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Needing help creating a character's team for an upcoming crossover fic.

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So, as the title of the thread states, I'm at a bit of a stopping point for the plotting of an upcoming fic involving a crossover between Skyrim and Pokemon.

The basic idea behind the plot will involve my vampiric Dragonborn finding himself in the Pokemon world (deciding between Sinnoh and Unova currently) as a result of an experiment of his back in Tamriel, shortly after arriving in [Sinnoh/Unova], he is discovered by a brand new trainer who's equally clueless about the Khajiit as he is of her, but after clearing the air slightly, the Dragonborn joins Skylar on her journey, just as eager to learn about the world as he is. Back home, Ja'vassa is a fearsome spellsword renowned for his prowess in combat and his incredible skill in magic, but in the Pokemon world, he's gonna have to find new solutions to problem, solutions that no longer involve his blades or spells, this leads the rookie trainer to teach him about Pokemon training as she goes after her goal to take down Champion Cynthia/Alder.

So, I've got future teams decided for Skylar, both for Sinnoh and Unova depending on the region I choose.
Sinnoh - Pachirisu, Torterra (Her starter), Mothim, Bastiodon, Garchomp, and Staraptor
Unova - Emolga, Serperior (Her starter), Scolipede, Archeops, Hydreigon, and Volcarona

I've decided on a few possibilities for Ja'vassa, likely revolving around his affinity for magic and swordsmanship, while also reflecting his adoration for cute animals. Being a Khajiit, he's very much going to get a cat Pokemon for his ace, most likely a Liepard regardless of the region they travel in, but beyond that, I haven't really figured out much for him. I've thought about giving him a Ninetales, Gallade, Aegislash and perhaps a Psychic type like Xatu as well. Any ideas, perhaps relating around Pokemon that are also associated with swords, magic, or something along those lines?
 
Here are some points to consider for selecting Pokemon for your OCs in general:
  • Do the Pokemon suit the character and/or their needs? This point has more than one facet to it.
    • The Pokemon suits them aesthetically/thematically. What are your characters' aesthetic preferences? (Are they edgy bois/grrls? Glamorous and stylish? Do they like canines/felines/serpents/etc.?) What strategies do they prefer? (Do they prefer stalling? Overwhelming the foe with sheer force? Using evasive maneuvers to bait enemies into hurting themselves?) Those will inform what Pokemon they'd want to catch at first sight.
      • Alternatively, you can have Pokemon that contrast with these preferences. Maybe a small, cute fairy tearfully stared its way into your edgelord's team and now these opposing personalities have to put up with each other.
    • The Pokemon has a practical purpose. An archaeologist, for example, would benefit from a Rock or Ground-type that can dig to make excavations quicker and easier. (Now I'm imagining that Cynthia's Garchomp is useful for more than just battling.) Or for battlers, this Pokemon counters a glaring weakness of the team (that the existing team members don't have any moves/strategies to counter.)
  • Could you reasonably explain how they got those Pokemon? Depends on how strictly you want to follow the games' Pokedexes. But even then, you may have more options than you think. In the original Sinnoh games, there were various means to encounter Pokemon outside the regional 'Dex even on earlier routes. Maybe your character finds some Doduos or Nidorans passing through on Route 201? (Honestly, this one is more important for legendaries, shinies, and other ultra-rare Pokemon, but you should still consider it.)
  • Your character isn't required to have a lab starter like Empoleon or Serperior. Most people in the setting don't, actually. Heck, your character doesn't even have to meet the region's Professor at all.
  • Do their narrative goals require having six or more Pokemon? Do they also want to take on the Pokemon League? Do they have a different goal in mind? Keep in mind that in the setting, it's actually quite common for trainers to have less than six Pokemon with them... and still get by just fine.
    • There's also the added bonus of a more manageable cast size. If the Pokemon are getting characterization along with the trainers, it's much easier if the average team size is smaller.
    • The main reason to have a full team would be if your OC's goals/desired profession naturally lead to them having a lot of Pokemon. Challenging the League is an obvious reason, but they could also have a lot of Pokemon if they're challenging the Battle Frontier, doing professional Breeder business and hatching a lot of eggs, feeding an obsession with collecting Pokemon, etc.
  • If your character is traveling in a group, they don't always have to battle alone. Your character wouldn't necessarily need a team optimized for every type matchup because they could rely on an ally's Pokemon to cover those gaps. (This is something I learned from playing the unofficial Pokemon tabletop RPGs, but Masters has this theme going for it too.)
So far, the proposed teams for Skylar feel like Standard Playthrough Teams™. If she's intended to be an Everywoman of sorts that represents the "average" Pokemon trainer to your other characters, that could work. And you could always play around with that archetype later on. But if that isn't the case, you've got a lot of room to give her team a unique identity while still being suitable for challenging the League. I'd recommend thinking more about what Skylar herself is like and deciding on what direction you want to take her.

As for Ja'vassa...
  • Aegislash is actually a spellsword. Its Special Attack is quite high.
    • Or you could split it into a "spell" Pokemon and a "sword" pokemon. Maybe Mismagius and Scyther/Scizor or Gardevoir and Gallade. You also have Delphox, Galarian Slowking, Hatterene, Samurott, Sirfetch'd, and Haxorus for other options.
  • Along with Liepard, there's also Luxray, Glameow/Purugly, Meowstic, Litten/Torracat/Incinerorar, Pyroar...
 
Last edited:
Here are some points to consider for selecting Pokemon for your OCs in general:
  • Do the Pokemon suit the character and/or their needs? This point has more than one facet to it.
    • The Pokemon suits them aesthetically/thematically. What are your characters' aesthetic preferences? (Are they edgy bois/grrls? Glamorous and stylish? Do they like canines/felines/serpents/etc.?) What strategies do they prefer? (Do they prefer stalling? Overwhelming the foe with sheer force? Using evasive maneuvers to bait enemies into hurting themselves?) Those will inform what Pokemon they'd want to catch at first sight.
      • Alternatively, you can have Pokemon that contrast with these preferences. Maybe a small, cute fairy tearfully stared its way into your edgelord's team and now these opposing personalities have to put up with each other.
    • The Pokemon has a practical purpose. An archaeologist, for example, would benefit from a Rock or Ground-type that can dig to make excavations quicker and easier. (Now I'm imagining that Cynthia's Garchomp is useful for more than just battling.) Or for battlers, this Pokemon counters a glaring weakness of the team (that the existing team members don't have any moves/strategies to counter.)
  • Could you reasonably explain how they got those Pokemon? Depends on how strictly you want to follow the games' Pokedexes. But even then, you may have more options than you think. In the original Sinnoh games, there were various means to encounter Pokemon outside the regional 'Dex even on earlier routes. Maybe your character finds some Doduos or Nidorans passing through on Route 201? (Honestly, this one is more important for legendaries, shinies, and other ultra-rare Pokemon, but you should still consider it.)
  • Your character isn't required to have a lab starter like Empoleon or Serperior. Most people in the setting don't, actually. Heck, your character doesn't even have to meet the region's Professor at all.
  • Do their narrative goals require having six or more Pokemon? Do they also want to take on the Pokemon League? Do they have a different goal in mind? Keep in mind that in the setting, it's actually quite common for trainers to have less than six Pokemon with them... and still get by just fine.
    • There's also the added bonus of a more manageable cast size. If the Pokemon are getting characterization along with the trainers, it's much easier if the average team size is smaller.
    • The main reason to have a full team would be if your OC's goals/desired profession naturally lead to them having a lot of Pokemon. Challenging the League is an obvious reason, but they could also have a lot of Pokemon if they're challenging the Battle Frontier, doing professional Breeder business and hatching a lot of eggs, feeding an obsession with collecting Pokemon, etc.
  • If your character is traveling in a group, they don't always have to battle alone. Your character wouldn't necessarily need a team optimized for every type matchup because they could rely on an ally's Pokemon to cover those gaps. (This is something I learned from playing the unofficial Pokemon tabletop RPGs, but Masters has this theme going for it too.)
So far, the proposed teams for Skylar feel like Standard Playthrough Teams™. If she's intended to be an Everywoman of sorts that represents the "average" Pokemon trainer to your other characters, that could work. And you could always play around with that archetype later on. But if that isn't the case, you've got a lot of room to give her team a unique identity while still being suitable for challenging the League. I'd recommend thinking more about what Skylar herself is like and deciding on what direction you want to take her.

As for Ja'vassa...
  • Aegislash is actually a spellsword. Its Special Attack is quite high.
    • Or you could split it into a "spell" Pokemon and a "sword" pokemon. Maybe Mismagius and Scyther/Scizor or Gardevoir and Gallade. You also have Delphox, Galarian Slowking, Hatterene, Samurott, Sirfetch'd, and Haxorus for other options.
  • Along with Liepard, there's also Luxray, Glameow/Purugly, Meowstic, Litten/Torracat/Incinerorar, Pyroar...
Thank you for the feedback!

While I wouldn't consider Ja'vassa to be an edgelord, but given his reputation back home, there is definitely plenty of chances for a cute, innocent Pokemon weaving its way into his heart, was thinking of giving him something like a Meowstic. Though, I hadn't thought about giving him Delphox or Samurott; the former would probably make more sense than Ninetales. Liepard is a given, but Luxray would be a fun option, too.

As for Skylar, she was largely created with the same mindset ten year old me had when catching Pokemon. They looked cool or cute or strong and my ten year old brain thought that they'd be unstoppable, which is sort of the mindset Skylar has. The Pokemon she catches are there because of their coolness or cuteness. Though Ja'vassa has more actual combat experience, he's more interested in simply doing some research, which could potentially lead to a more diverse team rather than the standard team every new player has, whereas Skylar's aiming for Pokemon League.
 
I will say that I didn't call Ja'vassa an edgelord to begin with. I was merely giving an example of how a trainer could have a Pokemon who's the complete opposite of what they're like.
 
My apologies; I misread part of what you written, sorry if it seemed like I was accusing you or complaining about it. Thank you for the feedback so far, though.
 
Please note: The thread is from 2 years ago.
Please take the age of this thread into consideration in writing your reply. Depending on what exactly you wanted to say, you may want to consider if it would be better to post a new thread instead.
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