Dreams Don't Stop

Dreams Don't Stop
"How long am I gonna be stuck in here?"
Level No.	5-X
BPM	[placeholder]
Patient(s)	Maximo "Lucky" Jonronero
Pager
Pre-clear	Patient hasn't accepted Dr Edega's offer for procedure yet. He's been seen doing physical therapy once a day.
Post-clear	Patient's condition is doing well, and he's decided to stay until his physical therapy is complete.
Ranks
Pass	Reach the level epilogue with less than 25 misses. There is 1 checkpoint during the first cutscene and a health refill on the last cutscene.
Act 5
← 5-3 Seventh-Inning Stretch X-0 Helping Hands →
"Maybe this place ain't so bad."

Dreams Don't Stop (5-X) is a level in Rhythm Doctor.

It is the fifth and currently final boss level in the game. It is the first time that Window Dance is used to resize the window horizontally and vertically, in conjunction with previously established window movement. It also indirectly introduces Lucia.

Synopsis

The level opens with Lucky expressing discontent over his continued state of injury, wondering how long the healing process will take. A montage then plays out, with Lucky being accompanied by the various hospital patients as time flashes by. His discontent grows into anger, prompting the Miner to ask Lucky if he's alright. Lucky then opens up about his past, claiming that baseball was the only activity through which he felt accomplished in, worrying that he will remain unsatisfied with himself if he stays out of baseball. The Samurai then asks Lucky if he can train him. Lucky initially responds with confusion, before another montage plays out, showing Lucky training the Samurai on the field, then in a Beans Hopper cameo, as Logan and Hailey tag along to train with the Samurai. The Samurai then practices in the cafe, with Nicole pitching in to help, as Cole tags along in running with the cast. Lucky is then seeing coaching nearly all the hospital patients in the physiotherapy ward, giving a pep talk before their upcoming university game, before the player sees Ian warning Paige that the virus has returned, despite his efforts to keep it away. Paige then claims that the intern has no choice but to keep watch over the entire hospital staff. The view then cuts to Lucky, by himself, voicing his doubts out loud. The virus interferes as the view cuts to Lucky's dreams on the baseball field, heavily distorting the audio and visual cues, as the window stretches horizontally and vertically in an attempt to throw off the player. Afterwards, Lucky wakes up, in seemingly brighter spirits, as the view cuts to a representation of the hospital patients moving around on a heart-shaped baseball field, zooming in to focus on the Samurai using his bat to swing at baseballs. Lucky is then seen, in his typical uniform, baseball cap and baseball bat, giving another pep talk to the hospital patients. His sprite gradually fades into his present-day self, with his arm cast and lack of baseball material, telling the patients that they will "live with no regrets" if they continue to push themselves. The lyrics fade in again during this moment, as the resolution of the level plays out. A dusty grain effect can be seen after another baseball field montage, displaying Lucky's past memories of him serving on the baseball field, of him standing on the hospital balcony, and of him engaging in exercises with the Miner. The level's final beat ends on the Samurai swinging at a baseball, before ending. After the level, Paige checks up on Lucky, to which he claims that he is feeling alright. Edega then speaks to Lucky once more about the aforementioned new rhythm treatment, now ready for use on patients, with the possibility of healing him near instantly. Lucky declines, stating he has made progress on his own and that he does not want to risk further damage to his body, citing the Miner's previous line about only having "one body" to take care of. Lucky also claims he has enjoyed coaching the hospital patients just as much as he enjoyed being on the baseball field itself, and that the friendly company of the patients has made him want to stay at Middlesea Hospital. Edega attempts to further pressure Lucky by claiming his contract is on the brink of being canceled and that he is disappointing his baseball fans. Lucky persists, declining, claiming he has "found a better team." Ian then speaks to Paige, claiming that the cause of the virus has been the rhythm defibrillator itself all along. He claims he can fix it, but that he'll need her to distract Edega in the meantime. Lucky then apologizes to the two doctors for his previous insults, before challenging the intern to an arm wrestle. The Miner, Nicole, and Hailey then compliment Lucky for his new friendly attitude, before Lucky tells them to shut up, out of embarrassment. Paige then tells the hospital patients to rest up, as Lucky chimes in to tell them that they'll be jogging laps around the block tomorrow. Ian questions if he and Paige are included in the jogs, to which Paige says that they likely are. The dialogue then transitions into the credits level, Helping Hands.

Transcript

[Level start]

[Lucky] They keep saying that 'healing takes time.'

[Lucky] How long is this gonna take?

[Interlude]

Hey! Everything okay?

[Lucky] Eh.

C'mon, let's do our stretches.

[Lucky] Ugh...fine...

It'll never be a hundred percent. You have to make peace with that.

[Lucky] I know...It's just....

[Lucky] Bad grades, couldn't ever focus, mom and dad yellin' at me...

[Lucky] But on the field, everthing was different.

[Lucky] Without baseball... I feel like I'll just be that useless kid again.

...

[Lucky] Sorry, I...

Can you teach me baseball?

[Lucky] wait what

[Interlude]

let's play baseball

X

[Lucky] Alright everyone! Tommorrow's the big day! The local university agreed to a game. It won't be easy.

H-Hey Ada, we've got a problem...

No matter what we do, it sticks around.

Then the intern will have to keep watch on the whole team. What choice do we have?

[Lucky] Can't sleep...why is my heart racing?

[Lucky] Do I really care whether they win this pointless match?

[Lucky] Or does 'coaching' just mean that I'm giving up on my dreams?

[Interlude]

[Lucky] Ninth inning, team!

[Lucky] I know how it feels. Like you're running on an empty tank. That it'd be easier to just let it be over.

[Lucky] But don't give in.

[Lucky] Y'know, when you all said you wanted me to coach you...

[Lucky] ...I thought you were joking. I didn't think you'd stand a chance in a real game, but here you are.

[Lucky] That's why I've learned never to listen to what coaches have to say. They're usually clueless.

[Lucky] So listen to me just this once, then never listen to me again!

[Lucky] If you push yourself further here...on a path you never thought you could run on...

[Lucky] ...I know you'll live with no regrets!

[End of song]

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
To all my fans (To all the fans)
I tried my best but things are tough
I'm out of luck (You're out of luck)
My joints are torn, I can't hold on

Everybody believes there must be
Something wrong with me,
To stay this way
But my dreams don't stop,
So I'll keep holding on

[Verse 2]
The air is still
But there's no peace inside this place
Fans lose their cool
My team moves on, I've been replaced
I'm fed up with waiting
My body is fading
I'm sick of your sympathy

[Outro]
I'm stepping away
From all my regrets of yesterday
I'm more than my dreams
It's time to move on
To all my friends, I'm holding on

Trivia

• This level now marks Lucia's first appearance within a main story level. Prior to the Act 5 update, Art Exercise was the first and only level Lucia could be seen in, as a patient or character.