Poundmates are RGG’s version of summons, for the RPG system they’ve built in the recent Like a Dragon games. And one familiar face, Nancy, returns as a Poundmate summon in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth with a new pal Olivia in tow. It’s a tag-team you won’t want to miss.
To start off, you’ll need to head to Hawaii and bring Nancy along. As far as I know, it’s not actually possible to leave Nancy back in Japan; I chose to bring her because I’m not a monster, but I’ve heard if you do make the emphatically, objectively wrong choice, she still comes along.
Once in Hawaii, kick off the substory “Coming Out of Her Shell.” You’ll get it on the beach fairly early on in the game. It was one of the first substories I undertook, not long after the open world area of Hawaii opened up to me. Check for it on the beach, near the shore, marked by quotation bubbles like other substories.
You’ll need to check back in a few times, and you may see this quotation icon move around as the quest does. When in doubt, fast-travel somewhere and look for a new, blue, substories icon that notifies you another step in Coming Out of Her Shell is available.
Finding a gift for the hermit crab
As Nancy’s love for the hermit crab Olivia blossoms, you’ll eventually need to find a gift Nancy can give to Olivia. An icon will appear, but I’d thought it would be helpful to note it here: you’re looking for a bright spot in the bushes, near the objective marker. It took me a second to notice it.
Grab it and continue on with the quest. There aren’t wrong answers at this point, though you can get a pretty funny interaction between Nancy and Ichiban, and eventually have to brawl a bit. Once you’ve cleared the substory, though, you’ll get a rare double reward: both Olivia’s shell, and the new Poundmate summon, Nancy & Olivia.
The power of the crustaceans
Now, why seek this out? Well these powerful lesbian crustaceans do a metric butt-ton of damage, throughout the entire game. They’re a bit pricey near the start of the campaign, but I was calling them in constantly for big fights later on.
Nancy & Olivia can hit all enemies in a fight in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, doing some piercing damage and leaving a chance for poison, which landed more than it missed for me. Seriously, if you only seek out one extra Poundmate in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth make it these two. Also, do it to ensure true love persists in the world of LAD.
