Ambyssin
Winter can't come soon enough
(Con’t from previous post…)
So, yeah, that's it. I don't know if you read all this. I won't blame you if you don't. Long story short, I've enjoyed this a lot. I commend the time and energy you've put into this. Over 50 chapters in a 2+ year epic that's humming right along. I see why this is the 2-time PMD fic of the year around here (and probably the favorite for this year too, ha ha). I look forward to seeing how things unfold from here.
Episode 7
33: For once, it doesn’t look like Lyn immediately gets a good read on Travelers’ whereabouts. Which is a nice change of pace. Although, it’s extremely short-lived, b/c Ellsberg is already on Mengir. They have the absolute worst luck. And almost immediately, it looks like you’re taking clear efforts to balance out who’s taking the spotlight, it seems. Of course Pleo gets a new development with what I can only assume is a nod to The Power of One because why the heck not. But then we have Guardia’s massive fear of flying, Elty’s bitterer than usual attitude (which would feel a bit more heartfelt if the pirate stuff wasn’t shoved aside last episode) and the very unexpected return of Nida’s fear of Skarmories.
On the one hand, I’m not sure how going back to Tromba factors into things at the moment. But on the other hand…
Okay, lot of different perspectives in this chapter, here. So we finally get to meet Darzin after all this time and he’s bickering with another admin like they were siblings. Very fitting introduction, given that he’s been built up as a loser as far as the Company’s concerned. But, is this the set up for an administrator confrontation that I’ve been waiting for?
34: Welp, Zorn leaves way more of an impression than Darzin… and even Farn for that matter. Shame we haven’t actually gotten to see them interact with the protags and we’re 34 chapters in!
Oh God it’s like the British getting control of Davy Jones in the Pirates movies…
Zorn’s certainly got a more competent plan than Lyn already. If this is the turning point where the villainous threat is upgraded, count me in. Adding onto that, this island’s guard appears far more loyal and, well, organized than Tromba’s and the allusions are that the ferals here are not messing around. Not much to say about Crom’s scene. In some respects, his travels are now reminding me of a good guys’ variation of Bowser’s scenes from Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. They’re constantly a step behind Team Traveler and having some occasional hijinx ensue while that happens. As for the good guys, looks like they’re able to pick up on clues to drawing out Pleo’s power pretty quickly. Which is… good I guess. In the sense that I thought there was going to be no progress in that regard.
35:
And, like in last episode, it seems Crom and company are catching up with some of the key characters from this locale. It… kind of reads like a retread of what happened to them in Seahive. But at least there’s a bit more background on the Company to not make it feel like complete filler. Meanwhile, there’s the tease of a potentially massive Company clash b/c it looks like Lyn’s due to crash Zorn’s party.
Mengir continues to give me the creeps here. And not spooky creeps, either. A field of Apricorns in this context just straight up makes me nervous. I am glad to see some of the more routine dungeon crawling skipped this time around to get to the meatier stuff, though (consisting of blowing Pleo up, apparently). Then we have a cut back to, uh, Trizano. Which I’m guessing indicates he’s going to get caught up in all this Company-driven insanity.
36: Oh god, okay, the start here made my heart race a bit. My biggest fear is death (far above everything else) so reading even the basic descriptions made me react like Pleo. But, it appears to tie in with the protector for Mengir, Xerneas (with possibly a Tree of Life nod or two?). And ferals appear and it looks like things are going exactly the way Zorn wants them to. I don’t blame the ferals for being so untrustworthy, though you would think Guardia could try to do something to get through to them. And okay, this chapter finally makes it evident that Crom is playing a much bigger role this episode, even if it’s all attempting to catch up to Team Traveler. As for the battle itself, pretty standard feral Pokémon fare. But I noticed Elty seemed to get a new move here. And I kid you not I was about to note how strange it was we’d gotten this far with no one on Team Traveler seeming having picked up any new moves. I think it’s part of why the feral Pokémon battles can feel rather repetitive, especially compared to Company encounters, is because the moves they’re using have all been the same. But hopefully that’s starting to change. At least there’s the reappearance of Pleo’s storm powers to drive off the bug horde. I also like how this immediately follows up on the chapter’s introductory scene. Even the narration gets frantic to verbalize Pleo’s mind racing to conclusions.
37: As I expected, the Company guards are quite efficient and their personalities shine through. With Phyllis’ objections (being Marked), Salvini’s hesitancy, and Briggs outright not caring and wanting to clip Pleo’s wings before finally acquiescing to avoid making any sort of scene. And it looks like the Siglo Swellow crew is finally running into some actual conflict to boot thanks to Hess. Actually, this time around I think I like the back and forth between the Siglo Swellow’s tense situation and Trivano scheming behind-the-scenes to get Team Traveler to safety. I think he brought up the Subway, and after hearing it name-dropped a few times, I was wondering if/when it would pop up. The Hess situation is dealt with pretty quickly, showing off that he and Valatos’ trio are leaning heavily into comic relief villain territory. Zagging back to Mengir, Trivano is able to get to Salvini. And there’s the casual reveal she’s Osmund’s brother, which I had an inkling of suspicion about. Still, it’s a solid explanation of her motives that isn’t too far-fetched. Then there’s Nagant’s reappearance, which I swear is the Imperials entry into things. But with all the Company cronies running around, she does manage to stand out, because I can’t get a solid read on her or her motives. And ending things off on a cliffhanger, though I feel like it’d have more punch if it were Zorn and not Darzin.
38: And, yup, as expect Darzin is done and dusted rather humiliatingly, it seems. Good to see Nida having to swallow her fears a bit for the sake of helping the team escape. The storm definitely adds a measure of tension and again drags up that mystery with songs apparently powering him up. And, with all the jumping around there’s been these past two chapters, I do like there’s a bit of a unifying thread to them: sympathizers within the Company. Namely Salvini and Kellner. I get you wanted to make that a focal point of the episode, so I just wanted to say it felt very effective. Otherwise, all this jumping back and forth would have thrown me off a bit. And… uh… oh… that’s it, apparently. Trivano and Dimitri help set them on the road to this Subway and we get a tease of the Iron Fleet becoming a recurring menace for the Siglo Swellow. But that does it for this installment.
Overall: the secondary characters stole the show with this one. Honestly I didn’t think I’d see the feral tribe get topped, but somehow the Company guards, both on Mengir and Kenobi. The Company could really use some more down-to-earth characters to contrast the administrators who don’t have a sympathetic bone in their bodies at the moment. And it was nice to see the Siglo Swellow crew encounter some honest to goodness trouble after their earlier scenes felt like either comical filler or just sort of recapping previous areas and reminding me that, “Hey, remember these other characters exist.” However, there is a bit of an issue that I feel like the Siglo Swellow crew brings at this point. It seems like there’s a bit of difficulty, at least in my opinion, balancing the two groups. It gives you quite a cast to work with, and as a result it feels like several of the characters are just kind of there show off their personality quirks. This is especially prevalent with, say, Kiran or Paldur, as Crom and Ander seem to get more hints of any sort of development.
At the same time, it felt like a bit of anti-climax. Here I was expecting to see a significant conflict with, say, the likes of Briggs and/or Zorn. What I got was Darzin making him a fool of himself. Maybe this was a purposeful bait-and-switch? In which case, you got me good! In any case, this feels like a children’s TV adventure series at this point. Which is really cool! Especially with all the lore and distinctive locations. Still, I can’t help but be surprised with how far we’ve gotten into the fic and it feels like the biggest action cues were the escapes from Lyn’s ship and Seahive. I think it’s probably my wires getting tangled. I’m reading this expecting it to have traditional boss battles, but that’s not the angle you’re going for. And I think it’s this episode that finally made me realize that. Whoops!
Episode 7 & Special 2
39: I like this opening with the Imperials. It made me draw some comparisons between Nagant and Lyn. Like how they’re both seeking to bounce back in their organizations following family screw ups. But there are some key differences, like Nagant’s preference for keeping a low profile compared to Lyn’s blustery, aggressive approach. And immediately, it already seems like we’re in for something very different with this Subway. There’s even an airplane wreckage to boot. The fallout with the Company on Mengir did not take the direction I expected, either. I can’t tell whether I find Zorn’s response cunning, bone-headed, or somewhere in between. But there are ripples sent through the ranks and the consequences for Salvini and company feel like they have some pretty hefty weight behind them this time around. The Station also proves an interesting setting too. Really incorporating the undersea ruin elements pretty well. Though the attitude of the water-types took me by surprise. My gut tells me they’re recurring characters for this episode. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have bothered with names, right?
40: Now here’s an exciting way to start off a chapter. Plenty of crewmembers get to share the spotlight, we’ve got some unique ship combat elements like the harpoon, and the Iron Fleet’s actually coming off as rather menacing compared to their past appearances. Although Valatos and his friends still seem to fall firmly into goofball territory and even Hess is annoyed with them. Gotta love it when villains argue. It did end in a stalemate of sorts, which while not all that satisfying, did offer an interesting moment between Crom and Ander.
I also see that the Imperials are not quite as… high-strung as the Company. Not sure if that’s universal, but I again like the contrast. All in all, there a lot of perspective shifts so far, and it makes me think that this episode is serving less to advance things for Team Traveler, and more to advance all the other factions in the story.
41: Braveshoal Town’s pretty nifty, right off the bat. An undersea city that also accommodates land-dwelling Pokémon. And with Alcon and Sevan it’s funny having Pleo point out the lookalike nature of Pokémon of the same species. Of course, Sevan is Lyn’s brother. This is apparently the family matters episode. The chapter also teases me with the prospect of Team Traveller facing with Imperial grunts. But that’s quickly shoved aside for what I believe is much more tense: the Board’s in town and the Siglo Swellow dropped in on them. I was just expecting a baddie meeting, but the luckless crew dropped in on them. I’m not quite sure I buy into the “If we have hope, we’ll be fine,” rhetoric given the way the odds are stacked up. But that’s probably the point. Especially since Pleo’s already flown the coop. But that turns out to be a bit of teasing too (gah, you’re too good at teasing me and leaving me wanting to see what happens) because it’s back to Team Traveler discovering an undersea guild (and Scout’s once-an-episode cameo). Sure enough, my guess that Dimitri’s team would be recurring was proven right, and it looks like they’re the ticket to the Blue Fairy. I’m personally of the opinion that you could have stitched this and the other scene in Braveshoal together, while having the Siglo Swellow scene lead into the Board’s appearance and it would’ve flowed a bit nicer. I get the way you did is more TV series-like, though. I like that the Director’s a Nidoking. Seems fitting in some way with a Nidoran(F) protag, I suppose.
42: Starting off with a non-sequitur here. It’s nice to check in on the family, but after the previous chapter’s dramatic end with the Director’s appearance it comes off a bit flat to me. With the next scene, I am curious why, in a town that’s suddenly crawling with Company higher-ups, no one seems to recognize Imperials scarves. I know they steal Company ones right away, but you’d think if the two factions are enemies they’d be intimately familiar with each other. But, eh, enough about that. Board meeting time. And it’s just as angry as I imagined it.
This chapter also reveals the Blue Fairy and, at last, we finally come face to face with another Protector! And with it comes more details about the world of Anyilla that I had felt so starved for since the beginning. The Company having come out from under the Empire is definitely a cool twist. And having them vying for control is, I guess, some sort of analogue to trading companies trying to outmaneuver the Crown? I don’t remember my colonial history well, so I’m not sure what the comparisons are. Nevertheless, collecting Protectors to become the sole ruling power in Anyilla, while not the most original bit, at least gives me reasoning for the baddies’ actions that I’ve been looking for. And the surprises keep coming. Team Traveler might not really be able to return to Tromba safely. Manaphy’s the Protector of the Company’s home island! And could that have been Lyn’s relative who rescued her? Nerea provides them a sense of direction with a possible solution to their quarry. It looks like this simple quest to go home is expanding, which excites me a lot.
The continuing board meeting sees some nice scheming from Inler. Almost Giovanni-esque, which is great given his species. And it ends off with a tease at Team Traveler’s first potential conflict with Imperials (who I forgot about with all the events of this chapter).
43:
Darzin decides to start turning on the Company; it seemed pretty obvious. I didn’t guess that the Imperials would be the route through which he’d do that, so congrats on the twist.
Similarly, the battle with Cyanea and Katyusha was a very different fare, thanks to the added element of being underwater. In some ways, it reminded me of a shark cage (the Sharpedo probably doesn’t help in that regard, ha ha). Crom’s scene is again treading that homesickness feeling and leaves me with a sense of deja vu, but he also has his moment of determination where he offers to do a mission. If only they weren’t on Mengir; they’re screwed. In the end, the chapter ends on rather tepid notes, but gives us some cliffhangers (namely the Mystery Dungeon, Elty’s familiarity with it, and Ellsberg getting accosted by Elilan).
Overall: This episode had a lot of things going on all at once. There were a lot of abrupt jumps between different factions. Personally, I think with all the transitions it might’ve made the episode read easier to put similar ones together. I’m guessing you broke things up for the sake of variety, but I found myself constantly having to go back and double-check my notes here to remember who was who and what they were supposed to be doing. It does give off a TV series feel, which I think is what you’re going for. I’m not saying that this was bad. Actually, I quite enjoyed all the things going on. A lot of tension and what seems like build-up toward an escalating threat. And Team Traveler has a much more definitive sense of direction, finally. I’m still not a fan of their lack of progression in the moves department, but it seems like this is setting them up to take that step at last. And there were a lot of new things brought to the table by this episode.
SC 2: So, this is setting itself up as a far cry from the other SC. Not a cute, family-focused story, but one of dashing escapades and apparently focused on some of the secondary characters. If I’m not mistaken this ties into what Nerea mentioned in Episode 8 about a way to deal with the Company. Evidently, this is quite the flashback, since Crom’s sister apparently hasn’t hatched yet. And it’s tying into what I think is the Mystery Dungeon Team Traveller just ended up in.
I must say I do like that Tarquin comes off as a much more competent Hess, just from what I see here, anyway. At least, until Beatrix tricks him with some clever wordplay. But that proves short-lived because in comes Lyn. And boy is it great to see him actually fight again. A fun action-filled scene facing off with Tarquin. This chapter even gives a glimpse into an Imperial city, I believe. And it describes how Calino ended up in Tromba. Looks like Beatrix’s trick actually had quite a bit of blowback.
Episode 9
44: I appreciate that we start off immediately with what the last episode ended with. That’s what I was getting at when I said too much jumping around could make it tough for me to follow at points. And I have to say that all this infighting among the Company is piquing my curiosity, although at this point there really hasn’t been any genuine sabotage yet so much as forging alliances and making backroom deals.Just like a modern-day corporation, am I right? Ha ha ha…
It also looks like we haven’t seen the last of Dimitri, Viktor, and their rod, unlike some of the other location-specific characters. Nagant’s crew is also getting a much larger presence, from what it looks like. Are you finally weaving a lot of these elements together?
Again, the scene with Crom just dredges up this immense feeling of deja vu. This has to be intentional, because Crom retraces Team Traveller’s steps. The biggest difference being Ander’s presence and what he brings to the table. He’s arguably been getting more opportunities for growth than Crom is. I also see the Alola ‘mons are coming out in full force (well, into the background anyway).
45: Yes, Elty. Make those threats to leave the team! I mean, it’s a little weird given how every episode since leaving Mossaile didn’t really have him complaining about the team’s company, so much as snarking at them. So it feels like sudden character re-railment. But I’ll take it! Pirate town means, of course, the reappearance of Hess. Because with the Company and Imperials getting steadily more serious someone has to take up the comic relief role, right? Another Crom scene brings with is, well, another retreading of the Mengir Protector’s fate and the island’s ferals. There’s some more pirate-y flashbacks and some more Marked to lead to the introduction of who I’m guessing is one of our location-specific secondary characters this time around.
Next scene is a tease that now suddenly this Pirate Council (which makes me think of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End) is going to become a sudden, new major factor against Team Traveler. Cripes, how many villains are we juggling here?
46: Mysterious crying is mysterious, apparently. And boy is it clear that Elty’s trying to mutiny. Again… good. It’s tension that needed to be addressed in the team. Oh, and while it’s kind of treated as a minor tidbit, I do like Guardia’s frantic desire to get a replacement bone. Like Elty’s attitude, it’s good because it spreads out the focus and character development across the team. This chapter even gives us something slightly different for the Siglo Swellow crew. Salvini being helpful rather than conflictingly loyal to the Company.
47: Lyn’s making plans and Ellsberg sinks into Hess levels of Butt Monkeydom. At this point, I’m not sure what’s going to happen, but it’s honestly felt like a very long time since Lyn has even had direct contact with Team Traveller. Like, such a long stretch. It makes me see why Administrator Elilan doesn’t trust him. Guy’s holding one hell of a grudge.
It’s just a joke please don’t kill me.
Also, I gotta admit, as much of a pair of hardasses as Kuda and Viktor were last episode, they’re clearly committed to ensure Pleo’s safety. It’s cool to see and it reminds me of the dynamics of the feral tribe back in the Mystery Dungeon near Mossaile. Speaking of cool, YES! Elty ditches Team Traveller for his old crew. As you probably saw, I was a bit miffed that subplot got shoved aside back at Mossaile. And I will admit that bringing it back up now after previously teasing it lessens the impact for me personally. But it’s better late than never. The Siglo Swellow crew finally get their lead on Pleo. Seriously, it seemed like the were stuck on Mengir way longer than other destinations. I know they needed repairs, but, yeah, there was way too much deja vu with these.
48: So, this would be another instance where I think the scene jumping back forth ends up crossing my wires and that things might flow better if Team Traveller’s and the Siglo Swellow crew’s scenes were lumped together to be two separate, cohesive tidbits. Anyway, nice guy Crom is trying to patch things up between Salvini and her former friends, with mixed results. But, again, it seems like Ander’s getting a bit of spotlight. I can’t tell if his views are changing or if he’s just going through some motions so things can be done and dusted.
49: And the Siglo Swellow again helps out some island-dwellers. But that’s ultimately irrelevant here. Smorgasboard ho! Lots of crazy things happening here. Pirates besieging Team Traveller. Pleo somehow drawing up his power to deal with Sibich but getting civilians caught up in the process. Marking the first time he really did use his powers to bring harm. And that would be totally and completely dramatic if then we didn’t have ferals clawing out of the woodwork and Nagant’s crew to top it all off.
Pleo tries to right his wrong by going back for Elty. I mean, you’d think after he’d already encountered people who acted nice to him only to betray him (*cough*Salvini*cough*) he would not be that foolish to keep calling Elty his friend.
Overall: Let me start my saying that you were juggling a lot of different factions and sets of characters with this episode. Arguably even more than the last episode. On the one hand, I’m struggling to keep track of who’s who at this point and names are starting to blend together. But on the other hand, the main characters in these factions continue to stand out and present starkly enough from one another for me to draw all this nifty comparisons and contrasts. You continue to make me interested in each set of characters and, in turn, I find myself looking forward to seeing how these different subplots are going to resolve themselves. I’m also wondering, of course, if they’re going to get satisfying resolutions because, again, this is quite a lot you’re juggling and I don’t really know how far into things we are at this point.
Two parts stuck out to me in this chapter: first off, that Pleo wasn’t the Team Traveler member getting some development. Guardia got some nice attention with her lack of a weapon and some apparent difficult emotions (I think she’s the night-crier). And Elty finally had a bit more of a central role after a similar plot thread ended up going nowhere in an earlier episode. I’ll admit that because that happened, his “betrayal” didn’t quite have the oomph that I think you were going for. That, and Nida’s relative lack of a reaction to it. There were a couple of protesting lines, but overall I didn’t feel like we really got anyone’s opinions on the matter because of the hullabaloo that immediately followed it. Which brings me to the other part: the ending chase through Rosequartz. To your credit, you gave all of the factions glimpses of the spotlight and in that regard it was very nice to see. It was, I think, the most high-octane scene since Team Traveller fled Lyn’s ship. At the same time, it came off as a bit rushed in some regards. It felt like the whole episode was building up to the pirates and Imperials colliding, and then you added the ferals into the mix. I was expecting something that would end up spanning a couple of chapters. But, again, in the end everyone got some time in the sun and there was a clean resolution. So it was still a lot of fun while it lasted. ^^
Episode 10
50: Hooray, arguments! Now this is more like what I was expecting of the team dynamics to be for the last several episodes. It’s so good to finally see it. Also,Mr. Plot ConvenienceScout is back to help the Siglo crew skip over Otvaga altogether. More hooray! They’re actually making progress on Team Traveller. Or, rather, they’re back to the status quo when this crazy journey started. Also, triple hooray! Team Traveller is finally confronting Lyn again. This is apparently my “chapter of things I was greatly hoping to pop up.” And I’m equally glad to see the mistrust of Elty spill over into the Sormus crash. It feels like previous arguments with Team Traveller in the story were always done and dusted within a single chapter or so.
51: Okay, so unlike the last time Team Traveller dealt with Lyn, they’re not able to just skirt him by hiding in the Mystery Dungeon. Thank goodness. And this dungeon crawl immediately starts off more contentious than the others, which is a really nice way to break things up. I’m ambivalent on the Tromba non-sequitur. It’s a funny little slapstick bit reminiscent of the early episodes, but reads like filler. The same could be said of the pirate scenes, but at least that does the job of establishing Hess as the “main” for the pirate faction, which is now thoroughly embedded into the conflict after sporadic appearances.
Aaaaaah, are we gonna get Lyn vs. Nagant? Don’t tease me like that; I can’t handle that stress. And that last scene. I’m kind of sad that the argument stuff appears to be working toward a swift resolution. But I’m willing to overlook it because it fleshes out Guardia and Elty and even offers up a connection point between them that isn’t Elty getting thwacked by Guardia’s bone.
52:
Pppfffbbgttt… wow. To think Ketu could so easily outwit Nagant like that. Now I see why he’s working with Elilan. Nagant just lost a few badassery points in my eyes. But Team Traveller scooped them up. It’s nice to see them cooperating and they actually manage to hold their ground against the Company grunts. Actually, this legitimately feels like the first time in awhile where Team Traveller battled successfully. There had been an endless string of defeats and near-misses from them stretching pretty much all the way back to when they got Guardia.
The teamwork continues as Team Traveller skirts the Company and the Siglo Swellow crew end up in a misunderstanding with Viktor’s Rod
53: It’s been awhile since the last feral fight (or a Monster House?). Anywhere, there are a few subtleties to the initial strategizing that I like. First being the use of Pleo to skirt all the sand, but also the part where it’s Guardia (who has the fear of flying) suggesting it.
Again, the usage of teamwork really shows here. Nida and Elty play of each other’s tendencies for mixed-range combat, switch between their basic projectiles and their direct attacks. While Guardia riding Pleo like a mount is fun to see. By contrast, the hippos seem disorganized and confused and… more like Team Traveler was in the past. The only thing missing now is some new moves for the team. And it looks the Siglo Swellow crew are now actually making legit progress toward Team Traveller. It’s just so satisfying to see things finally coming together for them after all that meandering. And after, like, 25-ish chapters since Nagant’s debut we’re also finally meeting some of the Empire’s royalty. I mean, I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised given how long it took Director Inler to show up. But still… they continue this trend of the Emprie being generally more cooperative with one another when compared to the Company. Also, I like Volcaronas and Blazikens so I may just be biased. And with the pirate scene, Hess tries to show off some competency. I’m gotta go out on a limb and say that maybe, just maybe, either Sibich is up to something odd or he was deliberately trying to bait the Iron Fleet but Hess didn’t go for it.
54: Aulis reminds me of Clay for some reason. Probably all the mining stuff.
I should really play it…
Oh, well dang this escalated quickly. I didn’t expect Lyn to actually storm an Imperial town guns blazing. But, whelp, there he is. Sadly, my dreams of Imperials vs. Company are dashed once again as Lyn decides to make an exit. And I’m quite surprised that it’s Nagant who comes away with the Pleo prize, just when it looked like this episode had set up Lyn to be the main threat once again. Nice little twist. And oh, wow, the Siglo Swellow made up ground very quickly. Which I’m fine with. If this means we’re gonna see these two groups finally unite, count me in. Speaking of unexpected, even the Iron Fleet is here. Hoo boy, are we heading for a ship-heavy battle royale with cheese? I’ll take twenty please!
Episode so far: I think this is a big improvement over the last episode. Again, you’re bouncing between a lot of different factions, but everyone’s having their time in the sun and, more importantly, they’re not just there to comment about what’s going on. Team Traveler got a much needed shake up in its group dynamics, which was helped by more action in this episode compared to the last several. Definitely my favorite episode so far and I’m hoping the climax proves just as good!
33: For once, it doesn’t look like Lyn immediately gets a good read on Travelers’ whereabouts. Which is a nice change of pace. Although, it’s extremely short-lived, b/c Ellsberg is already on Mengir. They have the absolute worst luck. And almost immediately, it looks like you’re taking clear efforts to balance out who’s taking the spotlight, it seems. Of course Pleo gets a new development with what I can only assume is a nod to The Power of One because why the heck not. But then we have Guardia’s massive fear of flying, Elty’s bitterer than usual attitude (which would feel a bit more heartfelt if the pirate stuff wasn’t shoved aside last episode) and the very unexpected return of Nida’s fear of Skarmories.
Ooooh, sick burn!"It's right up there with 'Pokémon Square' as an unimaginative place name-"
On the one hand, I’m not sure how going back to Tromba factors into things at the moment. But on the other hand…
My, this is an unexpected development! I’m just wondering why now of all times was the point to casually drop this in?"Yeah! I haven't seen you get an envelope this stuffed since that one last month from that investigator that's been looking for the missus and the kid!" Alto chortled in a cheery and booming voice- only to be met by awkward silence, everybody suddenly finding an interesting patch of dirt on the floor to look at.
Okay, lot of different perspectives in this chapter, here. So we finally get to meet Darzin after all this time and he’s bickering with another admin like they were siblings. Very fitting introduction, given that he’s been built up as a loser as far as the Company’s concerned. But, is this the set up for an administrator confrontation that I’ve been waiting for?
34: Welp, Zorn leaves way more of an impression than Darzin… and even Farn for that matter. Shame we haven’t actually gotten to see them interact with the protags and we’re 34 chapters in!
Wait, does this mean the Company has a Legendary already?"W-What?! But how can that be?!" he cried. "The Protector here on Mengir got shipped off-island before the Petrification of Conntow! And the only one you've told me of is that sea fairy that drifts among the ocean clans and hasn't come ashore in years!"
Zorn’s certainly got a more competent plan than Lyn already. If this is the turning point where the villainous threat is upgraded, count me in. Adding onto that, this island’s guard appears far more loyal and, well, organized than Tromba’s and the allusions are that the ferals here are not messing around. Not much to say about Crom’s scene. In some respects, his travels are now reminding me of a good guys’ variation of Bowser’s scenes from Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. They’re constantly a step behind Team Traveler and having some occasional hijinx ensue while that happens. As for the good guys, looks like they’re able to pick up on clues to drawing out Pleo’s power pretty quickly. Which is… good I guess. In the sense that I thought there was going to be no progress in that regard.
35:
Even in the PMD world, weather forecasters can’t be trusted. Also I’m amazed we’ve made it this far and not a single, “THAR’S A STORM A-BREWIN’!” to be found."Oh, that's right," the Ariados said. "The Castform who checks the barometers was saying that it's looking like the next storm from the Wastes will pass by Mengir tomorrow. I mean, she's not always right, but-"
And, like in last episode, it seems Crom and company are catching up with some of the key characters from this locale. It… kind of reads like a retread of what happened to them in Seahive. But at least there’s a bit more background on the Company to not make it feel like complete filler. Meanwhile, there’s the tease of a potentially massive Company clash b/c it looks like Lyn’s due to crash Zorn’s party.
… Okay, now I don’t feel bad about those earlier Avatar references. So the Company is totally not the equivalent of the Fire Nation here, right? Aha… ha…"Aah! My cabbages!"
Mengir continues to give me the creeps here. And not spooky creeps, either. A field of Apricorns in this context just straight up makes me nervous. I am glad to see some of the more routine dungeon crawling skipped this time around to get to the meatier stuff, though (consisting of blowing Pleo up, apparently). Then we have a cut back to, uh, Trizano. Which I’m guessing indicates he’s going to get caught up in all this Company-driven insanity.
36: Oh god, okay, the start here made my heart race a bit. My biggest fear is death (far above everything else) so reading even the basic descriptions made me react like Pleo. But, it appears to tie in with the protector for Mengir, Xerneas (with possibly a Tree of Life nod or two?). And ferals appear and it looks like things are going exactly the way Zorn wants them to. I don’t blame the ferals for being so untrustworthy, though you would think Guardia could try to do something to get through to them. And okay, this chapter finally makes it evident that Crom is playing a much bigger role this episode, even if it’s all attempting to catch up to Team Traveler. As for the battle itself, pretty standard feral Pokémon fare. But I noticed Elty seemed to get a new move here. And I kid you not I was about to note how strange it was we’d gotten this far with no one on Team Traveler seeming having picked up any new moves. I think it’s part of why the feral Pokémon battles can feel rather repetitive, especially compared to Company encounters, is because the moves they’re using have all been the same. But hopefully that’s starting to change. At least there’s the reappearance of Pleo’s storm powers to drive off the bug horde. I also like how this immediately follows up on the chapter’s introductory scene. Even the narration gets frantic to verbalize Pleo’s mind racing to conclusions.
Even though I do currently feel like the scenes with the Siglo Swellow crew are slowing things down a bit, I do like this parallel here. Just as Company forces are coalescing (or working against each other) we have lesser, pirate-related baddies coalescing. It speaks to the rising threat level, and does get me excited for what could happen."As Alvise here was saying, we'd be thrilled to come aboard," Valatos hastily interjected. "Really, it's quite the lucky draw for both of us, we were looking for a change of pace."
37: As I expected, the Company guards are quite efficient and their personalities shine through. With Phyllis’ objections (being Marked), Salvini’s hesitancy, and Briggs outright not caring and wanting to clip Pleo’s wings before finally acquiescing to avoid making any sort of scene. And it looks like the Siglo Swellow crew is finally running into some actual conflict to boot thanks to Hess. Actually, this time around I think I like the back and forth between the Siglo Swellow’s tense situation and Trivano scheming behind-the-scenes to get Team Traveler to safety. I think he brought up the Subway, and after hearing it name-dropped a few times, I was wondering if/when it would pop up. The Hess situation is dealt with pretty quickly, showing off that he and Valatos’ trio are leaning heavily into comic relief villain territory. Zagging back to Mengir, Trivano is able to get to Salvini. And there’s the casual reveal she’s Osmund’s brother, which I had an inkling of suspicion about. Still, it’s a solid explanation of her motives that isn’t too far-fetched. Then there’s Nagant’s reappearance, which I swear is the Imperials entry into things. But with all the Company cronies running around, she does manage to stand out, because I can’t get a solid read on her or her motives. And ending things off on a cliffhanger, though I feel like it’d have more punch if it were Zorn and not Darzin.
38: And, yup, as expect Darzin is done and dusted rather humiliatingly, it seems. Good to see Nida having to swallow her fears a bit for the sake of helping the team escape. The storm definitely adds a measure of tension and again drags up that mystery with songs apparently powering him up. And, with all the jumping around there’s been these past two chapters, I do like there’s a bit of a unifying thread to them: sympathizers within the Company. Namely Salvini and Kellner. I get you wanted to make that a focal point of the episode, so I just wanted to say it felt very effective. Otherwise, all this jumping back and forth would have thrown me off a bit. And… uh… oh… that’s it, apparently. Trivano and Dimitri help set them on the road to this Subway and we get a tease of the Iron Fleet becoming a recurring menace for the Siglo Swellow. But that does it for this installment.
Overall: the secondary characters stole the show with this one. Honestly I didn’t think I’d see the feral tribe get topped, but somehow the Company guards, both on Mengir and Kenobi. The Company could really use some more down-to-earth characters to contrast the administrators who don’t have a sympathetic bone in their bodies at the moment. And it was nice to see the Siglo Swellow crew encounter some honest to goodness trouble after their earlier scenes felt like either comical filler or just sort of recapping previous areas and reminding me that, “Hey, remember these other characters exist.” However, there is a bit of an issue that I feel like the Siglo Swellow crew brings at this point. It seems like there’s a bit of difficulty, at least in my opinion, balancing the two groups. It gives you quite a cast to work with, and as a result it feels like several of the characters are just kind of there show off their personality quirks. This is especially prevalent with, say, Kiran or Paldur, as Crom and Ander seem to get more hints of any sort of development.
At the same time, it felt like a bit of anti-climax. Here I was expecting to see a significant conflict with, say, the likes of Briggs and/or Zorn. What I got was Darzin making him a fool of himself. Maybe this was a purposeful bait-and-switch? In which case, you got me good! In any case, this feels like a children’s TV adventure series at this point. Which is really cool! Especially with all the lore and distinctive locations. Still, I can’t help but be surprised with how far we’ve gotten into the fic and it feels like the biggest action cues were the escapes from Lyn’s ship and Seahive. I think it’s probably my wires getting tangled. I’m reading this expecting it to have traditional boss battles, but that’s not the angle you’re going for. And I think it’s this episode that finally made me realize that. Whoops!
Episode 7 & Special 2
39: I like this opening with the Imperials. It made me draw some comparisons between Nagant and Lyn. Like how they’re both seeking to bounce back in their organizations following family screw ups. But there are some key differences, like Nagant’s preference for keeping a low profile compared to Lyn’s blustery, aggressive approach. And immediately, it already seems like we’re in for something very different with this Subway. There’s even an airplane wreckage to boot. The fallout with the Company on Mengir did not take the direction I expected, either. I can’t tell whether I find Zorn’s response cunning, bone-headed, or somewhere in between. But there are ripples sent through the ranks and the consequences for Salvini and company feel like they have some pretty hefty weight behind them this time around. The Station also proves an interesting setting too. Really incorporating the undersea ruin elements pretty well. Though the attitude of the water-types took me by surprise. My gut tells me they’re recurring characters for this episode. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have bothered with names, right?
Ah, well I guess this explains the scenes with Hatteras back on Tromba from last episode. Though, the fact that it was basically at the beginning of the episode admittedly made me forget about it until it just got brought back up. At the very least, Alexandria serves to dredge up a sense of homesickness effectively. That homesickness is also dredged up a bit with the letters, but that’s quickly shoved aside for a cliffhanger with Hess. Maybe he’s finally graduating from loser villainy status?The Growlithe whirled his head turned to see the voice's owner. She turned out to be an Ampharos, with visibly aged features and a small notch in her right ear. This detail was momentarily lost on Pleo, who excitedly piped up with…
40: Now here’s an exciting way to start off a chapter. Plenty of crewmembers get to share the spotlight, we’ve got some unique ship combat elements like the harpoon, and the Iron Fleet’s actually coming off as rather menacing compared to their past appearances. Although Valatos and his friends still seem to fall firmly into goofball territory and even Hess is annoyed with them. Gotta love it when villains argue. It did end in a stalemate of sorts, which while not all that satisfying, did offer an interesting moment between Crom and Ander.
I HAVE EXCITEMENT!"It's the Board!" the Mothim buzzed. "They're coming to Mengir for an emergency meeting!"
"What?!" Lyn snapped upright in shock and went wide-eyed at the moth's statement. Did Ellsberg just say what he thought he heard?!
"A messenger arrived just a few minutes ago!" Ellsberg exclaimed. "Director Inler is on his way over here alongside Administrator Farn and Elilan. They'll be here within the next few hours!"
I also see that the Imperials are not quite as… high-strung as the Company. Not sure if that’s universal, but I again like the contrast. All in all, there a lot of perspective shifts so far, and it makes me think that this episode is serving less to advance things for Team Traveler, and more to advance all the other factions in the story.
41: Braveshoal Town’s pretty nifty, right off the bat. An undersea city that also accommodates land-dwelling Pokémon. And with Alcon and Sevan it’s funny having Pleo point out the lookalike nature of Pokémon of the same species. Of course, Sevan is Lyn’s brother. This is apparently the family matters episode. The chapter also teases me with the prospect of Team Traveller facing with Imperial grunts. But that’s quickly shoved aside for what I believe is much more tense: the Board’s in town and the Siglo Swellow dropped in on them. I was just expecting a baddie meeting, but the luckless crew dropped in on them. I’m not quite sure I buy into the “If we have hope, we’ll be fine,” rhetoric given the way the odds are stacked up. But that’s probably the point. Especially since Pleo’s already flown the coop. But that turns out to be a bit of teasing too (gah, you’re too good at teasing me and leaving me wanting to see what happens) because it’s back to Team Traveler discovering an undersea guild (and Scout’s once-an-episode cameo). Sure enough, my guess that Dimitri’s team would be recurring was proven right, and it looks like they’re the ticket to the Blue Fairy. I’m personally of the opinion that you could have stitched this and the other scene in Braveshoal together, while having the Siglo Swellow scene lead into the Board’s appearance and it would’ve flowed a bit nicer. I get the way you did is more TV series-like, though. I like that the Director’s a Nidoking. Seems fitting in some way with a Nidoran(F) protag, I suppose.
42: Starting off with a non-sequitur here. It’s nice to check in on the family, but after the previous chapter’s dramatic end with the Director’s appearance it comes off a bit flat to me. With the next scene, I am curious why, in a town that’s suddenly crawling with Company higher-ups, no one seems to recognize Imperials scarves. I know they steal Company ones right away, but you’d think if the two factions are enemies they’d be intimately familiar with each other. But, eh, enough about that. Board meeting time. And it’s just as angry as I imagined it.
I must say, considering this point comes up rather frequently, it sure would be nice to actually know what happened to make Darzin look like such an imbecile. Just taking board members’ words doesn’t really do it justice. Unless you’re setting us up for Darzin to backstab the Company… which you go right ahead and do next chapter."You're a disgrace to the Board and the Company as a whole! Why should anyone take you seriously?!" Inler spat. "After losing Tromba you've failed every attempt in the last seven years to remedy that deficiency, a debacle the rest of us have had to contain!"
This chapter also reveals the Blue Fairy and, at last, we finally come face to face with another Protector! And with it comes more details about the world of Anyilla that I had felt so starved for since the beginning. The Company having come out from under the Empire is definitely a cool twist. And having them vying for control is, I guess, some sort of analogue to trading companies trying to outmaneuver the Crown? I don’t remember my colonial history well, so I’m not sure what the comparisons are. Nevertheless, collecting Protectors to become the sole ruling power in Anyilla, while not the most original bit, at least gives me reasoning for the baddies’ actions that I’ve been looking for. And the surprises keep coming. Team Traveler might not really be able to return to Tromba safely. Manaphy’s the Protector of the Company’s home island! And could that have been Lyn’s relative who rescued her? Nerea provides them a sense of direction with a possible solution to their quarry. It looks like this simple quest to go home is expanding, which excites me a lot.
The continuing board meeting sees some nice scheming from Inler. Almost Giovanni-esque, which is great given his species. And it ends off with a tease at Team Traveler’s first potential conflict with Imperials (who I forgot about with all the events of this chapter).
43:
Actually it’s been awhile since Elty even tried anything remotely criminal. You’re going soft, buddy, admit it!"Welcome to what I have to put up with," Elty murmured, which drew a sour frown and lowered ears from Nida.
Darzin decides to start turning on the Company; it seemed pretty obvious. I didn’t guess that the Imperials would be the route through which he’d do that, so congrats on the twist.
Similarly, the battle with Cyanea and Katyusha was a very different fare, thanks to the added element of being underwater. In some ways, it reminded me of a shark cage (the Sharpedo probably doesn’t help in that regard, ha ha). Crom’s scene is again treading that homesickness feeling and leaves me with a sense of deja vu, but he also has his moment of determination where he offers to do a mission. If only they weren’t on Mengir; they’re screwed. In the end, the chapter ends on rather tepid notes, but gives us some cliffhangers (namely the Mystery Dungeon, Elty’s familiarity with it, and Ellsberg getting accosted by Elilan).
Overall: This episode had a lot of things going on all at once. There were a lot of abrupt jumps between different factions. Personally, I think with all the transitions it might’ve made the episode read easier to put similar ones together. I’m guessing you broke things up for the sake of variety, but I found myself constantly having to go back and double-check my notes here to remember who was who and what they were supposed to be doing. It does give off a TV series feel, which I think is what you’re going for. I’m not saying that this was bad. Actually, I quite enjoyed all the things going on. A lot of tension and what seems like build-up toward an escalating threat. And Team Traveler has a much more definitive sense of direction, finally. I’m still not a fan of their lack of progression in the moves department, but it seems like this is setting them up to take that step at last. And there were a lot of new things brought to the table by this episode.
SC 2: So, this is setting itself up as a far cry from the other SC. Not a cute, family-focused story, but one of dashing escapades and apparently focused on some of the secondary characters. If I’m not mistaken this ties into what Nerea mentioned in Episode 8 about a way to deal with the Company. Evidently, this is quite the flashback, since Crom’s sister apparently hasn’t hatched yet. And it’s tying into what I think is the Mystery Dungeon Team Traveller just ended up in.
And we finally have an obligatory Absol disaster sense joke. We’re done here, folks! *ba-dum-tsssh*"C-Captain?! That's the Dead Zone!" an Absol with a Second-Rank scarf spluttered incredulously. "Nothing but disaster awaits you if you go there!"
I must say I do like that Tarquin comes off as a much more competent Hess, just from what I see here, anyway. At least, until Beatrix tricks him with some clever wordplay. But that proves short-lived because in comes Lyn. And boy is it great to see him actually fight again. A fun action-filled scene facing off with Tarquin. This chapter even gives a glimpse into an Imperial city, I believe. And it describes how Calino ended up in Tromba. Looks like Beatrix’s trick actually had quite a bit of blowback.
Episode 9
44: I appreciate that we start off immediately with what the last episode ended with. That’s what I was getting at when I said too much jumping around could make it tough for me to follow at points. And I have to say that all this infighting among the Company is piquing my curiosity, although at this point there really hasn’t been any genuine sabotage yet so much as forging alliances and making backroom deals.
Oh hey look, a new move for Pleo. It’s about time! I think that’s Dragon Rush I’m seeing?"P-Pleo?! What was that?!" Guardia exclaimed. "You had blue lights all over your body!"
"I… did?" Pleo asked.
"Grr… you call that an attack?" the Fairy-Type spat. "That barely did anything to me-EEEK!"
It also looks like we haven’t seen the last of Dimitri, Viktor, and their rod, unlike some of the other location-specific characters. Nagant’s crew is also getting a much larger presence, from what it looks like. Are you finally weaving a lot of these elements together?
Okay, this made me laugh. Of all the mechanics from the games to bring in, this one just strikes me as the most… bizarre. (or should I say bazaar? )"Good afternoon, and congratulations! You've found the Crystal Mangroves' Secret Bazaar!"
Again, the scene with Crom just dredges up this immense feeling of deja vu. This has to be intentional, because Crom retraces Team Traveller’s steps. The biggest difference being Ander’s presence and what he brings to the table. He’s arguably been getting more opportunities for growth than Crom is. I also see the Alola ‘mons are coming out in full force (well, into the background anyway).
I figured this as soon as Elty started acting happy. Now the only question is if there’s legitimate focus on the pirates this time around…"This entire town is a pirates' den!"
45: Yes, Elty. Make those threats to leave the team! I mean, it’s a little weird given how every episode since leaving Mossaile didn’t really have him complaining about the team’s company, so much as snarking at them. So it feels like sudden character re-railment. But I’ll take it! Pirate town means, of course, the reappearance of Hess. Because with the Company and Imperials getting steadily more serious someone has to take up the comic relief role, right? Another Crom scene brings with is, well, another retreading of the Mengir Protector’s fate and the island’s ferals. There’s some more pirate-y flashbacks and some more Marked to lead to the introduction of who I’m guessing is one of our location-specific secondary characters this time around.
Chose to just pick this tidbit out to once again highlight how I like the stark contrast between the team-oriented mindset of the Imperials and the Company, where it seems like everyone’s out to stab each other in the back."And it goes without saying that this is not the time for any stunts for personal glory," the shrimp chittered. "If we're going to get that bird, we're all going to have to work together and do the parts we're assigned. Are we all clear?"
The Tentacruel's bell deflated a bit, the jellyfish blowing annoyed, grumbling bubbles under the surface before reluctantly acknowledging her captain's order.
"Da, Captain…"
Next scene is a tease that now suddenly this Pirate Council (which makes me think of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End) is going to become a sudden, new major factor against Team Traveler. Cripes, how many villains are we juggling here?
No love lost between these two, I see. But hey, that’s the point! It does make Lyn seem like less of a heartless monster who’s “all business.” Though the talk of his counterparts trying to backstab him already make me leery about what the future holds for him."He ruined us, Sevan. If he hadn't been a bleeding heart and just done his mission all those years ago, we wouldn't have fallen into penury," Lyn spat back. "All those nights going to bed hungry, having to constantly move from one den to the next looking for some dead-end job... none of that would have happened. And if you had just owned up to that years ago, you wouldn't be here bouncing from job to job as a sellsword for your next pittance."
46: Mysterious crying is mysterious, apparently. And boy is it clear that Elty’s trying to mutiny. Again… good. It’s tension that needed to be addressed in the team. Oh, and while it’s kind of treated as a minor tidbit, I do like Guardia’s frantic desire to get a replacement bone. Like Elty’s attitude, it’s good because it spreads out the focus and character development across the team. This chapter even gives us something slightly different for the Siglo Swellow crew. Salvini being helpful rather than conflictingly loyal to the Company.
One, this is adorable. It’s been a really long time since we’ve had one of Pleo’s cute moments and I genuinely missed these parts of the early story. Also, I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks Malasadas fit perfectly into a PMD world. I mean, the games have donuts, so why not?"There was a shop with these sweet bread thingies down one of the alleys they called a 'mah-lah-sah-dah'. I used a 'nipper's discount' to get it and it worked fine," Pleo cheered, before turning back to continue pecking at his pastry. "The only thing that I'm a little confused about is why it's free. Since doesn't a 'discount' just make a price lower but not get rid of it completely?"
47: Lyn’s making plans and Ellsberg sinks into Hess levels of Butt Monkeydom. At this point, I’m not sure what’s going to happen, but it’s honestly felt like a very long time since Lyn has even had direct contact with Team Traveller. Like, such a long stretch. It makes me see why Administrator Elilan doesn’t trust him. Guy’s holding one hell of a grudge.
Silly narrator, it’s only funny when the characters hang lampshades on things like that!Nida's eyes widened at the mention of a 'yappy Sentret.' One logical part of her brain told her it could be anyone, but the phrase brought to mind one Sentret in particular: one with a penchant for showing up time and time again in unexpected places. Her conscience simply wouldn't let her write this off - if it really was Scout, she'd never be able to live with having left him behind… probably. The Sentret could be annoying at times.
Also, I gotta admit, as much of a pair of hardasses as Kuda and Viktor were last episode, they’re clearly committed to ensure Pleo’s safety. It’s cool to see and it reminds me of the dynamics of the feral tribe back in the Mystery Dungeon near Mossaile. Speaking of cool, YES! Elty ditches Team Traveller for his old crew. As you probably saw, I was a bit miffed that subplot got shoved aside back at Mossaile. And I will admit that bringing it back up now after previously teasing it lessens the impact for me personally. But it’s better late than never. The Siglo Swellow crew finally get their lead on Pleo. Seriously, it seemed like the were stuck on Mengir way longer than other destinations. I know they needed repairs, but, yeah, there was way too much deja vu with these.
48: So, this would be another instance where I think the scene jumping back forth ends up crossing my wires and that things might flow better if Team Traveller’s and the Siglo Swellow crew’s scenes were lumped together to be two separate, cohesive tidbits. Anyway, nice guy Crom is trying to patch things up between Salvini and her former friends, with mixed results. But, again, it seems like Ander’s getting a bit of spotlight. I can’t tell if his views are changing or if he’s just going through some motions so things can be done and dusted.
Uh… because he hates you and he always hated you? Although most of his snark to this point was just feeling annoyed and impatient. So, yeah, it feels like his characterization suddenly got rerailed so that someone other than Pleo could get the spotlight for Team Traveller. Although, from what it looks like his betrayal’s gonna be short-lived. Too bad Hess manages to rile up the entire town in the process. I guess the pirates are escalating into another villainous faction after all. At least until the Imperials show up which makes me ready for a smorgasbord of chaos."Elty, you betrayed us?!" the Nidoran shouted. "Why would you do this?!"
49: And the Siglo Swellow again helps out some island-dwellers. But that’s ultimately irrelevant here. Smorgasboard ho! Lots of crazy things happening here. Pirates besieging Team Traveller. Pleo somehow drawing up his power to deal with Sibich but getting civilians caught up in the process. Marking the first time he really did use his powers to bring harm. And that would be totally and completely dramatic if then we didn’t have ferals clawing out of the woodwork and Nagant’s crew to top it all off.
This… this is an Undertale reference, isn’t it? I’ve never actually played the game but I’ve had enough friends quoting the game’s lines. Actually, I think she gets more and more like that fishy character while fighting Hess. That “N’gaah” thing is one of her lines too, ain’t it?"Forty years. Forty years I've been waiting for this moment. Through the end of Conntow, through the Company's sedition and treason, through watching everything I grew up in burn to the ground," the shrimp murmured. "All of that ends now through you, Lugia, the catalyst who will undo all of this. But first I shall tell you the tragic tale of my family's fate after the Great Collapse. It all started ages ago… No, you know what, screw it!"
Pleo tries to right his wrong by going back for Elty. I mean, you’d think after he’d already encountered people who acted nice to him only to betray him (*cough*Salvini*cough*) he would not be that foolish to keep calling Elty his friend.
Hooray! Friendship! The only reason I can think for all of this is that it acts as a counter to Team Traveller’s current status, with Elty trying to ditch his “friends.” At this point, it doesn’t really feel like the Siglo Swellow’s crew is any closer to finding Team Traveller. In fact, they’re technically further behind now. They were only one island behind, and now they’re two. So, Crom’s line at the end suggesting he’s getting hopeful seems a bit backwards. If anything, it should be worry as to how his friends are holding up.The Mienshao's explanation drew cheery exclamations, as the four Company Pokémon continued on in warm and congenial tones with one another. Crom and his companions traded satisfied glances, happy to see that in spite of all their troubles, that even Salvini and her friends would be left in higher spirits from their shared work.
Overall: Let me start my saying that you were juggling a lot of different factions and sets of characters with this episode. Arguably even more than the last episode. On the one hand, I’m struggling to keep track of who’s who at this point and names are starting to blend together. But on the other hand, the main characters in these factions continue to stand out and present starkly enough from one another for me to draw all this nifty comparisons and contrasts. You continue to make me interested in each set of characters and, in turn, I find myself looking forward to seeing how these different subplots are going to resolve themselves. I’m also wondering, of course, if they’re going to get satisfying resolutions because, again, this is quite a lot you’re juggling and I don’t really know how far into things we are at this point.
Two parts stuck out to me in this chapter: first off, that Pleo wasn’t the Team Traveler member getting some development. Guardia got some nice attention with her lack of a weapon and some apparent difficult emotions (I think she’s the night-crier). And Elty finally had a bit more of a central role after a similar plot thread ended up going nowhere in an earlier episode. I’ll admit that because that happened, his “betrayal” didn’t quite have the oomph that I think you were going for. That, and Nida’s relative lack of a reaction to it. There were a couple of protesting lines, but overall I didn’t feel like we really got anyone’s opinions on the matter because of the hullabaloo that immediately followed it. Which brings me to the other part: the ending chase through Rosequartz. To your credit, you gave all of the factions glimpses of the spotlight and in that regard it was very nice to see. It was, I think, the most high-octane scene since Team Traveller fled Lyn’s ship. At the same time, it came off as a bit rushed in some regards. It felt like the whole episode was building up to the pirates and Imperials colliding, and then you added the ferals into the mix. I was expecting something that would end up spanning a couple of chapters. But, again, in the end everyone got some time in the sun and there was a clean resolution. So it was still a lot of fun while it lasted. ^^
Episode 10
50: Hooray, arguments! Now this is more like what I was expecting of the team dynamics to be for the last several episodes. It’s so good to finally see it. Also,
51: Okay, so unlike the last time Team Traveller dealt with Lyn, they’re not able to just skirt him by hiding in the Mystery Dungeon. Thank goodness. And this dungeon crawl immediately starts off more contentious than the others, which is a really nice way to break things up. I’m ambivalent on the Tromba non-sequitur. It’s a funny little slapstick bit reminiscent of the early episodes, but reads like filler. The same could be said of the pirate scenes, but at least that does the job of establishing Hess as the “main” for the pirate faction, which is now thoroughly embedded into the conflict after sporadic appearances.
Ah yes, the classic “don’t come on my side” shtick. With Pleo being the “Can’t we all get along?” guy. It’s really heartbreaking to see him so sad. ;~;"Alright then," he huffed. "Since we're playing that game."
The Growlithe dragged a forepaw along through the sand, drawing an uneven line that marked off a berth around his resting place.
Aaaaaah, are we gonna get Lyn vs. Nagant? Don’t tease me like that; I can’t handle that stress. And that last scene. I’m kind of sad that the argument stuff appears to be working toward a swift resolution. But I’m willing to overlook it because it fleshes out Guardia and Elty and even offers up a connection point between them that isn’t Elty getting thwacked by Guardia’s bone.
52:
Okay, the random Kecleon shop got a laugh out of me. Complete with inflated prices. I see game mechanics continued to get sprinkled in, though they’re not as frequent as in the early episodes. And while I want to call you out because there’s no way Team Traveler’s getting away with stealing from the Kecleon Shop (and if so, how have they not obliterated their enemies yet), I’ll overlook it because d’awww look Elty and Pleo actually like each other. <3"Nope! I'm here for business!" the chameleon insisted. "Selling to explorers like you in towns might be our bread and butter now, but we still ply our wares where they're most needed, just like in the days of Taloon the Great!"
Pppfffbbgttt… wow. To think Ketu could so easily outwit Nagant like that. Now I see why he’s working with Elilan. Nagant just lost a few badassery points in my eyes. But Team Traveller scooped them up. It’s nice to see them cooperating and they actually manage to hold their ground against the Company grunts. Actually, this legitimately feels like the first time in awhile where Team Traveller battled successfully. There had been an endless string of defeats and near-misses from them stretching pretty much all the way back to when they got Guardia.
Okay, good. I’d have gotten suspicious if there wasn’t any skullduggery going on with the pirates, of all characters."No, you dunce!" the Bug-Type hissed. "About Sibich going to Giotto!"
The teamwork continues as Team Traveller skirts the Company and the Siglo Swellow crew end up in a misunderstanding with Viktor’s Rod
53: It’s been awhile since the last feral fight (or a Monster House?). Anywhere, there are a few subtleties to the initial strategizing that I like. First being the use of Pleo to skirt all the sand, but also the part where it’s Guardia (who has the fear of flying) suggesting it.
And the award for best incredibly lame pun of the fic goes to Elty!"Heh," Elty chuckled . "I'm on fire today-"
Again, the usage of teamwork really shows here. Nida and Elty play of each other’s tendencies for mixed-range combat, switch between their basic projectiles and their direct attacks. While Guardia riding Pleo like a mount is fun to see. By contrast, the hippos seem disorganized and confused and… more like Team Traveler was in the past. The only thing missing now is some new moves for the team. And it looks the Siglo Swellow crew are now actually making legit progress toward Team Traveller. It’s just so satisfying to see things finally coming together for them after all that meandering. And after, like, 25-ish chapters since Nagant’s debut we’re also finally meeting some of the Empire’s royalty. I mean, I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised given how long it took Director Inler to show up. But still… they continue this trend of the Emprie being generally more cooperative with one another when compared to the Company. Also, I like Volcaronas and Blazikens so I may just be biased. And with the pirate scene, Hess tries to show off some competency. I’m gotta go out on a limb and say that maybe, just maybe, either Sibich is up to something odd or he was deliberately trying to bait the Iron Fleet but Hess didn’t go for it.
54: Aulis reminds me of Clay for some reason. Probably all the mining stuff.
I swear this is another Undertale reference because my friends always kept saying “determination” when talking about that game."Hm? Oh yeah, some Clawitzer who seemed dead set on capturing him," the Dark-Type continued. "Quite the determined type."
Oh, well dang this escalated quickly. I didn’t expect Lyn to actually storm an Imperial town guns blazing. But, whelp, there he is. Sadly, my dreams of Imperials vs. Company are dashed once again as Lyn decides to make an exit. And I’m quite surprised that it’s Nagant who comes away with the Pleo prize, just when it looked like this episode had set up Lyn to be the main threat once again. Nice little twist. And oh, wow, the Siglo Swellow made up ground very quickly. Which I’m fine with. If this means we’re gonna see these two groups finally unite, count me in. Speaking of unexpected, even the Iron Fleet is here. Hoo boy, are we heading for a ship-heavy battle royale with cheese? I’ll take twenty please!
Episode so far: I think this is a big improvement over the last episode. Again, you’re bouncing between a lot of different factions, but everyone’s having their time in the sun and, more importantly, they’re not just there to comment about what’s going on. Team Traveler got a much needed shake up in its group dynamics, which was helped by more action in this episode compared to the last several. Definitely my favorite episode so far and I’m hoping the climax proves just as good!
So, yeah, that's it. I don't know if you read all this. I won't blame you if you don't. Long story short, I've enjoyed this a lot. I commend the time and energy you've put into this. Over 50 chapters in a 2+ year epic that's humming right along. I see why this is the 2-time PMD fic of the year around here (and probably the favorite for this year too, ha ha). I look forward to seeing how things unfold from here.
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