Snowbloom Palace

Riding the moving floor tile through a sudden blizzard, the plants arrive at the entrance to Snowbloom Palace.

We're finally here. The snow's getting heavier, so let's hurry inside and get out of the storm.

Are we really going to sneak in like this...? It feels kind of wrong.

Wah! Waaaah—who... who's out there?!

We're an expedition heading to the Zombie Lair. We're passing through to see BISHOP.

We're here to see BISHOP. Who are you?

Oh, sorry for shouting. I'm here to see BISHOP too.

(If you lived in Snowbloom Palace, us opening the door wouldn't have scared you like that.)

(No wonder she yelled so loudly. We startled her.)

Since we're headed the same way, could I trouble you to help activate this elevator?

Of course! We're all going to see BISHOP anyway. How do we activate it?

See this square with a king on it? It looks like... it needs a continuous supply of power?

Standing on it for a while should activate it. If any zombies interfere, I'll do my best to protect you.

Protect us? Kind of like Wall-nut does?

Oh... My protection is a little different from standing out in front like that.

I can wrap myself around a plant like a protective shell.

And if I'm electrified or injured, I can even catalyze the plant inside me! But...

(Why did she suddenly stop talking?)

(Why is her voice getting quieter...?)

But what? There's no need to hold back. You can tell us.

Go on. It's okay. Your ability to catalyze plants is already a huge help.

I guess... it's just... I'm not as sturdy as a nut? I might not be able to protect you for very long.

That's no big deal! With a dependable plant like you, we can send Peony to activate the elevator.

When did you get to start ordering me around? Though I wouldn't mind seeing what it feels like to be catalyzed.

So basically, we just need to protect Peony while she stands on the king square, right? We'll help.

Then this knight square probably works more or less like a knight in chess, right?

We'd better watch out for zombies that use the squares to fight.

Also, there are five floors, and I don't know which one BISHOP is on...

So we have to search them one by one? That doesn't sound very efficient.

Once the elevator is active, I'll take floors 3 and 5. Red, you handle 2 and 4.

Once the elevator is active, Homing can take floors 3 and 5. I'll handle 2 and 4.

We're splitting up? Just so we're clear, I'm not teaming up with Wiremoss.

Perfect! I can't stand your opinion of BISHOP either. Splitting up suits me just fine!

I'm the one who should be more annoyed! The only reason I've put up with you this long is for Hygro Plantago's sake.

All right, you two, settle down. The zombies in front of us are more important.

Ah, Peony's finally gone. Allow me to proudly present:

"The One True King of Brainkemon Go"—now field-tested and battle-ready!

...It feels like something's missing without Peony here to heckle me.

I'm suddenly starting to regret following Red Stinger... Sorry you have to deal with this, Red Stinger.

I'm kind of used to it. But when you say "battle-ready"—

You don't mean that hardcore gamer over there with the VR headset and hamster ball, do you?

Surely "battle" doesn't mean summoning hamsters to fight us.

Are you the impostor or something? Each of your three inventions has caused us more trouble than the last.

That's Mechanical Snowfield's machine squad for you! Compared to your Mysterious Swamp bioengineering squad, we're clearly—

Uh, okay. Maybe I can't really say that.

Could you think before you speak? Is the Mysterious Swamp really as hopeless as you make it sound?

Just look at that bow. It's obviously bad news—way more thornsome than that tossing-and-turning wheel of yours!

I think the word is "troublesome"...

Anyway, let's deal with the zombies here first.

Wiremoss, please stop making bizarre inventions that come back to bite us.

Wait. Without Peony, how are we supposed to power the mechanism?

Don't worry. Peony isn't here, but we still have Plant Cards. They'll provide enough power to activate it.

Finally, I'm not on Wiremoss's team. Listening to him makes me want to short-circuit.

Personally, I can't really understand what he's talking about either. But his name does sound familiar.

I think I saw one of his design proposals here at Snowbloom Palace. BISHOP seemed to think highly of it.

You mean that giant wheel called "The Tossing-and-Turning Closed Loop" and that huge armored car called "The Magnet-Marked Charger," right?

Oh, no. It was a little ball for raising hamsters.

I think the idea was to use a bunch of hamster balls to generate power forever? It was called "The One True King of Brainkemon Go."

The fact that you said that name so deadpan is a little scary.

...Does Wiremoss spend all day dreaming up names for his inventions?

So it's that zombie over there with the VR headset and hamster ball, right?

He looks like a hardcore gamer. What if he suddenly summons tiny hamsters to battle us?!

I'm not sure either. Let's start fighting and see what he can do.

Mm... Ah!! Oh, right. I'll keep holding down this switch.

...

Hey, Sunflower~ It's me~

Magnet-shroom! What a coincidence, running into you here.

We're here to find BISHOP. What are you doing here?

I've been volunteering here at Snowbloom Palace lately.

If you're looking for BISHOP, I can help!

BISHOP can wait a little. It's been ages—let's catch up!

Let's save the catching up for later. I've got my hands full right now.

For some reason, a bunch of zombies from who-knows-where have flooded the palace lately. I need to deal with them.

Perfect! We'll help. Once the zombies are gone, we'll have plenty of time to catch up, right?

There are lots of metal objects here—poles, buckets, and the like. This is right up your alley!

Of course! Hang on, my internal line is ringing.

Hi, Magnet-shroom here. Some old friends showed up to help me. How are things on your end?

Old friends of yours?

I've met some kind folks here, too. They said some of their friends are on your floor.

That must be them. They seem very eager to meet BISHOP, and they don't appear to mean any harm.

Let's meet up in a bit. We can show them the way.

And while we're at it, we can introduce them to your charming powers.

What, no introduction for me? Don't underestimate a scientist!

Take them to meet BISHOP? Maybe we should ask him first. Wouldn't that be better?

I'll ask for his opinion once we're done here. No need to trouble yourself.

On second thought, don't worry about making the trip.

BISHOP did say that if anyone wants to see him, we can simply show them in.

All right, then. I'll hang up now, and we can talk more when we meet. Bye~

Who was that? The volunteer in charge of the floor above?

No, that was Sweetbriar Rose, the chief administrator of Snowbloom Palace.

She assists BISHOP with the administration of Mechanical Snowfield.

But in person, she's quite sweet. She can charm targets, too, just like a Hypno-shroom.

Except her power doesn't require the dangerous trigger of being "eaten." She only needs to see her target.

That sounds like an incredible power. I can't wait to see it for myself.

Let's deal with the zombies on this floor and meet up with them as soon as we can!

Sure! I'm eager to see the rest of my friends, too.

By the way, Wiremoss, if you have some time later, could we talk one-on-one?

No problem! We'll find somewhere to talk later!

Then you have my thanks in advance.

Peony, are you feeling unwell?

You've seemed out of sorts ever since we came up to the fifth floor.

Oh... I'm fine. I'm just a little worried, that's all. It's nothing of consequence.

I've always believed that BISHOP would never condone such pseudoscience.

But... we've seen so many bizarre perpetual-motion machines along the way.

No. Even after seeing the wheel and the truck, I still believed that. But...

But this so-called hamster ball is right here inside Snowbloom Palace, under BISHOP's very nose!

...To be honest, I'm truly beginning to have doubts.

Have I gravely misjudged BISHOP? Or am I simply too ignorant to recognize a genuine perpetual-motion machine?

But whether the subject was BISHOP or perpetual motion, I've always rebutted Wiremoss with absolute certainty.

Seeing all this inside Snowbloom Palace has left me... deeply unsettled. What if he was right?

Have confidence in your own knowledge. Those three perpetual-motion machines we saw were definitely fakes.

You haven't explained why you admire BISHOP so much, but I'm sure your judgment is...

Sorry to interrupt your tour. I'm Sweetbriar Rose, a member of the Snowbloom Palace staff.

For some reason, a large number of hostile zombies suddenly appeared inside Snowbloom Palace.

If you're willing, could you help clear them out? I promise I'll do everything in my power to repay you.

(So these zombies aren't actually with Snowbloom Palace.)

Some of our other friends are downstairs. If we're going to help, should we call them up here?

Downstairs... A volunteer who recently arrived at Snowbloom Palace, Magnet-shroom, is handling that area now.

I imagine your friends are helping Magnet-shroom right now.

Snowbloom Palace has an advanced internal communications system. Let me contact Magnet-shroom and make sure. One moment.

Hi, Magnet-shroom here. Some old friends showed up to help me. How are things on your end?

Old friends of yours?

I've met some kind plants here, too. They said some of their friends are on your floor.

That must be them. They seem very eager to meet BISHOP, and they don't appear to mean any harm.

Let's meet up in a bit. We can show them the way.

And while we're at it, we can introduce them to your charming powers.

(Wiremoss: What, no introduction for me? Don't underestimate a scientist!)

Take them to meet BISHOP? Maybe we should ask him first. Wouldn't that be better?

I'll ask for his opinion once we're done here. No need to trouble yourself.

On second thought, don't worry about making the trip.

BISHOP did say that if anyone wants to see him, we can simply show them in.

All right, then. I'll hang up now, and we can talk more when we meet. Bye~

"Old friends," you said... Everyone, do you know Magnet-shroom?

Magnet-shroom? Yes, he's an old friend of ours.

His ability to attract metal objects is quite unusual where we come from.

I see. I think I understand now.

Nearby, Power Peony sips "The Pond" and rests against Hygro Plantago.

When she hears that the group is preparing to leave, Power Peony gets up and returns to her task of holding down the floor tiles.

Peony, about what you said... Those aren't the only two possibilities.

After all, Rose said these zombies don't belong to Snowbloom Palace.

That means they might have nothing to do with BISHOP, so you don't need to be so nervous.

For now, let's deal with the zombies. Once we're done, you can talk to Rose.

She works here at the palace, so she should be able to put your doubts to rest.

Plantago, thank you for reassuring me. I feel... a little better now.

Long time no see, Homing~ Did you miss me while we were apart?

Long time no see, Homing~ Did you miss me while we were apart?

It hasn't really been thaaat long...

It hasn't really been thaaat long...

We're finally back together. Let's keep moving.

We're finally back together. Let's keep moving.

Oh, Homing, look who we met on the fourth floor!

Oh, Homing Thistle, look who we met on the fourth floor!

Hey, Magnet-shroom! I never expected to run into you here. It's been ages.

Hey, Magnet-shroom! I never expected to run into you here. It's been ages.

I heard that a lot of strange zombies had suddenly appeared here, so I came to volunteer.

I heard that a lot of strange zombies had suddenly appeared here, so I came to volunteer.

We also made a new friend on the fifth floor: Sweetbriar Rose, a member of the Snowbloom Palace staff.

We also made a new friend on the fifth floor: Sweetbriar Rose, a member of the Snowbloom Palace staff.

Hello. Thank you for taking care of the trouble on the second and fourth floors.

We're almost at Building B, where BISHOP is. He says you're welcome to enter.

Before we go in, I should warn you that BISHOP is a remarkably rational person.

It's best not to get too worked up when you speak with him.

BISHOP is just ahead?!

I don't care about any of that! I have to ask him what he really thinks of the suburbs!

Rose's warning went in one ear and straight out the other.

BISHOP is just ahead? At last, we're almost there...

There are so many things I want to confirm. BISHOP, he...

(Peony has been acting so strange since we reached the fifth floor. She and Wiremoss seem to be in completely opposite moods.)

(Wiremoss is as worked up as ever, but Peony... Did something happen to her?)

Before we set out, should we get to know our new friends a little better?

Magnet-shroom may be an old friend, but it's been a long time since we fought alongside him.

I still don't know what Rose can do. I'm rather curious.

If you like, we can explore Snowbloom Palace a little longer and get in sync.

If you're curious, Homing, go check out the second and fourth floors. There's an incredible bishop tile there.

There's a pretty fun castle tile on the third and fifth floors, Red. You should give it a try.

You wouldn't believe the incredible castle tile on the third and fifth floors.

There's actually a rather fun bishop tile on the second and fourth floors, too.

We can leave now, but you're also very welcome to explore Snowbloom Palace for a while.

Whenever you're ready, I can take you to Building B to meet BISHOP.

(Should we explore Snowbloom Palace and get reacquainted with Magnet-shroom, or meet BISHOP, the man at the center of it all, head-on?)

(I'd like to see Sweetbriar Rose's power for myself, but going straight to BISHOP sounds good, too.)

(Speaking of the man at the center of it all, I'm awfully curious about him.)

(When it comes to BISHOP, things certainly are complicated...)

(Throughout our journey across Mechanical Snowfield, we haven't seen him, yet his influence has been everywhere.)

(BISHOP may lead this region, but Wiremoss and Peony give completely different accounts of him.)

(He's a scientist, yet he approved the construction of perpetual-motion machines. Just what is he thinking?)

(Why are opinions of him so polarized? What exactly did he do? We need a straight answer.)

My plant friends, the situation is dire and requires immediate attention. Can you assist us?

We have already prepared the necessary equipment, and Sweetbriar Rose will accompany you.

We're fine with it, but we should ask Power Peony, Wiremoss, and Enzymei what they think.

I certainly have no objections. BISHOP and I made that item together.

I've only been a temporary member until now, so I'd like to ask: may I officially join the team?

Hygro Plantago and everyone else have treated me well, and I'm gradually learning to tolerate Wiremoss.

Why "tolerate"...? I apologize to you for my earlier recklessness, and to BISHOP as well.

To make it up to you, if you join the team, I'd like to apply to join too.

So I'll have to keep tolerating you on the team?

...I suppose I can live with that.

Then welcome aboard, both of you. Enzymei, didn't you say you wanted to see BISHOP once we reached Snowbloom Palace? What now?

Sounds like we'll be listening to you two trade barbs for the rest of the journey. What about you, Enzymei?

I was planning to head to the borderlands up ahead anyway. I'd also... be happy to join.

Truth be told, I've been making things for years, all in preparation for this journey.

Oh? What kinds of things have you made, Enzymei?

Well... I'll tell you later. They're not finished yet, and I'm a little embarrassed.

Then once you've perfected them, we'll be honored to take a look.

Haha, "honored" is a bit much. I don't think my work is... No, it's definitely not that good.

I'll mark the route on the Map first. I'm coming with you too.

The accident at the Nuclear Facility affected the edge of Mechanical Snowfield, and things are pretty weird out there now.

BISHOP and Power Peony helped me make this Green Apple, but it still has a few minor issues.

Let's get going. I'll fix it as we walk and save us some time.

Thanks for doing that. I also wanted to ask you about the letter and a certain dream.

Great! Oh, right. I still wanted to ask you about the letter and a certain dream.

That stuff doesn't really matter. I like sleeping too, and dreaming while I'm at it.

(I get the feeling this Ghat... wolf is brushing me off.)

...Ghastasaucey

That's about everything. Pack up and get ready to head out.

If you need anything, you can buy some consumables here at Snowbloom Palace.

If you ever need help making new consumables, you can also come here and buy them directly.

You're back! Did everything go well at the pond?

(By all rights, Power Peony shouldn't have any memories of being with us at this point.)

(Since we switched to this point in time, we haven't met Power Peony yet.)

(Looks like Magnet-shroom, Wiremoss, and the others already filled Power Peony in.)

(Then Magnet-shroom and Wiremoss must've told Power Peony about the time switch and everything at the pond.)

It went smoothly. We even caught ourselves a new ally.

Wh... what do you mean, "caught"...? Didn't you say you'd let me go once we got to Snowbloom Palace...?

All right, that's enough teasing. Cuscata, please let him go.

All right, all right. Cuscata, let him go. He's been through enough.

Whew... I can finally move again.

Now that we're here, let me introduce you to our friends in Mechanical Snowfield.

This is our inventor, Wiremoss. This is Enzymei, and this is Sweetbriar Rose, who works at Snowbloom Palace.

Huh? Which one's Magnet-shroom, the one you mentioned before?

Oh, right. Where's Magnet-shroom? He contributed more than anyone to the plan to save Power Peony.

(And he solved the whole Sands of Time problem along the way... That's one less headache.)

(The entire Sands of Time has been restored, too. I was worried sick about how we'd fix it.)

No idea. After we switched back, the moment we returned to Mechanical Snowfield, he took off on his own.

He still hasn't come back, and he didn't tell us anything before he left.

Not quite. He told me that if Homing Thistle returned before he did, we should check the message in the city basement.

Not quite. He told me that if Red Stinger returned before he did, we should check the message in the city basement.

In that case, Magnet-shroom must have his reasons. Let's go see what's happening when we get a chance.

I see. Magnet-shroom really thought of everything. Let's head over when we get time.

Um... one more thing. Before he left, Peashooter said he was going for a walk around the pond to clear his head.

He's been down ever since sparring with Gatling Pea. I'm worried about him.

Then Peashooter is probably still where he sparred with Gatling Pea.

Peashooter... is probably still thinking about that match.

Homing Thistle, Red Stinger, if you have time, could you come with me to find Peashooter?

Sure... but I think Peashooter would rather listen to you than me.

Of course... But when it comes to cheering him up, we're counting on you.

Oh, right. The Pond recipe you asked for.

The Pond! BISHOP, want some too? It's my favorite energy drink.

...You may enjoy such a delicacy all by yourself, Power Peony.

Naturally, Snowbloom Palace can produce The Pond for you at any time as well.

Can any plant besides Power Peony actually drink this stuff...?

Oh, right! The road out of the Sands of Time is... open now too.

...I'll explain. According to your map, we just need to keep moving forward through the Sands of Time.

There's a long downhill stretch along the way, so we'll need to be especially careful when we get there.

Will you still travel with us after we leave the Sands of Time?

Chief Honey Bamboo wants us to keep traveling together, and Alloysuckle heartily agrees.

Naturally, I have no objections either. So as long as you'll have us, we're staying with the group.

Of course you're welcome. Let's rest here for a bit, get our affairs in order, and then head out.

You're more than welcome! Let's sort out where things stand, then hit the road.