Mother X: Father

by Tatsurou

The Power of Three

As Ness led the group back towards the desert, Moondancer beckoned Paula aside. "I've noticed that you have a bit of a problem when it comes to the physical aspect of combat," she observed thoughtfully.

Paula ducked her head with a small blush. "Yeah...I've never been all that physically active before, and when I was younger it was actually easier to do the heavy lifting with my mind, my PSI, than it was with my body. I know that probably seems kind of lazy-"

"Actually, it seems very Geeg," Moondancer interrupted with a smile. "Geeg bodies aren't that strong physically, but the potent PSI every Geeg is born with makes that almost inconsequential. More often than not, Geeg rely on PSI almost exclusively, so there are quite a few methods they have to help boost their PSI output. Since you are exceptionally effective in that regard, I was wondering if you wanted to attempt a few on our way to the desert?"

Paula beamed happily. "I'd love to!" she declared excitedly. "I'd really like to be able to contribute more when it comes to the combat aspect of things." She hefted her Magic Fry Pan. "Sure, this lets me deliver some hard hits...but between Ness' bat and Jeff's Gaia Beam, I can't help but feel I'm falling behind there. I...I want to be useful to Ness."

Moondancer smiled widely. "Alright. We'll really only have time to amplify the output of one PSI formation before we get to the Gold Mine, and then we'll have to fight our way through instead. So...which PSI to you want to amplify?"

"Well, since we're going to the desert, I think Freeze would be a good choice," Paula observed.

"And a good choice for learning this method," Moondancer agreed. "PSI Freeze focuses the energy on a single target, and the basis behind this method is boosting your ability to focus PSI power beyond your normal limits. If you're already focusing, that should make it easier. Now, let's start with visualization..."

---

When the group reached the desert, Moondancer was forced to stop giving Paula guidance while she got herself into her Hot Suit. However, Moondancer was certain Paula was continuing her work on her own, and would have something to show for it soon enough. For one thing, unlike Ness and Jeff, she wasn't sweating. For another, her curls whirled about gently as though a small breeze surrounded her. Plainly, her Cold Studies were showing progress.

As Moondancer had seen when she'd overlooked the desert in mind only, the mine had been greatly expanded. The hole dug into the ground was much wider with a winding, sloping path leading into the cavernous aspect of the mine. The dig site was surrounded by people, but the foreman was nowhere in sight. Ness confidently led the group into the cave, where out of the direct sun it was only mildly warm, not enough to be uncomfortable. As Moondancer got out of her Hot Suit, Ness approached the foreman where he stood just inside the cave. "Umm...is there a problem?"

The miner turned in surprise. "Oh, it's you!" he declared in surprise. "From the look of your face, I'm guessing you were hoping I'd found some gold by now."

"I don't mean to be insistent..." Ness began, unsure what he should say here.

The miner waved him off. "Nah, I did promise, and I'd love to give you some of the gold I'm sure we'll find here...if not for the monsters that we found in this maze we dug up. The smaller ones aren't too much of a problem - the digging equipment's more than strong enough to drive them off - but a few really tough ones make their dens deeper in, and they're right vicious! Tear an excavator to pieces with claws and teeth vicious! If I can't figure out a way to get rid of them, I might just have to abandon the dig..."

"What sort of big ones?" Jeff asked curiously.

"Big moles, five of them," the miner explained. "Two or three times the size of a man, real nasty buggers..."

"Didn't you beat one of those back at Lilliput Steps?" Moondancer asked Ness curiously. "Just by paralyzing it?"

"Oh yeah," Ness confirmed as he smacked his closed fist into his palm as he recalled it. "Hope I learn to heal numbness soon-"

"Ya know you can do that with a Secret Herb, right?" the miner pointed out. "I hear some funny looking folk north of Threed have some."

Ness blinked in surprise. "I...really should have thought of asking the Mr. Saturns about that, shouldn't I?" he asked Jeff and Moondancer sheepishly.

"We did have a lot on our minds there," Moondancer pointed out with a smirk. "I can't really blame you for wanting to get out of there as fast as possible."

"Well, if you kids think you can fight these monsters...I guess I can't stop you," the miner allowed. "If you pull it off, I can get back to digging...and I'll be sure to give you the biggest hunk of gold I find here!"

"Thanks!" Ness offered happily before leading the group deeper in.

With the mention of it being a 'maze', once they got out of the initial tunnel to where the path split, Ness kept to the right hand wall as he led them around, smiling as he saw Jeff using a device equipped to his Robo-Pack to map out the paths they took on graph paper, keeping it to scale. As they wandered, they found vicious snakes, giant yellow ants, sentient bundles of rope, and odd looking ducks that homed in on them as they approached. The only ones that proved a true problem were the bundles of rope, as they gathered in large groups. Everything else they encountered was quickly dispatched with physical blows or blasts from the Gaia Beam.

Deeper into the maze, they found ladders leading to a lower level. "This plainly isn't a natural maze," Jeff observed as they climbed down the first one, carrying Moondancer in his Robo-Pack as he did so she didn't have to burn PSI energy floating herself down.

"Wonder what it was before the monsters took over?" Ness posited thoughtfully.

"Maybe it was part of some ancient temple, with treasure hidden deeper in?" Moondancer suggested mildly. "We should hope so, or we likely aren't going to be able to pay off the Runaway Five's debt."

As they followed the new corridor, they came across an open side chamber where a large blue mole was visible. It had greenish gore dripping from its fangs and claws, and it rushed them as they approached. "I'm one of the Masters of this hole!" it declared intensely in a growling, hissing voice. "There are five masters in all! We are all moles, of course." He then began to preen himself. "I believe I'm the third strongest amongst us. Take your best shot-"

"Power-Freeze!" Paula suddenly shouted out, opening her eyes as they blazed blue and thrusting one hand out forward, fingers spread.

A beam of intense blue light shot out of her palm to strike the mole, causing ice to spread over its body as it slowly became completely frozen. The beam continued until the creature shattered...leaving behind a much smaller, normal looking mole that stared at the group in shock and fear before dashing away as fast as it could.

Paula smiled happily as she looked at her hand, pleased with what she'd accomplished...only to blush brightly as she saw Ness and Jeff staring at her in awe.

Author's Note:

Paula has mastered two new PSI techniques.
Power-Freeze:
Cost - 30 PP
Takes two turns to cast. Power equivalent to PSI Freeze Omega. Has 50% chance of instant-KO if enemy is vulnerable to Freeze PSI.
Meditate:
Cost - 0 PP
Fully restores PP. Skip the next two combat rounds.

Comments

[the other sans]

with my mind, my PSI, then it was with my body

1. Than.

That mole really got a cold reception there. Also, there's probably a nagging feeling that you're referencing something with the mole mentioning how he was the third strongest of the five.

[Sigmacipher]

8755054
Trust me...ALL OF THE MOLES SAY THAT FOR SOME REASON, although the way this fic is looking it could end up being some sort of clue.

Also PSI Omega lvl power this early into the game? I suppose that would have a Freezing effect on game play even with the charge time.

[InsanityStreak]

Never ask for their best shot unless you're certain you can take it, just makes the inevitable loss that much more embarrassing.

[Chrome Masquerade]

"Power-Freeze!" Paula suddenly shouted out, opening her eyes as they blazed blue and thrusting one hand out forward, fingers spread.

A beam of intense blue light shot out of her palm to strike the mole, causing ice to spread over its body as it slowly became completely frozen. The beam continued until the creature shattered...leaving behind a much smaller, normal looking mole that stared at the group in shock and fear before dashing away as fast as it could.

To quote a certain villain, "FREEZE RAY!"

8755054
Yeah. That mole was stopped cold. REALLY cold.

[Omega C]

8755205
Freeze Ray actually and more importantly I WAS FROZEN TODAY

[F14m3rz]

As Ness led the group back towards the desert, Moondancer beckoned Paula aside. "I've noticed that you have a bit of a problem when it comes to the physical aspect of combat," she observed thoughtfully.

Yes, as is the case with every other female playable character except Pippi Lindgren.

Power-Freeze:
Cost - 30 PP
Takes two turns to cast. Power equivalent to PSI Freeze Omega. Has 50% chance of instant-KO if enemy is vulnerable to Freeze PSI.

Part of me wants an additional side effect that brings the enemy's HP to single digits a la PK Freeze γ [Gamma] in Mother 1.

[F14m3rz]

8755054
It's a reference to how in some video games, you'll find a group of enemies that'll rank themselves from weakest to strongest. But good ole Shigesato Itoi said
"Let's troll the player by having the first Mole they come across say they're the third strongest... but then every other Mole also says they're the third strongest!"
It's just a cute little joke for people who don't see it coming.

[Chrome Masquerade]

8755365
Fix'd.

[Chrome Masquerade]

8755632 You'd think they'd all boast that they were the strongest.

[Voldine]

8755918 The other part of the joke is that I believe they all have the exact same stats.

[Dirty Bit]

I also thought about Mondo Mole before reading this chapter

This part of the game was kind of annoying for me

[Chrome Masquerade]

8755978 i had no idea.

[F14m3rz]

8755918
No, that wouldn't exactly work. If they all said they were the first strongest, the player would just go-
"Makes sense; they're tough, so they all think they're the strongest."

But, if they say they're a more arbitrary level of strength, like the third, then it takes a bit for the player to catch on.
{*First Mole*
Player: Huh, I must've fought them out of order or something.
*Second Mole*
Player: Wait... is this a glitch?
*Third Mole*
Player: I don't get it, why do all these moles say they're the third stro-... Oh right, this is Earthßound. One of the first trope subverting video games... Okay, that's kinda funny }

[Tatsurou]

8755978
Not technically correct.
They all have the same base stats, but each of them gains some HP, ATK, and DEF for each one you beat.

[Chrome Masquerade]

8756513
Fourth mole: Okay, they're definitely jerking my chain now.

[Voldine]

8756558 And yet, since you can fight them in any order, they all still share the exact same stats even with the increase.

[F14m3rz]

8756732
Not necessarily. Technically speaking, there are 120 different outcomes of power distribution among the moles you fight depending on the order taken.
Let's say each mole is named "1", "2", "3", "4", and "5" respectively. After the first mole is chosen in a group, each subsequent mole is more powerful than the mole that came before it. So, you would have:

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 5 4

1 2 4 3 5

1 2 4 5 3

1 2 5 3 4

1 2 5 4 3

1 3 2 4 5

1 3 2 5 4

1 3 4 2 5

1 3 4 5 2

1 3 5 2 4

1 3 5 4 2

1 4 2 3 5

1 4 2 5 3

1 4 3 2 5

1 4 3 5 2

1 4 5 2 3

1 4 5 3 2

1 5 2 3 4

1 5 2 4 3

1 5 3 2 4

1 5 3 4 2

1 5 4 2 3

1 5 4 3 2

2 1 3 4 5

2 1 3 5 4

2 1 4 3 5

2 1 4 5 3

2 1 5 3 4

2 1 5 4 3

2 3 1 4 5

2 3 1 5 4

2 3 4 1 5

2 3 4 5 1

2 3 5 1 4

2 3 5 4 1

2 4 1 3 5

2 4 1 5 3

2 4 3 1 5

2 4 3 5 1

2 4 5 1 3

2 4 5 3 1

2 5 1 3 4

2 5 1 4 3

2 5 3 1 4

2 5 3 4 1

2 5 4 1 3

2 5 4 3 1

3 1 2 4 5

3 1 2 5 4

3 1 4 2 5

3 1 4 5 2

3 1 5 2 4

3 1 5 4 2

3 2 1 4 5

3 2 1 5 4

3 2 4 1 5

3 2 4 5 1

3 2 5 1 4

3 2 5 4 1

3 4 1 2 5

3 4 1 5 2

3 4 2 1 5

3 4 2 5 1

3 4 5 1 2

3 4 5 2 1

3 5 1 2 4

3 5 1 4 5

3 5 2 1 4

3 5 2 4 1

3 5 4 1 3

3 5 4 2 1

4 1 2 3 5

4 1 2 5 3

4 1 3 2 5

4 1 3 5 2

4 1 5 2 3

4 1 5 3 2

4 2 1 3 5

4 2 1 5 3

4 2 3 1 5

4 2 3 5 1

4 2 5 1 3

4 2 5 3 1

4 3 1 2 5

4 3 1 5 2

4 3 2 1 5

4 3 2 5 1

4 3 5 1 2

4 3 5 2 1

4 5 1 2 3

4 5 1 3 2

4 5 2 1 3

4 5 2 3 1

4 5 3 1 2

4 5 3 2 1

5 1 2 3 4

5 1 2 4 3

5 1 3 2 4

5 1 3 4 2

5 1 4 2 3

5 1 4 3 2

5 2 1 3 4

5 2 1 4 3

5 2 3 1 4

5 2 3 4 1

5 2 4 1 3

5 2 4 3 1

5 3 1 2 4

5 3 1 4 2

5 3 2 1 4

5 3 2 4 1

5 3 4 1 2

5 3 4 2 1

5 4 1 2 3

5 4 1 3 2

5 4 2 1 3

5 4 2 3 1

5 4 3 1 2

5 4 3 2 1

So in a way, they're all kinda different.

[Voldine]

8758041 Except they aren't, because at any given moment any mole you can encounter has the exact same stats as every other mole you can encounter. The game probably gives the dead ones the same stat boosts too since all it has to do to ensure you don't get a second encounter is to set them to an inactive state and the easiest way to ensure that none get skipped over by the stat boost is to make sure it gives it to all of them.

[F14m3rz]

8758144
Probably... except that's lazy programming, and Shigesato Itoi learned his lesson after Mother 1 and had help from Satoru Iwata to make sure nothing went awry. Plus, loops are a thing in computer programming.
*Incoming Rough Pseudocode*

for (DeadMole = 0; DeadMole <= 5; DeadMole++)
{
if (DeadMole < 5)
{
Mole.Strength = DeadMole; //For every defeated mole, the object takes the number and increases the stats of the subsequent mole by a certain amount. This continues until the last mole is defeated, in which the augmentation is no longer necessary.
}
AliveMole[DeadMole] = '\0'; //Every time a mole is defeated, that mole can't be encountered anymore.
}