We kick off the next day by getting an email from a “support center” that contains the latest version of the Navi Customizer, along with the usual Extra Folder. The Navi Customizer works the same as it always has and we start with the usual starter programs, but there is one little new feature that isn't mentioned in the tutorial. In Battle Network 6 we can actually place programs on the Memory Map in such a way that one of their blocks stick off of the Map. Doing so generates a bug, but it means that technically it's a whole dimension larger and once we get both Expand Memories and Bug Stop we can really go to town.
Heading back to Seaside Town we rendezvous with Mick in front of the aquarium. He's none too happy over the penguin's growing attachment towards him, and Lan piles on him with plenty of teasing. They head inside where they immediately encounter the aquarium's manager at the front desk, who's very relieved to see the penguin, whose name is apparently Plata, back home safe. As thanks he allows Lan and Mick to spend the day at the aquarium free of charge. As far as the generic NPCs in this series go the aquarium manager is a pretty cool fellow, his graciousness won't be ending here.
Exploring the aquarium is pretty much the same as exploring the Yoka zoo in Battle Network 3, in fact this whole scenario is a call back to it. There are exhibits both inside and outside showcasing a pretty wide variety of aquatic life, from sharks and sun fish to elephant seals and alligators. Each tank/viewing area has a little bit of trivia about the animal in question that you can peruse. Outside there's a monitor that we can jack in to to access the aquarium's homepage which contains an HP Memory and, inside a PMD, the Tornado L chip. It also connects to Seaside Area 2, so we can finish exploring Seaside Area now, or at least as much as we can at the moment. There's a security door blocking off the way to Seaside Area 1 nearby that we can open simply by possessing the Train Arrow 1 chip, dropped by the Piranha viruses. In order to get to Seaside Area 3 we have to pass another security door's three virus battles. That's as deep as the place goes, and there's a merchant here:
- HP Memory – 2500z
- HP Memory – 5000z
- HP Memory – 7500z
- HP Memory – 10000z
- Bamboo Sword W – 4200z
- Recovery 80 K – 3000z
- Barrier 100 H – 3800z
- Time Bomb 1 H – 8800z
There a lot of conveyors in the last two areas of Seaside Area, and they even start appearing in battle as a new panel type. In Seaside Area 3 is a security that can be opened with the Seaside Key we recently got, and behind it is a teleporter leading to the upper level of Central Area 2. There's nothing to do there at the moment.
After exploring to our hearts' content and checking up on all of the aquarium exhibits Lan and Mick go to watch the animal show, starring Finny the dolphin and Fanny the elephant seal. Some of the onlookers remark that the show's a lot more sedate (in a good way), than it was when the pirate guy was the trainer. After the show we can examine a trashcan for a Regular UP 1. At this point, Mick wants to leave, and since he's gone all tsundere over Plata he wants to do so without saying goodbye to him. He's pretty insistence on that point, so Lan goes along with him.
So we exit the aquarium, but on the way back to the LevBus station, Lan and Mick are stopped by the sound of a scream. Down in the square a piranha suddenly leaps out of the fountain, while a trio of dorsal fins cruise by in one of the town's canals. Uhh... A man hurries out of the aquarium and announces that all of the animals have escaped from their cages, and some have even gotten into the town's waterways. Um, yeah, deja vu much? Now worried about Plata, Mick dashes back to the aquarium, Lan in pursuit. Inside things aren't quite as dangerous as the Yoka zoo was since most of the creatures are water-bound, but the alligators hanging around are definitely a concern. Lan in fact finds Mick in the penguin pen, trying to defend them from such a gator with a mop.
The aquarium manager, who's somehow gotten himself cornered in the alligator cage, confirms Megaman's suspicions this was no accident. Someone went to the aquarium's main system and opened up all of the cages. The only way to get them back is to get into the main system and broadcast the chime played for feeding time so that the animals will return as they've been trained to do. Apparently the aquarium's tanks are directly connected to the city's waterways for some reason (I'm not being snarky either, they actually say this), so yeah.
To get to the main system we have to head behind the reception desk and onto the animal show stage. Blocking the way into the control room is Fanny the elephant seal, and she won't budge, not an inch. Remembering something the trainer say during the show, Megaman suggests that they find her ball to distract her with, but unfortunately it's in the giant tank, at the bottom, despite presumably being a rubber, air-filled ball. We can't go in there because not only is the tank really deep (at least forty feet, assuming it accurately scales with Lan) but there are jellyfish swimming around in it. So we have to find another solution, which calls for running randomly around the place.
But in doing so Lan spots the girl with the butterfly hairpins from Central Town staring at one of the animals that didn't (or rather couldn't) escape its tank. He manages to lose sight of her and heads outside, where he suddenly spots her on the roof of the aquarium. She points, and Lan follows her gaze until he spots a Copybot causally resting next to the Seaside Town shops. Huh, how convenient. Our quiet, enigmatic girl appears to have mastered Rei Ayanami's blink-of-an-eye teleportation since when Lan looks back she's gone.
Anyway, going over to the Copybot has Lan note in confusion that it appears to be the same one from school. But it's here, and that's all that matters. After we use it to materialize Megaman we can have him go into the tank (apparently Copybots weigh a ton since he doesn't float even the slightest bit) and retrieve the ball without fear of the jellyfish. With ball in hand Lan is able to lure Fanny away from the door.
Inside the fired trainer, Blackbeard
◊, is standing on top of the main system console itself gloating about all the panic he's causing. He tells Lan that his Navi, Diveman, is inside of the main system and challenges him to beat him. Of course Lan obliges.
The Aquarium Computer is split up into three areas and the path straight through to the feeding bell is actually very straightforward...if it weren't for the active security. So, the puzzle for this dungeon involves misplaced Programs. At the start of each area are a series of empty tanks, each labeled with an aquatic animal (angelfish, shark, king crab, nautilus, and so on). What we have to do is to enter a maze of pathways to find Programs who think they're a specific animal, but they can't quite remember. Based off of the hints they give we have to go back and put them into the corresponding tank, upon which they'll turn into the correct animal. If you get it wrong, you'll be thrown into a virus battle and have to start over. During this segment hitting L will return control to Lan so that he can go and check out the exhibit trivia in case the player's forgotten which animal a Program's hints corresponds to. Once all tanks are filled we'll be able to access the next area.
But it isn't quite that easy. As soon as we pick up a Program (it'll follow along behind Megaman) sharks will begin to patrol the “waterways” that make up the paths. If they catch up to Megaman they'll eat the Program that's with him, so he'll have to go and retrieve it again. I don't think the sharks have a set pattern, but they can be avoided by either getting off of the path or by ducking into one of many alcoves that are scattered about.
Megaman eventually reaches the control panel for the network when Diveman surfaces from the water/floor. I like Diveman. His design is endearing in a goofy sort of way and I remember his voice in the anime being pretty entertaining. Let's show him and Blackbeard that we can beat him.
Diveman
◊
HP: 500
Element: Aqua
Attacks:
- Smart Missile – Two missiles pop up and shoot down their rows for 10 damage.
- Dive Bomb – Diveman fires two bombs onto two random panels on Megaman's side of the field for 20 damage.
- Giga Wave – Diveman throws up a giant tidal wave that hits the front two columns of Megaman's area for 30 Aqua damage.
Diveman spends a lot of time “underwater” with only his periscope visible. When he's in this state he can't be hit, so I guess that explains the somewhat low HP. At this point the player potentially has access to at least five Program Advances (Life Sword, Giga Cannon 1, Hyper Burst, Wide Burner 1, and Flame Hook 1) so connect with one of those and bam, it's lights out.
Winning gives us 2000z.
Diveman explodes and Megaman manages to play the feeding chime, averting further panic. However in the real world Blackbeard has somehow managed to escape while Lan and Megaman were occupied with his Navi. Well as it turns out when Lan returns to the main venue of the aquarium Blackbeard has taken Mick hostage and his temperament has completely changed as he angrily declares that his plan to terrorize the aquarium and contaminate Cyber City's water has put him on thin ice with his “organization.” Ah, so there was a point to all of this aside from random mayhem, though I would imagine that would just end up with the animals dying. Unless rotten carcasses fouling up the waterways was what he was really after, who knows. Captain Wario yells at Lan to open the cages and tanks back up again, but luckily for our heroes the day is saved by the animals themselves, as the elephant seal and penguins get their revenge on the pirate-wannabe by knocking him out on his ass.
So the trip to Seaside Town comes to a close with Blackbeard being placed under arrest and the aquarium manager thanking Lan and Mick once again for their help. Plata's still attached to Mick, and the only way he's able to get away from the bird is to trick him into thinking that Blackbeard's escaped and hoofing it while he's distracted. Callous perhaps, but once they're back in Central Town Lan is able to talk Mick into going back to the aquarium to visit the penguin again sometime. Mick is a male tsundere, through and through.
Since we just learned of yet another mysterious “organization” it's only natural that we now get to check in on them at the end of the chapter. The screen fades to black and a Punk Navi is depicted reporting Blackbeard's arrest to his unseen boss. His boss isn't too concerned, since Blackbeard was acting out on his own and right now they have more important things to deal with. The Navi reports that another member, a Yuika, is out collecting Navi energy to awaken and capture “them” and that their own Navi has been specially-modified for the task. No prizes for guessing who “they” are.
Soundtrack
- Navi Customizer (Battle Network 6 ver.)
- Featuring another reprisal of the game's main theme.
- Aquarium Question - Shark Panic!
- The two themes for the Aquarium Computer. The second part plays whenever the sharks are pursuing Megaman, and it smoothly transitions with the normal stage theme.
