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 5 in a series of documents detailing the Neoverse Project, which I've been working on for some time now. If you wanna see the previous Parts, check here.
https://crashcourse81.newgrounds.com/news/post/1309027
https://crashcourse81.newgrounds.com/news/post/1309029
https://crashcourse81.newgrounds.com/news/post/1309030
https://crashcourse81.newgrounds.com/news/post/1309031
This Part will be talking about extra stuff I didn't mention in the previous Parts.
Notes: 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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Extra Stuff
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Settlements and Buildings
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Most of Aterr's human civilisations have their own advances, but not every part of them has. Society is also a bit divided in how they live, though not necessarily out of hate for others, more so to keep places from being overpopulated or because other people were more interested in smaller, more open areas. There have been many paths, roads and highways made between the settlements so people could come and go as they pleased, while also giving them a path to follow that is (supposedly) safe from hostile Pokemon and human criminals. The civilisations are split into cities, towns and villages, which I mentioned before.
Cities are the most prosperous and biggest of the settlements, as is to be expected. They are home to many of Aterr's humans, most of which have grown quite accustomed to the big life. Each continent has both a capital city and lesser cities, with the capital usually being the biggest and greatest-looking of them all. These are also where you'll find the HQs of the continents' Aterr Managements, and maybe a Keep where you'll find a High Fiver. Life in a city can be tough to deal with; there's always a lot of noise going on due to all the people walking driving, even FLYING around, there are games going on in stadiums and arenas a lot of the time, and crime occurring here and there. More people means more ableness to blend in after all. Cities are basically like ours, being the center of attention, business, manufacturing and sport as well as being where many humans live. It can be especially tough for townspeople and villagers to get used to, who are more used to the quietness of the wild. Which brings me to the next settlement.
Towns are settlements built around the outskirts of cities or around the countryside that still house quite a few people, but not nearly as many as a city. Towns usually have their own shops and places to visit, but they also rely on deliveries from cities to get by. Some townsfolk dream about living in the cities, while others prefer staying where they are, finding the noise too much for them to handle. A lot of towns are known for having Outposts in them, as opposed to being in the cities where there's more people, but there are some in the cities as well.
Villages are the smallest and weakest, yet most common of the settlements. They contain small amounts of people who rely on trade from other places and getting resources from the surrounding wilderness to go on. Some villages were built over Power Spots, sometimes without the people even realising it until they feel a bunch of Cruiora flow around them. Those villages that WERE built over Power Spots knowingly are usually run by Gym Leaders, who also act alongside their students and men as the villages' protectors. Without them, a lot of the villages would be overrun by hostile Pokemon, either weary of the humans or just looking for a meal...But if you're lucky you may come across a village that has an inn you can rest at, which make for good replacements for a particular place. Pokemon, as said before, also make their own villages, which you can tell apart from human ones by their more fortress-like appearance and the fact they have guards on the outside.
There are tons of different buildings in cities, in towns, and at most a ton in villages, but the most common ones you'll see are Clinics, BnSs (Buy n' Sells), Techstores and Marketplaces. Clinics are the "particular place" I mentioned. They are small yet busy buildings where people can come to heal themselves and their Pokemon. A lot of things can happen to you out in the wild, so naturally you'll need somewhere you can rest and recover. There are machines that restore Aterrians within a near-instant called Regen Pods, which can perform different procedures. Its ordinary one is just to restore the vitality and wounds of those within them, though they can only fit humans and Pokemon of their size or lower. If you have Pokemon inside of PESes, they will instead be put into slots on a Regen Stand, which will heal the creatures inside. Other procedures Pods and Stands can do involve getting rid of disorders such as bodily weaknesses, viruses and other stuff that could be harmful to oneself. However, these cost money in order to be done, and may take a while to finish. There's even a procedure that can revive the dead (however gruesome or...unsettling that sounds), but these cost a LOT of money, and they're not always guaranteed to work. Some Clinics may not be equipped to deal with certain issues, while others just have too many Aterrians to handle. In that case you could always go to a full-on hospital which have better stuff, but at bigger prices, and those are only in cities and rarely in towns anyway, so if you're not near one, you'll have to hope the Clinics can handle what you've got. You can also buy medical supplies from these places such as Potions, Elixirs and Revives, which can heal, vitalise and awaken humans and Pokemon alike. Some Clinics may also be found on paths between settlements, sort of like checkpoints or pit stops for passerbys.
BnSs are basically shops of different kinds, varying from clothing to weapons to general items. Not much to say here except that if you want, you can choose to refund the stuff you get from BnSs if they're not to your liking, but only within a certain time. For example, you could refund one weapon within 3 days of buying it and another within 2, but if you miss the time then you'll only get half the price from what you paid for them. This also goes for items you sell to the shops that didn't originally come from them. Sounds like bull, and really it is, and the worst part is you won't even have that much available to you if you're just starting off as an Alliance. You will be allowed to get more stuff as you increase your Rank though, and the higher-quality stuff can REALLY help. You'll find these shops almost everywhere; in cities, in towns, in villages, even on routes between them, like Clinics!
Techstores are where you can buy anything related to technology, and are a geek's dream come true in a sense. Here you can find PESes, Pokedexes, mobile phones, touchpads and other stuff, but at high prices. If you're lucky you'll find stuff at standard PES price, which are pretty cheap since Alliances come and go a lot and need the devices for their adventures. You can lower the price for some of the stuff by raising your Rank, and you can also gain access to upgrades and downloadables for your devices as you do. You can find them only in cities and towns though.
Marketplaces are kinda like BnSs and Techstores if they were huge or had multiple shops in one. They range from malls to open areas with stalls, and the stuff you can buy from them is also varied. Food, drink, equippables, decorations, the list goes on, but the stuff they offer is different for each Marketplace, and the prices may or may not be cheap for some of them. In fact, one place may sell common items are a low price, while another could sell them at a higher price! It usually depends on the continent and where they're located on it, but it can be kinda unreasonable at best and pretty scummy at worst. Still, they're worth the visit, but you'll only find them in cities and MAYBE a few towns.
While I'm talking about buying and selling stuff, I may as well explain the money of Aterr, which is called Prizeng worldwide, though it has different names on different continents, even in different regions. It can come in alloy or paper form like our money, but also in Crystia form, which is said to be worth tons. Like our world, having more money means you're powerful, but when you compare it to actual power, to Cruia, it doesn't seem all that powerful. However, Prizeng was created after the AUE as a way to keep people from stealing stuff with their Cruia, to make a "fair and balanced system", but as you can tell from the above description, there's quite a few flaws with it...But it IS better than just taking what you want without someone else's consent.
Other kinds of buildings you can find around the world are Pokemon Daycares and Aterr Research Labs, or ARLs. PDs are where you can bring Pokemon to be cared for if you haven't the time or means to do so yourself. Only Newborns-Adolescents (physically) can be brought to these places, as Adults-Relics would be...quite odd to see in a Daycare...Actually, that's not ENTIRELY true; you can offer up one of your Pokemon of those ages to act as a supervisor for the Pokemon in the Daycare for a certain time (both yours and others), and if they do well in watching over the younglings you'll get a reward or two, such as Prizeng or good items. There can be three supervisors at once at a Daycare, who are allowed to breed if they're capable of it, but ONLY if they have the time and space for it. Keeping smaller and/or younger Pokemon at a Daycare allows them time to adjust their attitudes or heal up if need be, and they can possibly make some friends too. They'll be given doses of Cruia regularly, but their doses may be bigger if they behave themselves. Poketuses, which are eggs, pods or other things that come from certain Pokemon elders when they breed, can also be kept at Daycares to be given time to hatch. When you visit a Daycare, your Aterrnet Code will be registered with the people there so they can keep in touch with and update you on the Pokemon you left there.
ARLs are where the planet's Aterressors perform their research and experiments. Aterressors are the planet's leading scientists, doctors and engineers on all the studies that are conducted around the world, be they scientific, archeological or even magical. Some of them work for the governments while others work alone, but receive/ask for help from the governments when they need to. They are also known for being the originators of the Pokedexes and the ones who give out Pokemon to people who wish to make an Alliance. These Pokemon are referred to as Starters, and are (usually) rare Pokemon bordering on extinction that were rescued from Killer Pokemon, human hunters or failing habitats, being cared for in the labs after their rescues. Some are just plain rare and not seen very much around the world, even on the continents they were found on, which may hint that some of their Lines are fading away. The Aterressors raise them in their labs to keep this from happening, and hopefully repopulate the world with their Lines again. But they know they can't stay in a lab forever (or they just want to test what they can do in the open), so they offer them up to humans who will accept them. Their evolutions are said to be quite powerful, surpassing the capabilities of a lot of Pokemon, which makes them highly sought out by many Alliances. However, due to their small numbers and the studies of them, the Aterressors refuse to give them up unless someone can prove they can handle them carefully and correctly. Aterressors also have Tasks of their own that people can do, which are usually about surveying and gathering data on certain Pokemon. One of the most CHALLENGING Tasks they have is completing their continent's Pokedex, which they will offer a great reward for if someone could do that. Some have even attempted to document EVERY Pokemon (and Original) in the world, though this challenge has yet to be completed by anyone. You can usually find Aterressors in civilized areas, though there is one or two who prefer to be alone in the wild, where they can document Pokemon more easily...or just have some peace and quiet.
(Fun Facts:
- The Clinics and BnSs are the Pokemon Centers and Marts from the original series, but reworked.
- Villages are technically towns, but with less stuff. Think of ancient towns like Geosenge from X&Y or Celestic from DPPt, but with more buildings made of natural resources.
- The Aterressors are the Pokemon Professors of the Neoverse.
- Prizeng comes from "prize".)
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Battles and Sports
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I mentioned battles before a few times, but not how much of an impact they have on humans and Pokemon. Well, now's the time to talk about that.
Battles were originally as most were, fights that broke out between two opposing forces who sought to end each other. From the Origin Era and onward this way of life lasted, until the cycle started to change after the AUE was made. Normal battles persisted, but friendly battles began rising alongside them, battles between people and Pokemon alike who were simply sparring with one another or, a bit more ludicrously, just playing around. This eventually grew into the pastime it is today. It birthed friendships, the ideas to make arenas to fight in, and training regiments that would allow others to join in on the pastime (among other things). It was beauteous, in a way, but battling doesn't just make for a fun pastime. It's also a way to get stronger, and not simply by honing one's muscles from the conflict.
Studies have shown that Kata/yas cause the Cruia within the beings they hit to be knocked out, but due to the sudden forcefulness of its removal, it doesn't float away. Instead, it floats above the battlefield and remains there for longer as more and more Cruia joins the convergence, which is apparently due to it being stressed. The Cruia can't move on its own after receiving the shock from attacks, so it remains where it is after being knocked out of whatever it was in. The winner/s of a battle then absorb this Cruia to strengthen themselves. Essentially, the longer and harsher a battle is, the stronger the winner/s will get, and because the Cruia's properties also remain stuck after they're stressed, they won't affect their absorber/s with anything bad or damage the surrounding area with a mix of elements. However, the amount absorbed can still be a lot for them to handle, so it's usually shared amongst a group of winners. Official battles, which are usually held in arenas, sometimes add more Cruia to the stressed amount, to give the winner/s more of a prize. This also accelerates the rate at which they become unstressed however, but if there was a bunch of stressed Cruia then the risk of absorbing it would be minimal. Other official battles modify the Cruia in different (and hopefully safer) ways, or not at all, instead leaving their prizes until the end.
With all this said, you would assume Fluxed humans and Pokemon are the only ones who can fight, right? Well, you'd be wrong. Some humans refuse to partake in fights themselves, either due to being powerless or not liking to fight their own, even if they possess power. There are even some Fluxed humans who don't use Pokemon and fight solo. One of the most notable examples of these different opponents are Casters, humans who use their Cruia or some other form of energy to empower their Pokemon allies. Specifically, they can grant a Pokemon resistance to certain elements that the Caster's Cruia is resistant to, as well as adding bits of that Cruia to their Naturals and increasing the damage dealt by Katas of the matching element/s. Their aura can be broken by attacking it with an element of the opposing kind however, temporarily breaking the Pokemon's extra defenses. Another example is Amper humans, who use their Pokemon to empower THEM instead. This is done primarily through Hangers, which have an extra feature I didn't mention before; by attaching them to humans, half of the power of the Pokemon inside the Hanger's docked PESes flows into the human, increasing their own by quite an amount. Rather than bulk their elemental defenses and offenses, Amping enhances ALL of their Battle Stats by using half of the Pokemon's own, which can make them nigh-unstoppable if multiple powerful Pokemon are used. This process is just as, if not more dangerous than using a Shocker however, as the strain caused from this surge of power can wound or kill a human if used too long, so the Hanger automatically ends the Amping in after a minute or so. The process can leave a person exhausted and open to attack, so it's only to be used sparingly, and when taking a break from it, it's recommended to take 5-10 minutes before using it again. Unlike Shockers though, you don't need to attach Hangers to your heart area and there are clamps rather than pricks for the Hanger's legs, so attaching them isn't painful. It's to be noted that Casters and Ampers are all part of Alliances, as they still require Pokemon for their plans to work, though there are some people and Pokemon who just fight on their own.
It's not just battles that have made their staple on the Aterrians. Throughout the millennia they've come up with many different sports, most of them our own, but with a few new ones. Even those that aren't new have their own shticks that separate them from ours a bit. Football, for example, involves special, well, footballs that are embued with Cruia, which have different effects depending on what Cruia's inside them, and the fields can vary from ordinary, grassy fields to windy, rocky and even fiery fields. Tennis allows more than two players on each side, and the net can be arranged in different ways to make shooting past it more easy or more difficult. There may also be hazards that limit or stop players in their tracks, which other players can use if they are obtained. As a last example, skydiving involves performing tricks with Cruia added in for spectacle, and making varying landings to impress the crowds. An example of a new type of sport is toppling, which involves teams of players creating structures with their Cruia that they must then break down, with each team being given a different structure. Teams are awarded points based on how much of the structure they could destroy. Pokemon can also partake in this event in an alternate mode, but they must instead create multiple smaller structures and pile them on top of each other, since they have more power. Neither race is allowed in the other's mode, unless a human/Pokemon requires direct aid.
Aterrians overall have many ways to entertain and please themselves, which has even affected Free Pokemon in some ways. They've taken inspiration from humans and tried to make their own spins on their sports, or even attempting to join them for/during games. Battling has become the more common of the two among Free Pokemon, though a lot of them do it more so for training. But still, it's been found enjoyable for them.
(Fun Fact: Stressed Cruia is the EXP of the Neoverse games.)
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Criminal Organizations
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Back in Part 4, I said that Craltis wasn't the only threat to Aterr. Well, I wasn't referring to the Cruiscum if that's what you're thinking (though they ARE still dangerous), I was referring to entire groups. People working stealthfully in the shadows, or crazily in the open. There are many different organizations causing a ruckus out there, but I'll list just a few for now.
Plasma Alliance: A group centered in Urepoe whose members act as terrorists, creating havoc and disruptions around the continent and causing deaths of humans and Pokemon alike. Their leaders compose of the Seven Sages, who were once part of the Harmonious Legion, an ancient order dedicated to keeping the world in balance. Not too much peace, not too much conflict. The highest among them is Ghetsis Harmonia, descendant of the Harmonia family (who founded the Legion), High Elder of the order and third-in-command to its leader. For some reason, the Legion was decimated and disbanded after a tragic event that took the life of its leader and their second-in-command, and now Ghetsis, who was one of the faithful, is causing havoc around the world. There are rumors that the Plasma Alliance is after two Legendary Pokemon spoken of in Saian legend, but the bigger question everyone is asking is: how is a man that lived a century or so ago still alive today? And why would he cause the chaos he's making...?
Galactal Corp.: A group centered in Inomarcae who have an intense interest in outer space and technology made to explore it. They were once a peaceful company that were one of the leaders of the space race, aiding Inomarcae in attaining space flight before their rivals. Sometime after the space race ended however, their leader, Cyrus Celdan, dropped all debts and projects being held for the continent's government and began working on his own, stealing materials and devices from other continents for some reason. Leading Galactal Corp's people in his place are the Astral Admins, fellow experts in space technology and astrology that obey him without question, supposedly because they believe in whatever vision Cyrus has. His actions haven't been as physically devastating as the Plasma Alliance's, but they HAVE caused companies and other groups to suffer setbacks in their work with the loss of what they were using.
Team Magma, Aqua and Caeli: Ever seen an organization made to help the environment? These three take it a step further by seeking to outright change it. Each team has a different origin and area of focus, but they almost all want the same thing. Team Magma's leader is Maxie Rostra, who was born into a family that lived near a volcano. He grew up learning about the land's worth and purpose, during which he heard stories about Motenadon and how it could control the lithosphere itself. Along with the idea that the world deserved more glorious land, Maxie gathered a following from his teenage-adult years that grew into a minor group, then into a fully-fledged organization, one dedicated to expanding the landmasses. Team Aqua's leader is Archie Soken, who is one of the few modern-day pirates that exist. A modern-day pirate CAPTAIN no less. He grew up with said pirates as they roamed Aterr's seas, in search of not lives and villages to plunder but aquatic Pokemon to rescue and heal, while occasionally taking any treasure they found onto their fleet. During his travels, Archie felt the ocean was getting unequal treatment from "landlubbers" due to how polluted it was and endangered some of the creatures were, and felt like it deserved much better. To this end he ventured onto land and gathered up fellow sea-lovers that would help his pirate crew grow into Team Aqua, the self-proclaimed "defenders and spreaders of the oceans", who would go on to seek out the ancient Kyositarus, whom they heard legends of during their on-land explorations. Finally, leading Team Caeli is Cunathe (coo-nah-thee) Bloha, who had a more rough upbringing than the other two. She was born in a part of a region that was notable for its storms, and one time when she was a young adult, a hurricane blew her whole town apart and killed many people, even whisking her away into its core. Somehow she survived, winding up in a field a mile or so away from her home, wounded and tattered. Ironically enough, it was aerial Pokemon (ie. bird and air-controlling Pokemon) that found and nursed her back to health, and also helped find survivors from the hurricane. She found half her family and most of her friends, but everyone else was gone. It was then that she remembered hearing a story about Raezarba, a Primon that could control the skies themselves, which made her think it was that creature that caused the hurricane. She took it as a sign of anger towards the Aterrians for their lack of care for the skies, which she had loved to gaze up at ever since she was born, but it had become negatively affected by the work of humans with their factories polluting the skies and dissipating the clouds. Seeking to stop that (and to see if the legends about Raezarba were true), Cunathe started a small company called Sky High Seekers that worked to stop aerial pollution, which was partly a guise for her to gather numbers to create Team Caeli. She acts as a legit businesswoman while her forces go around looking for stuff that could help them find Raezarba. The three teams butted heads a few times before, but after hearing about each other's interests in more detail, the leaders of each team decided to come together to help make Aterr itself a better place. They would find the three Primon and use them to expand the planet itself, as well as eliminate the threats to its respective parts. Suffice to say, they've become quite the bother ever since their agreement.
Malforce Yakuza: An odd name, especially for a mafia, but their reputation is to be feared. Stationed in Saia, this yakuza is responsible for many a major crime around its regions, such as stealing hordes of money from one of its major banks and even killing off a few old Gym Leaders and Vanguards. They're not a group to be taken lightly, especially since they have connections to lesser syndicates throughout Saia, practically giving them control over the whole continental underworld. Their name comes from their ability to control the Malice and Dark elements' Greater forms, which allow them to cast darkness almost wherever they wish and corrupt almost whoever they wish. This makes them both hard to track down and difficult to tell who's an enemy and who isn't, as even ordinary civilians could secretly be spies for them. Not even the leaders' names are known, but what IS known is that the yakuza is led by one big shot and five others, who are the keepers and managers of the connections made between other crime gangs. There are fears that the yakuza will attack the Peak and subjugate the continent's Alliances, or even expand their operations beyond the continent...
Even from these descriptions, you can probably tell that Aterr's enemies are not to be messed with. Cruiscum are a pittance compared to these people, and each of them have yet to be stopped...
But enough about them, let's get on to nicer stuff. : 3
(Fun Fact: These four teams are redos of ones from the original series: Team Plasma for the Plasma Alliance, Team Galactic for Galactic Corp. and Team Rocket for the Malforce Yakuza. Team Magma and Aqua are the only exceptions, with Team Caeli being a new team I added among them.)
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Miscellaneous Stuff
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Last few things I'll go over for this Part. First up are Gamechangers, which I mentioned in Part 2.
These things are different phenomena that originated from different continents, from Legendaries and Mythicals according to some people and legends. They were given this name by modern-day humans for how they much they can change an Aterrian. Some change their forms and give them greater power than usual, others equip them with some type of item that makes them tougher and super-resilient, some even affect the Moves an Aterrian can use. Shining Pokemon's evolutions, which are called Platinum Pokemon, are an example of Gamechangers, and are funnily enough the most prominent of them all. When greater conditions than normal are reached, a Shining Pokemon turns into a form clad in shining platinum with remnants of their old colours remaining. These Pokemon have the Omni-Element and are exceptionally powerful, even stronger than the Flashfreeze Primon, though their levels compared to Origin Primon are uncertain. Of course, these Pokemon are also exceptionally RARE and hard to attain, with very few existing in the current day. Their kind's transformation has been nicknamed the "Platinum Providence", a fitting name considering their abilities and appearances. Other Gamechangers have gone through a few changes ever since their own appearances, specifically so they cause less strain on their users and less damage to their environments during official battles. The Aterr Leagues are in charge of managing the Gamechangers, and many of their members (most notably the Champions) are known to use it in battle, be it official or no. They're certainly some things worth checking out.
Secondly is a type of virus a Pokemon can attain, though it's more like a state, which is called Crestide. This phenomenon happens whenever a Sourcewave occurs, resonating with a Pokemon's Crest and causing its limits to recede, allowing the Pokemon to use and produce more Cruia than normal. These states only last for the duration of a week, as that's how long a Sourcewave lasts for, but it can be very helpful. It not only makes the Pokemon temporarily stronger, but the Cruia they absorbed gets amplified, which helps in GIVING them strength as well!
As for the last segment for this Part, Afflictions is a term used for different ailments or otherwise negative things that both humans and Pokemon can attain. Among a few of them are Paralysis, which makes them unable to move very well (if at all) when hit by a powerful shock or nerve-affecting attack, Burning, where a part of their body or WHOLE body is on fire and...hurts a lot, and Frozen, where they are trapped in ice. The Afflictions all have their own ways to diminish and halt who they affect, and they even have lingering effects for when the Afflictions themselves are gone. They can be gotten rid of using certain items or Moves that target them. Motor Starters can cure Paralysis, Soakers can get rid of Burning, and Burners can thaw Frozen targets. It's highly recommended you have some of these items on-hand, or else you may find yourself in a situation you can't get out of...
(Fun Fact: Crestide, the name of which is based off of viruses in the real world ending in "ide", is based fundamentally off of Pokerus.)
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Aaaaand that's it for the world-building, more or less. The next few Parts will be talking about the Neoverse games, which will also speak of the stuff I just spoke of in even more detail, gameplay-wise that is.
The first Part can be viewed here. https://crashcourse81.newgrounds.com/news/post/1309033