Pokémon A Porygon's Guide to Dungeon Items

[Spiteful Murkrow]

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

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

Introduction

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

Spoiler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

>and instead are covered in their own volume

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

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

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

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

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

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

1.1.1 - 1.1.3

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

Spoiler

1.1: Basic Berries

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

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

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

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

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

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

1.1.1: Oran Berry

Overview

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

The oran berry is one of those items.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Uses

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Locations

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

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

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

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

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

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

1.1.2: Sitrus Berry

Overview

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

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

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

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

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

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

Uses

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Locations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1.1.3: Cheri Berry

Overview

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

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

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

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

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

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

Uses

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

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

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

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

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

>muscle relaxer

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

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

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

Locations:

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

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

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

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

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

1.1.4 - 1.1.7

Spoiler

1.1.4 Chesto Berry

Overview

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

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

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

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

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

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

Uses

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Locations

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

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

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

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

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

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

1.1.5 Pecha Berry

Overview

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

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

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

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

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

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

Uses

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Locations

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

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

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

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

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

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

1.1.6 Aspear Berry

Overview

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

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

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

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

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

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

Uses

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Locations

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

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

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

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

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

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

1.1.7 Rawst Berry

Overview

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

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

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

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

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

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

Uses

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

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

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

>bitter and smooth flavor

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

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

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

Locations

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

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

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

Oh, so just like real strawberries, huh?

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

[K_S]

Review blitz
Chapter 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Well thanks for breaking down the cherri types.

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

 

[K_S]

Review blitz
Chapter 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

[K_S]

Chapter 3
Blitz review

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

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

How the legend began...

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

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

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

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

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

 

[K_S]

Chapter 4
Blitz review

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

[K_S]

Chapter 5
Blitz review

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

Thank goodness there isnt a mushroom subcatagory.

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

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

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

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

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

 

[K_S]

Chapter 6
blitz review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dont expect to see it in cooking...

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

 

[K_S]

Chapter 7
Blitz review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

[Phoenixsong]

Back for more, after entirely too long, aha.

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

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

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

It keeps its leaves rear round.

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

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