victory_road | Video | shadow shenanigans

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Video | shadow shenanigans

[The video is one of Armin sitting in front of a small beach shack. It's nothing fancy. Just the sort of thing that could give someone a bit of refuge from the sun or rain, but little beyond that. A Lapras has her head nestled on his lap while he strokes it.

Armin's shadow is Very Prominent against the sun-bleached wood.]

Uhm, this might sound a bit weird but please hear me out.

[He hesitates for a moment as if he is rethinking this entire message, but he pushes on.]

I know that Psychic pokemon can telepathically speak with their trainers. And I'm aware that there are pokemon like Chatot who are capable of mimicking human speech.

[Armin's Shadow wavers slightly, seeming to grow and move on its own, cocking its head for a moment.

Armin doesn't notice.]

But has anyone ever heard of other Pokemon being able to telepathically talk to people? I don't mean being able to interpret a Pokemon's natural noises or expressions, but them genuinely speaking to a person using words.

[The Shadow shakes its head, lifting a hand, opening and closing it: blah blah blah.]

Anything would help. Personal experience, books or myths. Really, anything at all.

[The Shadow twirls its finger by its temple, pointing at Armin: un poco loco in the coconutto says the gesture. Though when the Lapras lifts her head slightly to peer at the shadow, it suddenly goes still and normal again.]

Thank you in advance.

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_{[They were getting closer to the Islands, and it was something Bertolt was dreading for so many reasons. Granted he planned on staying in FCAB most of the time, he knew he'd have to leave and mingle - mostly to keep an eye on Marco (and to maybe steal another moment with Jean), so while he feels his stomach twist into a knot when he sees Armin, he has to suck it up.

He can't keep avoiding him forever.

But it also doesn't mean Bertolt has to show his face yet.]}

It's not really telepathy, but Askeladd can speak if he copies the appearance of another person for a little bit.

_{[It's not easy - not by a country mile.]}

Also, er... Is something going on behind you?

Behind me?

[Armin frowns, then glances at the wall behind him. He sees nothing though. Just weathered wood and his shadow.]

I don't think so. Everything seems normal to me. About Askeladd - what type of pokemon is he?

[Armin doesn't think it'll be relevant, because he doesn't remember Bertolt having a Lapras, but you know what, he'll accept any and all thoughts right now. Because if he doesn't find a reasonable, logical explanation, then the only alternative is that he is going insane.

Circe, the Larpas on his lap, huffs softly at that thought, but most of her attention is on Armin's shadow. She knows she saw something!]

I thought I saw something move, but|
he's a Zoroark. He couldn't quite speak when he'd turn into people as a Zorua, but just by looking at him it was like he was trying to say something.

_{[It was pretty unnerving looking at a copy of yourself with a haunted look. And a tiny, black poofy tail, along with a pair of ears occasionally to match.]}

I'm not sure if other people can hear him when he speaks while shapeshifted, if they just ignore it, or if he makes it so only I can hear him but it's... really|

I don't know.

_{[Creepy? He can't think of a good word for it.]}

Your shadow's being either rude or entertaining. Can't say which is more likely.

Depending on who you talk with in Ecruteak or Violet City, they claim it's possible to form connections like that with pokemon not known for being psychic types due to the strength of a bond between trainer and pokemon. I've heard the same reason given to explain basically anything not considered "common," so make of it what you will. One man swore it was the case with his Haunter. He was also telling scary stories in the park for children.

I'd guess any pokemon capable of learning psychic type "attacks" through tutoring, technical machines, or hidden machines probably has the same capacity, though how motivated they might be to make the attempt, I don't know.

[ Armin, why the hell are skills pokemon learn outside of "leveling" through their experiences related to machines or one on one tutoring sessions? Why? ]

[It's him, ya dad. Frowning thoughtfully at the screen, while a looming Gengar face floats in the background. Scowling.]

I don't have any psychic types right now. I know Blue has it in him, but he's never tried to communicate with me that way...

I know most of them can type, though, on the 'gear. Think that would help anything?

[Ah. It is Annie. It is strange to talk to her so casually considering what he knows of her, but then, in exchange for her information, he had sworn his secrecy as long as she made no moves against the others. Regardless of how strange it is for him to talk to her like this, not doing so might make the others suspicious.

It is a good thing this is text and not video. He doesn't have a poker face, at all.]

My shadow? You are not the first to bring it up, but I don't see anything.

[Why does everybody keep talking about his shadow? They can't all be collectively having some sort of mass-delusion, right? And yet, each time Armin glances at his shadow it looks, well, just as it always looks.]

If every pokemon capable of psychic type moves, whether through tutoring or TMs, would be capable of this, wouldn't there be more recorded cases of it? After all, there seem to be a lot of pokemon who can learn at least one psychic move one way or another. That seems to be too large a group to think none of them were ever recorded. And yet, when I checked the library, I found no references to Pokemon other than psychic types (and Chatot, but that is more mimicry) being able to speak, telepathically or otherwise.

I think Blue already has his own way of communicating.

[Through, you know, everything he does.]

No, typing won't exactly help. It's that-- [He hesitates for a moment and then:] ...promise you won't think I am going insane?

[Armin's Shadow meanwhile is gleefully mugging the scowling Haunter, a face momentarily coming alive among the shadow to stick out a large purple tongue at him, before it vanishes again.]

Maybe it was just a trick of the light? And that is interesting. About your Zoroark, I mean. In a way, it makes sense, doesn't it? If he changes to mimic a person, he'd have a human voice box as well, and no physical reason not to be able to speak. Just to verify, but he can only do this when he changes into a person, right? Not if he changes into another pokemon?

I think Blue is teaching himself his own version of sign language.

[And the rest of the world just has to play along.]

Of course, Armin. Promise. What's going on?

[Why would he think you're insane? You already accept all his brain garbage.]

[Haunter meanwhile, appears to puff up. An even fatter purple friend. Gesturing angrily at the screen. Boi don't make it come out there and smack you!!]

[Boy, that sure is a very rude hand gesture there, Armin's Shadow! Hopefully, Shiro won't see it or he'll have Armin pay into the swear jar.]

Well, uhm... sometimes I think I can hear my Lapras. Inside of my head, I mean.

[ Welcome to why she's responding at all: the glories of text as a mask, and the consistency she's not sure anyone else would bother looking for other than Armin, but still. Patterns are patterns. Sasha might wonder if Annie could be bothered talking to her but never the person she named a pokemon after. ]

Ah, so it's playing tricks. Good luck with whatever's causing that.

[ Since she genuinely doesn't know, but if Armin isn't seeing anything, he's being messed with--or he's messing with everyone else. She chooses to take him at his word for now. ]

That you're asking in the first place shows you're not satisfied with the answers you didn't find. Could there be more recorded cases? Yes, but you've already acknowledged that enough of it might only be passed along by word of mouth. They have more records here. That doesn't mean they're all-inclusive or accurate.

Then again, I've been here for a month. I don't know much of anything, really. All I can offer are possibilities I can neither prove nor disprove in any satisfying way. If that's a mutual waste of time, then I won't bother.

I... don't think so.

But I don't think I've actually seen him turn into another Pokemon yet. I've kept him in my PC since the last time he decided to|
He turned into me the last time I had him out, and at this point I'm too afraid of him doing something risky as far as my personal affairs go.

_{[Look, there's embarrassing him in the middle of town, and then there's embarrassing him in FCAB.]}

[Shiro blinks, looking from Armin's shadow to the boy in question. Then shakes it off. Haunter, however, fumes. And zooms out of the frame.]

[Where are you Armin, it's comin for your shadow.]

You can hear your Lapras... How do you know it's them? And not another pokemon?

[Oh no, Gengar is just shaking in his shadow boots.]

Well, it only ever happens when I am with my pod. And there aren't any other pokemon here that could cause it.

[Sure, sometimes a stray Voltorb rolls by or he can spy some wild water pokemon out on the ocean, but nothing that could talk to him.]

Then... you're probably onto something. Do you know of anyone specifically who works with psychic types?

[There's a pause.]

... and... head's up? I think Haunter is headed your way.

No, not really. I know a few trainers who have a psychic type, but not anyone who is really specialised in them. And I don't know a lot of people with other Lapras either.

[This is difficult!

Though wait.]

Haunter? Why is he heading this way?

Not on my end. Pikachu refuses to do the psychic speak thing. She'd rather mime or use Pika-speak than anything else.

And I don't have any other Psychic Pokemon of my own.

Hopefully some of them answer. Or have a better idea of what's going on here than I do. I can try looking things up if you want.

[Seriously, he basically knows Aggrons at this point.]

I'm not sure. It didn't say. But it looked upset.

Sorry-- none of my Pokemon are telepathic. So I never hear them "talk". But the longer I have a Pokemon, I feel like I really know what they're saying, if that makes any sense? Especially Tonks. He doesn't need to speak to me because we already understand each other.

And, uh, I think you've got some ghost-type shenanigans going on behind you there.

[Alright, wait. His shadow isn't matching him, and that's not okay. And making him a little paranoid.]

I don't know about talking pokemon but son? Your shadow is giving you sass behind your back.

What sort of Peter Pan bullshit is that?

Edited 2018-10-21 16:32 (UTC)

No, it's all right. I can try and look up things myself.

[No need to bother Shiro!]

Though I do wish what Haunter is coming here for. Not that I mind him here, but it seems highly unusual for him to act like that.

I see.

Do you happen to know of anyone who has Psychic Pokemon? Or who specialises in them? I've considered asking the people I know, but most of them don't really have Psychic pokemon either. Or any pokemon who have done something like this.

Not off the top of my head. I'll have to ask around. I know sometimes there's Pokemon who post on the network for their trainers, but that's like the odd rare thing in itself.

[Armin frowns. Yet another person remarking on the shenanigans.]

You are not the first person to tell me, but--

[Armin turns to regard his own shadow. He even goes as far as to touch the sun-bleached wood. Of course, while he does, the Gengar inside his shadow keeps quiet. Waiting.]

I don't see anything. And there shouldn't be any Ghost pokemon around here. What did you see, if I can ask?

I can definitely understand that.

[The idea of a pokemon mimicking his appearance and then going wild with it? Very bad. Armin definitely understands how Bertolt would want to avoid that. Even if the pokemon in question didn't have a malicious mind, it would still be very easy for it to land in all sorts of embarrassing situations. After all, there are plenty of things pokemon can do in public that humans can definitely not get away with.]

Though I have to admit I am curious about what he can do. Have you ever considered taking him with you to a place without other people there and ask him to transform there? Then he wouldn't be able to affect your personal affairs.

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