Befuddling Berries

1.2: Befuddling Berries

When the humans disappeared, countless pieces of information were lost with them. Some information may have survived by word of mouth or human artifacts, but much has been lost to time. The reason the berries in this category behave the way they do is one of those lost bits of information.

These berries are rather odd. The inability for pokemon to explain the way these five berries work has led to the berries being classified under the name befudlement berries. But that is only part of the name origin. Every single one of them has amazing healing properties – perhaps even more so than the sitrus berry. But they also share a drawback: many pokemon have an adverse reaction to at least one of these berries, with their consumption causing a variety of side effects. The most common side effects include nausea, dizzyness, confusion, and shortness of breath, though rashes and other similar effects have been noted in more severe cases. These effects can range from mild to life threatening, so we caution against eating or otherwise using these berries if you don’t already know it’s safe for you to eat them.

Why these berries cause such adverse reactions in the majority of pokemon is still a mystery. Some studies suggest that the intolerance is inherited, but there is as of yet no proof on the matter. Tabloids would have you believe that they’re based on your personality, but this is nothing more than baseless gossip. What we do know, though, is that most pokemon have an adverse reaction at least one of these berries, though some pokemon have reported getting sick from two or more. Conversely, there are some pokemon that experience no side effects from any of the berries.

Due to the powerful healing nature, these berries will set you back more than an oran berry would. But because of their drawbacks, they’re cheaper than a sitrus berry. As mentioned before, we do not recommend taking any of these berries with you into a dungeon if you don’t already know they’re safe for you to eat. But if you have already tested them and came out fine, they may be a reasonable alternative to orans, especially in more dangerous dungeons.

 

1.2.1: Figy Berry

Overview

To those who like spicy foods, the figy berry provides the perfect kick. Spicier than the cheri berry, figy berries are a great alternative to orans. Unfortunately, their relatively limited growing zones have made them the most expensive berry in this category. In addition, the texture of the berry may not be palatable for all pokemon. Both are things that should be taken into consideration before choosing to use them.

At ten cutiefly measures, figy berries are considered moderately sized. They’re a bit on the softer side, making them easier to accidentally crush than orans. One end of the berry is fat and round, while the other end turns concave inward, almost to a point. Some will describe it as the shape of an apple’s core. Both ends of the berry are a slightly dull yellow, while the middle is covered by jagged streaks of red. Unripe berries, however, will instead be green. The inner flesh of the berry is pale yellow with a bright red, jam-like substance surrounding the seeds. All parts of the berry are edible.

Similar to the cheri berry, there are two species of figy berries. One grows on plants with red leaves, while the other has purple leaves. Both breeds bloom with pale yellow-white flowers and have smooth bark. The red-leafed variety requires beedrill to pollinate, while purple-leafed figy berries do not. The latter are typically smaller, but otherwise they have a similar taste and texture.

Interestingly, the beedrill family is one of the few species that as a whole are not affected by the figy berry’s befuddling effects. It is believed that this links back to the fact that they are the sole pollinator of red leaf figy berries. They pollinate the berries, and in turn can eat them without concern.

If you are tapping plants for their sap for whatever reason, be careful of tapping figy berry plants. The milky sap that comes from these plants are known to irritate the skin of most organic pokemon. Inorganics are usually okay, so long as the sap does not get into their inner workings. Even so, the sap has traditionally been used in some traditional medicines, as detailed below.

 

Uses

Every berry within this section is used roughly the same way within dungeons. As such, we will only cover the healing properties in this section, notating the differences for the other four.

Similar to the oran berry, it is best to ingest figy berries to get the full healing effects. The effect will kick in after a few moments and are effective for stopping bleeding and closing minor to moderate wounds, and even for healing fractures. Several figy berries can often heal broken bones, but this comes with the same warning presented earlier in the text.

All that said, figy berries are actually more effective than orans for healing external cuts and gashes. The pulpy inside can be used like a gel to close the wound, helping stop the bleeding while the healing juices are absorbed into the blood stream. Of the five befuddlement berries, the figy berry is the best for closing external wounds, and as a result is our highest recommended berry if external injuries are a concern, so long as one knows they will not experience side effects.

Figy berries are occasionally used as an ingredient in sweet and spicy jams. Cooking the berry down removes the substance that causes the befuddling side effects, but the healing properties are lost as well. They are also commonly used in desserts. Though figy berries do not have a long shelf life when fresh, they can be dried to preserve them for longer, at the cost of losing the ability to use the gel as an emergency bandage.

Besides the berries themselves, the milky sap is sometimes combined with other ingredients and used as an ointment to treat callouses. That said, please do not use the sap by itself as a treatment. Our organic friends have informed us that it is painful.

 

Locations

Historically, figy plants required beedrill to pollinate them, limiting their range significantly to only areas where beedrill roamed. Over time, they evolved the ability to self-pollinate, leading to te second, separate breed. This self-pollinating version of the figy plant is still limited by growing conditions, however. Both grow wild in dry and sunny areas with deep, fresh soil and in rocky locations near sea level. The most common growing locations include the southern portions of the Water continent, and most areas near the shore of the Sand continent. All that said, they can occasionally be found growing wild in dungeons on the Sand continent, but this is uncommon.

These berries are typically sold for around 50 to 80 poke on the Sand and Water continents, and anywhere from 150 to 250 on the remaining continents, depending on the season. If you happen to find one cheaper than an oran and you know you won’t suffer from the adverse effects, give it a shot. Otherwise, we recommend passing it up unless you’re in a pinch.

 

1.2.2: Wiki Berry

Overview

According to current theories, many berry plants have evolved different ways to attract pokemon in hopes of propagating themselves. For some, it is their vibrant color that makes them stand out against the leaves of the plant. Others may have formed symbiotic relationships with a pokemon, such as the figy berry and beedril. The wiki berry has its own method: being bumpy. At least, that’s what we currently believe.

The wiki berry is a moderately-sized, egg-shaped berry measuring about eleven cutiefly measures in length. It has a thin, purple skin and is covered in both hairs and small bumps. Though the skin is edible, most pokemon do not like the texture, and thus it is most often eaten after being peeled. The golden inside is firm and fairly dry, though it can be mashed down into a sticky paste with some effort.

Growing low to the ground, wiki berry plants can be identified by their large yellow leaves and clusters of bright-red, four-petaled flowers. Interestingly, they are one of the most unique and easily identifiable berry plants at a glance, making recognition a key component of emergency survival and rescue training for any member of a rescue team or explorers guild.  (At this time, the Expedition Society has not included berry identification as part of its training, though Ampheros is in the process of updating training procedures. HAPPI could not be reached for comment at the time of writing this guide.)

 

Uses

Unlike the figy berry, the wiki berry does not heal well externally, in part due to its dryness. Though it can be worked into a paste, the healing properties fail to be absorbed efficiently. As such, this guide does not recommend wiki berries to any team working with inorganics that do not eat, such as magnemite, klink, or beldum. The paste method does, however, help pokemon that might struggle to eat the berry whole.

Outside of dungeon exploration, raw wiki berries are occasionally used as a digestive aid. Only a few chunks are needed to help. There are rumors that wiki berries help young children grow, but these rumors are unfounded beyond general nutrition.

Though it cannot be juiced, it can be blended with other berries to help add flavor to drinks. It can be baked or roasted as a snack, though it’s usually sliced into thin chips to capitalize on their crispness. It is also often cut into chunks and used to garnish food.

Unfortunately, wiki berries ripen very fast, especially if left under direct sunlight. But if you need to ripen one in a hurry, placing it in a paper bag with leppa, nanab, or wepear berries can help speed the process up.  Unlike figy berries, the healing substance in wiki berries will not be removed when cooked, so baked wiki berries are a nice alternative that will keep them fresh longer.

 

Locations

Wiki berries grow best in temperate areas that get moderate heat during the hot season. They are known to grow particularly well in southern parts of the Mist continent, as well as the middle parts of the Air and Water continents. Besides being used for dungeoneering or medical uses, they are leisurely consumed the most on the Mist continent. Between being grown there and the higher consumption, the cost of wiki berries on the Mist continent usually runs around 50 poke. The Air and Water continents will typically sell them for around 60 to 80 poke, with 100 to 180 being the typical price range for the Grass and Sand continents.

If looking for wild wiki berries, consider trying Berry Forest if you’re on the Air continent, as a multitude of berries can be found there. If on the Mist continent, your best place to look would probably be Inflora Forest. And on the Grass continent, try Tiny Meadow. Keep in mind, though, that these berries are far less common than oran berries. And as a result, you’re less likely to stumble across them in the wilds.

 

1.2.3: Mago Berry

Overview

Many sweet-tasting berries are well known for being used in deserts. Whether it be smoothies, cake toppings or just the berries by themselves, sweet berries are an unsurprisingly popular treat. And there are few that can contest the popularity and sweetness of the mago berry.

On average, mago berries measure about twelve cuitiefly measures, though this does not take the berry’s curvature into account. It is worth mentioning that the berry curves more the longer it is left on the plant. Additionally, leaving it on the stem makes this already sweet berry grow even sweeter.

There are two common varieties of mago berry, though both have very similar tastes. Both are primarily a bright pink. As you get further away from the stem, the berries tapper off to either a pastel or a vibrant yellow. The former — which is a wild variety — grows on red-leafed plants, while the latter has vibrant green leaves. Both, however, have the same small white flowers. When cut open, the insides of both are bright yellow.

 Despite being commonly known as the mago berry, some parts of the world have taken to calling it by a different, slang name, due to its shape and color: slowpoke tails. Predominately, this cute (or horrifying, depending on who you ask) name is used when mago berries are used as an ingredient in cooking, as a marketing technique of sorts.

 

Uses

Like all the other berries in this category, mago berries are often used for healing. Typically, the berries are consumed. Though the juices can be applied topically for the purpose of healing, most pokemon chose not to do so due to how sticky it is.

In food, mago berries can be made into a jelly, dried, or pickled to preserve them, at loss of some of their healing properties. More commonly though, the berries are juiced and used in drinks, including both smoothies and shakes. Even unripe berries are sometimes used in food, or even eaten raw. When unripe, they are sometimes cooked down into a sauce, but otherwise are usually preserved through pickling. Typically, these are the only reasons unripe berries are harvested, as mago berries do not seem to have their healing property until they’ve ripened, though they don’t yet have their befuddling properties, either.

Occasionally, the leaves of both types of mago plants are used for decoration. Most commonly, the two colors of leaves are woven together to form a wreath. In some parts of the Grass continent in particular, hanging these kinds of wreaths in front of one’s home denotes that the homeowner has recently had a mate move in. In other parts of the world, this practice is less common.

It is worth mentioning that the seed of the mago berry seems to be related to blinker and eyedrop, and dropeye seeds. However, despite the befuddling effects of the berry, the seed itself does not seem to have any special effects. I hope to research the matter more thoroughly in the future.

 

Locations

Based on the tradition mentioned above, it’s unsurprising that mago plants are commonly found on the Grass continent, especially near the northern coast. They’re also commonly grown along the southern coast of the Air continent. But the most common wild location would be the islands of the Sea of Wonders. Due to how difficult it is to safely reach these islands, though, most pokemon never get to taste the wild variety.

Though you may be able to find some greenhouses that grow mago plants in other parts of the world, their inability to survive frost or dry temperatures make this less common. Still, their common use as a snack and in deserts have kept the prices relatively low. 50 poke is the average price in areas where it’s grown.  Other areas can still usually get them for anywhere from 70 to 100 poke, with particularly cold areas running closer to 120.

 

1.2.4: Aguav Berry

Overview

Known for being a favorite of the cutiefly species, aguav berries might be perhaps the most versatile of the befuddling berries. Since the befuddling properties can be cooked out of this berry, it is commonly used in many food items. Unfortunately, cooking it also removes the healing property, so be certain you are purchasing raw aguav berries if you’re using them for healing.

Measuring only about six cm, the aguav berry is a relatively small, hard, bitter berry, with the most bitter portion being near the stem. It has a rounded, almost egg-like shape, with the narrow end pointing towards the stem. The wider end curves in sharply, with a small point at the end. On the outside, the berry is a bit lumpy with green with vertical streaks of yellow. But the inside is a bright, vibrant red. It has long, lavender colored leaves, and blooms with a cluster of dainty white flowers at the center of the plant.

 

Uses

When a pokemon is unable to eat a berry — whether because they have no mouth, are unconscious, or else have other reasons for being unable to consume food — the aguav is the berry most comparable and can be a reasonable alternative to the oran. These berries can be mashed down into a somewhat thick pulp, which can be applied to open wounds, healing them in a short period of time.

As mentioned before, aguav berries are an often-used culinary ingredient. They can be juiced and used for drinks, cut up for salads, candied, preserved into jellies and jams, and used for sauces. Additionally, oil can be extracted from the seeds for cooking and other purposes. And that’s only the tip of the culinary iceberg.

Historically, the large, tough leaves have also been used as wraps for pain treatment. Though still used today, advancements in medicine have phased this technique out of regular use. They seem to have the same healing properties as the berry itself, albeit not as potent.

 

Locations

Aguav berries require very little light to grow.  However, they do require a warm, damp growing environment. As a result, they’re grown on every continent except for the Sand continent, but only on the southern tips of the Mist, Water, and Air continents, and the Northern tip of the Grass continent. There are a few islands in Sand territory where they can be found, but they aren’t usually able to grow on the mainland.

Purchase near their growing climates typically run as cheap as 60 poke. The further from there you go, the more expensive the berries will become. The fact that they keep well, though, has helped keep the price relatively low, with the modern prices capping out at about 120-140 poke.

No mystery dungeons are particularly known as growing grounds for these berries, but if you come across a plant and know you can safely eat them, it’s well worth it to pick up a few. With how well they keep in that thick skin of theirs, and their myriad of uses, these berries are definitely worth grabbing.

 

1.2.5: Iapapa Berry

Overview

The iapapa berry is full of surprises. Despite being the largest befuddlement berry — more than twice the size of any of the others at more over twenty cutiefly measures on average — it notably only has one large seed in the middle. It also has quite the surprising taste when bitten into and happens to be one of the tarter berries. The juicier the fruit, the tarter the taste is.

Half of the iapapa berry’s skin is a pale yellow, while the other half is a deep orange, with orange flecks in the middle. The fruit inside is nearly the same yellow color. It has similar shape to sitrus berry, with bulbous bottom and a smaller top. But it is much softer when ripe. Despite their larger size, iapapa berries grow on smaller plants than most berries, blooming with only one large, yellow flower. After the flower has wilted away, a small yield of berries will have grown in its place.

 

Uses

Both when used for travel and first aid, and when used for food, iapapa berries are typically eaten raw. However, they should not be eaten before they have ripened, and will make most pokemon sick if they try. They are significantly softer when ripened compared to an unripe fruit, so you can tell whether or not the fruit is ripe based on its firmness. Like many other berries, iapapa’s can be pickled to preserve them, at the cost of some of their effectiveness.

Despite usually being eaten raw, they are also sometimes boiled and served in salads. This is the most common culinary use, as it cooks out the secondary effects. The leaves of iapapa sprouts are also used in salads and for other culinary uses and are also sometimes boiled. The leaves are less commonly used, though, since there’s a limit to how many leaves can safely be taken. There is, however, a historic use of the leaves: supposedly in the time after humans, the leaves would be cut up and burned. Many pokemon believed the smoke from burning these leaves helped treat breathing problems. In modern times, however, this belief has been debunked. You may find some pokemon that still use this smoking technique to relax, but its effectiveness debatable.

 

Locations

Iapapa berries are extremely sensitive to frost. As a result, they are only grown in tropical locations, having a similar growing range to mago berries. The area you’re most likely to find them growing wild is on the Island of Storms in the Sea of Wonders. But the southern parts of the Air and northern parts of the Grass continents are where iapapa berries are grown commercially.

Besides frost, there are certain fungal infections that the iapapa berry plant is particularly susceptible to. Signs of this infection include yellowing leaves on the sprout, and dark green rings appearing on a more mature plant. These complications in farming have led to iapapa berries being the most expensive of the befuddling berries. In areas where they are locally grown, you might find them for around 80 poke, but prices can easily reach upwards of 300 poke in other areas, especially outside of their growing season.