Her hair is fun to draw

suggested by u/kalazalim

Well since these two are playable in Parallel Trippers, I thought I could take a jab at them. That being said half of their 'Mons are joke picks so take that as you will. Tentz has only half a team because realistically I can't see him having much on him.

Gantz:

Zangoose and Seviper - Requested by u/Haru-chan_4. Zangoose represents Gantz's friend Goose, and Seviper represents his beef with Justin since in Pokemon lore Zan and Sev are fierce enemies. Ofc Gantz would be dumb enough to have both on the same team though.

Bidoof - Requested by u/Haru-chan_4. Represents his friend Kozuru, what with both their looks.

Pancham and Munclax - idk they both kinda look like Gantz

Rattata - It's in the last spot because it's actually the top percentage of all Rattata. Nobody will see it coming, not even Justin... unless the opponent has a Ghost-type anyway.

Tentz:

Magnemite, Aron, and Cottonee - Again this is the reason I disclaimed half of these 'Mons were chosen as jokes; Tentz thought Gantz using the cheesy F.E.A.R. strat was cool and uses 'Mons with the same type of strat. Unfortunately he has no idea how do to it despite the potential.

Well since I mentioned I'd at least do the guys playable in PT, wouldn't be too weird if I did Nicky or Gina next. Naina and Danda could have some decent 'Mons too if I can even come up with full teams.

In all fairness, each one of them has two 'Mons each, because I'm not even gonna bother trying to piece together full teams for all three of them. That'd be way too hard to do, even for me. Darlin has Kanto Tauros and Nidoking, Dorlin has Paldea Aqua Tauros and Slowking, and Derlin has Paldea Blaze Tauros and Wyrdeer. Shouldn't have to explain why they all got Tauros lol

Darlin: Tauros (Kanto) and Nidoking - To contrast Milda's Miltank and Nidoqueen respectively.

Dorlin: Tauros (Paldea Aqua) and Slowking - References him having a shit tone of water skills in Parallel Trippers. Slowking in particular is in reference to the subplot regarding him losing his horn and becoming temporarily dumb although he's normally smart. Maybe Slowbro fits more for that but I think Slowking is appropriate since the shell is what gives it knowledge.

Derlin: Tauros (Paldea Blaze) and Wyrdeer - Gave him the last Tauros available, idk could represent his knowledge about Alent. Wyrdeer represents that more though, in all honesty.

I could've given them Tapu Bulu but I thought that'd be too much. Gonna appreciate more suggestions as always.

Since Alma's a doctor, I already knew off the bat what some of her 'Mons would be. Some here are a bit strange to include but hear me out:

Blissey, Indeedee, and Audino - Represent her job. The nurses in the Pokemon series use these guys so logic dictates Alma would as well to help her patients.

Goodra - Since she's one of the dragon folks of course she'd have a Dragon-type. Goodra is one of the friendlier pseudo-legendaries and I think there's a chance it could use its goo as a medicine product, so maybe Alma would use it.

Milotic - Another 'Mon with healing capabilities. I also think it'd represent her personality since Sue notes Alma is one of the nicest people the heroes have met, and since Milotic invokes an inviting presence it's a no-brainer. I suppose Alma uses it to cross the sea in case others need her assistance.

Virizion - If Gadwin has Terrakion, it only makes sense that one of its comrades belongs to Gadwin's closest associates. Virizion is typically depicted as the most logical of the swords of justice, so it would pair nicely with Alma, especially with its healing moves. Dight's chief would have Cobalion to round things out.

Once again, give me more suggestions, as always, if you have any anyhow.

I know this isn't exactly a hot take around here. Grandia's battle system gets a lot of love whenever the game comes up. But there's still one thing I don't really understand:
Why did basically nobody steal this?

That little IP bar at the bottom does so much. You see what everyone is doing, you can decide whether to just attack, use something stronger or try to cancel an enemy before they get their move off.

And suddenly even pretty normal battles feel like I'm actually paying attention instead of just selecting Attack until everything is dead.

I also love that the characters actually move around the battlefield. Sometimes someone runs across half the screen just to hit an enemy and then slowly walks back while everything else keeps happening 😅

It's such a weird mix of turn based and almost real time combat, and somehow it just works.

And yeah, I know Grandia II isn't perfectly balanced. Once you really know what you're doing you can abuse the system quite a bit. But honestly that almost makes it stranger to me. Usually when I go back to older JRPGs there are systems where I think "yeah okay, I understand why games don't do this anymore."

With Grandia II I have the opposite reaction.

I keep wondering what this could look like if someone took the basic idea today and actually pushed it further. Maybe nostalgia is doing some work here, but give me a modern JRPG with an updated version of this combat system and I'm interested immediately.

Anyone else feel the same? Or is there actually a modern game that scratches that Grandia itch and I've just missed it?

If you thought Pakon and Chang's teams were pretty random, I had to make even bigger stretches for Rem's. There's no way in hell he'd have a legendary so these were the best picks I could find for him:

Zorua - In Pokemon lore it's said to take the appearance of a silent child using illusions. Kinda matches Rem's description, except replace the "silent" part is his native language.

Seedot - Represents the communique nuts he gives the heroes.

Vibrava and Phantump - Purely to fit in with Misty Forest/Luc's aesthetic. Not much more to add here. If we take Phantump's dex entries about it being the soul of a dead kid literally though, I guess Rem wants it to be happy, unless he's unaware (which he probably is).

Axew - he uses an axe in Parallel Trippers idk close enough

Skiddo - Fits with Luc Village since it's a mammal with grassy parts. It's even got little horns.

I mean if there was anything to be proud of it's the fact that I was able to compile a full team for this guy. In the meantime, can you give me suggestions for who I should do next?

suggested by u/Kaden_Hitsugaya

Might as well group both of them together. I'll be honest when I say I don't have much reasoning behind their 'Mons as much as the others, since like Java we don't know much about them. I'll try to explain as much as I can:

Pakon:

Mr. Mime - 'cause he's a clown, duh

Bruxish - because he's Pakon, he deserves one (tbf this could represent his obsession with Feena)

Slurpuff - It kinda looks like him, not much more to say. Tbh that's a bit too mean; at least Slurpuff is cute.

Ambipom - To pair with Mime for the clown theme.

Cubchoo - They both got snot hanging outta their noses. What else can ya say?

Lickilicky - It also kinda looks like him. Could tie into the clown theme as well I guess.

Chang:

Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee - Suggested by u/Kaden_Hitsugaya. I mean it's kinda obvious why he uses them; Lee especially represents his Spinning Kick move.

Krookodile and Toxicroak - Represent that Chang's supposed to be an antagonist. These two 'Mons are pretty nasty and yet are already pretty strong.

Darmanitan - To give him more type diversity. Apparently after getting beat by Justin and Sue, Chang became a cook, so Darmanitan could also represent that.

Tornadus - Chang is more worthy of a legendary than Pakon at least. Tornadus would represent his Tornado move, plus it's just as manly as he is. Any of the genies would've been here but Tornadus stands out more than them because of Chang's attack imo.

Well it felt fun slandering Pakon. More lore reveal: even in this setting, his own Pokemon don't like him. When they think their trainer's annoying, you know you've fucked up big time.

I originally bought this as an a 10 year old kid on the PlayStation 1. I never got round to finishing it, got stuck due to being under levelled and never came back to it. Finally completed the HD remaster released on the Switch 25 years later.

Great game, the first half is definitely stronger but overall it's a great game.

I went though two of the three optional dungeons which essentially trivialised the final boss.

Where this game falls short in some areas it makes it up with its charm and sense of adventure.

I find it really odd that Grandia 2 would have what look like Icarians in the background of the credits (while playing the theme from the original) but they had nothing to do with the story.

Can anyone who knows more about the development of Grandia 2 chime in? Much of the game, especially in the 3rd act felt rushed, like they wanted to do more but couldn't because Sega was breathing down their necks to get the game out the door.

Finished Grandia 2 for the first time on Dreamcast, and honestly I liked the first one better.

Well since we don't really know much about Java, I'll admit these picks were pretty surface-level. I suppose it's fitting he's a mostly Steel-type specialist at least. Anyways, here's the info behind the inclusions:

Drampa - What can I say? This 'Mon's as old as Java himself. I also recall one of its dex entries claiming that it will burn down the homes of bullies picking on its trainer (I'm not joking with this, yes the dex actually says that), so Drampa could serve as a great bodyguard for Java.

Probopass - Based on what u/Kaden_Hitsugaya said underneath by Lilly post; personally I think Java would have at least one since he used to be an adventurer, so having a living compass would pay off.

Falinks - Represents his armor, also his strength since it's literally an army.

Corviknight - Same as Falinks, but I can see him using Corv to navigate.

Steelix - Represents Java's lance somewhat. It's also said to be pretty ancient, so it could also represent the Sult Ruins.

Heatran - Had to shoehorn a legendary here, so this I think would be the best one for him. I could definitely see him catching one during his quests, maybe you could tie it into the Sult Ruins since Heatran typically resides in volcanic and/or mine-like areas.

Alright for today I want you to request another Grandia character I could make a team for. I can't see Gantz or Rem having legendaries at all so next one's gonna be a toss-up.

He was hiding out as the cat.

When you first go to Uptown Escarre and on all subsequent visits, there's a white cat outside the locked house with the single Nortis guard. You can talk to it with Evann and Diene/Lutina, and they even comment on what an odd and unusual cat it is. Even wondering if its really a cat at all. Notably its got fluffy white fur with a weird, flat, almost human looking face and glowing eyes.

Then when Quanlee appears at the end of the game, all the leadup tells you that he's been lurking in Escarre for fifty years already, studying humans. He can change his form and nobody knows who he is or what he looks like. Then you reach the last chapter of the game. When you go to Escarre to confront Quanlee, only two characters are missing - the rich guy's wife, who you're flat out told took the train out of town, and the strange white cat.

Cue Quanlee's entrance, with spiky, fluffy white hair as he appears in Uptown right in front of the house where the cat was.

Right out of the trenches of the Garlyle Forces, we're starting off with Lilly for the minor characters. Funnily enough, half of her team came to mind immediately, with some being stretches but overall I think they all fit her. Here are the explanations:

Marowak - Represents Lilly being a mother... and her tray. Marowak, while having a 50/50 gender ratio, has always been portrayed as a "maternal" Pokemon, especially in the Kanto games where one of the key plot points is Team Rocket killing a female Marowak who tried protecting her Cubone offspring. Plus with how hard-headed (heh) Marowak is, it's only appropriate Lilly has one, especially since she was once known as "Lilly the Skull".

Dhelmise - Suggested by u/Diknihcs. Dhelmise is a Pokemon primarily found at sea, modeled after an anchor. As a former pirate, Lilly could've caught one during her early days. Considering we see various maces and other assorted weapons on the wall of her restaurant, Dhelmise would be a perfect 'Mon for her.

Ampharos - In the Johto games, Jasmine has an Ampharos who's in charge of managing a lighthouse for sea travelers. Probably not an ideal choice for Lilly to have, but I could see her having one during both her early days and to help ships sailing to Parm get there safely.

Lopunny - An oddball, but I think Lopunny would represent Lilly's "tough love" towards Justin. In the Pokemon games, Buneary has one of the lowest friendship rates, which is a problem since it needs to be at max happiness to evolve. Once it does evolve however, Lopunny is worth the wait, even if it's not the strongest Normal-type. Its personality matches Lilly's in lieu of that.

Pelipper - Suggested by u/Diknihcs. Lilly's restaurant is called the "Seagull Restaurant", so it's only appropriate she'd have a Wingull/Pelipper. I think it could also represent the letter she sends to the Adventurer's Society, since in the PMD games a Pelipper works as a mailman, so it could be a neat little nod to that.

Manaphy or Lugia - Her having one of these would teach people not to underestimate her. In all seriousness, I chose these two not only because they're legendaries of the sea, but also because both are depicted as somewhat maternal. While Manaphy is called the "prince of the sea", it is the only legendary that can reproduce in-game, producing Phione, and if Manaphy eggs exist it's not too weird to think a Manaphy produces those too. With Lugia, Takeshi Shudo actually intended Lugia to be an explicitly female Pokemon, only for that to be scrapped, but in a later episode of the Johto anime, we see a Lugia with a child, which I think might've been a little reference to the original plans for Lugia. Either way, which one do you think fits Lilly more? Because no matter which one is chosen for her legendary, they'd represent her love for her son is legendary (pun intended).

Weird headcanon for this whole thing: In Justin's post, I said that Kangaskhan would represent Lilly. Well, I had an idea that Kanga belonged to Lilly and she lent it over to him. Hey, if she can send Justin off to the steamer ship of course she'd give him one of her 'Mons.

MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR DISC 2 INCOMIN! Before we begin, have a little tidbit of story I wrote down for the "if Grandia characters had Pokemon teams" series:

"Long ago, in the vast depths of what scientists, researchers, sometimes conspiracy theorists would dub the "Multiverse", there existed a universe inhabited by both humans and the myriad species known as Pokemon. This species of powerful monsters capable of leveling entire cities, sometimes continents, ranged from cute and cuddly to ferocious and abominable. A rather predictable premise, but the world itself was quite vast and despite its threats, pushed on and outlasted most worlds of similar calibers.

"The source of these creatures stemmed from a piece of the Almighty: Arceus. The lamb-like deity was simply one of many hailing from an all-powerful God outside of time and space, each "Arceus" being assigned to create a universe of their own, multiple worlds where Pokemon would inhabit. To bring balance to each of these universes, every copy would be given the same guardians: Dialga and Palkia - masters of time and space; Giratina - demon of antimatter; Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf - embodiments of knowledge, emotion, and willpower; Mew - the oldest apex species of all Pokemon; and so on, so forth. These were essential to each universe, each world where Pokemon would spring into existence, building upon the foundations of life itself.

"No matter their size or elements, humans began to realize that by themselves, they were no match for these creatures, and so invented capsules capable of subduing even the most powerful Pokemon. Over the years, many have questioned this method, some forming violent protests, but ultimately the Pokemon didn't mind showcasing their power to humans whenever necessary. They were built to fight, after all.

"However, not all respected using Pokemon for good. For decades, there have been individuals gathering together troubled people and Pokemon alike to use for their selfish purposes, to cause harm or out of a desire to take over the entire world. By discovering the potential of a Pokemon's strength, these people wanted to play God by any means necessary. One of the first instances was Volo in the ancient Hisui, who caught and controlled Giratina itself all for the sake of meeting Arceus.

"There are too many organizations to name of, but the most notable ones include the following:

• Team Rocket: An organized mafia hellbent on stealing from the most unsuspecting trainers, even children. Their leader, Giovanni, had infiltrated the Indigo league as its eighth gym leader, crushing challengers in his wake with his Ground-types. He was also involved in the creation of Mewtwo, a clone of the Pokemon's ancestor Mew and a rather savage beast, considered the strongest of all Psychic Pokemon. Mewtwo had escaped its confinements, but Giovanni had spent years trying to find its whereabouts. He would have succeeded in having Mewtwo under his control had a boy from Pallet Town not stopped him for good, disbanding Team Rocket until they made another comeback in Johto, only to be bested by a newbie from New Bark Town. Giovanni's current whereabouts are unknown, but some say he's still looking for Mewtwo.
• Team Magma: One of the most notorious gangs in Hoenn, Team Magma's leader Maxie claimed that the world would be better off without its water, finding it baffling that the sea covered a majority of the planet. He attempted to evaporate the waters by reviving the renowned kaiju of the earth, Groudon, but the red lizard had other plans, much to Maxie's horror.
• Team Aqua: Team Magma's rival gang. Its leader, Archie, sought out Groudon's rival and kaiju of the sea: Kyogre. His plans were the complete opposite of Maxie's, desiring the sea to take over the land. Much like Magma's failed mission with Groudon, Kyogre refused to listen to Archie, seeking out Groudon to duel with it much like in ancient times. All seemed to be lost for Hoenn, until Rayquaza, king of the skies and mediator of kaijus, descended from the ozone layer and put the raging beasts back to their caverns, where they lay sleeping once more.
• Team Cipher: In the distant region of Orre, this organization would conduct inhumane experiments on Pokemon, turning them into raging beasts known as Shadow Pokemon. These types of Pokemon would be killing machines, uncaring of the enemy or their own wellbeing. Two different times has Cipher wrought havoc to Orre, and both times, if it were not for Wes - a former Cipher soldier who realized what they were doing was wrong - and another young boy Michael, the entire region would have been plunged into darkness by Cipher's Shadow Lugia.
• Team Galactic: Its leader, Cyrus, was always a troubled man. He sought to rid the world of emotions, wanting to make an entire universe for his liking. To do so, he harnessed the power from Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf, crafting the Red Chain - capable of controlling both Dialga and Palkia at once. Fortunately, Giratina intervened, casting Cyrus into the hellish dimension known as the Distortion World. Oddly enough, Cyrus resigned himself to his fate, preferring the chaotic, warped landscape without any love or compassion.
• Go-Rock Squad: A false group of "heroes" who stole valuable information from Professor Hastings to control the legendary Pokemon. They wanted to replace the Pokemon Rangers, but failed to.
• Team Dim Sum: They sought to control Almia with the stolen power from Rangers. Their solution to energy sources was to use enslaved Pokemon, but that was swiftly put to an end.
• Pokemon Pinchers: Targeting the Rangers and Pokemon of Oblivia, they made it their goal to use the legendary bird trio to brainwash the region's Pokemon. One of its leaders, Purple Eyes, was filled with so much hate and a god complex that Arceus intervened to remove him from existence, following his attempt to control the Alpha Pokemon.
• Team Plasma: One of the most notorious anti-trainer protestors. Its leader, Ghetsis, sought control over Unova using his adoptive son N, who had the ability to communicate with Pokemon. Having N spend his life around abused Pokemon, Ghetsis convinced the boy that trainers were unworthy of having Pokemon under their control, and that the legendary dragons Reshiram and Zekrom - truth and ideals - could set things right. Despite having one of the most powerful dragons in his grasp, N was defeated by a trainer from Nuvema Town, who harnessed the power of the rivalling dragon. Ghetsis cast N aside, failing to defeat this trainer, leaving Plasma to lay low until two years later, where they would attempt to freeze Unova using the power of Kyurem, the shell of the dragon that was once Reshiram and Zekrom's whole. Ghetsis attempted to fuse the dragons with Kyurem to no avail, leading to his second defeat by an aspiring trainer from Aspertia City and subsequent breakdown, and he has not been seen since.
• Team Flare: Similarly to Cyrus, Team Flare's leader Lysandre wanted to rebuild the world using the legendaries Xerneas and Yveltal. He wanted him and his team to be immortal via Xerneas, while also wanting to purge the world of its "filth" using Yveltal. He was able to keep up his publicly renowned image until a brave trainer from Vaniville town exposed his dark secrets; as it turned out, he was going to use the weapon that ended a great war 3,000 years ago, built by the former Kalos ruler to revive his beloved Floette, but said weapon ended up killing thousands of Pokemon. Once Xerneas and Yveltal were awakened, they were furious with Lysandre, destroying his labs and burying him beneath its rubble. A tragic fate, but a deserved one.
• Aether Foundation: While the foundation was meant to preserve Pokemon, its founder Lusamine is quite the unfortunate soul. Losing her husband and becoming obsessed with the Ultra Beasts - extraterrestrial Pokemon - caused her to neglect her son and daughter, leading to both running away from her insanity. Her son, Gladion, escaped with Type: Null, a Pokemon capable of combating the Ultra Beasts, while her daughter, Lillie, ran away with Cosmog, one of these extraterrestrial Pokemon capable of summoning Ultra Beasts. They would eventually unite once more, with Type: Null and Cosmog evolving into their final forms, putting an end to Lusamine's madness but also leaving Alola open for Necrozma's wrath, as it wanted to absorb the light of the region. With the help of a newly-moved trainer, Necrozma was put down for now, leaving Lusamine in rehab for her actions.
• Marco Cosmos: This organization sought to preserve the Galar region's energy crisis. Its chairman, Rose, believed using the extraterrestrial Eternatus would help power the region, but was quickly proven wrong when Eternatus's power became too much, requiring the warrior duo Zacian and Zamazenta to slay it as they did years prior.
• Paldea's professors turned out to be AI copies of the real ones, having maintained Area Zero, deluded into thinking bringing Pokemon from the past and future would create "a world like the one in the book — a paradise where we three can live happily together forever."
• And countless other evil people who wanted to control the various legendaries: Lawrence III with the Kanto birds; the Masked Marauder of Team Rocket and the ever-elusive Masked Man with Ilex Forest's Celebi; Annie and Oakley of Team Rocket with Alto Mare's Eon Duo; Butler with Jirachi of the Millennium Comet; Zero with Giratina and Shaymin; Grings Kodai kidnapping an innocent Zorua and Zoroark to bring out another Celebi; and so on...

"It wasn't just humans who were deeply flawed, however. For example, in Paldea, a Pokemon known as Pecharunt tricked three other Pokemon into killing a trainer, who owned an Ogerpon. Ogerpon took revenge against the three Pokemon, but wouldn't get justice herself for years to come.

"And in one particular universe, after bearing witness to all of these atrocities, Arceus had enough.

"To rid the world - and his children - of all the evils within, he decided the best course of action was to move his universe to another, where hopefully the Pokemon and good humans he selected would be able to live in peace. He had scoured countless worlds, trying to see if one of them was the perfect match for Pokemon to reside in. Then, after what felt like an eternity of looking, he found one that vaguely matched the description of his own: one little world known as "Grandia", a place where both humans and other species thrived, though separated by a worldwide wall, where magic was present and, much like the Pokemon world, monsters of every species imaginable writhed about.

"And so the merge began. Billions of Pokemon and humans were warped from their homes to a new one. Unsurprisingly, this led to strife amongst both inhabitants of both worlds.

"At first, the Pokemon were treated as invaders, with most humans of the Grandia world coming to fear them. It took the legendaries to intervene to state their peace and assure the natives that the Pokemon and good people selected - mostly the trainers who saved each region - would help protect this world. After seeing how benevolent the creatures were however, the ones deemed "acceptable" were tamed by humans. The non-humans - humanoids, Dightians, Lainians, Mogays, etc. - had an easier time taming the creatures, possessing strength on par with them. On the other hand, the Pokemon also had the wild monsters of Grandia to watch out for. While the Pokemon could thrive in the wild, these monsters ranged from giant dragons, to sirens, to even demons, some of whom had enough intelligence to catch the Pokemon themselves.

"One thing Arceus could not intervene with was the military known as the Garlyle Forces. Its leader, Baal, was much like the evil team leaders described above: filled with megalomania and a desire to destroy the Grandia world by using the beast of mass destruction known as Gaia. Most of his soldiers are unaware of his true intentions, as he only had his son Mullen not out of love but as a pawn to know secrets of the ancient Angelou and the long-gone Icarians. Now with powerful Pokemon at his disposal, plus the combined technology and interference of every prior team leader, now rounded up, will his plan truly be unstoppable? Only time will tell."

...Aaaaaaand that's the "lore" behind these posts. I figured I'd drop it under Baal's description. If it's too long, I apologize, but I figured I may as well include a little story behind these posts, even if it's just meant for fun at the end of the day. Anyhow, here are the explanations for Baal's team:

Metagross - Meant to represent Baal's advanced technology and the limbs he gains once fused with Gaia. Metagross is a tanky supercomputer so I could definitely see Baal using one.

Malamar - One of the only Pokemon to be usually portrayed as evil. It uses hypnotic powers to get what it wants, which could tie into how Baal kept most of his secrets hidden by gaslighting his soldiers, until he was busted. Still, with Malamar, who knows what else he could get away with?

Hydreigon - I mean it's called the Brutal Pokemon for a reason! Since Baal becomes a corrupted, dragon-like entity near the end of the game, it's only fitting he has one of the most dangerous Dragon-types... unless you have a Fairy-type, of course.

Spiritomb - Represents the Spirit Stones he sought out, since it's literally an ancient stone fused with multiple evil spirits. Spiritomb is made up of many wicked spirits, so it's tied with Malamar for being possibly evil (I say possibly because Spiritomb doesn't really do much in comparison but eh).

Shedinja - Weird choice but in his third boss fight, Baal is resistant to most magic attacks, meaning you need specific strategies to overcome him. Shedinja's ability Wonder Guard would sync perfectly with that, as it can only be hit by moves it's weak against... and status and weather conditions. 1 HP will only get you so far, sadly.

Zygarde - Represents Gaia! It helps that Xerneas, Yveltal, and Zygarde are based off of Norse mythology, with Operation Yggdrasil's name stemming from the same tree and beasts the three legendaries are based on. With Zygarde, it may represent the ecosystem, but it is still a weapon of mass destruction; in the XYZ anime Lysandre was able to gain control of one and nearly destroyed Kalos because of it, so I could see Baal doing the same. Needless to say, Baal would be a force to be reckoned with if he uses Zygarde.

Next will be the minor characters, starting with Lilly. I hope you enjoyed the little "lore" I gave this series too, even if it's a bit out of left field.

May contain spoilers for Disc 2, plus his boss fight. Regardless, this was pretty fun to make; not as much as Leen's but I definitely had to be creative here. Here are the explanations for each 'Mon:

Empoleon - Since Justin has Charizard, I thought it would be fitting for Mullen to have a Water-type starter to counter it. Out of all of them, I think Empoleon fits the most, since it has a king-like vibe to it and its Steel-typing helps strengthen it. Not to mention its wings and claws make it have some sword-like moves, which represents Mullen's own weapon. While it's not the strongest starter, I think it would be Mullen's go-to.

Arcanine - Of course he would invest in the "Legendary" Pokemon. Arcanine may not actually be a legendary but it is still extremely powerful and imposing, having one of the most appealing designs of the original 151. Since Mullen himself is just as formidable and has a fiery spirit, I could see him having one since it'd match his will to protect his men.

Dragapult - Represents him being a Colonel, since Dragapult actively orders its pre-evos in its own attacks. Since Mullen is able to use Dragon Cut in his fight I figured it'd be unsurprising for him to have a Dragon-type.

Froslass - Might be reaching with this one, but I think Froslass would represent Mullen's hybrid status. In Pokemon Legends Arceus, we see that a man was apparently tricked by a Froslass into falling in love with her, which actually ties into what Froslass was based on - yuki-onna, which in Japanese myths are spirits of women who appear during cold seasons. The latter isn't completely accurate to Pokemon lore (since Froslass evolves from Snorunt and isn't literally the spirit of a deceased woman), but combined with its humanoid features and its inspiration, you could make the argument that Froslass being in Mullen's team could represent how much Mullen values his mother; not that his Froslass is literally her ghost of course (that would be pretty stupid) but I think it would serve as a memorial to her in a way.

Kingambit - Represents the Garlyle soldiers. Kingambit’s Supreme Overlord ability is very fitting for Mullen, as it boosts Kingambit's attack once the rest of the party faints before it, and since in the game Mullen repeatedly makes it clear he values the lives of his men (even if he doesn't go about it in the best way), Kingambit would be perfect for him.

Genesect - Another seemingly odd choice, but I think Genesect would represent the cannon that was built to combat Gaia (hell, Genesect's shiny form is red much like that same cannon). Since Genesect is a formerly ancient Pokemon that was given modern features, I think this would fit perfectly with Mullen, since while he is invested in ancient secrets he usually uses modern inventions to help further his plans, to somewhat benefit said ancient secrets, such as why he's insistent on using both Leen and Feena to defeat Gaia. Also in Pokemon lore, Genesect was revived and later built upon by Team Plasma, so the Garlyle Forces having one wouldn't be too strange; maybe Baal wanted to use it for mass destruction but Mullen was forced to take it away once he saw his father was off the deep end.

Shouldn't be shocking, but Baal's next. After him, I'll do the minor characters from the game but how many ones depends on how much I can even come up for them.

Yet another team that contains massive spoilers for the character. Regardless, this was pretty easy to come up for, probably because half of her Pokemon are counterparts of Feena's, since yknow they're twins. Here are the explanations:

Absol - In Pokemon lore, Absol appears before disasters happen, not because it causes them but because it wants to warn others. I believe this fits with Leen very well, since in every appearance of hers in the game, something typically serious happens and her presence is integral to the plot. Absol also sprouts wings when it Mega Evolves, and guess who does something similar? Yup, Leen would definitely have one.

Ninetales - Specifically the Alolan variant, since Feena has the Kanto one. I think Alolan Ninetales fits Leen because its typing (Ice and Fairy) matches her sugar-and-ice personality; initially Leen seems pretty cold and standoffish, but as Justin gets to know her better, she's actually very sweet and wants the best for Feena, despite not being there for her. Alolan Ninetales doesn't carry the same stigma as accidentally causing curses like its Kanto counterpart, since it isolates itself in mountains, and it knows its way through them due to experience. I think Leen could use one in case of having to go through cold lands.

Roserade - Also represents Leen's personality, as though she is kind, she is still a Lieutenant and being an Icarian, she has access to dangerous powers (though we never see her in explicit combat). Similarly, Roserade may look beautiful on the surface, but it is still a Poison-type with access to powerful moves. I think it could also somewhat represent Leen's (one-sided) love for Mullen.

Gallade - Represents Leen's use of sword and loyalty to Mullen. Since Feena already has Gardevoir it wasn't too weird to give her the Sinnoh counterpart.

Skarmory - Its wings look similar to Leen's. That, and I think with its Steel-typing, it could represent Leen being rather tough, not just physically but also emotionally.

Latios - Ya'll saw this one coming. Since Feena has Latias, it's only appropriate her twin has Latios. Similar to Leen, Latios has been portrayed as being caring for Latias; in PMD Red/Blue, he steals TMs to help him find Latias, and in Pokemon Heroes the one there attacks Ash at first until Latias has to step in, later on he lets himself get captured so Latias can get help. I also chose Latios because (spoilers for the fifth Pokemon movie) in Pokemon Heroes, Latios actually sacrifices himself and dies protecting Alto Mare, leaving Latias left alive. This reminds me of how Leen ultimately decided to sacrifice herself since she did so for similar reasons, even if she did come back, unlike Latios in the movie.With all of these factors, Latios is the perfect Pokemon for Leen to have.

This was probably the most fun I've had making up a team in a while. Mullen's next, and hopefully it's one of the more easy ones since I've had a few ideas brewing for him.

Decided to do all three at once. Here are the explanations:

Sirfetch'd, Hitmontop, and Drifblim - Represent Saki's slapstick fan, Nana‘s yo yo, and Mio's nerve gas balloons.

Dodrio, Dugtrio, and Magnezone - Represents all three of them being a trio. Gave Nana the Alolan Dugtrio because of its fabulous hair that she'd obviously gloat over.

Salazzle, Tsareena, and Vespiquen - Salazzle and Vespiquen are Pokemon that evolve only from the females of their species, while the male pre-evos are drones, which reminds me of the sargeants. In Tsareena's case it doesn't function like the other two, but it is portrayed as a Pokemon that gloats in its own majesty, probably because its pre-evo forms were pretty weak.

Flareon, Vaporeon, and Jolteon - The first Pokemon trio, aside from the Kanto starters. Aesthetically they all match the three sargeants imo.

Manectric, Houndoom, and Mightyena - Weird choices but I based these off of that one throwaway line Nana mentions about using sniffing hounds to find Rem. The three also represent the names of their squads: Lightning Star (Saki), Bloody Rose (Nana), and Desert Moon (Mio).

The Galarian birds or the Loyal Three - Yet another two-way tie I'm not sure on. I thought the Galarian birds would work because the legendary birds are the most common of all the legendaries, and in Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness the main villain uses their Kanto counterparts as Shadow Pokemon. Personally I think the Galarian ones work better since they’re said to be more dangerous in some aspect. But on the other hand, I think the Loyal Three could also work for the legendary spots because they're just as nasty as the sargeants, and if Rapp has Ogerpon as one of his 'Mons I figured this could explain where the Loyal Three are. If I go with the Loyal Three, not sure where Pecharunt could be since I don’t see Mullen having it, so it’s probably uncaught. Anyways, I dunno about this one. As always, give me suggestions on this one.

Leen will be far more fun to come up with a team for. I'm not lying when I said this was kinda exhausting to make.

im gonna place my own recommendation here for future players who run hard mode on pc with the hackmode that makes it even harder on top

master pirates ring asap, put it on mareg (nothing new)
ignore hp boosts, too nerfed, focus on offensive and agi boosts from books

1st. master cancel moves asap
2nd. farm seeds as soon as u get access to farming seeds. i always postponed it cause i though i would be able to farm them later but that was never the case. i only farmed agi seeds
3rd focus on farming agi seeds and sp seeds. since agi buffs from books has been nerfed to 1/2 but seeds still provide +3. feed them to main character and tio. the sp seeds also provide immense value cause they increase by +10 which is 1/5 of what the books provide

many important moves and gear has been utterly neerfed:

the drop from demons (black clover or smth)
tight dress
millenias move spellbinding eye is utter garbage now

learn fallen wings asap on millenia and white apocalypse assap to farm mobs next to a recovery point. their damage is way stronger than any magic. they scale with magic and have way lower speed than any magics

elena is way better than millenia for a single reason: droplets of life skill
revives removes status, replenishes hp, fking broken skill, always keep her sp above 40 so she can perform it in any circunstance

the alhealer has been nerfed so much that even with all the +men buffs from the books ull be at max performing a 1400 heal with elena. this is kinda bullshit so forget having a dedicated healer and make ur item user ur dedicated healer instead with POTION OF AZURE

item user is the most broken in the whole run for this mode. buy all the sp and mp recovery plus revivals from all the local stores under local delicassies. they will save ur ass.

tio:
+25 speed (was nerfed to half)
+25 speed
+item recover
+skilled item use
+skilled item use

this is the most broken setup. she performs 3 times!! for every time anyone else does anything amd has AOE cancel move. cant overstate how many times tio saved my ass

i had her as a mage by the time mareg is around and mareg as item user cause mareg is kinda useless everywhere

always try to keep speed buffs on tio and main char cause +act buffs are exponential. if ur agi is shit ure final agi will still be shit. if tio keeps dying or has chances of dying dont buff her act

roar from mareg was buffed to +2 spam it
flyin tenseiken buffed to -3 def abuse it

roan sucks at everything just use it as whatever u want. use snowball and when he returns make him ur dps mage until millenia

millenias best moves are

fallen wings for aoe clear farms. (abuse her to farm the first times u get her)

HEEL CRUSH -1 att def act. spam this move

THE ONLY MAGIC WORTH USING IS METEOR STRIKE
power +100 x 6.7.

nothing comes even close to that 6.7 multiplier only ever use this magic all time. the second best moves are the ones that use SP

MP moves arent worth using they have been nerfed too much. use GADZAP (x3 multiplier) until u get meteor

meteor was removed from all eggs before star egg

room clear moves make less damage than smaller aoe. try to make ur moves have the least aoe possible cause they are faster and make more damage. the moves with linear aoe make more damage than circular aoe so if u can hit a dragon zap do it

meteor strike > dragon zap> boom / howlslash

the best move to invest in is cold. priorize debuffs over buffs since ure gonna be dying a fking lot

always start by cold to lvl 5 and maybe some strams if u keep dying, u can also speedy ur item user if he is somehow surviving. +5 att to justin -5 def to enemy with asura (+2 chain combo) will be ur highest damage dealing until u get meteor magic

priorize stram or heel crush over digg, since ur characters are gonna die constantly and ull lose your digg buffs. if you want to keep buffs up keep them on mareg since hes the only one that mostly survives due to high vit, second in line beinf main char

abuse snooze. snooze was nerfed so u might have to use it a lot

biggest power spikes

ailas space boss (eye of valmar)

horns of valmar

body of valmar

avoid enemy encounters unless they drop seeds. manage to get to a mob that gives seeds and farm levels there

get +50 mag from books asap

all elemental buffs from books have been replaced by buffs to mag. they arent great but better than nothing

for tio priorize +act gear over damage or def

for mareg priorize +def gear over damage or mov etc

+sp gear sounds ok in theory but the sp gains are way too low. a item user handing butter rolls still much better +20sp or +30sp

buy these regional items to +99. priorize them over armors or weapons

crackling over nerfed. dont bother with it

if u see regional items that perform debuffs get them

a stram is super slow compared to a guy with item skills equiped throwing an item that lowers attack def etc

u will be able to throw 3/4 items by the same time u manage to perform a debuffing skill

this applies to all skills that can be replaced ty an item, never cast resurrect, using yomis elixir saves you a lot of IP. the only revival worth using is a full party revival with elenas skill

dont bother with damage items, sometimes i used ones that have great ip damage like mogay bombs but i would say spending time recovering ur party members sp or mp is way better usage

body of valmar has a savepoint next to the boss where u can softlock urself, have separate saves before it cause u might fuck up ur entire run

use cheatengine to increase speed for scenes. but turn it off if anyone performs ZAP or LIONS ROAR since these close the game

theres another bug where game crashes if u keep pressin buttons on reward screens

game crashes a lot so always stay close to savepoints and save as much as possible. i regularly have to repeat 3h boss battles cause of random crashes closing the game….

dont spend seeds on mareg

seeds on elena dont transfer to millenia. by endgame u end up getting two books that offer intelligence buffs. elena endgame becomes caster not healer so its safe to give her seeds that increase mag

i find elena to be the best recipient of overall seeds since she uses the most stats, even more than main character

str spd seeds go to main character

agi tio main character

try to raise sp for tio to 60 so she can perfom tornado twice

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Grandia II Hard Type Mod (1.5.5)
UPDATE: The link for the mod was removed by Steam for some reason. I'm going to post this over on the GameFAQs Grandia II Anniversary Edition board so look there for the new download link.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/157376-grandia-ii-anniversary-edition/78403637

Liete was simultaneously both easy and hard to come up with a team for; easy because of the amount of picks I was able to get an idea for her squad, and hard because, as you can see in the image, there are some Pokemon I'm still debating on which specifically works best for her, mainly because of the two three-way ties. More in the explanations below:

Claydol or Bronzong or Sigilyph - In Pokemon lore, all three originated from very ancient civilizations, much like Liete herself and Alent. Problem is that they all kinda overlap with each other, and I'm not sure which one fits Liete more. Not to mention all of them learn some elemental moves so it's a hard toss-up. Maybe she has one of them on her main team but keeps the other two on hold?

Aurorus - Figured Liete would have at least one fossil Pokemon. She learns some freezing and earth skills so Aurorus could represent that. Not to mention since Liete lives near space, auroras would be a sight she's familiar with, so why not have the Tundra Pokemon part of her team? I think it would also represent her Enclose move too.

Volcarona - Volcarona is also another ancient Pokemon that was apparently revered as a deity, if the Relic Castle in the Unova games is any indication. It wouldn't be too shocking if Volcarona appeared in Alent as well, and could tie into the Icarians with its wings. It would definitely fit with Liete's fire attacks.

Flutter Mane - C'mon, Liete should have at least one Paradox 'Mon. Why not the one with the most fabulous hair? In all seriousness, Flutter Mane's typing, with its unique moveset, would be a great choice for Liete to have with her. It would represent her Magic Art spell.

Clefable - Do I even need to explain this? Clefairy is said to come from space so it's not too odd Liete would find one around her home. This one I also think would be a little nod to the Icarians because of Clefable's wings. It would also represent Liete's Star Symphony move.

Uxie or Mesprit or Azelf - Yup, the Lake trio. Wouldn't be too weird for her to have at least one of them. I think all of them represent her equally - she's very knowledgeable like Uxie, wants to know more about emotions akin to Mesprit, and is elf-like like Azelf. Thing is, I'm not sure if she would just have one of them, or if she has all three but rotates them around. It would be pretty unfair if all of them were on her team at once so it's probably the latter, but as always, lend me suggestions.

With the three-way ties (Claydol/Bronzong/Sigilyph and the Lake trio debacle), I'll let you be the judge because trust me when I say that I'm really not sure what decision to make there. After the party members, I'll try my hand at the major Garlyle Forces members, and they'll definitely be fun to work with.

i was curious of this. i made a savefile and fed sp seeds to elena before a cutscene, the stats didnt transfer to millenia unfortunately.

i had previously fed millenia a million mag seeds and i always saw elenas mag lackluster, i will have to make tests with mag seeds but it will probably be more of the same

theres many people claiming the stats transfer even chatgpt and gemini say so, but doesnt seem to be the case

After Guido, I'll be working on Liete's team. Thankfully this one was once again relatively easy to come up with. Here are the explanations:

Diggersby - Represents the Mogay as a whole. With its digging abilities, I suppose it could help Guido uncover some stuff to get money.

Wigglytuff - Represents Gina. The Wigglytuff from PMD Explorers also reminds me of Guido a bit so I think it could be a neat little reference.

Gholdengo and Persian - Do I even need to explain why they're here? Guido would definitely get his work done faster with these two.

Mantine - Represents the flying manta rays. I find it funny how Mantine is pretty much the exact same type of manta ray portrayed in Grandia too.

Shaymin - Bit of an oddball, but I think with how much Guido travels it wouldn't be too farfetched for him to catch one (plus it has a flying form so it wouldn't be hard to travel with him). It also serves as an analogue to Guido's gratitude towards the heroes, to the point where he eventually aids them. Shaymin's sky form looks vaguely rabbit-like, even if it's supposed to be a hedgehog.

I could totally see Guido spamming Pay Day and Make It Rain whenever he gets the chance ngl

Ryudo is a savage at the cathedral