No, NO we are NOT having a flashback for her, KILL KILL KILL!

[quote]"evertide":/users/413578 said: Someone on Patreon also pointed out that Mandy never used a Fairy-type move like Dazzling Gleam or Moonblast. I stopped playing Pokemon before the Fairy type was introduced so I keep forgetting Gardevoir even is one, but Mandy's a good battler, egomania aside, so it seems a little odd to me that she wouldn't use one to get the type damage bonus. Take that how you will. [/quote] Oh yeah, that's true Gardevoir's become a dual type (I keep forgetting it and Gardevoir is one of my favourite Mons even outside R34 environment!). Also, quick research about Gardevoir's moveset, Mandy isn't currently using any move a Gardevoir can learn naturally either by levelling or breeding so she definitely has built her kit precisely for this ambush through TMs: she removed Fairy-type moves because they are neutral against Psychic and went with Shadow Ball for effectiveness against Psychic, Icy Wind for speed set-ups, and Psyshock for Espeon's lower def compared to spdef; what I can't really figure is Reflect though: not considering Gamma's creative freedom and script (because we could be theorising whatever we want but it could all be just Gamma's whim), Espeon is a spatk breaker, so if Mandy is a somewhat experienced fighter and knows who she's brawling with, she should've learnt Light Screen instead, but if she isn't and that's just a facade, then she might've had a lapse in judgment moved by revenge and anger, giving us insight on her motives. [quote]"evertide":/users/413578 said: I also didn't know that Gardevoirs can have Telepathy as a hidden ability so...that's one other place my Pokemon ignorance ever since Diamond is showing :P this comic alone has made me seriously consider picking up a recent game to bring myself back up to speed. [/quote] I would suggest you to take the Diamond and Pearl remakes: shitty chibi graphics aside, if you can endure some technical issues like hitboxes and glitches, the forced EXP Share, and the lack of Platinum content, then it's just a better looking DP with the updated Pokémon stuff. Or, if you want a completely different experience which delves much more into Sinnoh's history and lore, definitely LP Arceus, which also has a bunch of technical issues but is on a completely other level on many aspects.

[quote]"br33d3r":/users/470149 said: Which is a big point in all of Gammas Partner Comics....that life is better with someone. [/quote] "Life is better with someone." It may be short, but it's such a true and pleasant thing to say that I almost feel like if Gamma's tagline weren't "Digital illustrations made with love," that would be a good one to use. I might have to adopt that as the unofficial motto in my head of the Partners series, at least :) "Gammainks: Digital illustrations made with love." And "The Partners: Life is better with someone." [quote]"the'dock":/users/1211834 said: I like theorising this stuff. Yea: I thought of Psychic Fang too but I discarded after Reflect wasn't shattered. Shattering Reflect later could also be seen as Vanessa landing a "critical hit", or that repeated consequential uses of moves like this make them fail, perhaps? I'm assuming we are both reasoning outside the restraint of the game from now on so I think we can suppose two scenarios: - if we consider Mandy having Mind Reader, she has at least 5 known moves (Mind Reader, Reflect, Psyshock, Shadow Ball, Icy Wind); 6 if her telekinesis is an application of Psychic. This might mean that she could've used TMs to prepare for the fight, which would be cool and neat, as Pokémons would know first handed how to buff themselves. - if we consider her telepathy being instead a different application of Telepathy (which is one of Ralts' evolution line natural abilities) and her psychic hand another application of natural psychic powers inherent to Psychic-type Mons + the boost from Mega, then Mandy as of know has shown only 4 moves (Reflect, Psyshock, Shadow Ball, Icy Wind) [/quote] I didn't think of that, that she used TMs before she ambushed them. It's all but confirmed she has combat training and experience, so it seems reasonable enough that Mandy might have some TMs on hand for various situations, just in case. The fact that Vanessa surprised her so much with her sword and her speed makes me think she likely didn't plan for it and already knew Reflect and Icy Wind somehow from them being useful in whatever other battles she's been in, but if I had a Gardevoir who I was using as a special sweeper, I would probably have it know Shadow Ball too for fighting other Psychics, so I can at the least see Mandy using that to specifically deal with her. Someone on Patreon also pointed out that Mandy never used a Fairy-type move like Dazzling Gleam or Moonblast. I stopped playing Pokemon before the Fairy type was introduced so I keep forgetting Gardevoir even is one, but Mandy's a good battler, egomania aside, so it seems a little odd to me that she wouldn't use one to get the type damage bonus. Take that how you will. I also didn't know that Gardevoirs can have Telepathy as a hidden ability so...that's one other place my Pokemon ignorance ever since Diamond is showing :P this comic alone has made me seriously consider picking up a recent game to bring myself back up to speed.

I like theorising this stuff. [quote]"evertide":/users/413578 said: Vanessa's sword in particular makes me think. I've been figuring it's Psycho Cut (or Psyblade, a move I didn't know about) or some application of telekinesis like Mandy's psychic hand (which might be Psychic or might also be telekinesis) or something unique to her. A couple people on Patreon have said it's Psychic Fangs, a TM move Espeons can learn that destroys Reflect and Light Screen. Which, I can see that, though I'm not sure why it didn't work the first time unless Vanessa had to really max out to shatter Mandy's Reflect. I don't know how TM moves work in this world or if they even exist, but I also don't know how or why Vanessa would know it when she didn't have psychic powers unless one of her parents knew it (TM moves can be inherited in games) and it was dormant until now. [/quote] Yea: I thought of Psychic Fang too but I discarded after Reflect wasn't shattered. Shattering Reflect later could also be seen as Vanessa landing a "critical hit", or that repeated consequential uses of moves like this make them fail, perhaps? [quote]"evertide":/users/413578 said: As for Mandy, she's also breaking game rules with how many moves she can use, especially if her psychic hand is Psychic (and if it isn't, she can still use telekinesis in combat). That's at least five, and if her mind reading is the Mind Reader move (I don't think it is but I can't rule it out), that would be six. In fact, Psyshock, Shadow Ball, Reflect, and Icy Wind are all TM moves. Again, I can only guess how TMs work or whatever, but whether she was taught them or born with them, it does make me consider my likely-totally-wrong theory on her origins: That she was forced into battling at a young age, or darker, that she was the result of selective breeding for it and was born into it from the start of her life. [/quote] I'm assuming we are both reasoning outside the restraint of the game from now on so I think we can suppose two scenarios: - if we consider Mandy having Mind Reader, she has at least 5 known moves (Mind Reader, Reflect, Psyshock, Shadow Ball, Icy Wind); 6 if her telekinesis is an application of Psychic. This might mean that she could've used TMs to prepare for the fight, which would be cool and neat, as Pokémons would know first handed how to buff themselves. - if we consider her telepathy being instead a different application of Telepathy (which is one of Ralts' evolution line natural abilities) and her psychic hand another application of natural psychic powers inherent to Psychic-type Mons + the boost from Mega, then Mandy as of know has shown only 4 moves (Reflect, Psyshock, Shadow Ball, Icy Wind) Now I'm waiting for Mandy to generate a black hole out of despair.

[quote]"tf2_heavy":/users/112262 said: i already said it a few times but while Valeries move was unneeded (but from my perspective completely understandable) Mandy's reaction to that is simply way over the top, most people would have left it at the "you Bitch" (or whatever Mandy wrote) but no she goes full psycho [/quote] Kinda makes you think on why Mandy didn't just go directly after Valerie if the whole Dylan thing stuck with her to the point of being worth mentioning in the middle of a fight Maybe it was just a coincidence that I'm obsessing over

[quote]"br33d3r":/users/470149 said: Valerie literally texted Mandy that Dylan is with her now, called her a bitch and send a photo of him sleeping in her bed.....say what you want but Valerie is part of this mess. The smallest part but given how batshit insane Mandy is she only wanted revenge. Mind you I am not saying that Valerie wanted any of this or even knew it might happen, just that Mandy is crazy enough to take something like that way too personal. [/quote] doubt that Val would have done it in the first place if she knew it would set Mandy off like this

I don't care what happened to her. Nothing justifies going after people who were entirely innocent and uninvolved in her crap.

[quote]"dantexiaolong":/users/2123613 said: How is Valerie responsible for this?! All she did was cheer up her friend,soothe his heart,fail in love whim and the rest was history. Mandy caused all this shit. [/quote] Valerie literally texted Mandy that Dylan is with her now, called her a bitch and send a photo of him sleeping in her bed.....say what you want but Valerie is part of this mess. The smallest part but given how batshit insane Mandy is she only wanted revenge. Mind you I am not saying that Valerie wanted any of this or even knew it might happen, just that Mandy is crazy enough to take something like that way too personal.

[quote]"kirathelast":/users/1253495 said: So a combination of factors makes this really interesting. The combination of the hints of the backstory we're seeing, and the line on the last page, about her mind being clearer now that the stone is broken. Did the stone fuck with her mind to a large degree? It seems like it might have. How long has she had it? It's on her neck in the very first post we see of her on this site at least. It seems her backstory has made her crave control to a dangerous degree. And her twisted mind has decided that the only way she can be "in control" is if she is the most powerful, the one able to exert her will on others the way others have done to her. Honestly, I hope that she doesn't die here. She's done some fucked up things, but given the tragedy of her past and the way that it seems like she's not quite in control... Mega evolutions are only possible, typically from the bond between a trainer and their Pokémon. So, who is the one who bonded with Mandy? Her personality indicates she is extremely isolated, both self-inflicted and otherwise. Is it possible she hasn't been in control of her actions? If so, how much control has she had? I think that there's something much bigger here. Given the direction of the comic... I dunno? I could be wrong, but I hope I'm not. I've always liked porn with a large plot. This is set up to be very interesting. [/quote] As I said on an earlier page...Mega evolutions are dangerous.....the friendship, trust, love whatever you want to call it is needed to help your mons ease the pain. Even then they get dangerously violent (Like Salamence) or extremely agitated (like Aerodactyl) Now since Pokemon is a franchise mostly made for kids (and furrys....don't lie too me Nintendo, just look at Salazzle) there would never be a trainer who is actively malicious except for like Team Rocket etc......so we don't know how it would be for a Pokemon to be forced to mega evolve without the trust (etc.) necessary but I think it would be like throwing a tantrum while you have the power to do what you want without any restrained.

Hmm. I’ve been looking over this story and seeing this, my guess was that she was either abandoned or something much worse happened to Mandy. This should be interesting to see.

Damn it, gammainks, don't make us feel bad for her. >:(

[quote]"the'dock":/users/1211834 said: Given that Mandy has used Reflect to defend herself, which is a move that addresses physical attacks, instead of Light Screen, we know it's not a special move: I think Vanessa's sword might be either a variation of Psyshock (which Espeon can learn by TM/tutoring and even if it's a special attack it has physical attribute) or Psycho Cut (which fits perfectly the description of her blade but Espeon can't use it in games - we could assume that Vanessa could be the first Espeon to learn it as she tapped into her potential due to the dire situation). As for she being able to cut Shadow Balls and stuff, that's fundamentally the creative freedom these moves give when you extract them from the turn-based combat of the series and you put them into a much more complex battle situation, like in the cartoon you see sometimes Pokémons using moves such as Stone Edge to create a shield or Iron Tail to deflect. [/quote] It's been pretty true since the fight started that we're going more by anime rules: It's based on the games, but it doesn't use numbers and code. Mandy's Reflect stopped Vanessa's sword completely instead of halving damage, for instance. Vanessa's sword in particular makes me think. I've been figuring it's Psycho Cut (or Psyblade, a move I didn't know about) or some application of telekinesis like Mandy's psychic hand (which might be Psychic or might also be telekinesis) or something unique to her. A couple people on Patreon have said it's Psychic Fangs, a TM move Espeons can learn that destroys Reflect and Light Screen. Which, I can see that, though I'm not sure why it didn't work the first time unless Vanessa had to really max out to shatter Mandy's Reflect. I don't know how TM moves work in this world or if they even exist, but I also don't know how or why Vanessa would know it when she didn't have psychic powers unless one of her parents knew it (TM moves can be inherited in games) and it was dormant until now. In any case, given Mandy couldn't understand what she was doing or how and Mandy seems to have combat training and experience, Vanessa has been "screw all rules, screw all limits" this whole fight, so if she's pushing herself to do the impossible, go her. As for Mandy, she's also breaking game rules with how many moves she can use, especially if her psychic hand is Psychic (and if it isn't, she can still use telekinesis in combat). That's at least five, and if her mind reading is the Mind Reader move (I don't think it is but I can't rule it out), that would be six. In fact, Psyshock, Shadow Ball, Reflect, and Icy Wind are all TM moves. Again, I can only guess how TMs work or whatever, but whether she was taught them or born with them, it does make me consider my likely-totally-wrong theory on her origins: That she was forced into battling at a young age, or darker, that she was the result of selective breeding for it and was born into it from the start of her life.

(From the previous comment) From this, I can probably ascertain that Mandy is (or perhaps was) the kind of bully that harbored deep insecurities. The same thoughts that are going through her mind now must have been going through her mind back when Alex chewed her out when she tried to blackmail him. Hence, that very same look of utter terror she had. No wonder she flipped out and tried to off them both. She didn't want to experience being weak again... Yet still, I have no pity for her in the slightest; part of it is because of what she tried to do to both Alex and Vanessa, but mostly because she is still able to make a choice. What happens next is in Gamma's hands, but I believe we are finally reaching the terminus to this long-winded (and rather good) story.

[quote]"faggotryconfirmed420":/users/389524 said: How can a character outstay their welcome if this is the first comic run she's been in that actually shines a light on her? She's only partially visible on the last page of Valerie's comic (and if I'm being honest, Valerie is at fault for Mandy wanting to "get even" with the eevee fam in the first place) And while I agree that with what Mandy's done she's earned herself time in the clink but I'd wager it's not nearly bad enough to get life behind bars, for the attempted murder (assuming the laws are even remotely similar to real life) she could get 10-30 years. With blackmail however it gets a little tricky, as far as reality goes the punishments can vary drastically, I've seen a high point of 10 years behind bars and a 10k dollar fine (gotta love different state punishments) [/quote] i already said it a few times but while Valeries move was unneeded (but from my perspective completely understandable) Mandy's reaction to that is simply way over the top, most people would have left it at the "you Bitch" (or whatever Mandy wrote) but no she goes full psycho

[quote]"evertide":/users/413578 said: Wild-prediction-of-the-now: Whatever the exact nature of Vanessa's sword, it's made of psychic energy. It interacts with whatever power lets Pokémon do their things, like slicing through a Shadow Ball, deflecting Psyshock blasts, and piercing a Reflect, but it's not necessarily a physical object. Imagine if she goes for a killing blow and really does expect it to kill Mandy, hits Mandy in the head, but instead of striking physically, it destroys her psychic powers, maybe forever. Or if you want to get really wild, connects their minds for a moment and they can see into each other's memories. Just for a moment, but they suddenly get otherwise impossible perspective on each other. [/quote] Given that Mandy has used Reflect to defend herself, which is a move that addresses physical attacks, instead of Light Screen, we know it's not a special move: I think Vanessa's sword might be either a variation of Psyshock (which Espeon can learn by TM/tutoring and even if it's a special attack it has physical attribute) or Psycho Cut (which fits perfectly the description of her blade but Espeon can't use it in games - we could assume that Vanessa could be the first Espeon to learn it as she tapped into her potential due to the dire situation). As for she being able to cut Shadow Balls and stuff, that's fundamentally the creative freedom these moves give when you extract them from the turn-based combat of the series and you put them into a much more complex battle situation, like in the cartoon you see sometimes Pokémons using moves such as Stone Edge to create a shield or Iron Tail to deflect.

YESSSSSSS MANDY LORE THIS HAS BEEN BUILDING UP SINCE VALERIE'S COMIC IM SO EXCITED

[quote]"dantexiaolong":/users/2123613 said: Which is a shame cuz most likely Gamminks is going to redeem Mandy for literally no reason cuz if this is real life,she get life in prison but hey if we're apparently going down the redemption arc,fuck me then,guess we ball. Edit[i]: oh no I got an minus 2 dislikes. Whatever should I do? [/i] this ain't new to me guys. I'm still gonna talk my shit til Gamminks finishes this arc and instead of stalling and dragging it out . Mandy overstayed her welcome. End this tomfoolery already ffs. You are [b][i]better[/i][/b] than this. Holy fuck!! [/quote] How can a character outstay their welcome if this is the first comic run she's been in that actually shines a light on her? She's only partially visible on the last page of Valerie's comic (and if I'm being honest, Valerie is at fault for Mandy wanting to "get even" with the eevee fam in the first place) And while I agree that with what Mandy's done she's earned herself time in the clink but I'd wager it's not nearly bad enough to get life behind bars, for the attempted murder (assuming the laws are even remotely similar to real life) she could get 10-30 years. With blackmail however it gets a little tricky, as far as reality goes the punishments can vary drastically, I've seen a high point of 10 years behind bars and a 10k dollar fine (gotta love different state punishments)

[quote]"evertide":/users/413578 said: Given her mental-collapse levels of fear of being controlled and powerless, jail would [i]absolutely[/i] be her personal [i]Hell[/i] even more than it would for most people. Maybe second only to being returned to "Them," whoever/whatever "They" are (were?). And I would think that would be a good thing. For her, and not just because she deserves it. There's a saying, "The gates of Hell are only locked from the inside." On the surface, it means that Hell welcomes all and it's easy to get in, but nobody leaves. I take it to have a second meaning: If you want to get out of Hell, you can. But because the lock is on your side, it's up to you. And if Mandy is going to have the faintest glimmer of a chance of turning her life around, she is going to have to suffer. A lot. In a way that only Hell can administer. Both in her deeds and, especially, in her heart. Only this time, whatever happened to her as a child, she might actually get out. And, as far as it being a journey that's long as well as painful, this comic has repeatedly broken the limits of everything I expect these comics are and can be, and this very page has done so again by both hitting the 50-page mark and with...well...this. It would be a tall order, but if one person can do it, Gamma could. Of course, everything is completely dependent on what Gamma wants to do, or not. But like I've said before, it all else fails...that's what fanart and fanfiction are for... [/quote] Yeah, sounds about right. While I admit I was slightly taken back by the blackmail subplot, this series has been really fun to follow and experience even if I was going into this expecting the same slice of life/wholesome porn comic antics

[quote]"faggotryconfirmed420":/users/389524 said: I mean, given what we've seen in the comic Mandy's redemption arc isn't going to be some cheap and easy one. She needs SERIOUS help, but because she didn't care or know to look for it she's either not going to live long enough to see it or will have to get her help after spending time in prison for blackmail and attempted murder [/quote] Given her mental-collapse levels of fear of being controlled and powerless, jail would [i]absolutely[/i] be her personal [i]Hell[/i] even more than it would for most people. Maybe second only to being returned to "Them," whoever/whatever "They" are (were?). And I would think that would be a good thing. For her, and not just because she deserves it. There's a saying, "The gates of Hell are only locked from the inside." On the surface, it means that Hell welcomes all and it's easy to get in, but nobody leaves. I take it to have a second meaning: If you want to get out of Hell, you can. But because the lock is on your side, it's up to you. And if Mandy is going to have the faintest glimmer of a chance of turning her life around, she is going to have to suffer. A lot. In a way that only Hell can administer. Both in her deeds and, especially, in her heart. Only this time, whatever happened to her as a child, she might actually get out. And, as far as it being a journey that's long as well as painful, this comic has repeatedly broken the limits of everything I expect these comics are and can be, and this very page has done so again by both hitting the 50-page mark and with...well...this. It would be a tall order, but if one person can do it, Gamma could. Of course, everything is completely dependent on what Gamma wants to do, or not. But like I've said before, it all else fails...that's what fanart and fanfiction are for...

[quote]"dantexiaolong":/users/2123613 said: I know bro i know. I want this too but see people think giving me all these - negative points and shit are supposed to do something for me. I'm going to talk my shit. Period. [/quote] You're the one who makes those flames, bruh

This low-key reminds me of Garou from One Punch-Man.

[quote]"evertide":/users/413578 said: I just really hope there isn't a stupid fan civil war in the comments. I'm bracing myself for that almost as much as for whatever's next in the story. I just want to enjoy my romance-porn-drama-action-who-knows-what-else comic and watch Vanessa and Alex make kissy-face again and get married [i]and get their hard-won happy ending, gosh darn it[/i]. [/quote] I mean, given what we've seen in the comic Mandy's redemption arc isn't going to be some cheap and easy one. She needs SERIOUS help, but because she didn't care or know to look for it she's either not going to live long enough to see it or will have to get her help after spending time in prison for blackmail and attempted murder

[quote]"dantexiaolong":/users/2123613 said: No YOU get over yourself. I don't give a shit about Mandy's backstory cuz she's one dimensional. This is literally porn for fuck sakes. I'll take a fight scene over Mandy getting redeemed for literally no fucking reason. How is Gamminks gonna hype up an evil bitch,have her get her ass whooped,make her have a motive just to get false sympathy and then redeem her just like that?! What happened to villains who don't give a fuck and just doing actual villain shit? Yall call this crybaby mediocre rated G For kids ass bitch a villain?! All cuz she losed her ex whom SHE cheated on?! Cuz she was used for Pokémon battling but she hated it?! Yawn. Wake me up when we see Maron the Leafeon,Fubuki and Valerie the Vaporeon get their stories. Now THAT'S some good ass writing. But as for Mandy,What a joke. Gamminks knows he can make way better villains,he's just testing waters. Besides Mandy is HATED by the fanbase whether you like it or not. You hate the bitch too,don't switch up cuz you think having a backstory will fix her. She is evil. She doesn't t need to be fixed. Not everyone fictional or not can be fixed. At least she ain't gonna be here for long tho.. [/quote] Okay, have fun not being able to fully appreciate your media since you can't handle depth in a character

[quote]"evertide":/users/413578 said: I just really hope there isn't a stupid fan civil war in the comments. I'm bracing myself for that almost as much as for whatever's next in the story. I just want to enjoy my romance-porn-drama-action-who-knows-what-else comic and watch Vanessa and Alex make kissy-face again and get married [i]and get their hard-won happy ending, gosh darn it[/i]. [/quote] pretty sure there will be even if it's a one man army (looking at you dante) against the rest, as i said a bit up i can't do much if Gamma writes a redemption for her, i'll just have to live and deal with it. tho i'll say some more backstory would be welcome anyway

[quote]"tf2_heavy":/users/112262 said: huh must have missed that comment on patreon but agree with it (and not only because Villain redemption arcs are overused nowadays) [/quote] I just really hope there isn't a stupid fan civil war in the comments. I'm bracing myself for that almost as much as for whatever's next in the story. I just want to enjoy my romance-porn-drama-action-who-knows-what-else comic and watch Vanessa and Alex make kissy-face again and get married [i]and get their hard-won happy ending, gosh darn it[/i].

So a combination of factors makes this really interesting. The combination of the hints of the backstory we're seeing, and the line on the last page, about her mind being clearer now that the stone is broken. Did the stone fuck with her mind to a large degree? It seems like it might have. How long has she had it? It's on her neck in the very first post we see of her on this site at least. It seems her backstory has made her crave control to a dangerous degree. And her twisted mind has decided that the only way she can be "in control" is if she is the most powerful, the one able to exert her will on others the way others have done to her. Honestly, I hope that she doesn't die here. She's done some fucked up things, but given the tragedy of her past and the way that it seems like she's not quite in control... Mega evolutions are only possible, typically from the bond between a trainer and their Pokémon. So, who is the one who bonded with Mandy? Her personality indicates she is extremely isolated, both self-inflicted and otherwise. Is it possible she hasn't been in control of her actions? If so, how much control has she had? I think that there's something much bigger here. Given the direction of the comic... I dunno? I could be wrong, but I hope I'm not. I've always liked porn with a large plot. This is set up to be very interesting.

[quote]"xxsnake69xx":/users/988044 said: You ain't cooking, DXL. [/quote] yeah he gets a tad too involved in this, as much as i hate Mandy and rather she not get redemption but if Gammainks writes it, they write it not much i can do about that so i'll have to accept it.

[quote]"dantexiaolong":/users/2123613 said: No YOU get over yourself. I don't give a shit about Mandy's backstory cuz she's one dimensional. This is literally porn for fuck sakes. I'll take a fight scene over Mandy getting redeemed for literally no fucking reason. How is Gamminks gonna hype up an evil bitch,have her get her ass whooped,make her have a motive just to get false sympathy and then redeem her just like that?! What happened to villains who don't give a fuck and just doing actual villain shit? Yall call this crybaby mediocre rated G For kids ass bitch a villain?! All cuz she losed her ex whom SHE cheated on?! Cuz she was used for Pokémon battling but she hated it?! Yawn. Wake me up when we see Maron the Leafeon,Fubuki and Valerie the Vaporeon get their stories. Now THAT'S some good ass writing. But as for Mandy,What a joke. Gamminks knows he can make way better villains,he's just testing waters. Besides Mandy is HATED by the fanbase whether you like it or not. You hate the bitch too,don't switch up cuz you think having a backstory will fix her. She is evil. She doesn't t need to be fixed. Not everyone fictional or not can be fixed. At least she ain't gonna be here for long tho.. [/quote] You ain't cooking, DXL.

[quote]"fr-1421":/users/1078874 said: If it's the artist's intent to further develop and possibly even reform this character, and try to add complexity and nuance rather than just go "bad person = kill them," then they will do as they damn well please. It's [i]their story,[/i] not yours. [/quote] ain't that what they said to the guy/gal that kept saying shit about hoping the NTR plotline went to fruition? if they wanted some gross ass NTR nonsense they could write it themselves? so if this person wants a two-dimensional antagonist that does heinous shit and then gets killed for it with seemingly no rhyme or reason for said actions then they can write that story

[quote]"dantexiaolong":/users/2123613 said: Nothing. Absolutely fucking nothing that's what. [/quote] [quote]"dantexiaolong":/users/2123613 said: Bro fuck this villain backstory. make it short,get it out the way [/quote] [quote]"dantexiaolong":/users/2123613 said: She's just an evil bitch who's death will free her from pain. [/quote] If it's the artist's intent to further develop and possibly even reform this character, and try to add complexity and nuance rather than just go "bad person = kill them," then they will do as they damn well please. It's [i]their story,[/i] not yours.

[quote]"dantexiaolong":/users/2123613 said: Nothing. Absolutely fucking nothing that's what. [/quote] ok, so how do you go from having genuinely good takes (like reinforcing the fact that gamma doesn't do NTR) to just straight up rejecting the backstory of a character who has been dropping hints here and there that there was some reason behind her bitterness and malice. like we've had people trying to theory craft about what type of past that mandy could've had that led her to make the decisions she made in this comic. but because she was an antagonist in any shape or form, albeit a very vile antagonist, you wanna throw a hissy fit because gamma wants her to be more than two-dimensional. PLEASE get over yourself she is getting what's coming to her one way or another, death or imprisonment. be happy that our heroes have won against the villain, not mad that the villain had a past

Now Mandy's lore deepens

[quote]"gleebius_dooblesnorb":/users/850878 said: she tried to eat without youtube :( [/quote] A fate worse then death

Just because you were Hutt doesn't mean in order to be strong you have to crush the week, it means you are strong enough so it doesn't happen again, and you keep your head down so that your not involved in anything that could put ypu back in that situation.

So that's how it is. She was manipulative, abusive and ruthless because she was taught from an early age that it was the only way to survive. The strong thrive and the weak die (In Mandy's eyes anyway). Even though she met people that treated her in a way that proved that there was a better way, her years of abuse meant that she would treat said people as enemies requiring subjugation and domination despite not actually being enemies. Come to think about it, it must be hell for her to constantly see every person she meets as an enemy seeking to beat and humiliate her. No peace of mind, just a constant battle of wits and subterfuge in order to survive the next day. She's basically playing Animal Crossing as if it where max difficulty Civ with every enemy faction set to maximum hostility, simply because she has never played any other game that doesn't end up with her bleeding in a ditch for making the slightest lapse of focus. I hope she can find someone who can show her that the world isn't the nasty, dog eat dog world she thinks it is, and instead teach her that there is kindness out there if she's willing to open her heart and allow it in. Though if she is as psychologically damaged as I think she is, she's going to need an angel to help her see the light.

[quote]"br33d3r":/users/470149 said: Good point....from a writing stand point (if her backstory gets fleshed out more) she could serve as a mirror for Vanessa. Remember, Vanessa was also walking down a dark path, albeit more self-destructive than Mandy. Having her backstory would serve as reminder what can become of people when there is no one to rely on. Which is a big point in all of Gammas Partner Comics....that life is better with someone. [/quote] now that's a conclusion i can get behind! as i gently stated on in one of my comments on the first part of page 50, things like Persona and One Piece helped me come to the understanding that the bonds you share with others is what gives people meaning and power. especially in something like Persona, having no bonds with anyone can lead you down a dark path... I fear that's a part of what happened to Mandy (in addition to potentially being raised as a child soldier or similar). I can only hope she at least comes to her senses a little bit... But it's up in the air as to wether even that will happen...

[quote]"pana_700":/users/2069602 said: Despite this, I feel that Mandy isn't justified in what she did (as some comments are saying). But... still, I'd also like to know what happened to her that she was so damaged, since it seems she suffered a lot and didn't have "Rookie" in her life to help her. [/quote] Good point....from a writing stand point (if her backstory gets fleshed out more) she could serve as a mirror for Vanessa. Remember, Vanessa was also walking down a dark path, albeit more self-destructive than Mandy. Having her backstory would serve as reminder what can become of people when there is no one to rely on. Which is a big point in all of Gammas Partner Comics....that life is better with someone.

[quote]"xxfullautorevolverxx":/users/1526749 said: Kinda knew that Gammainks won't leave MAndy underdeveloped Mandy,if you want a second chance at living,beg Beg like you have never begged before [/quote] She should not beg. That would not proof anything, she should admit too what she did, explain why she did it and finally except what is coming for her. What that will be depends on Alex and Vanessa. Begging for mercy is too easy and would make her in my eyes into a more villainous character then she already is (cause it would be too cliché)

[quote]"bundtlet32":/users/2213424 said: I knew something was goin' on with Mandy! as rotten and unforgivable as her crimes are, I really do want to know what's really going on and also really do want to see her improve from here. will such a thing really happen? Find out next time on... Stern Partner Z! small edit: man, seriously though, now I just want to give her a hug. i could very well be wrong, but i think she may need one... [/quote] It is a bit late for the hug, years too late. I agree though....Mandy needs a hug. But first she must pay.....you can's just murder people (even if you really, really want to) I predict that Alex will stop Vanessa from dealing a finishing blow, talk about that she is no longer threat etc. After that the bewear lady steps in and punches Mandy unconscious before wrapping her up like Hannibal Lecter. Then off she goes to something like Arkham Asylum.

[quote]"evertide":/users/413578 said: I feel like it was inspired by something or other but I can't think of what. The whole "connecting minds" thing comes up here and there but I sure can't think of anywhere it was caused by a mind blade turning into an accidental conduit for extremely brief but extremely intense telepathy. I wondered if I should have even brought it up, but I did, oh well, I'm sure Gamma has a better idea than mine. Whatever comes next, I have a feeling [i]a lot[/i] of people are about to get reeeally mad, and even though I doubt I'll be joining, I don't blame them. I also have a feeling Gamma wrote this knowing it, which the artist in me has to admire. Over on Patreon, there was a lengthy chain in the comments of "Part 42":https://e621.net/posts/5548648 with a lot of "this is completely dependent on if Gamma ever wants to do it, but what if Mandy got a comic?" One comment in particular has stuck with me by vFence 47: "Could I see it happening? Sure. Would it be good for her to redeem herself? Also yes. Does she *deserve* one? In my opinion, no." With her experience at battling and her ranting about stuff that's happened to her, I've wondered for a while what her problem is. I've felt like any look at her past was going to be a bad time, not the least reason of which is that if she herself were asked to tell her story, I wouldn't be sure what's true, what's deliberate lies, and what's only true in her head. There have been hints that there's more to Mandy than she lets on. Unfortunately, at every turn, that "more to Mandy" that we've learned is worse than what we've seen before, and that's quite squarely been her fault. Whatever she went through as a child, she's an adult now, and I can believe part of the problem is that she never got help, but that's not Vanessa and Alex's problem anymore. Not because they wouldn't help someone in trouble, but because of...well, we all know. But if she's going to beg, she has one final chance to turn the very worst decision she could possibly make - attack Vanessa and Alex - and end it there...by [i]not[/i] backshooting them the first chance she gets. In fact, here's another wild guess: All of Mandy's TM move knowledge is inherited, because she's a product of breeding for optimal combat and nothing else...and in her case, in a really bad way, by people who had anything but her best interests at heart. She wasn't conceived and born; she was bred. [/quote] huh must have missed that comment on patreon but agree with it (and not only because Villain redemption arcs are overused nowadays)

[quote]"evertide":/users/413578 said: I feel like it was inspired by something or other but I can't think of what. The whole "connecting minds" thing comes up here and there but I sure can't think of anywhere it was caused by a mind blade turning into an accidental conduit for extremely brief but extremely intense telepathy. I wondered if I should have even brought it up, but I did, oh well, I'm sure Gamma has a better idea than mine. [/quote] while a bit specific, it makes me think of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 when "Noah and Mio share memories and interlink for the first time":https://youtu.be/flOo5TnoDms?si=CCEfj_XrGDOnMfan&t=962, though there's no psychic sword causing it in this scenario; just a big 'splosion caused by a bomb-like machine. nonetheless a cool idea [quote]"evertide":/users/413578 said: With her experience at battling and her ranting about stuff that's happened to her, I've wondered for a while what her problem is. I've felt like any look at her past was going to be a bad time, not the least reason of which is that if she herself were asked to tell her story, I wouldn't be sure what's true, what's deliberate lies, and what's only true in her head. There have been hints that there's more to Mandy than she lets on. Unfortunately, at every turn, that "more to Mandy" that we've learned is worse than what we've seen before, and that's quite squarely been her fault. Whatever she went through as a child, she's an adult now, and I can believe part of the problem is that she never got help, but that's not Vanessa and Alex's problem anymore. Not because they wouldn't help someone in trouble, but because of...well, we all know. But if she's going to beg, she has one final chance to turn the very worst decision she could possibly make - attack Vanessa and Alex - and end it there...by not backshooting them the first chance she gets. In fact, here's another wild guess: All of Mandy's TM move knowledge is inherited, because she's a product of breeding for optimal combat and nothing else...and in her case, in a really bad way, by people who had anything but her best interests at heart. She wasn't conceived and born; she was bred. [/quote] now that's a scary thought indeed, essentially being made into a child soldier even before being born... as a Gundam enjoyer I know just how messed up all that can be. let's hope she uses that last chance wisely... I shudder to imagine what may happen otherwise

[quote]"tf2_heavy":/users/112262 said: for some reason the connecting minds part sounds like such a cliché and i don't know why [/quote] I feel like it was inspired by something or other but I can't think of what. The whole "connecting minds" thing comes up here and there but I sure can't think of anywhere it was caused by a mind blade turning into an accidental conduit for extremely brief but extremely intense telepathy. I wondered if I should have even brought it up, but I did, oh well, I'm sure Gamma has a better idea than mine. [quote]"daglassman4797":/users/455266 said: Yeah, I never thought I'd say this but... I actually [i]want[/i] to see a Mandy redemption arc now. [/quote] Whatever comes next, I have a feeling [i]a lot[/i] of people are about to get reeeally mad, and even though I doubt I'll be joining, I don't blame them. I also have a feeling Gamma wrote this knowing it, which the artist in me has to admire. Over on Patreon, there was a lengthy chain in the comments of "Part 42":https://e621.net/posts/5548648 with a lot of "this is completely dependent on if Gamma ever wants to do it, but what if Mandy got a comic?" One comment in particular has stuck with me by vFence 47: "Could I see it happening? Sure. Would it be good for her to redeem herself? Also yes. Does she *deserve* one? In my opinion, no." [quote]"henshincard64":/users/2114250 said: Wow, I didn't expect Mandy to have a sad past [/quote] [quote]"xxfullautorevolverxx":/users/1526749 said: Kinda knew that Gammainks won't leave MAndy underdeveloped Mandy,if you want a second chance at living,beg Beg like you have never begged before [/quote] With her experience at battling and her ranting about stuff that's happened to her, I've wondered for a while what her problem is. I've felt like any look at her past was going to be a bad time, not the least reason of which is that if she herself were asked to tell her story, I wouldn't be sure what's true, what's deliberate lies, and what's only true in her head. There have been hints that there's more to Mandy than she lets on. Unfortunately, at every turn, that "more to Mandy" that we've learned is worse than what we've seen before, and that's quite squarely been her fault. Whatever she went through as a child, she's an adult now, and I can believe part of the problem is that she never got help, but that's not Vanessa and Alex's problem anymore. Not because they wouldn't help someone in trouble, but because of...well, we all know. But if she's going to beg, she has one final chance to turn the very worst decision she could possibly make - attack Vanessa and Alex - and end it there...by [i]not[/i] backshooting them the first chance she gets. In fact, here's another wild guess: All of Mandy's TM move knowledge is inherited, because she's a product of breeding for optimal combat and nothing else...and in her case, in a really bad way, by people who had anything but her best interests at heart. She wasn't conceived and born; she was bred.

wait, those aren't the anti-spiral race

[quote]"tf2_heavy":/users/112262 said: you'd have to do a lot of mental gymnastics to even think that Mandy's behaviour is justified in any way shape or form. [/quote] It's definitely not a justification, more of an explanation, if anything.

Nope she won't get any sympathy from me I'm sorry, no matter how sad you make her backstory I won't feel bad due to the BS she tried to pull with Alex... I still despise her so much

She can be fixed

[quote]"tf2_heavy":/users/112262 said: you'd have to do a lot of mental gymnastics to even think that Mandy's behaviour is justified in any way shape or form. [/quote] Well... What she did isn't justified; that is, first she blackmailed Alex and, when it didn't work, she attacked him and Vanessa. Literally, she was willing to take out both of them. But what I mean is that, if she had had a special person in her life, maybe this wouldn't have happened, although maybe I'm wrong.

[quote]"pana_700":/users/2069602 said: Despite this, I feel that Mandy isn't justified in what she did (as some comments are saying). But... still, I'd also like to know what happened to her that she was so damaged, since it seems she suffered a lot and didn't have "Rookie" in her life to help her. [/quote] you'd have to do a lot of mental gymnastics to even think that Mandy's behaviour is justified in any way shape or form.

Despite this, I feel that Mandy isn't justified in what she did (as some comments are saying). But... still, I'd also like to know what happened to her that she was so damaged, since it seems she suffered a lot and didn't have "Rookie" in her life to help her.

[quote]"friedy":/users/427404 said: I really hope that this is going the route of "yes this is the reason why she's the way she is, NO she'll be forgiven cuz of it" type of it. [/quote] more backstory is always nice but forgiving or a redemption for her would just cheapen everything that happened till now

[quote]"evertide":/users/413578 said: (Cont from previous page) I mentioned elsewhere that all Mandy seems to understand is power and control. And that her battle training/experience could involve being an unwilling combatant and/or in underground/illicit/outright illegal battles. But...again, wow. That said...if she really has a death wish...Vanessa and, possibly, Alex are in a wish-granting mood. And from their perspectives, killing her has gone past self-defense at this point, and they're under no obligation to spare her as far as I'm concerned. Be nice if they did. Be safer if they didn't. Time to see if Mandy's wish is granted. I'm going to need to practice breathing for the next part. Wild-prediction-of-the-now: Whatever the exact nature of Vanessa's sword, it's made of psychic energy. It interacts with whatever power lets Pokémon do their things, like slicing through a Shadow Ball, deflecting Psyshock blasts, and piercing a Reflect, but it's not necessarily a physical object. Imagine if she goes for a killing blow and really does expect it to kill Mandy, hits Mandy in the head, but instead of striking physically, it destroys her psychic powers, maybe forever. Or if you want to get really wild, connects their minds for a moment and they can see into each other's memories. Just for a moment, but they suddenly get otherwise impossible perspective on each other. [/quote] Yeah, I never thought I'd say this but... I actually [i]want[/i] to see a Mandy redemption arc now.

Come on, Alex. This is your cue....

I did say the following: [quote]Mandy was always destined to be taking her anger on the wrong kind of people. Instead of learning on how to be A better person and saying goodbye to horrible past. She instead tried to drag others down to control them, an manipulate them to being nothing but her playthings. Jealousy is self-doubt manifested in its purest form, there's a word to describe people like her, and unfortunately for Mandy, they are right. [/quote] Well, I feel like Mandy in need add some correction/additions, Mandy was likely pushed to be very self-dependent to be strong, thinking be self-dependent and controlling was the only way to gain respect and acceptance. Which is not the correct way treat others, and saw Vanessa & Rookie, (Edited: His name is Alex) having eye for eye for each other. Saw that as being wrong believing Vanessa is for too weak to have a partner and try to for her way into their lives. And take him by force. Presumably getting the wrong kind of advice from her trainer or even society. May have to learn such things on her own, given her age in which we see her. Was likely beaten into her mentally can't confirm physically, while she's in the wrong for learning such bad lessons there can be some road to redemption for but now enforced on her. Life can deal us with a very bad hand but it's up to you to know better and try to reform. And now Mandy feels the same shame she felt all those years ago, but now she made it worst all by herself.

God damn, it sounds like Mandy went through absolute hell growing up. I mean, it doesn't justify the blackmailing, or the attempted double homicide but... I understand why she would do it now; she finally had a shred of power and control. Man, this story's got more twists and turns than a bowl of spaghetti lol

yeaaaa buddy..imma need that mandy Comic expeditiously. after this of course ^_^

[quote]"snowfire88771":/users/199178 said: Oh crap what happened to Mandy in her past [/quote] she tried to eat without youtube :(

I really hope that this is going the route of "yes this is the reason why she's the way she is, NO she'll be NOT forgiven cuz of it" type of route.

Oh no...She's got a backstory...

Kinda knew that Gammainks won't leave MAndy underdeveloped Mandy,if you want a second chance at living,beg Beg like you have never begged before

Wow, I didn't expect Mandy to have a sad past

So she IS a Shadow Pokemon (kind of) Shadow pokemon are pokemon that had their "heart's door closed" by Arceus (in this universe) knows what kind of gruesome things. So maybe thats why i thougth that she may be one. Still doesn't justified blackmailing, or double homicide attempt, but also resurrects the possibility of a redemption arc.

Emotional rollercoaster or car crash Call it

I guess it really explains her craziness after being treated as such.

[quote]"tf2_heavy":/users/112262 said: for some reason the connecting minds part sounds like such a cliché and i don't know why [/quote] Sounds like the anime Dan Da Dan

I asked him what had happened to make him become like that or maybe the traumas of the past because one can change over time. I hope to see more of Mandy, she is my favorite because of the lore and also because of her curves.

I knew something was goin' on with Mandy! as rotten and unforgivable as her crimes are, I really do want to know what's really going on and also really do want to see her improve from here. will such a thing really happen? Find out next time on... Stern Partner Z! small edit: man, seriously though, now I just want to give her a hug. i could very well be wrong, but i think she may need one...

[quote]"evertide":/users/413578 said: (Cont from previous page) I mentioned elsewhere that all Mandy seems to understand is power and control. And that her battle training/experience could involve being an unwilling combatant and/or in underground/illicit/outright illegal battles. But...again, wow. That said...if she really has a death wish...Vanessa and, possibly, Alex are in a wish-granting mood. And from their perspectives, killing her has gone past self-defense at this point, and they're under no obligation to spare her as far as I'm concerned. Be nice if they did. Be safer if they didn't. Time to see if Mandy's wish is granted. I'm going to need to practice breathing for the next part. Wild-prediction-of-the-now: Whatever the exact nature of Vanessa's sword, it's made of psychic energy. It interacts with whatever power lets Pokémon do their things, like slicing through a Shadow Ball, deflecting Psyshock blasts, and piercing a Reflect, but it's not necessarily a physical object. Imagine if she goes for a killing blow and really does expect it to kill Mandy, hits Mandy in the head, but instead of striking physically, it destroys her psychic powers, maybe forever. Or if you want to get really wild, connects their minds for a moment and they can see into each other's memories. Just for a moment, but they suddenly get otherwise impossible perspective on each other. [/quote] for some reason the connecting minds part sounds like such a cliché and i don't know why

Oh crap what happened to Mandy in her past

Whatever pain Mandy went through in the past, it certainly won't justify her trying to ruin Vanessa's relationship with Alex for petty reasons and then trying to kill them when that didn't work!

(Cont from previous page) I mentioned elsewhere that all Mandy seems to understand is power and control. And that her battle training/experience could involve being an unwilling combatant and/or in underground/illicit/outright illegal battles. But...again, wow. That said...if she really has a death wish...Vanessa and, possibly, Alex are in a wish-granting mood. And from their perspectives, killing her has gone past self-defense at this point, and they're under no obligation to spare her as far as I'm concerned. Be nice if they did. Be safer if they didn't. Time to see if Mandy's wish is granted. I'm going to need to practice breathing for the next part. Wild-prediction-of-the-now: Whatever the exact nature of Vanessa's sword, it's made of psychic energy. It interacts with whatever power lets Pokémon do their things, like slicing through a Shadow Ball, deflecting Psyshock blasts, and piercing a Reflect, but it's not necessarily a physical object. Imagine if she goes for a killing blow and really does expect it to kill Mandy, hits Mandy in the head, but instead of striking physically, it destroys her psychic powers, maybe forever. Or if you want to get really wild, connects their minds for a moment and they can see into each other's memories. Just for a moment, but they suddenly get otherwise impossible perspective on each other.

I don't want to guess the amount of therapy she (along with Vanessa & Alex) needs after all this is over although she [b]really[/b] should've gotten some a long time ago.

Mandy, what happened to you?