Bonus Chapter 1 – The Steel and Steam of Modern Society
Excerpt from Chapter 6 – Working Conditions
… While metal smelting had its grasp on the whole world, one of the next major downsides was everyone had excess byproducts from the smelting foundries; namely steam and smoke. While not hazardous in itself, it had a significant effect on the working conditions of Pokémon. Multiple reports had been found of Pokémon fainting from sheer heat in the foundries, and as a result, only rock and steel Pokémon could find work in them. While this is not an unexpected result, it did severely limit the working force and as a result, less Pokémon could learn the trades of smelting. The effect? It caused research to go into either removing the major contributing factors or relocating them somewhere else. The earliest modification came from simply doing the smelting outside, which assuredly had an impact. However, what about places like Mt. Flame, where simply going outside wasn't an option?
The moment came when a Rhydon named Rhilyn came up with a solution: An intricate set of metal pipes running to each forge that could relocate the excess steam and smoke from them. While there were current ideas in place already, the major idea was to use water to cool the steam and smoke, forcing the gases through the pipes in a certain direction. The idea was quickly adopted and produced: the ability to not only relocate the two gases, but the ability to connect an arbitrary amount of stations revolutionized the industry. For several months, the majority of the metal foundries shifted to producing these pipes. In the example of Mt. Flame, the inside temperature was drastically reduced as a result, and the foundry could allow heat-vulnerable Pokémon work inside once again. It even allowed the city to expand to its current state: a full city with trading posts, housing, and more. Even other cities around the world saw similar results, and the process expanded past that. The city of Mt. Flame took it further and used the pipes to replace other aging systems. While such systems of pipes and tunnels were already in place, the ability to direct the products in the pipes allowed fresh water and sanitation to every and all sections of the city.
Since the introduction, various other ideas have come into play, as the previous example. However, the next major thought process came into play: is there anything these byproducts can be used for? For example, could the steam that have any purpose? We will explore this idea in the next chapters, but we will say that there obviously have been modern uses for them. How do you think Pokémon travel between cities now?
Continuing on the topic of steam, another …
A/N: Just a small chapter to flesh out the world.
