Persona
Persona (and Pokésona) is a supernatural ability possessed by several characters in We Are All Pokémon Trainers. Those with this ability have the power to manifest aspects of themselves under certain circumstances in order to protect themselves and others. This ability is not naturally occurring and must be gifted by an appropriate being or Legendary or through unethical science.
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Personas and Pokésonas
Personas and Pokésonas, on a functional level, are identical. Rather, they are differentiated by their outward forms. Personas generally have a more human-like body type, but with Pokémon-like features, while Pokésonas are generally more based on Pokémon with extra fantastical elements. As Personas and Pokésonas are reflections of the inner self, for humans their Persona will reflect whatever their Pokéform happens to be.
As a general rule of thumb, Personas (and Demons and Sub-Personas by extension) take the form of characters and monsters from history, religion, literature, and mythology. In addition, there is a “too soon” to be a valid Persona/Demon. Specifically, if it came after the 1920’s they generally shouldn’t have a strong enough presence in the Collective Unconsciousness and the Sea of Humonity’s Souls to actually manifest as Demons or Personas.
Personas and Pokésonas can grow to stronger forms based on their user. As the user undergoes character growth and resolves their personal issues, Personas and Pokésonas will evolve to their Evolved stages and eventually reach their Ultimate stages. Ultimate Personas and Pokésonas are extremely powerful, and can stand up to extremely powerful entities. However, if Personas and Pokésonas aren't used for extended periods of time, they will lose any abilities they achieved through evolution and revert to their initial forms.
Furthermore, in times of severe mental; physical; and/or emotional stress, it is even possible for a Persona to revert to their Shadow state. This would lead to the user having to re-accept their Shadow. If a user rejects the Shadow under these circumstances, not only will they go berserk as usual, the Shadow will also be many times stronger due to its time as a Persona.
Each Persona also has a signature move unique to them. These skills are usually extremely powerful and can have atypical effects when used. Usually, the Persona's signature move reflects their user somehow. However, in general, only Ultimate Personas can learn and use their signature move. And due to the nature of how a Persona is connected to their user, under special circumstances, it is possible for a Persona user to learn and use their Persona's signature move in their Pokéform.
Persona Users
Those who can use Personas and Pokésonas are called Persona Users and Pokésona Users.
To have the potential to be a Persona user is, at best, uncommon. However, any human or Pokémon can be given the power to wield a Persona through being granted the ability through a suitable supernatural entity (e.g. Philemon, Igor, or Izanami) - or a Legendary whose domain includes the subconscious of humans and Pokémon (e.g. Lunala, Darkai, or one of the Lake Trio). Most Persona users in WAAPT were given the power of Persona.
Notably, humans and Pokémon with multiple personalities can display interesting variations to the normal rules. Under normal circumstances, any Persona user can only have one Persona. However, if a user has multiple personalities (and thus, multiple egos), each personality has the potential to be able to use a persona. Although, like normal Persona users, to be able to have the potential to even be a Persona user without external forces is still uncommon.
Furthermore, each individual personality can only summon and control that particular personality's unique Persona. Also due to this separation, each personality and their Persona cannot gain benefits from anther personality's persona. So if one personality's Persona evolved, the other personalities' Personas would be unaffected. Likewise, any given personality may be able to learn their Persona's Signature Move while in Pokéform, but they also wouldn't be able to use the Signature moves of their other personalities' Personas.
Due to how some multiple personalities can exist naturally in some Pokémon (Deino, Dugtrio, etc) and some due to dissociative identity disorder, changes to the number of personalities due to evolution or treatment to be absorbed into the dominant personality. Such a loss or fusion or personalities will not result in a transferal of powers or benefits to the remaining personality.
While powerful, the main Achilles heel of Personas and Pokésonas is that any damage they take is also felt by their user, so beating the Persona/Pokésona will also beat their user.
Sensor type Personas and Pokésonas
Sensor type Personas and Pokésonas are a subtype that primarily serve as support, identifying the names, typings, weaknesses, and signature moves of a given foe, and also mapping areas. They can shift between an attack form for direct combat, and a sensor form for using their support abilities, at the cost of being unable to attack before switching back. Users with Sensor-type Personas are known primarily as Navigators.
Known Persona and Pokésona Users
- Thames (XI. The Hunger) - Magetsu Izanagi
- Ren (I. The Magician) - Abe no Seimei
- SleepyHead (III. The Empress) - Phobetor
- Silent (IV. The Emperor) - Al-Mi'raj
- Mondo (V. The Hierophant) - Sukuna-Hikona
- Jacob (VII. The Chariot) - Shiva
- Lisa (IX. The Hermit) - Fitchers Vogel
- Dune (XI. Strength) - Siegfried
- Lane (XII. The Hanged Man) - Yomotsu-Ikusa
- Des (XIII. Death) - Muramasa
- Verax (XIII. Death) - Matador
- Deziree (XIV. Temperance) - P'tah
- Pentigan (XVI. The Tower) - Gulduar
- Daydre (XVIII. The Moon) - Huli Jing
- Joseph Hudson (XIX. The Sun) - Lin Bu
- Lyuri (VII. The Chariot) - Himiko
- Mendel (XIX. The Sun) - Pythagoras
- Psyche (XVIII. The Moon) - Psyche
- Aria Clavis (III. The Empress) - Carmen
- Oscar Clavis (VI. The Lovers) - Reynardine
- Ludmilla (XII. Inverted Hanged Man) - Hastur
- Corrin (X. Wheel of Fortune) - Kanna Kamui
- Morgan le Fay (I. The Magician) - Zorro
- Rose (XV. Inverted Devil) - Bluetongued Lizard
- Doc (XII. The Hanged Man) - Galen
- Crochet (XIV. Temperance) - Arachne
- Oberon (XI. Strength) - Puck
- Tagg (IX. The Hermit) - Azumi-no-isora
- Ian (I. The Magician) - Cu Chulainn
- Kim (II. The Priestess) - Triton
- Evelyn (VI. The Lovers) - Isis
Shadows and Demons
Shadows are formed from the suppressed thoughts of humonity, and just about every being is capable of manifesting them. The majority of Shadows are just general hidden thoughts belonging to no person in particular, but the Shadow Selves are formed from the suppressed emotions an individual being has in particular. These emotions can be either negative or positive, but if a Shadow manages to meet its owner and they reject it, the Shadow will take on a berserk form and attack.
As alluded to above, Personas and Pokésonas are Shadow Selves that have been tamed by their bearers.
Demons can be best described as "wild" Personas or Pokésonas or more evolved Shadows, and are the primary inhabitants of the regions of the Collective Unconscious outside of Mindscapes. As they're formed by the whole of humonity, they have more defined appearances based on the same figures as Personas and Pokésonas, but lack the uniqueness seen in those belonging to specific Users. For instance, while two demon or Sub-Persona Matadors would normally look indistinguishable from one another, two Persona variants of the same demons could take greatly divergent appearances based on the psyches of their users..
Sub-Personas can be considered "tamed" demons usable by Persona Users in tandem with their personal Persona or Pokésona if they're capable of using more than one. However, while free demons may have greatly divergent types and Abilities from the Pokémon they most closely resemble, a Sub-Persona will always have only the typing and Abilities that the Pokémon making their base form would normally have. For instance, while a demon Orobas is Fire/Fighting, a sub-Persona Orobas would only be pure Fighting like an actual Machoke despite their Rapidash parts.
The Wild Card
While most Persona and Pokésonas Users can only use one Persona or Pokésona at a time, there are some who have the rare and powerful ability to contract and control multiple Personas and Pokésonas, making them extremely powerful and dangerous opponents. Following the battle against Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, Igor spread the power of the Wild Card extracted from Psyche, allowing those Users associated with the Velvet Room to use a Sub-Persona alongside their personal Persona, but not at once, instead of giving up their sub-Persona upon attaining their Initial personal Persona.
Known Wild Cards
- Psyche (formerly) - Only had Wild Card powers while possessed by Hi-no-Kagutsuchi.
