Author's Note (Which is Actually More of a Novel):

TLDR: this story will be very slow in updating because I'm a working mom!

First of all, to those who have read and reviewed Behind the Mirror, thank you from the bottom of my heart! Your encouragement has inspired me more than I can say.

Secondly, you may or may not already know that the reason I've stopped updating is because… I had a baby! My wonderful son arrived to the world in 2022, and what with preparing for him and learning how to raise a human being, I've stopped writing completely. That being said, my stories have lived on in my head. For the past DECADE, this alternate Pokemon universe has been marinating in my brain, and no matter how busy my life gets, the voices in my head never shut up about it.

I've had an absolute blast writing Behind the Mirror, but after re-reading it about 400 times, I've realized that I've written myself into a few corners. There are a few character/lore inconsistencies that I've tried to figure out how to revise subtly without changing too much about what I've already published, but more and more, I've felt that I just want to rewrite the whole thing entirely. From the very beginning. …Actually, from a little bit before the beginning. Say… maybe 10,000 years. Give or take.

…Yeah, I decided to start writing a giant, sprawling history of my alternate-universe Pokemon fic. What would the Earth's history look like if Pokemon were real? If Legendaries were real? If the universe functioned in a scientifically-grounded way, just like our universe does?! This is the rabbit-hole I've been tumbling down for the past 3 years.

I imagine that once I've finished laying this groundwork, I'll be able to FINALLY write Behind the Mirror exactly as it should be. However, realistically, that would take me 100 years because I've got a baby, a full-time job, and 57 other things vying for my time. Will this story be actually completed? Probably not in this life. Will it update more frequently than twice a year? Maybe, but I won't make any promises. Will I ever STOP working on this AU Pokemon world? ABSOL-utely not.

(Did you… did you see what I did there? With the… with the ABSOL… never mind.)

A few more disclaimers (if you aren't exhausted with me already):

I'm only incorporating the Legendaries from Generations I-VII into the lore. Sorry, young Trainers. They just keep coming up with 3 new Legendaries every year, and I simply can't re-update my alternate history every few months to accommodate this ballooning cast of characters. I'm calling it good at Sun and Moon. (Which were FANTASTIC games, by the way.)

I WILL incorporate the run-of-the-mill "peasant pokemon," if you will, from all generations. I'm not as afraid of that crew causing big plot holes.

Speaking of plot holes, if you notice any big inconsistencies within my writing, please tell me. I want to make this as believable as possible.

Okay, okay, I'll finally get off the stage and let Yu Xie do the talking.

THE UNVEILING

A History of the Gods of Earth

Written by Lady Yu Xie, The Being of Knowledge

Preface

2076 A.D.

What I write is forbidden.

One thousand years ago, Lord Arceus the Alpha decreed that humankind should no longer fraternize with Legends. He decided this for good reason, of course. Much devastation had resulted from mortal greed and immortal hubris, and so the Alpha felt it best to separate us from the humans.

As a result, we could no longer directly aid or hinder human affairs, and the mortals eventually stopped praying for our influence. Those who knew us personally died of old age, we became mere fables told to children, and the world drifted into a tenuous peace for one thousand years.

I know that this book will shatter that peace. Despite that knowledge, I write. I plainly intend to remind humanity who and what we are. The Legendaries are still alive, of course; we simply walk among humans in disguise, hidden in plain sight, as silent observers of the planet.

Lord Arceus has hoped that we could remain so forever; however, it is impossible. With the extent of human conquest and technology, they will soon discover our secrets on their own, one way or another. Thus, I intend to write the facts as they are, so that humans may learn the proper way of things, rather than by learning of us through rumors and speculation.

Furthermore, we would not have been blessed with such power if we were not meant to also bless the world with it. Cowering in corners does not become us. We are meant to be free, to be gods and goddesses, to shower the world with light and truth. We long to be a part of the world again; we ache to be known.

To that end, I remove the veil from Earth and proclaim her true history.