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This new, Much Different World

Ash_Junior

Irredeemable Nerd
This is more of a world building exercise for myself than an actual piece of fan fiction. Extrapolating what the world would be like if Pokemon were around, and if Europe hadn't become the dominant power in the world.

It also plays into the popular "normal person sucked into Pokemon world." In fact, it's designed to help normal folks who suddenly find themselves in the Pokemon World adjust to the general historical/political differences between the two. I may toy around in this world a little further, but if I don't, then I'm happy. If I do, this will only serve as a Prologue.






I write these words for any of the others who have fallen through the gap. The world you now find yourself stuck in is far different than the world that we know. For whatever reason, this world tends to pull people from only one alternate world. The world of the American Cheeseburger, Superman, and the Kardashians. I do miss my comic books and cheese burgers.

I write this as a hope that it will help you adjust more smoothly. It is quite an adjustment, and hopefully this will serve as a compass for you, so you don't have to flail around randomly until you find your legs.

This small offering is something to help you get on your feet quickly. For a full comparison and differences in history, you can buy my much more in-depth volumes at your discretion.



Part 1: General Differences in History


The world is different. Where I came from, countries were ruled by autocratic rulers, often elected by the citizens of that country. Here, most countries are ruled by the strongest, in a semi-nobility enforced by whoever happens to be the ruling elite based off a very loose set of rules. That's not to say that there aren't democracies and dictatorships here and there, but by and large nations are more of a confederation than a republic.

Where I came from there was an organization called the United Nations. Here, there is only the International Pokemon League—the members of which are smaller Leagues that often have multiple smaller Leagues within them. The IPL, backed by the Global Police, are the main force for stability in the world.

The difference between the world that I came from and the world that I left is quite simple. This world has Pokemon, and my world does not. Because of this one fact, history has unfolded quite differently. Although it is surprising how much it remains the same, up until what we called the Middle Ages. In my world, Europe became a major naval power, and by virtue of its superior military technology strength, conquered, claimed, and subsumed the entire world under its thumb.

In this world, Europe is mostly a broke third-world continent that is ignored by most of the world. Instead of Europe claiming the Americas, the natives rebuffed the attempts at colonization repeatedly, learning the secrets of boat travel from a group of what I would call Vikings, and invaded Europe, decimating it for centuries.

In the East, Japan (largely considered the major cultural and military superpower of the world) and China flourished. Japan became the major colonial Empire, and conquered all of my Pacific Ocean and North America, from Alaska and California to the Mississippi and the Great Lakes. The Iroquois League held firm against Imperial Japan's attempts to cross the Mississippi, and continued to rebuff the occasional colonial attempt from a largely impoverished, Third World Europe.

In South America, the Inca and the Aztec nations fought many wars, and eventually both nations broke apart, and even allied with each other against Japan's Imperialist ideals. Since then, the nations have continued to be players on the world stage.

The sleeping giant China that I know does not exist. Instead, its rich culture was uninterrupted by colonization, and instead swallowed up most of mainland Asia, all the way to the Black Sea. The strong Russia I know was not kicked into overdrive by Peter the Great, and the India that I know is almost completely gone. While it was not completely conquered, it still served at the pleasure of the Chinese Empire, but it had put up enough of a fight to ensure they had some governing autonomy.

I have already mentioned that the Europe that I remember is almost completely gone. Their colonial expansion in my world came at a time when they were nearly broke. The same thing happened in this world. Except where the Europeans in my world had superior military technology in the form of guns and cannons, in this world Pokemon leveled the playing field, as they did all throughout history until the last fifty years or so when technology finally began to catch up fully.

In this world, Europe went broke, their expensive attempts to colonize the New World backfired horribly (except, ironically, for the Norsemen, who colonized the North-East coast of the New World). All, that is, except for the Germans. The Germanic peoples of the time never really put much effort into colonization, and when European nations began collapsing one after another, the newly formed German Empire marched on each country in turn, slowly absorbing them into their empire.

Major Players:

Vikings—Capital Reyjkavik, Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland, Quebec, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories
(Aztec) Quetzalcotl Leagues—Central America, islands in the Gulf of Mexico, Texas, New Mexico.
Iriquoius League—US east of Mississippi, New Brunswick, PEI, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba
Incan Empire—all of South America
Imperial Japan—Japan, Australia, Pacific Islands, US West of Mississippi, British Columbia, Alberta, Alaska, Yukon Territories
Imperial China—China, India, Mongolia, all countries formerly owned by USSR.
German Empire—Europe east and south from Germany, including Finland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden.
Ethiopian Leagues—Southern Africa
Egyptian Leagues—Northern Africa


Part 2: Pokemon and Pokemon Leagues.

Pokemon are roughly analagous to our animals, though we have animals here too. Just far fewer of them. They are assigned one to two types by scientists (though in reality they may have far more types than this. Two types is just the standard for Competitive Pokemon).

They possess incredible power, but aren't as intelligent as humans. Pokemon can be used for a large variety of activities, and hold a wide variety of abilities. It's important to note that because of Electric types, this world is actually ahead of ours scientifically, due to the advent of electricity at a much earlier stage.

While there are many kinds of Pokemon out there, there are really three main areas of industry that tend to draw focus on a world stage. Evolution Stones, Fossils, and Pokemon technology. Evolution Stones are mined from deep inside the earth, and, when a certain type of Pokemon is exposed to a certain type of radiation (different Stones give off different radiation), they can evolve to a new, higher form. I am not an expert on what geological conditions form the Evolution Stones, but the Stones themselves are semi-rare, and Evo Mines have become a major power source in today's modern world.

Fossils are fossils of Pokemon that contain DNA that is still viable. However, because it's been in the ground so long and the technology we have to revive Pokemon, the DNA tends to degrade, resulting in nearly 89% sterility in all fossil Pokemon, and guaranteed sterility within 3 generations. This instability inherent in Fossil Pokemon DNA cannot thus far be fixed by modern genetic technology. Thus new sources of Fossils are required to keep various Pokemon species alive.

The final major source of industry is in Pokemon Technology. Whether this is in the brand new synthetic Teleporters, Force Fields, and Psychic Dampeners (all mimicking a Pokemon's abilities) or Pokeballs, Healing supplies, and other Trainer paraphernalia, Pokemon Technology is a major, major industry. Arguably included in this is technology that is designed to match or overpower the strongest Pokemon, from massive Beam Cannons designed to take down Psychic (or technological) Barriers, energy weapons designed for individual soldiers, or massive, armored tanks, warplanes, and maritime vessels designed to be able to soak up damage from Pokemon.

Part 3: People and Pokemon

People behave, sadly, much like people. There are those with good intentions, those who are content to live their lives, and then there are those, like anywhere, who live only to rule and screw over anyone who isn't affiliated with them.

Governments in this world are largely divided into Leagues, from the worldwide Leagues to Leagues of diminishing power that aren't quite nationwide to those that consist of a single town—or occasionally family. Most modern Leagues are run by something akin to a Feudal Confederacy. At every level, the Leagues are bound together by ideals, common culture, or occasionally brute force. The individual government of each League member varies, but usually comes down to the strongest ruling.

Sometimes the rulers of a League remain in power because they want to. Power grabs can be ruthless, and unsuccessful power grabs can see those in power punishing those who made the attempt even more ruthlessly. In the last hundred years, there have been very few changes in leadership of Leagues on the National scale, and those are usually hotly contested by neighboring Leagues—usually in contests to see who is the strongest. And then the strongest (if they aren't the newcomers) set up a puppet to oversee the League on their behalf.

To the individual, life is pretty much the same as in our world, with a few differences, of course. Pokemon Trainers are easily the most respected of us “common” folk, though the life of a Trainer is brutal and difficult. You could be one of the richest Trainers in your National League one day, and then a week later be flat broke and have to retire from Professional Training for a while because you ran out of money. Injuries and even death of Trained Pokemon are not uncommon. Indeed, it's unusual for a Pokemon Tournament to finish without at least a half dozen casualties.

On the Routes between towns, there is some enforced law, but for the most part it is a dangerous place, with only a few scattered rules covering conduct. Except, I hear, for the no man's land that is the central Mississippi River. Iroquois and Japanese hotly contest the river, and it truly is the Wild, Wild East over there.

If you decide to go into the wilderness in search of riches, whether it's in the hopes of striking it rich with either a Fossil or Evolution Stone mine, beware. In most of the world, once you get off the beaten path, all bets are off. While the area is technically claimed, if you aren't in a well-traveled area, there is almost no law in the wilds, except for the laws that you bring with you or enforce. Also, beware of growing a wilderness settlement too large. If you get too big, you'll bring yourself unwanted attention from larger forces, who will usually forcible enfold you into their Leagues.

This should be enough to get you settled. It's not supposed to be a guide to everything, just something to help you readjust to life in a new world. And no, thus far there has been no success in reversing the Bermuda Triangle effect. It only pulls people from our world to this one, and has not yet been able to do the opposite.

Good luck.
 

Ash_Junior

Irredeemable Nerd
Michael watched as the pair of Eevee were put through their paces. Their fur rippled in the wind as they dove through the tunnel, racing out the other end as fast as their tiny little legs could take them.

Their trainer dashed past Michael, directing the Eevee through a series of poles set up sequentially. The Eevee flowed through the poles, rushing through them as naturally as if they had been doing it their entire lives. The trainer cheered them on and directed them towards the river, yelling the command that would send the small quadripeds leaping across the tiny platforms that barely stood above the surface of the water.

Michael made a note on his clipboard as the pair of Pokemon began leaping their way across the river, and looked up as the trainer leaped up onto the climbing wall. Only once he had reached the far side would he reconnect with his Pokemon.

The yells of trainers and the sound of running feet roared throughout the enclosed gym, but Michael ignored it as he turned away from the Eevee trainer and turned to the next trainer as she rounded the bend, spluttering through the slime dripping down her face. So she hadn't managed to jump over the pit. At least this stretch of the gym was a little easier for the trainer.

The trainer's Arcanine barreled around the bend, running quickly to catch up to its master. Behind him, Michael could hear the hum of the holographic force fields as they changed their shape to present the large fire type with different challenges than the pair of tiny Eevee. He watched the pair dart past him, and the giant fire dog leaped over a ten foot wall, while the trainer leaped onto a rope that had appeared and began climbing it.

A chittering sound made Michael glance up to see an obviously holographic pair of Ariados climbing down the rope towards the trainer. The trainer was so focused on climbing the rope that it took several seconds longer to notice the pair of spider Pokemon. She noticed them just in time to swing out of the way of a line of sticky web that shot down towards her. She barked a command, and almost instantly a gout of flame engulfed one of the spiders. The holographic spider sparkled as it dissipated, its jobs complete. The trainer growled something under her breath and opened her mouth to issue another command when a second web caught the trainer, sending her tumbling off the rope and back down to the ground. A split second later, the second holographic spider was engulfed in a second fireball and disappeared.

The trainer threw a smirk at Michael, and got to her feet. She tugged once on the rope to make sure it could hold her weight. She watched first in confusion and then in horror as the rope, weakened by fire, gave way completely and fell all about her in a sinuous snarl. For a moment, she did nothing but stare at the rope. Quickly turning red, she yelled for her Arcanine to come to her, but her commands faded away almost as quickly as the holographics.

Michael made a note on his clipboard that she had failed his part of her training as she and her Pokemon begrudgingly broke into a run towards the next section of the obstacle course. But to Michael she was already forgotten as he turned towards the next trainer, the hum of the holographics already changing shape behind him.

And so it went, dozens of trainers running past Michael's assigned position in the gym. Each had different Pokemon, and each had different challenges that they had to overcome. Some managed it handily, others struggled through it, and others failed completely.

All told, more than three dozen trainers had gone through the course several times, and most of them had done better than they had done the previous day. There had even been a couple of newbies.

Michael dropped his clipboard onto his desk, and stretched. He had a few minutes before he had to get back to work. It was a light schedule for Viridian City: only four challengers. He was the first of the official Gym Trainers, so he would face all of them. They were all regulars, and by now both Michael and the regulars knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Of course, he never knew which of the Gym’s stable of Pokemon he’d be using, while the trainers continued to use the same Pokemon every time.

From her perch on a cabinet behind his desk, Michael’s Espeon opened one eye and glared at him accusingly for interrupting her nap. Imperiously, the other eye opened and the Psychic’s head rose. The feline’s eyes told him in no uncertain terms that he was in trouble for daring to be in her room while she slept. The Gym Trainer chuckled to himself and came around the desk.

His Espeon’s head arched back further in suspicion as he reached out and scratched behind her ears. Her tail slowly twitched, warning him against any funny business. Her eyes narrowed as he continued to scratch, examining him carefully. Finally deeming him worthy, her eyes closed completely and her head lowered under the gentle pressure of his fingers. Slowly, a purr began to emanate from the creature’s throat as he stopped scratching her ears and began stroking her magnificent pelt.

Michael stepped back, already lost in concentration as he began mentally preparing for a Pokemon battle with only stock Pokemon. Behind him, his Espeon’s eyes slowly opened, her eyes accusing him silently of daring to stop giving her attention. Obviously she was the center of the entire world.

As the door closed, the Espeon stared at it for a moment, as if convinced that the creature would come back through the door and give her more attention. When it did not come to pass, she closed her eyes and rested her head once more on her paws. Her tail came back around in front of her, covering her nose as she slowly drifted contentedly back to sleep. Content that once again the feline was the center of attention, and all was well with the world.
 
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