OOC: The World of Pokemon
Immersing yourself in a role from the Pokemon canon is exciting and terrifying at the same time. My personal views on the world and its system defer slightly from the norm (though are still within the bounds of what little we know). As the first true representative of the world at DDD, I've put together info regarding my views on it. Just in case anyone is curious, or anyone wants to app from this canon again.
(Note that I play Silver, who doesn't exist in the anime, so this information doesn't use the anime as much, especially things from the early anime like Pokeballs holding inanimate objects)
Themes
As has become habit in DDD, some things about Pokemon canon will be altered slightly for the sake of realism: Guns exist, violence happens, there are drug problems and if a Jolteon hits you with as many volts as it is capable of producing? You'll die. People kill Pokemon, too. It may seem extreme but it's easier to roleplay. And, for excuse's sake, our version of Pokemon is censored anyway. An entire episode is banned in our country due to guns being pointed at the kids and warning shots being fired. And Meowth dressing as a Nazi. This happens to be the episode where Ash caught the 100 Tauros, in case you were wondering where those came from.
Also: Pokemon don't say their names as a means of communicating as per the anime. Instead I'm using manga/game canon which has them trilling, hissing, purring etc as fits the Pokemon. Makes sense considering that the Pokedex remembers each Pokemon's cry. Not all Pokemon say their names in the anime, anyway. Evees chirp, for example.
The World
The planetary setting of Pokemon is uncertain. To the best I can tell it is an AU!Earth, as the Cinnabar Mansion Journals mention Mew being discovered in South America. The island chains of Hoenn, Johto, etc could conceivably be Japan but I'm hesitant to refer to them as such. Other than South America, no other real world location is ever mentioned and in the Anime when the characters look to the stars they are always alien stars. Confusing as it may be, Silver will be referring to himself as an Earthling but don't expect him to know where Manhattan is. It's not OUR Earth. It does, in fact, bare very little resemblance to our world.
One thing about this world is that apparently all wildlife exists as Pokemon. Given this, meat products are probably Pokemon as well. The Anime avoids this subject by always making people eat salads, but, really, meat DOES exist and what else could it be? Probably quite a few people in this world are vegetarians. Pokemon have existed since the dawn of time, and, as the Gods (see below) show some predate the existence of the planet itself. So Pokemon range in power between pigeons that live in the cities to Gods of Space, Time and Creation. Ancient civilizations in this world held Pokemon in very high respect. Though Pokemopolis nolonger exists, the ruins still stand and ancient texts written within them speak of creatures that possess power unimaginable by mankind. In modern times Pokemon are captured and used for battle. The economy and culture of the world is almost entirely centered around Pokemon, using them in various ways to improve the quality of human life (ex: Chancey nurses and Machamp construction workers).
The Pokemon world is covered in wilderness, though the cities are technologically advanced. When a Pokemon is captured in a pokeball it becomes pure data and can then be sent to people across the world via computer networks. This method of phase transfer seems only to apply to the Pokemon as humans have yet to figure out how to teleport themselves effectively. Motor vehicles exist, though only in the cities, and travel between cities is typically done on foot. People with large, flying Pokemon can also use the Pokemon as mounts and fly between cities.
The Pilgrimage
Since the invention of the Pokeball the Journey has been a crucial part of growing up for many people of the lower middle class and up. On their tenth birthday, children are given a Pokemon and sent out into the wilderness. Their duty at this point is to capture other Pokemon and raise them to do battle with the regional Gym Leaders and, ultimately, the Elite Four. Those who defeat the Four become the Champions and they will battle any other trainers who manage to conquer the Four, which is actually a rare occurrence as some people can remain Champion for a decade. Most trainers return home after beating the Gyms and some give up on the Gym Challenge completely, which is generally frowned upon. It is an incredibly old tradition by this point. And, while it's more about sport now, there may have originally been some religious significance behind it.
There are no paved streets connecting cities in any region with the exception of short bike paths in a few areas. There are dirt and gravel paths between cities, surrounded by tall grass and forests. Trainers who meet on these paths recognize eye contact as a challenge to a battle so it is not altogether uncommon to see some travelers watching their feet as they go. Kids usually walk these paths or use bikes. No other form of transportation is acceptable by League rules. All trainers are forbidden to carry more than six Pokemon, since any more would cause certain Pokemon in the party to get less recognition and care. Luckily, all trainers are appointed to a Box Network in their region that allows them store extra Pokemon digitally so nobody needs to keep the same party at all times.
Most cities presumably have Youth Hostels for trainers passing through, since they'll need to sleep in beds. This is especially true of any town with a Gym.
In the games and anime the only schools we see teach kids how to go about their journeys and some, such as Pokemon Tech, were built to train kids in such a way that the journey will never become necessary. Clearly, part of the journey's importance is learning about Pokemon, a knowledge that will be critical for the rest of the kids' lives. There are highly educated individuals in the Pokemon world such as professors and scientists so education is probably continued after the journey's completion. In addition to Pokemon, kids are obviously taught reading, writing and arithmetic since nobody we've seen so far lacks that knowledge.
Silver is not a recognized League trainer and is not doing the Gym Challenge.
Government
All aspects of life apparently revolve around Pokemon. Silver himself couldn't explain the government to anyone very well, being a gutter child, but even in his view point there is something seriously wrong.
Each city has its police force and, depending on the region, there are sheriffs, mayors, shire reeves and other sorts of figures. The main seats of power in each region are occupied by the Elite Four. Each Region has an Elite Four, a powerful group of Trainers who challenge those who beat the region Gym Leaders. The Four seem to act closely with the Pokemon League. And since they and the League control the Gym Challenge (a right of passage for many citizens), they control the people. The most powerful Four were usually thought to be the Four Devas of the Indigo League who suffered a defeat after trying to violently forge their own Utopia. With Pokemon being of such high concern, the affairs of humans often go unnoticed and there is a great deal of crime and corruption. The Rocket Family Mafia operates in Kanto. When Don Giovanni (now in hiding) was still running his Gym the Rockets also contributed immensely to the economy. Though they were known for organized crime it was not in the best interest of the people to topple them. Giovanni's wife was even a police woman. In outlying regions religious fanatics such as Teams Aqua and Magma run amok. Sinnoh has the Galactic Energy Company, which is known for being eerily eccentric.
According to Silver the world is in a state of barely organized chaos and rebellions seem to be on the verge of happening wherever anyone looks. The only thing actually preventing uprisings is the realization that, if the rebels won, they'd actually have to rule the place.
Gods of the Pokemon World
Now we get into the complexity of the world. There is one thing in Pokemon that is only slightly explored: Religion. If you pay attention to the stories in the games you get a sense of the religion that must dominate the world. It is like Hinduism, with one central deity and many other lesser deities around it. So I will write about this, and, if anyone has feedback (do you think this makes sense given what we know?) PLEASE tell me:
In the beginning,
there was only a chaotic, heaving sea.
Everything was mixed together,
and in the center an egg appeared.
From the egg fell out
the First One.
The First One
created two emanations.
Time started to turn.
Space started to expand.
It also bore from its own body
three lives.
The two emanations prayed and
the thing called matter was born.
The three lives prayed and
the thing called spirit was born.
As the world had been created,
the First One went to sleep.
Legend of the Beginning, strict translation
-The Creator-
Arceus: The Original One, Arceus was born from the Cosmic Egg when only chaos existed. It conceived the emanations Dialga and Palkia who together created matter, then the Trinity who created spirit. From this unity the known universe was made. Once all was in place, Arceus withdrew to the Beginning Dimension where it slept for the rest of time, dreaming...
-The Celestials-
Dialga: Dialga appears to be a blue draconic creature with a diamond in its breast and an armored skull, it sleeps in a nest-dimension connected to the Spear Pillar. Dialga commands/is the God of the forces of Time.
Palkia: A light, pearl-colored dragon beast with pearls in its shoulders. Palkia sleeps with Dialga and is the God of Space.
-The Trinity-
Uxie: A tiny, pixie-like creature, Uxie was conceived by Arceus himself. It is the God of Knowledge, possessing infinite wisdom and the ability to erase memories. Its existence is what provides wisdom and knowledge to humanity and Pokemon.
Mesprit: A sister to Uxie, Mesprit was conceived by Arceus to teach emotion and the meanings of pain, sorrow and joy. It has empathy for humanity and would rather teach than fight, however, touching it will cause someone to be separated from all emotion for up to three days.
Azelf: The God of Will, Azelf's power is what gives humanity the drive to accomplish various tasks and Pokemon the will to exist. Like its siblings, it was conceived by Arceus. It keeps the world in a precarious balance as it sleeps. If it is harmed, the attacker loses the will to move for a week.
-The Tier of Heaven-
Ho-oh: Ho-oh, an ever-burning phoenix with rainbow feathers represents the Sun. Its power can scorch earth and its wrath can destroy landscapes completely but its heat is also soothing and it has the power to restore life. Ho-oh has been seen by mortal eyes but only seldom, as only the pure-hearted can see it, and it exists within the physical world to keep watch on Mankind, mostly through its Eyes. It returns to its roost at Tin Tower out of instinct when the area is in great danger.
Lugia: Lugia, a psionic long-necked beast that lives deep beneath the waves represents the Moon. Its changeable, inconstant mood governs tides and its rage causes storms. It too is seldom seen by man and it monitors events through its Winged Mirages.
-The Tier of Earth-
Groudon: When the planet was young, Groudon, a dinosaur-like creature, created the land masses of the world and from them waged war against Kyogre. Its power has been sealed.
Kyogre: Kyogre, a gigantic whale, created the sea and is at odds with Groudon. Its power has been sealed.
Rayquaza: At the creation of the physical planet, Rayquaza ended the dispute between Kyogre and Groudon supposedly by sealing their powers away. Rayquaza governs the sky and is seen as the deity of movement as well. His manner is vague and aloof but, as with Lugia and Ho-oh he does exist within the physical world and remains consistently active. When he roosts, it's at the top of a Pokemopolitan Pharos out in the middle of the sea that is very difficult and dangerous to climb.
-The Tier of the Watchers-
The Eyes of Ho-oh: The Legendary Beasts: Raikou, Entei, and, in particular, Suicune (Lightning, Fire and Water) serve as the eyes of Ho-oh. When the Brass Tower burned, the beasts died, but Ho-oh resurrected them into their current forms. Ho-oh is closest to Suicune, the water elemental.
The Winged Mirages of Lugia: The Legendary Birds: Zapdos, Moltres and Articuno (Lightning, Fire and Ice) report to Lugia but watch mankind from afar. Lugia is the only God capable of silencing the Mirages when they start to war against each other, so he likely created them or at least infused them with the same elements used to reanimate the Beasts.
Cresselia: A lunar spirit. She answers to the Moon but not necessarily to Lugia. She is considered a Lunar Aspect, the female counterpart to Darkrai.
Darkrai: Some think Darkrai was once a Dark God that fell out of the Trinity's favor. Whatever the case, it feeds on human suffering and has the ability to lull victims to sleep and give them dreams. On nights where there's a full moon, Darkrai can give its victims horrible nightmares. It is considered by some to be a demi-god of the Dreaming. It is a Lunar Aspect.
The Gate Guardians: Regigigas and its golem brethren Regirock, Regice and Registeel lurk in forgotten old ruins and shrines. They were once protectors but whatever it was they were protecting is uncertain. Those able to read the ancient Braille see something mentioned called the Tree of the Beginning. Nobody knows where the golems originally came from or who animated them.
Celebi: A green fairy, Celebi was created from Dialga's will and has received his blessing to directly access the Crossroads of Time. She is the protector and guardian spirit of Ilex Forest.
Shaymin: A tiny green hedgehog, Shaymin is the guardian spirit of Floraroma. When the town was young, the land was plagued and nothing grew. Humans found their efforts to be in vain. Then someone prayed, thanking nature for its ability to create beauty and wonder. His gratitude summoned Shaymin, who blessed the town and created the fields of flowers around it.
-The Tier of Myth-
Mew: A pink kitten, Mew has been proven to possess the DNA of all known Pokemon making it possible that she was the first Pokemon created by Arceus, though she was never granted sovereignty over any element. Mew spends most of her time sleeping in the fetal position.
Great Bellsprout: A giant Bellsprout is rumored to writhe at the center of Bellsprout Pagoda. The resident monks pay it respect and all use Bellsprouts as their Pokemon of choice.
Heatran: A legend in Sinnoh speaks of a Pokemon whose rage was so intense that the Gods had to use a magic orb to lull into a state of peaceful slumber. As the ages passed, the Pokemon became a volcano.
The Unown: There is not just one Unown. There are in fact thousands of them. The Unown occurred later in world history, after the arrival of Mankind. They were born from the will of the Sleeping Arceus himself to keep watch. Indeed, Unown have flat bodies with eyes and they spend the better part of their existence stuck to walls. It was the Unown that inspired the human alphabet. Unown also act as a single unit with a single consciousness and their combined psychic energies can forge new realities. They were likely a governing force to the Ancients.
Jirachi: Jirachi has no cult but is recognized as a Demi-God of sorts, governing the power of wishes. It is an ancient and unique Pokemon of myth since it seems mostly oblivious of the existence of Man. Humankind has been hunting it for generations due to its ability to grant any wish that is written upon a paper and attached to its head. It grants the wish upon awakening but Jirachi remains awake for only one week every one thousand years.
Giratina: When the Gods commanded the Pokemon to appear before humanity, Giratina rejected the orders and chose the life of an eternal outcast. It is said that Giratina retreated into a different thread of reality created by Palkia. It retreated as far away as it could, into a dimension that lay opposite to the dimension of mankind. However, in the spring Giratina supposedly returns to the material realm to remind the Gods that it still exists. It emerges into a labrynth, shrouded in myst, in hopes that no human will ever see it. The origins of Giratina are a mystery. The Renegade bares a striking resemblance to Palkia and Dialga. Could it be a rogue Emanation of Arceus? A self-appointed deity of Death?
---
Evolutionary Theory: Pokemon evolve within their own lifespans but they apparently evolve in the typical sense as well. Existing fossils prove that there were prehistoric Pokemon. Professor Rowan of the Sinnoh region believes that there is much to learn from the study of Pokemon evolution. He believes, and it may be true, that the desire a Pokemon gets to evolve stems from a desire to be more "complete". The Gods and other Legendaries, which do not evolve, are complete and, often, perfect beings.
History of The World
The games give us enough mythos to understand some world history. I shall piece together now MY version of Pokemon world history, based on my understanding of the above gods and of the ruins.
-Creation Myth and the Ancients-
Our words shall remain here for the ages.
Thus we shall erect a Pokémon statue outside.
They possess great insight and refuse the outside world.
We humans must learn to walk in harmony with them.
We depart for their sakes.
-Words of the Unown, written deep within the ruins of Alph
Arceus came first. Before him there was nothing, after him came everything. He created the emanations Palkia (Space) and Dialga (Time) and the two emanations fabricated the physical universe. After creating the universe they withdrew into the outer dimensions, into a plane of reality that exists beyond mortal consciousness. The Trinity was dreamed into being by Arceus and they desired spirit. Between the Trinity and the Celestials the known universe was made. From this point on, Arceus takes no active role in the history of the world other than by "dreaming" lesser Gods into existence. The Trinity and the Celestials continue to lend their powers to the creation of other deities and they go on to spread their influence to humanity when humans arrive in the world.
The planet was created by another triad that sprang from the will of the Emanations fully grown: Groudon and Kyogre waged an epic war against each other, creating the sea and the land. They were eventually enveloped by Rayquaza who silenced them. With the planet in place, the first basic lifeform was created: Mew. Out of her genetic information came countless generations of beings. The Moon and Sun were celestial bodies, their creation myth is nonexistent but the influence of these bodies is represented in Ho-oh (powers like the Sun) and Lugia (powers like the Moon). Rather than being results of natural evolution, Lugia and Ho-oh were conceived by Palkia fully grown.
Somewhere along the line, Humanity also came. Whether they are a freak mutation or alien beings upon this planet drawn from another dimension by Palkia is uncertain but they represented an extreme anomaly, existing outside the previous organisms. They did not evolve from Mew's genetics, nor were they conceived by the Celestials. The Humans built civilizations for themselves, the most well known of which is now called "Pokemopolis" though at the time that was certainly not its name. This civilization was broad and covered countless regions of the world but the culture was the same. Humans lived together with and paid respect to the creatures with which they shared the world. There are no signs in the games, manga, or anime that this culture took part in Pokemon Battles. They seemed to have a deep understanding of these creatures. The creatures, too, started to build a consciousness around the humans, as many Gods turned their gaze upon these strange beings. The Pokemon of the day were commanded by a God to look to humans always, and to appear before them. The Unown were the Keepers, and the Ancients seemed to be able to commune with them on some level so it may be the Unown who relayed the story of Arceus to humanity to be recorded as mythos.(Examples of ruins in the games: The Golem Shrines, the Ruins of Alph and the Rayquaza Pharos) In this time there was no recognized definition between "Pokemon" and "Human". Collectively, they were an "Us". That split did not occur until the Technological Revolution.
-The Technological Revolution: If you see God, beat the hell out of him and catch him in a tennis ball-
Indeed, technology marked a major turning point in human history and resulted in an utter bastardization of everything once held to be sacred. It all happened with the creation of the "Capture Ball" (note that the Pokemon world is very advanced, this technology is already a few centuries old). These devices, when thrown, would draw a creature into them. The only creatures immune to their power are humans. In Pokemon Adventures: Special Silver offers a possible explanation as to why. Capture Balls work by drawing in life force. To successfully catch something you must throw the ball in such a way that it hits a major chakra point on the creature. Humans, therefor, are immune to Capture Balls not because their DNA is different, but because their spiritual make up is not connected to Arceus. Man-made Pokemon like Porygon can be captured because they were designed that way. Deoxys was originally a space virus, possibly connected to the emanation Palkia, Mewtwo is connected to Mew and shares her spiritual connections as well.
The Capture Ball resulted in the term "Pokemon" for "Pocket Monster", which has become a broad term for anything NOT human, thus creating the split of "Them" and "Us" (The term exists in the translation of Ancient texts but it might not be the original term). Human culture has evolved completely around this one technological step to the point that "Pokemon Journeys" are a right of passage to all ten-year-olds. Gyms exist where people can battle their captured Pokemon. Successful trainers need to respect their creatures and treat them with kindness, but this was still a practice that was previously unheard of. Religion in the world now faces the brutal reality of these devices since such creations as the Master Ball can capture ANYTHING with a spiritual connection to Arceus. The notion that humankind can control the very Gods it once worshiped has resulted in a massive power-rush and an immense increase in organized crime and violence. The control a person gets over a Pokemon is probably a matter of spirit as the slow, the stupid and the inherently evil can control these creatures with only limited success. The spiritlink also gives the Pokemon the ability to comprehend orders, though some Pokemon are naturally sentient, especially the Gods and Watchers. Pokemon often willfully follow their masters, remembering the orders to "appear before humanity" that they were given in ancient times. This makes the notion of eating Pokemon for sustenance a bit strange, but just as we don't eat all animals, humans of this world probably don't eat all Pokemon. Miltank, of course, is clearly doomed. Predatory creatures, in turn, prey on humankind.
This critical change in culture has brought history to a crossroads: Either humankind will come to dominate Pokemonkind and inherit the Earth, most likely plunging it into eternal chaos, or the relationships forged between trainer and beast will result in a closeness between the two that will bring peace. This theme is often visited in the anime and seems to be a major theme in all of the movies.
(Note that I play Silver, who doesn't exist in the anime, so this information doesn't use the anime as much, especially things from the early anime like Pokeballs holding inanimate objects)
Themes
As has become habit in DDD, some things about Pokemon canon will be altered slightly for the sake of realism: Guns exist, violence happens, there are drug problems and if a Jolteon hits you with as many volts as it is capable of producing? You'll die. People kill Pokemon, too. It may seem extreme but it's easier to roleplay. And, for excuse's sake, our version of Pokemon is censored anyway. An entire episode is banned in our country due to guns being pointed at the kids and warning shots being fired. And Meowth dressing as a Nazi. This happens to be the episode where Ash caught the 100 Tauros, in case you were wondering where those came from.
Also: Pokemon don't say their names as a means of communicating as per the anime. Instead I'm using manga/game canon which has them trilling, hissing, purring etc as fits the Pokemon. Makes sense considering that the Pokedex remembers each Pokemon's cry. Not all Pokemon say their names in the anime, anyway. Evees chirp, for example.
The World
The planetary setting of Pokemon is uncertain. To the best I can tell it is an AU!Earth, as the Cinnabar Mansion Journals mention Mew being discovered in South America. The island chains of Hoenn, Johto, etc could conceivably be Japan but I'm hesitant to refer to them as such. Other than South America, no other real world location is ever mentioned and in the Anime when the characters look to the stars they are always alien stars. Confusing as it may be, Silver will be referring to himself as an Earthling but don't expect him to know where Manhattan is. It's not OUR Earth. It does, in fact, bare very little resemblance to our world.
One thing about this world is that apparently all wildlife exists as Pokemon. Given this, meat products are probably Pokemon as well. The Anime avoids this subject by always making people eat salads, but, really, meat DOES exist and what else could it be? Probably quite a few people in this world are vegetarians. Pokemon have existed since the dawn of time, and, as the Gods (see below) show some predate the existence of the planet itself. So Pokemon range in power between pigeons that live in the cities to Gods of Space, Time and Creation. Ancient civilizations in this world held Pokemon in very high respect. Though Pokemopolis nolonger exists, the ruins still stand and ancient texts written within them speak of creatures that possess power unimaginable by mankind. In modern times Pokemon are captured and used for battle. The economy and culture of the world is almost entirely centered around Pokemon, using them in various ways to improve the quality of human life (ex: Chancey nurses and Machamp construction workers).
The Pokemon world is covered in wilderness, though the cities are technologically advanced. When a Pokemon is captured in a pokeball it becomes pure data and can then be sent to people across the world via computer networks. This method of phase transfer seems only to apply to the Pokemon as humans have yet to figure out how to teleport themselves effectively. Motor vehicles exist, though only in the cities, and travel between cities is typically done on foot. People with large, flying Pokemon can also use the Pokemon as mounts and fly between cities.
The Pilgrimage
Since the invention of the Pokeball the Journey has been a crucial part of growing up for many people of the lower middle class and up. On their tenth birthday, children are given a Pokemon and sent out into the wilderness. Their duty at this point is to capture other Pokemon and raise them to do battle with the regional Gym Leaders and, ultimately, the Elite Four. Those who defeat the Four become the Champions and they will battle any other trainers who manage to conquer the Four, which is actually a rare occurrence as some people can remain Champion for a decade. Most trainers return home after beating the Gyms and some give up on the Gym Challenge completely, which is generally frowned upon. It is an incredibly old tradition by this point. And, while it's more about sport now, there may have originally been some religious significance behind it.
There are no paved streets connecting cities in any region with the exception of short bike paths in a few areas. There are dirt and gravel paths between cities, surrounded by tall grass and forests. Trainers who meet on these paths recognize eye contact as a challenge to a battle so it is not altogether uncommon to see some travelers watching their feet as they go. Kids usually walk these paths or use bikes. No other form of transportation is acceptable by League rules. All trainers are forbidden to carry more than six Pokemon, since any more would cause certain Pokemon in the party to get less recognition and care. Luckily, all trainers are appointed to a Box Network in their region that allows them store extra Pokemon digitally so nobody needs to keep the same party at all times.
Most cities presumably have Youth Hostels for trainers passing through, since they'll need to sleep in beds. This is especially true of any town with a Gym.
In the games and anime the only schools we see teach kids how to go about their journeys and some, such as Pokemon Tech, were built to train kids in such a way that the journey will never become necessary. Clearly, part of the journey's importance is learning about Pokemon, a knowledge that will be critical for the rest of the kids' lives. There are highly educated individuals in the Pokemon world such as professors and scientists so education is probably continued after the journey's completion. In addition to Pokemon, kids are obviously taught reading, writing and arithmetic since nobody we've seen so far lacks that knowledge.
Silver is not a recognized League trainer and is not doing the Gym Challenge.
Government
All aspects of life apparently revolve around Pokemon. Silver himself couldn't explain the government to anyone very well, being a gutter child, but even in his view point there is something seriously wrong.
Each city has its police force and, depending on the region, there are sheriffs, mayors, shire reeves and other sorts of figures. The main seats of power in each region are occupied by the Elite Four. Each Region has an Elite Four, a powerful group of Trainers who challenge those who beat the region Gym Leaders. The Four seem to act closely with the Pokemon League. And since they and the League control the Gym Challenge (a right of passage for many citizens), they control the people. The most powerful Four were usually thought to be the Four Devas of the Indigo League who suffered a defeat after trying to violently forge their own Utopia. With Pokemon being of such high concern, the affairs of humans often go unnoticed and there is a great deal of crime and corruption. The Rocket Family Mafia operates in Kanto. When Don Giovanni (now in hiding) was still running his Gym the Rockets also contributed immensely to the economy. Though they were known for organized crime it was not in the best interest of the people to topple them. Giovanni's wife was even a police woman. In outlying regions religious fanatics such as Teams Aqua and Magma run amok. Sinnoh has the Galactic Energy Company, which is known for being eerily eccentric.
According to Silver the world is in a state of barely organized chaos and rebellions seem to be on the verge of happening wherever anyone looks. The only thing actually preventing uprisings is the realization that, if the rebels won, they'd actually have to rule the place.
Gods of the Pokemon World
Now we get into the complexity of the world. There is one thing in Pokemon that is only slightly explored: Religion. If you pay attention to the stories in the games you get a sense of the religion that must dominate the world. It is like Hinduism, with one central deity and many other lesser deities around it. So I will write about this, and, if anyone has feedback (do you think this makes sense given what we know?) PLEASE tell me:
In the beginning,
there was only a chaotic, heaving sea.
Everything was mixed together,
and in the center an egg appeared.
From the egg fell out
the First One.
The First One
created two emanations.
Time started to turn.
Space started to expand.
It also bore from its own body
three lives.
The two emanations prayed and
the thing called matter was born.
The three lives prayed and
the thing called spirit was born.
As the world had been created,
the First One went to sleep.
Legend of the Beginning, strict translation
-The Creator-
Arceus: The Original One, Arceus was born from the Cosmic Egg when only chaos existed. It conceived the emanations Dialga and Palkia who together created matter, then the Trinity who created spirit. From this unity the known universe was made. Once all was in place, Arceus withdrew to the Beginning Dimension where it slept for the rest of time, dreaming...
-The Celestials-
Dialga: Dialga appears to be a blue draconic creature with a diamond in its breast and an armored skull, it sleeps in a nest-dimension connected to the Spear Pillar. Dialga commands/is the God of the forces of Time.
Palkia: A light, pearl-colored dragon beast with pearls in its shoulders. Palkia sleeps with Dialga and is the God of Space.
-The Trinity-
Uxie: A tiny, pixie-like creature, Uxie was conceived by Arceus himself. It is the God of Knowledge, possessing infinite wisdom and the ability to erase memories. Its existence is what provides wisdom and knowledge to humanity and Pokemon.
Mesprit: A sister to Uxie, Mesprit was conceived by Arceus to teach emotion and the meanings of pain, sorrow and joy. It has empathy for humanity and would rather teach than fight, however, touching it will cause someone to be separated from all emotion for up to three days.
Azelf: The God of Will, Azelf's power is what gives humanity the drive to accomplish various tasks and Pokemon the will to exist. Like its siblings, it was conceived by Arceus. It keeps the world in a precarious balance as it sleeps. If it is harmed, the attacker loses the will to move for a week.
-The Tier of Heaven-
Ho-oh: Ho-oh, an ever-burning phoenix with rainbow feathers represents the Sun. Its power can scorch earth and its wrath can destroy landscapes completely but its heat is also soothing and it has the power to restore life. Ho-oh has been seen by mortal eyes but only seldom, as only the pure-hearted can see it, and it exists within the physical world to keep watch on Mankind, mostly through its Eyes. It returns to its roost at Tin Tower out of instinct when the area is in great danger.
Lugia: Lugia, a psionic long-necked beast that lives deep beneath the waves represents the Moon. Its changeable, inconstant mood governs tides and its rage causes storms. It too is seldom seen by man and it monitors events through its Winged Mirages.
-The Tier of Earth-
Groudon: When the planet was young, Groudon, a dinosaur-like creature, created the land masses of the world and from them waged war against Kyogre. Its power has been sealed.
Kyogre: Kyogre, a gigantic whale, created the sea and is at odds with Groudon. Its power has been sealed.
Rayquaza: At the creation of the physical planet, Rayquaza ended the dispute between Kyogre and Groudon supposedly by sealing their powers away. Rayquaza governs the sky and is seen as the deity of movement as well. His manner is vague and aloof but, as with Lugia and Ho-oh he does exist within the physical world and remains consistently active. When he roosts, it's at the top of a Pokemopolitan Pharos out in the middle of the sea that is very difficult and dangerous to climb.
-The Tier of the Watchers-
The Eyes of Ho-oh: The Legendary Beasts: Raikou, Entei, and, in particular, Suicune (Lightning, Fire and Water) serve as the eyes of Ho-oh. When the Brass Tower burned, the beasts died, but Ho-oh resurrected them into their current forms. Ho-oh is closest to Suicune, the water elemental.
The Winged Mirages of Lugia: The Legendary Birds: Zapdos, Moltres and Articuno (Lightning, Fire and Ice) report to Lugia but watch mankind from afar. Lugia is the only God capable of silencing the Mirages when they start to war against each other, so he likely created them or at least infused them with the same elements used to reanimate the Beasts.
Cresselia: A lunar spirit. She answers to the Moon but not necessarily to Lugia. She is considered a Lunar Aspect, the female counterpart to Darkrai.
Darkrai: Some think Darkrai was once a Dark God that fell out of the Trinity's favor. Whatever the case, it feeds on human suffering and has the ability to lull victims to sleep and give them dreams. On nights where there's a full moon, Darkrai can give its victims horrible nightmares. It is considered by some to be a demi-god of the Dreaming. It is a Lunar Aspect.
The Gate Guardians: Regigigas and its golem brethren Regirock, Regice and Registeel lurk in forgotten old ruins and shrines. They were once protectors but whatever it was they were protecting is uncertain. Those able to read the ancient Braille see something mentioned called the Tree of the Beginning. Nobody knows where the golems originally came from or who animated them.
Celebi: A green fairy, Celebi was created from Dialga's will and has received his blessing to directly access the Crossroads of Time. She is the protector and guardian spirit of Ilex Forest.
Shaymin: A tiny green hedgehog, Shaymin is the guardian spirit of Floraroma. When the town was young, the land was plagued and nothing grew. Humans found their efforts to be in vain. Then someone prayed, thanking nature for its ability to create beauty and wonder. His gratitude summoned Shaymin, who blessed the town and created the fields of flowers around it.
-The Tier of Myth-
Mew: A pink kitten, Mew has been proven to possess the DNA of all known Pokemon making it possible that she was the first Pokemon created by Arceus, though she was never granted sovereignty over any element. Mew spends most of her time sleeping in the fetal position.
Great Bellsprout: A giant Bellsprout is rumored to writhe at the center of Bellsprout Pagoda. The resident monks pay it respect and all use Bellsprouts as their Pokemon of choice.
Heatran: A legend in Sinnoh speaks of a Pokemon whose rage was so intense that the Gods had to use a magic orb to lull into a state of peaceful slumber. As the ages passed, the Pokemon became a volcano.
The Unown: There is not just one Unown. There are in fact thousands of them. The Unown occurred later in world history, after the arrival of Mankind. They were born from the will of the Sleeping Arceus himself to keep watch. Indeed, Unown have flat bodies with eyes and they spend the better part of their existence stuck to walls. It was the Unown that inspired the human alphabet. Unown also act as a single unit with a single consciousness and their combined psychic energies can forge new realities. They were likely a governing force to the Ancients.
Jirachi: Jirachi has no cult but is recognized as a Demi-God of sorts, governing the power of wishes. It is an ancient and unique Pokemon of myth since it seems mostly oblivious of the existence of Man. Humankind has been hunting it for generations due to its ability to grant any wish that is written upon a paper and attached to its head. It grants the wish upon awakening but Jirachi remains awake for only one week every one thousand years.
Giratina: When the Gods commanded the Pokemon to appear before humanity, Giratina rejected the orders and chose the life of an eternal outcast. It is said that Giratina retreated into a different thread of reality created by Palkia. It retreated as far away as it could, into a dimension that lay opposite to the dimension of mankind. However, in the spring Giratina supposedly returns to the material realm to remind the Gods that it still exists. It emerges into a labrynth, shrouded in myst, in hopes that no human will ever see it. The origins of Giratina are a mystery. The Renegade bares a striking resemblance to Palkia and Dialga. Could it be a rogue Emanation of Arceus? A self-appointed deity of Death?
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Evolutionary Theory: Pokemon evolve within their own lifespans but they apparently evolve in the typical sense as well. Existing fossils prove that there were prehistoric Pokemon. Professor Rowan of the Sinnoh region believes that there is much to learn from the study of Pokemon evolution. He believes, and it may be true, that the desire a Pokemon gets to evolve stems from a desire to be more "complete". The Gods and other Legendaries, which do not evolve, are complete and, often, perfect beings.
History of The World
The games give us enough mythos to understand some world history. I shall piece together now MY version of Pokemon world history, based on my understanding of the above gods and of the ruins.
-Creation Myth and the Ancients-
Our words shall remain here for the ages.
Thus we shall erect a Pokémon statue outside.
They possess great insight and refuse the outside world.
We humans must learn to walk in harmony with them.
We depart for their sakes.
-Words of the Unown, written deep within the ruins of Alph
Arceus came first. Before him there was nothing, after him came everything. He created the emanations Palkia (Space) and Dialga (Time) and the two emanations fabricated the physical universe. After creating the universe they withdrew into the outer dimensions, into a plane of reality that exists beyond mortal consciousness. The Trinity was dreamed into being by Arceus and they desired spirit. Between the Trinity and the Celestials the known universe was made. From this point on, Arceus takes no active role in the history of the world other than by "dreaming" lesser Gods into existence. The Trinity and the Celestials continue to lend their powers to the creation of other deities and they go on to spread their influence to humanity when humans arrive in the world.
The planet was created by another triad that sprang from the will of the Emanations fully grown: Groudon and Kyogre waged an epic war against each other, creating the sea and the land. They were eventually enveloped by Rayquaza who silenced them. With the planet in place, the first basic lifeform was created: Mew. Out of her genetic information came countless generations of beings. The Moon and Sun were celestial bodies, their creation myth is nonexistent but the influence of these bodies is represented in Ho-oh (powers like the Sun) and Lugia (powers like the Moon). Rather than being results of natural evolution, Lugia and Ho-oh were conceived by Palkia fully grown.
Somewhere along the line, Humanity also came. Whether they are a freak mutation or alien beings upon this planet drawn from another dimension by Palkia is uncertain but they represented an extreme anomaly, existing outside the previous organisms. They did not evolve from Mew's genetics, nor were they conceived by the Celestials. The Humans built civilizations for themselves, the most well known of which is now called "Pokemopolis" though at the time that was certainly not its name. This civilization was broad and covered countless regions of the world but the culture was the same. Humans lived together with and paid respect to the creatures with which they shared the world. There are no signs in the games, manga, or anime that this culture took part in Pokemon Battles. They seemed to have a deep understanding of these creatures. The creatures, too, started to build a consciousness around the humans, as many Gods turned their gaze upon these strange beings. The Pokemon of the day were commanded by a God to look to humans always, and to appear before them. The Unown were the Keepers, and the Ancients seemed to be able to commune with them on some level so it may be the Unown who relayed the story of Arceus to humanity to be recorded as mythos.(Examples of ruins in the games: The Golem Shrines, the Ruins of Alph and the Rayquaza Pharos) In this time there was no recognized definition between "Pokemon" and "Human". Collectively, they were an "Us". That split did not occur until the Technological Revolution.
-The Technological Revolution: If you see God, beat the hell out of him and catch him in a tennis ball-
Indeed, technology marked a major turning point in human history and resulted in an utter bastardization of everything once held to be sacred. It all happened with the creation of the "Capture Ball" (note that the Pokemon world is very advanced, this technology is already a few centuries old). These devices, when thrown, would draw a creature into them. The only creatures immune to their power are humans. In Pokemon Adventures: Special Silver offers a possible explanation as to why. Capture Balls work by drawing in life force. To successfully catch something you must throw the ball in such a way that it hits a major chakra point on the creature. Humans, therefor, are immune to Capture Balls not because their DNA is different, but because their spiritual make up is not connected to Arceus. Man-made Pokemon like Porygon can be captured because they were designed that way. Deoxys was originally a space virus, possibly connected to the emanation Palkia, Mewtwo is connected to Mew and shares her spiritual connections as well.
The Capture Ball resulted in the term "Pokemon" for "Pocket Monster", which has become a broad term for anything NOT human, thus creating the split of "Them" and "Us" (The term exists in the translation of Ancient texts but it might not be the original term). Human culture has evolved completely around this one technological step to the point that "Pokemon Journeys" are a right of passage to all ten-year-olds. Gyms exist where people can battle their captured Pokemon. Successful trainers need to respect their creatures and treat them with kindness, but this was still a practice that was previously unheard of. Religion in the world now faces the brutal reality of these devices since such creations as the Master Ball can capture ANYTHING with a spiritual connection to Arceus. The notion that humankind can control the very Gods it once worshiped has resulted in a massive power-rush and an immense increase in organized crime and violence. The control a person gets over a Pokemon is probably a matter of spirit as the slow, the stupid and the inherently evil can control these creatures with only limited success. The spiritlink also gives the Pokemon the ability to comprehend orders, though some Pokemon are naturally sentient, especially the Gods and Watchers. Pokemon often willfully follow their masters, remembering the orders to "appear before humanity" that they were given in ancient times. This makes the notion of eating Pokemon for sustenance a bit strange, but just as we don't eat all animals, humans of this world probably don't eat all Pokemon. Miltank, of course, is clearly doomed. Predatory creatures, in turn, prey on humankind.
This critical change in culture has brought history to a crossroads: Either humankind will come to dominate Pokemonkind and inherit the Earth, most likely plunging it into eternal chaos, or the relationships forged between trainer and beast will result in a closeness between the two that will bring peace. This theme is often visited in the anime and seems to be a major theme in all of the movies.