Explaining how, within the Lancer universe, paracausal technology actually works mathematically
Long story short, imaginary numbers
Below the cut is my yap
So...hi! Im not a mathematician. If any mathematicians read this, feel free to correct me!
Welcome to Algebra 2 and graphing; as you likely know, graphs are meant to represent physical space. You have x, y, and z of course as our axes.
If you have ever had to solve for a graph, you know the solutions are based upon the number of sides.
I will be discussing this from the point of view of an XY graph, as I haven't gotten to learn how to accurately solve a graph of three dimensional space.
Let's say, for instance, we have a polynomial graph that's degree is x^3. This graph will have three roots, three zeros. However, this does not mean there will be three points in which the line will pass 0 on the graph.
This is where we get into imaginary numbers.
Mathematically impossible solutions which must exist due to the equation they are attached to.
These zeros do not exist on the graph, but still do exist theoretically within the solutions.
What does this have to do with paracausality?
EVERYTHING
Ra himself is, canonically, impossible to have been calculated in real space.
Imaginary numbers are not present within real space, real solutions.
One simultaneous miscalculation, one simultaneous decision of one imaginary zero being counted as a real solution
This also explains the function of Blink Gates
The way blink gates warp space, these are those imaginary zeros. Blink space is where imaginary nunbers are the solutions.
It doesn't make sense because it should be impossible to be a real solution
Going further, the function of the Ushabti Omnigun and the Sisyphus-Class NHP can also both be explained through the usage of imaginary numbers
Alright
So
There's my theory anyways. I hope yall enjoyed this. Do correct me if the explaination seems off.
If Lancer ever somehow discovered our world and figured out how popular he was, he would completely dominate the Internet and interact with as many human beings as possible. He would convince social media with a 13+ restriction to give him an account anyway. He would dominate YouTube. He'd play so many video games and record it. He'd even play Deltarune and comment about every little thing he and others do in the game. He'd have a Twitch account. He'd buy Twitter. He would rule the universe.
This is a followup to my previous lancer theory post, which the tl;dr is: I think that type themed trainers should have one pokemon that’s not of their chosen type, both to spice up the battles and to add flavor to the trainer. And I made a list of what teams I would build for all of the Kanto gym leaders and the Elite Four from red/blue, or, fire red/leaf green. It wasn’t generation specific it was just about the lineup.
Anyway in that post I said I would come back and do Johto so. I did that.
Falkner
⦁ Natu--There aren't any mono-flying types until generation five, but leading with Natu adds type diversity without letting go of the bird theme.
⦁ Clefairy-Well there goes the bird theme. I did think about Psyduck, but it doesn't really showcase Falkner's dedication to elegance. The other thing I think Falkner is dedicated to is legacy; he inherited his father's pokemon, he dresses in a slightly archaic style. Clefairy has a little bit of that
⦁ Farfetch'd--I really don't like changing aces, but I also feel pretty strongly that an ace should be fully evolved. And while, yes, I guess Falkner could trade his impossible Pidgeotto for an impossible Pidgeot, I think Pidgeot is too strong for this stage in the game. Farfetch'd is more appropriate stat-wise.
Bugsy
⦁ Pineco--Okay this is a good sight tankier than his current Metapod (or Kakuna), but having a level 14 Metapod that could have broken free of its coccoon ages ago is. Sad. Plus Metapod's moveset is just tragic, Pineco will give you a little more to work with.
⦁ Krabby--A non-bug arthropod feels a little too obvious, but Bugsy's a little one-note to me. I did consider stretching a little, and if the Bellsprout line could learn fury cutter I might have gone with that. But nah. The crab fits the aesthetic, learns fury cutter, and counters fire and rock.
⦁ Scyther--Ace unchanged, no notes.
Whitney
⦁ Jigglypuff--Because this list is so hypothetical, it's not really pinned to a single generation, and therefore I have no idea if Clefairy would even be a normal type. But Jigglypuff doesn't drop the normal type even when it gains the fairy type. It also doesn't have the unpredictableness of metronome, but it has a pretty diverse moveset, so it can be hard to deal with in that way. Also, I want to say that while I usually push for diversity of secondary types, when the primary type is normal, secondary typing tends to feel like it's overriding it.
⦁ Flaffy--It's cute and fluffy and pairs well with Miltank. I also considered Vulpix, but I don't think it fits her vibes as well.
⦁ Miltank--Ace unchanged, no notes.
Morty
⦁ Gastly--There still aren't a lot of ghost types to choose from, but at least we don't need a double Haunter lineup. In fact this lineup doesn't have any haunter.
⦁ Misdreavus--When you've got a new ghost trainer in a new generation, it seems like a huge oversight not to give him any new pokemon.
⦁ Murkrow--I think this fits Morty's vibe and aesthetic as well, and when your gym is suspended over a pit you want things that can fly, right? Offensively, dark doesn't give Morty any coverage he didn't already have, but defensively a Murkrow can handle opposing ghosts that may have threatened his team, as well as psychics (and ground in gen II) that threaten his Gastly line.
⦁ Gengar--Ace unchanged, no notes.
Chuck
⦁ Heracross--I didn't really want to give up the pure fighting type from Chuck's team, but I did want to showcase one of the new fighting types, and Hitmontop didn't really fit Chuck's vibe. (And Tyrogue is not nearly strong enough to offer a challenge from a major player.) I could have given up Poliwrath, I guess, but it adds more than just typing to Chuck as a trainer.
⦁ Graveler--Fits Chuck's aesthetic really well. He surrounds himself with rocks--mostly for breaking, but why not one that breaks back? It's all coming together baby.
⦁ Poliwrath--The only note I have for this is that, apart from being a fighting type, Chuck living on an island and having a pokemon that can surf is a neat detail to me. And yep, that's the only reason I kept this and not Primeape. Well, the main reason anyway.
Jasmine
⦁ Magnemite--There are no mono-steel types in Johto! That's wild to me. Given that, Magnemite is a good pick because it showcases a previously non-steel pokemon as being steel now. That's neat.
⦁ Wartortle--I considered giving Jasmine the lighthouse's Ampharos, but I feel like it's actually more impactful that she takes care of it if it's not her pokemon. So we have Wartotle. It's tanky, the ears kind of remind me of Jasmine's hair, and water covers steel's weaknesses to fire and ground. I considered Corsola, but I worried its novelty might draw a little too much attention to it, compared to her comparatively familiar ace.
⦁ Steelix--Thought about swapping the ace for something that's not evolved from a previous gym leader's ace, but... nah. Similar to Magnemite, Steelix's connection to gen I helps give the new steel type context. I think it's a good pick.
Pryce
⦁ Sneasel--No mono-ice types in Johto either. I could have kept the Dewgong, but I don't want a team too water heavy. Besides, Pryce is supposed to be the "teacher of winter's harshness," and Sneasel is the embodiment of cutting ice cold winds.
⦁ Slowking--It's regal status and stately appearance make this a good fit for Pryce's vibe, plus its typing will help counter ice's weaknesses to rock, fire, and fighting.
⦁ Piloswine--Ace unchanged, no notes.
Clair
⦁ Dratini--Dragon is in the same boat as ghost once again, which is still a better boat than in Kanto. And there are two major dragon trainers, so expect a lot of pokemon to get reused. Anyway, Clair was real good at giving her dragons different type attacks, so Dratini can focus on electric.
⦁ Dragonair--Only two from this line, and they don't even have to be the same evolutionary stage. I'd let this one focus on ice moves.
⦁ Gyarados--Thought about using a Charizard as her lancer, but Clair's ice queen aesthetic doesn't lend itself well to fire types. There's a reason that in her original lineup, her wide array of moves does not include fire.
⦁ Kingdra--Ace unchanged, no notes.
As for the elite four/champion...
Will
⦁ Kadabra--No need to double Xatu when a mono-psychic type will cover its roll nicely.
⦁ Exeggutor--Will is already doing a great job with type diversity, we'll be keeping most of his picks.
⦁ Jynx-- Not much to say, I'm glad she has some psychic moves in this gen.
⦁ Noctowl--Will seems to like birds. Noctowl has psychic moves, and while it's not as bulky as the Slowbro it's replacing, it still can fill a bit of a tank role here.
⦁ Xatu--Ace unchanged, no notes.
Koga
⦁ Venomoth--Didn't want two bug/poison. Ariados fits the aesthetic better, but Venomoth offers more tactically that Koga doesn't otherwise have.
⦁ Tentacruel--Bringing this back from Kanto. It's still a good fit for largely the same reasons.
⦁ Muk--Hey, I'm not the one who wrote Koga ditching his Weezing when he goes to the Elite Four. Neither is as suited to be his ace as what he's bringing now, though, and I like Muk's vibes a little better than Weezing.
⦁ Forretress--I could have brought back the Magmar, but nah. Foretress is already exactly what a lancer should be.
⦁ Crobat--Ace unchanged, no notes.
Bruno
⦁ Hitmontop--I could swap out some of these to give him more type diversity, but this is a case where the thematic benefits of having all three hitmons overshadow that.
⦁ Hitmonlee--Nothing new to say.
⦁ Hitmonchan--Nothing new to say.
⦁ Pinsir--Bringing this back not so much because I gave it to him in the Kanto league, but because I don't want Chuck and Bruno to both have rock lancers. I think Graveler fits Chuck better than Onix fits Bruno, and Pinsir is a lot more threatening at this point in the game.
⦁ Machamp--Thought about Heracross here, but we'll let Chuck call dibs on that. Machamp hits just a little harder and has just a little more physical bulk, and anyway I don't like to swap aces without a compelling reason.
Karen
⦁ Umbreon--Karen's team is pretty solid from where I'm sitting, I only want to make one change.
⦁ Murkrow--And this isn't it.
⦁ Sneasel--Here it is. I don't NEED Karen to have every dark type in the game, but she has enough room on the team for it and I only want one pokemon for her lancer.
⦁ Vileplume--Listen, I love a good Gengar, but I think Vileplume is the more creative choice for the lancer. Dark and ghost are very similar types, and while obviously I'm not opposed to pairing rock and ground or water and ice, highlighting the dark type with a night themed pokemon adds a little more flavor to her character.
⦁ Houndoom--Ace unchanged, no notes.
I'll be honest, I considered not doing Lance, or not doing him using the usual setup. Champions often have diverse teams, so letting him have a bunch of vaguely dragon-like pokemon could have worked. But he was established as a dragon trainer, both in gen I and throughout the game up to this point, so no sense changing him.
Lance
⦁ Dratini--Lance's larger team makes it harder to diversify, but we'll do what we can. I'd say Dratini can focus on setup and status--light screen, thunder wave, that sort of thing.
⦁ Dragonair--For these next few I'd say focus on type coverage. The first dragonair can bring in some fire moves.
⦁ Kingdra--The only other dragon type in the game, Kingdra can break up the onslaught of Dratini-line. I'd say let this one have some ice moves to distinguish it from Clair's. Or throw in rain dance to set up super accurate thunders from the next one.
⦁ Dragonair--This can be the electric Dragonair. Again, if you must give it thunder, pair it with rain dance on either this or the Kingdra.
⦁ Aerodactyl--I was so tempted to give him Charizard. But Aerodactyl gives Lance a physical attacker on a team dominated by special attackers.
⦁ Dragonite--Originally Lance's ace was a dragonite with fire blast, but its iconic move was the devastating outrage. So focus on that, maybe mix in wing attack to give it a flying STAB and and let it throw in a hyper beam here or there.
I could stop there. But, there's eight more gym leaders in the Johto games. So we'll be back for those...
