I hate myself for this joke...
| Rio POV |
Good news, I managed to wrestle Nemona away from the weird pink Pikachu.
Don't call me a hypocrite, my pink promises death, it's pink makes it look like a state fair stall reward that you get scammed fifty bucks for, before the guy manning the game feels bad and just gives it to you.
Bad news, I felt the ground shake, twice.
RUMBLE.
Thrice. Now I really hoped that this is just mother nature waking up with that distinct morning grumpiness, buuttt...
[New Quest Unlocked: Monsterverse Brawl]
Objective:
Stop the waking kaiju
Optional:
Look cool while doing it. (Moderate chance of success.)
Rewards:
+6000 EXP
+2 rare items
Unlock new title: "Godzilla Hunter"
Yeah, apparently I'm supposed to stop Groudon, And looking at my stats...
[Name:] Rio
[Race:] Lucario (Enhanced)
[Nature:] Adamant
[Level:] 30
[Abilities:]
Prince of Curses (boost to cursed technique DMG and speed of learning)
Inner Focus (prevents flinching)
Prankster (priority to status moves)
Anticipation (senses foe's move)
[Move Set:] Hidden
[Stats:]
HP: 90
Attack: 163
Defense: 110
Sp. Atk: 70
Sp. Def: 89
Speed: 172
Eh, honestly I could take him... Who would have known that terrorizing the Paldea Pokémon population would have power levelled me so much.
Better yet, I have a couple IV points I can dump to directly boost any stat by thirty points... Should not have made the stat system retroactive, see how broken you made me in later levels? Not that I'm complaining, but still.
The real question is: do I want more oomph or more zoom?
Defense? Out of the question.
For them to deal damage, they'd have to hit me.And for them to hit me, they'd already be on such a level that whatever I do doesn't matter—I'd lose anyway.So defense is just decoration at that point.
Which means...
All four points into Attack.
That's a 120-point boost.
Forget Fighting-type moves. Forget Steel-type moves. Forget anything fancy.
My casual slap could delete a mountain.
And with Prankster, I could throw up a Taunt or Swords Dance before Groudon even decides to be angry.
[Stat Change Confirmed!]
Attack_IV: 3 → 7
Attack: 163 → 283
I feel heavy now. Not the bad kind of heavy—the kind of heavy that makes the air bend when you move. The kind that makes birds shut up when you walk by.
Nemona is still talking in the background. Something about double battles. Something about posing for victory shots.
I stretch my arms. Roll my neck. Feel the weight of my aura like a pressure suit.Yeah. I could take him.
... probably.
Oh who am I trying to deceive, that poor oversized iguana won't stand a chance.
Still, even with the numbers, I'd rather not throw hands with a walking natural disaster unless I absolutely have to. Groudon is less "final boss" and more "terrain-altering deity with anger issues." And considering Hoenn's current state, I'm starting to think it's not just waking up—it's pissed.
Nemona, meanwhile, is practically vibrating with excitement beside me.
Nemona: "Did you feel that?! That's gotta be a legendary, right?!"
"...Yes. And no, you can't catch it."
Nemona: "I wasn't gonna try!"
I give her a look.
Nemona: "Okay maybe I thought about it a little..."
Another rumble, this one with more of a crack to it. Something miles off just split. I glance behind us, toward the jet far away into the distance. Still en route, slow and safe. Everyone else is probably still playing cards in the air-conditioned death trap.
Must be nice.
I look back ahead. Nue lets out a low, rumbling screech—a warning. I trust that more than any seismic reading.
Whatever's coming? It's not just big. It's awake.
I pull open my quest log.
[Monsterverse Brawl]
Progress: 0%
Optional Bonus: Still look cool.
I sigh.
"Hey Nue," I mutter, "how do you feel about getting into a literal god-fight today?"
The lightning bird shrieks in something between exasperation and bloodthirsty joy.
Figures.
Nemona leans over.
Nemona: "Ooh, ooh! Is this the part where we team up to take down a legendary together?!"
"No. This is the part where I try not to do something dumb and end up eating dirt, and you stay the hell back."
Nemona: "So it's a team-up!"
...
This is going to be a long chapter.
Or a great place for a cliff hanger?
Wonder how Combusken is doing, Hope she's not out there fighting the physical manifestation of a pissed off volcano.
(To be continued)
MC: You know you said her name like… eight times, right?
Listen. I want people to remember exactly who we're dealing with, so when she chucks out a Goodra, forces a Mega Evolution into existence, and has it kamehameha Groudon from the inside, we all just nod and go "yeah, checks out."
MC: …Can it even do that?
Don't question lunatics with a battle pass and no moral brakes. That's how you die.