Let's Play! Metal Gear Solid: Pokeable Ops

[The Damned]

You're a total fucking idiot. I should shoot you for delaying my mission.

At least my path is clear now. Otacon said that I shouldn't have to worry about any organized defense on the island. What few guards there are will be part of the two factions that are constantly at odds. Even then, I should be able to avoid any unnecessary combat.

His accent has a hint of Cantonese to it. He may be working for the Ministry of State Security.

As long as I'm not discovered by enemy agents or delayed too long, I should be able to make my way to the target.

Trainer? It must be the term for anyone that controls the bio-weapons. It makes sense. Attack dogs have trainers. Drug-sniffing dogs have trainers.

I figure that a weakened enemy would be good practice for the new recruits.

Stidge overdoes it in the training session, but it's good to see

her bare her fangs a bit. She may just yet work out...

Stidge goes through the same strange growth that Steyr had. Also, somehow, money fell into my pockets during the battle.

Only a fool gives away his secret advantages before the fight.

I spot another local, and decide to sneak past him. I can't tell who is a civilian and who could be an agent. Best to avoid them both if I can help it. But just when you try to doge one bullet, another is right behind it.

Continued...

[The Damned]

Damn it, there's no way he hasn't spotted me! I'll have to face him.

IN THE FIELD OF BATTLE!

His sneezing could give us away. I can't risk the exposure.

The tall grass should keep his body hidden for now.

I've only traveled this far, and my team is already starting to tire a bit. I should check on... what's this?

Flapcakes has managed to acquire supplies while fighting! His underwhelming performance during the battle wasn't because he was a bad fighter. No, it was because he was scouting out the area and finding items vital to the success of the mission!

I'm going to put him up for a medal.

Howl is a move that raises the users Attack stat one level. This equates to a 50% boost to its Attack. See http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Stats for more details about the whole system.

Stidge isn't tough enough to finish this battle. Time to bring out the big guns.

Stidge received enough experience points from his share of the battle to level up. Leveling up adds to each stat, depending upon several factors. Basically, she's a bit better overall then before.

Growl is kind of like the opposite of Howl. It lowers attack, but not of the pokémon using it. The opponent is the one that suffers the drop. This means that after being hit with a Growl, your pokémon have lost 1/3 of their ability to cause damage. Doing this can be very beneficial if you're up against something that has lots of Attack power.

I think Flapcakes is sneaking out of its pod to steal money for our team. Usually, such behavior is a court-martiable offense. Given the nature of our mission, though, I'm not going to do anything about it... yet.

Continued...

[Nonamer]

You should SO put this on YouTube.

[The Damned]

Losing is war's way of telling you that you weren't good enough. You may want to shoot yourself for your failure to your unit.

I spotted some berries growing near the road. They aren't plentiful, but I may be able to survive off of them should I run out of rations.

- http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Berry - Berries are free (but weaker) versions of potions and other medicine you can buy in stores. They can also be grown where you find them,and farmed for more. One berry will usually give two when the plant grows, and more if you take care of it by watering them.

You can also give them to your Pokémon to hold. In battle, they will automatically use them when the conditions are right (like, low health, they eat a berry to heal part way, or if paralyzed, eat a berry and recover) if they have the right kind.

A girl seems to be guarding this spot, but not as any kind of warning. She seems to be a civilian that has a personal interest in this place. Hopefully, those berries I just found weren't hers.

Stidge's battle isn't going that well. She tries hard, but effort alone won't get you through combat. You need skills and experience as well. She barely manages to take out the opponent.

Time for Flapcakes to get some han- claws-on experience.

That same growth that the others had. If these keeps happening, what will happen to them? Even weapons, especially living ones, need some care from time to time. These are my soldiers now, and as their commanding officer, it's my responsibility to watch over them.

She wishes to advance through the ranks. Ambition is a key trait for officers. Some day, I may end up saluting and calling her "sir".

[The Damned]

You should SO put this on YouTube.

I don't have any video gear or software, and it seems like a giant hassle to record all of it any way.

Pictures and text are fine, and they can be easily (I hope) saved and archived as stand alone files, with working links.

Besides, between video editing and uploading, this is much quicker and easier to work with.

Not to mention I'd end up running the "METAL GEAR!" joke into the ground by the end of the first video. Do you want to hear someone saying that at every possible opportunity? Over and over every single video?

Fuck no.

[Gollgagh]

yeah pretty much

people are super spoiled by youtubes these days

[The Damned]

I spotted an object not far from the girls location. It was just barely visible from where I was standing.

At first, I thought it might be a lost containment pod, with perhaps another bio-weapon inside. But then I thought it could be a trap. I wanted to send Flapcakes to check it out, but he refused.

Turns not it was not a creature, but another vial of that medicine. I don't know how long it was there, but it seems fine. I'm taking it just in case.

Petalburg City is supposed to be the homebase of my other contact, "DAD". We don't really have much info on him or his outfit, but he seems to have interests that align with ours.

Best heal up the troops before any other surprises pop up.

Yes, and the day his identity is known to the public, his ass will be owned by the first government that can get their hands on him. Best to keep your name and face hidden when you have such important knowledge.

You mean this berry is the same as those vials I tried and also died from? Is there anything on this island that is meant for human consumption!?

Negative. That is classified information.

I tried to order my team to tell me what happens when tehy are healed, but they can only understand basic verbal commands, and are not able to speak. I'll have to find a way of giving them a scanning device.

Another lost child. Some cultures let children have the freedom to experience. Others choose to hold onto them tightly and guide them along with rigid teaching. Some, like my own, were neither.

Perhaps this is the boy in question.

[The Damned]

Boy, are you Wally? Your mother is loo-

I... I have reached Nirvana. The world is not what it seems. The material world is not the one true world. Physical and material wants are not the way. True peace is the denial of the physical and the embracing of the transcendental.

BUT I HAVE A MISSION! No time for enlightenment.

Wally could be in his house...

Semper Fi!

They have this tour for people like you. They even pay you for it! It's in Afghanistan, and it's for three years. I know someone you can call for details.

Surely he's in here.

Is that near Baghdad?

This Norman seems to be in deep with these things. I wonder who he is, exactly. Maybe DAD knows...

Where the fuck is this kid?

[The Damned]

OK, that's this batch. Next one later tonight or tomorrow morning.

[Cyril the Wolf]

Personally hoping for later tonight

[The Damned]

I got a plan for the finale of this, but I need someone with actual video skills and the gear to do it.

Also, I think you guys will like what I got for the first Gym Leader battle, it's something that I'm going to use for each one.

Next up, Wally the suicide bomber makes his first appearance.

[Strike911]

... this is the most entertaining thing I've seen on these forums in quite some time. Awesome times!

[The Damned]

OK, it turns out I am seriously under-leveled for this next few parts, so I'm spending some time (outside of the story) leveling up. You're going to see a few level jumps in the next while. Nothing major, maybe four or so levels on average. This is not a error or oversight on my part.

I'll have a new part ready later today. Sorry for the delay, but I had to take a break from it last night. Zombies can't shoot themselves, you know.

[The Damned]

Snake has managed to get to Petalburg City, the base of operations for "DAD", a deep-level infiltrator who has agreed to provide assistance for Snake's mission. But before he has the chance to make contact, he is side-tracked by a mother looking for her missing son...

Out adventure returns... NOW!

They've added teleportation to this technology. I can already see entire cities falling to a mass of soldiers, appearing in pods, materializing by the hundreds at once, with no way to stop their advance.

War has changed... for the worse.

This Wally child must by around here somewhere. I should check out this store, just in case. Kids love comic books, and this would be the place to get them.

But he's not here, either...

Heading towards the city limits, a patrol guard spots me. There's no way to avoid him now, but I can't start a fight in front of the locals.

Gym? What Gym? I don't see a Gym anywhere. Is this some form of diversionary tactic?

...

Fucking hippies.

I've found where my contact "DAD" is based. He's in the local boxing arena... at least I think it is. I don't see any boxing rings around. Must be behind those doors.

Sports gyms are good meeting places for tough guys like myself. We can pretend we're there for some exercise, and more often than not, others there are fellow agents...

BUT FOR WHICH SIDE?

I used to be a Green Beret. We were the toughest motherfuckers in the world... until the budget cutbacks.

He's unusually cheery for having a covert ops agent land on his doorstep. The place must be under surveillance.

TARGET SIGHTED! BEGINNING RETRIEVAL!

[The Damned]

The boy has been caught up in the bio-weapon training scheme. Giving them to children must be some for of indoctrination. It gives them power, power that can be controlled by others, and gives them the thrill of battle. A truly intoxicating feeling.

I've seen children soldiers in Africa and parts of Europe. They either die as children, or grow up to become the worst of the worst. I can only hope that luck gives Wally another way out.

A test? To see how far I'm willing to go for my mission? Or is this DAD's way to make sure the boy doesn't get killed by his inexperience?

Mine likes to spend more time looking for supplies then fighting or training. He also doesn't know how to make a latrine.

I can already hear Otacon snickering at his desk. Pervert.

Right, left, right, left, come on, maggot! Double time!

Proper supervision of new recruits in important. Without training and supervision, they could easily hurt themselves from their own ignorance. And the battlefield is an unforgiving mistress...

The boy seems to have natural talent. Did he decide to do this on his own, or did someone catch a glimpse of his potential and guide him towards here?

I still need to talk with DAD any way.

DAD trusts this kid enough to casually hand over a bio-weapon. Is this trust earned? Or does DAD not consider him a threat?

[The Damned]

And with that, we never saw Wally again.

I would later learn that Wally had been killed near his home town during my battle with the Elite Four. A stray piece of clock shrapnel had grazed his skull, and he fell down a ravine.

The fall didn't kill him, but the twenty pounds of explosives he was carrying were on a timer. He had been somehow coerced into becoming a suicide bomber from the looks of it. What could they have done to him in such a short period of time that would make him give up his life like that?

What kind of monster would do such a thing to a child?

These Gyms must be meeting places for DAD's group. There could be cells in every major town and city on the island.

These "badges" must be some kind of item needed to make contact within their group. If each Gym Leader has one, that means I'll need to make contact with four of them.

The kid lived next door to the Gym all this time. Maybe this is how he came to so enamored with the creatures...

WHO TOLD Y- I mean, yes, I'm new to the island... Not a spy at all.

The industrial requirements for weaponizing biological organisms must be pretty big. Pollution from the labs and plants that make the chemicals and whatever else they use must be getting worse.

Children born weak, like Wally, must be more susceptible to the effects of it. I'm spent years in cities and war zones, and I haven't noticed anything so far.

I didn't know this until later, but almost immediately after he got his first "pokahmon", he was dragged off by someone. I always felt bad about that. I only had hi under my wing for a minute, but not being there afterward still pains me a bit.

The smiles of innocence are fleeting.

I say my goodbyes and head out of town.

On my way past the town limits, I spot another potential guard.

[The Damned]

Luckily, there are no witnesses around this time. I can approach him from behind and snap his neck in an instant. I never feel good about killing, but there is too much at stake to risk hi alerting someone.

I must have tipped him off somehow. Luck is on my side, though. He's just a civilian on a walk.

I slipped going down the steps towards the beach. I must be getting old.

The girl sees me stumble down the steps, but doesn't seem scared. She's another local, just out for some sun.

But her advice is correct. Avoiding the enemy is the best way to avoid a fight. Now I know... and knowing is half the battle!

The others on the beach, however, seem suspicious. I use all my training to slip by undetected.

This little expedition has finally gone my way! I have spotted a boat. But it's too risky to steal it. I could end up rousing too much attention. Besides, my contact instructed me to get to the town north of here.

I should still see about renting it from its owner, just in case... but the shop is empty.

The poor man must have given up fishing once the containment fields were set up around the beaches. The loss of one's purpose in life can be as crushing as any defeat.

I manage to acquire more wild berries for my supplies.

Otacon: I have that satellite intel I told you about before. The beach in front of you is currently inaccessible, but there is a forest north of you that leads to the next town, Rustboro.

Snake: Perfect. DAD gave me a hint that I should head that way and contact a woman named Roxanne. I'm supposed to get some sort of badges from her and some other people. DAD wants me to bring them back to him later.

Otacon: OK, Snake, but that forest is Petalburg Forest, and the trees are so thick, satellite telemetry isn't available. I don't have any waypoints or even basic directions for you.

Snake: Not a problem. I've got a good sense of direction.

Otacon: That's not the only problem, Snake! The forest is filled with wild bio-weapons. Your own team might not be strong enough to make it through.

Snake: How bad can it be?

Otacon: There are bugs the size of your head in there.

Snake: Bugs?

Otacon: Thousands of them. Tens of thousands. Maybe even millions.

Snake: ...

Right, time for some boot camp.

[The Damned]

Video game reference, lulz!

Wally managed to get one of these. It looks like a child, though... an innocent child. Sending a child to war is the act of a mad man. But then I remembered that all of these things were made for combat. Even the little ones.

Good god, Otacon wasn't lying. I'm not even in the forest yet, and this one is at least the size of my hand. But insects are rich in protein, and I may need it if my rations run out.

A quick check of my roster shows I've managed to get a variety of them. But I could really go for something patriotic. Something with wings.

Alone, calling out into the darkness...

. Truly, this little bird is a kindred spirit. A loner, like me. But also a warrior.

For those of you that aren't up on your current military technology: MQ9 Reaper

The old man that told me pods will be teleported to storage wasn't lying. The instant I had Reaper in my hands, the pod vanished in a small flash of light. I had to make my way back to the town to retrieve him.

The little amphibian frog thing wasn't much use to me for now, and it didn't seem up to the challenge ahead. Better to put it in a safe place for now.

Reaper is working out great. He's fast, brutal, and isn't afraid to get his claws dirty. I've promoted him to Sergent, and placed the team in his command.

Flapcakes still manages to somehow secure supplies during our battles. He's not much of a fighter, but his skill at procuring vital materials is too handy to ignore. I've decided to promote him to Resource Acquisitions Officer.

Another bird. But it's a seagull, and I hate seagulls.

Our boot camp session has paid off for Trio. She learned a basic attack, one that confuses the opponent. I can see some sort of waves emitting from her when she does it. I suspect that Troi is one of those mind-reader types I heard about.

[The Author]

hmmm This is the official montage song:

[The Damned]

Just as I promote Flapcakes to RAO, he then disappoints me by digging up old Halloween junk.

That's not the same image twice, that's two instances, right after each other, where Flapcakes came up with Rare Candies! Candy GET!

Perhaps the promotion has gone to his head. Maybe it was too early to place that kind of burden on him. It was my fault for not-

Snake: They're making drugs that look like candy? No wonder the children of this island seem so odd.

Otacon: No, Snake! They're meant for your Pokémon! If you let them eat one, they will growth faster, making them stronger, faster and smarter. It's some sort of chemical cocktail that gives them extra nutrients. Go ahead, try one out!

Snake: They're kind of hard to chew, and they taste like Chinese wallets.

Otacon: Not you, Snake! Your pokémon! Give it to your pokémon!

Like I said, Flapcakes has been busy.

I'll need to keep my team well-developed, but if there are giant bugs in the forest, Reaper eats bugs for breakfast.

As his strength increases, so does his skill. He's figured out a way to hit things with the force of his wings. Combine that with a good running... er, flying start, and the impact could be enough to take out just about anything we encounter.

How did Reaper do that, you ask? Simple! As a pokémon levels ups, it can learn new moves. Most of them are basic attacks, but you also get supporting moves like Growl and Howl, as well as others. Each kind of pokémon can learn different moves as they level up.

The screens you just saw show the move list Reaper has. Pokémon can only know four moves at a time, sand he has five to choose from. Wing Attack is a better move than Peck, but Focus Energy isn't too helpful in his case. I opted to replace it with Wing Attack. Yes, it has two Flying attacks, but it's still early in the game, so shut up.

Some of the locals are so casual about these animals they take fighting with them for granted. This guy seems to get some kind of kick out of it. And he's willing to bet money on it.

Troi seems to have no problem with shredding the minds of her enemies. I have to make sure she remembers that I'm not one of them.

Because you only had one bio-weapon, and you didn't use it tactically. Plus, you're a spoiled rich boy with bad taste in clothes.

You also can't buy loyalty, or trust, or honor.

DIS-missed.

The forest. God knows what's in there, waiting for us.

On with my mission...

[Soul Splint]

Can't. Look. Away.

[Cyril the Wolf]

So good.

[sefirosu]

This is amazing. I'm hooked.

[The Damned]

Thank you, all. I hope you're clicking on the various Youtube links in orange, as they're part of the whole experience.

More later. I'm averaging about 100 screecaps at a time, and then I do some basic editing to get that down to around 50 to 60. Plus, OCR only lets you post ten images at once.

I was originally going to do Metal Gear Solid: Tetris Ops, but the name didn't work out so well.

Though, I guess a more poképun-filled title would have been "Metang Giaru Solid: Pokéball Ops" but that would make it too hard to photoshop the original cover. I only have basic image editing skills, and can't draw worth shit.

Again, thanks to all the positive comments. If you want to help in any way, feel free to do so. Even just suggesting what to capture next or a name is fine.

[The Damned]

Snake has just entered the foreboding Petalburg Woods, a thick, dense forest filled with untamed biological weapons. Behind every tree, behind every bush, with every step they take, danger awaits. Only their skills and strengths will allow them to escape unscathed. Even then, there are some that will try to stop Snake from making his way to Rustboro, where a new contact must be met. Roxanne, Gym Leader of Rustboro, has an item that DAD requested Snake fetch for him. What use will these "badges" have, and can Snake gather them quickly enough to complete his mission?

The Mission: To prevent bio-weapons from leaving the island

The Stakes: World stability and ecological disaster

The Solution: Snake and his hand-picked team of Pokémon

The mission resumes... NOW!

Otacon couldn't get me any recon on this place, but as long as I remember my training in forest and jungle survival, I should be fine.

The first step is to move like a ghost. No sound, no trace. Every footstep like a falling leaf from a tree. I am the wind, and *SNAP*

This, but six times. Seriously, every one of them died in one hit.

Proper supply management can make the difference between victory and defeat. Learn from your mistakes... if they don't kill you.

I once survived off of mushrooms when I was stuck behind enemy lines for a month. At least... I think I was behind enemy lines. It's very foggy. I remember fighting a giant purple stuffed worm in space, with a tuning fork, while there was a rock committing Japanese-style suicide with 61 pairs of scissors.

I was rescued by a team of Green Berets, and was debriefed on the giant worm by my superiors.

ocre and StarBLaST were arguing about something on IRC, and I stopped them by suggesting this name. The response was something like "oh god, now they're naming mushroom after me", and StarBLaST and ocre were friends again.