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

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> "So lets walk up and ask them what all this is about"

> Proceed to do what we said we'd do

>You start to approach the teenagers. However, their conversation seems to finish before you can get there, and the boy glides off on those rather accident-prone looking shoes of his.
>Fortunately, you're able to flag down the girl before she can leave.

>"Huh?" she questions when you get her attention, eyes glancing between the three of you as you close the gap, with her gaze seeming to linger a few seconds longer on both you and Marisa.
>_

[Tom]

> "Hey miss, would you care to explain to us old ladies how those familiars you were fighting with work?"
> Point at one of those spheres if there is one in her hand

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

//Happy Cirno Day.

//Also sorry for the slow pace lately, just didn't want to leave Withering behind if they still intended to participate in this.

> "Hey miss, would you care to explain to us old ladies how those familiars you were fighting with work?"
> Point at one of those spheres if there is one in her hand

>In the periphery of your vision you notice both Alice and Marisa raise an eyebrow at your choice of vocabulary.
>The teenager looks a bit confused as well, which only intensifies when you point to the red and white sphere clipped to her belt.
>"Eh? You don't look that-- Famil-- You mean my pokemon? What?" she blinks.
>_

[Tom]

> "We're usually really busy meaning we don't get to keep up with the trends, so if you wouldn't mind explaining the basics of those 'poke-mon' you mentioned?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> "We're usually really busy meaning we don't get to keep up with the trends, so if you wouldn't mind explaining the basics of those 'poke-mon' you mentioned?"

>She blinks and stares speechlessly at you, giving you a look as if you had lobsters crawling out of your ears.
>_

[Tom]

> Huh why is she reacting like this?

> Stare blankly back expecting an answer

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> Huh why is she reacting like this?

> Stare blankly back expecting an answer

>You stare.

>...

>"...You're serious, aren't you?" The girl blinks, "Please tell me you're not actually being serious..."
>_

[Tom]

> Why is she so amazed at our question, could it be we asking the equivalent of 'what are spellcards?' in Gensokyo?

> We need an excuse!

> "L-like I said we're usually quite busy"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> Why is she so amazed at our question, could it be we asking the equivalent of 'what are spellcards?' in Gensokyo?

> We need an excuse!

> "L-like I said we're usually quite busy"

>You make up an excuse, punctuating with a cough.
>"Y-Yeah. Like the kind of busy that gives you severe tunnel vision, ze." Marisa adds, attempting to help.
>"B-But that doesn't mean you shouldn't... I... Oh I see..." she frowns, "This is some kind of weird prank, isn't it!"
>"What reason would we have to prank you?" Alice blinks, "It was an honest question."
>"No, seriously, you can drop the act now. Besides, if you don't know about pokemon, then explain how you have dolls floating in the air next to you!" the girl points to Alice's dolls, "What, do you have a psychic type waiting in the bushes making them levitate? Or maybe a ghost type is possessing them?"

>Both of Alice's dolls look a bit offended at that remark, causing the girl to blink for a moment.
>"Gee, whatever pokemon you have controlling them must be a good actor..."
>_

[Tom]

> Her response provided an interesting bit of information regarding our location, she mentioned that you need a 'pokemon' to levitate objects meaning the residents might be unable to do so on their own.  It's possible we're in the outside world - or someplace related to it, where there is limited magic.
> Make a mental note to tell Alice later that the levitating dolls might be problematic

> In a world with limited magic ... an explanation!  Might be a little far-fetched but in a world without magic should work.

> In a confident tone "Its merely an illusion~  We're just a group of traveling stage magicians and my friend here is a puppeteer!"
> In an explanatory tone "Which is also why our outfits might look a little surprising~"

> "After having arrived these 'pokemon' caught our interest, we noticed a few in the wild earlier and were thinking they could help us design some new tricks"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> Her response provided an interesting bit of information regarding our location, she mentioned that you need a 'pokemon' to levitate objects meaning the residents might be unable to do so on their own.  It's possible we're in the outside world - or someplace related to it, where there is limited magic.
> Make a mental note to tell Alice later that the levitating dolls might be problematic

>You note to tell her later.

> In a world with limited magic ... an explanation!  Might be a little far-fetched but in a world without magic should work.

> In a confident tone "Its merely an illusion~  We're just a group of traveling stage magicians and my friend here is a puppeteer!"
> In an explanatory tone "Which is also why our outfits might look a little surprising~"

> "After having arrived these 'pokemon' caught our interest, we noticed a few in the wild earlier and were thinking they could help us design some new tricks"

>The girl stares for a moment, before something seems to click in her head.
>"Oh! I get it!" she snaps her fingers, "You're not from Kalos, so you probably haven't seen many of its native pokemon like my Fletchling before! I'm sorry for not realizing sooner..."
>_

[Tom]

> So we're in 'Kalos', have we heard of such a place in books (regarding perhaps in the outside world?)

> We're making progress here~
> "Indeed, we noticed a few in the wild before but we don't know their names or abilities.  So if you know some place we can find some kind encyclopedia about the local 'pokemon' it would be very helpful"

> "You mentioned yours is called 'Fletchling', what would be its specialties?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> So we're in 'Kalos', have we heard of such a place in books (regarding perhaps in the outside world?)

>'Kalos' does not match up with any outside world location names that you know of.

> We're making progress here~
> "Indeed, we noticed a few in the wild before but we don't know their names or abilities.  So if you know some place we can find some kind encyclopedia about the local 'pokemon' it would be very helpful"

>"Well, I heard pokemon professors like Professor Sycamore are able to give out pokedexes, though that's usually for new trainers taking on the Gym Challenge as far as I know." the girl replies, "He lives in Lumiose City if you want to try your luck, though. It's the big city just down the road, you can't miss it."

> "You mentioned yours is called 'Fletchling', what would be its specialties?"

>"Well it's a Normal/Flying type that's pretty common around these parts. Though when they evolve they become Fletchinder and Talonflame, which are Fire/Flying types."
>_

[Tom]

> Make a mental note to find out what this 'pokedex' and 'Gym Challenge' she mentioned is

> In response to her second comment:
>> E-evolve?  Wonder what she means by that
>> "I see"

> "Well we'll be off to Lumiose city to visit the professor then, thanks for the info miss~"

> Get ready to leave and head towards the city she mentioned

[Tom]

> Sidenote, do any of us have 'Youkai teeth' that would be visible if we happened show our teeth (ex if we laughed)?  Or any other subtle Youkai characteristics we can't hide?

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> Make a mental note to find out what this 'pokedex' and 'Gym Challenge' she mentioned is

>You file that away next to telling Alice to be cautious with her dolls.

> In response to her second comment:
>> E-evolve?  Wonder what she means by that
>> "I see"

> "Well we'll be off to Lumiose city to visit the professor then, thanks for the info miss~"

>"You're welcome. I hope you find a pokemon that works well with whatever tricks you're planning."

> Get ready to leave and head towards the city she mentioned

>You start heading back on your prior route.

> Sidenote, do any of us have 'Youkai teeth' that would be visible if we happened show our teeth (ex if we laughed)?  Or any other subtle Youkai characteristics we can't hide?

>Fortunately, magicians are among the most human-like youkai in appearance. Physically, you look no different from a human, as does Alice.
>_

[Tom]

> Proceed towards said city!

> While walking take note of the various species of 'pokemon' we see

> When we're sure we're alone:
> "Alice I have reason to believe we might be in the outside world which has a say ... primitive understanding of magic, meaning levitation might raise unwanted attention."
> "After all, theres only so many illusions and tricks stage magicians can perform without a stage"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

//I do wonder when Withering will come back, if at all... It's kinda lonely having only one active player in a quest.

> Proceed towards said city!

> While walking take note of the various species of 'pokemon' we see

>You proceed.
>As you walk you see more of those hexagonal bee things darting among the flowers, behaving similarly to actual bees. You also spot a few more of the ladybug-like creatures.
>Floating among the flowers themselves are what would seem to have been individual blooms picked up by the wind, save for the fact that the wind isn't blowing nearly as hard to cause that kind of damage. It's then you notice that there appear to be tiny bodies clinging to the center of the flowers which appear to be directing their movement through the air.
>You also spot a pink, cat-like creature with a brown crescent of fur on its face taking a nap on a rock.

> When we're sure we're alone:
> "Alice I have reason to believe we might be in the outside world which has a say ... primitive understanding of magic, meaning levitation might raise unwanted attention."
> "After all, theres only so many illusions and tricks stage magicians can perform without a stage"

>"Hmm... Good point..." Alice turns to her dolls, "Are you two okay with walking?"
>The blue dressed one gives a hesitant nod, before elbowing its less enthusiastic companion into nodding as well, before both slowly drift to the ground. They both seem to stare at their feet for a moment, before taking a single step forward...

>...And promptly faceplanting into the road.

>"...You never taught them to walk, did you?" Marisa questions, stifling a laugh.
>"W-Well I'm so used to my dolls floating it must have slipped my mind..." Alice attempts to hide her embarrassment.
>_

[Tom]

> Look at the two "Maybe you could try floating near the ground and only pretending to walk"

> "Would you happen to have something like invisible thread in case someone asks how they move?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> Look at the two "Maybe you could try floating near the ground and only pretending to walk"

> "Would you happen to have something like invisible thread in case someone asks how they move?"

>Alice thinks for a moment, "Well their skirts might be long enough to make it work if they did that..." she nods, "And I could attach magic threads to them similar to what I control my lesser dolls with if necessary."
>_

[Tom]

> Smile and nod at the little ones

> "Excellent~"

> Do we know their names?

> Keep heading towards the city

> Sidenote, do we have the ability to summon our familiar Koakuma to our location or otherwise communicate with her?

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> Smile and nod at the little ones

> "Excellent~"

> Do we know their names?

>You do not know their names.

> Keep heading towards the city

> Sidenote, do we have the ability to summon our familiar Koakuma to our location or otherwise communicate with her?

>You continue heading towards the city, hoping that you'll be out of this lung hell soon... It seems your suggestion of having the dolls pretend to walk has been working as well, with neither doll having another accident in the meantime.

>Summoning Koakuma to you is a simple ritual. However, it takes some time to set up, and you can only reliably pull it off when your health is Above Average or better.

>You eventually enter a tunnel at the city wall, and immediately your burning lungs feel relief as you enter a small rest area. You suppose a gatehouse would be the most appropriate term for it...
>You note that off to your right is a counter with a blonde woman in a suit attending it, while at the left are various places to sit and rest.
>_

[Tom]

> Enjoy the pollen free atmosphere~

> Friendly nod at the woman attending the gatehouse.  If only our gatekeeper was as attentive...

> "Would you happen to know where to find 'Professor Sycamore'?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> Enjoy the pollen free atmosphere~

> Friendly nod at the woman attending the gatehouse.  If only our gatekeeper was as attentive...

> "Would you happen to know where to find 'Professor Sycamore'?"

>You enjoy the atmosphere, coughing briefly as the last traces of "Pollen Mode" leave your lungs, before addressing the woman behind the counter.

>"Certainly." the woman smiles, "It's located on South Boulevard, halfway between this gatehouse and the one leading to Route 5. To get there, just take a left at the first intersection and keep following the road. The lab will be on the left. It's hard to miss."
>_

[Tom]

> Make a mental note of the directions she just gave us

> "Thank you miss!"

> Smile and nod at the lady and proceed through the gatehouse into the big town

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

> Make a mental note of the directions she just gave us

> "Thank you miss!"

> Smile and nod at the lady and proceed through the gatehouse into the big town

>You thank the woman for the directions, noting them down, before proceeding.

[BGM]

>As soon as you exit the gatehouse, you are treated to the sight of the city proper. You knew it was big when you saw it from the sky, but now that you're actually in it, its scale just seems even more impressive. Your vision is filled with several large buildings, all at least three stories high, and in front of you, who knows how far away, you can see the top of the central tower jutting over the skyline.

>The streets themselves are busy as well, with several pedestrians going about their day, as well as what seem to be sleek metal carriages moving along the road. You also spot a few goat-like creatures covered in leaves being used as mounts by a few of the locals, and a few individuals here and there with that ridiculous accident-prone getup skating along the pavement on their wheeled shoes as if it were a frozen lake.

>"...Wow." Marisa idly comments as she takes in the surroundings as well, "You weren't kidding when you said it was big..."

>"So, now what?" Alice questions, "Do you think this Sycamore person would know of any information that could give us a lead on getting back to Gensokyo?"
>_

[Tom]

> Take a moment to observe eveything thats going on...

> Snap out of it "R-right, Alice"
> "I doubt this professor knows anything about Gensokyo, but they might know more about these 'pokemon' familiars. If we're going to be stuck here for an extended period of time it would be a good idea to learn more about them"
> Whisper "Because it doesn't feel like we're getting back any time soon... especially if the residents don't have a clue about magic and other worlds"
> Be reminded of who got us in to this and shoot a glare at Marisa

> Start walking in the direction of the lab

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

//At this point I think Withering probably isn't coming back, which is sad. Would've been nice to have had more than one player for a change.

> Take a moment to observe eveything thats going on...

> Snap out of it "R-right, Alice"

>You continue to take in the sights for a moment, before snapping out of it.

> "I doubt this professor knows anything about Gensokyo, but they might know more about these 'pokemon' familiars. If we're going to be stuck here for an extended period of time it would be a good idea to learn more about them"
> Whisper "Because it doesn't feel like we're getting back any time soon... especially if the residents don't have a clue about magic and other worlds"

>"I see." Alice nods, "Should we ask, just in case?"

> Be reminded of who got us in to this and shoot a glare at Marisa

> Start walking in the direction of the lab

>You start walking in the direction of the alleged lab as the conversation continues, shooting a glare at Marisa as you do so.
>"Hey, it's not like it's entirely my fault, ze." she frowns, "Weren't you the one who had it in the library in the first place?"
>_

[O4rfish]

>"The library is a safe place for dangerous books. Where would you rather have them, in some bookstore in the Human Village?"

[Tom]

> In a stereotypical "smart person" tone:
> "You'd actually be way more effective at learning if you followed some sort of order in your training...  Throwing around spells or in this case books which are still beyond your comprehension just to see what happens isn't very didactic after all.

> "Sure you witness the effect but learn nothing about the underlying mechanics which would enable you to use it at its fullest potential or more importantly, effectively counter it"

> "And thats why these books are kept in a well ordered library, so they can be located and referenced when needed in one's studies"