Doing it better: Pokémon Mythos

I'm pretty negative about many of the components of the Pokémon franchise, but that flows from a deep enjoyment and passion for it. I've watched the anime, most of the movies, played many of the games and gotten overall invested in the Pokémon world. When I complain and bash and whine it's coming from an overall postive intent. So I've decided I'd start posting how I think the franchise should be improved, and I'd do it by walking you through the concept design of what I think a much better Pokémon game would look like. I've been working on it on and off for a long while now, and after going through four iterations I've reached a point where I'm pretty happy with the idea. The entitre concept is just a brainchild I use to gain more clarity on my ideas, and I think they'll help you as well.

I'll give a brief outline of what this hypothetical game would be about, and I'll go over a wide range of aspects of the game in future posts. I call this game Pokémon Mythos. It's set in the distant past of the modern Pokémon games, way before modern technologies come into being. Mythos is essentially set in ancient times; there's no electricity, no steam power, no computers etc. People use more basic technologies, and Mythos is set in a time where archeology is becoming a field of study for the first time. Pokémon researchers have realized that many Pokémon have specific relationships to certain stones and objects: they help Pokémon evolve, power up their moves etc, they even found out that certain Pokémon can be revived from fossils! This knowledge has upended the existing power balance between the more developed groups in the Archaea Region that focus on skilled labor and higher-end goods and the larger part of the peoples who do more intensive physical labor (usually under less.. comfortable conditions): working the land where they come across all these objects. The existing powers become worried that--essentially--the unwashed masses will start using their found Stones, Gems and Fossils to gain new power that will help them fight for a better lot in life to the detriment of the more luxurious artisans.

The player is a clerk in tiny Ilian Town who comes into posession of a Pokémon Egg of mysterious origins which contains an Eevee (as a Starter Pokémon), and is then ousted from Ilian Town when two warring factions do battle in Ilian Town, destroying it in their struggle. The player is thrust into adventure figuring out where the Eevee came from and finding a way to cease the war and eventually rebuild Ilian Town. Pokémon Mythos has no Gyms and no Elite Four; the story is completely different from what we are used to. But more on that in a future post.

For now just realise that I think the current Pokémon story formula is beyond stale, the Mythos story line is completely fresh on so many levels; switching up the story structure, player motivations and the stakes while learning more about something that is so central to Pokémon: their interactions with their environment.

'till next time.