Ribbons
Lihulia's Legendary Explorer
Thanks to popular demand, I've decided to introduce the first in what will hopefully be a series of posts! This series will be called...
...Tidbits and Trivia! The goal of this series of posts will be to introduce worldbuilding aspects of the rich land of Pelagos that I couldn’t fit into the initial sign-up thread. These posts will help participants get a better idea of what the world that Islands of Origin has to offer is really like! I’m hoping to get these types of posts out once or twice per month.
Despite these posts, however, there is still plenty about the world of Islands of Origin that even I don’t know about yet! I encourage you to look for opportunities to interpret the world as you see fit. Without further ado, let’s get things underway with...
TIDBITS & TRIVIA #1: The Evolution Solution
For many Pokemon, the mysterious process known as evolution is a lofty goal. In many cases, evolution grants a Pokemon with sharper battle capabilities, a newly developed body, and sometimes even a more mature mindset. What causes Pokemon to evolve? Well, it’s different for every species. That said, the majority of Pokemon evolve based on a level of experience. This includes, but is not limited to, Pokemon such as Bulbasaur, Houndour, and Mareep. For these Pokemon, evolution can happen just as naturally as growing up, with the process occurring when they reach a certain level of maturity. This form of evolution is peculiar in that there is a way to speed up its process. Pokemon that evolve based on level can evolve more quickly by battling and strengthening themselves physically. This is because level-based evolution is partially influenced by adrenaline. It’s very common to see one of these types of Pokemon evolve right in the midst of battle, as their adrenaline is pumping through their veins at an expedited rate. Part of the reason why soldiers are pushed to battle as much as they possibly can is so that they can level up and evolve more quickly. But, this can create problems when younger Pokemon are forced to evolve before they’re ready. When younger Pokemon evolve before they have the emotional and physical maturity to manage their new forms, the end results can be disastrous.
Other Pokemon evolve by coming into contact with mysterious stones that speed up their growth and cause them to evolve immediately. For example, Pokemon such as Vulpix and Growlithe evolve with the help of a Fire Stone, while Pokemon such as Clefairy and Jigglypuff need a Moon Stone in order to evolve. These stones are exceedingly rare and highly sought after, meaning that it’s very common for swindling shopkeepers to create and sell counterfeit stones in order to cheat Pokemon out of their money. Evolutionary stones are most commonly found in underground mines, which gives Pokemon that live on Runark and Destirae greater access to them.
While it can be difficult for Pokemon that evolve through evolutionary stones to locate the items necessary to evolve, Pokemon that evolve by trade, such as Kadabra, Haunter, and Graveler, have an even more difficult time reaching their final form. “Trading” refers to the trading of consciousnesses, a process only made possible by an item known as the Link Cable. A Link Cable allows two Pokemon to swap consciousnesses with each other, placing the mind of one Pokemon into the body of another. As I’m sure you can imagine, a Link Cable can become highly dangerous when in the wrong hands. Because of this, Link Cables are most commonly found on the black market. There are times in which the military supplies Link Cables in order to help their soldiers evolve, but due to the danger that a Link Cable can cause, these trading processes are highly regulated in order to assure that the Pokemon doing the trading return to their rightful bodies. Some Pokemon, such as Onix, Dusclops, and Swirlix, need both a Link Cable and an additional item in order to evolve. This requires the Pokemon to be in contact with their necessary item while performing the trading process.
There are other types of Pokemon, such as Golbat, Riolu, and Woobat, that have a rather curious form of evolution. These Pokemon have been known to evolve in two different ways. One way, known as “happiness evolution,” takes place when the Pokemon experiences pure, utter bliss unlike anything that they’ve ever undergone before. The second way, referred to as “friendship evolution,” occurs only when the Pokemon has formed a deep, meaningful friendship with another Pokemon. Pokemon that evolve from these methods can evolve at very different periods in their lives. For a Pokemon who is fortunate enough to have formed a number of meaningful relationships in their life, evolving through friendship is a rather simple process. However, for Pokemon whose lives are wrought with pain and despair, evolving through happiness may be easier said than done.
While the majority of Pokemon want nothing more than to evolve, there are some who would prefer to remain in their current form. While it may seem like evolving is nothing but advantageous, there are valid reasons to make this decision. For example, a Scyther may want to keep their blistering speed, a Paras might not be too fond of the idea of evolving and being taken over by the mushroom parasite on their back, and, in general, the idea of taking on an entirely new form can be a frightening one. Studies have shown that, in Pokemon who evolve by levelling up, the evolution process is tied to their desire to evolve. If a Pokemon has a strong enough desire to remain the way that they are, they can prevent their body from changing. However, this is a decision that is often looked down upon by others. Pokemon who refuse to evolve are often seen as childish, immature, and resistant to change. In military environments, this attitude can be so severe that higher-up soldiers can and will force their underlings to evolve.
--
So, this was the first entry in the Tidbits & Trivia series! I urge you to ask questions, discuss, and try to discover more about the world present in Islands of Origin! If this entry is well received, I'll likely write future entries about other aspects of the Islands of Origin universe. I have some ideas for future topics, but please let me know if you have any other suggestions!
~
Future Topics:
...Tidbits and Trivia! The goal of this series of posts will be to introduce worldbuilding aspects of the rich land of Pelagos that I couldn’t fit into the initial sign-up thread. These posts will help participants get a better idea of what the world that Islands of Origin has to offer is really like! I’m hoping to get these types of posts out once or twice per month.
Despite these posts, however, there is still plenty about the world of Islands of Origin that even I don’t know about yet! I encourage you to look for opportunities to interpret the world as you see fit. Without further ado, let’s get things underway with...
TIDBITS & TRIVIA #1: The Evolution Solution
For many Pokemon, the mysterious process known as evolution is a lofty goal. In many cases, evolution grants a Pokemon with sharper battle capabilities, a newly developed body, and sometimes even a more mature mindset. What causes Pokemon to evolve? Well, it’s different for every species. That said, the majority of Pokemon evolve based on a level of experience. This includes, but is not limited to, Pokemon such as Bulbasaur, Houndour, and Mareep. For these Pokemon, evolution can happen just as naturally as growing up, with the process occurring when they reach a certain level of maturity. This form of evolution is peculiar in that there is a way to speed up its process. Pokemon that evolve based on level can evolve more quickly by battling and strengthening themselves physically. This is because level-based evolution is partially influenced by adrenaline. It’s very common to see one of these types of Pokemon evolve right in the midst of battle, as their adrenaline is pumping through their veins at an expedited rate. Part of the reason why soldiers are pushed to battle as much as they possibly can is so that they can level up and evolve more quickly. But, this can create problems when younger Pokemon are forced to evolve before they’re ready. When younger Pokemon evolve before they have the emotional and physical maturity to manage their new forms, the end results can be disastrous.
Other Pokemon evolve by coming into contact with mysterious stones that speed up their growth and cause them to evolve immediately. For example, Pokemon such as Vulpix and Growlithe evolve with the help of a Fire Stone, while Pokemon such as Clefairy and Jigglypuff need a Moon Stone in order to evolve. These stones are exceedingly rare and highly sought after, meaning that it’s very common for swindling shopkeepers to create and sell counterfeit stones in order to cheat Pokemon out of their money. Evolutionary stones are most commonly found in underground mines, which gives Pokemon that live on Runark and Destirae greater access to them.
While it can be difficult for Pokemon that evolve through evolutionary stones to locate the items necessary to evolve, Pokemon that evolve by trade, such as Kadabra, Haunter, and Graveler, have an even more difficult time reaching their final form. “Trading” refers to the trading of consciousnesses, a process only made possible by an item known as the Link Cable. A Link Cable allows two Pokemon to swap consciousnesses with each other, placing the mind of one Pokemon into the body of another. As I’m sure you can imagine, a Link Cable can become highly dangerous when in the wrong hands. Because of this, Link Cables are most commonly found on the black market. There are times in which the military supplies Link Cables in order to help their soldiers evolve, but due to the danger that a Link Cable can cause, these trading processes are highly regulated in order to assure that the Pokemon doing the trading return to their rightful bodies. Some Pokemon, such as Onix, Dusclops, and Swirlix, need both a Link Cable and an additional item in order to evolve. This requires the Pokemon to be in contact with their necessary item while performing the trading process.
There are other types of Pokemon, such as Golbat, Riolu, and Woobat, that have a rather curious form of evolution. These Pokemon have been known to evolve in two different ways. One way, known as “happiness evolution,” takes place when the Pokemon experiences pure, utter bliss unlike anything that they’ve ever undergone before. The second way, referred to as “friendship evolution,” occurs only when the Pokemon has formed a deep, meaningful friendship with another Pokemon. Pokemon that evolve from these methods can evolve at very different periods in their lives. For a Pokemon who is fortunate enough to have formed a number of meaningful relationships in their life, evolving through friendship is a rather simple process. However, for Pokemon whose lives are wrought with pain and despair, evolving through happiness may be easier said than done.
While the majority of Pokemon want nothing more than to evolve, there are some who would prefer to remain in their current form. While it may seem like evolving is nothing but advantageous, there are valid reasons to make this decision. For example, a Scyther may want to keep their blistering speed, a Paras might not be too fond of the idea of evolving and being taken over by the mushroom parasite on their back, and, in general, the idea of taking on an entirely new form can be a frightening one. Studies have shown that, in Pokemon who evolve by levelling up, the evolution process is tied to their desire to evolve. If a Pokemon has a strong enough desire to remain the way that they are, they can prevent their body from changing. However, this is a decision that is often looked down upon by others. Pokemon who refuse to evolve are often seen as childish, immature, and resistant to change. In military environments, this attitude can be so severe that higher-up soldiers can and will force their underlings to evolve.
--
So, this was the first entry in the Tidbits & Trivia series! I urge you to ask questions, discuss, and try to discover more about the world present in Islands of Origin! If this entry is well received, I'll likely write future entries about other aspects of the Islands of Origin universe. I have some ideas for future topics, but please let me know if you have any other suggestions!
~
Future Topics:
- Technological Advancements / Quartzirian “Super Soldiers”
- Types / Dragon Superiority
- “Dwarf” Islands
- Lithulia before the crisis
- Suggest your own!