History Fanfic / PlatinumPirate

* PersonOfMassDestruction: Giratina is revered and feared as one of the creator deities of Sinnoh, with only the foolish or insane refusing to respect its power. [[spoiler:When it makes its appearance at Enies Lobby, it bombards the island with Draco Meteor while challening Lucas to battle. Nami worries that the battle between it and Lucas' team could sink the island. In the aftermath of the battle, onlookers compare Giratina's wrath to one of the Four Emperors.]]

** Enies Lobby as a whole is spared the destruction of a Buster Call due to Smoker being able to talk three of the Vice-Admirals into standing down through Sengoku's authority. The other two Vice-Admirals are [[spoiler:swatted unconscious by Giratina, who wants no distractions in its fight with Lucas.]]

* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: Although Lucas confuses and shocks people at first between his Pokémon and out-of-place clothing, by the time he reaches Water 7 he's treated by most people not in the know as JustAKid. This is even after [[spoiler:he's declared a Warlord of the Sea]].

** Smoker has one of these when he ends up on the receiving end of one of Luffy's "can you poop" questions - while his lower half is stuck inside a Jet Dial.

** Luxray buries her head in her paws when Lucas relates a story of how she got into an eating contest with Barry's Snorlax and accidentally swallowed her Poké-ball whole in the process, leading to Lucas having to carry her to Nurse Joy to get her stomach pumped.

* ReturnToShooter: When the Marines are forced to turn on Lucas by order of "Saint" Rhode, Gardevoir returns all the bullets fired at Lucas with her telekinesis before returning them to their shooters.

* LivingBattery: Being an Electric-type Pokémon, Luxray can produce hundreds of millions of volts of electricity when fully rested. This makes her an ideal source of power for the CoolAirship that Lucas commissions from Galley-La and Franky.

--->'''Lucas:''' Geez, how tough are you? You just got sent flying through a dozen buildings, and you don’t even look winded.\\

* JustFollowingOrders: When Sengoku interrogates Onigumo on why the vice-admiral continued with the Buster Call even after Akainu informed him that the Buster Call was misused and Sengoku's explicit orders to stand down. Onigumo argues that Marine protocol indicates that a Buster Call cannot be called off until the island targeted is completely destroyed. While Sengoku finds Onigumo's conduct reprehensible, Onigumo's actions are technically correct and legal, letting Onigumo off with two weeks probation.

* KnightTemplar: Vice-Admiral Onigumo espouses the "Absolute Justice" philosophy of the World Government. To him, orders are absolute and anyone opposing his enforcement of "justice", no matter the reason, is a heretic to be punished. [[spoiler:When a Buster Call is called on Enies Lobby, Onigumo continues to attack Lucas and his team even after Smoker informs him that the Buster Call is illegal (and unlike Doberman who was assigned elsewhere at the time, he knew of the Golden Transponder Snail's theft before the Call was invoked).]] Later at [[spoiler:his court-martial]], Onigumo maintains his stance that he was following the orders that Buster Calls are irrevocable, and that even if he was mistaken, any casualties would either be criminals or those who have agreed to die for justice.

** After the invasion of Enies Lobby is cut short by [[spoiler:Spandam summoning the Buster Call to LeaveNoWitnesses]], while all of the Galley-La foreman don't want to leave until they've "punched Kaku's nose in", they all agree it's too much of a risk to stay behind and run for it.

'''Lucas:''' That’s… a little disturbing.\\

** [[spoiler:Crocodile]] downplays this at the end of [[spoiler:the Alabasta arc]]: while he achieved his goal and [[spoiler:stole the Poneglyph, and freed most of his men]], he lost most of his resources along the way: [[spoiler:he only has one ship left to use, his Warlord title was revoked, and Robin, the only person capable of reading the Poneglyph, would not tell him what was on the Poneglyph]]. Then, when he [[spoiler:finally makes her tell him, he can't do anything to ''get'' to Pluton without going through Kaido.]]
* KansasCityShuffle: [[spoiler: Crocodile]] pulls this off as part of his FailureGambit: [[spoiler: right after the war, a guard accidentally uses Vivi's Baroque Works code name in front of Lucas and Cobra and reveals himself as Mr. 2, whom the other guards carry off]]. It isn't until the victory feast that, overwhelmed by the sense of celebration, [[spoiler:"Cobra" drops his Clone-Clone disguise and reveals himself to be the actual Mr. 2]]. And by the time that happens, [[spoiler:the rest of Baroque Works has already escaped the island]].

* LeaveNoWitnesses: Once he gets [[spoiler:Pluton's (fake, unknown to him) blueprints into his hands]], [[spoiler:Spandam]] decides to trigger [[spoiler:the Buster Call]] to tie up any and all loose ends.

* PlausibleDeniability: [[spoiler:Sengoku]], after arriving in Water 7, knows that he has to ally with the Straw Hat Pirates to stop Spandam's plans, so he declares that the Straw Hats are the subordinates of the new Warlord Lucas, using [[spoiler:Conqueror's Haki]] in order to stop Luffy from saying anything to the contrary, in order to give himself this.

* PowerOfTheSun: Torterra uses Synthesis to heal himself after Crocodile's sand attacks injure him. Given the harsh glare of the desert sun in Alabasta, this is extremely effective and quickly undoes the damage Crocodile dealt.
-->'''Lucas''': [[BadassBoast You have limits, Crocodile. But as long as the sun is shining, Torterra doesn't.]]

** Later on, Aokiji warns Spandam to make sure [=CP9=] doesn't do anything to jeopardize the Marines's talks with Lucas, including targeting [[spoiler:Robin or the Straw Hat Pirates]] when they reach Water 7.

* SunkCostFallacy: [[spoiler:Aokiji]] tells [[spoiler:Spandam]] to scrap the mission of [[spoiler:[=CP9=] on Water 7]], or at least, to not [[spoiler:send [=CP9=] after Robin]] because of the risk that it could jeopardize the Government's attempts to [[spoiler:make "Pokémon Champion" Lucas a Warlord if they targeted the Straw Hats]]. [[spoiler:Spandam]] is frustrated, but decides to continue on regardless, saying he's put in too much to stop now. And since [[spoiler:sending [=CP9=] after Robin]] would tip off [[spoiler:Aokiji and Sengoku]] that he disobeyed orders, [[spoiler:Spandam]] decides to [[spoiler:call ''Blackbeard'']], despite knowing he'd be sunk if the fact he did so became public knowledge.

So when he hears about a disturbance at the Solaceon Ruins, he jumps at the chance to investigate. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor He gets more than he bargained for]] when he's besieged by a swarm of Unown. Helpless before their immeasurable psychic power, he's soon plunged into the waters of the Grand Line. The floundering teenager is fished out of the sea by one Master Chief Petty Officer Tashigi and Captain Smoker, who are hot on the trail of Baroque Works, an organized crime syndicate and the only lead they have on finding Nerfertari Vivi, the missing princess of Alabasta.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: It's implied that the Unown transported Lucas to the Grand Line to grant his wish for adventure before he's tied up in his obligations as Champion of the Sinnoh Pokémon League. He admits to Gardevoir that being in an entirely new world is is everything he wanted, but he doesn't think it's worth being separated from almost everything he knows and loves.

* CallingMeALogarithm: Lucas, dazed from being slammed facefirst into the Going Merry, mistakes Chopper for a "cute baby Stantler" before passing out from his injuries. Chopper isn't sure whether to be happy that to be called cute, angry that he was called a baby, or worried that Lucas called him a nonsense word because of a concussion.

* DoubleTake: While Franky is laying out his terms for fixing Merry, one is for Luffy to get a good shipwright on his crew. Luffy immediately agrees for Franky to join the crew, and Franky is shaking Luffy's hand before his brain catches up.

* EnragedByIdiocy: Vegapunk was apparently looking forward to meeting Lucas and learning about the world he came from, and when hopes of that are dashed by the actions of a World Noble, Vegapunk hits the roof and sends Fleet Admiral Sengoku a long, ''long'' list of complaints about the man's stupidity.

* HeadDesk: Sengoku does this when his endeavour to [[spoiler:make Lucas a Warlord]] hits another snag: his suggested meeting place, Water 7, has an active undercover [=CP9=] mission underway.

* IChooseToStay: Discussed. Vice-Admiral Gion is impressed by the strength of Lucas's team and their moral character, asking if he would be waiting to stay longer if it means righting injustices in the world. But Lucas explains that he has too many responsibilities back home to ignore for longer than he has to. While he'll help when he can, going home is and will remain his priority. Gion is disappointed but understands Lucas's decision.

* ItsPersonal: Crocodile's beef with the Straw Hats hits a new high after [[spoiler: he destroys Merry]]. Luffy even puts the possibility of killing him on the table.

* KnightTemplar: Vice-Admiral Onigumo espouses the "Absolute Justice" philosophy of the World Government. To him, orders are absolute and anyone opposing his enforcement of "justice", no matter the reason, is a heretic to be punished. [[spoiler:When a Buster Call is called on Enies Lobby, Onigumo continues to attack Lucas and his team even after Smoker informs him that the Buster Call is illegal.]]

* MythologyGag: When Lucas is warning off the Foxy Pirates, he says, "I suggest you surrender now or prepare to fight." This is a clear reference to Jessie's and James' favorite lines.

* NotSoStoic: Gardevoir and Vivi both break down in tears after Gardevoir uses her PsychicPowers to let them see Robin's DarkAndTroubledPast.

** Rei, TheChosenOne of ''VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus'' defeated and captured Giratina in Turnback Cave, meaning that he had the Lord of the Distortion World as his companion. In the end, Giratina is said to have been released, choosing willingly to become the protector of the land the hero once saved. Rei uses his friendship with Giratina to [[spoiler:petition the Lord of the Distortion World for aid in helping Lucas come home.]]

** Due to Gardevoir [[spoiler:restoring Sabo's memories]], Ace doesn't face Blackbeard alone, foiling Blackbeard's goal of capturing Ace as a bargaining chip to be instated as one of the Warlords of the Sea. In addition, Lucas's presence [[spoiler:fills Warlord position that Blackbeard wanted]] and eventually [[spoiler:summons Giratina, who sees Blackbeard as a pest and curb-stomps him, leaving Blackbeard at the mercy of the Marines.]]

* VillainousValor: '''Honesty''' - Mr. One reports his failure to kill Lucas in to Crocodile, despite blatantly admitting that he knows the rules of Baroque Works mean he has to be killed for his failures.

* FuzzTherapy: The friendliness of Lucas' Pokémon has a calming effect akin to petting a dog when they're reseting. Even Marines as grizzled and cynical as [[spoiler:Zephyr]] can't help but show them affection. Vaporeon also drapes himself over the necks of others on hot days to cool them off.

* PiratesWhoDontDoAnything: Lucas is declared [[spoiler:one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea]] despite not actually being a pirate in any shape or form. He only became a criminal by defying a World Noble and is otherwise happy to work with both pirates and Marines alike if the situation demands it.

* IChooseToStay: Discussed. Vice-Admiral Gion is impressed by the strength of Lucas's team as well as their moral character, asking if he would be waiting to stay longer if it means righting injustices in the world. But Lucas explains that he has too many responsibilities back home to ignore for longer than he has to. While he'll help when he can, going home is and will remain his priority. Gion is disappointed, but understands Lucas's decision.

* InsistentTerminology: After Smoker's debriefing, [[spoiler:Sengoku]] [[LetMeGetThisStraight summarizes]] that the situation warrants [[EnemyMine leniency for allying with the Straw Hat Pirates]], regardless of their official status as [[spoiler:Warlord]] Lucas's subordinates. Luffy tries to object, but [[spoiler:a flash of Conqueror's Haki]] kills his tongue, and [[spoiler:Sengoku]] repeats his last statement, clearly expressing his willingness for PlausibleDeniability as long as no-one gives him reason otherwise. [[KnowWhenToFoldEm Luffy and Lucas quickly concede the point]].

** Robin still leaves Alabasta with the Straw Hats, but this time it isn't as a stowaway.

** When Lucas makes an enemy of the World Government by defying "Saint" Rhode, the Marines stop addressing Lucas by name, calling him "the target" in an effort to not feel as bad to fight him. Even then, it's more of obligation than necessity, as Marines don't want to fight him and deliberately underperform to let Lucas get away.

* MadeOfIron: Lucas is surprised at just how durable the people in the world of ''One Piece'' are, showing concern when Ace is thrown through a dozen buildings but gets back up without so much as a scratch. He also has to ask if everyone on the Grand Line is fireproof when Sanji develops his Diable Jambe attack.

* MythologyGag: When Lucas is warning off the Foxy Pirates, he says "I suggest you surrender now or prepare to fight." This is a clear reference to Jessie's and James' favorite lines.

** Crocodile eventually figures out that, as a Logia-user, he can just turn his brain to sand to prevent Gardevoir from targeting his mind. This forces her to take a different approach in dealing with him.

* PowerOfTheSun: Torterra uses Synthesis to heal himself after he is injured by Crocodile's sand attacks. Given the harsh glare of the desert sun in Alabasta, this is extremely effective and quickly undoes the damage Crocodile dealt.

* RealityWarper: The incalculable psychic powers of a swarm of Unown can bend reality as they see fit, which they try to use the grant the wishes of people they come in contact with. Lucas is sent to the Grand Line when they rifle through his memories and discover his desire to continue adventuring with them.

** When [[spoiler:Smoker calls the Buster Call ships approaching Enies Lobby that he is acting under the authority of Fleet Admiral Sengoku, that the Buster Call was activated under false pretenses and that he's ordering them to stand down]], Vice-Admirals Momonga, Yamakaji, and Strawberry are willing to stop and hear him out. [[KnightTemplar Onigumo and Doberman, on the other hand...]]
* RecoilBoost: While fleeing the Marines of G-4 after defying "Saint" Rhode, Lucas has his entire team use Hyper Beam all at once, forcing Vice-Admiral Gion to intercept them. But she soons realizes that this was only a distraction, as the recoil from the attacks propelled the ship Lucas stole out to sea and out of reach.

* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Smoker, despite having essentially captured Robin at the end of Operation Prometheus, lets her leave with the Straw Hats—and by extension, lets the Straw Hats leave—after Gardevoir's powers convince him that she's innocent.

* SherlockScan: While serving [[spoiler:ex-Admiral Zephyr]] wine, Sanji comes to the conclusion that his customer would enjoy a bottle of Jerez. [[spoiler:Zephyr]] asks why Sanji didn't ask the others before making selecting this bottle, to which Sanji replies that a world-class chef should be able to gauge the tastes of those they serve at a glance and accommodate them. [[spoiler:Zephyr]] though indignant to be told this by a pirate, admits that Jerez is indeed his favorite wine and compliments Sanji's expertise.

** In Chapter 17, Smoker's presence at Water 7 causes Spandam's plan to keep Lucas from realizing the Government was behind Robin's kidnapping to go down like an anchor, when he recognizes Lucci's name and remembers Rob Lucci to be a government agent.

* ThemeNaming: Each chapter title is named after a term from Pokémon, most commonly a move or ability, or adaptations of real world phrases within the context of the Pokémon world. For instance, the first chapter is titled "Mankey's Paw", referencing Lucas's [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor ill-fated wish to continue adventuring with his team]], the Pokémon Mankey, and ''Literature/TheMonkeysPaw''.

* ToBeLawfulOrGood: The Marines in G-4 are basically forced to make this decision in Chapter 10 - defy direct orders from a World Noble and be immediately charged with treason (Good), or go up against a friend to follow the orders of Saint Rhodes (Lawful). While Gion (accurately) assumed that Lucas and his team would able to get away without serious problems, and every single Marine on base did their best to BeAsUnhelpfulAsPossible to Rhode, it's very clear that none of the Marines involved were even remotely happy with what they did (Tashigi, in particular, despite knowing that Lucas got away and doesn't hold it against her, has a MyGodWhatHaveIDone afterwards).

** Tashigi also intensifies her training, both before and after the G-4 incident, partly to catch up to Zoro, and later to distract herself due to [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone the orders of her bosses making her turn on Lucas]]. She advances quickly enough that she's able to cut steel (or rather, Lucario's Iron Defense) before arriving at G-4, and is able to fight Mr. 1, who previously subjected her to a CurbStompBattle, in Water 7.

* TwitchyEye: Lucas's eye twitches when while trying to wrap his head around how it's eternally noon in Enies Lobby, which goes against everything he knows about astronomy and the heliocentric model.
* UnderestimatingBadassery: Kalifa decides to take out the sniper Usopp that had been stymying their tactics, seeing him as an easy victim in close quarters. She fails to take into account Usopp's [[AttackReflector Impact Dial]].

* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: As the scale of the threats his team faces grows, Lucas begins [[HeroicSelfDeprecation to feel insecure about putting his team in harm's way to defend himself]] when everyone around him has a CharlesAtlasSuperpower. When he admits this to Lucario, Lucas's entire team gathers around him to disabuse him of this notion.
-->'''Lucario:''' ''[telepathically]'' If you have reservations about your own ability to be helpful to us, then let us fix that, she said before I could try and say anything. You made us all that we are through your knowledge and abilities. Now that a need has presented itself, it is only natural that we should return the favor.\\

'''Lucario:''' ''[stilted, out loud]'' Worth it. [[PunctuatedForEmphasis You. Are. Worth it. Lucas.]]

* YoungerThanTheyLook: It's difficult for pirates and Marines to gauge the age of Lucas's Pokemon given that their life cycles are entirely different from anything found on the Grand Line. Lucario, one of Lucas's primary frontline fighters, explains that he's a few months away from being four years old, surprising the Straw Hats and the Revolutionaries who are impressed by Lucario's fighting ability. Though Lucas explains that Lucario is a fully-grown adult because of how evolution works for Pokémon.

* PhysicalGod: Legendaries seem to be this as a general rule of thumb.

* MadeOfIron:
** Lucas is surprised at just how durable the people in the world of ''One Piece'' are, showing concern when Ace is thrown through a dozen buildings but gets back up without so much as a scratch. He also has to ask if everyone on the Grand Line is fireproof when Sanji develops his Diable Jambe attack.

** While not nearly as tough as pirates like Luffy and Zoro, Lucas proves himself to be fairly resilient in his own right. He survives getting faceplanted onto the Going Merry by Luffy's Gum-Gum Rocket and sliding straight into a wall with only a potentially cracked rib, facial bruising, and a brief bit of unconsciousness.
* MakingASplash: Being a Water-type Pokémon, Vaporeon is able to produce and manipulate vast amounts of water. When going all out, Vaporeon can sink battleships with a single attack and conjure tidal waves against his foes.
* MagneticHero: Lucas's outgoing personality, strong moral fiber, and sense of humor makes quickly makes him friends among pirates, Marines, and the Revolutionaries. Even after [[spoiler:becoming a Warlord of the Sea]], he retains strong friendships with most of the people he meets on the Grand Line regardless of allegiance. Even Smoker, who despises pirates and criminals with a passion, considers himself and Lucas FireForgedFriends.
* MasterOfTheLevitatingBlades: The Revolutionaries give Gardevoir a pair of shotel blades to amplify her fighting skills, which she wields (along with its ring-shaped sheath) with her telekinesis.
* TheMentor: Given his years of experience training Pokémon, Lucas is an old hand at observing the skills of others and determining what could be improved. He helps the Straw Hats practice their teamwork and work on the flaws in their fighting styles, letting the Straw Hats reach higher levels of powers earlier than they would have in canon.

* MightyGlacier: Torterra's enormous bulk makes him sturdy and powerful, while his ability to use Synthesis lets him turn any battle into one of attrition so long as the sun is out. But that same bulk makes him unable to move quickly in battle. He's also a liability on ships, as he risks sinking them with his weight.
* MindOverMatter: Gardevoir is capable of using Psychic to levitate others off the ground and throw them around. She can even perform this on dozens or even hundreds of bullets at once before sending them back in a ReturnToShooter move.

* NervesOfSteel: While Lucas may complain, gripe, and curse in the middle of a fight, he very rarely loses his cool completely. He keeps his head on straight even while BoundAndGagged by Luffy and catapulted toward the Going Merry. So everyone takes notice the few times that Lucas and his team are truly terrified, such as when he's [[spoiler:suffering the effects of Sengoku's Conqueror's Haki]] or when [[spoiler:Giratina appears over Enies Lobby]].
* NonActionGuy: Being a Pokémon Trainer, Lucas acts as a FrontlineGeneral for his team. But he's also from a world where he never needed to learn self-defense, since most fights spring up between trainers' Pokémon rather than between people. This means he's the weak point in any engagement between his team and any bad guys who have no qualms with hurting him. He tries to subvert this by taking up Fishman Karate, but a few weeks' worth of lessons aren't enough to get him in fighting shape against the average pirate sailing the Grand Line.

* OneManArmy: Lucas's team makes a mess of G-4 when the Marines turn against them at the whims of "Saint" Rhode. All six Pokémon repel waves of Marines while Lucario engages Vice-Admiral Gion in single combat. Tashigi speculates that this is why open warfare is largely a thing of the past in Lucas's world, as well-trained Pokémon can render artillery, battleships, and entire armies obsolete.

* PersonOfMassDestruction: With his team of six highly trained Pokémon capable of challenging the strongest pirates and Marines in the world, Lucas has the potential to take on an entire army and level cities. In Chapter 10, they demonstrate this to devastating effectiveness as they fight their way out of G-4, with Crobat slicing cannons to pieces, Torterra leveling the ground and decimating lines, Houndoom lighting entire battleships ablaze, and Lucario singlehandedly matching Vice Admiral Gion. [[spoiler:When Giratina's arrival interrupts the Buster Call aimed at Enies Lobby, Nami worries that Lucas's and Giratina's battle will wind up destroying the island anyways if Ace and Blackbeard don't do it first.]]

* SeenItAll: Subverted. As Sinnoh Champion, Lucas has seen a lot of his journey and isn't fazed in the slightest at the prospect of challenging crime bosses like Crocodile or the most powerful members of the Marines. Others call him crazy for his SpiritedCompetitor tendencies and he's typically able to keep a cool head under pressure. But there's still plenty on the Grand Line that can throw him off, such as the MindScrew of Enies Lobby's eternal daylight.

* ShapingYourAttacks: While sparring with Tashigi, Lucario uses Bone Rush to meet her sword with a bone-shaped staff made of energy.

* TheStrategist: Due to coming from a world where CharlesAtlasSuperpower is not common and open warfare is rare due to the presence of Pokémon, Lucas is practically a {{Mook}} in terms of his ability to defend himself from powerful pirates and Marines. But being the Champion of Sinnoh, he's a master at commanding his Pokémon on the battlefield. He's quick to find and exploit flaws in his opponent's abilities and a talented coach when it comes to helping others improve their skills. His expertise allows him to [[spoiler:become a Warlord of the Sea]] even if his "crew" is doing all the fighting for him.

* ThrillSeeker: Lucas's thirst for adventure and desire to see more of the world is what got him and his team transported to the Grand Line. While he's not happy to be a world away from all of his loved ones, he makes the best of his situation by finding joy in [[SpiritedCompetitor seeking new challenges]] and exploring the world he finds himself in. But this also means that he's a magnet for trouble and will sometimes leap before he looks, something Gardevoir repeatedly chastises him for.

* TokenFlyer: While Gardevoir can levitate others with enough concentration, Crobat is the only one of Lucas's Pokémon who is able to fly. This makes Crobat invaluable for transportation and communication when teleporting is unfeasible. Lucas winds up relying on Crobat extensively throughout the conflicts at Water 7 and Enies Lobby to get around, which he lampshades by mentioning that he'll need to pamper Crobat after this for all of his hard work. Crobat loses this status when Togekiss rejoins Lucas's team [[spoiler:thanks to Giratina at Enies Lobby]].

* WiseBeyondTheirYears: Being an ExperiencedProtagonist with years of experience as a Pokémon Trainer under his belt, Lucas is surprisingly mature for a teenager. Even though he's a "squirt" compared to the age of the average Marine, he's able to effectively negotiate with government officials with decades of experience on him. He also has a knack for reading people and is tactician worthy of being called a Champion.

* YouRemindMeOfX: One of the reasons why Lucas volunteers to help bust Baroque Works is because he already has experience fighting Team Galactic, another organized crime syndicate. After comparing the look in Crocodile's eyes to what he saw in Cyrus, who sought the power of Dialga and Palkia to destroy the universe, Lucas pieces together Crocodile's plan to obtain Pluton and destroy the world he hates.

* AdmiringTheAbomination: When [[spoiler:Giratina]] makes its grand debut in the Grand Line, everyone present is either in complete awe or sheer terror at seeing [[spoiler:the god of distortion]] for the first time. [[NightmareFetishist Robin]], on the other hand, only has one word for the Lovecraftian [[spoiler:draconic]] abomination: "Beautiful."

* DidntThinkThisThrough: To [[LeaveNoWitnesses tie up all the "loose ends"]] on the island, [[spoiler:Spandam]] decides to [[spoiler:trigger a Buster Call on Enies Lobby]]. But since [[spoiler:there was a Golden Transponder Snail stolen from Marineford]] recently (and [[spoiler:Lafitte]] is explicitly mentioned as the chief suspect [[spoiler:by Sengoku]]), and [[spoiler:none of the Admirals, or Sengoku, are on the island]], it's going to be very hard to prove he ''wasn't'' connected to it.

** As it turns out, Ghost-type attacks attack the soul directly, and can bypass a Logia's protection. Moreover, spars with Vice-Admiral Gion reveal that Observation Haki is more Psychic-leaning than Fighting, and thus Dark-type attacks can apparently interfere with it.

* NormalFishInATinyPond: Inverted. Prior to coming to the Grand Line, Lucas was under the impression that he was reasonably fit and in good shape for someone his age. But watching fighters like Sabo [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower crush boulders and cause Magnitude-like effects with their bare hands thanks to their physical training]] quickly revises Lucas's opinion of himself. After meeting up with the Revolutionaries, Lucas starts training himself to defend himself a little better.

* OldMaster: Zephyr has been in the Marines for decades and trained many of the Marines's best, including the admirals. Despite his advanced age and [[BadassNormal lack of a Devil Fruit power]], he remains one of the most skilled and powerful Marines around. [[spoiler:Zephyr manages to nearly beat four members of Lucas's team at once when Aokiji needed to go all-out against three of them.]]

** At first, Fleet Admiral Sengoku wanted to control Lucas to preserve the short-term stability of the World Government. But once Lucas spells out what this new piece on the game board is capable of and willing to do, he realizes that he has a unique opportunity to instead promote Justice in the long term. He then agrees to use Lucas, his team, and his "subordinates" [[spoiler:the Straw Hat Pirates]] to [[spoiler:clean out corruption in the ranks of the Government, the Marines and the Warlords.]]
** Marine Instructor Zephyr has a solid hatred of pirates but ultimately acknowledges the Straw Hats are anything but evil. He also became livid upon hearing of Captain Nezumi’s corruption.

* AwesomenessIsAForce: Lucas initially thinks he's familiar with even the likes of Conqueror's Haki, since he has experience with Pokémon like Absol, Dusknoir and Spiritomb exuding their Pressure. He revises his statement when he meets [[spoiler:Sengoku]], comparing his Haki to the level of ''[[PhysicalGod Giratina]]''. Lucas sees stars and struggles to breathe under its effects and would have keeled over if he weren't already sitting at the time.
* BadassAdorable: Among Lucas's Pokémon are Vaporeon, who can be approximated as a fish-cat with PuppyDogEyes and Togekiss, a cuddly egg-shaped bird, who are nonetheless capable of clashing with the most powerful beings on the Grand Line.
* BadassBoast: Frustrated at how Lucas's sudden appearance dismantled years of effort and planning, Crocodile asks Lucas [[WhoAreYou who he is.]] Lucas's response amounts to one of these:
-->'''Lucas:''' There's a division of power in my home: eight regional leaders throughout the country, four elite trainers at the capital, and one champion who stands above all of them. ''[shoots Crocodile a DeathGlare]'' I am that champion. I defeated the best trainers that my home had to offer. I defeated a nihilistic psychopath who tried to cause the end of the world. I clashed with a god and walked away in one piece. My name is Lucas… and I wound up on the Grand Line because of a freak accident. You just had the misfortune for me to wind up in exactly the right time and place to stop you.

* BarrierWarrior: Among Gardevoir's many psychc powers is her ability to produce barriers to shut out incoming attacks. They're strong enough to take hits from Vice Admirals and even [[spoiler:Admiral Aokiji]] without breaking, though continual damage will eventually force Gardevoir to dodge.

* BeneathTheMask: When Lucas is [[spoiler:named a new Warlord of the Sea]], he's forced to watch what he says around authority figures like [[spoiler:Sengoku]] in order to stay in their good graces. He hates having to speak like a pragmatic ManipulativeBastard about the Straw Hats even though he's long since grown attached to them as friends and allies. But the alternative is being hunted down by the Marines for defying a World Noble.

** Lucas doesn't take people referring to his Pokémon as anything less than his partners well, and he tells Smoker off after he says "[[ItIsDehumanizing it]]" one too many times.

* BreakOutTheMuseumPiece: One of Lucas' tools is a harness he can use to tie himself to Crobat to use him for transportation. It's mentioned that its design dates back to when the Sinnoh region was still called the Hisui region and ruled by the Diamond and Pearl clans. Despite being so antiquated, it's only seen minor improvements in the modern day. The harness is secure and effective enough to allow Crobat to quickly and safely transport Lucas through the air. Unfortunately, it's destroyed by bullet fire while Crobat is transporting Usopp to harry the Marines stationed at the Tower of Justice.

* TheChainsOfCommanding: Due to the responsibilities being Champion (i.e. policing crime, needing to be available to battle challengers), Lucas will have to give up adventuring and exploring almost entirely in a few years. The plot starts when the Unown at Solaceon Ruins rifle through his memories and realize that he still wishes to explore and grow with his Pokémon, leading them to drop him in an entirely new world where he'd be free of his duties.
* ChargedAttack: Luxray is able to use Charge to boost the power of its next Electric-type attack. She uses as many as she can before using Thunder against [[spoiler:Giratina at Enies Lobby]].
* ChildhoodFriend: Lucas and Barry grew up together and are so close they're practically like cousins. They even call each other's dad their HonoraryUncle.
* CombatClairvoyance: Lucario is able to use Detect, which is explained as straining one's senses to the limit to be able to predict your opponent's next move in advance. This is similar to Observation Haki, which accomplishes similar feats through a different principle. In terms of effect, the main difference seem to be that Detect can only be used in short bursts, whereas Observation Haki can be used continuously and even passively if the user is skilled enough.

* DamnYouMuscleMemory: Given his profession as a Pokémon Trainer, Lucas instinctively starts drawing up a training plan for Tashigi after watching her spar with Lucario. He only realizes what he's doing when Lucario puts a paw on his shoulder, leaving Lucas embarrassed by how he was treating her like another Pokémon.

* DeadpanSnarker: Lucas' inner narration is much snarkier than what he typically says to others, but he still willing to make snide remarks at others' expense. Gardevoir is even more prone to snark when chewing others out and is the member of Lucas's team most willing to tease him for fun.

* DifficultButAwesome: Trick Room is a move described as being difficult to use and tremendously taxing to maintain. Gardevoir spent months training with Lucian in order to use it effectively. But its ability to reverse the effective speeds of everyone inside opens a wide variety of tactical applications, turning a MightyGlacier like Torterra into a LightningBruiser. It can even briefly restrain the likes of [[spoiler:Giratina]].

* TheDreaded: [[spoiler:Sengoku]], despite being a relatively ReasonableAuthorityFigure, rapidly becomes this to Lucas and the Straw Hats, when he's able to hit them with Haki powerful enough that Lucas compares it to Pressure from ''Giratina'', and realizes that Ace is on the island as well (and leaving a note that makes it clear he knows), even though Ace seemingly never got anywhere close to [[spoiler:Sengoku]] while he was speaking to the Straw Hats and Lucas. After hearing from Ace that [[spoiler:he's the one person who can control ''Garp'']], even ''Luffy'' is visibly scared.
-->'''Usopp''': [[spoiler:Fleet Admiral...]] Scary...

* ElementalShapeshifter: Vaporeon has the ability to turn into water, transforming into a tidal wave to use Surf against Ace. However, he's not immune to heat in this state and can be burned if he isn't able to separate from the wave in time. He also comes up with the idea of using this ability to act as a living projectile for Lucas to use as part of his Fishman Karate lessons.

* EquippableAlly: Vaporeon's ability to turn into water comes in handy when Lucas starts learning Fishman Karate from Koala, as Vaporeon simplifies the process of molding water to attack with.

* ExperiencedProtagonist: Newly crowned Sinnoh Champion Lucas and his team have battled with and trained with the Elite Four and other Champions, survived Legendary rampages, and has pretty much SeenItAll after the Galactic Incident. While Lucas decides to TakeALevelInBadass so that he can fight on his own, his team of Gardevoir, Houndoom, Torterra, Vaporeon, Lucario, and Crobat are all each capable of fighting Vice-Admiral Gion, who was canonically under consideration to be a full Admiral during the timeskip, to a one-on-one draw.
* ExposedToTheElements: Subverted. Lucas is fond of his jacket and scarf, which keep him comfortable in the temperate to cooler climes of his native Sinnoh. But he soon overheats when he's dropped into much a warmer climate near Alabasta, forcing him to take them off until he sails somewhere cooler. Tashigi also berates him for wearing such heavy clothing while swimming, not knowing that he was teleported against his will into the ocean.

* FastballSpecial: Vaporeon, who can melt into water and back at will, becomes this for those versed in the aqua-centric Fishman Karate style. Hack's early attempts at utilizing him for this purpose cause Vaporeon to smash through five walls.

* FirstPersonSmartass: While Lucas is pretty affable and friendly to most people, his narration to the reader is much more snarky. The first thing he thinks when he sees Sengoku is how voluminous Sengoku's afro is and stating that Flint ought to be taking notes from Sengoku's hair care routine.
* FlashStep: Lucario is able to use Extremespeed, a more powerful and even faster version of Quick Attack that causes the user to vanish from sight from sheer speed. He uses this to chase after Crocodile and while trying to SpeedBlitz [[spoiler:Aokiji]] in a spar. Lucario later uses this defensively to dodge an attack by Vice-Admiral Onigumo.
* FlechetteStorm: Torterra has the ability to use Razor Leaf, slashing things with a storm of green leaves, which he uses to great effect against those attempting to charge at him.
-->'''Zoro:''' How are ''leaves'' this sharp?
* FragileSpeedster: Lucas's Crobat can break the sound barrier while moving at full speed and slice through cannons with Steel Wing. But he's much more vulnerable to damage than the likes of Torterra or Lucario. When a bullet manages to puncture his wing, Crobat is forced to make an emergency landing until a Super Potion patches him up.

* HeroicSelfDeprecation: Lucas starts to feel insecure about his inability to defend himself against the threats of the Grand Line since everyone around him seems to possess a CharlesAtlasSuperpower of some kind even if they didn't eat a Devil Fruit. Lucario assures him that [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre he is worth it]] and that every single member of Lucas's team believes that he's more than helpful enough as their leader and guide.

* TheInquisitorGeneral: [[spoiler:Sengoku's talk with Lucas]] has the former effectively assign the latter this role, as an individual with the autonomy, morals and power needed to clean out corruption in the Government, Marines and Warlord's ranks. And he's even willing to [[spoiler:assign him ''ex-Admiral Zephyr'' as a minder.]]

* KidHero: Lucas is a sixteen-year-old Pokémon Trainer who happens to be the Champion of the Sinnoh Region. This makes him one of the youngest members of the main cast and is only older than Chopper, who is 15. His skills as a commander of a team of highly-trained Pokémon also make him one of the most menacing figures on the Grand Line, with the potential to take on the most powerful pirates and Marines and win.

* TheKidWithTheRemoteControl: Given that he isn't superhuman like the pirates and Marines, Lucas's role in the early chapters consists of barking orders and organizing his Pokémon for maximum effect. But after escaping G-4, Lucas realizes that they're going up against the world and he's the weak link in any engagement. At this, his team promptly begins training him to be stronger, and he also learns some Fishman Karate from, Koala so he can defend himself, though he's still far too inexperienced to use it against a serious opponent.

* KryptoniteProofSuit: Downplayed. Lucas has Vaporeon use Rain Dance in an attempt to solidify Crocodile's form. Crocodile responds by making an umbrella out of sand to keep the rain off him. However, the rain does prevent Crocodile from simply ending the fight with his TouchOfDeath.

* LargeAndInCharge: The people of the Grand Line can grow to heights that are freakishly tall by Lucas's standards. So one of the first things Lucas notices about Sengoku is how tall the Fleet Admiral is.

* LogicalWeakness: While he's a fit teenager, Lucas is nowhere near as physically strong as the pirates of the Grand Line. As TheKidWithTheRemoteControl, his battle prowess is reliant on his ability to call upon and command his Pokémon. So if they're all in their Poké Balls and he's BoundAndGagged, there isn't much he can do to wriggle free (though Lucario and Gardevoir are able to leave their Poké Balls at will to help him when needed).

* MotorMouth: Lucas's mouth runs a mile a minute when he's excited by a riveting battle. He's especially happy to provide a play-by-play and rattles off paragraphs of exposition while "bouncing" with joy.

** Downplayed. In addition to working his body to try to approach the ''One Piece'' standard, Lucas learns some water-throwing Fishman Jujutsu techniques from Hack, mostly used with a [[ElementalShapeshifter water-melted]] [[EquippableAlly Vaporeon]]. He also takes to throwing grapeshot as his weapon of choice. However, he's understandably slow to pick up Fishman Karate because of its difficulty, as even Koala needed years to master the art. While he can throw the lemurs on Monkey Island out of his cabin, he's still mostly reliant on his Pokémon for serious threats.

* TouchOfDeath: Crocodile's Sand-Sand Fruit powers allow him to sap the moisure from anything he touches. He can use this to turn the ground into more sand for him to manipulate or to reduce his foes to desiccated husks.

* VineTentacles: Torterra's Frenzy Plant attack causes enormous vines to sprout from the ground and lash at any foes nearby. This is one of the strongest attacks in his arsenal, but it takes a lot of energy and concentration to use, leaving him open if it doesn't hit.

* YoungAndInCharge: While explaining his role as Champion to Smoker and Tashigi, the Marines marvel at how a teenager like Lucas has political authority in his homeland comparable to a Fleet Admiral's. Much later, at Aokiji's advice, Sengoku decides to treat Lucas as the leader of a foreign nation with the strength to back it up.

** During Lucas's battle with [[spoiler:Giratina]], he screams that he came for a fight and asks [[IAmNotLeftHanded why his opponent is holding back.]] His opponent agrees and [[spoiler:enters Origin Form to bring its full power to bear against Lucas's team.]]
* DoubleTake: While Franky is laying out his terms for fixing Merry, one them is for Luffy to get a good shipwright on his crew. Luffy immediately agrees for Franky to join the crew, and Franky is shaking Luffy's hand before his brain catches up.

* DudeWheresMyRespect: Lucas tries flex his reputation as [[spoiler:a Warlord of the Sea]] to avoid trouble with the Franky Family in Water 7. He instead gets laughed at, as Franky's men think Lucas hasn't done anything to deserve it.

** When Spandam's machinations come to his attention, [[spoiler:Sengoku]] is willing to allow the Straw Hats and even Ace to assist Smoker and Lucas with the situation, as long as Ace is long gone afterwards.

** During Lucas's battle with [[spoiler:Giratina]], he screams that he came for a fight and asks [[IAmNotLeftHanded why his opponent is holding back.]] His opponent agrees and [[spoiler:enters Griseous Form to bring its full power to bear against Lucas's team.]]

* {{Intangibility}}: Ghost-type Pokémon are mentioned to be invulnerable to purely physical attacks like Normal-type and Fighting-type moves thanks to being able to simply pass through them. [[spoiler:Lucas circumvents this when battling Giratina by having Vaporeon use Soak, temporarily turning Giratina into a Water-type and leaving it vulnerable to eight simultaneous Hyper Beams.]]

* WillfullyWeak: As noted by Lucas, the gym leaders of the Pokémon League have a weaker team for battling challengers compred to their most powerful teams, lest new trainers be crushed by their much more experienced opponents. Lucas estimates Tashigi to be around the level of Gardenia's gym challenge team her first bout with Lucario. Lucario's spars with Tashigi also involve him holding back, lest he knock her out of the fight immediately with blows comparable to a Vice-Admiral's.

* TheWorfEffect: The Vice-Admirals are established to be the Marines's strongest fighters short of the Admirals. Even Lucas's Pokémon would struggle to defeat a Vice-Admiral in one-on-one combat. And yet, Onigumo is taken out in a single hit by [[spoiler:Giratina]], emphasizing the attacker's overwhelming power [[spoiler:as Lord of the Distortion World]].

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Lucas tries to train himself to keep up with the rest of the sailors of the Grand Line with a TrainingMontage during his time with the Revolutionaries. But all of the notable fighters in the story have years of TrainingFromHell under their belt and ''need'' to be more physically resilient to survive in a dangerous world without Pokémon. As a result, Lucas is still nowhere near the level needed to defend himself against serious threats and only picks up the bare fundamentals of Fishman Karate before he goes on his way.

* AdaptationalEarlyAppearance: In ''Anime/OnePieceFilmZ'', Zephyr first meets the Straw Hats after the TimeSkip. In this story, [[spoiler:Zephyr is assigned by Sengoku to act as a parole officer and bodyguard to Lucas after the events of Water 7 and Enies Lobby.]]

* AlwaysABiggerFish: After eating the Dark-Dark Fruit, Blackbeard is absolutely confident in his ability to defeat Ace [[spoiler:even with Sabo joining Ace's side.]] But Blackbeard's actions wind up provoking [[spoiler:Giratina]], who defeats Blackbeard in one headbutt for [[spoiler:interrupting its battle with Lucas]].

** At Water 7, Iceburg mentions that he's due to get his portrait painted as the mayor. Much later, Bentham explains that Miss Goldenweek can brainwash anyone so long as they're stationary long enough for her to get her paint on them. As stationary as a portrait painting, one could say. Everyone soon realizes that Iceburg is in danger and rush back to his mansion to see Iceburg barely clinging to life.

* AbsurdCuttingPower: With enough practice and a good sword, swordsmen on the Grand Line can learn to cut through steel. This is why Tashigi asks to spar with Lucario after learning that he's a Steel-type. She manages to scrape him in their second bout, thus learning how to cut steel.