VYCTORIE
Prologue
(Excerpt from the 1996 publication On the Modern Role of Pokemon in Human Society)
…of course, Pokemon have been an integral part of human culture and civilization since time immemorial, but it's only in the 20th and 21st century that our inter-species relationship has developed as much as it has, although some would suggest this to be a negative thing. While Humans and Pokemon mostly left each other to their devices, the 20th century wrought havoc on the environment, and undoubtedly brought the slaughter of countless pokemon, in particular the first and second World Wars laid waste to entire nations, and obliterated forests and the like within weeks. On the other hand, recent research has shown a dramatic increase in the average intelligence of pokemon species. It is unclear the cause of this increase, although suspicion has fallen upon the Soviet Union's genetic engineering of Pokemon to better suit their domestic and military needs.
And, of course, to facilitate these needs, the Soviet Union created the Pokemon encapsulation device, or the Poke Ball, as it is more colloquially known. This device, ubiquitous today, was a technological marvel in it's time. The red colour is how to identify these balls, the classic Soviet red they were so fond of, compare this to the American counterpart, the Great ball, which was purposefully coloured a blue and red, the colours of the American flag. These balls were mass produced at breakneck pace for service in the military, and the usage of pokemon in warfare, first seen in Vietnam, truly changed the face of warfare.
Unfortunately, these balls have brought a shadow over the lives of these beautiful creatures. With the collapse of the soviet union, the government phased these devices into the civilian market, where the pokemon were used in agriculture, industry and as pets, but a new pastime has taken the world by storm, particularly in worse-off, more densely populated areas such as Brazil, China, and the Philippines. One can only hope that this dreadful blood-sport of "Pokemon Battles" does not catch on…
(March 2008, Somewhere in Beijing)
"Dominik! What did you need of me?"
The ampharos closed the door behind him, panting heavily. He'd been working in communications down below for a long time, and was getting out of shape, but he wouldn't miss this moment for all the world. At the other end of the dimly-lit concrete room, a Tyranitar stood facing a collage of maps, almost covered in annotations and arrows, with China in its centre.
"I wished for you to be here, for this moment" the Tyranitar answered, sounding tired, "The choices we make today are likely to be the most important in our lives. Every mistake is a death upon our hands. Am I clear?" Dominik was not stern, nor soothing. He said things how they were, and gave nothing less.
"Crystal, sir. Are you certain that now is the time?"
"There isn't a good time for it, I've chosen the least terrible time"
"Do they suspect anything?"
"The Chinese authorities don't, at least. The CIA might, but if we're fast enough it won't matter"
"What about your son?"
The ampharos knew he'd hit a nerve when Dominik's breath hitched, turning his head to stare straight through him with one eye, his once green scales, now a dull grey, catching the light.
"Wherever my naïve son has gone, he will likely be safe. Perhaps after we've built a new world I shall see him again. He is of no consequence"
The ampharos nodded vehemently, feeling a shiver go up his spine. Dominik could be uplifting and encouraging at times, and soulless and ruthless at others. He changed according to what suited him.
"Has the enigma gained control of the communications networks?" Dominik asked, turning back to the map.
"We received a report from him- err… it an hour ago. We can now broadcast to all major Chinese cities, Moscow, Berlin, Paris, London, Sydney, most cities in America, the works. We even managed to work in Times Square for an extra shock factor. All ready to go on your command"
"Brilliant. Send the enigma my regards; they've really outdone themselves this time. Let's get rolling"
The ampharos nodded, wheeling an old, outdated TV camera so it faced the pre-lit white background they'd set up. While he was setting up, Dominik grabbed a radio, and spoke two words into it:
"It's showtime"
The ampharos set up the camera and nodded to Dominik to tell them that they were live. Dominik stared into the lens for a second and imagined it as the billions of Humans that were behind it, standing on the streets, looking up in shock and confusion at the image of his face on all the advertisement boards and TV channels they'd been watching. He cleared his throat.
"To all members of the Human species; my name is Dominik Kazakov, and I address you as a representative of the combined species of all Pokemon, the oppressed, the hungry, and the dejected. I address you today to allow you the luxury of a formal Declaration of war upon your species and everything it stands for. Humanity has long outstayed their welcome as rulers of the world, and I believe that a changing of the guard is in order. Already, my forces have infiltrated your fortresses, your military bases, your government buildings and your homes. Do not expect to succeed, if you are brave enough to face us. We will give back every bit of suffering we have endured tenfold. Expect to see us soon"
Then Dominik cut the transmission, and seven billion people let out a breath they didn't know they'd been holding.
(BBC News report, September 2008)
Good morning Britain, we are back online after the blackout yesterday, and as I'm sure many of you are aware from the earthquakes some of you experienced last night, the worst has come. In light of the rapid fall of China, India and Russia to the Revolutionary forces, and only barely suppressing the pokemon uprising in North and South America, yesterday the International Coalition High Command gave the order for a nuclear attack upon core pokemon-held cities. The first strikes were successful, levelling eastern China, and the Delhi-Mumbai area of India. However, the second strikes were catastrophically unsuccessful; the pokemon forces mobilized wings of Xatu, flying psychics, who redirected the second wave of missiles back at allied cities within range. A volley fired at Istanbul was caught and redirected at Egypt. A volley fired at Tokyo was caught and redirected at the American eastern seaboard. A volley fired at Moscow was caught and redirected at Spain. Our thoughts are with your loved ones in this terrible time, and out of respect, we here at the BBC shall now give an hour of silence, before resuming our report of the war standings.