Pokémon A Porygon's Guide to Dungeon Items

[Spiteful Murkrow]

Huh. A story based off of the setting of the canonical PMD games. I didn’t realize that you actually had one of those. Though I’ve always been a sucker for these ‘dex-style projects, since that’s actually what I cut my teeth on for Pokémon fan work before I moved into PBP RPing and then eventually writing out-and-out fanfic.

I had actually intended to read this story in last year’s Review Blitz… which didn’t exactly pan out thanks to getting lost in the shuffle thanks to “too many stories, too little time” in action. Though I suppose that now’s as good a time as any to rectify that on my part:

Introduction

Huh. I actually wasn’t expecting the OP to contain a little bit that’s actually written from an in-universe perspective. It’s definitely a neat framing device to make the table of contents feel like it actually came from a book in the narrator’s world.

Spoiler

Every year, the number of Mystery Dungeons grows. It has become increasingly difficult to travel without having to pass through at least one. As is in the name, what causes these dungeons to form is still a mystery. And because they ignore the natural laws of the world, it makes it hard to research their nature. We could spend days presenting our theories about their nature, about what caused the dungeon’s creation, and for what reason they expand, but that is not what you’re here for.

Oh, well that’s totally not ominous at all for the future of your take on Canonworld there. Though I wonder if PWCH’s setting is also undergoing a constant uptick in the number of Mystery Dungeons as well, or if that’s particular to the universe of this Item Guide.

If you’ve picked up this book, the odds are that you are a traveler that may have to pass through Mystery Dungeons in your trade. Or else you have some other reason for entering dungeons. Whether you’re a rescuer, an explorer, a harvester, law enforcement, or you have some other reason for entering the dangerous labyrinths, knowledge of dungeon items can save your life. Whatever reason you may have, you must be prepared for the danger that lies inside. Carrying equipment is one of the many parts of preparation.

Could’ve fooled me with the steady stream of shin-kickers that need to be rescued in the games. I take it that a lot of them must skip the “read a guide” step before diving in.

But as you know, there are many pieces of equipment that can be found within dungeons. And when you can only carry so much, sometimes you may be forced to choose between picking up different items you find within the dungeon. But how can you choose, if you don’t recognize one of the items?

Ah yes, I suppose this would explain why people fall for the lookalike items from Sky both in and out of universe. Though it makes sense, especially if literacy in the author’s world is shakier than in real life.

I, Alex, Porygon unit #00201304 have compiled a guide in hopes of helping you identify these items, so that you may make better-informed decisions. This guide also includes information on uses both within and outside of dungeons, as well as information on where they can commonly be found. We will go through berries, seeds, food, concoctions, scarves and bands, spectacles, flags, looplets, orbs, wands, and emeras. Items that only affect certain pokemon types, such as defend globes, or only certain families, such as luxray fangs, will not be covered in this book, and instead are covered in their own volume, due to the sheer number of these items, as well as their relative rarity.

>and instead are covered in their own volume

If you ever complete this Item Guide to your satisfaction, that would definitely be a fun sequel to see. Since the Sky species-specific items don’t get an awful lot of play in the fandom. Not that being exclusive to one (1) game in the franchise really helped them.

To begin, we will talk about one of the most common types of items: berries.

Ah yes, just what every explorer needs to see while suffering from hunger inna-dungeon and hastily consulting this guide for what to do.

Measures - the primary unit of length measurement. Translates roughly to one meter.

Cutiefly Measures - a smaller measurement of length. Translates roughly to one centimeter.

Oh, you’re even using in-setting units. That’s some nice attention to detail for worldbuilding there. Makes me wonder what the weight and volume measurements of Alex’s world will be called.

1.1.1 - 1.1.3

The berry doodle there is pretty cute. Is that official art? Or something that you drew for this piece?

Spoiler

1.1: Basic Berries

Along with reviver seeds, escape orbs, and a few other items, the berries in this section are items that are essential to the everyday traveler. These berries — with one exception — have some sort of healing property, with no drawbacks. Depending on the type of berry, they may restore your health or stamina, or they may help heal more specialized issues, such as burns or poisoning. Others may help you resist falling asleep or freezing over. Before heading out on any journey, be certain to pack healing and energizing berries, as well as berries to help protect against any adverse ailments aggravated pokemon or the dungeons might throw at you.

Ah, so these are the HP and status berries that we all know and love from PMD and promptly ignore in mainline outside of very niche applications. Duly noted.

It is worth mentioning that most berries can be fermented into various wines, though this is of little help within dungeons, and more often a hindrance, so this guide will not go into details of the process and will leave it at little more than this note.

Ah, I see you made a little nod to that berry wine piece you brought up from your preamble. Cute. :V

Throughout this section, you may see us refer to these berries as both “basic” berries and “utility” berries. Both of these classifications are accurate, but due to the out-of-battle utility of type-based berries (section 1.3) causing confusion, “basic berries” is the more commonly used name.

Huh. I wonder what the meta story is behind the ambiguous terminology for these berries. Though you can’t say that it’s not true to reality.

1.1.1: Oran Berry

Overview

When packing for a trip into a dungeon, every pokemon must be certain to prepare accordingly. And sometimes, one must make tough decisions as to what items to pack along. Every item has its use, after all. And some items may be more useful in one dungeon than they are in another. But there are a few items that are recommended when traveling to any dungeon.

The oran berry is one of those items.

I mean, technically Sitrus Berries would do the job better, but those also tend to be pretty rare, so… yeah, Oran Berries it is for those inna-dungeon patch jobs.

Oran berries are small, round, blue berries, measuring about three cutiefly measures across. Their skin is fairly thick and pocked, with a thin, almost-white pith separating the skin and the edible part. The inside of the fruit is an even darker blue and typically divided into eight wedges. These wedges are quite firm but can be squeezed for juice.

Ah, so it’s almost literally a blue orange in composition, huh? I mean, I suppose it is all in the name.

Despite popular myth, oran berries are not at all sweet and have a surprisingly smooth flavor. In fact, if you bite an oran berry and it tastes sweet, it’s recommended that you spit it out immediately, as it may be the toxic oren berry. For more information on oren berries, see section 1.1.11.

I suppose that would explain a thing or two about why Pokémon get suckered into eating Oren Berries, especially if they genuinely (at first) taste better than actual Oran Berries.

Useful as both a healing item or a quick energy boost in a pinch, this guide highly recommends bringing at least one oran berry in dungeons less than ten divisions, and at least one per party member in larger dungeons.

I wonder if ‘divisions’ ought to have been brought up in your story glossary at all. Like I presume that that’s supposed to be the equivalent of in-game floors in Alex’s world, but it technically isn’t a canonical term, and might be worth explaining given that it’s a standardized-ish measure for a Mystery Dungeon in its own right.

Uses

The most common use of an oran berry in dungeons is for healing. Oran berries are known to help influence a pokemon’s natural healing ability and will begin to close minor wounds only moments after being ingested. A single oran berry can still help the healing process for more serious injuries, including - though not limited to - broken bones and large gashes. However, these injuries often take more than one oran berry to heal, and often take hours, or even days, depending on the severity of the wound.

I mean, yeah. That would make sense, since we know from franchise canon that there are some injuries that you can’t just spam healing items or moves to make go away like the lingering wounds Arven’s Mabosstiff has in S/V.

Caution should also be taken when healing broken bones. If the injury is not properly set before being healed, one runs the risk of the bone healing wrong. If you are in a dungeon and have broken a bone or some other serious injury, this guide recommends using an escape orb and seeking medical attention immediately.

Also sensible, too. Since attempting to go through a Mystery Dungeon with broken bones if you don’t absolutely have to sounds like an absolutely cursed idea.

If a pokemon cannot eat an oran berry for whatever reason, the fruit can be mashed up into a poultice and applied directly to the wound. Though not as useful on closed wounds or internal injuries, this method can be more effective on large or gaping wounds, as applying the juices directly to the injury allows its healing properties to work on just that part of the body. You should still seek medical attention as soon as possible, but this method can be lifesaving in a pinch.

Oh hey, that’s definitely familiar. Even if this particular take has always made sense to me since the first time I saw someone roll with this depiction. Since hey, if Potions could be topically applied, it only seemed to make sense that berries that would likely share active components with them would also be usable in a similar fashion.

Due to the abundance of oran berries, they are sometimes used as simple pick-me-ups, energizing a pokemon so that they can work longer. They are also sometimes used in cooking, most often in glazes. Between the energy boost and their healing properties, eating one just before a fight can sometimes be advantageous.

I actually wonder if in Alex’s world if Oran Berries come in mainline and PMD-spec flavors, or if the local variety / breed / whatever is just one of those flat +100 HP berries. I think the implication is that it’s the second route given that Alex’s notes here are alluding to the overhealing that you can do in the games with Oran Berries, but it’s something to consider.

Locations

As one of the heartiest berries, orans can be found almost anywhere, natively growing on all known continents. However, they tend to thrive the most in warm, humid climates. As a result, you’re most likely to find them growing wild in lush forest or jungle areas. Sometimes they can be found lying around in mystery dungeons, blown away from the trees by dungeon winds. Finding entire trees in dungeons is uncommon, but if you do find one, you shouldn’t let the opportunity to harvest a few go to waste.

Also in bucolic villages with dark secrets by the field-full, can't forget about those there.

As they are so easy to grow, there are whole fields of the berries grown on most continents. Due to both the relative abundance, and the fact that these berries are a staple in most dungeon diver’s toolkits, many of these orchards partner with the Kecleon Trading Company to sell them at a very low, reasonable price ranging from 25 to 100 poke, depending on how close the local branch is to an orchard. If you live near an orchard, you may be able to purchase berries directly from them for a discounted price.

Whelp, I suppose that that’s the firm reminder that this is not set in PWCH’s setting, since unless if it changed in the last 3 chapters, I’m pretty sure that its world did not have a Kecleon merchant cartel in it. Or at least not one that was depicted on-screen yet.

Wild trees can be identified by the pale peach color of the leaves. The oran berry tree sprouts pale white flowers with four petals prior to producing fruit. These flowers are typically a little more than half the length of an oran berry. Still, one must be careful to not accidentally harvest oren berries instead. We will go over how to distinguish the two in section 1.1.11.

Oh right, Oran Berry bushes were indeed depicted with peach leaves back in the sprite-based games. Kinda a shame that detail didn’t survive into the 3D games, since the Amazing Technicolor Flora is a nice complement to the Amazing Technicolor Fauna of a Pokémon world.

1.1.2: Sitrus Berry

Overview

A relative to the oran berry, sitrus berries are a much more powerful alternative, at the cost of being rarer, and as a result, more expensive. If an oran berry takes hours to heal something, the sitrus berry takes less than half as long, and heals much more effectively. If you’re heading into a large, dangerous dungeon, sitrus berries are a must.

I can already hear a hundred Explorers wincing in advance once they see the price tags on those things. I suppose being cheap with one’s loadout would also explain a thing or two about that steady stream of rescue missions that pop up in-game.

Almost three times the size of an oran berry, the sitrus berry is about nine cutiefly measures long on average. The sitrus berry can be identified by its firm, bumpy yellow skin and its shape. It is fat and ovular, with a second ovular growth at one end. On the other end, it curves inward to a shallow point. When cut open, one will find that the rind is very thick, making up about half of the inner fruit. Although quite hard, this rind can be cooked down and eaten (see uses).

I actually wonder, but are these cross-section depictions for these berries based off of appearances in official media? Or did you cook these up on your own. Since they’re definitely very detailed.

Unlike the oran berry, the fruit part produces very little juice, though it can still be processed that way. Although the flavor is overall smooth, it is less tangy than the oran. Fortunately, there are no known lookalike berries for the sitrus, making it overall safe to eat when finding one, provided that it has not grown rotten.

I wonder if that also implies that it’s harder to make a poultice out of a Sitrus Berry. Which I suppose would gel with it being a rarer and more potent healing berry.

Uses

For the most part, the sitrus berry shares the same uses as the oran berry, so we will decline to repeat ourselves. However, the sitrus berry does a much better job of healing, taking less time to begin and healing much more quickly and efficiently. As a result, sitrus berries are almost always recommended over orans for serious injury, so long as you can get ahold of them. They’re often purchased in great quantities in rural hospitals that don’t have dedicated healing pokemon.

I’m surprised that they wouldn’t just opt for more Oran Berries for the cost differential, though I suppose that for the truly bad cases that roll in, that healing time is a non-trivial consideration to be had for what berry to mash up in the poultice.

Also of note is that their juice is sometimes used to treat mild nausea. Though, due to their use for other healing reasons, this has slowly been phased out.

Huh, I wonder if that implies that the general supply of Sitrus Berries is constrained or else has undergone price distortions thanks to them becoming staples at hospitals. Since the fact that an entire use case for them is being phased out would imply that there aren’t enough Sitrus Berries to go around for them, or else that it’s economically impractical to use Sitrus juice to treat nausea in the present day.

So, if sitrus berries seem to be better in every conceivable way, why are they recommended less often than orans?

Part of it comes down to cost as a result of demand and relative rarity. Depending on where you live, the cost of sitrus berries can range anywhere from 50 to more than 100 times the price of orans. And even with their miracle healing capabilities, there can be situations where an oran is recommended. For example, consider the warning about broken bones in 1.1.11. An injury that would take several hours and many doses of orans would only take one or two sitrus berries but runs the risk of permanent damage if not set right. In this case, orans are recommended for their energy restoration, as they will not heal the whole injury, but can provide enough energy to get out of a bad situation.

I completely forgot that Sitrus Berries went for like 2000+ Poké a pop in the actual games. Though I suppose we did get an answer to the whole ‘why we don’t use Sitrus to treat nausea anymore’ question. Since… yeah, that’s definitely overkill for treating an upset stomach.

Despite the relative expense, sitrus berries are occasionally used in food items. In particular, the thick rind can be candied, creating a sweet treat. Sometimes, it’s cooked down into a jam. And even though it provides little juice, it can be juiced for a drink. Some health drinks actually use a few drops of sitrus juice to promote growth in a pokemon’s natural energy.

I suppose that would be one way to tell that you’ve strolled into a swanky restaurant given that Sitrus being on the menu would be a sign that the proprietors and customers have money to burn.

Locations

With a much more limited growing range than the oran berry, sitrus berries end up much harder to come by, and much more expensive as a result, ranging from 2000 to 4000 poke. Sitrus berries grow best in the foothills of the Grass and Water continents, leading to cheaper prices there, particularly inland.

I’m assuming that you based this off of the sale prices for Sitrus Berries in the canonical games (which is some neat attention to detail if that’s indeed what this is based off of), though if so, I’m a little surprised that Alex didn’t mention the Mist Continent at all given that Sitrus Berries also sold for 2000 Poké a pop in GtI.

Sitrus trees can be identified by their pale lavender leaves. When in bloom, they produce small, round, white flowers.

Ah yes, more sprite game appearances. Though to be fair, they look cooler than normal green leaves anyways, so good enough.

As for mystery dungeons, there are very few where sitrus trees have been found growing. Specifically, they have been found in the dangerous Purity Forest. Besides that, there have been reports of finding them within Wish Cave and Joyous Tower, but these reports have yet to be verified, due to the strong distortion of these dungeons making safe traveling difficult.

Yeeeeeeeeah, I’ll heavily take the under on anyone actually managing to successfully do harvest runs going to those places.

They can also sometimes just be found lying loose or even buried within dungeons, such as Gooey Bog, but due to the climate of these locations, the leading theory is that these are items that were left behind by pokemon that had been expelled from the dungeon.

Oh, so the yeeting winds are indeed a thing in Alex’s setting. Nice integration of gameplay mechanics there.

1.1.3: Cheri Berry

Overview

Though paralysis may not be the most dangerous ailment, it is still a major cause for concern. Becoming paralyzed in a dungeon makes one an easy target for ferals and can be a death sentence when traveling solo. As such, it is recommended to always carry at least one cure for paralysis, and the cheri berry just happens to be the cheapest option. That said, how much it will set you back will depend, again, on location. More on that below.

I mean, you could just walk it off like in the more modern PMD games… though I suppose “being a cheapskate” would be a pretty embarrassing cause of death.

Cheri berries are one of the smallest berries, measuring only a meager two cutiefly measures on average. They grow in singles off of branching, curly vines that are bright green. They are relatively soft and have a thin skin and can easily be squished. Please be careful and do not put them in the bottom of the bag, or you may end up with a sticky mess and no berries in an emergency.

Huh. I’m surprised that the flesh/juices of a Cheri Berry wouldn’t also be usable for consumption. Though I suppose that if you’ve squished them into the fabric of a bag, that they’d in all likelihood have dried out by the time one noticed it.

A lesser known fact of the cheri berry is that there are, in fact, two varieties. First, there is the typical green-leafed kind, which is the more common, spicier variety. This type has a bright red skin, and their trees are known to blossom with small, white flowers in the spring. The second variety can be identified by their blue leaves and darker skin. With a milder taste, this variety of cheri berry is often candied and used as a treat. Blue cheri plants blossom with pale pink flowers. For dungeoneering purposes, either type works, but the bright variety is more common.

Huh, I didn’t realize that Cheri Berry bushes had a leaf color retcon in between Gen 3 and 4. Though the idea of them belonging to different cultivars is a neat way of justifying the existence of both in a setting.

Uses

There are two typical types of paralysis: spore-based paralysis, which involves a pokemon breathing in or absorbing spores, and electrical paralysis, which involves the body seizing up after taking a charge of electricity. Cheri berries can be used to treat both.

Huh. I wonder what about their properties allows them to work on both effectively. Aside from the obvious of “they just do” from the games.

When eaten, a single cheri berry is usually potent enough to shake off the effects of either type of paralysis. However, applying the juice to the part of the body that was exposed to spores or to that was struck by the electrical attack works as well, albeit a bit slower. In either case, and especially if spores are inhaled or if an electricity-dependent pokemon (such as porygon or beldum) is struck by a stronger than usual electric charge, please consult with a doctor as soon as possible, as the long-term effects can be serious.

I mean, I hadn’t considered the possibility of “getting paralyzed in spite of typing” being a serious complication, but…

It is also worth mentioning that concentrated cheri juice is occasionally used as a muscle relaxer, but the details of that are not something that will be covered in this text.

>muscle relaxer

I do hope that that’s not also in the same sense that sugar free gummi bears can be used as a muscle relaxer. Though I suppose there’s a reason why Alex didn’t dwell on the topic much if so.

As mentioned before, milder cheri berries are often candied, though sometimes they are used as a topping to give desserts a kick.

That must make for some weird ice cream sundaes in a Pokémon world. Imagine eating the cherry from a sundae and then having your mouth feel like it’s on fire.

Locations:

The cheri berry is a seasonal berry, typically harvested during the summer. However, it fortunately lasts for a very long time, and can be cooked into preserves without losing too much of its healing capabilities. That said, fresh is always preferred over preserved whenever possible, since cheri preserves include other ingredients like sugar and cannot be used externally.

Huh. Are Cheri Berries being seasonal based on actual cherries? Or from something else?

Despite being harvested during the hot season, cheri berry plants grow best in climates where it gets cold during the winter. As a result, they are mostly grown on the Water and Mist continents, with the Sand continent in particular having no major orchards. However, plants have been spotted within at least a few mystery dungeons on every continent. Within the Sand continent, the Holey Meadow and Apex Mountain have both had bushes spotted inside the distortion in the past, but due to the danger level of these locations, we do not recommend visiting these dungeons for the sole purpose of finding free berries.

As with the oran and sitrus berries, the price of these berries will vary by location. The Sand continent is where they will cost the most, with prices in all continents ranging from 12 to 80 poke. Historically, due to the particular climate these berries thrive in, costs were even higher, with the highest known price being recorded as 120 poke on the Air continent. Since then, advancements in growing techniques have lowered the cost significantly in most areas. If searching for large quantities, we recommend placing a special order through the Kecleon Trading Company, but for smaller quantities, you may be able to find cheaper prices from dungeon foraging teams.

That actually makes me curious if there are any berries out there that are sufficiently valuable to actually justify dungeon delving in order to harvest them. Like obviously, Chery Berries aren’t, but…

1.1.4 - 1.1.7

Spoiler

1.1.4 Chesto Berry

Overview

One of the less commonly expected injuries during rescue work involves being snuck up on while sleeping. Many teams will stay awake on the job as long as possible in hopes of avoiding such a rookie injury. Unfortunately, this often leads to careless mistakes that a more alert explorer would have noticed. From this need to stay awake came the rise of chesto berry farming.

I can already tell that these things are popular among students cramming for exams. Assuming that there’s institutions of learning that hand out exams in PMD Canonworld.

At an average of eight cutiefly measures long, chesto berries fall in the small to medium size range. They can be easily identified by their bluish-purple shell, and by the bit of pale-white flesh that sticks out from where they are removed from the stem. Each side comes to an almost point, and the shell ends with a small nub. Chesto berries are known for being very firm and dry, but despite how tough they are, the entire berry can be consumed.

I’m now picturing the Tootsie Pop owl commercial, but with a Chesto Berry.

As a note, the chesto berry should not be confused with a chestnut. Although the two have very similar names, and likely evolved from the same plant eons ago, chestnuts are known to be sweet and have no known secondary effect.

I mean, they’ll occasionally sucker Mankey into doing hard labor for you? That counts as a secondary effect, right? o<o

Uses

The chesto berry is a stimulant, of sorts; ingesting it can cause a pokemon to remain sleepless. It seems to work both for natural causes of sleep and for unnatural causes such as hypnosis or a sleep powder. As such, chestos are an invaluable tool when traveling in any dungeon where pokemon with sleep-inducing abilities have been sighted. The length of its effect depends on the size and metabolism of the pokemon that ate it. For example, a snorlax would have to eat at least a dozen to get the same effect that a pikachu would get from one. It’s also worth mentioning that pokemon that are known to be insomniacs will not notice any effects unless their insomnia has been suppressed.

The size difference thing is a nice touch even if it obviously gets glossed by the games. Though it makes sense since the relative dosage of one Chesto Berry would obviously hit a morbidly obese bear just shy of 7 feet tall differently than a 1’4” electric rat.

Even a pokemon that’s already fallen asleep can be revived by a chesto berry. However, as they are unable to eat it in this state, it must first be ground down into a powder. This powder should then be applied to whatever breathing apparatus their species might have. For pokemon like beldum or magnemite, apply it somewhere where the powder can get into their inner workings to have an effect. This is the only way these kinds of pokemon can use chesto berries, though they can take a pre-dose as a preventative.

Applying that powder to mouthless Pokémon sounds like it must be a giant pain. Though that makes me wonder if Chesto powder or extracts in general could be applied ocularly for such Pokémon.

Or I suppose you could snort it as a powder and cook up some really awkward-looking / “totally not doing cocaine” imagery when ingesting it that way.

Outside of dungeons, some pokemon will use chesto berries to stay awake for one reason or another. Sometimes, the powder is applied to food or drink, but due to the dry flavor of chesto berries, it can cause some drinks to become more bitter. As well, over-dosage can happen on rare occasions, and precautions should be taken to avoid that.

… Actually, what does happen in the event of a Chesto overdose? Since now that Alex mentions it, it does sound like a scenario that an Explorer should probably be aware of dealing with in the field. Especially if they’ve been playing fast and loose with their Chesto stash.

Less commonly, chesto berries are sometimes preserved in syrup or sugar, or canned. This does not adversely affect their sleep preventing abilities, but it will limit the way they can be eaten.

Ah yes, kinda like eating a chocolate-covered coffee bean.

Locations

Chesto berries grow best in cooler climates that get a steady amount of rain year-round. They’re one of the fastest-growing berries and can be harvested at almost any time of year, but due to the fact that young growth is susceptible to frost, it is not recommended to begin growing a crop in winter. Chesto plants also tend to bloom late in the season, so a late frost can mean losing an entire batch. Full sunlight is also a factor in their growth, which is why the Mist continent struggles to grow abundant crops. The Air and Water continents have perhaps the biggest orchards, due to their great growing climate.

Huh. I didn’t realize that Gates had the freakishly expensive Chesto Berries in the franchise, though I suppose that explains why you depicted them as needing constant sun and no frosts.

Even with these growing hazards in mind, the wide use of chesto berries has caused them to be grown more than almost any berry other than orans. With such a large supply and competitive supplier market, cost has been driven decently low. The Mist, Air and Water continents have some of the cheapest prices, with prices having reached as low as 12 poke. The Sand continent, on the other hand, suffers from the price of importing, and has seen prices as high as 50. The Grass continent tends to land somewhere in the middle.

That should be ‘Mist’ if you’re strictly basing things on the games, since they were 50 Poké a pop in Gates. Not that it wouldn’t logically make sense that a berry adapted for cooler climates would struggle to grow in a continent that’s almost entirely a desert.

When looking for bushes in the wild, the chesto bush can bush can be identified by its bright pink leaves and white flowers. Unfortunately, this description is very similar to the oran berry, but it is important to note chesto leaves are a more vibrant pink, and their flowers are larger.

Actually, I’m curious now, but are the berry bushes in PWCH’s setting also based off of their pre-Gen VI appearances? If so, Theran and other agricultural villages must be sights to behold come harvest time.

1.1.5 Pecha Berry

Overview

Although there are several hindering ailments that could cause you trouble in a dungeon, poison is perhaps the deadliest. Unlike most other ailments, poison will not go away on its own. Left untreated for too long, poison can cause permanent damage to the body, or even death. Although there are a handful of treatments available, including heal seeds and the coveted reviver seed, the cheapest and easiest treatment available comes in the form of the pecha berry.

Yeeeeeeeeah, considering some of the ‘dex entries out there, untreated poisonings being a big deal™ definitely makes sense as being a dynamic among Pokémon.

At only four cutiefly measures long, pecha berries are known for being relatively small. Pecha berries can be easily recognized by their heart shape and pink, spotted skin. The skin is covered in soft, thin fuzz. Extremely soft to the touch, pecha flesh is juicy and just slightly sweet. The inside has a pinkish-yellow color, similar in color to the outside splotches. It is important to note that there is no pit inside, and instead only a small seed.

I sure hope that Pecha seeds aren’t like IRL peach seeds. Otherwise, that’s a deeply ironic hazard lurking in the middle of your antivenom berry.

At some point in history, it is believed that the pecha berry was closely related to the peach, a fruit with mild healing properties. Interestingly though, besides the effects being weak, peaches had one other big problem: the pit, which took up the majority of the fruit, was poisonous. It is speculated that through years and years of selective breeding, the pecha berry was derived from this fruit, strengthening the anti-toxin properties while also shrinking the pit. As it stands, the pecha berry only has a single small seed in the middle, which is nowhere near as dangerous as its supposed ancestor.

I was going to say that it’d take over a dozen peach seeds to get a person into the danger zone for cyanide poisoning, but then I remembered Alex’s readerbase in-setting aren't human and that a nontrivial portion of it would have sufficiently low body mass that just eating one would be dangerous for them. I suppose that would explain the language he employs in this paragraph.

Uses

Every toxin is different. Some are only poisonous if inhaled, like a bulbasaur’s poison powder. Others, like the poison of a sludge attack, can be absorbed through the skin. Depending on the severity of the poison, it may only take contact on the skin, or it may have to enter through cuts and abrasions. Regardless, it is important to wash off any poisonous residue as soon as possible.

The third, and possibly most dangerous type of poison comes in the form of the venom that several pokemon produce. Injected directly into the bloodstream, this type of poisoning can kill much faster in some cases. Although an anti-venom can be derived, pechas are known to cure all types. Still, it is wise to visit a healer as soon as possible, even after using a pecha, to make sure all toxins have been dealt with.

That actually makes me wonder if Pechas have to be applied differently depending on the method of poisoning for optimal effects or not.

Like most of the basic berries, pechas are typically most useful when ingested. However, in the case of venom injections, applying pecha juice to the entry wound can help in a pinch, since it allows the berry’s healing juices to enter the bloodstream directly, hopefully counteracting the venom. Eating the berry is still recommended, however.

Oh, there we go. Though yeah, I figured that different vectors of poisoning would mean different methods of treatment would be most effective with a Pecha Berry.

Despite being primarily used for medicinal purposes, pechas are still often used in cooking. Due to their sweet nature, they are often used for baking sweet dishes. They can also be canned and preserved for later use, extending their shelf life at the cost of some effectiveness.

That actually makes me wonder if Pecha drinks have any antivenom properties, or if they’d be too diluted to be effective.

Though uncommon, sometimes the wood of a pecha plant is used as a ward against ghost types. The effectiveness of this use is debatable.

Huh. I didn’t know that peach wood was seen as having those properties in Chinese culture. TIL.

Locations

Although the pecha berry can be found on all continents, particularly in dungeons, they grow the best on the Air continent, and in the mountainous parts of the Grass continent. Pecha Berries grow best in cool, dry locations, and require a certain amount of frosty days to initially bloom. Northwind Field, in particular, is notable for having pecha berries.

Huh, surprised no mention of Mist again given that prior to their prices falling off a cliff in Super and onwards, they were cheapest in Gates. Though I suppose them getting retconned into being 12 Poké a piece in DX would make sense with them growing well on Air.

In the wild, pecha plants can be identified by their large, blue-purple leaves. They’re also known to bloom with large, white flowers. One should be careful, however, if they come across a pecha plant with red, rubbery-looking leaves. These plants have been infected with a fungus, and any berries they produce are likely to be affected.

Ah yes, so Pecha Berries have their own version of peach leaf curl. Though it makes sense if they’re biological relatives to peaches in Alex’s world.

Despite being native to the Air continent, pecha berries were sold at a fairly high price there for some time, going for as much as 80 poke for a single berry. Fortunately, advancements in growing crops for heal seeds and reviver seeds on the Mist continent have helped drive down the price. Now days, even on non-native continents, pecha berries can be found for less than 20 poke, and rarely for as low as 10. At a price like that, and considering their utility, there is no reason not to stock up on these valuable items.

Well, there’s cheapness and laziness. Given that I’m getting the distinct vibe from reading these entries thus far that that’s the root cause of a lot of rescue requests in your take on Canonworld.

1.1.6 Aspear Berry

Overview

Similar to paralysis, becoming frozen by a pokemon’s attack can make one an easy target. Frozen in place and barely able to move, it leaves you at the mercy of any passing ferals. But there are other dangers that one wouldn’t have from paralysis. Becoming frozen runs the risk of frostbite or death, depending on how long the victim is frozen. In a warmer climate, where the ice will melt fast, typically you can get out with little harm. But in cold environments it often takes longer for the ice to melt. Grass-types or coldblooded pokemon like scraggy or kecleon are particularly susceptible. If you are one of these pokemon, or if you foresee yourself visiting a cold climate in particular, carrying at least one aspear berry is recommended.

Actually, that makes me curious. Do Aspear Berries actually do anything to the frostbite status effect that was introduced in PLA—? Oh huh, it does. Though I suppose it makes sense if it’d also work on thawing out Pokémon that are flatly frozen.

A sour berry that originates from and thrives in colder climates, the aspear berry is a dense berry with a thin, hard skin. Plants can be recognized by their distinctive, dark red leaves, while the berries themselves have bright yellow skin and small, green, ring-like marks. They’re relatively small, measuring only five cutiefly measures, and very fragrant. If wanting to store them for later use, it’s best to store them in a cold, dry location. It can be hard to find appropriate long-term storage, but most larger kangaskhan storage locations hire ice-type pokemon to regulate cold storages.

Huh. It never occurred to me that the Storage Shops would have cold storage sections for certain items that just needed to be kept chilled, though I suppose it makes sense. I wonder if that also got taken over by Deposit Boxes in Alex’s world, or if the Storage Shops that have stayed in the business have transitioned into becoming icehouses.

With a rich flavor, they’re often eaten as is when not used for their effects, but there are some cooking applications.

I was going to ask “like what?” for cooking applications, but I see that the ‘Uses’ section is right below here, so I’ll hold onto my criticism for now..

Uses

Similar to the chesto berry, aspear berries must be used before being frozen, as it is rather hard to heal oneself when you’re already frozen. Unlike the chesto berry, however, the aspear berry will only protect you from one or two attacks in that time period. This effect can last for up to half a day. If a pokemon is not totally frozen over by an attack, another pokemon may be able to help by feeding the victim berry pulp, but due to the circumstantial use of this method, using the berry as a preventive instead of as a cure is always recommended.

Huh. That would definitely make going through dungeons convenient if they worked like that in-game. Though I suppose that attempting to feed a frozen Pokémon a berry does sound like it’d be a pain and a half even if it worked.

Aspear berries are rarely preserved or used in cooking; due to high water-content, they do not typically work well in pies and jams. They are, however, occasionally used in sauces to add a slightly sour flavor. Most commonly, though, they are served raw.

In several parts of the world, aspear berries are often given as gifts due to historically being seen as a luxury. More on that in the locations section. In particular, they’ve been gifted to important guests. Modern growing techniques have lowered the cost, but this tradition has managed to stay.

Huh, reminds me a bit of the history behind oranges in real life. Though that makes me wonder if there were Aspear analogues to orangeries in Alex’s world.

On the other hand, traditionally on the Mist continent, gifting an Aspear berry to a loved one has a negative connotation. Due to reasons lost to time, but believed to date back to the Era of Humans, giving your loved ones an aspear berry signifies that you wish to not see them again.

Ah yes, I suppose that’s a sign that Alex’s version of Canonworld is post-apocalyptic. … Or that humans bumbled into his world for a time sometime in the distant past, I suppose that would be a valid interpretation as well.

Locations

Aspear berries grow best in relatively cold climates. Perhaps unsurprisingly, due to its natural resistance to the cold, the berry trees can survive well below freezing. The tree will bloom in mid-spring, bearing fruit shortly thereafter. As a result, the berries are most commonly grown on the Mist and Air continents, though can be found occasionally on the Water continent. The Grass and Sand continents’ climates struggle to grow the berries, leading to higher prices there.

Still, they are considered a bit of a luxury, compared to the other utility berries, and as a result tend to sell for around 15 poke on average on the Mist and Air continents. The Water continent price runs a bit higher, and the Sand and Grass continents often charge as much as 70 poke per berry and have historically charged even more. Though frustrating, ice-type ferals are admittedly less common in those regions, and most pokemon that regularly dungeon dive can afford a Lapras Ferry membership, making it often cheaper to just pick them up while traveling abroad.

Huh, I actually didn’t realize until checking a PMD DX item art chart that Aspear Berries technically aren’t canonically encounterable in the official games. But meh, that’s bogus and this is a more fun take on things, so I won’t question it.

In the wild, aspear trees have been known to grow in Frosty Forest and at the base of Mt. Freeze on the Air continent, as well as scattered throughout Northwind Field. On the Mist continent, berries can be found around the Freezing Pillar, as well as near the northern Glacier Sea in general.

Despite knowing several locations, we do not recommend the reader go out and forage for aspear berries; many of these locations, particularly Northwind Field and Frosty Forest, are locations known territories for powerful pokemon. On a good day, one may pass unhindered. But on others, well, there are legends of pokemon disappearing in those regions for a reason.

I can already tell that there’s a lot of horror stories from back in the day when these berries used to actually be valuable.

1.1.7 Rawst Berry

Overview

Although less dangerous than most other ailments, burns can still leave an adventurer in a sticky situation. Depending on the severity, the pain from a burn can both weaken an explorer, making it harder to launch attacks at maximum efficiency, and slowly eat at their stamina. Bad enough burns have been known to lead to death in some situations. With how easy it is to treat burns, though, one would be foolish to not travel with at least one rawst berry.

Though I suppose I always was a more cautious player in PMD and stuck to a more generalized loadout since I was usually too lazy to adjust it before each Mystery Dungeon.

Rawst plants grow low to the ground, recognizable by their pink leaves. Pale purple, almost white flowers bloom in the spring and soon give way to green, unripe berries. As the berries ripen, they turn blue, and the leaves on the end of the blooming stem turn green and start to curl. At this time the fruit is still a bit sweet but has no added effects. When the leaves are at their curliest, and the berry is a deep blue, it turns bitter, but it is at this point that they are usable to treat burns. The berries are fairly firm, are also easy to chew and only have a very thin skin. On average, rawst berries measure about 3 cutiefly measures long, but the largest known was almost 12 cutiefly measures.

Huh, so it sounds like they average being a little smaller than actual strawberries, given that the record for the biggest strawberry IRL is a little under 18 cm.

Interestingly, there has been debate over whether the rawst berry should be classified as a berry, as its seeds are on the outside of the edible fruit, as opposed to inside like most berries. Despite this, most agree that it is best to continue being classified as a berry, due to its unusual special effect of treating burns in a timely manner. And it is because of this effect that the berries are recommended, especially if traveling to any area with any sort of volcanic activity.

Ah yes, so they’re technically compound fruits like strawberries. It makes me wonder if they’re also biological relatives much in the same way that Pechas are theorized to be to peaches in this setting.

Uses

As mentioned in the overview, the rawst berries most common use is for treating burns. Popular myth suggests mashing the berry to a pulp and placing the pulp onto the burns. But this is actually not recommended, unless the burn victim is unable to ingest the berry. Although the berry will still heal the burn fairly quickly when applied outside, it also runs the risk of causing infection. Only pure inorganic, mineral based pokemon, such as geodude, nosepass, or beldam are safe from this type of issue (though they have their own risks). Ingesting the berry will begin to heal the burn just as fast, if not faster, than applying pulp directly to the wound.

Huh. I actually wonder why it is that Rawst Berries in particular are vulnerable to causing infections when applied topically but not the others that have been mentioned thus far, since that’s quite the divergence there.

In some parts of the world, particularly on the Mist and Grass continents, rawst berries were traditionally used to help pokemon in a depressive state. Although typically not used as a treatment these days, since there are more effective methods, there are still pokemon that hold to the belief that they’re a natural cure.

>bitter and smooth flavor

Yeeeeeah, this sounds like one of those urban myths like alcohol where in actuality it’s a depressant that will make things worse.

Like most berries, rawst berries are also used in cooking. Preserving, jamming, or drying the berries to help them last longer at the cost of effectiveness is common. In some of the bigger towns with cafes that carry miltank milk products, rawst berries with cream and sugar are a fairly common treat. Occasionally they are used as a garnish for cakes and pastries, but their bitter causes less use than other berries.

But can the leaves be used for fire retardant materials? :V

Locations

Rawst berries grow best in a warm environment that gets a lot of sunlight. As a result, they are most commonly grown on the Grass and Sand continents, and almost never on the Mist continent. To get the best yield, the berries should be harvested every other day. Once considered a luxury, the berries have sold for as much as 150 poke some areas, such as the Air continent. Now days you could purchase a dozen for the same price in most regions. (The Mist continent, unfortunately, continues to sell for as much as 50 poke per berry, though local businesses have been working hard to secure deals that would lower prices in the area.)

Huh. So I assume the implication is that as of Super, that almost all the Rawst Berries were being sourced en masse from Grass and Sand. I won’t nitpick too much about “but [X] continent” since I’ve done that a few times, and the rationale you gave here for Rawst Berries makes sense under its own logic, so good enough.

A single rawst berry plant can produce as much as 15 berries in a single growing season. Unfortunately, most plants only produce for two to three years, so replacements must be planted often. Keep this in mind if you wish to try growing your own.

Oh, so just like real strawberries, huh?

Though rawst berries can be found scattered about all sorts of dungeons by teams that had to make an emergency exit, they typically grow in dungeons with wide-open fields. If you happen to be around Holey Meadow on the Sand continent, consider stopping to find some berries. Otherwise, consider trying Lush Prairie or Tiny Meadow on the Grass continent.

Imagine going foraging for berries that can be had for 12 Poké apiece these days. Though I suppose there’s probably a decent number of cash-poor teams out there, so I probably shouldn’t judge too hard.

Well, that was definitely a change of pace from the other writings that I’ve read from you so far. But it’s every bit as imaginative and thought-out as what I’ve seen from PWCH and your other stories that I’ve read, especially with all the little details regarding how these different items might be used off-spec or their histories within Alex’s world. The choice to frame the itemdex’s entries as being written by a distinct character was also a nice touch, since you can see his personality leak through in a couple parts and it helps keep things from feeling too dry and academic even though it’s a bunch of item descriptions.

I don’t have much to complain about regarding the entries that I read, other than that I noticed a couple typos here and there. There were also a couple parts where I kinda wished that Alex had gone into a bit more detail about some of the anecdotes / flavor bits that he alludes to, but I understand that format-wise, things were very deliberately structured such that each entry wasn’t too long and was a brief overview, much as what would be needed for somebody actually consulting this in the field.

I’m not sure whether or not you’re still actively working on this itemdex since you seem to have your hands full with other projects more recently, but it was definitely a fun read @windskull . I’m especially looking forward to if this series manages to get past berries, since it’d be fun to see how you interpreted things like Wonder Orbs and Wands and how they work in this setting.

Hope the feedback was helpful, and best of luck during Review Blitz and if you opt to continue this series.

 

[K_S]

Review blitz
Chapter 1

I've always liked these little guilds and honestly am surprised when the mystery dungeon games came out nintendo didnt write something in this style as a players guide.

Missed oportunites insuppose give the fanwritters a field to play in.

Welcome berry 101. Amd i feal that some ah... Younger explorers were like "we got oran wine we'll be fine!" And learned the hard way that nope. No healing here that item only gives self inflicted confusion.

Lovely nod to the fact that mon arent going to have a standart measuring system. Do you think theres professional cutiefly measurers in the equivulant of the architectual guide whose job is to hold hands and shuffle about so other mon can cut, mark, amd calculate things?

I'm wondering wjat tools are used for prep. Claws and a dungeon stone. Some poor partner gets the short straw and has to cart Team x's mortar pedestal and berry knife?

Love how the higher h.p. reward is translated to "it works faster" in this verse. I imagone the sitrus berry is well sought after all things considered. Laughs. So no flu or hangover cure for the casual mon... I mean i get it but i still feel bad for the nausiated. Love how those found lying about in dungeons are "not native just proof some poor smuck before you got blown out" and delivered in such a dry tone no less.

I'm surprised solo adventurers are a thing. And i can see a ground type the designated cheri holder since about half the paralysis moves are going to bounce off of them.

And another gem between the lines. Please stop trying to be cheap and going to highly damgerous places for free cherris. There's a shop right there...

Well thanks for breaking down the cherri types.

Will you be posting an accessory/carrying guild as a companion pieces. Like these tools are.useful for mon of thier builds to mash/cut/preserve yout cherries (specialty kits for nonbipedal 'mon for example). These folding techniques to keep from getting berry mash? Specialty padded backpacks for easier medicinal carrying?

 

[K_S]

Review blitz
Chapter 2

Back for more berries it seems. And it looks like were starting with the monster endorced, sleep killer, student aide, chesto berry.

Seriously if there was a mon university thered be a shortage of the things. The growth cycles look like theyre a pain to manage. For avoiding winter losses and oversaturation of the market.

I've always wondered do poison types get alergic reaction to pecha berries?
Also considering how often poisoning is pechas are probably stupid popular... Funny how canning pecha keeps thier healing properties going to some extent where fermenting orans breaks them down. Do pecha lose healing capacities in the cooking process?

Love how between the lines the sky continent was all "we control the market in antipoison" but as soon as plan b and c became viable they were all "we must sell sell!"

I dont know i expected Aspears to be like... You crack open the skin and a stream of hot air spits out defrosting you. Not... As a preventative measure to be popped as an ice beam bears down.

Love how the mon version of the dark ages is the human era. Also how theres another between the lines "buy these people keep disappearing" line... Its a distressingly common theme for the nicer berries.

I can see a harvesting team with a curled doo-dad gauging raws berry curliness before harvest. Arguments of curviture and optimization while a singed partner is like "just pick it already, i'll taste test!".

Makes sense that the mist continent would have issues getting them all things considered.

 

[K_S]

Chapter 3
Blitz review

Persim... The other less contraversy anti nausia berry... Wonder if it works on non confusion nearsightedness and bluriness. Like could a mon that needs glasses get around it with daily persim consumption?

So are persims consumed before or after getting confused blitzed? Because forcong one on a bedazled team mate sounds like an exciting time. And per the following descriptions its excitment for everyone during say a zubat colony encounter.

How the legend began...

Raioku (taking a walk)
Random dungeon mon with persims on a branch poking it on the nose.
Raioku: i'm leaving i'm leaving sheesh...

Considering how common confision is i'm surprised everyone isnt growing these things.

So leppas are move restorers? I meam it makes sense since most mystery dungeon teams are probably either low leveled (running out of tackle and scratch is a hard feat all things considered) or prioritizes moves that last longer than hit harder since dungeons can become a slog if the rng is feeling malicious. The show of the economics behind the elixer ether trade was interesting.

Lums seem to be comparible to heal alls. And might as well be platted with gold with how valuable they are. They are tiny and probably fragile too as the trade off. And expensive... Yeesh.. I'm not surprised that only one continent can swing them but i am surprised weather controlling mon havent banded together to manipulate things to make an orchid.

and moving on to the evil oren berry. I cant believe jow organized the mon systems are in catching fake peddlers out. Considering theyre a free ticket to being poisoned i can see why such controls are clamped down but still wasmt expecting it in a pmd setting. I supose a few daring teams could drag some along to shovel down the gullets of ferals... But no ones suggesting that.

 

[K_S]

Chapter 4
Blitz review

Love how the odd berries, the more malicious ones are round about blamed on humans. Because of data lost in human times and all that. Were humans evil agricultural gians back in the day? The multifaceted nature of the "legendary humans" must of been mind numbing. I wonder how this verse would view a pokeball?

As i read on i am seriously surprised they dont have people... Well 'mon sampling befuddle berries in a safe medical enviroment. Kinda like an allergy test. That way theres no nasty surprises when dungeoneering.

So figgys cause confusion but healing? What happens if you apply one then an anti confusion measure? Because if its got more kick then a oran that might be viable subsitution then downing a ton of orans. Can the other "adverse" berries be countered and used like that? I suppose cost and availability would make the value of double berrying vary but its an idea that might work in a pinch. Also juggling nerry use on organic verses non organic mon i feel bad for all thier healers, medics, amd herbalists thats gotta.be a nightmare to keep it all straight.

Seriously after reading the sap harvesting description i gotta say herbal medicine in the mon world is like playomg russian roulette with a bazooka. Its gunna blow up in your face no matter what. I imagine, ironically, that only poison types are safe to do so. So its probably poison and bug types working the fields.

I also think that the mon doing so are running more risks than dungeon explorer teams at this point.

As these are all pretty serious berries i'm surprised the cutiflies consented to hold paws around the berry to help measure it. The sheer bribery required must of been immense.

 

[K_S]

Chapter 5
Blitz review

Honestly, considering how many adverse side effects and fussy fenanglings i would like to add that the chefs in this verse probably have it as tough as the medics, farmers, and hortologists in this world.

Thank goodness there isnt a mushroom subcatagory.

Laughs at the nod to team rocket. Millenia after humanity's fall and theres still echoes of thier insane plans echoing around... Even if its just been abscribed to a plant name. And the fact it still hurts mon and heals them would probably make proton proud. Gotta wonder if water types just hate pechas on principle to support slowpokes or as a type wide coping mechaniam to avoid pasts of thier prosteriers getting named after say oren and oran berries.

Nice idea of the wedding wreath. Its a nice touch to see its use beyond consumables explored.

So cute's have a prefered plant in the aguav. I wonder why? (I also imagine getting those measurememts was exciting as the person tallying would have to check for missing nibbles or worse missing cute's making nibbled out homes in the sample!) .

Honestly with how insanely vibrant the leaves are theres gotta be a killing to be made in dried leaf art and weaving with the plants folicules...

Iapapas must be a joy when encountered in dungeons. Especially if they sprout on a shelf above the walker by. Its like the coconut problem.. If a but mushier. Also, why would there be a hard limit on harvesting the leaves, notjing in the descriptor (besides the fumes from breatjing them while burning) makes them leaves sound bad?

 

[K_S]

Chapter 6
blitz review

I suspect in this verse there are libraries on the complexities of aura. It reminds me of the naivi (avatars blue people) beliefs in everytjing having spirits and how they manipulate it to beter coexist and hitch rides on bigger creatures. Or for a more real life example perhaps tribal aminism rituals taken to the one thousandth degree...

I'm imaging a poor magmar or magcargo seeing an approuching blastoise scrubbing anti water lotion into every angle and pore... Only to watch it cook off in absolute horror.

So occas are the anti fire? Deluted to they work as sun screen and enhamced to they work against flamethrowers?

I'm imagining there being an ointment wash service. Entropronuing steel types just mosy in and get slathered by smaller mon with the stuff before going out to adventure in magma land and extra crispy dungeon.

Then of course theres the oh so mature roulette of "I hate my taste buds, and my friend's buds too"... Also the fact it can be used as chocolate probanly makes competiton for this plant (pardon the pun) hot.

So passcho is the favored plant of fire types. Noted. Though i'd hate to be in a water type dungeon and trip and watch them all float downstream...

Waccans make me think of raisins or worse, prunes. the texture is just yuck. Granted thier rubbery nature makes a fun nod towards conductivity... But seriously if this verse lets its human drop ins and chosen ones pick thier type go for ground. Or something thats limber.

Dont expect to see it in cooking...

I wonder why.....oh wait its the last sanity point making a harrah thats why...

 

[K_S]

Chapter 7
Blitz review

And we're in the last gasp! Seriously this needs to be titled "take a farmer and a bug and poison type with you if you go out and want to eat anything that isnt from the market."

Or perhaps..."you think the once human chosen one has guts... Try gardening we'll prove you wrong" the series.

Are rindos the real life tomato of the mon verse? Where scientists, when bored, dicker on if its a fruit or vegi argument?

I guess i called it? Kinda.. The fact that the rocks of the plant world are the anti-plant amused me to no end. I wonder what happens if a grass type eats it. Also you mentioned gummies and i can only imagine the arcane notes you'd have to swing to make gummies viable after all this effort done for berries.

Well you cant fault steel types for thier topical indulgence. it is the closest to a cosmetic they're going to get.

So yache berries are the (stereotypical) penguins of the mon world. Thriving in the cold. And its like that song except it makes everything an ice type instead of a tootsie roll... But theres consumption, i dont think you had to eat the roll for that to kick in...

And nevermind its not quite the analogy i was aiming for.

And with an intro like that chople berries are going to be weird... Arent they? I mean the only think i can think of when i think of cooling is it reduces swelling damage thus fighting attack damage? And thats a stretch... But the intro line did warn me didn't it? I'm with pory at this point. Too wierd for words i'll let happi tackle that mess on thier lonesome.

 

[Phoenixsong]

Back for more, after entirely too long, aha.

I like the disclaimer on the kebia berry. Very "we are not providing emergency medical advice, if you are in an emergency situation right now please hang up and dial 9-1-1 immediately".

For the most part these entries were pretty straightforward, but definitely have their moments. There are really only so many ways to say "we don't know how most of the berries in this category work and some weirdos keep suggesting the placebo effect", heh, and the shuca is another one that sounds particularly rough to figure out, but suggestions like the coba's scent being distracting were still really cute! And it's always fun to see the traditional and food uses of each of these berries beyond just their magic poké-properties, if only because it teaches me a bit about plants/fruits I'm not familiar with! Actual akebias sound really interesting, and it worked out great that the coba could be depicted as a hybrid of two existing berries. And little details like the shuca seeds/nuts still having a decent shelf-life are always nice touches as well. I'm never quite sure how expensive these prices are relative to non-berry items and the like (especially not with going so long between reads, oops), but saving's always good.

One question I'm curious about and am not sure I asked during my reviews of the earlier resist berries: in this world, do they protect against more than one attack/for a certain period of time, or is it one shot only the way they work in the games? Those coba berries seem real expensive if they only protect you from one, oof... lucky they can be multiple servings, at least!

It keeps its leaves rear round.

Typo there, heh. And "shuca" is spelled with one "c", not two, just a heads-up!

A short and sweet one overall, then, but like I said, still some neat tidbits in here. Very much looking forward to the next!

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

Heya, running a bit tight on time tonight, but as my effective last chance to get in reviews for Week 2 before hitting a cross-country flight tomorrow, I figured that even if I wound up having to leave some want-to-reads on the cutting room floor, that I wanted to at least get my foot in the door for this fic since I had a lot of fun with it last year:

1.1.8 - 1.1.11

Spoiler: Line-by-Line

1.1.8 Persim Berry

Overview

Confusion, though not particularly dangerous in most scenarios, is still one of the more annoying ailments. Confusion can cause a multitude of effects, including blurred or double vision, nausea, and dizziness. Other, more dangerous effects include an impaired sense of judgment and even temporary hallucinations, depending on what kind of confusion was caused (for example, a supersonic attack is more likely to cause dizziness and blurred vision, while a confuse ray tends to cause double vision or temporary hallucinations). Fortunately, nature has given us something to counteract these effects: the persim berry.

Oh, so Confusion can have different effects depending on what causes it, huh? Though I suppose that it makes sense since ear murder would presumably have bodily different effects than ghostly rays-o-doom.

Measuring just shy of five cutiefly marks on average, this pale pink berry is a valuable asset; if you are traveling to any cave or any location where ghost pokemon are known to congregate, this guide recommends bringing at least one. After all, a confused teammate may accidentally turn on their allies.

Let’s not even get into the horror that is Parafusion/Paralove where just being able to attack at all is essentially a coinflip.

Persim berries are rather firm, and have a thin, waxy outer skin. The flesh inside the berry is a pale white. Before it ripens, it has such a bitter taste that it is almost inedible. But after ripening, it becomes sweet and tangy, not bitter at all. Unripe berries are rather crispy, but once they have ripened, they soften and are easier to eat.

Sounds like IRL persimmons, really. Minus the flesh color. The real deals are orange inside.

Uses

The primary use of persim berries is to combat confusion. Within the berry is a fast-acting ingredient that targets certain receptors in the brain, inhibiting overstimulated receptors, returning them to normal. However, if the receptors are normal, it can dull the senses instead. As a result, raw persim berries should not be used on someone who is not already confused except in certain special cases.

That makes me wonder if Persim Berries can be used as a painkiller of sorts given that if they dull senses, it presumably would also mean that you’d feel less pain in the process.

Though they have a relatively short shelf life, persim berries can be dried out at a very low heat without affecting their ability to inhibit the senses. As the berries are typically harvested in the fall, drying them typically allows them to last all the way into the summer.

Thus why most people don’t normally bother with them, just like the games, huh?

There is a historical myth about the great beast Raikou that claims that persim berries can ward it off. However, there is no known evidence to support this, and the difficulty in finding Raikou makes it impossible to test.

Is this based on some sort of IRL folklore? Since this feels like a really specific folktale there.

If not being used for their healing properties, persim berries should be cooked before consuming, as the inhibiting agent can be cooked out. Persims are often used in puddings and other baked goods but can be baked by themselves to help draw out the sweetness.

Besides that, the leaves are sometimes used to flavor drinks.

Oh, so just like real life. Though that makes me wonder if Persim leaf tea would similarly have confusion-clearing / sensory-dulling effects like the actual berry.

Locations

Persim berries are most often grown in the central parts of the Water and Air continents. As the plants are particularly known to need pollinators, they can most often be found in areas near meadows. The Vespiqueen Monarchy of Nectar Meadow are particularly known for growing them on the outskirts of the dungeon and exporting them to other areas. Townships near this mass growing area are fortunate to be able to purchase the berries for as little as 15 poke per berry. Other areas where they can be found in abundance might be able to find the berries for around 30 to 40 poke, but on other continents the berries still tend to go for 80 to 100 poke. Work is being done to drive down this price, but it is slow work.

Oh, so you turned that Beedrill and Vespiquen encounter from the games into an out-and-out polity. I mean, I suppose there is precedent for it in PokéAni’s setting where there’s just microstate kingdoms chilling in Hoenn and Sinnoh, so why not?

If you are hoping to harvest some berries in a dungeon, keep an eye out for tall plants with vibrant blue leaves. When in bloom, the flowers will be a very pale green. The berries themselves will start pale pink, but will turn more and more vibrant as they get closer to ripeness and the more they’re in the sun. Be warned though, when they become overripe, they will begin to turn a dark black on the outside.

Small missing word in this paragraph, though I the sprite games’ leaf colors make a return. Though I have to wonder how much research you did into the inspiration fruits’ properties for these different entries, since from personal experience, the bit about turning dark black on the outside is spot on for overripe persimmons IRL.

1.1.9 Leppa Berry

Overview

Out of all the basic berries, the leppa berry is interestingly one of the least carried, and even the one of the least recommended berries. Despite being the only berry known to perk up a pokemon’s energy levels, allowing them to draw more power from the Life of the World (a tentative name this guide’s writer uses to explain the phenomena of elemental energy that pokemon are able use), its job is done far better by ethers and elixirs. More on that below.

>implying that Ethers and Elixirs can’t just be made by concentrating the active ingredients of Leppa Berries and processing them

Hey, it works wonders for making nose candy out of innocuous mountain herbs in reality.

Despite this, leppa berries are nice to have in a pinch. And as an instrumental ingredient in the aforementioned items, the cost of leppa berries has been driven extremely low. And as a result, they may be worth purchasing if the latter are unavailable or out of your price range.

Oh, I was right there. But yeah, I had a feeling there.

Measuring just shy of three cutiefly measures on average, leppa berries can be recognized by their distinct red and tan pattern. The top half of the berry is a bright red, typically with two leaves growing from the stem. If not for their size, they could easily be mistaken for an apple. In fact, leppa berries and apples may even be distantly related, but that is a discussion that would take up far too many pages here.

That actually makes me wonder what the story is behind these different berries and their relation to normal fruits. Is it “something something Infinity Energy” or “something something Legendary interference”?

The brightly colored skin itself is only a thin outer layer, with a pale interior. Leppa berries are very firm and crunchy, but also quite juicy when bit into. Most pokemon agree that the smaller ones taste better. Some orchards that grow leppa berries will not employ certain pokemon. And grass-type pokemon susceptible to these diseases that work in leppa orchards are required to have frequent checkups to check for disease. Whether or not either of the preventative measures do anything is debatable and, in some areas, have called into question the hiring processes of these orchards.

I think that you’re missing a couple words in this section here. I assume you meant something along the lines of the bolded.

Uses

The most common use for leppa berries is as an energy booster. Dungeon diving can be grueling work on its own, and battles can be particularly exhausting. While an oran berry heals the body, the leppa berry restores stamina, allowing you to keep going. Ingesting even a single leppa berry can be enough to give the body that final push it needs.

A very teeny, tiny push, but I suppose if you’re in a situation where you need to be scarfing down Leppa Berries, that beggars can’t be choosers.

Unfortunately, the leppa berry by itself can be one-upped by many others. While we will not go into the details of ether and elixir creation in this section, know that the leppa is a key component in the drinks, and that the drinks both enhance the energy restorative abilities of the leppa berry.

That actually makes me wonder if the two have leppa aftertastes when consumed, or if the distillation process completely scrubs the taste from the final product.

Other than that, leppa berries are sometimes dried out for preservation purposes, or substituted for apples as a baking ingredient. They can be cooked down into a tasty sauce, as well.

Ah yes, leppasauce~

Locations

Leppa berries grow best in temperate, full sun environments. They need a certain amount of rain and chilly days, without being too chilly. As a result, they are typically grown in the midlands of the Air, Water, and Grass continents. There also needs to be more than one leppa plant growing in a single area, for them to be able to produce the berries. As a result, due to the constantly shifting nature of dungeons, there are very few dungeons where large quantities of leppas have been spotted. The most notable exception is the apple woods on the grass continent.

I’m surprised that these things aren’t grown literally everywhere where there’s a climate that can support them, since with how ubiquitous Max Elixirs are in the PMD games, there’s clearly a burgeoning industry for the things.

The plants can be identified by their extremely pale pink, almost white leaves. The blooming flowers are even paler in comparison, though they have a bright yellow center.

Prior to the creation of the elixir, leppa berries often went for anywhere from 100 to 125 poke, depending on the location, with a record high of 150 on the sand continent. The elixir’s creation drove that price down to an average of 50 poke per berry, and the ether’s more recent creation brought the price even lower. Now, leppa berries can be purchased for anywhere from 10 to 20 poke. Prices are typically lower in the late spring or early summer, close to their natural harvest season.

I did a “wait, what” at this since those prices sounded high, but apparently Leppa Berries aren’t even coded into the PMD games. Kudos for making these sound believable relative to official game prices.

1.1.10 Lum Berry

Overview

Every berry covered so far in this section has only served one purpose in dungeons. Either they heal the body, they restore stamina, or they heal a single type of ailment. There is one berry, though, that is able to heal any ailment, a catchall that is all too valuable to the any pokemon that travels regularly: the lum berry.

Which I’m sure are crazy expensive since they’re “jack of all trades” berries, but we’ll get to that section when we get there, I suppose.

At about three and a half cutiefly measures, the lum berry is on the smaller side of the utility berries. The outside of the berry is bright green and waxy, while the inside transitions from green to a dark, golden color near the center seed. It is important to note that the central seed has the same healing abilities as the rest of the lum berry, and as a result should not be tossed away. When lum berries are used for other purposes, such as cooking, the pits are typically saved and sold separately as heal seeds. More information on heal seeds can be found in section 2.1.

Oh, so that’s what Heal Seeds are in your settings. I’ll admit, that’s a pretty elegant solution there.

The flavor of a lum berry is rather difficult to describe. It is fairly smooth, with the only notable mention being its lack of an astringent, sour flavor. When opened, the fruit is divided into four wedges. Due to their nature as a heal all, and historically being difficult to grow, lum berries have continuously been the most expensive of the basic berries to purchase. Because of these limitations, we recommend the lum berry only to pokemon that expect to travel through several varied areas where multiple ailments might be a concern.

Yeah, I had a feeling that they wouldn’t be cheap, so this section feels like sensible advice.

Uses

As expected, the primary use of lum berries is as a cure all for various ailments. It’s been known to cure poisoning, burns, confusion, and paralysis, but a bit of juice under the tongue can help wake a sleeping pokemon and eating it can help defrost partially frozen pokemon. The berry should be eaten one wedge at a time until symptoms disappear. Typically, it will take all four wedges to heal an ailment, but it is better to save some of the extra if it isn’t needed.

Huh. That makes me wonder if you can potentially get away with only needing part of a Lum Berry for healing a really small Pokémon like a Cutiefly or something like that.

If the injured pokemon has no way to consume the berry, or if they have fallen unconscious, berry pulp can still be applied to the burn or the poison point of entry, but this method should only be used as a last resort for the same reasons as are mentioned in sections 1.5 and 1.7.

Wait is this meant to reference 1.1.5 and 1.1.7? Or entries that are yet to be written here?

Lum berries are, interestingly, one of the berries most commonly made into a wine, but as stated before, we will not be covering that process in this guide. Their juices are actually one of several ingredients in ginseng drinks, but this only makes up a very small amount of lum berry consumption. Other than that, lum berries are often pickled for a quick treat or to help preserve them. Drying them is another common preservation tactic.

So if you drink Persim/Lum Juice along with alcohol, will that keep you from getting drunk? /s

Locations

Lum berries have very specific growing conditions. If an area is too dry, the berries will drop off before they’re edible. If it’s too wet, the berries will rot. These limitations and the demand for the berries have historically driven their price quite high: prices as high as 400 poke for a single berry have been recorded, with just the seeds still going for 250. Recent advancements that have increased the yield have brought prices down to just 80 poke per berry. Still expensive in comparison to other utility berries, but not nearly as bad as it used to be. Still, the only pure lum orchard is on the Water Continent, meaning prices may still be higher in other areas.

Ah yes, that checks out with the price of Heal Seeds. Though Lum Berries being easier to grow on the Water Continent makes sense given that Heal Seeds are the cheapest in Super relative to the other games.

In the wild, lum plants can be identified by their long stems, large, curly, indigo leaves, and pale pink flowers with a green center. Small blossoms will cover the branches, but only a relatively small percentage of those blooms will reach maturity as a berry.

Our only recommendation when looking for the berries in the wilds is to keep a close eye out for a plant in any forested dungeon.

That actually makes me wonder if Cheri and Lum Berries look as nice in bloom as their “boring fruit” counterparts do. Since if so, the Cheri/Lum Blossom Festivals in the parts of the Pokémon World where they’re common must be lit.

1.1.11 Oren Berry

Overview

There is no sugarcoating the fact that oren berries should be avoided at all costs. There are several berries that fall into the “lookalike” category, but none are as hard to distinguish as the orans and orens are. It is because of these similarities that we have chosen to include them in the basic berry section.

I was going to say that I was surprised that these would be grouped as basic berries given that their entire existence is essentially to troll the players, but noted.

From the outside, oren berries look exactly like orans. They have a dark blue peel, measure about three cutiefly measures, and grow on trees with pale peach leaves. There are two distinctions, though. Instead of the white flowers, oren berry trees bloom bright red. The inside of the berry is also bright red. Because of this, one should always peel an oran berry before eating it. If you are a mon that deals with colorblindness, or otherwise has a limited range of vision, please be cautious when using an oran berry, in case of a mix up.

Which if taking after IRL is basically 90% of all mammalmons. Makes me wonder if your cast in PWCH has ever gotten a nasty surprise like this.

Sometimes oren berries get mixed in with merchant wares, usually on accident. Cases of selling an oren berry will be handled by the leading organized force on the continent: the Pokemon Rescue Organization on the Air continent, the Exploration Team Federation on the Grass continent, HAPPI on the Mist continent, the Expedition Society on the Water continent, and the Desert Search and Rescue Association on the Sand continent.

The first infraction will be handled with a small fee. After that, there is a warning period. If another one is sold in that period, a hefty fine will be placed. After a third case, the infringing business will be shut down. The only partial exception to this rule is the Kecleon Trading Company. Because the Kecleon Trading Company specializes in selling even in remote locations, the business will only be temporarily shut down. The Kecleon working that station will then need to be replaced or be able to defend themselves and prove that they have been framed.
The deeper details of this process can be found in each of these organizations’ handbooks.

The first paragraph feels a bit long and clunky there. Though is the Sand Continent’s organization meant to be read as ‘DeSaRA’ as an acronym? Makes me wonder if it’s a reference with how particular the name is.

Though I see that trafficking lookalike items is SRS BSNS given that there’s a “three strikes, you’re out” policy to trafficking them. Even if I have to wonder how the Kecleon managed to weasel their way into being the only outfit to get a carve-out the way they did.

Uses

The only currently known use for oren berries is as a poison. A single berry is typically not enough to kill most pokemon, but young and weaker pokemon are likely to be susceptible. For most pokemon, a single berry will just suffer from an upset stomach, similar to a case of food poisoning. We still don’t recommend eating them. If a young or ill pokemon has eaten an oren, or if several oren berries have been ingested, eat a pecha berry to counteract the poison as quickly as possible, as well as an oran berry, sitrus berry, or energy seed. Then get to a healer pokemon. A healer pokemon should always be contacted regardless, but it’s even more important if you have no healing items on hand.

Oh, well. That would explain why the local authorities are so anal about these things not being sold.

If, for some reason or another, you cannot visually tell the difference between an oran and an oren after peeling, the taste is typically an indicator. While orans are known specifically for not being sweet despite rumors, the oren berry is almost sickly sweet. If you bite into an oran berry and it tastes sweet, spit it out immediately! If you cannot taste sweetness and you’re not able to see the difference, please check with at least one other pokemon before eating.

Boy, not having a full humanesque or better sensory range sure sounds like it can get rough in this setting.

Locations

Oren berries can grow in almost any climate, but they are particularly abundant on the grass continent. Because of this, one should always be careful when picking oran berries up in a dungeon. Many kecleon will not buy back orans, especially on the Grass continent, due to the liability of mistakenly selling an oran.

To counteract the accidental sale of orens, many Kecleon Trading Company stands have begun employing pokemon with special vision, such as luxray, to screen oran berries for any orens that may have gotten mixed in. This service isn’t available everywhere at this time, but little by little, changes are being made.

I mean, if Kecleon take after actual chameleons, they could potentially do it themselves if Oran and Oren Berries look different under UV light.

Alright, unfortunately that’ll be all for tonight since circumstance forces me to economize my time a bit more than I normally would, but this was some pretty fascinating stuff. Like sure, like 75% of the content is basically taking leaps of faith from the canonical baseline, but it all feels very believable, with lots of:

moments for people who are familiar with the plants you took inspiration from for the various berries, or even the Pokémon and PMD games themselves for fine details such as the color of the berry leaves or how much they sell and where in the Pokémon World.

I don’t have too much to complain about this installment, since aside from a couple small typos and spots where it looked like you accidentally omitted a couple words, it was pretty well polished. The one thing past that that I kinda would contest things on would be whether or not an Oren Berry would really be included as a basic berry in a item guide, but considering how there’s a whopping zero other lookalike berries in Sky, I suppose that I can understand the argument for just throwing it in.

Glad to be back in this story @windskull , and it’s just as imaginative and detail-oriented as always. I don’t know if I’ll be able to get through the whole remaining chunk before Review Blitz is over, but this won’t be the last review that I throw its way before then.

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

Heya, I was waffling a bit with choice paralysis over what I wanted to read tonight after plowing through a chunky review of Gathering Moss, but I figured that I went into Review Blitz with the goal of getting caught up with this story this year, and that even if I was a little unsure if I’d manage or not, that it was worth giving things a shot.

So let’s just jump right in and see where Porygon’s itemdex takes us this time:

1.2.1 - 1.2.2

Spoiler: Line-by-Line

1.2 Befuddling Berries

When the humans disappeared, countless pieces of information were lost with them. Some information may have survived by word of mouth or human artifacts, but much has been lost to time. The reason the berries in this category behave the way they do is one of those lost bits of information.

Huh. I was not expecting to get a surprise bit of backstory worldbuilding for your take on PMD canonworld, but duly noted there. It certainly would make explaining a few things in Rescue Team a bit easier if things went that route.

These berries are rather odd. The inability for pokemon to explain the way these five berries work has led to the berries being classified under the name befuddling berries. But that is only part of the name’s origin:

Every single one of them has amazing healing properties - perhaps even more so than the sitrus berry. But they also share a drawback: many pokemon have an adverse reaction to at least one of these berries, with their consumption causing a variety of side effects. The most common side effects include nausea, dizziness, confusion, and shortness of breath, though rashes and other similar effects have been noted in more severe cases. These effects can range from mild to life threatening, so we caution against eating or otherwise using these berries if you don’t already know it’s safe for you to eat them.

You had a couple typos here, including of ‘befuddlement’, though if you intend to keep the name consistent with the section title, you should also call them ‘befuddling berries’ in the text.

Why these berries cause such adverse reactions in the majority of pokemon is still a mystery. Some studies suggest that the intolerance is inherited, but there is as of yet no proof on the matter. Tabloids would have you believe that they’re based on your personality, but this is nothing more than baseless gossip. What we do know, though, is that most pokemon have an adverse reaction to at least one of these berries, though some pokemon have reported getting sick from two or more. Conversely, there are some pokemon that experience no side effects from any of the berries.

Oh, so these are going to be things like Figy Berries in this section, huh? Cute tie-in for them there. Though spotted a small moment where you had a missing word in your text.

Due to their powerful healing nature, these berries will set you back more than an oran berry would. But because of their drawbacks, they’re cheaper than a sitrus berry. As mentioned before, we do not recommend taking any of these berries with you into a dungeon if you don’t already know they’re safe for you to eat. But if you have already tested them and came out fine, they may be a reasonable alternative to orans, especially in more dangerous dungeons.

Another small typo in this block here. Though “berry that’s better than a Sitrus Berry, but only good for some Pokémon” does feel like it’d be handy for more experienced explorers to dabble with.

1.2.1: Figy Berry

Overview

To those who like spicy foods, the figy berry provides the perfect kick. Spicier than the cheri berry, figy berries are a great alternative to orans. Unfortunately, their relatively limited growing zones have made them the most expensive berry in this category. In addition, the texture of the berry may not be palatable for all pokemon. Both are things that should be taken into consideration before choosing to use them.

Oh, so I take it that you’re not a fan of figs, huh?

At ten cutiefly measures, figy berries are considered moderately sized. They’re a bit on the softer side, making them easier to accidentally crush than orans. One end of the berry is fat and round, while the other end turns concave inward, almost to a point. Some will describe it as the shape of an apple’s core. Both ends of the berry are a slightly dull yellow, while the middle is covered by jagged streaks of red. Unripe berries, however, will instead be green. The inner flesh of the berry is pale yellow with a bright red, jam-like substance surrounding the seeds. All parts of the berry are edible.

Huh, I actually never realized that apple core comparison. I can kinda see it now.

Similar to the cheri berry, there are two species of figy berries. One grows on plants with red leaves, while the other has purple leaves. Both breeds bloom with pale yellow-white flowers and have smooth bark. The red-leafed variety requires beedrill to pollinate, while purple-leafed figy berries do not. The latter are typically smaller, but otherwise they have a similar taste and texture.

Huh, I didn’t realize that so many berries had sprite redraws going from Gen 3 to 4, but nice touch working both their designs in.

Interestingly, the beedrill family is one of the few species that as a whole are not affected by the figy berry’s befuddling effects. It is believed that this links back to the fact that they are the sole pollinator of red leaf figy berries. They pollinate the berries, and in turn can eat them without concern.

Huh, that one’s definitely different from the games. But it makes sense that in a world with diverse forms of life, that some would just be able to snarf down the weird berries all day everyday.

If you are tapping plants for their sap for whatever reason, be careful of tapping figy berry plants. The milky sap that comes from these plants are known to irritate the skin of most organic pokemon. Inorganics are usually okay, so long as the sap does not get into their inner workings. Even so, the sap has traditionally been used in some traditional medicines, as detailed below.

Huh, so fig sap is indeed poisonous. TIL. Though nice touch there.

Uses

Every berry within this section is used roughly the same way within dungeons. As such, we will only cover the healing properties in this section, notating the differences for the other four.

Definitely handy for avoiding repetition. ^^;

Similar to the oran berry, it is best to ingest figy berries to get the full healing effects. The effect will kick in after a few moments and are effective for stopping bleeding and closing minor to moderate wounds, and even for healing fractures. Several figy berries can often heal broken bones, but this comes with the same warning presented earlier in the text.

That actually makes me wonder if they can be used for poultices like Oran Berries, or if there are side effects that prevent that.

All that said, figy berries are actually more effective than orans for healing external cuts and gashes. The pulpy inside can be used like a gel to close the wound, helping stop the bleeding while the healing juices are absorbed into the blood stream. Of the five befuddlement berries, the figy berry is the best for closing external wounds, and as a result is our highest recommended berry if external injuries are a concern, so long as one knows they will not experience side effects.

Well, that was a fast answer, though that certainly sounds convenient if you don’t draw the short straw for Figy Berry effects.

Figy berries are occasionally used as an ingredient in sweet and spicy jams. Cooking the berry down removes the substance that causes the befuddling side effects, but the healing properties are lost as well. They are also commonly used in desserts. Though figy berries do not have a long shelf life when fresh, they can be dried to preserve them for longer, at the cost of losing the ability to use the gel as an emergency bandage.

I mean, that seems to make sense given that’s how fig leaf tea works.

Besides the berries themselves, the milky sap is sometimes combined with other ingredients and used as an ointment to treat callouses. That said, please do not use the sap by itself as a treatment. Our organic friends have informed us that it is painful.

Snerk. The little moments where there’s a dollop of humor here and there from the author’s part go a long way for this series’ charm.

Locations

Historically, figy plants required beedrill to pollinate them, limiting their range significantly to only areas where beedrill roamed. Over time, they evolved the ability to self-pollinate, leading to the second, separate breed. This self-pollinating version of the figy plant is still limited by growing conditions, however. Both grow wild in dry and sunny areas with deep, fresh soil and in rocky locations near sea level. The most common growing locations include the southern portions of the Water continent, and most areas near the shore of the Sand continent. All that said, they can occasionally be found growing wild in dungeons on the Sand continent, but this is uncommon.

Huh, TIL about fig wasps. And how fig varieties indeed have this split between pollinating and self-pollinating variants.

These berries are typically sold for around 50 to 80 poke on the Sand and Water continents, and anywhere from 150 to 250 on the remaining continents, depending on the season. If you happen to find one cheaper than an oran and you know you won’t suffer from the adverse effects, give it a try. Otherwise, we recommend passing it up unless you’re in a pinch.

That actually makes me wonder if inorganic Pokémon would get any effect from a Figy Berry… or any of the others in the earlier sections for that matter.

1.2.2: Wiki Berry

Overview

According to current theories, many berry plants have evolved different ways to attract pokemon in hopes of propagating themselves. For some, it is their vibrant color that makes them stand out against the leaves of the plant. Others may have formed symbiotic relationships with a pokemon, such as the figy berry and beedrill. The wiki berry has its own method: being bumpy. At least, that’s what we currently believe.

I raised my brow briefly at the lack of obvious IRL fruit parallels, but no, “being easy to carry” is just straight-up a part of Wiki Berries’ fluff text, so cute touch there.

The wiki berry is a moderately-sized, egg-shaped berry measuring about eleven cutiefly measures in length. It has a thin, purple skin and is covered in both hairs and small bumps. Though the skin is edible, most pokemon do not like the texture, and thus it is most often eaten after being peeled. The golden inside is firm and fairly dry, though it can be mashed down into a sticky paste with some effort.

Oh, so you did take Kiwifruit inspiration for these things. That makes me wonder if you can find ones with green or red interiors as well.

Growing low to the ground, wiki berry plants can be identified by their large yellow leaves and clusters of bright-red, four-petaled flowers. Interestingly, they are one of the most unique and easily identifiable berry plants at a glance, making recognition a key component of emergency survival and rescue training for any member of a rescue team or explorers guild. (At this time, the Expedition Society has not included berry identification as part of its training, though Ampharos is in the process of updating training procedures. HAPPI could not be reached for comment at the time of writing this guide.)

Huh, they really do have four-petaled flowers in the Gen 3 and 4 sprites. This is admittedly a bit of a trip for me, since I actually grew up with kiwifruit plants in my backyard, which are quite different from the bushes Wiki Berries grow on in the games.

Uses

Unlike the figy berry, the wiki berry does not heal well externally, in part due to its dryness. Though it can be worked into a paste, the healing properties fail to be absorbed efficiently. As such, this guide does not recommend wiki berries to any team working with inorganics that do not eat, such as magnemite, klink, or beldum. The paste method does, however, help pokemon that might struggle to eat the berry whole.

That’s definitely different from an actual kiwi, even if it certainly checks out with the berry attributes in Gen 3 and 4.

Outside of dungeon exploration, raw wiki berries are occasionally used as a digestive aid. Only a few chunks are needed to help. There are rumors that wiki berries help young children grow, but these rumors are unfounded beyond general nutrition.

Just like real life~

Though it cannot be juiced, it can be blended with other berries to help add flavor to drinks. It can be baked or roasted as a snack, though it’s usually sliced into thin chips to capitalize on their crispness. It is also often cut into chunks and used to garnish food.

Mmm… kiwi chips. But it makes sense when dealing with ones that are drier and not exactly easy to mash up into a paste like the real ones.

Unfortunately, wiki berries ripen very fast, especially if left under direct sunlight. But if you need to ripen one in a hurry, placing it in a paper bag with leppa, nanab, or wepear berries can help speed the process up. Unlike figy berries, the healing substance in wiki berries will not be removed when cooked, so baked wiki berries are a nice alternative that will keep them fresh longer.

Ah yes, food preservation. That’s definitely handy for squeezing out some extra life from your berries.

Locations

Wiki berries grow best in temperate areas that get moderate heat during the hot season. They are known to grow particularly well in southern parts of the Mist continent, as well as the middle parts of the Air and Water continents. Besides being used for dungeoneering or medical uses, they are leisurely consumed the most on the Mist continent. Between being grown there and the higher consumption, the cost of wiki berries on the Mist continent usually runs around 50 poke. The Air and Water continents will typically sell them for around 60 to 80 poke, with 100 to 180 being the typical price range for the Grass and Sand continents.

This also sounds about right for kiwifruit from my own experience.

If looking for wild wiki berries, consider trying Berry Forest if you’re on the Air continent, as a multitude of berries can be found there. If on the Mist continent, your best place to look would probably be Inflora Forest. And on the Grass continent, try Tiny Meadow. Keep in mind, though, that these berries are far less common than oran berries. And as a result, you’re less likely to stumble across them in the wilds.

More like ‘half past never’ considering game mechanics, but that seems like a handy way of tying in items that ought to logically exist, but don’t in the canonical PMD setting.

1.2.3 - 1.2.5

Spoiler: Line-by-Line

1.2.3: Mago Berry

Overview

Many sweet-tasting berries are well known for being used in deserts. Whether it be smoothies, cake toppings or just the berries by themselves, sweet berries are an unsurprisingly popular treat. And there are few that can contest the popularity and sweetness of the mago berry.

Do they also mix poorly with alcohol like in Psychic Sheep?

On average, mago berries measure about twelve cuitiefly measures, though this does not take the berry’s curvature into account. It is worth mentioning that the berry curves more the longer it is left on the plant. Additionally, leaving it on the stem makes this already sweet berry grow even sweeter.

Huh. It’s like a mango and a banana had a baby. I’d actually forgotten that Mago Berries were depicted that way in official media.

There are two common varieties of mago berry, though both have very similar tastes. Both are primarily a bright pink. As you get further away from the stem, the berries tapper off to either a pastel or a vibrant yellow. The former — which is a wild variety — grows on red-leafed plants, while the latter has vibrant green leaves. Both, however, have the same small white flowers. When cut open, the insides of both are bright yellow.

Ah yes, the Gen 3 and 4 sprite differences make a reprise there.

Despite being commonly known as the mago berry, some parts of the world have taken to calling it by a different, slang name, due to its shape and color: slowpoke tails. Predominately, this cute (or horrifying, depending on who you ask) name is used when mago berries are used as an ingredient in cooking, as a marketing technique of sorts.

I was just going to say, they do have a bit of a resemblance there.

Uses

Like all the other berries in this category, mago berries are often used for healing. Typically, the berries are consumed. Though the juices can be applied topically for the purpose of healing, most pokemon chose not to do so due to how sticky it is.

Yeeeah, I can see how that’d make a decent swath of Pokémon pass up on topically applying them.

In food, mago berries can be made into a jelly, dried, or pickled to preserve them, at a loss of some of their healing properties. More commonly though, the berries are juiced and used in drinks, including both smoothies and shakes. Even unripe berries are sometimes used in food, or even eaten raw. When unripe, they are sometimes cooked down into a sauce, but otherwise are usually preserved through pickling. Typically, these are the only reasons unripe berries are harvested, as mago berries do not seem to have their healing property until they’ve ripened, though they don’t yet have their befuddling properties, either.

Huh, interesting dichotomy there. Though that makes me wonder just how common these things are such that they’re staples in drinks instead of just cutting things with apple juice like how el cheapo drink companies often do IRL.

Occasionally, the leaves of both types of mago plants are used for decoration. Most commonly, the two colors of leaves are woven together to form a wreath. In some parts of the Grass continent in particular, hanging these kinds of wreaths in front of one’s home denotes that the homeowner has recently had a mate move in. In other parts of the world, this practice is less common.

Huh, I didn’t know that that was a tradition with mango leaves in parts of India. TIL. Though it’s always a lot of fun seeing you dig up traditions related to these berries’ counterpart plants and work them into a Pokémon context.

It is worth mentioning that the seed of the mago berry seems to be related to blinker and eyedrop, and dropeye seeds. However, despite the befuddling effects of the berry, the seed itself does not seem to have any special effects. I hope to research the matter more thoroughly in the future.

Huh. I take it that this is meant to be a reference to how mango plants are technically within the cashew family, but duly noted, then.

Locations

Based on the tradition mentioned above, it’s unsurprising that mago plants are commonly found on the Grass continent, especially near the northern coast. They’re also commonly grown along the southern coast of the Air continent. But the most common wild location would be the islands of the Sea of Wonders. Due to how difficult it is to safely reach these islands, though, most pokemon never get to taste the wild variety.

Oh, so Grovyle and the Sky protag binged on all the Slowpoke Tails Mago Berries during their trip out to Temporal Tower, huh?

Though you may be able to find some greenhouses that grow mago plants in other parts of the world, their inability to survive frost or dry temperatures make this less common. Still, their common use as a snack and in deserts have kept the prices relatively low. 50 poke is the average price in areas where it’s grown. Other areas can still usually get them for anywhere from 70 to 100 poke, with particularly cold areas running closer to 120.

That actually makes me wonder if any of these berries historically were the subject of greenhouse growing as a flex akin to orangeries IRL.

1.2.4: Aguav Berry

Overview

Known for being a favorite of the cutiefly species, aguav berries might be perhaps the most versatile of the befuddling berries. Since the befuddling properties can be cooked out of this berry, it is commonly used in many food items. Unfortunately, cooking it also removes the healing property, so be certain you are purchasing raw aguav berries if you’re using them for healing.

Huh. I wonder if this is based on something involving the properties of guavas IRL, since that feels like a very specific property there.

Measuring only about six cm, the aguav berry is a relatively small, hard, bitter berry, with the most bitter portion being near the stem. It has a rounded, almost egg-like shape, with the narrow end pointing towards the stem. The wider end curves in sharply, with a small point at the end. On the outside, the berry is a bit lumpy with green with vertical streaks of yellow. But the inside is a bright, vibrant red. It has long, lavender colored leaves, and blooms with a cluster of dainty white flowers at the center of the plant.

Well that interior certainly sounds familiar for some guava varieties, even if they’re usually not particularly hard IRL.

Uses

When a pokemon is unable to eat a berry — whether because they have no mouth, are unconscious, or else have other reasons for being unable to consume food — the aguav is the berry most compatible and can be a reasonable alternative to the oran. These berries can be mashed down into a somewhat thick pulp, which can be applied to open wounds, healing them in a short period of time.

Small typo there, since from the surrounding context, I’m pretty sure you wanted “compatible” for that section.

As mentioned before, aguav berries are an often-used culinary ingredient. They can be juiced and used for drinks, cut up for salads, candied, preserved into jellies and jams, and used for sauces. Additionally, oil can be extracted from the seeds for cooking and other purposes. And that’s only the tip of the culinary iceberg.

Historically, the large, tough leaves have also been used as wraps for pain treatment. Though still used today, advancements in medicine have phased this technique out of regular use. They seem to have the same healing properties as the berry itself, albeit not as potent.

Once again, just like real life~

Locations

Aguav berries require very little light to grow. However, they do require a warm, damp growing environment. As a result, they’re grown on every continent except for the Sand continent, but only on the southern tips of the Mist, Water, and Air continents, and the Northern tip of the Grass continent. There are a few islands in Sand territory where they can be found, but they aren’t usually able to grow on the mainland.

Huh, that one’s definitely different from guavas IRL. Though a quick glance at Bulbapedia reveals that it has apparently been a part of Aguav Berry fluff since day one. Interesting how Game Freak picks and chooses different attributes for their fantasy fruits.

Purchases near their growing climates typically run as cheap as 60 poke. The further from there you go, the more expensive the berries will become. The fact that they keep well, though, has helped keep the price relatively low, with the modern prices capping out at about 120-140 poke.

Another small typo here.

No mystery dungeons are particularly known as growing grounds for these berries, but if you come across a plant and know you can safely eat them, it’s well worth it to pick up a few. With how well they keep in that thick skin of theirs, and their myriad of uses, these berries are definitely worth grabbing.

Alternatively, Porygon just loves his Aguavs and bitter flavors in general, since that definitely is quite a bit less neutral and distant than the earlier entries.

1.2.5: Iapapa

Overview

The iapapa berry is full of surprises. Despite being the largest befuddlement berry — more than twice the size of any of the others at more over twenty cutiefly measures on average — it notably only has one large seed in the middle. It also has quite the surprising taste when bitten into and happens to be one of the tarter berries. The juicier the fruit, the tarter the taste is.

Wow, 75% of the way there to Nomel-tier tartness in Gen 4. That really does sound like an experience that would make one pucker up.

Half of the iapapa berry’s skin is a pale yellow, while the other half is a deep orange, with orange flecks in the middle. The fruit inside is nearly the same yellow color. It has a similar shape to a sitrus berry, with a bulbous bottom and a smaller top. But it is much softer when ripe. Despite their larger size, iapapa berries grow on smaller plants than most berries, blooming with only one large, yellow flower. After the flower has wilted away, a small yield of berries will have grown in its place.

You had a couple missed ‘a’s in this section here.

Uses

Both when used for travel and first aid, and when used for food, iapapa berries are typically eaten raw. However, they should not be eaten before they have ripened, and will make most pokemon sick if they try. They are significantly softer when ripened compared to an unripe fruit, so you can tell whether or not the fruit is ripe based on its firmness. Like many other berries, iapapas can be pickled to preserve them, at the cost of some of their effectiveness.

Another small typo there.

Despite usually being eaten raw, they are also sometimes boiled and served in salads. This is the most common culinary use, as it cooks out the secondary effects. The leaves of iapapa sprouts are also used in salads and for other culinary uses and are also sometimes boiled. The leaves are less commonly used, though, since there’s a limit to how many leaves can safely be taken. There is, however, a historic use of the leaves: supposedly in the time after humans, the leaves would be cut up and burned. Many pokemon believed the smoke from burning these leaves helped treat breathing problems. In modern times, however, this belief has been debunked. You may find some pokemon that still use this smoking technique to relax, but its effectiveness debatable.

Huh, I didn’t even know that burning papaya leaves was a tradition in some parts of the world. Once again, TIL.

Locations

Iapapa berries are extremely sensitive to frost. As a result, they are only grown in tropical locations, having a similar growing range to mago berries. The area you’re most likely to find them growing wild is on the Island of Storms in the Sea of Wonders. But the southern parts of the Air and northern parts of the Grass continents are where iapapa berries are grown commercially.

Besides frost, there are certain fungal infections that the iapapa berry plant is particularly susceptible to. Signs of this infection include yellowing leaves on the sprout, and dark green rings appearing on a more mature plant. These complications in farming have led to iapapa berries being the most expensive of the befuddling berries. In areas where they are locally grown, you might find them for around 80 poke, but prices can easily reach upwards of 300 poke in other areas, especially outside of their growing season.

I mean, those certainly sound about right for papayas…

Though given the wall time, this is probably a good place to leave things off. Once again, I found myself learning a surprising amount through this series, both of the details of how these different items are depicted in the franchise, as well as in this case for berries, of the actual fruits they draw inspiration off of and how their plants behave and are used. It’s surprisingly well thought-out for a story that’s basically a bunch of ‘this item does that’ snippets. The bits of humor that are worked in also work well to keep things from being too dry, especially in the Aguav Berry where you can kinda get the vibe that Porygon’s stopping to stan his favorite of the bunch.

That said, you did seem to have a few more typos than normal this time around, so it might be worth taking some time after Review Blitz to step through and laser them out of existence. There might have been some other issues that I overlooked, but I was too busy having fun to really notice them.

Though good work as always, @windskull . I’m admittedly unsure if I’ll be able to come back and round out the last two posted chapters in this next week, but it’ll certainly be on my radar, since I’ve quite enjoyed myself with this little series, and I hope that this won’t be the last we see of it in the future.