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Hello all! This has been a bit of a pet project of mine that I've been working on for the past several months, on and off, and I finally have something to show for it!
This is a written guide to various items from the mystery dungeon games (and a few others) written from the perspective of a character in-universe. It's based loosely on a series of stories based on the canon games that I've had on the backburner, but most of the ideas can apply to any mystery dungeon fic. The ideas in this are free to use if you wish. This first post will cover the introduction, and include a glossary if in-universe terms that will be updated as needed. I haven't what updates will be like - either one entry every other week, or 2-3 updates every month. Regardless, I will be updating weekly for the first section.
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.
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.
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?
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.
To begin, we will talk about one of the most common types of items: berries.
***
Measures - the primary unit of length measurement. Translates roughly to one meter.
Cutiefly Measures - a smaller measurement of length. Translates roughly to one centimeter.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
As they are so easy to grow, there are whole fields of the berries grown at 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.
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 accidently harvest oren berries instead. We will go over how to distinguish the two in section 1.1.11.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sitrus trees can be identified by their pale lavender leaves. When in bloom, they produce small, round, white flowers.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
As mentioned before, milder cheri berries are often candied, though sometimes they are used as a topping to give desserts a kick.
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.
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.
This is such a fun concept!! Pokemon items are a little batshit as far as their variety and scope, so I really love what you've done here with trying to present them in a more grounded concept. The attention to detail about the different types of flowers and leaves is also *chef's kiss*. Really fun stuff. Some quick line comments!
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.
I liked the vibe of the opening here -- it feels a little less clinical/scientific journally than the Alola Dex, more like a food blog or something? But a really good use of tone here!
hi, patron saint of em dashes here. pls forgive. the (-) is a hyphen and is used to join words together, like half-filled, ten year-old, etc. The em dash (—) is a punctuation mark that puts breaks in sentences. You'll want to rewrite that sentence as: These berries—with one exception—have some sort of healing property.
A lil' silly but em dashes love you and only want to be loved in return.
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.
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.
This detail too! Plant identification is such a crucial part of these berries, but I didn't even think about it going in. Loved this. I think the dual reference of "we will talk about orens in section 1.1.11." was a bit excessive though.
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.
This line stuck out to me as a little conversational in what was otherwise a pretty one-sided article. I think rephrasing it to something like "Although sitrus berries may appear superior in every conceivable way, they are recommended less often than orans. This is because [...]"
This is such a fun idea! I think my favorite bits are the attention to detail you give about the non-battle properties, since that's an idea that comes up so rarely in canon. Little glazes and deserts with extra kick! So cute.
Really glad to see this posted! It's been fun seeing the snippets here and there while you were working on it. Also an interesting surprise that the guide's supposed to have been compiled by a porygon! On the one hand, this totally is the kind of thing I could see a porygon being good at and enjoying; on the other, porygon in a PMD setting always does my head in. How did they get there???
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.
Should be "are small, round, blue berries." Or change it to "An oran berry is."
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.
From the way this is phrased, the guide is what's useful as both a healing item or energy boost.
...this method can be more effective on large or gaping wounds, as applying the juices directly to the injury allows it’s healing properties to work on just that part of the body.
- The mention of an inter-continental kecleon trading company is a cute detail and way to explain why kecleon merchants are so consistent across PMD games.
Cheri berries are one of the smallest berries, measuring only a meager two cutiefly marks on average.
I'm guessing the "sand" in "sand continent" should also be capitalized?
These first entries are a lot of fun! I like how you get some hints of the non-item-related PMD worldbuilding in here with mentions of things like foraging teams and cutiefly marks (!!!). Even your descriptions of how berries work in relation to their actual in-game use is interesting, both for how you try to wrangle the "magic immediate healing" of the actual in-game items into something that actually sounds sensible and for how it adds a bit of life to the ideas of dungeon crawling and battles. In general I find the out-of-battle uses the most interesting, though, and that's certainly the area where you have the most leeway to do what you want. I almost want more of that kind of stuff, but overall I think you've struck a good balance here; there's a lot of tantalizing details, but each entry stays breezy and doesn't turn into a long Essay on My Headcanons. Considering how many items you have to get through, keeping an eye on entry length is bound to be a good thing!
The berry artwork for this initial chapter is super cute, too! All in all this was an enjoyable first entry, and I look forward to more from this series in the future.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 working 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.
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.
Less commonly, chesto berries are sometimes preserved in syrup or sugar, or canned. This does not adversely effect their sleep preventing abilities, but it will limit the way they can be eaten.
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.
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.
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.
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.
At only four cutiefly marks 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Though uncommon, sometimes the wood of a pecha plant is used as a ward against ghost types. The effectiveness of this use is debatable.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
With a rich flavor, they’re often eaten as is when not used for their effects, but there are some cooking applications.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
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.
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.
I realized I didn't reply to people, so lemme do that real quick...
@kintsugi I always forget about the emdashes lol. Went and edited those in. (I'll probably forget again by the next time I post something OTL). Also fixed the typo, and I may go back and edit that one line you picked out in the future. Regardless, glad you're enjoying what you've read.
@Negrek Glad you're enjoying it so far. I think I fixed all the typos you pointed out. To address a couple of your comments
That's part of it, but there's actually more to it. If you look at the sprite of the berry plants from gens 3 and 4, they have different colored leaves. So I tried to incorporate that into the lore. I used the fact that there are multiple breeds of cherries to tie things together and give the differences a reason.
Today's entries mark the last entries in the basic berries section. Going forward, I plan to release some amount of entries between two and four at the beginning of every month. So I'll see yall back on the first of August!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If you are hoping to harvest some berries in a dungeon, keep an eye out 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 befudlement berries. But that is only part of the name 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, dizzyness, 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.
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 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.
Due to the 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 te 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.
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.
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 beedril. The wiki berry has its own method: being bumpy. At least, that’s what we currently believe.
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.
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 Ampheros is in the process of updating training procedures. HAPPI could not be reached for comment at the time of writing this guide.)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
hi again! I think I forgot to mention it on the first chapter, but the chapter art for this was also super sick! I thought it really helped set up the feel you were going for.
Here for 1.1.4 - 1.1.7! Berries and maybe-a-berry. I found myself noticing the economics/pricing in the Location section a bit more, and I thought this was a neat detail to include. I wonder if from a meta perspective maybe that will date this encyclopedia a bit -- sort of like saying that gasoline costs $0.98/gallon in America would reveal that you are in fact writing this in the eighties. I dunno! Does this version of the pokemon world have inflation and varying supply chains on essential commodities? Is this really a question I should be focusing on in a book about berry horticulture????
Overall I thought this was really enjoyable. I also liked the details on how the preferred growth climate affects what dungeons the berries grow naturally in, the little details about how rawst berry plants only have 2-3 yields before they should be replanted, and so forth. It really feels like you did your research on these and it was a lot of fun to read about.
I also really liked how there have been enough unique things to say across 7+ entries so far. When I first heard this concept and saw that the Oren berries were going to be in the 11th entry of this section, I was really intrigued about how you were going to find new things to say about fruits, but you've done a great job of that. This has been a whole lot of fun.
[[Also, here from the future -- this ended up running really long, and i'm sorry! I just had lots of cool things to say about fruit i guess and I was inspired by the other cool things you've already said about fruit here]]
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.
This sent conflicting messages for me. The first sentence says sneak attacks are unexpected, while the second sentence talks about the precautions that many teams take to avoid being ambushed. I think rephrasing to something like "A common mistake among rookie rescue teams is to sleep in a dungeon without setting a watch, leaving the team vulnerable to being ambushed during their slumber. More experienced teams often will stay awake as long as possible [...]" or something -- I think that would do a better job of setting up the chronology of when the lesson is learned?
I also like the nod to the game mechanic that the player's team climbs these massive towers without ever really sleeping. Sounds super dangerous but your reasoning for why that might seem like a good idea is very sound!
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.
Haha I found this line great after the emphasis last chapter on "NEVER MIX UP OREN AND ORAN. OREN. AND ORAN. DIFFERENT THINGS. OKAY? OREN. ORAN". I'm sure people get confused a lot in this world with all the names, haha.
I'm not really sure if I buy that chestnuts and chesto berries have a notable enough common ancestor -- I'm sure that the nut and berry ancestor trees align at some point, but not really anywhere close enough to their modern-day forms for it to feel worth nothing?
I thought it was interesting to use the "that" modifier for "pokemon that are known to be insomniacs" instead of "who" here -- seems like they'd self-refer as "who"?
The phrasing here of "breathing apparatus" felt a bit awkward, and also opens up some weird questions. Can plants breathe???? Or does their immunity to powder moves also make them unaffected by powdered chesto? I think it might be easier to say "this powder should then be introduced into the pokemon's lungs. For most mammalian pokemon, this will usually come in the form of inhalation via the nose or mouth. Bird pokemon can breathe through both their nares and mouth, although application through the mouth is usually a more surefire method. Fish are fucked pokemon have a more difficult time, but applying the powder directly to the membranes of their gills is typically recognized as the most effective method."
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.
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.
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.
I found myself wishing there was a secondary encylopedia for describing status ailments, haha. I didn't really get a good idea of what freezing means, what reversing freezing means, etc. Is it a big block of ice? Severe frostbite that just makes it too painful to move? Does the blood usually freeze and what are the adverse effects/how can you come back from that?
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.
In general I like the breezy but informative tone you maintain throughout this, but this paragraph tripped me up for some reason. I think it could be condensed slightly to sound a bit more educational/less rambly -- the two sentences beginning with "but" feel a bit informal/like Porygon was a bit in a rush here.
Maybe something like "Becoming frozen or paralyzed by a pokemon's attack will render the victim unable to move, making one an easy target for passing ferals. However, being frozen poses additional dangers that paralysis does not: long-term complications of being frozen included the risk of frostbite, and eventually death. In a warmer climate, where the ice will melt faster, it is unlikely that you will risk sustaining lasting injuries. In colder climates, there is no such guarantee, and carrying freeze-preventatives is highly recommended."?
Dropped a hyphen on "as-is" -- this sentence tricked me up for a while because I kept scrambling it to "they're eaten as often as not is when not usedsdflklksjadf"
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.
I was a bit confused here since there's a (really cool) section about how chesto berries can also be used on sleeping pokemon. Tying in with above re: what freezing is, I think this would also be a good spot to expand a bit on how the aspear berries can prevent freezing -- does it make your blood super spicy or something?
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.
I thought it was super interesting that in this world the "berry" classification comes not from its seeds/parent plant, nor from its cooking applications, but from its battle applications. Says a lot about the culture here and I thought this was a neat detail.
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.
Similar to the freezing questions -- is burning similar to real-life burning, where the skin becomes swollen/inflamed and then starts to burn away, or is it more like the in-game burning, where you just start literally on fire? The latter feels a bit cartoonish given the amount of care that you've put into making this world feel realistic, but the former seems incompatible with the idea that inorganics/mineral pokemon would have treatable burns at all.
also I just noticed this on the way out but it should be "beldum" instead of "beldam" unless this is another oren/oran long-con!
Overall this was a lot of fun to read, though, and I'm glad you're keeping up with this. Lot of fun to imagine this running in the background of PWCH.
[[Oh! me from the future again. Noticed that the threadmarks on this chapter refer to Persim berries but I do not think the chapter itself does]]
@kintsugi thanks for the read. You bring up a lot of fair points and I'll keep them in mind if I do any revisions. The only one I want to bring attention to, in particular, is your point on chestnuts. For most of the berries, I imagine that the plant they're based on are either extinct or never existed (with some exceptions like the pecha entry, where I found interesting ways to combine the two.) I brought particular attention to the chesto berry and the chestnut though because, well, chestnuts are an item in the mystery dungeon games, and I wanted to make a nod to that somehow. Also, fixed the persim thing. There was a mixup from when I was transferring things over to TR because I originally forgot the rawst berry because it's obviously not actually a berry. Obviously.
Sorry for the delay! I meant to have this up at the beginning of the month but things happened. After this entry, new ones will be on pause until either December or January until I've had enough time to research all the fruits and berries for the next section, which covers a whopping eighteen berries: all of the damage-reduction berries.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In food, mago berries can be made into a jelly, dried, or pickled to preserve them, at 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 comparable 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.
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.
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.
Purchase 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.
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.
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.
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 similar shape to sitrus berry, with 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.
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, iapapa’s can be pickled to preserve them, at the cost of some of their effectiveness.
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.
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.
To explain the uses of berries in this category, we must take a moment to discuss the origin of nearly all pokemon powers: the LIfe of the World. While this is the technical term, for the sake of simplicity this section will refer the Life of the World as aura, the common name used outside of scientific circles. Much of what we know about aura is theoretical in nature, so please keep that in mind as we run through the basics.
Aura can be described as elemental life essence. Some may refer to it as the soul, but in reality, this is a misnomer. Every pokemon has a concentrated aura, but trace amounts of aura are in the air all around us. Some attacks come from within, expending aural energy from the pokemon itself, while others pull from the energy in the air. Realizing that so many attacks draw upon this invisible, almost spiritual-in-nature energy has helped us understand why pokemon attacks ignore both conservation of energy and of matter, and why elements summoned by aural energy seem to disappear after some time.
It is important to note that some attacks may have a physical component to them as well. One of the easiest examples is the summoning of a surf attack near the ocean. It is important to note as much for the purposes of this chapter, but generally we will not be going into the interactions of physical components of attacks and aural attributes.
Every pokemon has an aural type, and some have two. Looking at a pokemon’s aura can often help determine how healthy a pokemon is. Generally, only a few species have a natural affinity for reading a pokemon’s aura, but any pokemon with even the slightest psychic affinity can learn to sense aura.
With that brief introduction to aura out of the way, we can finally dive into what this section is all about. There is a particular subset of berries that, through years of exposure to particular elements, have grown to resist certain aura signatures. Through ingesting these berries or applying them to the skin, pokemon can receive temporary protection against a particular elemental aura.
There are eighteen berries within this category, each protecting against a single element. As they are relatively specialized, they tend to run more expensive than most berries. As a result, many explorers choose to not use them except in particularly dangerous dungeons.
Before we dive in, there is one other important note about these berries. Outside of general cooking or use for protection, they all share one common industrial use: creating gummis. We will discuss this further in a later section, but for now, keep this general rule in mind.
1.3.1: Occa Berry
Overview
Most all berries are used in some form of cooking. While many are used for main courses, a few are particularly known for their use in deserts. And no berry is more well known than the Occa Berry.
Measuring about nine cutiefly measures on average, the occa berry can be identified by its distinctive shape. This berry is bright red, and has an overall round shape made up of several wedges. It shares these wedge shapes with the starf berry, but the other berry’s distinctive star-like structure and green color keeps the two from being mistaken for each other. The occa plant can be identified by its tall trunk and vibrant green leaves. In bloom, the plant can have flowers that vary from white to pale pink, and the berries themselves will sprout on the trunk or the oldest branches. These plants are slow growing and only produce small yields, but can be harvested again and again for several years. The pod, when unripe, can be a shade of yellow or orange, but will turn bright red when it’s ready for harvest.
Part of what makes the berry so popular is it’s taste. The soft, white flesh is notably spicy, while the seeds have sweet undertones that cause them to be commonly used in deserts. More on how occa berries are used for cooking in the next section, but neither of these really get to the heart of why these berries are sometimes recommended for dungeon exploration. As mentioned in the overview of this category, these berries have the peculiar ability to protect from elemental effects. The occa berry, true to its spicy nature, helps protect against one of the most destructive elements: fire.
Uses
For dungeon exploration, the primary use of the occa berry is to protect against the effects of fire. Though it can be ingested to obtain the effects, the most common way to apply it is as an ointment. When applied externally to skin, fur, mineral, any other type of material, the protective ointment is either absorbed or lays atop the skin, acting as insulation against fire. Either way, the protection it provides lessens the blistering damage caused by fire, and often reduces the risk of burns.
The ointment made from the occa berry is specifically made from the white, pulpy flesh, while the numerous seeds are practically useless in the business of dungeoneering, save perhaps as a distraction in a pinch. However, outside of dungeons these seeds have their uses, particularly in cooking. Even the pulp is sometimes used in cooking.
Often, the seeds are roasted and then ground down and processed into a paste or powder, this powder is then further processed and is the main ingredient in chocolate. Typically, the concentration of these processed seeds decides how sweet the chocolate is. In some parts of the world, particularly on the Mist and Grass continents, occa flesh that has been processed for consumption is filled into a chocolate nougat, creating a spicy-sweet treat that’s sometimes given as gifts. Or, in more concentrated amounts, used in a friendly game of V-Wheel Roulette, a game in which five regular nougats and one extra spicy one are divided amongst a group of players, with one unfortunate player being the recipient of the spicy chocolate. It is said that Victini approves of this game named after his own game of chance.
Locations
Most commonly, occa berries are grown in tropical regions, primarily on the Grass Continent. One of the biggest occa berry farms can be found northeast of Treasure Town. There are rumors that at one time, Treasure Town accepted Occa Berries as a form of payment, but the validity of these claims have yet to be confirmed. Though they have been spotted in several mystery dungeons across the world, the two where they are most commonly found are also on the Grass Continent: the Mystery Jungle and the Southern Jungle.
Occa plants grow taller than most berry bushes and in the wild are most commonly pollinated by the cutiefly family. That said, all sorts of pollinators are employed to pollinate domesticated plants.
Unfortunately, the occa plant also must deal with many pests, which has led to a decrease in the wild population. Protective measures are often taken at berry farms to reduce the risk of damage to the plants or berry theft. This pest problem has made it hard to find wild in recent seasons, making it more likely that most pokemon will only be able to obtain them through merchants, and has driven their price up to as high as 300 poke for a single berry, though historically they had reached 1000 poke. Fortunately for the cooking and gummi creation industries, one berry goes a long way.
1.3.2: Passho Berry
Overview
For those that do not live where the Passho berry is grown, the variety of cooking uses may come as a surprise. Though utilitarian in nature when used in exploration, Passho berries are used in a variety of deserts despite their dry and bitter flavor.
Passho berries are small, measuring only about 3 cutiefly measures on average. When ripe, they are a deep blue, and a dry, golden husk clings to them. Like many of the berries in this category, they are slow-growing and produce small yields, but they are an invaluable tool for any fire, rock, or ground-type pokemon.
Small pockets of air in their thick skin make these berries float on water. This characteristic happens to match up well with the berry’s primary utility — protection from water.
Before this guide goes into detail of how the effect works, please be aware that it does little to protect from the pressure effects of water attacks such as water pulse or hydro pump, only protecting from the worst of the aural elemental effects.
Uses
Similar to the occa berry, there are two primary ways to use the passho berry. Eating one will give the user a small natural protection against aural water. The juice, however, can be applied to the skin to create an oily coating, similar to that found in ducklett feathers, that allows the water to roll right off. This type of application is considered the better of the two methods, but fire-type pokemon with external flames or that have extremely high body temperatures should use caution when applying the berry juice externally, as it has been known to boil and pop when superheated.
The juice of the passho berry can be refined into an oil. In its purest form, the oil can be used as another way to protect against the effects of aural water. But it is more often, in less pure forms, used for cooking. The juice is also occasionally used in marinades and sauces. The fruit, as a whole, has a similar taste to the aguav berry, and as a result is sometimes used as a substitution for the aguav. It can be used in salads, and is commonly preserved or made into jam.
Locations
The Passho fruit has a relatively large growing range and is able to be grown in both tropical and subtropical climates. It is not uncommon to find street vendors selling the berry, or some sort of treat using the berry juices. Due to just how common water-type attacks are, teams with at least pokemon that are susceptible to water are encouraged to bring a passho berry with them.
In the wild, passho plants can often be found growing near water. They grow on moderately-sized bushes with pale pink leaves. The flowers have four white petals with an orange base underneath. This orange base is what forms the “husk” on the ripened berry. Passho berries can be found on all the major continents, but are most prevalent in the southern portion of the Water Continent. As they are relatively common, they go cheaper than several of the berries in this category, typically selling for anywhere from 100 to 200 poke per berry, depending on how close the seller is to their growing climate. Historically, prices are known to have reached close to 600 poke.
1.3.3: Wacan Berry
Overview
At a glance, one might think that wacan berries are inedible, or else that they would not taste very good. These berries are soft, chewy, and squishy, and have a similar texture to an undercooked gummi. And yet, they are surprisingly popular, and are a valuable asset when exploring areas where electric pokemon congregate, such as the Amp Plains.
Wacan berries are long and slender, measuring 25 cutiefly measures on average - though they can grow significantly longer. Their name comes from squishing two words together: wax, due to their texture being similar to the wax of the litwick family, and candy to their sweet, candy-like taste. The flesh of a wacan berry is a bright yellow, contained beneath a thin, nearly opaque membrane. The end of the berry is contained within a husk that remains green even after being plucked from the plant.
Uses
After being removed from the membrane, the flesh of wacan berries can be softened by applying just a little bit of heat. In this malleable state, the wax can be applied to the body to create an insulative layer that protects against electrical attacks. As with all the other resisting berries, the wacan berry can also be eaten to obtain a weakened version of these effects.
Other than being used as a protective measure against electric attacks, wacan berries are used in gummis and sometimes eaten as a snack by themselves. But they are rarely used in cooking outside of a few specific uses. Sometimes the flesh is melted into a malleable state and molded to create edible decorations for desserts. Sometimes it’s used as a garnish on fancy dinner plates. Otherwise, don’t expect it to be seen in cooking.
Locations
The wacan berry has a relatively large growing range, and is able to survive in colder temperatures than many fruits. However, its limited culinary uses means that only a select handful of berry orchards across the continent dedicate space to the berry bushes. This has also led to wacan berries being one of the more expensive resisting berries, starting at 150 poke but more commonly going for close to 350 poke. Before its value as a resisting berry was realized, they went for a bit more, maximizing at around 500 poke.
Wild bushes are often found in areas where electric pokemon make their homes. Typically, these areas are home to frequent lightning storms. Wacan plants have been known to ground lightning, absorbing the energy. Many believe that this process leads to a richer flavor, though the validity of these claims has yet to be confirmed.
The plant can be recognized by its large, green leaves and moderately-sized blue-white flowers. The berries, however, are the easiest way to identify the plant. Due to the way they hang down, they can be spotted from a good distance away. Please use caution if you decide to harvest wacan berries. The bark of the wacan plant is known to have an agent that causes irritated skin and can last for several days if not quickly and properly washed.
Hi wind! Slowly catching up with this! Here for the persim/lum/oran/oren chapter. General thoughts--I still really adore this concept/the lore that you've worked into everything here, and it's really fun to see such a careful delineation (especially one with plants! plants are great) of what the game tends to gloss over. These guides are a really unique branch of fanfiction and I'm always reminded when I read them that it's such a fertile (heh) ground for a lot of really clever ideas and tiny bits of worldbuilding. My favorite parts of this chapter were probably the different types/symptoms of confusion depending on how it was inflicted, and the detail that a lot of kecleon won't buy back oran berries on continents where oren berries are commonly found in dungeons. They're such innocuous details but they click together so well, and help make the world feel really lush and different from our own--the kecleon detail, for example, is really perfect in a world that's more barter-based and has more common access to resale points than our economy, which is a bit more one-way.
I did find myself wondering a bit why lum berries are able to function the way they are--the author sort of accepts that they're just a general cure-all, but after seeing the detailed analysis of why each of the status-specific berries work the way they do (and how they're uniquely primed to combat that specific ailment), I did want to know what was special about lums that lets them be the jack-of-all-trades here.
Some misc line-edits/thoughts in the spoiler below:
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.
I wonder if this works universally on pokemon with different brain chemistries? I know for humans you have to be pretty careful prescribing the dosage of anything that deals with receptors simply because every human is so different, and the thresholds have to be pretty finely-tuned (but are really difficult to observe). Would this be less of an issue with pokemon across different species, or even within their same species?
Grammatically this would read better as:
> Be warned, though: when they become overripe, they will begin to turn a dark black on the outside.
(I also think "dark black" is a bit redundant)
In the context of later paragraphs, which explain that this is a key ingredient in ethers/elixirs, it might be better to phrase this as "its job is done far better once it is distilled from its raw form into ethers or elixirs" or something similar.
Some orchards that 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.
I think some stuff got cut here! I found it interesting but it didn't really seem to follow from the previous sentence (which was about how the fruit tastes).
I think this is a neat detail, but I was wondering what the reasoning was behind it--given that this guide seems to have a lot of reasons for things I would've pegged as inexplicable. Maybe for whatever reason they can't self-pollinate, and need to cross-pollinate with a different tree of the same species?
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.
As someone less-familiar with the PMD-franchise, I'm not sure what the listing out of each of these organized forces by region does--presumably someone who's more familiar with PMD would also know which guild/exploration team is from which game, so they wouldn't find this information necessary; while for someone who's less familiar, it's a lot of titles that (so far) don't seem super relevant to the content of what's being discussed here.
Thanks for the feedback @kintsugi I'll try to get those typos fixed at some point in the future.
1.3.4 Rindo Berry
Overview
There are certain preconceived notions of what constitutes a berry. While this guide could go into many of them, it will address the most common notion: that berries are a subset of fruit that offer some sort of special effect, such as the healing properties of the oran or the resisting effects of any berry in this section. For a long time, this notion held true, though there were a few berries through the years that were added to the classification despite holding no special effects. (See section 1.5, cooking berries.) And then the rindo berry was discovered, baffling the botany community as a whole.
Unlike most berries, which are at least fruitlike in nature, the rindo berry most similarly resembles legumes. And outside of a subset of unusual berries whose classification is debated (section 1.6, rare and debated berries), it is the only berry that is more vegetable like than fruitlike. Resembling a different type of edible plant, perhaps it explains some of the logic behind the fact that the rindo berry is used to resist grass types.
A soft, medium-sized berry that grows 15 cutiefly measures long on average, these green, segmented berries are known for their bitter taste. Despite their bitter taste, they also have a slight spicy kick, and have a fair amount of culinary uses. Rindo berries smell a bit earthy, not unlike a root vegetable, and are known to be rich in fiber.
Uses
As mentioned above, rindo berries are primarily used to help a pokemon resist the grass element. Though these berries can be processed into a salve applied topically to protect against the effects of grass, they are most effective when eaten. As although there are many grass-type techniques that have a physical element to them (i.e. vine whip, razor leaf), the moves typically cause more damage to a victims aural energy than it does their physical body. Techniques like absorb, for example, do very little to a pokemon physically, but instead siphon off energy and gives it to the attacker. But this is not a guide to pokemon techniques, so it will not get any deeper into this subject.
As mentioned above, this berry can be processed into a salve. It can also be processed into a metal polish, surprisingly. It is not uncommon to find steel types growing a few of these berries for that excact purpose, despite their natural resistance to the grass type.
Another, less common use for rindo berries is in medicine. This berry is sometimes used in a poultice applied to the forehead to treat fever. However, other berries, particularly the oran and sitrus berries, are significantly better for healing. And as a result, the use of rindo berries in medicine has declined as the other berries have become more commercialized.
In food, rindo berries have been used as part of pickling solutions, a flavoring in sauces, and tea. The rindo plant’s leaves are also used in cooking, and the wood from the plant is used for woodworking.
Locations
Unlike many of the berries covered thus far, rindo berries thrive in sandy, acidic soil, though it can also do well in clay or loamy soil. The rindo plant is native to the Sand Continent, though it has since been exported and grown on the other continents as well. Outside of the Sand Continent, the rindo plant does best in the northern parts of the Grass Conitnent, and on the southern tip of the Mist Continent.
Rindo plants grow to be quite tall. This is one of their defining features. Also of note is their small, vibrant, purple leaves and their inconspicuous, pale purple flowers. They can be found growing wild in the Holey Meadow and Stone Tree Mountain mystery dungeons on the Sand Continent. Though you may find a plant or two on other continents, they will not be found in mystery dungeons outside of the Sand Continent.
Due to their previous medicinal value, the price of rindo berries have kept relatively competitively low. Prices typical range from 80 to 150 poke, with 175 being heard of on contents where they don’t grow, particularly outside of the harvest season.
1.3.5 Yache Berry
Overview
Most of the berries we’ve discussed thus far have similar growing conditions. They grow in temperate, tropical or subtropical environments, and as a result are not often found growing much further north or south outside of greenhouses. The yache berry does not follow this trend. In fact, up until recently, yache berries were not grown in tropical regions at all. Instead, yache berries are typically grown closer to the poles and at high altitudes. As frost resistant as it is, perhaps it will not come as a surprise that these berries help resist the ice type.
Yaches are described as having a “refreshing flavor” despite the sour taste and dry undertones. These berries are hard and crunchy, and measure about 13 cutifly measures on average. They are are relatively round and primarily a vibrant, cerulean blue with paler blue spots.
Though the yache can be juiced and applied topically to gain its effects, eating the berry is recommended. Shortly after a pokemon eats this berry, their body temperature will drop. Do not be alarmed, this is normal, and is a part of how it interacts with aura. By temporarily normalizing the body to a lower temperature, the cold no longer has as much of an effect.
Be warned: there is such a thing as lowering the body temperature too much, so consult with a healer to find out how many yache berries are safe to consume for your size and weight group.
Uses
As previously stated, the Yache berry is primarily used to protect against ice-type attacks. However, it can also help protect against bad weather, though the berry by itself is not enough to protect against bad weather, and as a result it should be used in tandem with other methods of keeping warm.
Otherwise, these berries are primarily used as a food source. Many pokemon would recommend eating these berries chilled, claiming that it tastes better. Additionally, yache berries are occasionally used in an emergency to knock down a fever or to cool off. Some modern medicines use yache extract for the same purpose, though they're still trumped by the cure-all sitrus berry.
Never eat yache seeds. They are poisonous. If you have accidentally eaten yache seeds, immediately use a pecha berry and get to a healer as soon as possible.
Locations
Yache plants are native to the mountains of the Mist continent, though they can now be found growing in most mountainous regions. They grow best at high altitudes in cold climates, and thus often can be found in in the northern regions of the Air, Mist, and Water continents. Yache berries grow in clusters directly off of the plant’s stem. The plant can be identified by their tall, bright blue stem. Leathery leaves grow near the base of the plant.
Due to their relatively niche use for yache berries, they aren’t grown as much as some other berries, even within this category. At their maximum, they’ve gone for 800 poke. But as dungeoneering has become more common and demand has risen, prices have dropped to 200-400 on average. If you wish to just consume them as food or as a treat, you’re better to forage them yourself. Try searching at Freezing Pillar on the Mist continent for your best chance at finding these berries.
1.2.6: Chople Berry
Overview
The effects of some berries frankly do not make a lot of sense. Some logic can be found in how the yache berry cools the body to help the user resist cold temperatures, for example. But chople berries are a confusing mess. In some ways, they are a foil to Yache berries, known to generate heat and warm pokemon up. But despite this, this berry does not protect pokemon from high temperatures or fire attacks; instead, it defends from fighting type energy. It is unclear why it helps protect from fighting energy, but this guide will speculate on the most common theories in the uses section.
A little over seven cutiefly measures long on average, the chople berry is narrow on one end, but grows thicker, into distinct wedges that round off on the other end. It is primary covered in a thin, bright red skin. On the narrow end is a small, flattened off, yellow indent. The flesh of the fruit is white, soft, and spongy. It tastes spicy with slight bitter undertones.
Uses
As mentioned above, despite the side effect of making one feel warm this berry has nothing to do with the fire element. Instead, it protects against fighting energy. The current most common theory is that this berry directly affects the aura of the pokemon that eats it, and makes them feel less threatening. As a result, pokemon using a fighting move subconsciously hold back. Speaking with pokemon that can detect some level of aural energy, (lucario, gardevoir, hatterne, et al) suggests that the first part has some level of truth. There is some temporary change to the user’s aural signature, though the exact change is still being researched. The latter part of the theory has been harder to prove. Why does this change make fighting moves not hit as hard, but not others? Thankfully, research is still in progress. HAPPI, in particular, has been doing research in this field.
Other, less commonly believed theories include the idea that the warm feeling makes the user feel more secure, and that feeling more secure helps them be sturdier. Another theory is that the berry only has a psychological effect that makes the pokemon consuming it think they haven’t been hit as hard. This theory is widely disbelieved, but still is discussed enough that it was worth mentioning in the guide.
Outside of its baffling effects, the chople berry does have some food usage. It can be found chopped up in salads, eaten lightly sautéed as a side dish, and pickled. Its juices - which range in color from clear to shades of purple - is sometimes used to help treat hypothermia.
Locations
Chople berry plants are evergreen, and can grow in most environments that get moderate rainfall. But they do best in temperate areas. As such, most commercially grown chople berries are grown on the Grass continent. The bushes grow to a moderate height in comparison to other berry bushes, and has large, wide leaves that are bigger than many other berry plants. These leaves are yellow-green, and the plant blooms with panicles of white flowers.
Yearly yield is moderate, but the prevalence of pokemon that can learn at least one fighting-type move has led to this berry being one of the more often grown, common berries. Prices usually range from 100 to 180 poke, with higher costs running no higher than 300 poke. Regardless of how this strange berry works, this guide highly recommends it to any pokemon that is susceptible to the martial arts.
Meant to come check this out and leave a note, ever since another non-fic fic popped up, and just, hadn't yet! So seeking to do so now! [No no: now now, after months!] Across several nights for a short review, haha.
I'm just going to take it super easy for me, so excuse any lack of quality : )
And while informational fic lends itself readily to reviews out of order, I still feel the need to start with the first segment, the initial utility berry entries! Sorry not sorry for first-chapter-syndrome!
___
- Here for Intro and for only part of the first segment!
Fun intro!
Good for me as reader to know that the guide is germane to the canon PMD core.
So Mystery Dungeons ignore the natural laws, also good to know. As noted, they are both growing in number, and seem to be pervasive, if it's hard to avoid moving through one when traveling. Certainly seems that sufficient equipment may be particularly necessary.
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.
So there's:
- IDing items, finding items (common locations)
- uses in and out of dungeons
- not covering items that are particular to certain types or certain pokemon families (from "sheer number" and "relative rarity")
-- berries, seeds, food, concoctions
-- scarves and bands, specs,
-- flags, looplets, orbs, wands, emeras
Quite a few item categories! (I wonder what emeras are.)
Ok! I just took a look at Bulbapedia's PMD series items template box, and there are quite a lot of item categories (divided into consumables, held items, and objects, as well as special items).
What is the significance of Alex's number, if there is any? There's a 1 and a 2 and a 3 and a 4. I shouldn't think about it too much, shouldn't try to glean significance from reading bones.
Also, TOC structure description about Porygon Alex's Guide, as it is so far:
: ) Taking notes!
Essentials:
- utility berries, "reviver seeds, escape orbs, a few other items"
- good to know that the basic berries are typified by having some sort of healing property--what's the exception??
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.
Reminds me of other potentially confusing naming, such as:
- Echelon form = Row echelon form ("EF", REF)
-- BUT that above is not equivalent to the below!
- Reduced echelon form = Row-reduced echelon form ("REF", RREF)
__
1.1.1 - Oran Berry!
(First thought is - is it recommended to pack more expensive and more potent berries, in case of space effectiveness requirements?)
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.
Oh, this is delightfully descriptive. Is the impact equally spread among the eight wedges.
Are they usually peeled beforehand (or does that risk bruising and unintended juicing), or do you eat the skin.
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.
Ohh, we have non-useful berries, too! : o
I like the contrast of the toxic one not being bitter to advertise itself as such, but happening to be the saccharine one.
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,
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.
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.
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.
What a handy little guide to stumble across, especially for someone who isn't as familiar with the PMD-verse. I know this isn't really meant to be a guide for out-of-universe readers, but I found it a unique read for someone who doesn't have much in-game knowledge. Feels like if I were transported to the PMD world, this would be essential reading! I love the idea of pokemon writing a handbook for dungeon explorers, and I love the little nods that this guide would be part of a series of guides for essential dungeon exploring information.
I think the thing that makes this guide shine is the incredible attention to detail. It reads just like any guide book we might find in real life, complete with little anecdotes, fun facts, lore, history, and of course field identification information. The structure of breaking it into subsections for berry types, then the uses and locations for each is well done and makes it easy to read (not just as a reader of a fic, but as a user of the guide). It's sensible, informative, and useful, and I appreciate how much thought went into the writing of this little guide.
There's also a sense of whimsy here as there is with your other writing. Lots of little anecdotes from our porygon author, like unsubstantiated rumors and even cooking tips. I really does feel like this came from a pokemon who wanted to teach and share information with others. As carefully curated and academic as it feels, there's that little bit of love thrown in there too, you can feel the passion of the author in the pages, which for a guidebook can be hard to accomplish (given the dry nature of texts like this). The Introduction is such a nice touch here, allowing Alex, our porygon friend, a little bit of freedom before they dive into the meat of the guide. Again I'm blown away by how much this reads like a a guidebook one might pick up in a bookstore today to learn about regional birds or types of minerals or something. It's just great.
I read through the whole basic berries section, 1.1.1 through 1.1.11, and I'm struck by just how organized and well-crafted this fic is. I enjoy the reference of earlier sections to later ones (like the entries for 1.1.1 Oran and 1.1.11 Oren). It's smart to keep them separated from one another so that someone quickly looking up Oran berries wouldn't read the Oren entry by mistake! Referencing a few earlier sections in the Lum Berry section is smart, so that if someone needs hints on paralysis or poisoning, they can go to the section with more detailed information even if all they have is a Lum Berry on hand. Really, it's obvious how much work you've put into this on all fronts, and it's a joy to read.
I love the sheer amount of detail you've included in each entry of the guide. Berry description, texture, fruit color, juiciness, skin/rind thickness, flavor, even the anatomy of the berry itself including shape of the overall and the interior of the berry as well. The tree or bush description, including leaf and flower color and shape, as well as growing conditions, it's all there! I don't know how much of this information is game canon and how much is from your own imagination, but as an outside reader, the line between canon and fanon has all but evaporated.
Even the sections about availability and price are really clever, and a little part of me enjoys the price history and wonders that if one were to pluck this little guide off the shelf in the future, how the book would date itself with the current pricing given in the text. It's these fun little thoughts that bring a lot of meta joy to reading a "nonfiction" fic like this.
Speaking of meta, I've learned a lot about the PMD series just from this guide about berries, too. There's a lot of mentions about the structure of the world in relation to how berries are used, found, farmed, and sold. (Heck, even how they're regulated, like the section about investigating illegal sales of Oren berries). The sections about how to use each berry and how one might need to take different pokemon physiologies into consideration is really well thought out. It's like no stone was left unturned here, and I like that it seems that the author, as a porygon, is thorough by nature. What profession do porygon have in the PMD-verse? Is it always something related to record keeping or logging/sharing information?
I have a feeling I'll be returning to this guide the more I read and learn about PMD. It's a great resource not just for me, but for any mon that would pick this up in-world. Well written and composed!
Heya, wind! Haven't read a good "nonfiction" story in a while, and I've had this on the backburner for a bit. I love quirky worldbuilding and fun explanations for weird things, so time to see what this is all about!
Introduction
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.
Li'l typo: when referring to a person, you use "who" ("you are a traveler who may have to pass"); "that" is generally for objects.
I appreciate that we're already getting a nod to all the different reasons pokémon might enter dungeons beyond just "exploration team" or "rescuing someone who's... in here... for some reason...?" Now it's a bit clearer just why a rescuee-in-potentia might've wound up in the first place, as well as acknowledging that, really, they ought to be just as prepared before going in so that maybe they don't need to be saved later on. I'm also eager to see more of the out-of-dungeon uses for these items, too, especially once we eventually move beyond items like berries!
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.
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,
"Divisions" being a more generic term for "floors", right? Makes sense.
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.
"We"? Just a writing convention Alex is using, or are they part of some kind of organization that handles guides like these?
Rural hospitals stocking up on healing berries is a nice, sensible touch.
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.
I haven't read 1.1.11 yet so perhaps I'm wrong, but I think you meant to refer to the above passage about actual oran berries I quoted earlier, so this should likely be "1.1.1". The idea overall makes sense, though! It's nice that there's a logical way to keep orans relevant beyond just price.
The second variety can be identified by their blue leaves and darker skin.
Huh! Is that based on anything? I had a Mandela effect moment for a sec there and was convinced there'd been some early-game or spinoff-game sprite where cheri berries were originally blue, but apparently not.
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.
It's neat that you distinguish these, but isn't there technically at least one more kind of paralysis, akin to what you'd get from physical spinal/nerve injuries in the real world? Moves like body slam, bounce, and force palm would likely cause that third kind. (And how would, say, dragon breath cause paralysis? That's a weird one.)
Love the idea that too much electricity can interfere with a pokémon like porygon or beldum.
I also enjoy the way you have the fluctuating prices reflect the different costs the items have had across the games, and find a neat in-world way to explain it.
This is fun! As someone whose PMD ideas tend to dodge around focusing on direct canon elements overmuch, it's neat to be able to take a look at someone who is taking this stuff and thoroughly integrating it into a world (even if just through the context of an in-world guidebook). I'm excited to swing back around to read about the rest of the berries—I'm especially looking forward to seeing all the caveats around the oren berry (and eventually the other lookalikes, when you get to them down the line), and whether there are any actual uses for it beyond just being an annoying trick.
Slowly but surely I inch my way to the end. Here for the befuddling berry section!
Every time I come back I'm struck by how bafflingly soothing it is to just read completely made-up berry facts. It feels sort of like playing a farming sim, where everything is going in its correct place, this is where this berry is from, here's some cooking applications, here's some nods to the fact that it's actually quite bonkers that the befuddling berries have different effects based on personality. As always, everything here clicks together and feels very lived in; Alex continues to be a chatty narrator in a way that makes the fictional nonfiction of this really pop and work.
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.
! This seems like a huge detail and I'm excited to see it just casually thrown into the background like this. To Alex and anyone reading this guide in-universe, this would probably be totally normal information, but it's really fun to just throw in hints about the human apocalypse that predated this flourishing society. I like how this isn't important at all to the text (we are. talking about very important information like berries. humans are irrelevant); some of the best worldbuilding lives in the background and I think in a story where there isn't really a core plot/character to develop, getting little gems like this about the world is a really great way to keep the story feeling dynamic.
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.
I also really liked this description! I think in a prose fic I'd be kinda sus, since an apple core is a vague/amorphous shape and it doesn't actually paint a good picture of what shape it's trying to be--but as an old folklorey saying, I think it works really well.
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.
I really liked this one under Uses. There's a lot of ways to describe dishes and tbh I could probably read your various applications of berries in cooking for hours, but I love the fun little surprises like this where it's not really a "use" at all, but it's still useful and people ascribe meaning to it.
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.
I admit I'm not too in-tune to miscellaneous fruit horticulture to be able to pick up on what I'm sure is a ton of research for this fic, but please know that I really enjoyed these descriptions.
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.
I'm not too in-tune with misc fruit horticulture, part 2--at first I was a little confused since beedrill flag to me more as wasps than bees, and as such are odd pollinators, but a tiny, long-forgotten voice in the back of my mind reminded me that fig wasps are a thing and I got to learn about real plants today in addition to learning about fake plants. Love this. I'd love to see an index of real-life facts/things referenced at the end of this project (I imagine that'd be terribly daunting for you though, rip), if only to learn how much I've missed.
"inner workings" as a term was a little difficult for me to parse--it makes sense for the mechanical inorganics that get mentioned later, such as klink/metang, but "inorganic" as a term seems to cover a lot of bases that wouldn't have inner workings and are merely inorganic, such as muk or gastly? Unsure. If I've missed the inorganic classification in older segments.
I had trouble parsing "inside" as a noun rather than a preposition--I think something like "the golden flesh inside" or "the golden pulp inside" would help.
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.
I don't know if you need the word "interestingly" here--it doesn't seem particularly odd that the distinguishable plant described in the previous sentence would be recognizable.
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.
I think there were a few too many "if" stacks here. I'd maybe rephrase to like:
> Wild wiki berries can be found in Berry Fores on the Air continent, and in Inflora Forest on the Mist continent. The Grass continent also has a small wiki plant population in Tiny Meadow.
The general "you" here I found a little confusing. I think it'd read better as "Berries further away from the stem taper off to either a pastel pink or a vibrant yellow."
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.
lol. I like the little footnotes here for adding personality.
(I think "marketing technique" is sort of an oddball term here--that implies that someone's doing the marketing specifically in cooking recipes, so like, Big Mago wants you to buy more mago berries and has infiltrated the cookbooks to do so. I think perhaps it'd be easier to pitch this as a marketing technique when sold/at stores, or as a folkloresy/"old wives tale" version name that got incorporated into a lot of recipes.
did you know it took me over a year to realize that "cutiefly measure" is not only one centimeter long, but reasonably abbreviates to "cm". I'm very smart.
"And that's only the tip" felt a bit salesman-ish to me. I'd maybe cut that or replace with something like "Aguav berries have spread across the globe and are found in modern day interpretations of most cuisines."
Purchase 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.
"Purchase [...] run" doesn't quite parse as a complete sentence for me (although I think it technically is? grammar is silly). That aside, the second two sentences could be condensed to something like: "In tropical areas, these berries typically run as cheap as 60 poke. Historically, they used to cost more further from their natural growing climates; however, because they keep well and due to widespread advances in trade, modern prices cap out at about 120-140 poke." or something.
There was a bit of "they" stackup (referring both to the berry and to pokemon) here. I'd rephrase to "However, most pokemon will become sick if they try to eat unripe iapapa berries."
Overall this is a really lovely fic to return to, and admittedly one that I feel like I can pick up whenever. Really excited to see your takes on damage reduction magic science!
This is probably the most delicate line of "calm down it's just magic" and "but botany" that you've been at so far in this fic, and I can see why there'd be a ton of research/effort into this section in particular. Even after the central conceit of "this berry lets you get punched in the face less" is surmounted, I can see the difficulty in making each of these berries feel unique and interesting in a way that's complex while still boiling down to the fact that they just reduce the damage of a certain type. I quite like the effort you go into to show off the different ways that they can be effective--the Passho berry doesn't protect against the force damage of water-type attacks but can still repel water, Wacan berries are a pun on wax/candle trees and therefore are more effective with a topical application, Chople berries. It's definitely difficult to make each of the types feel unique when there's 18 of them and they need to be read back-to-back for the encyclopedia formatting to make sense, so I think you did a great job here with a rather difficult task.
There are certain preconceived notions of what constitutes a berry
[...]
And then the rindo berry was discovered, baffling the botany community as a whole.
I am in love with most of this fic but this entire section slays me. There's just something so tragically beautiful about the setup/payoff of a fic that's all about berries running headlong into the issue of "what even is a berry anyway", followed by the botany community just being like ??? fuckity bye. I also got to learn that rindo berries are based on tamarind pods, which, yeah, what are you doing gamefreak. It's such a fun nugget of information and it's true, the botany community has heated disputes about how to classify anything, which in turn rubs up against the culinary community (are tomatoes berries??), which in turn just rubs up against layperson classifications for things. I didn't really think I'd be praising PMD versions of minor scientific disputes, but here we are.
Or, in more concentrated amounts, used in a friendly game of V-Wheel Roulette, a game in which five regular nougats and one extra spicy one are divided amongst a group of players, with one unfortunate player being the recipient of the spicy chocolate. It is said that Victini approves of this game named after his own game of chance.
My favorite detail of this section I think! I love how you play with the idea that eating can sort of just be fun and cultural. Let's do Russian Roulette but with chocolate! I love it.
This section's a lot of fun. I admit the aura bits washed over me a bit (I think I'm not familiar with PMD canon as much?), but at the end of the day, I vibe with the explanation here: pokemon are magic, it's weird, they do weird shit, and so do the fruit. It do be like that sometimes.
Realizing that so many attacks draw upon this invisible, almost spiritual-in-nature energy has helped us understand why pokemon attacks ignore both conservation of energy and of matter, and why elements summoned by aural energy seem to disappear after some time.
I wasn't sure how the PMD world would develop a concept of conversation of energy/matter, given that they so casually violate it all the time. Is this a relic of the Human Times (TM), and if so, 1) did humans develop this while pokemon were commonplace (and thereby providing compelling evidence against this theory) and 2) why do pokemon in the modern day still refer to this as fact?
There are rumors that at one time, Treasure Town accepted Occa Berries as a form of payment, but the validity of these claims have yet to be confirmed.
This pest problem has made it hard to find wild in recent seasons, making it more likely that most pokemon will only be able to obtain them through merchants, and has driven their price up to as high as 300 poke for a single berry, though historically they had reached 1000 poke.
Due to just how common water-type attacks are, teams with at least pokemon that are susceptible to water are encouraged to bring a passho berry with them.
As they are relatively common, they go cheaper than several of the berries in this category, typically selling for anywhere from 100 to 200 poke per berry, depending on how close the seller is to their growing climate. Historically, prices are known to have reached close to 600 poke.
ohhey, this sentence structure looks like identical to the one I suggested for last chapter. I see now why you'd want to consciously phrase those differently. rip.
This has also led to wacan berries being one of the more expensive resisting berries, starting at 150 poke but more commonly going for close to 350 poke. Before its value as a resisting berry was realized, they went for a bit more, maximizing at around 500 poke.
Most of the berries we’ve discussed thus far have similar growing conditions. They grow in temperate, tropical or subtropical environments, and as a result are not often found growing much further north or south outside of greenhouses.
The Yache berry detail here is cool, but it feels odd to call out that most of the berries discussed prefer temperate environments when Rindo berry grow conditions (which came immediately before) were arid. Maybe "with the exception of ____, most of the berries we've discussed so far" ?
Interesting that you call out that the berry might be confused with an actual chestnut here. Is that a mistake that happens often? There are a fair few berries with names that might be just as easily confusable with the real plant, so it's a little curious that it gets explicit mention here. (Maybe it might be fun to imply some kind of anecdote where dungeon delvers got in trouble by accidentally bringing chestnuts along instead of chestos, or something like that.)
i'm still not over "cutiefly measures" as a unit of measurement
I kind of wish you went into a bit more detail about what happens with chesto overdose! At the very least, a rough guide to how much constitutes an overdose (which I imagine varies by species/size, but maybe there's a loose "X% of body weight" guideline or similar) seems like useful safety advice to touch on. On the other hand, I do love that this guide continues to account for "inorganic" pokémon like beldum. Makes me wonder how Alex and other porygon work in this world! Do they even have physical bodies at all?
old-school poison status, bleh :P (Actually I forget whether PMD ever eventually adopted the "poison does go away by itself right before you die" that mainline did. Not that this world needs to!) Ah, and I see we are going to be mentioning the real fruits a bit more often in general, then. Never mind re: the chestnuts, then! (Although a teeny one-sentence cautionary anecdote might still be fun!)
Interesting that pecha wood is seen as a ward against ghosts! Is that a reference to some real-world belief involving peach tree wood? Although I do wonder why people don't just ask the ghosts themselves whether the ward is actually effective, heh. (Maybe it's referring to feral ghosts?)
I like that aspears are only really usable as a preventative measure. I never thought about it before because lol Pokémon's logic regarding item use is "idk it's just a game you need to use the item somehow shrug", but of course it makes sense that you're not exactly able to eat anything or have it rubbed onto you if you're encased in a block of ice, heh. I do find myself wanting a tiny bit more detail about how it prevents freezing, though. Is it just magic, or does it somehow warm the body in some way that melts the ice too quickly to totally entomb you, or what?
many of these locations, particularly Northwind Field and Frosty Forest, are locations known territories for powerful pokemon.
Small typo: probably want to remove "locations" from "are locations known territories".
an "are strawberries really berries" debate lol nice
Again, I find myself wanting a bit more detail about how the berries do what they do. I know you're trying to keep each entry brief, but reading "though they have their own risks" makes me want to know what those risks are! I have a hard time imagining on my own how rubbing a rawst berry on a burned nosepass might be risky, so even the tiniest hint of the type of problems this might cause would be appreciated.
1.1.8–1.1.11
I continue to enjoy the way you flesh out different kinds of attacks and give them different effects on pokémon. Confusion from a shrill sound producing different effects than that caused by ghostly illusion magic makes a lot of sense. There are a lot of moves that it just wouldn't occur to me to differentiate when using them in a story, and seeing these notes pop up is inspiring me to pay more attention in my own plans.
The details about how the persim berry's effect works are more like it! I'd love to see a bit more of this with other berries, if it's possible to swing that.
TIL that persimmons allegedly scare away tigers in Korean folklore. Also I love that Alex wants someone to "test" this by walking up to a mighty legendary and waving a persim berry at it to see what happens. I'm sure that'll end super well for all parties involved, no matter the outcome. Even if there's no harm no foul, there'd probably be the staggering embarrassment for the persim-waver as Raikou stares at them bemusedly.
"The Life of the World" is a fun in-setting name for infinity energy/elemental energy/aura/etc..
Some orchards that 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.
This part lost me, I'm afraid. Some orchards won't employ certain pokémon to do what? Which ones? What diseases? I think this paragraph might be missing a few words and/or sentences, which is a shame because it sounds like it's talking about something really interesting here.
Nice to see the colorblindness/vision impairment consideration in the oren notes. I wonder whether they'll eventually find a different way to distinguish the berries for these pokémon?
The kecleon responsible for selling the oren will need to "be able to defend themselves", heh. ngl at first I thought that meant in a fight, which sounded harsh. Then I remembered how ridiculous kecleon are in a fight, and thought "lol, yes, harsh, for the people with the temerity to try and fight a kecleon". Then I realized you meant verbally, like as in offering an explanation, haha. That was a fun journey while it lasted, though! (Maybe "be able to explain themselves" would reduce confusion there? It might just be me, though.)
1.2–1.2.2
lol but the tabloids are actually right tho
What was the inspiration for the multiple varieties of figy berry? Is it based on anything, or was it just a fun idea that occurred to you? It's neat either way.
also lol at "being bumpy" as a propagation method. I guess anything that makes them recognizable helps, eh?
Again, fun little details here with the distinction between how different rescue and exploration organizations handle their training and aren't all operating with the same standards.
1.2.3–1.2.5
Ooh, the slowpoke tail slang name is great! Wonder how many pokémon actually eat for realsies slowpoke tails. Also fun how we get to see some more continent-specific cultural tidbits here, with the wreath symbolism. I'd be curious to know why it symbolizes that! The coming together of two different types of mago leaf representing the coming together of two pokémon, perhaps?
...wow it took me a staggeringly long time to realize that "cutiefly measures" has the same abbreviation as "centimeters". Clever! And also I am dumb lol.
I wonder what people usually use for pain treatments instead of aguav leaf wraps now? Also, do pokémon that react badly to consuming aguav berries or touching their pulp also react badly to the leaves? Probably, I'd guess.
It has similar shape to sitrus berry, with bulbous bottom and a smaller top
I think you want "in the time 'just' after humans" or similar, as currently (as far as we know) they're still in a general "time after humans".
I'm not sure the befuddlement berries landed quite as well for me as the others—the slowpoke tail nickname and the wreath tradition in the mago entry were definite highlights, and the iapapa smoking technique is also interesting, but since their uses were all fairly similar (and if that's what you want, I do think it makes sense in that case to skip detailing the healing properties) they started to blend together a bit after a while. I wonder what else might be doable to liven them up a little? Hard to say, since they are pretty samey in terms of their behavior in the games; I wish I had an actual workable suggestion for you, alas.
One (optional) thing that I do find myself missing from the befuddlement berries is the opportunity for them to have different side effects on incompatible pokémon. I dunno, just seems like it would be fun to come up with different sets of adverse reactions that are specific to each one! Or example effects, at least, if they're just as hard to determine as which pokémon would be affected in the first place.
1.3–1.3.3
~AURA~ /insert modified "ALIENS" meme here
I'm a little surprised Alex didn't bring up that "Life of the World" term here again (granted that they admit it's not an officially accepted one yet), but this was neat! You don't often see "aura" also used to explain the elemental energy of the world itself, and it's cool that pretty much any psychic who wants to learn to read aura can do so.
The idea that it's the type-resisting berries that are the key ingredient of gummies is a neat one, too! Makes total sense that something with energies relating to each type would in turn go into the creation of an item class for which there is one for each type. It'll be cool to see if you touch on how the translation from a resistance effect to the gummis' other effects happens. (Presumably that will happen when the articles on gummis roll around, though.)
The explanation of how the various resisting berry's effects actually work is appreciated! I like how some of them add specific properties that would actually stave off not only "aural" fire, water, etc., but also literal physical fire, water, etc., such as the hydrophobic oil from the passho berry.
I wonder what the pests that affect the berries are? So far there hasn't been much indication of other animals in this world, but maybe there are tiny things like insects and such, still. Or are these ferals, perhaps?
1.3.4–1.3.6
But this is not a guide to pokemon techniques, so it will not get any deeper into this subject.
Another berry that can be overdosed, haha. Would too many yaches cause hypothermia, or a different sort of problem given that it "normalizes" the lower temperature? I love that it works as a fever suppressant as well.
(I think you meant "cure-all lum berry", though, not sitrus?)
The chople berry entry is accidentally labeled "1.2.6" instead of "1.3.6".
I love how we start off the fighting berry section with "some things just don't make sense, sorry fam". Nothing about fighting as a type has ever made sense, Alex, I feel you. The "well maybe I can just convince myself I haven't been hit as hard" explanation is funny; it rings similarly to "well maybe since the booze makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside, I actually am warmer and fuzzier inside!" Which is, uh, very not true, don't drink alcohol in cold environments, kids. Whatever works here, though!
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And that's all for now! This is such a fun, breezy, bingeable work, and I do hope that you're inspired to work on it more in the future! In the meantime, I definitely want to head over to PWCH at some point in the near future, as I'd love to experience more of your stuff and finally get to join in on them quality e g g jokes. Thanks for sharing this!
Hi Wind!! I've been meaning to get around to reading this because I am a sucker for guidebook fics that just focus on these small details of worldbuilding and holy hell. This is so goddamn adorable, and I legitimately feel like I'm studying for a test with the way these entries are written (in a good way, of course!!) I'm ready for a pop quiz on Oran, Sitris, and Cheri berries please and I WILL FUCKING PASS.
No but seriously, I love the thought that has gone into these things. You really thought of everything from the measurement (in Cutieflies, oh my GOD I yelled how fucking adorable AH), to how the berry skin is textured, to different variants, to how to obtain them. I also love how each entry has some extra factoids, like how if an Oran berry tastes sweet you need to spit it out because it might be toxic, or how Cheri berries are sometimes candied for a little sweet treat, or how Sitrus berries are stockpiled at rural hospitals that don't have healing mon on hand?? So INFORMATIVE.
I was very giddy at the idea that Oran berries are more used to help in a pinch and to hold somebody over until they get to a place where they can be fully healed, because I share the same sort of idea about them. I just thought that was very very neat.
Super fricken cute and I hope to read more entries soon!
Hi everyone! Thanks for all the reviews from last blitz. I don't have the energy to reply individually right now, but just know that I appreciate every one and plan do go back and do some improvements at some point in the indeterminate future.
I've been sitting on this update since march, mostly because I lost a computer at that time and wasn't sure if I had backed this up or not. Fortunately for everyone, I did. So enjoy another batch of berries!
1.3.7 Kebia Berry
Overview
Disclaimer: This berry comes with a preliminary precaution. Although kebia berries are used to weaken aural poison attacks, it is not a good neutralizer of poisons already in a pokemon’s system. In an emergency, it can be used to slow the progression of poison, but it should never be used as a cure. If you are poisoned, please use a pecha berry, lum berry, or heal seed and seek professional medical attention as soon as possible.
Despite the above disclaimer, kebia berries can be quite useful when going into swamps or other areas with a high population of poison pokemon. This brilliant green berry grows to be about 9 cutiefly measures long. It has a natural seam that tends to split open when ripe, revealing a dark, almost black flesh. While the rind is hard and has a slightly sour taste, the inside is soft, dry, and almost powder-like. The entire berry is edible.
We would not recommend this berry over more important, healing items when bag space is limited. However, if any member of your team is is susceptible to poison attacks, there are enough mildly venomous pokemon that it’s worth considering.
Uses
Kebia berries tend to work best when ingested. The most important part to eat is the flesh. However, if a pokemon cannot eat, then grinding the berry into a powder and applying it to any exposed part of the body is a reasonable alternative. The powder technique works well against acid and other external poison attacks, reacting with most organic poisons to help neutralize them, but is less effective against anything that punctures skin or outer layers.
Outside of it’s general usage against poisons, there are a few different ways kebia berries are used in food. The flesh is ground down and mixed into cakes and other pastries as a seasonal delicacy. The rind, too, has a use, often stuffed and deep fried. Other than that, some parts of the Water Continent use kebia berries in traditional medicine as a core component in remedies for body aches and some infections.
Locations
As can be expected when due to being used in traditional medicine, kebia berries are often grown on the Water Continent, particularly in the northern half. The Mist and Grass Continents also grow them, but not near as many. These berry bushes are moderately sized, and could be mistaken for small trees. They can be identified by their cerulean leaves and their flowers, which come in both large purple blooms or small clusters of white flowers. It keeps its leaves rear round.
Their use in both medicine and in protection from poisonous attacks have led these berries to have a relatively low cost compared to some other berries in this category. The average price in areas where they’re grown usually runs from 70-90 poke, with prices in non-native areas or when they’re out of season running closer to 100-120 poke. There are rumors that the Kecleon Trading Company is looking to increase the price across the board, but nothing has been confirmed at this time.
1.3.8 Shucca Berry
Overview
The shucca berry is an interesting plant. The berry as a whole actually has two parts. The actual “fruit” and an edible seed. The fruit is round, soft, and sweet, while the seed is hard, oily, and slightly spicy. Neither of these particularly hint at this berries effect: weakening ground elemental attacks. Similar to the chople berry, there is limited understanding as to how this berry works. The most popular theories will be discussed in the uses section.
At only about four cm on average, this is one of the smaller berries. Heating it up can bring out a pleasant aroma, and many parts of the plant can be used outside of the battle effect. For its affects, this guide recommends bringing one per susceptible party member when traveling into caves or deserts.
Uses
For the sake of dungeon diving, the primary use of the shucca berry is to protect against ground type elements. Some theories posit that rubbing the oil from the seed on your body will create a protective barrier. However, there is not enough oil in the seed for this to work. If this line of reasoning is correct, then the using the pulp and juices topically should work better than eating it. However, the berry has just as much affect when ingested, so this theory is unlikely.
Another theory is that this is some sort of placebo effect, that you just think you are hurt less after eating this berry. This seems unlikely, but further testing is necessary. For now, it is best to just accept that how it works is just one of the many mysteries behind the inner workings of the Life of the World.
Besides its use for dungeon diving, the various parts of the berry have different culinary uses. The seed can be processed to make a type of spiced butter, while the fruit portion is often made into drinks or used as a liquor ingredient. Occasionally, these berries are used to make dye. The pigment comes out yellow-green. Additionally, the wood is known to make good charcoal, and is often a source of artist-grade products.
Locations
Shucca berries most commonly grown on the Sand continent and the lowlands of the Grass continent. The bushes generally grow in a round shape. The plant has pink, leathery leaves and blue-grey wood. Wild plants have been spotted growing outside of the Stone Tree Mountain dungeon, and occasional reports claim to find bushes within Holey Meadow.
Cost-wise, the relative size and variety of use put these berries in high demand. However, the limitations of arable land within its growing environments does lead to some limitations. As a result, costs can be higher than some similarly popular berries. When in season and in their typical growing range, these berries tend to run about 150 poke per berry. Elsewhere, they tend to run closer to 200.
It is possible to buy these berries while they are in season in hopes of saving money. The bad news is that the fruit portion of the berry is quick to over-ripen. The good news is that the seed portion has a long shelf life. As a result, it is possible to buy these berries at their cheaper times and still get some use out of them moons later.
1.3.9 Coba Berry
Overview
For most of the berries discussed thus far, the berries are not known to be related to each other. There are a few exceptions — the oran, oren, and sitrus berries are thought to be related, for example — but this generally holds true. Interestingly, the Coba berry seem to go against this trend, and in fact appears to be directly descended two separate berries — the iapapa berry and payapa berry.
Measuring almost 28 cm on average, this firm berry has a bitter taste. The flesh inside is dry, and has a tendency to temporarily dye your tongue blue when consumed. It has an oblong, ovular shape, with occasional divots.
This berry helps protect against flying-typed energy. As is becoming a trend for many of the berries of this section, describing how this berry works is difficult. After all, it can sometimes be difficult to describe what qualifies as “flying energy,” but this guide will discuss some of the most common trains of thought.
Uses
One theory put forward about the coba berry is that flying pokemon love it so much that they’re distracted by the sight and smell, and as a result do not hit as hard. This guide recommends against believing this, as it is generally untested, Also, many avian pokemon have a comparatively weak sense of smell, so it should not have an olfactory effect on the pokemon. Besides that, there is proof that pokemon take less damage after ingesting this berry. But why?
It is likely that this berry works similarly to the chople berry, but affecting a different part of the aural signature. After ingesting or otherwise absorbing parts of the berry, the user’s aura is affected so that they’re partially protected from flying-type energy.
Outside of dungeoneering, the primary use of this berry is as a food source. The inside is cut into small, chewy cubes and served with a sprinkle of sugar.
Locations
Coba berries grow best at high altitudes. They are generally grown commercially on the Mist and Grass Continents, but they can occasionally be found growing wild in the mountainous regions of all the continents.
Despite what one might assume of a berry that protects from flying pokemon, the plant grows low to the ground. When it first grows, the dark yellow leaves grow together in the shape of a bud, protecting the portion that flowers until it is ready to bloom. Eventually, the leaves will part, revealing pale orange flowers in the center.
As one berry can make multiple servings, Coba berries are on the pricier end. During the growing season, a single berry tends to cost between 350 to 500 poke. In more remote areas and outside the growing season, expect to shell out closer to 800 poke. Despite the price, due to the prevalence of flying type pokemon and abilities, it may be worth the cost if you have anyone who is susceptible to these attacks.
