The New Normal - A Pokémon SI

by CartecFF

For most, becoming a member of the Elite 4 would be the culmination of their Journey. A great achievement that solidified your status in the annals of history. For me, it was just the start of my journey. Hopefully, everything stays Normal. A pre-canon self-insert into the world of Pokémon. Inspired by Hard Enough. Crossposted SB/QQ. Updates every Mon/Fri. Short Interludes on Wed.

239. The New Normal - OMAKE - Mystery Dungeon

The New Normal – OMAKE – Ingame Snippets – Mystery Dungeon

[NEWEST POKÉMON TITLE: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon – The Legendary Delve! A companion piece to the latest mainline Pokémon game!] by Earlier Access

The Pokémon company has been on a roll recently, and they seem to be capitalising on the success of their latest Pokémon game with a new Mystery Dungeon game! Usually, Mystery Dungeon games are relegated to spinoffs from the main game, with their story and setting having little to no overlap with the mainlines games.

However, this new Mystery Dungeon game is directly tied to the mainline games, and instead of being a Pokémon, you are one of the many trainers who has been employed by the Celestic Town Research Centre to dive deep into the caves of Sinnoh and uncover the many secrets, histories, and treasures within.

This change in setting does mean that there are notable gameplay changes too. The newest feature is that, as a trainer, you will also need to be protected while exploring within the caves. That adds an extra level of difficulty as even a single move can bring you down like the squishy human that you are. Of course, there also many additional options that more than make up for this weakness, but we'll allow you to discover those on your own.

One of the more interesting features that I will mention is that you will be interacting with many of the usual cast from the mainline games, and as you advance in status and reputation, you may be able to invite prominent trainers to join you in your expeditions. There's a whole new base building feature now as well, and the game as a whole is a lot more open than previous titles.

I know many of you are still reeling from the difficulty of the Gauntlet Mode of the Tri-Regional Tournament, so perhaps this would make a good distraction from the usual grind. No need to burn yourself out!

Honestly, I think this game is amazing, though there are a few flaws that I won't mention here. How are you guys all finding the game? Let us know in the comments below!

Comments

NoGameNoLife

Honestly, this is a sight for sore eyes. I still haven't managed to beat the Gauntlet yet without save scumming – RNG is just not on my side with my choice of partners. I both love and hate the fact that this is the Gauntlet Mode is the game for everyone to Nuzlocke now.

I haven't played much of the new game so far, but I'm really enjoying what I've seen so far. I thought escorting 'myself' would be annoying, but you get so many more companions this time round that it more than makes up for it. In some ways this game feels like a strategy game with how you have to manage your Pokémon. It's a nice change to the formula!

LocalEGirl

I LOVE MONSTER HOUSES I LOVE MONSTER HOUSES I LOVE MONSTERS HOUSES I LOVE MONSTER HOUSES I LOVE MONSTER HOUSES

I LOVE IT WHEN YOU'RE ABOUT TO REACH THE EXIT AND THEY DROP TWO ON YOU BACK-TO-BACK AND THEN YOU INSTA-DIE. VERY FUN.

GitGud

Git Gud.

You aren't scouting enough with your Pokémon. Gotta bring a few Psychic Types to make sure they can detect hidden threats.

MadCuzBad

Yeah well that didn't help when a Zoroark suddenly appeared out of nowhere and one shot me. You can't detect THOSE with Psychic Types. They're a huge pain in the ass.

BackseatGamer

You should have grinded some easier missions to level up your reputation so that you can bring in better companions. Better companions like veteran explorers will alert you to any upcoming traps, so you'll have a better chance of dealing with Zoroark and Monster Houses.

Also, anyone have any thoughts on the story – I think it's pretty decent, but so far nothing has reached the highs of Explorers of Sky.

LocalEGirl

Well if they managed that then this game would easily be best Pokémon game of the year.

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[Pokémon Mystery Dungeon – The Legendary Delve. Who are the best companions?!]

So for those who have put some time into the game, you will know just how valuable the companion system is for anyone trying to explore in the higher difficulty caves. But with how grindy it is to farm reputation, its very difficult to actually bring in the top level companions to accompany you – most of whom are familiar faces from the mainline games. And if you played the Gauntlet Mode, then you're definitely going to be very familiar with who they are.

Each companion obviously has their own strengths and weaknesses, but anyone know who's the best to recruit out of all of them?

Comments

MadCuzBad

I don't give a fuck if John is good or not. I'm not recruiting him. The bastard has taunted me so much in both the main game and the DLC that I'm never going to get him as a companion.

Fuck him.

GitGud

You do realise that if you don't recruit John, you're basically locking yourself out from recruiting Cynthia, right? Just like in the Gauntlet Mode, they come in a pair (which really cements that fan theory that they're a couple. Damn.)

And they're both individually really strong. Cynthia especially, since she's basically the owner of the Research Centre. She's pretty much maxed out in all skills, but too bad she's never available to explore because she's always busy being a Champion. Still, excellent companion, even if she's basically autonomous.

MadCuzBad

I don't give a fuck. The PTSD when I see their faces is too much.

BackseatGamer

DO NOT TRY TO RECRUIT AGATHA! SHE WILL SAY YES AND THEN JUST NOT COME! DO NOT DO IT!

GitGud

…Dude, why would you try to bring old Agatha into a CAVE?! The fuck?

LocalEGirl

I mean, you can bring Drake, and he's just as old. Although you're right in that he's generally shown as far more energetic and lively than Agatha, so I guess its not the same. Agatha looks really frail and generally unsuited for the rigors of cave exploration.

Actually, now that I think of it, I think Drake is an excellent high-level recruit. He's basically firepower incarnate. He doesn't have any skills that help you detect traps or treasures, but he's unstoppable in a fight. So monster houses aren't a problem anymore.

NoGameNoLife

Wait, I'm not too far in the game yet because I had foolishly decided to waste more time with the Gauntlet Mode. But how do you make these high level recruits besides the reputation requirement?

I don't mind spoilers.

BackseatGamer

Depends on the person, as each of them has different requirements. For the 'high level recruits', I'll give some examples for the more popular ones. I'll be assuming you meet the reputation requirements.

For John, you need to have found the Icicle Plate ruins and discuss it with him. You don't need to have cleared that entire section, you just have to reach the ruins and invite him to join you. You also need to have a high friendship level with him. I suggest buying his Moomoo milk to help him set up another branch office for his Moomoo milk business to get some quick friendship levels.

For Cynthia, you need to have befriended John and have found the Icicle Plate with him as a companion. Once that happens, John will automatically invite Cynthia. Unlike with others, you cannot actually ask Cynthia to join you. Instead, she will go on her own expeditions, and you will be given the option to join her. Note that you will not have control over your destination or companions on a Cynthia-led expedition.

For Drake, you have to also develop your trainer rank alongside your reputation and win enough battles in Hoenn to catch his attention. Once you do, challenge him to a fight, and if you impress him enough he'll hear you out. You can use this opportunity to invite him.

For Agatha, it's the same process as for Drake, but you just have to do it in Indigo. BUT! You can't actually invite Agatha, as she will say yes but simply not join you (as I learnt the hard way). Instead, if you manage to invite Agatha, she'll send Karen in her place after some time has passed, so its not entirely a wasted effort.

I won't say too much more, part of the fun is discovering how to recruit them!

SpeedRunner

Fair warning! If you bring ANY companions to one of the important story missions, they WILL affect your decisions and your character's actions. MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!

For example, if you take John into the Icicle Plate mission, you will be FORCED to give up the Plate to the Research Centre, where they will undergo research for you. You cannot keep hold of it like you otherwise could if you didn't bring him along.

MadCuzBad

So John's a pain in the ass here too! I KNEW IT!

A.N. I saw that you guys enjoyed the last Ingame Snippet, and so I had some inspiration and wrote this up! This is like a pseudo part 2 for the last Tournament snippet, but this time with a different focus! As always, don't take this too seriously, and I hope you enjoyed it!

Also, there is a bonus chapter that is exclusive to Questionable Questing. As the chapter is heavily NSFW, I won't be publishing it here to respect the rules. But, if you're interested, please head over to Questionable Questing. Thanks!

And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!