forward, complete with a new palette.

On the bridge is what appears to MC-kun to be an elf.

Do you know who I am, lady? Why would I be envious?

MC-kun is seething. Incandescent.


Parsee opens with Yamame. Her poison proves ineffectual.

With a 4x weakness to Light, Parsee herself doesn't do any better.

Parsee might be a hashihime, but she's definitely an elf.

A moment of levity. Hoping to find out more about whatever Yamame was saying, MC-kun makes an inquiry.

He gets a clearer answer, at least.

With that, it's out of the caves and into the city.


Festivities in the air, MC-kun approaches an oni. This one just has a chat and explains what's happening. MC-kun resolves to progress further.
And that'll be it for now. Caves are draining and I lost momentum, but this seems like a part of the game for which I'm quite excited.

 

[ChucklesTheJester]

A short one, just so that this doesn't lose even more momentum.

Spoiler: Episode 13: In the Depths of the Former Hell, Can I, Overpowered as I Am, Face the Greatest and Most Terrible Threat?

View attachment 2287514View attachment 2287515
It's time to conquer the Former Hell.
View attachment 2287516
It's another map with a lot of verticality.
View attachment 2287517
But with no fewer rocks to search.
View attachment 2287519View attachment 2287520
Fights too.
View attachment 2287531View attachment 2287532
Moon Wheat scythes through some chaff, but it's nice to see that we haven't regressed below style-changed Puppets.
View attachment 2287533
At this point, you might have noticed that the font is off. At this stage, I realise that I'm not running the game in a Japanese locale and quickly fix it.
View attachment 2287538View attachment 2287539
View attachment 2287540
As such, the HP number is actually readable in the next fight. ToTheMoon is also slower than the Defence Parsee, which is amusing.
View attachment 2287541
View attachment 2287547
MC-kun quickly finds an excuse to take that advice, although it's hardly an adequate snack for a normal-sized man such as him.
View attachment 2287548
It's this kind of cave.
View attachment 2287551View attachment 2287552
View attachment 2287559There's a place for you in the superior future, with that attitude.
View attachment 2287561
View attachment 2287562
Truly a kindred spirit.
View attachment 2288926
Wandering the caves to numerous dead ends only to be awarded with a Rare Candy doesn't mean as much as it might in games where levelling isn't so trivial.
View attachment 2288927View attachment 2288928
The youkai quickly attempts to demonstrate the danger of the caves.
View attachment 2288934
I think this is the first Koishi we've seen. Fitting, given that her stomping grounds are nearby.
View attachment 2288939
View attachment 2287559Course, friendo. No-one tells me where to go.
View attachment 2288940View attachment 2288941
Another first: a new enemy type. I'm pretty sure we've caught all the oni, so it's both easy to guess his roster and there won't be anything new - right?
View attachment 2288944View attachment 2288945
Instead, he starts out with a surprise. This Suika is a big girl (for MC-kun) and I'm not entirely sure why in a mechanical sense - it certainly fits her fluff. She still falls to Moon Wheat, though.
View attachment 2288955
Kasen isn't an oni, she swears.
View attachment 2288956
Meanwhile, the surprises keep coming. Instead of a Yuugi, the third slot is a second Suika, at least with a different style.
View attachment 2288967
View attachment 2287559The best.
View attachment 2288965
Separated from the evil spirit earlier by a few tiles and two ladders, some money.
View attachment 2288971View attachment 2288972
View attachment 2287559Why would I know that, obsolescent?
View attachment 2288978
Moon Wheat continues to show her worth as she brawls it out with a Tojiko despite a 4x weakness..
View attachment 2288979
View attachment 2287559Don't you know who I am, pal? I'm the world-famous MC-kun.
This fight convinces MC-kun for the need to be able to throw something without a massive weakness to Electric types at shocking problems, now that NoBadTactics can't pull that role.
View attachment 2288992
Fortunately, Godhotline recently levelled into a suitable option.
View attachment 2288993
There's gold in those rocks.
View attachment 2288994
Continuing the trend of catching every SA 2hu, Parsee gets sealed the moment I see her.
View attachment 2288996View attachment 2288997
The bridge above was right at the entrance to the caves, as things continue to loop around on themselves. A maze of twisty little passages, all alike. I can't complain about the skill - the fact that I taught it to Godhotline shortly before acquiring the TM should be evidence of that.
View attachment 2289001View attachment 2289002
Soon, something somewhat unusual happens - a fight out of nowhere with a mainstay of the party. Deplorable might only be a Puppet facsimile of the real Kisume, but that's no reason to take the fight lightly.
View attachment 2289011
Godhotline gets a chance to show off her new skill, but gets brutalised on switch-in. Fortunately, even paralysed, she's still faster than any Kisume.
View attachment 2289016View attachment 2289017
More fortuitously still, Kisume, like Deplorable, relies on Panic Call for direct damage, which is less damaging after it knocks away the held item on the first application. Almost dead after eating two attacks from a tank, Godhotline finishes the job.
View attachment 2289024View attachment 2289025
Defence Kisume follows Assist and Godhotline is looking low. ToTheMoon doesn't finish the fight in a single blow, but she only takes 10 damage from the spooky eyes.
View attachment 2289030
With the second application comes victory.
View attachment 2289031View attachment 2289032
MC-kun quickly tunes off the whining to do some of his own. Fortunately, no cave can block his magical, otherworldly Twitter connection.
View attachment 2289037
Heading deeper still into the caves shows some progress - there are impenetrable ravines below instead of explorable paths.
View attachment 2289042View attachment 2289043
There's also a rather dull TM, unusable by anyone in the party.
View attachment 2289051
A precarious path is blocked by a bun.
View attachment 2289053View attachment 2289054
Cycling along a one-tile-wide pathway is certainly reckless.
View attachment 2289057
Mima will be in Touhou 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19, I feel it in my bones.
Unfortunately, she's not enough to win the fight for the spirit.
View attachment 2289058
With a smug grin, MC-kun takes his leave.
View attachment 2289065View attachment 2289066
At least it isn't another ladder.
View attachment 2289067View attachment 2289068
Another oni encountered, this one female. MC-kun questions whether he, a man in his mid-40s (both years and stone), is an appropriate target for an ara~ara~ before egotism wins out.
View attachment 2287559Y-you too.
View attachment 2289077View attachment 2289078
Spaghetti streaming from his pockets and his yellow fever burning, MC-kun takes down some oni.
View attachment 2289080
At that point, his opponent realises that he only seems to be wandering mostly, not entirely, aimlessly and sends him on his way. At this cookout, MC-kun will have to make his own plate. He does so, stopping for a snack.
View attachment 2289087View attachment 2289088
The cave passes by in a daze as MC-kun proceeds, until he's stopped by a youkai. She's no oni.
View attachment 2289093View attachment 2289094View attachment 2289095
She also packs a rather underwhelming team, with a uniform weakness to ToTheMoon.
View attachment 2289096
View attachment 2289099View attachment 2289100
Soon enough, a spirit that wants to touch grass.
View attachment 2289105
Seija's world is quickly turned upside down as she deals only chip damage to NoBadTactics.
View attachment 2289106
With its defeat, its situation dawns on the spirit. MC-kun doesn't see the problem, though.
View attachment 2287559When life gives you a basement apartment, pal, make the most of it. This one isn't even flooded, unlike mine.
View attachment 2289110View attachment 2289111
Broken from his reverie by the chat with the spirit, MC-kun is paying at least a little attention when he's jumped by a spider.
View attachment 2289120
Wriggle opens the fight, predictably useless.
View attachment 2289121View attachment 2289122
Yamame, her own ace, does a little better. She's able to land a solid crit on Moon Wheat before falling.
View attachment 2289123
Godhotline tags in to finish the job against Medicine, no-selling the Poison attack as usual before continuing to make use of her new Rock Barrage.
View attachment 2289124View attachment 2289125
MC-kun has no idea what she's on about, but at least she doesn't seem to want to eat him.
View attachment 2289130View attachment 2289131
Below the bridge, a pure status move. No-one can learn it and the team is far too straightforward in their plans to use it even if they could.
View attachment 2289134View attachment 2289135
Finally, a way forward, complete with a new palette.
View attachment 2289138
On the bridge is what appears to MC-kun to be an elf.
View attachment 2289139
View attachment 2287559Do you know who I am, lady? Why would I be envious?
View attachment 2289140View attachment 2289142
MC-kun is seething. Incandescent.
View attachment 2289143View attachment 2289144
View attachment 2289148View attachment 2289149
Parsee opens with Yamame. Her poison proves ineffectual.
View attachment 2289154
With a 4x weakness to Light, Parsee herself doesn't do any better.
View attachment 2289155View attachment 2289156
Parsee might be a hashihime, but she's definitely an elf.
View attachment 2289157
A moment of levity. Hoping to find out more about whatever Yamame was saying, MC-kun makes an inquiry.
View attachment 2289158View attachment 2289159
He gets a clearer answer, at least.
View attachment 2289170
With that, it's out of the caves and into the city.
View attachment 2289180
View attachment 2289171View attachment 2289172
Festivities in the air, MC-kun approaches an oni. This one just has a chat and explains what's happening. MC-kun resolves to progress further.
And that'll be it for now. Caves are draining and I lost momentum, but this seems like a part of the game for which I'm quite excited.

Caves are the most draining part of any pokemon game. I know this feeling well.