Let’s Blog: Ar Tonelico III – #4: What’s Up, Doc

This entry covers some of the cutscenes upon entering Tokoshie Canopy for the first time.

Spoilers, as usual.

Since Finnel joined your party, you can now use her in combat if you prefer. (The party composition in this game is 3 vanguards and 1 Reyvateil like in AT1, though currently I only have 2 vanguards.) The Nicovideos have switched to her, but I’m going to stay loyal to Saki.

This is a large area, so I had to fight a few more times, facing wolf enemies that are considerably tougher then Poms. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of tactics available to me with this battle system so far; I just have to keep an eye on my HP. Purging Saki results in a much fancier animation than it did during the mandatory-purge miniboss earlier; I can’t screencap it, but it showed up in one of the PVs (remember the chest bounce?)

After descending a few stairs, I found the exit to the world map, from which I was able to proceed to Tokoshie Canopy.

People have complained about AT3 not being as pretty as Atelier Rorona, but they certainly didn’t skimp on the environment design. Aoto and Saki are also suitably impressed, while Finnel excuses herself hurriedly to go on home, and leaves the party. Saki wonders if something’s on her mind, and Aoto suggests she had to go to the toilet.

After that, Tatsumi wants to continue on to meet the doctor he knows… except he’s forgotten where his clinic was. Thus you’re given free rein to wander around. In a manner. Tokoshie Canopy is a menu town like in the other Ar Tonelico games. I wandered around the market, where I found some stores with little for sale and a Talk Topic, then headed to the doctor’s office.

The doctor isn’t in, and after a brief conversation you’re kicked right back out to wander around town again. Outside, there’s a guy who sells equipment, but I didn’t buy anything from him yet, instead going to the last unexplored location on the town map; the inn. There, I rested and had a nighttime chat about Tokoshie Market with Saki.

Leaving the inn, I was treated to a cutscene. The formerly bustling market street has grown quiet all of a sudden, and when Aoto asks a bystander why, he’s told the Clusternia military is gathering. Apparently they’re searching for a Reyvateil… They quickly excuse themselves, Tatsumi commenting “Seems like nobody recognized Saki, but we’d better keep a low profile.”

Afterwards, I headed to the lower part of the market and into a newly open door, only to encounter Finnel and a stranger. The stranger recognizes Tatsumi, commenting that it’s been a long time and asking if he has finished his travels. He introduces himself to the others as Hikari Gojyou.

Tatsumi says that after they’ve all been introduced, there’s someone he’d like Hikari to examine, since it’s his specialty. Finnel interrupts, complaining that she and the doctor were in the middle of a conversation, before recognizing that Aoto and company were the ones who saved her earlier. Aoto cordially greets her as “Dolt”, and remarks that since her home is a restaurant, she ought to serve them something on the house.

As they are arguing, Finnel’s chest glows brightly again. She excuses herself, claiming her chest hurts, and runs away. Saki asks Hikari if he knows Finnel, and he says that she’s the star waitress of this restaurant and a patient of his. He suggests that they return to the clinic, where he can examine Saki.

Back at the clinic, Hikari asks them what’s the matter with Saki. Aoto explains that when he first met Saki, she looked like a totally different person- a female knight- but Saki herself has no memory of this. He admits to doubting his own memory, since it’s a rather unbelievable claim.

The doctor, however, seems to understand what he’s talking about. He asks Saki if she’d mind staying overnight for an examination. Reminded of something, Aoto asks Tatsumi in a whisper whether he has any money, but Tatsumi left his behind in Cielo Village with his other things. Hikari asks them what’s the matter, and they admit that they’re broke.

Hikari says that normally he wouldn’t accept a patient without a fee, but he’ll make an exception if they do something else for him. He says that the pharmacist has gone on vacation, and he’d like them to compound some simple medicine for him. Aoto is doubtful whether he’s up to the task, but the doctor explains it’s just a matter of measuring and mixing the ingredients, and not difficult.

This, of course, is an introduction to item synthesis. He asks them to make a single dose of Shakirin V, and gives them the recipe and the ingredients, saying that they can come back for more if they mess up.

Outside the clinic, Saki holds a brief conversation with Aoto and Tatsumi. If you guessed that she’s going to apologize for causing them trouble, you’re right.

You’re sent back to the inn and plunged into an Item Synthesis tutorial, which works almost exactly like in older games. (Well, closer to AT1 than AT2, since it doesn’t involve conversing with shopkeepers.) However, item synthesis does cost DP now. Once you select the ingredients, you’re treated to an animation and some unvoiced chatter; Saki suggests that they go about it like cooking, but Tatsumi opines that Aoto’s a bad cook because he’s a boy.

After everything’s finished, Saki decides the name Shakirin V isn’t cute enough and suggests renaming it Kyakkya Powerful. When you leave the inn menu, you automatically return to the clinic. Hikari is satisfied with the result, and Aoto tells Saki they’ll see her tomorrow, but he and Tatsumi are still broke… The doctor gives them a meal ticket for Finnel’s restaurant.

As they’re about to leave, another person comes into the clinic, whom Tatsumi recognizes in surprise as “Rufan.” When Aoto asks if he knows him, Tatsumi is silent. Hikari asks why Rufan’s here, and Rufan replies that he’s brought dire news: Clusternian forces have accused the area of Fallen Heaven Peak of hiding a Reyvateil named Saki. Unless Saki is found and brought to them promptly, they will cleanse the region of humans.

Rufan has arrived in the hopes that Hikari might know where this ‘Saki’ is, since he’s the only Reyvateil doctor around these parts. He also asks Tatsumi to join his search. While Saki looks shocked, Tatsumi curtly replies that he’s not interested. Rufan protests that it’s the town where their master Gengai governs, and he’s preparing to mount a defense, even after being attacked by the assassin named Soma the day before.

Tatsumi seems torn, and suddenly Rufan says he’d better hurry back to Fallen Heaven Peak, leaving. When Aoto asks who that person was, he says Rufan is spoken of as ‘Gengai’s right arm’, but he never got along with him. The more important topic, though, is Saki. Hikaru says that since Saki is now his patient, he will follow in whatever decision they come to. Aoto asks Saki what she wants to do.

Saki’s unable to respond at first, instead apologizing over and over. Aoto reminds her people’s lives hang in the balance, but obviously that doesn’t help. Just as he’s almost given up on getting an answer from her… she replies that she wants to go to Fallen Heaven Peak; she can’t let people die through her inaction. Aoto protests briefly, but falls silent after she thanks him for protecting her up until now.

This is again in the middle of a scene and not quite the end of the video, but I’m going to stop here. It feels like I’ve already written a lot…