Magicians' Journey (A Patchouli Quest. Pokemon crossover.)

[Tom]

> "Say then, how good are you at keeping secrets?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> "Say then, how good are you at keeping secrets?"

>The pokedex flips back over and blinks.
>"Bzzt? Good, I suppose. Why do you ask?"
>_

[Tom]

> "I suppose isn't good enough"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> "I suppose isn't good enough"

>The device rolls its eyes.
>"Yes. I can keep a secret."
>_

[Tom]

> "Okay then, since you'll be acompanyig us for our adventure in Kalos we might as well get to know eachother better then~"

> Whisper "Do you know of a secluded place we won't be seen? What we'd like to tell you is a little far fetched, so we'd rather show you."

> Cheerfully "After all, seeing is believing~!"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> "Okay then, since you'll be acompanyig us for our adventure in Kalos we might as well get to know eachother better then~"

> Whisper "Do you know of a secluded place we won't be seen? What we'd like to tell you is a little far fetched, so we'd rather show you."

> Cheerfully "After all, seeing is believing~!"

>"While I have a map, I personally haven't been able to travel much, so I am unsure of any nearby secluded locations." the pokedex replies, "...Well, Pokemon Centers do offer free lodging for trainers, but that's only if you intend to stay the night, so it's likely an inefficient option."

>"Maybe we could just duck into an alley somewhere, ze?" Marisa suggests.
>_

[Tom]

> "Why don't we head back towards the route we came from?  There might be interesting pokemon there too"

> Casually proceed back the way we came, and through the gatehouse.  Once outside the city just wander off the main path towards somewhere we won't be seen.

> When we're alone:
>> "Similar to how you're not the simple device you seem to be, we're not your average humans either...  While we pretend to be stage magicians, we're the real thing~"
>> Float off the ground slightly and hold out a small danmaku sun in our palm (like a fist sized Royal Flare)
>> Expectant look at Alice and Marisa to show Rotom some magic or danmaku

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> "Why don't we head back towards the route we came from?  There might be interesting pokemon there too"

>"That works too." Marisa nods.

> Casually proceed back the way we came, and through the gatehouse.  Once outside the city just wander off the main path towards somewhere we won't be seen.

>You lead your group back to the route you were on, coughing slightly as you once again enter pollen hell.
>You proceed to wander off the main path, steering the group and your pokemon into a nearby hedge maze.

> When we're alone:
>> "Similar to how you're not the simple device you seem to be, we're not your average humans either...  While we pretend to be stage magicians, we're the real thing~"
>> Float off the ground slightly and hold out a small danmaku sun in our palm (like a fist sized Royal Flare)
>> Expectant look at Alice and Marisa to show Rotom some magic or danmaku

>You float up and conjure some danmaku motioning for the others to do the same.
>"Fennekin!?" your starter pokemon yelps in surprise when it notices this, staring up at you in amazement.

>The other pokemon are similarly surprised by their trainer's abilities, with Squirtle attempting to jump on Marisa's broom with her while Alice's Chepsin -- Albi if you recall correctly -- watches Alice and her dolls with interest.

>"Amazing." the pokedex drones, "I mean, I knew psychic humans existed, but I never thought I'd see them up close, let alone be assigned to some... How are you doing that light trick? Is it an illusion?"
>_

[Tom]

> Smile back at Fennekin

> "That would be an incorrect assumption, as we're not psychic and can't tell each other's thoughts without casting mind-reading magic, and neither are we *necessarily* human"

> Point at the danmaku "Sort of, it's our way of resolving disagreements.  We summon beautiful patterns of these 'bullets' while simultaneously trying to avoid getting hit by the other's projectiles until someone admits defeat."
> "While they look threatening, they're quite harmless and can barely burn cloth.  As to what they're made of, they're a physical manifestation of an individual's magical energy"

> "I'd like to know what psychic humans *are* though?  Like what do you know about superhuman abilities?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> Smile back at Fennekin

>You smile at Fennekin, who wags her tail in response.

> "That would be an incorrect assumption, as we're not psychic and can't tell each other's thoughts without casting mind-reading magic, and neither are we *necessarily* human"

>"Bzzt?! How so?"

> Point at the danmaku "Sort of, it's our way of resolving disagreements.  We summon beautiful patterns of these 'bullets' while simultaneously trying to avoid getting hit by the other's projectiles until someone admits defeat."
> "While they look threatening, they're quite harmless and can barely burn cloth.  As to what they're made of, they're a physical manifestation of an individual's magical energy"

>"I see... How fascinating."

> "I'd like to know what psychic humans *are* though?  Like what do you know about superhuman abilities?"

>"Well, from the data I have on hand, I know that its possible for humans to be born with psychic powers. These commonly manifest as telepathy and telekinesis, but other powers such as illusions have been documented as well. Granted, most human psychics tend to pale in comparison with psychic pokemon, though with many years of training it's possible for human psychics to become quite powerful." the pokedex explains, "As for other superhuman abilities, there are rare cases where a human capable of sensing and/or manipulating Aura is born. Those individuals with the capacity, should they receive proper training, are capable of great feats using Aura."

>"And what exactly is Aura?" Alice questions.

>"Aura is a form of spiritual energy, essentially making up the life force or essence of all living things. It can also be used as a potent weapon in the hands of a capable user."
>_

[Tom]

> "Interesting~!"
> "Where could we learn more about these psychic abilities and Aura?  Are there specialists in psychic Pokemon and people?"

> "With the exception of Marisa we're Youkai, though judging by this world's standards I guess you could consider her some kind of super-human?  As for what Youkai are, they're spiritual manifestations of human beliefs, such as the belief in the supernatural, folklore or even primal fears like the fear of darkness and the unknown.  We're a special type of Magician Youkai though, so we're not directly dependent on a particular belief."

> Mutter while thinking... "Though I believe a basic belief in the supernatural is required which is why survival in the outside world was no longer possible..."
> So we most likely *aren't* in the outside world...

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> "Interesting~!"
> "Where could we learn more about these psychic abilities and Aura?  Are there specialists in psychic Pokemon and people?"

>"Most psychic-specialist Gym Leaders and Elite Four members tend to be powerful psychics themselves," the pokedex explains, "As for Aura, unfortunately such users are far fewer in number. There are some known individuals in the Sinnoh region, though locating them would be difficult. The Lucario line of pokemon -- also originally native to that region, though there are established populations in many others, including Kalos -- are naturally adept in manipulating aura, so it's possible you may learn more about it from one of them as well."

> "With the exception of Marisa we're Youkai, though judging by this world's standards I guess you could consider her some kind of super-human?  As for what Youkai are, they're spiritual manifestations of human beliefs, such as the belief in the supernatural, folklore or even primal fears like the fear of darkness and the unknown.  We're a special type of Magician Youkai though, so we're not directly dependent on a particular belief."

> Mutter while thinking... "Though I believe a basic belief in the supernatural is required which is why survival in the outside world was no longer possible..."
> So we most likely *aren't* in the outside world...

>"Intriguing... I can see why you would want to keep that a secret. Though I suppose you could pass yourselves off as psychics quite easily as well." it pauses as you draw your conclusions, "...What do you mean by "outside world?""
>_

[Tom]

// Omit anything that's Patchouli wouldn't know (I assume she knows quite a bit about Gensokyo considering how much she reads and researches)
> "Maybe we should consider pretending to be psychic stage-magicians~"

> In a sort of disappointed/sad tone "Well a long time ago when civilizations and science we in their infancy, people were a lot more open to supernatural explanations for various phenomena.  This lead to physical manifestations of their beliefs, and since they were human beliefs the resulting beings took generally humanoid forms."

> "But as civilizations and science progressed people started to forget about such beliefs and lost faith in them, leading to the extinction of supernatural beings in most of the world except places which were to say 'behind the times'.  Like I assume in this world no-one believes vampires *really* exist these days?  So the remaining Youkai got together and decided to create a sort of "sub-dimension" based on the outside world but isolated from its progress so they could live in peace.  Even though a shrine maiden's duty is to exterminate Youkai, a kind shrine maiden heard their plight and offered to be the protector of this new world and thus her bloodline was bound to the great barrier that defines their dimension"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

// Omit anything that's Patchouli wouldn't know (I assume she knows quite a bit about Gensokyo considering how much she reads and researches)
> "Maybe we should consider pretending to be psychic stage-magicians~"

>"As I said I doubt it would be difficult."

> In a sort of disappointed/sad tone "Well a long time ago when civilizations and science we in their infancy, people were a lot more open to supernatural explanations for various phenomena.  This lead to physical manifestations of their beliefs, and since they were human beliefs the resulting beings took generally humanoid forms."

> "But as civilizations and science progressed people started to forget about such beliefs and lost faith in them, leading to the extinction of supernatural beings in most of the world except places which were to say 'behind the times'.  Like I assume in this world no-one believes vampires *really* exist these days?  So the remaining Youkai got together and decided to create a sort of "sub-dimension" based on the outside world but isolated from its progress so they could live in peace.  Even though a shrine maiden's duty is to exterminate Youkai, a kind shrine maiden heard their plight and offered to be the protector of this new world and thus her bloodline was bound to the great barrier that defines their dimension"

>The pokedex stares blankly as it processes your words.
>"...Wait... You mean to say you're from another dimension?" it blinks.
>_

[Tom]

> "Yes, and we wouldn't have to be as secretive about our abilities"

> "I-I guess you could consider that?  It is a barrier that creates a sort of sub-dimension that's still in some ways linked to the dimension it was based upon...  But it's not huge or spherical like this outside-like world.  It has a complex border around it that makes it *seem* infinite, and while you can venture out in any direction as far as you'd like, if you turn back you'll find that you're not too far from where you started."

> "So can you really call that a full 'dimension'?"
> Give an expectant look to Marisa and Alice to see if they want to add their thoughts to this subject of if Gensokyo can be considered a dimension of its own

> Speaking of Alice what do we know about her?

> "Do you have any information on what is known about other dimensions, or if their existence is even acknowledged?"

> "Additionally what do you know about Pokemon themselves here, are they considered 'magical' or 'supernatural' creatures?"
> Maybe that's why we can continue to exist in this dimension?

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> "Yes, and we wouldn't have to be as secretive about our abilities"

>"It would be a good cover." Alice nods in agreement.

> "I-I guess you could consider that?  It is a barrier that creates a sort of sub-dimension that's still in some ways linked to the dimension it was based upon...  But it's not huge or spherical like this outside-like world.  It has a complex border around it that makes it *seem* infinite, and while you can venture out in any direction as far as you'd like, if you turn back you'll find that you're not too far from where you started."

> "So can you really call that a full 'dimension'?"
> Give an expectant look to Marisa and Alice to see if they want to add their thoughts to this subject of if Gensokyo can be considered a dimension of its own

>Marisa simply shrugs while Alice nods before waving her hand in a so-so manner.

> Speaking of Alice what do we know about her?

>Honestly not much. You know she's a magician who specializes in dolls who carries around a sealed grimoire, and that she's a resident of Gensokyo. But truthfully you don't see her nearly as often as Marisa.

> "Do you have any information on what is known about other dimensions, or if their existence is even acknowledged?"

> "Additionally what do you know about Pokemon themselves here, are they considered 'magical' or 'supernatural' creatures?"
> Maybe that's why we can continue to exist in this dimension?

>"As a matter of fact, yes. Other dimensions are indeed confirmed to exist. This is best exemplified by the Alola region, where the boundaries between dimensions are infamously thin, and extradimensional pokemon do show up there from time to time. In fact, the foremost experts on interdimensional interaction with our world can be found there. Additionally, it's believed that several legendary pokemon commonly worshipped in the Sinnoh region exist in pocket dimensions of their own, and are themselves capable of interdimensional travel." the pokedex replies, "As for your other question, that is an interesting subject of debate. It has been known that they've been occasionally referred to as "Magical Creatures" in ancient prehistory, plus there is also the fact that Psychic, Fairy, and Ghost types exist as well. Pokemon science truly is interesting when you start delving into the depths of it."
>_

[Tom]

> "Interesting... We might want to visit the Alola and Sinnoh regions sometime if the boundaries between dimensions are so thin.

> Maybe if we can find said pokemon who can travel between dimensions, and find some way of translating our speech to pokemon speech we could return to Gensokyo?

> "As for Pokemon being magical creatures, I have a little experiment in mind..."
> "You see we're fully magical beings, so if we had additional pokeballs I would like to see if they can interact with us.  If they do, then we can conclude that Pokemon are also indeed magical creatures like us."

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> "Interesting... We might want to visit the Alola and Sinnoh regions sometime if the boundaries between dimensions are so thin.

>"There is a port in Coumarine City if you wish to travel to other regions." The pokedex suggests.

> Maybe if we can find said pokemon who can travel between dimensions, and find some way of translating our speech to pokemon speech we could return to Gensokyo?

>You consider. Maybe this could work?

> "As for Pokemon being magical creatures, I have a little experiment in mind..."
> "You see we're fully magical beings, so if we had additional pokeballs I would like to see if they can interact with us.  If they do, then we can conclude that Pokemon are also indeed magical creatures like us."

>"If you wish for more pokeballs, you just need to visit the pokemart inside a Pokemon Center and buy some. In fact, it's standard policy to give new trainers who present their trainer cards to the pokemart counter a starter batch of balls." The pokedex pauses, eyes seeming to distort with static for a moment, "...In hindsight I probably should've mentioned that before we left..."
>You hear something sneeze.
>_

[Tom]

> It wasn't us right?  Take a look around maybe one of our pokemon sneezed, or Marisa or Alice.

> That could have saved our poor legs a trip back to the city if he had mentioned it...
> "Ahh, we'll do that later then, though first we'd like to learn how pokemon battles work, we saw a trainer earlier but we don't know of all the formalities and variations of said battles, would you care to explain?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> It wasn't us right?  Take a look around maybe one of our pokemon sneezed, or Marisa or Alice.

>You look around, finding everyone as confused by the sneeze as you are before noticing a green haired pokemon with a white body peering out of one of the hedges.
>"R-R-Ralts!" it yelps when you lock eyes with it, before it quickly retreats back into the foliage

>"What was that?" Marisa questions.

>"It was a Ralts." the pokedex explains, "A Psychic and Fairy type capable of sensing emotions, though they do tend to be rather timid. It was likely just curious."

> That could have saved our poor legs a trip back to the city if he had mentioned it...
> "Ahh, we'll do that later then, though first we'd like to learn how pokemon battles work, we saw a trainer earlier but we don't know of all the formalities and variations of said battles, would you care to explain?"

>"Well, the best way to learn that would be through experience." the pokedex smiles, "Why don't you battle each other? I can act as a battle referee and give you tips if needed."

>"Hmm..." Marisa thinks for a moment, before smoking "What do you think, Patchy? Care for a little battle, ze?"
>"What about me?" Alice questions.
>"Uh... you fight the loser?"
>"If I may, pokemon battles are typically done until one side is unable to battle, so if you're playing loser, then I'd recommend visiting a Pokemon Center between matches."
>_

[Tom]

> "Ahh, let's try it then"

> "What do you think, Fennekin?"

> If Fennekin agrees ask "So how do we begin?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> "Ahh, let's try it then"

> "What do you think, Fennekin?"

> If Fennekin agrees ask "So how do we begin?"

>Fennekin seems to hesitate for a moment, contemplating Squirtle as she does so, before giving you a nod.

>"Well, first let's move into a place with more space..." the pokedex replies.
>_

[Tom]

> Proceed to the open and wait to see what the pokedex has to say

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> Proceed to the open and wait to see what the pokedex has to say

>You move to a more open area.

>"Alright, now both of you put some distance between each other and face your opponent. Normally you would send your pokemon out of their pokeballs once the battle begins, but since they're already out, they can just take up a position in front of you."

>"When the battle begins, you both issue commands to your pokemon and you have the pokemon fight until all pokemon on one side are unable to battle. If either of you had more pokemon, then it's usually customary to agree how many pokemon each side is using, but since you both just have one at the moment, we can worry about that and other rules later on."

>"So it's somewhat like a spellcard duel in that regard..." Alice muses.
>"I'm unsure of what that is..." the pokedex frowns.
>"Ah, it's the beautiful projectile duels Patchouli mentioned earlier. Maybe we can tell you more about them later?"
>"Oh, I see. Interesting... Remind me to ask you for more information later in our travels."
>_

[Tom]

> "We could show you later if you know a big place we wont be seen"

> "So, what kind of comands are there?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> "We could show you later if you know a big place we wont be seen"

> "So, what kind of comands are there?"

>"Well, the most basic ones involve telling your pokemon to use one of the moves they know and to dodge and counter the opponent's moves." the pokedex explains, pausing for a moment, "...Oh, right, you probably don't know what your pokemon's moves are, let me pull them up, real quick."

>The pokedex flips over, its screen changing to show a little interface of Fennekin with four slots next to it. Curiously, one of her slots seems to be blank.

Status:

Fennekin (Unnamed)
Gender: F
Type: Fire
Ability: Blaze
Moves:
> Scratch [Normal] - (35/35)
> Tail Whip [Normal] - (30/30)
> Ember [Fire] (25/25)
> --

>"Let me know when you're done looking so that I may show Marisa her pokemon's data. In a normal fight, you usually won't know what moves the opposing pokemon has ahead of time, after all. Of course, if you'd rather see Squirtle's data as well, I can do that, as long as you're comfortable with Marisa seeing Fennekin's data in return."
>_

[O4rfish]

>"What sort of information is indicated by the fraction in parentheses?"

[Tom]

> "Also do you know what these moves actually do?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"What sort of information is indicated by the fraction in parentheses?"

>"That is PP. It's a measurement that serves as a rough estimate of how many times a pokemon can use a certain move before they're unable to perform it any further due to exhaustion. Once a pokemon runs out for a specific move it usually won't be able to use it for a while, which would force them to the other moves at their disposal. When they're completely out of options, they tend to Struggle until they collapse from fatigue if forced to continue fighting."

> "Also do you know what these moves actually do?"

>"Of course." the pokedex's screen changes, showing detailed information about each move, "I'd read it out loud, but I'd rather not give your opponent any advantages you didn't mutually agree to."

Details:

> Scratch [Normal] - Strikes the opponent with claws to inflict damage
> Tail Whip [Normal] - The user wags its tail cutely in an attempt to make the opponent let their guard down.
> Ember [Fire] -  Shoots small flames at the target. Has a small chance to inflict a Burn.

>_

[Tom]

> "Marisa, mind if we see eachother's movesets?  Since this is more about learning than anything really"

> If she agrees let her see our moveset and check Squirtle's moveset