Anyone who has seen this https://www.newgrounds.com/art/view/crashcourse81/pokemon-neoverse-logo will know what this is about. I recommend reading the description in this pic before reading this.
This is Part 2 in a series of documents detailing the Neoverse Project, which I've been working on for some time now. If you wanna see Part 1, check here. https://crashcourse81.newgrounds.com/news/post/1309027
In the previous Part I went over the origin of the Neoverse and Aterr's past, the setting of the Neoverse games. In this Part, I'll be explaining the current age of the planet and what it has to offer.
Note: The titles will be at the sides because they won't stay centered for some reason. -_- Also, these are all copy and pasted from my DA St.ash Journals with a few alterations.
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Aterr's Modern Age
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The Aterrians' Growth
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Primon and Hybreeds changed to Pokemon and Breedless, who bore mixed civilisations. The Breedless, as humans are called nowadays, had created vast cities, large towns and decent villages for themselves to live in using technology (most of the time), while Pokemon had made homes for themselves in the wild, sometimes making huts or other old-fashioned buildings using natural materials. Humans once did this too at the start of the Intelligent Age, which is the name for the (current) time where both humans and Pokemon grew smarter, but slowly grew to master tech and machines and use them for construction and other purposes. Both societies having greatly varying qualities.
Human society is pretty similar to our own. The cities are loud and crowded, the towns and villages are plentiful and have their own sights to see, and people themselves are pretty varied. Some are nice, some are weird, some are criminals, etc. The majority of humankind resides in the settlements they created for themselves, while others simply travel the world like nomads. However, they can't and don't just venture wherever they please and expect it to be easy. Humans are commonly attacked by Pokemon, usually the more violent ones, though a few others could be provoked into attacking either out of fright or territorialness. Some Pokemon will even be daring enough to attack entire settlements, including cities! The cities come prepared for this by having shield generators built around them that automatically activate whenever a group of hostile Pokemon are approaching, alongside robots and machines that defend the perimeter. Towns and villages may get shields of their own if they have the money and/or resources for them (in the latter case they could build one themselves), but they usually are left with only strong humans and befriended Pokemon to protect them. On THAT topic...
The Breedless, while lacking the same level of power as their ancestors, are still capable of using some of it, sometimes with a bit of help from natural sources. They named the energies that flow around and shape their world Cruia, which remains dormant in them at birth, but can be awakened and empower them with enough effort. The energies also grant their bearers different elements, which are referred to as Powers for humans and Types for Pokemon, due to how the latter were born with them rather than attained them. These humans are referred to as Fluxed, and are capable of manipulating and even absorbing Cruia around them to strengthen themselves. Starting off, they have no particular mastery, but when they absorb enough of a certain type of Cruia or, in a rarer case, access a certain type within them, they gain that element as their own, though it doesn't prevent them from absorbing other kinds. However, some may not be as energising or even compatible with their element, since everything has its strengths and weaknesses. Absorbing much of another kind could either add another element to them or replace one they already have, which can cause minor to drastic changes to the body. Humans who cannot use Cruia are called Dimmed, who rely more on technology or Fluxed humans to get things done. Some of these humans have been lucky enough to get their hands on a special kind of device that amplifies their Cruia called Shockers, but they are just as dangerous as they are useful. Why? Well, that'll be explained later. Right now all you need to know is, just like there are good and bad humans, there are powerful and powerless humans.
Pokemon are a different story, especially compared to THEIR ancestors. For eons many different animals have been birthed by Aterr itself, the energies of which transform them into the creatures they are today. What splits them apart from humans power-wise is that they can only bear certain elements while humans can seemingly bear them all, even if in a limited form, but their power is greater than a human's. Even small Pokemon could potentially KILL a human if their power is misused, but the creatures are smarter than that. In fact, it seems they gain some more intelligence after transforming, not on par with a human's (at times) but enough to tell some things apart, and they retain the memories they had from their animal lives. Sadly, they also retain their instincts, which can lead to good or bad things depending on what they were like. Despite their animalistic natures, tendencies and appearances, Pokemon are not completely incapable of speech. They make noises, growls and roars, as creatures do, which can be translated using human-made translation devices, which come in different looks. This comes in handy if the Pokemon is trying to alert their human companions as to a nearby threat or item/place of interest. Mysteriously, some Pokemon even gain human-like forms and act like humans do (for better or worse), even being capable of proper speech (in some cases) and living amongst them like they WERE humans, regardless of whether or not they know. But what REALLY sets them apart from humans however is the black marks they bear on their bodies, though that'll be talked about later on.
Pokemon are split into three parties: Killer, Even and Tame. Killer Pokemon are the aforementioned cruel and vicious Pokemon that can be considered modern-day Primon, as they are focused only on killing whatever they see. Be it from the instinct to feed itself, some condition that makes them "unstable", or more frighteningly, causing evil knowingly and willingly. They also are usually stronger than most other Pokemon, making them hard to deal with. They are commonly avoided for these reasons. Even Pokemon are creatures who are neutral, either keeping out of both sides' affairs or doing what they wish with or without consent from each side. Some stay in seclusion, others act like nomads like some humans do, and the rest just do their own thing. And finally, Tame Pokemon are docile, calm or otherwise peaceful Pokemon that are easy to approach without starting a fight. Some may run away from their visitors out of shyness, others will allow humans to stay in their homes if they wish it, some others will even dare to journey to a human settlement to make allies there! These Pokemon are highly recommended, though do not make up the majority of those that live with humans. As you can expect, Killer Pokemon are the ones who attack settlements mostly, with some even coming in enough numbers to make an army. This is why the city shields were made, but even then the assault from said armies can bring the shields down, leaving the cities open to attack. That's when things get REALLY messy...
When humans and Pokemon befriend each other, they are called Alliances. Allied humans and Pokemon are registered with their continent's government and given a certain license depending on what job they take. If not, they simply get one saying that they're an Alliance. There are many Alliances around Aterr, some greater than others. In fact, Alliances have become the backbone of both societies, which help out each other to prosper. Mutual gain and all that. Alliances can do way more than that however...but I'll get into that later as well.
Besides all that, human AND Pokemon society works roughly similar to ours.
(Fun Facts:
- The term "Alliance" comes from the feature of the same name from Super Pokemon Mystery Dungeon.
- Cruia is a corruption of "cruor", which is Latin for "blood" (as in lifeblood.))
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Pokemon Environment Spheres
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It's time to talk of the technology humans have made, starting with Pokemon Environment Spheres, or PESes. They are one of the most common devices on the planet, and also one of the most important. These small round devices were made for the purpose of capturing and carrying Pokemon with ease, as taking them around everywhere can be a bother with their different sizes and ways of getting around (ie. Pokemon not fitting into a tunnel or being able to walk well). At first, they sound like prisons for the creatures, but they are actually far from it.
The wielder must first press a button in the middle of the PES's front hole, hidden in the black inner casing, which activates its Scan Mode. When the PES touches a Free Pokemon (aka a Pokemon that is not yet captured/befriended) it will open up, scan the Pokemon, and digitalize it (don't worry, the process is painless). They will then be brought into a virtual space, and the PES will begin Containment Mode. When the following countdown ends, the PES's Lockdown Mode will engage and prevent the Pokemon from escaping, which they may try to do out of shock of suddenly being transferred into the device or something. When they are contained, the space they are in will transform into an environment to suit their needs, even providing them digitalised food that tastes and fills them up like the real thing (the food is put into the device before it reaches stores). This altogether is called a Capture. Upon Capturing the Pokemon, the device will fly back into your hand. It was this device that gave people the idea for the term "Pokemon", standing for "Pocket Monsters."
In short, a PES is like a tiny digital biome for Pokemon. It was made as a method of keeping them safe from the dangers of the outside world, or to give them a new home if their old one was lost. As such, Pokemon who are kept inside PESes or other devices that act like them are known as Captured. Of course, the PESes aren't perfect, and it's possible the Pokemon can escape before it locks down. If they do, the PES will be broken open and rendered unusable (unless you found someone to fix it for you). Some PESes have different Containment times, others have upgrades that inhibit the Pokemon's capabilities while inside them, etc. If a Pokemon would like to enter a PES itself, it can simply touch the PES's middle button and allow itself to be scanned and digitalized. It may also take some time for the Pokemon to get used to the interior of the PES, which is natural considering it was brought into a new world and out of its own so suddenly. Another nifty feature they have is that they can shrink to the size of a chestnut to make them easier to carry around, as PESes are usually the size of a human's hand and thus can be hard to hold multiple of. Some humans don't even use PESes and instead try to bond with Pokemon openly, which has had...mixed success.
A PES's systems can be controlled from the outside by using five buttons around its front hole. The middle button is used to bring a menu up, the outer right and left ones are directional buttons, the inner right is a confirm button, and the inner left is a deconfirm button. In this menu, one can choose to check on the Pokemon inside, check the PES's status, install a new program or digitalize food/drink into the environment, etc. To get a Pokemon out of the sphere, you need only press the middle button to open the device, or you can say the Pokemon's nick/name as a voice command. This is also used to get the Pokemon back into the PES; you need only say "[insert nick/name here], return." A PES can also monitor its Pokemon's position within 5 kilometers of the sphere's area, allowing you to find it if it ever gets lost. However, if one were to choose to get rid of or part with a Pokemon for any reason, they can unregister/release the Pokemon through an option in the menu, in which case it is considered a Free Pokemon again. The Pokemon can remain with its human ally if it wishes to however. It is also possible to re-capture the Pokemon with the same PES. All Pokemon that were contained inside the PES are recorded in its onboard library, which you can check in the device's menu.
According to human law, a person can have up to ten Pokemon at once in their Party, as they're called, a limitation to keep them from having too much power or...too many hands. Anyone caught breaking this law will be stripped of their extra Pokemon and punished depending on how many they had, what they did with it/them and how long they've had it/them for. A good thing too, as some humans in this world are QUITE skilled and powerful. Pokemon too...
(Fun Fact: PESes are basically Poke Balls, if they actually worked how they were told to work in the anime, with a few touch-ups.)
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Pokedexes
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Pokedexes are another one of the most prized gadgets of humankind, created for the purpose of documenting and understanding Pokemon better. Originally starting out as a list created by old humans to see which Pokemon they've found, it has since gained many upgrades and has become a miniature library for the creatures. It is similar to the PESes in that sense, but this library is MUCH larger. They usually come in the form of book-like machines, but can come in different forms around the world, which is usually dependant on culture or style.
A Pokedex can be used in one of two ways. The first way is the Tracking way, which requires some level of caution and readiness. In this case, the Pokedex is used to scan Pokemon from afar and record their appearance and anatomy, giving the person a decent bit of info about the creature, such as their elements, capabilities, habitats, etc. This can be difficult due to the person needing to oversee the Pokemon directly if they want to gather information on them. The second way is the Gathering way, which is considered to be the easier of the two methods. There are small segments on a Pokedex for a shrunken PES to fit in (usually three), which upon placing a PES in allows the Pokedex to scan and record the Pokemon inside the device. In either case, further study is required to learn more about the creatures, such as experiencing their skills in battle, watching them live in nature, working alongside them, etc.
Pokedexes are mostly used by Investigator Alliances, comprised of scientific, archeologic and other humans (and even Pokemon) interested in finding out about the world's secrets and such. Some of them dedicate their lives to finding every Pokemon that exists and learning all that there is to know about them, while others simply do it for the thrill, or to pass the time. Some people are given rewards for finding records of certain Pokemon such as Legendaries, Mythicals or generally rare Pokemon, a topic that will ALSO be touched on later. Despite this, you can find quite a few people who aren't from an Alliance or interested in science or archeology with a Pokedex in some way or form, looking up and out for different Pokemon.
Pokedexes don't just record Pokemon though; there's a feature on each one that lets the user record animals they find as well, which are called Originals. They act just like the creatures of our world, which makes sense since they ARE the creatures of our world, and scientists have learned much more from Pokemon by documenting these creatures. Those will be spoken about more in the next Part...
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Atternet Terminals (ATs)
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Aterrnet Terminals are computers that can be found in certain buildings at cities, towns and even villages. They are machines that can link the user to the Aterrnet (Aterr's internet), where they can check on their bank account, look at videos, basically the stuff that WE can do. However, they do have two special functions that separates them from our internet devices.
The first function is Pokemon Zones, or PZs for short, which are managed by one half of a continent's government that handles Alliances in general. These act similarly to PESes in the way that they are digital areas for Pokemon to be placed in whenever there is no space left for them in a human's Party, or for safekeeping. Just like the PES environments, these worlds mold themselves so that they meet the needs of every Pokemon inside them, and are good places for them to hang out together safely. Also just like the PESes, PZs can be given upgrades to make the Pokemon's experience more pleasing and relaxing. If you have an account linked with the Alliance half of the government, you are given your own PZs that you can transfer a Pokemon into through your PES, which becomes linked to said PZ and can let you view the device's Pokemon through an option in its menu. Even more, you can transfer the goods and habitat of that PES into the PZ if you wish, including a copy of the stuff, though this will require money. Every registered person starts off with 10 PZs, though it's possible to expand the number and width of these PZs.
The second function is Trading. Trading allows you to trade Pokemon in your Party or PZ/s with one in another person's Party or PZ/s, the number of which can be chosen between 1 and 5 at a time. Trading Pokemon can be good for letting your Pokemon experience what it's like to be with someone else, perhaps a friend or family member or heck, even an acquaintance, while also seeing what the sender's Pokemon is like. It can sometimes be hard on your Pokemon to leave you however, especially if they're attached to you, or vice versa. If this is the case, it'd be best to speak with your Pokemon and see if they would be up for it. Any items they had when being traded will remain with them, as they are carried with them upon being digitalized. You can also see the names of the former humans they've been with before (if they're registered that is). Trading can also be useful to enhance Pokemon in a certain way, but again, that's something I'll touch on again later...
(Note: Trading can be done both off and online, offline with NPCs (including allies; don't worry, you can get your Pokemon back) and online with people around the world.)
(Fun Fact: The ATs and PZs are basically the PCs and Pokemon banks from the original games.)
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Hangers
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Some people find it difficult to carry around PESes despite their capacity to shrink. If anything, shrinking makes them more likely to be dropped and roll off to someplace they can't be reached. To fix this, a series of carrier devices called Hangers were made, which are able to hold multiple PESes at once. The number of spaces for them vary between Hangers, with the bare minimum being 3, like Pokedexes. Hangers are actually one of the priciest things out there, due to how essential and useful they are in carrying Pokemon. One such use is the fusion of each environment of every installed PES, which allows the Pokemon inside them to meet, greet and hang out with each other. Another use is that the PESes become locked onto the Hanger's spaces, which only release the devices when the owner presses a button that detaches the PESes from it, thus preventing robbery of them even if the Hanger itself was stolen (unless it was hacked, of course). The Hangers also come with programs that allow the Pokemon to train while inside the digital spaces, which is useful when there's not many opponents to battle. PESes can have these too, but they don't often come WITH the programs, which usually have to be bought and downloaded. Lastly, Hangers also give Pokemon a certain boost or two when they're being launched from the PESes, which depend on the Hanger itself, but are helpful for different situations. Overall, Hangers are worth the money and effort in getting.
Who knows, you may luck out and find one that someone dropped...provided it's intact.
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Shockers
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Now for one of the more risky gadgets made by mankind...Shockers. Some humans don't ever manage to awaken their Cruia, others just refuse to, or some even lose it. The remedy for this issue is these devices, but they are very dangerous to use. To use one, you equip it on the spot of your chest where your heart is, which involves sticking sharp pricks into you, and pressing a button that sends a shock into your heart, hence the name. If you're lucky, you'll feel a shock spread throughout your entire body, indicating that your Cruia is now active, or if not, you'll suffer a heart attack and die. Even if you endure the process, Shockers can leave your body wounded in some way or cause a disability, as the Cruia is being forcibly awoken and sent throughout it. It's also harder to get used to, so Shockers are rarely bought as used, especially since they're costly. BUT, there is ONE upside to a Shocker, if you can call it that.
It has another feature that allows it to temporarily boost the Cruia you produce, giving you a burst of power for a short time. However, this sudden power spike can cause drastic damage to one's body and even kill them, either by the body giving out from the strain or the bearer being consumed in their own Cruia. It's handy in a pinch, but it's recommended to only be used as a last-ditch effort, and even then, only for at least 2 minutes. Shockers are given to Pokemon as well solely for this reason, and it's just as painful for them as it is for humans. The devices have become outlawed in some parts of the world because of all this, as some people tend to use Shockers just to punish or harm Pokemon, almost like an electric collar.
Some wonder if Shockers were a blessing, or a curse...
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AMSes
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Moving from inventions to full-on buildings, there is one in every capital city (or at least most of them) that people love to visit a lot, called the Aterrnet Meeting Stations, or AMS for short. They possess terminals that allow people to meet each other in a gigantic worldwide cyberspace, where they can do many things together. There are machines in each AMS that digitalize humans and Pokemon alike, just like a PES, and sends them into meeting zones in the Aterrnet itself. Here they can chat and hang out, trade, battle, head to different places in the world, and much more. It's a pretty neat place to go to, though it's also a great place for hackers to attack unwitting civilians.
During your first time on the Aterrnet, you're given an Aterrnet Code to use as both registration and identity. When you meet people you can choose to share your Aterrnet Code with them, or they could share theirs with you. When this is done, it allows them to contact each other over their mobile devices or another contacting device. People who share each other's codes and bond together a lot are called Digital Alliances, and can partake in events to raise their online ranks.
And speaking of ranks...THOSE will be spoken of later as well.
(Fun Fact: The AMSes are based off of the GTS from Pokemon DPPt and Festival Plaza from the SU/USUM games, but with more functions.)
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The Aterr Leagues
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The Aterr Leagues are the half of the governments that rule over Alliances, and are one of the most important parts of Aterr itself. Universally called the Aterrian Alliance Amalgam (or AAA), they serve as one of the two major powers alongside the ordinary governments, who are individually called the Aterr Managements; universally, the IWM (Intercontinental Work Myriad). Together with the AAA, they form the Conglomerate of Aterr's People (or CAP). The Aterr Leagues are made up of high-ranking Alliances who are adept in many fields and serve many roles, the most prominent being the protection of the continents. The AAA are in charge of overseeing the growth, actions and creations of Alliances, who register and send their data to the governments so they know who's who and what's what. They are split into three segments, each with its own role.
- The Vanguard. These people are elite Fluxed humans who have trained in and graduated from places called Elemental Training Gyms, or ETGs (alternatively and more simply known as Outposts). They are most commonly seen guarding settlements, usually cities and bigger towns, or even travelling with their former mentors. Which brings us to...
- The Gym Leaders. Also called the Greater Vanguard, these people have made their names by mastering an element and opening the ETGs, a special type of gym where humans and Pokemon alike can come train under them as students, learning their secrets and those of the elements they control.
- The High Five. Five especially powerful people who are stationed in different parts of the continents and oversee four different Gym Leaders each. They are among the few Fluxed humans who control more than one element, making them especially powerful. But even they are nothing compared to...
- The Champion. The strongest member of an Aterr League who also serves as its leader. They typically have command over MANY elements, or at least have much knowledge about them and the creatures related to them.
The Aterr Leagues follow a system: first, a continent's Aterr Management hosts a tournament for anyone on the continent to partake in, which is harsh yet fair. The winner of the tournament is then put through rigorous training, including the mastering of many elements and controlling powerful Pokemon. If successful, the person will be made the Champion and given their own HQ called the Peak (also known as the Champion's Peak), where they can start building their own Aterr League. The Champion holds an event in the continent's biggest city to see who among those who visit would be worthy of joining them. Up to five people are chosen and ONLY five people, who are either put through training of their own or challenged by the Champion to see how well they do. If they pass, they will become the High Five, the Champion's second-in-command you could say, who can then set up their OWN places called Keeps. Lastly, the High Five scout the continent for up to twenty people who would like to join the Aterr League. Accepting allows them to open ETGs of their element and become Gym Leaders. Those Gym Leaders can then train anyone who would like to join their gym, with the strongest/graduates being given the option to become Vanguards if they wish.
While the Aterr Leagues primarily focus on Fluxed humans with Allied Pokemon, they will also allow Backed Alliances to join them if they're good enough. Backed Alliances involve humans or Pokemon that cannot or will not partake in battle themselves, but can offer their powers to their allies in certain ways if their inner Cruia is awakened (more on THIS later as well). Aterr Leagues are also the most focused on protecting the continent they're on, but they also allow people to challenge them, which is part of their idea of letting Alliances grow. Defeating an Aterr League is a long process though; the Alliance must first join and defeat the leaders of each ETG. They can join by impressing the Gym Leader with an entry test or by getting a letter of recommendation from a Vanguard that graduated from said ETG. When an Alliance trains under a Gym Leader, they are taught how to handle that leader's element and what they do with it, and are usually pit against fellow students. If they accomplish enough lessons, they will be given a chance to face the Gym Leader in a Graduation Match. Upon defeat, the Gym Leader must give the winner a League Piece, which is proof that they were bested. A High Fiver can only be fought if you defeat all the leaders they're in charge of. Before facing them, the challenger must get through a small tournament against the High Fiver's people or, if there are any, other challengers. The winner gets the honour of challenging the High Fiver. If THEY'RE defeated, the High Fiver must grant the winner a League Token, which is made out of the League Pieces they got from the HF's Leaders. Once all High Five members are defeated and the Tokens obtained, the person may enter the Aterr League's HQ, where the Champion awaits. The visitor must first make it through a gauntlet of the Champion's making, called Challenger's Road. This gauntlet is made up of the elements of the previous Aterr Leaguers, but there may also be a few powerful opponents waiting within. These opponents are hand-picked warriors of the Champion themselves, acting as their elite guard. There can be a total of four of them, called the Elite Four. If that is the case, the challenger must defeat them before the way to the Champion can be opened. Needless to say, fighting a Champion is like fighting a god, but if you win, you will be given a League Seal as proof of your victory, which is formed from the League Tokens. You can also take the Champion's spot or wish for anything you desire, within reason. Regardless of which option is chosen, the challenger will be brought to the HQ's depths, the Hall of Fame, where they and their allies are recorded for all history to see. The Hall of Fame's contents are shown to the Aterr Management as well.
Beating an Aterr League is a sign that you are an ESPECIALLY powerful person, though it's not just humans and Alliances that can challenge it. While exceedingly rare, lone Pokemon can also challenge the Leagues. However, the challengers will find themselves facing against certain tricks the Leaguers, particularly the High Fivers and Champion will have, called Gamechangers. You'll see what those are in another Part...
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That's it for this part. The explanations are continued here. https://crashcourse81.newgrounds.com/news/post/1309030