Draco: Well, it finally happened. Me surviving to write notes about Generation IX means that I've managed to run out of room in the story summary to list all the people who contributed to Cynthia's book.
Disclaimer, I got through Paldea the first time, took a long break, started from square one for another round, and now I'm distracted again. I might end up coming back after my secondary run and edit some of these.
Secondary disclaimer, me posting this chapter and then moving it into the correct order might result in some technical difficulties. If you've "already reviewed" this chapter, because you had previously reviewed the first Addendum, feel free to post your review to my Paldean notes by writing it for the latest addendum (and maybe notating it as such).
Pokémon and all related properties © Nintendo.
(note for non-Paldeans: the Terastal phenomenon encountered in Paldea imbues a Pokémon with crystallized energy that changes the user's type, granting all of the tactical changes that implies while still allowing the offensive advantages of the Pokémon's natural type(s) as applicable | ~Cynthia)
(That's... an oversimplification, but not inaccurate, I suppose. | ~Juliana)
The Treasures of Ruin
(aside note: Juliana requested that the compilation include a page for the Treasures of Ruin as a group and separate pages for the individuals | ~Cynthia)
(secondary aside note: You see, it's not JUST Unova! | ~Nate)
Juliana: A rite of passage in Paldea implores budding Trainers to go out into the world and seek a 'treasure' - not necessarily a physical object of great value, but something that the individual can hold dear. These legendary Pokémon suggest that such a practice has been in place since time immemorial... and serve as an excellent example why a single-minded obsession with one's treasure, no matter the form, is dangerous. The Treasures of Ruin are ancient artifacts that have been given life by powerful emotions that each has brought about; the Pokémon born thus have created bodies for themselves by means of their elemental control. Though I'm not proud to admit it, I suspect that these elemental bodies could be destroyed without slaying the Pokémon outright. However, if there has ever been a person or Pokémon who desires such harm upon them, is strong enough to achieve it, and has found one of the Treasures in the first place, it was not one who was able and willing to leave record of such an act.
(What sort of dark mood were you in when you came up with THAT theory? | ~Serena)
(Don't ask | ~Juliana)
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Wo-Chien | Treasure of Resentment | Tablets of Ruin
Juliana: A historian for the Paldean Empire - who must have been disillusioned with his emperor's mission statement - carved the nation's cruel deeds into a set of wooden tablets. When they were discovered, he was punished, and held a grudge against those who punished him. The Paldean Empire fell a thousand years ago, and the record on those tablets has since faded to illegibility, but the historian's grudge has persevered through the ages as Wo-Chien, who commands and consumes vegetation to sustain itself and strike down its foes.
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Chien-Pao | Treasure of Hatred | Sword of Ruin
Juliana: Although swordsmanship in the modern day is the territory of sportsmen and Warriors, with no intent to bring true harm, a blade was once carried by many a man who would slaughter wild Pokémon, seek to kill his fellow humans, or defend himself against those who would. A skilled such man slew a great many foes who hated him, and though the slayer must surely have joined his victims in the afterworld by now, their malice yet lingers as Chien-Pao, who will command a mountain of snow to consume its opponents in the winter of war.
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Ting-Lu | Treasure of Fear | Vessel of Ruin
Juliana: Many a belief held by cruel minds involves a sacrifice of some sort - and if such a sacrifice is fluid, there must be a vessel to receive it. Over time, such a vessel came to be representative of those beliefs, and those who followed those beliefs out of cowardice and powerlessness came to fear the vessel itself as one might an implacable foe. Though both the believers and any who might bear the vessel have been lost to time, their dread still remains as Ting-Lu, who will command the very earth to create a foundation upon which it might claim victory.
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Chi-Yu | Treasure of Envy | Beads of Ruin
Juliana: There are far too many people - and a few Pokémon - who think that looking good is more important than being able to do things. Such an endeavour benefits from small, aesthetically-pleasing accessories, and one such set of accessories was coveted by so many such people and Pokémon as to produce a violent war. Lives were lost, chaos was rent, and yet still the desire for those tiny beads continued, converged, and has manifested as Chi-Yu, who will happily swim through molten rivers of its own making to consume its enemies in the flames of war.
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Koraidon | Winged King
Juliana: A temporally-displaced Pokémon from incomprehensibly ancient prehistory, the Winged King appears to be a distant ancestor of contemporary Cyclizar. The fact that it can alter its body in myriad ways to enable various forms of travel - across land, up sheer cliffs, over water, and even through the air - suggests both a varied, hostile home environment and a certain dominance in its native pecking order. Koraidon's physical might, martial prowess, and its natural tendency to invoke harsh sunlight when in battle (which in turn will amplify the strength of similarly ancient Pokémon, itself included) gives the impression of an iron-fisted tyrant. However, evidence suggests that if the Winged Kings were rulers, they varied between cruelty and kindness as much as the rulers of men have.
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Miraidon | Iron Serpent
Juliana: A Pokémon from the unfathomably distant future brought to the present day by means unwelcome, the Iron Serpent seems to be a distant descendant of the Cyclizar we know and love. Miraidon's presence naturally generates electric terrain upon entering combat (an environment that empowers similarly futuristic Pokémon, including Miraidon), which seems to imply that it served as an overseer or contingency for something that required a great deal of electrical power to function. It also possesses vast reserves of energy that it can put to great use in combat, and can manipulate its form to travel across any terrain. Whether Iron Serpents have used such abilities to protect or dominate those under its oversight, however, seems to have depended on the specific overseer in question.
("Served"? "Have used"? I think you've got your tenses wrong | ~Gold)
(As far as any Miraidon we might encounter are concerned, it has happened | ~Juliana)
(I hate talking about time travel | ~Summer)
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The Loyal Three
(aside note: Juliana requested that the compilation include a page for the Loyal Three as a group and separate pages for the individuals. The native land of the Loyal Three is currently unknown; their notes are placed among those of Paldean legendary Pokémon for convenience | ~Cynthia)
Juliana: Once mistaken for brave heroes who would defend the land of Kitakami, the Loyal Three are in fact bandits with little respect for any who stand between them and their objectives - whatever those objectives may be, whether simple thievery or the striking down of enemies. Though their moniker may seem inappropriate in light of this information, I can confirm that they are, indeed, loyal to their master - in much the same way as a criminal grunt is loyal to their organization's leader. This loyalty is not voluntary, and should their master's hold be broken, they will prove themselves loyal to whoever so aids them; however, the bonds they share as friends are as genuine as any other.
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Okidogi | The Mighty Retainer
Juliana: A small, weak Pokémon longing to be stronger once came across a cruel creature who would grant that strength at a price. Okidogi is the product of that bargain - a threatening brute of a Pokémon that can pulverize stone with ease. I wouldn't call him a strategist, per se, but he's not an idiot, either; if a trusted ally should propose a plan more complicated than "hit it until it faints", Okidogi is both able and willing to carry it out.
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Munkidori | The Wise Retainer
Juliana: A slow and clumsy Pokémon once wished dearly to become clever, and was not careful what he wished for. Munkidori arose when that wish was granted - a brilliant deceiver blessed with intelligence and precognition. If given time to plot against his foes, and allies who will cooperate with his strategies, he will bring down the mightiest of opponents if those opponents are not able to plan for themselves.
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Fezandipiti | The Seductive Retainer
Juliana: A Pokémon that was plain in all respects once longed to become beautiful, and cared not for what came with it. Fezandipiti is that beauty - a vain and proud creature all too willing to use his attractiveness to his advantage. Though not unwelcome to look at on his own, and blessed with a pleasant voice to hear, his true "appeal" comes from the pheromones that scatter from his wingbeats, entrancing those affected.
(That's... distressingly familiar. | ~Selene)
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Ogerpon | The Masked Ogre
Juliana: A stranger in a strange land is often rebuffed by many around them, and must make themselves familiar - in some way or another - to be welcomed with open arms. Two such travelers who arrived in Kitakami had a simple way to make themselves familiar, for they could join in the Festival of Masks and be welcomed by the people simply by adorning their faces. So did a wandering man and Pokémon receive a set of beautiful masks, which attracted unwanted attention and earned the Pokémon undeserved hatred. Ogerpon now finds it hard to trust others, or even to make friends - but once her friendship is earned, she will repay kindness shown howsoever she might. Her masks are filled with Terastal energy, and while that may limit her options when it comes to Terastallization, the might of her memories gives her a strength all her own.
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Terapagos | The Indigo Disk | The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero
Juliana: Though once a populous species in the land of Paldea, a series of seismic events pushed the Indigo Disks to the brink of extinction before humanity was even a passing fantasy in the Hall of Origin. Very few Terapagos remain (if there are even multiple of the species in the present day), but those that still exist are the source of, and a font for, the Terastal phenomenon that has shaped both Paldea and Kitakami to this day. Power leaked from Terapagos has manifested Tera Crystals throughout the land, used for purposes as mundane as Trainer-induced Terastallization and as advanced as bleeding-edge science - all of which struggles to control effects that have occurred passively from the power of the Indigo Disk. The Disk itself itself, however, reacts... poorly if subjected to Terastallization directly, especially if it is not in a peaceful state of mind to begin with. The energy runs wild through its body, and though a prepared Terapgos can brace itself against the deluge and channel it to its will, a lapse in concentration will result in it being driven berserk by its own power.
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Pecharunt | The Never-Rotting Peach | The Subjugator
Juliana: Master of the Loyal Three, Pecharunt is an unassuming Pokémon whose small, Berry-like appearance belies a childish mind and destructive power - the combination of which is a recipe for chaos. Its toxins will bind both humans and Pokémon to its will - empowering them in some way, amplifying their inner natures, and controlling them if there is an objective that the Subjugator wishes to accomplish. It can envenom a subject either directly with noxious shackles, or indirectly via the manifestation of unassuming food. Despite all this, Pecharunt appears to sincerely believe that its shackled victims are its friends - in much the same way as a bully will threaten those weaker than himself to make them follow alongside him, calling them his friends when they only accompany him because the alternative is to suffer.
Draco: Shameless reference to my preferred interpretation of Ransei because I've already done the #ArcWelding for that.
Okay, at present, all I can say for Paldea is that Juliana did it, and it's going to be an absolute nightmare. (And that Arven is PROBABLY going to suffer, which I feel really bad about.) I'm still working on what exactly the progression is, but I know for sure that I need encounters with both past and future Paradox Pokémon in order to have notes on both mascots. Insofar as I can tell, the Union Circle is pure gameplay, so a dual-protagonist approach like I used for Alola is not on the table. I might also wait until both rounds of the DLC have come out before I decide upon my canon.
NEW EDIT: [quote]Can you use the term 'is canon' when referring to game elements present in a fanfic?[/quote] {laughs} Yes, I specifically neglected to say that before I'd decided on the course of events, just so I could open the edit with it.
Generation IX: Juliana did it, and I have another Distorted contortion of a neutral version planned out in my head. Well, I say 'neutral version', but it's more like how Legends: Arceus handled the battle at Spear Pillar, where the player makes an innocuous choice and the results that follow result in one legendary having dominance over the other. (Which, in turn, is reminiscent of how Black/White and Sword/Shield play out depending on your version, in that both legendaries appear in different roles.) The way I've set this one up would result in Scarlet influences and Violet influences being largely interchangeable, but this reads a lot more easily if I describe a specific choice, so I'm going to treat it like Unova and write the canon summary as my preference.
First, we have to deal with the book. Being as I'm somewhat colourblind, I'm tempted to say it was the Scarlet Book, full stop, just because I couldn't tell you whether something is indigo or violet by looking at it. But the fact of the matter is, the name "Scarlet Book"/"Violet Book" sounds less like a title and more like a nickname, and that is #FanficFuel for idiots like me. Let's give it a proper title, Journey into the Great Crater. Heath's personal manuscript was in an indigo tome, and there are public versions with both scarlet and violet covers. Being as "variable cover art" is a thing in our world, there's no reason to believe that a book publicly considered to be fiction wouldn't have something very similar.
Professors Sada and Turo were both involved with Area Zero. (I'm so sorry, Arven.) They had opposing-cover versions of Journey, happened to be paired up at the Academy one day, realized they were reading the same book, and what followed was a chaotic case of opposites-attract meets big-brain-romance. When they developed the time machine, they designated Sada's Scarlet Book as an emergency shutdown key and left Turo's Violet Book as their reference material... then buried the Scarlet Book in the lab at the Poco Path Lighthouse when they went off the deep end.
(As an aside note, since Arven's non-Professor parent is a non-entity, there's really no reason to assume that's NOT a separate-timeline Sada in Violet and Turo in Scarlet.)
They started off by tuning the time machine to reach into the past first, and brought forth several prehistoric Paradox Pokémon, including a peaceful Koraidon. Attempting to re-tune the device to reach into the future after the fact ended up not being a simple process, and in the interest of... well, not safety, necessarily, but precision at least, they decided against making the calibration an automatic process. Instead, the AI professors were constructed in order to handle the recalibration - two, because good engineers want redundancy. Unfortunately, the group of futuristic Paradox Pokémon included a hostile Miraidon, and some time later, Sada got slain in the process of trying to defend Koraidon, who would later end up fleeing and under Juliana's care. Turo only fared better in the sense that he didn't bleed out until after he confirmed orders for the AI professors to carry out after their demise.
The Quaking Earth Titan was an Iron Treads vs. Great Tusk face-off that Juliana and Arven ended up intruding on. You know how in Gen VI Horde Battles, some Pokémon who are natural enemies will show up in mixed hordes, and they'll attack each other? Think that, but a Multi Battle wild encounter. After KO'ing one, the other chomped down on the Herba Mystica for the second round.
In Area Zero, AI Turo was waiting at the Zero Lab for the exposition break. Having two AI professors didn't stop them from realizing that the flesh-and-blood professors were out of their minds, thinking that Paradox Pokémon running rampant across Paldea would be "paradise", so they concocted a plan together. To everyone's fortune, the AIs being made in the professors' image extended to designating AI Turo as the only one permitted to handle future Pokémon, and AI Sada as the only one permitted to handle ancient Pokémon. The initial stampede when the Zero Lab opened was future Paradox Pokémon, and AI Sada promptly re-tuned the time machine; then she made her way to the book room and engaged Juliana with a team of ancient Paradox Pokémon when the self-defense mechanism kicked in. Because AI Turo is not permitted to handle ancient Pokémon, he is not just unable to make this a Multi Battle; he is completely unable to engage Juliana himself.
...Until the last-resort Paradise Protection Protocol kicks in, commanding the professors to call on Winged King and Iron Serpent. AI Turo sends out Miraidon as the Guardian of Paradise, but AI Sada doesn't have Koraidon - Juliana does, which gives her a combatant despite the ID-specific Poké Ball lock. Once Miraidon is defeated, AI Sada realizes that the system is trying to seek out another Winged King for her to call on - which means the system will keep throwing Koraidon at Juliana and co. until it wins - so she and AI Turo have the time machine throw them back into prehistory, and stop the last obstacle to preventing the professors' madness.
Yeah, that hurt to concoct that chain of events.
On a side note, Juliana raised two whole freaking teams worth of Pokémon. Partly because there is a LOT of Scarlet/Violet, partly because Nemona being a rival character is her raising a whole new team while you raise yours... and partly because I had a giant pile of indecision when team-building and decide to answer "which" with "yes". I don't think there's any major elements to bring up in the Hidden Treasure storylines, everything in Kitakami and Blueberry is one-route rather than choice-based or version-affected like Galar had. END NEW EDIT