NBNR Writeup

The Game has changed.

Fifty years ago, the idea of having "Pokemon trainer" as one's occupation was laughable at best. Surely, we thought we knew much about these peculiar beings, but rather than try using one's time to study them it was simply more viable to treat them like the animals that they appeared to be - with a certain amount of respect for their strength, but best served as companions for a family or tools of wartime.

It was approximately twenty five years hence, after we had found a great deal more about how these beings interact both with each other and with humans, that the idea of raising Pokemon to battle other trained Pokemon rose above the stigma of dog fighting and other savage (not to mention illicit) contests. It has become increasingly clear over the years that it is not only humane to let these creatures fight each other, but something they desire as much as their trainers do. With the moral high ground as well as the desire to strike new ground, the first professional Pokemon trainers set off with hopes of proving themselves the best.

None could have foreseen how massively that would shape the world. Like wildfire, the idea of catching, training, and battling with these creatures spread across the globe. Children from Tokyo to Rio to London to Calcutta were eagerly dreaming of the day when they could have their grand adventure. After all, they all thought, even the best trainer in the world was a kid once. Why can't it be me? For nearly two decades, children have been born and raised in this "Pokemon Generation" - an age where being a trainer isn't just a calling, it's a dream for most and an expectation for even more. Technology and industry didn't undergo a revolution so much as a renaissance, turning more and more towards feeding this growing sport and looking for a slice of the constantly growing pie that was the Pokemon-fueled economy. Competition became more and more intense; and it wasn't until very recently that society has stopped to look at the differences between now and then. Those who looked have been exceedingly shocked at what they've seen.

The world is vastly different now, and we are to thank or blame as the world sees fit. Pokemon training and competitive sanctioned battling has very much left its mark on both our society and the poke-ecosystem. Pokemon daycares have either had to expand beyond reason to keep up the demand of trainers seeking the best money can buy, or shut down completely and become shelters for abandoned baby Pokemon. There's cries for the league to change from all sides; some say it's too easy, some say it's too hard. All say it needs repair, and those in charge have listened.

It is March, 2018. The annual State of the League Address is in a few days, and unlike most League affairs, this is open to the public to see live as well as being aired across the globe. The International Association of Pokemon Leagues has promised that what is to follow is not to be missed, because in a new era of Pokemon, even the smallest changes can have the biggest impacts.

New Blood. New Rules. A new adventure starts now.