Far north from Mount Silver, there lies a great and empty flatlands, void of Pokémon and humans alike. It is said that eons ago, the flatlands were once filled with mountains, valleys, and people—specifically the Toofrettuts Tribe. The Toofrettuts Tribe, like many other early peoples, were highly skilled in taming and befriending Pokémon, surviving adverse climates, and functioning as a society. However, the Toofrettuts Tribe was unique for a very unusual reason: it was believed that the Toofrettuts Tribe possessed knowledge of a symbol that could access the Realm of Time.
The Realm of Time is a place that exists outside of the constraints of time and space. Created by and for Dialga, the protector of time, the Realm of Time directly conveys the passage of time through the Temporal Tower. This tower, as they say, is constantly in the process of deconstructing and reconstructing itself. Each stone represents a piece of history. As history is forgotten, a brick removes itself from its place on the tower; as history repeats itself, the brick moves to its new place at the top of the tower. At the base of the tower, there are small chunks of ground that make up a small island known as the Hidden Land. The Hidden Land is the doorway into and out of the Realm of Time.
It is said that when the Toofrettuts Tribe first entered the Hidden Land, the area was abundant with plants, fruits, and animals. Seeing the tower, they understood the excellent hunting lands were owned and protected by a god. Three of the group were sent through the Hidden Land to access the tower while the others waited. The three snuck through the land, avoiding the Pokémon and beasts that lurked within, until they finally reached the tower. As they approached, Dialga appeared in front of them, demanding answers as to why they disrupted his work. The three then requested:
"Your land is full of fruits and animals. Where we come from, the sky is cold and the land is desolate. We can barely find enough food to feed our families. May we hunt and gather from your lands?" The eldest spoke.
Dialga hesitated for a moment.
"WHAT SHALL I RECEIVE IN RETURN?" [In PMD: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky, Dialga speaks in all caps. It is not meant to be regarded as shouting, but rather god-like and echoing.]
The three brothers looked at one another and conferred for a moment.
"A fifth of our harvest, both here and in our homeland, as homage to your power and greatness. We will worship you and spread word of you in our homeland so that all may know what you have done for us."
"I ACCEPT, BUT DO NOT SPREAD WORD OF ME OR THIS PLACE. IT IS SACRED GROUND THAT CANNOT BE TRAMPLED BY THE IGNORANT."
So the three departed, hunting and gathering on their way, until they had returned over encumbered by the goods they had found. They built a small statue of Kangaskhan with nearby stones and placed Dialga's portion around the statue. They then returned home with the good news.
For many years the tribe remained true to their promise. They hunted in the Hidden Lands as needed and were always sure to leave a fifth at the statue. As times changed, foreigners from the south soon came to the Toofrettuts Tribe's land looking for adventure and treasure. They traded with the tribe and even began to settle on the opposite side of the mountain. Soon, many tribal traditions were lost to the newer generations and the area began to reflect the foreigners' society and culture.
Finally, the last of the three who had traveled to the tower was dying. His son, the last person who had knowledge of the symbol to access the Realm of Time, was reckless and foolish. Despite all his father's teachings to always 'leave a fifth at the Kangaskhan' and 'hunt only what you need,' the son did not listen. Upon the father's death, the son declared it was time to show that the traditions of old were nothing but nonsense and myths, so he traveled to the Hidden Land with a group of foreigners to hunt and empty the area.
When they arrived, nothing but flourishing land awaited them, so they proceeded to hunt until the area seemed lifeless. The game they did not want was thrown into the abyss, and then they proceeded to set the forest aflame as they walked through the portal, leaving nothing at the statue. Days passed and the foolish son began to brag of his accomplishments, cursing his elders in the process.
When Dialga first noticed the flames soon after the men had left, he began to rage at their ignorance. However, he was wise and knew that stopping time as punishment would affect too many innocent people. He called upon his brother Palkia, the protector of Space, for assistance. Palkia planned to create a pocket dimension and simply "cut" the land and then throw it into the pocket dimension. There it would exist, cut off from the rest of the regions, to either rot in its corruption or thrive as renewed society.
Six months after no contact was made between the regions and the settlement, explorers were sent to investigate and find out why. As the explorers peeked over the mountainous horizon where the settlement was, they were astonished. Nothing but flat land existed there, void of life and landscape. The settlement, the trees, and the people were all gone. They went to investigate and confirmed that there was truly nothing there except for one artifact. The only item they found stood in the center of the flatlands: a crumbled statue of a Kangaskhan standing over a strange symbol. The explorers coined the term "Snowflake" for the land that was once there, noting that—like a snowflake—the settlement seemed to disappear in only a moment's time.
Despite being cut off from the other regions, Snowflake flourished in its pocket dimension. Soon, cities arose and the society began to center around the many Pokémon who resided along with them. Like the other regions, a Pokémon League was established to regulate Pokémon battles and award badges. Today, gyms and arenas are being built for battle, and tournaments are held regularly. But despite all these changes, one thing remains: in a connecting cave between the small settlement and Pixel Plains, the last known symbol exists—inactive—as a reminder of the events that transpired.
