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Pokemon Game Timeline Theory Outline Before we start, I should note that this timeline theory will only cover the mainline games from Red/Green/Blue/Yellow to Scarlet & Violet, if you want a timeline including the spin-off games, let me know and I can work on that. Since Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire’s post-game the fact that two timelines exist in Pokemon, as stated by Zinnia, a member of the Draconid Tribe and a major character in said post-game. I will post the relevant quote: "My people know it. From generation to generation, we pass along the lore about the distortions in the world borne by the Mega Evolution mechanism. And about the existence of another world, which we have long observed to be just like this one and yet not the same... That's right. A Hoenn region that's almost exactly like this one we live in. Filled with Pokémon and people like us. A world where maybe the evolution of Pokémon took a slightly different path, where Mega Evolution is unknown... A world where that war 3,000 years ago...never happened. A world where the ultimate weapon was never even built. And in that Hoenn of that world... What would happen if one day, out of the blue, a meteoroid appeared? What would happen to the people of that world, without the technology to destroy the meteoroid or the power to warp it away? ... Looks like it's beyond the power of your imagination." The other Hoenn she was referring to is an obvious reference to the original Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald, the original Hoenn games. The firing of the Ultimate Weapon refers to the Kalos War that was 3,000 years ago in the backstory of Pokemon X and Y. It’s also important to note that the firing of the Ultimate Weapon is at least part of the origin of Mega Evolution. This led fans to dub the two timelines the Mega Evolution timeline and the non-Mega Evolution timeline. I actually believe that this is a misunderstanding of the key difference between the timelines. To go back to Zinnia’s quote: “...A world where maybe the evolution of Pokémon took a slightly different path…” Every game from X & Y onward had one major difference from the games that came before: The existence of the Fairy-type. I actually believe there are more than two timelines (Actually, a lot more, but I want to keep this in broad strokes) so let’s start with the two generally accepted timelines, which I will call the Fairy timeline and the Advanced timeline. Let’s start with the Advanced timeline, as it is the easiest to understand. A 2014 tweet from Toshinobu Matsumiya, the scenario writer from Pokemon Yellow to Sword and Shield made a now deleted tweet that gave us a starting point. The tweet revealed that the Kanto and Hoenn games were happening concurrently and that the Johto and Sinnoh games happen roughly at the same time and the Johto games take place three years after Kanto. So the timeles of the first four generations look like this FireRed/LeafGreen/Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald -> HeartGold/SoulSiver/Diamond/Pearl/Platinum. Now obviously there would be sub branches with each game being a separate universe, but like I said I’m keeping this broad strokes. Though the games lean toward Platinum being the “true” version of the Sinnoh events as evidenced by a quote from Cynthia after defeating her in the Black and White post-game: “That was beyond my expectation! What an exceptional battle! You certainly bear a resemblance to that Trainer who faced Giratina…” So we’ll go with Platinum as canon going forward. We have Black and White after Sinnoh/Johto, and its direct sequels Black 2 and White 2 take place two years later. So we have an Advanced timeline that looks like this so far: FireRed/LeafGreen/Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald -> Platinum/Heartgold/SoulSilver -> Black/Wite -> Black 2/White 2. We’ll come back to the Advanced timeline later, but in order to make things make sense we have to move on the Fairy timeline. We know that Mega Evolution as well as the Fairy-type are key indicators of a game being in this timeline. As it just so happens, we have Kanto and Hoenn games with these features that follow the same general events of their advanced timeline counterparts. Those being Let’s go Pikachu and Eevee and Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire respectively. Of course Red isn’t the protagonist of these Kanto games, and apparently had his journey earlier without taking out Team Rocket, but still shows up later as a Legendary Trainer, but that’s fine. We also have a Sinnoh game to fit into this timeline in the form of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. There has been no Johto or Unova games released in the Fairy timeline, though we do know both regions exist within it and some version of their events likely happened given things like Colress knowing Ghetsis in the Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon Rainbow Rocket post-game. Now we turn to X & Y, the previously mentioned tweet from Toshinobu Matsumiya placed X & Y concurrent with Black 2/White 2. So we can confidently place these games after Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl. Again, we turn to the presence of Colress in the Alola games to place them after Black 2/White 2 and thus X & Y. We can infer that the Galar games Sword and Shield are after the Alola games because of Type: Null being first created in the Alola region and this Pokedex entry in Pokemon Sword: Pokédex from Sword: Rumor has it that the theft of top-secret research notes led to a new instance of this Pokémon being created in the Galar region. And then Scarlet/Violet take place some sometime after the Galar games. With Legends Arv\ceus taking place some centuries prior to Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl in the Fairy timeline So, the Fairy timeline looks like this so far: Legends Arceus -> Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee!/ Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire -> Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl/ some version of the Johto games -> Some version of Blac/White -> X & Y/ Some version of Black 2/White 2 -> Sun/Moon/Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon -> Sword/Shield -> Scarlet/Violet. Now, here’s where things get complicated because we actually have to go backwards in time. We know the Advanced timeline and Fairy timeline diverged 3,000 years ago when the ultimate weapon was built and fired, so we have to take into account certain things that happened before that divergence that will add games to the Advanced timeline. From the classes in Scarlet and Violet we know the Great Crater of Paldea, where the Terastal phenomenon originates, was formed 1,000,000 years ago. So, it would still happen in the Advanced timeline. The same with the arrival of Eternatus in the Galar region, which happened 20,000 years prior. The story of Alola involving wormholes as it does would be unaffected by the ultimate weapon, and some version of Legends Arceus likely happened as well, as we see the Temple of Sinnoh become the Ruins that would later be known as Spear Pillar in that game. So the only game we can conclusively say didn’t happen in the Advanced timeline are X & Y because of the lack of the Ultimate Weapon, which is key to the plans of Team Flare. So, the Advanced timeline looks like this: A version of Legends Arceus -> FireRed/LeafGreen/Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald -> Platinum/Heartgold/SoulSilver -> Black/White -> Black 2/White 2 -> a version of Sun/Moon/Ultra/Sun/Ultra Moon -> a version of Sword/Shield -> a version of Scarlet/Violet Now those of you paying attention may have noticed that I haven’t placed the original Kanto and Johto games Red/Blue/Green/Yellow and Gold/Silver/Crystal on either the Advanced or Fairy timelines. That’s for one very simple reason: I believe they’re their own separate universes, and yes I said universes. Let’s start with original Kanto games as that’s the easiest to explain Like the pre-X & Y games lack the Fairy-type Red/Blue/Green/Yellow lack two other types: Steel and Dark. This is especially egregious with the Steel-type because of Magnemite and Magneton, someone would have realized they were weak to fire. Not to mention several other evolutions and pre-evolutions of Kanto Pokemon they should know exist. I can’t say definitively when the Advanced and Fairy timelines diverged from this one, but I think we can safely say Legends Arceus didn’t happen here or more Pokemon would be known in Kanto. For now I have to place them in their own universe. Gold/Silver/Crystal are a little harder as they are obviously connected to the Kanto games, specifically Yellow baked on Re’d team, but they have Steel and Dark-types. They also have a machine that allows them to trade across space and time with the original Kanto games created by Bill that doesn’t exist in the Advanced timeline. My best guess is that the Time Capsule is something like an artificial Ultra Wormhole, that lets them trade between universes. Ultra Wormholes do allow movement between universes, as seen with Hoenn Frontier Brain Annabel who fell through an Ultra Wormhole in the Advanced Timeline and ended up in the Fairy timeline in the Alola games. So, we have four general timelines: The Red/Blue/Green/Yellow timeline The Gold/Silver/Crystal timeline, which goes like this: A version of Yellow -> Gold/Silver/Crystal The Advanced timeline: Aversion of Legends Arceus -> FireRed/LeafGreen/Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald -> Diamond/Pearl/Platinum (most likely Platinum)/HeartGold/SoulSiver -> Black/White -> Black 2/White 2 -> a version of Sun/Moon/ Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon -> A version of Sword/Shield -> a version of Scarlet/Violet The Fairy timeline: Legends Arceus -> Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee/Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire -> a version of the Johto games/BDSP -> A version of Black/White -> a version of Black 2/White 2/X&Y -> Sun/Moon/Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon -> Sword/Shield -> Scarlet/Violet.

When the gods walked alongside Man, Shiva and his celestial brethren ruled over a time of enlightenment and tranquility. But as is the case of all times of peace, it was not to last. It came to pass that a race of demons known as the Raktabija broke free from their subterranean crypts and spread like a plague on the land, slaughtering all who stood before them. Humanity cried out to the gods for salvation, but the prophecies of the Raktabija proclaimed that only a woman could destroy them. And so the task fell to Parvati, wife of Shiva. Calling on the celestial power of her shakti, Parvati transcended into the form of the warrior goddess Durga. She came down from the heavens and attacked the horde of Raktabija head on. Countless demons fell to her blade. But from every drop of blood that was spilled, a new Raktabija grew to take it’s place. Durga was on the verge of being overwhelmed. And beneath the shroud of Durga, Parvati began to feel fear. She felt despair at the thought of failing to save her precious humanity. But then Parvati felt an emotion she hadn’t experienced in her existence: rage. Parvati became filled with anger. How dare these demons, little more than vermin, stand to oppose her, the bride of Shiva? Rising to her feet, Parvati summoned her power again, determined to ascend to a form mightier than Durga, more powerful than Shiva himself. The roar of the demons was overshadowed by her screams of pain as darkness enveloped her. And so it came to pass that on that day, demons, Men, and gods bore witness to the birth of Kali. Kali. A goddess born of darkness, bloodlust, and fury. A being that possessed Durga’s strength and cunning in battle, but none of Parvati's all too human weakness. The Raktabija charged to attack this new threat, but within an instant Kali was upon them. She slaughtered them all and drank their blood, ensuring that they would never be seen again on this Earth. Humanity thought the battle was over, but they were wrong. The day was not done, and Kali still hungered. With no more demons, she simply turned her aggression toward the humans. They begged for mercy but Kali continued her onslaught, determined to return to the heavens and bring down the gods themselves. Shiva saw that Kali had the power to accomplish her goal, but could not bring himself to do battle with the being that once was his beloved. He descended to Earth and fell prostrate before Kali, offering himself as a sacrifice so that humanity and the heavens would be spared. Kali raised her blade to strike the killing blow. But Kali was betrayed. For within Kali still were the spirits of Durga and Parvati, who forced the goddess back within Parvati’s soul, restoring her body and mind. While humanity rejoiced the victory of their gods, Parvati knew that none were safe as long as Kali lived within her. Calling on her fellow goddesses, Parvati used their combined shakti to remove the shadow of Kali from her spirit, convinced that without a life force to sustain her, Kali would eventually wither, fade, and die. But Kali did not die. She lived on off of her hatred and rage, swearing vengeance on the gods and the humans who worshiped them. But she was now a mere shadow, unable to fully establish herself on the mortal or celestial plane. But she still could give her blessing to humans so that they would create further bloodshed and chaos in her name. And that is why we worship Kali. For hers is the power that will bring down the world. Hers is the power that can make the gods fall down in reverence. The day of the ultimate transcendence draws near, when Kali shall return to us. And on that day, all gods and all Men, shall bow. “Tatter? Tatter! Where the hell are you?!” The woman’s voice broke Arnold Paffenroth’s concentration as he looked up from the scroll sitting on the podium in front of him. At that moment he was in the library of the Tower of Shadows. It was a circular room lined with shelves filled with dusty books and manuscripts. Arnold was a man with unkempt gray hair and dressed in a blue tunic and pants. He was in his early 50s, but he took great pride in the knowledge that he was in better physical condition than most men half his age. Still there was part of him that did enjoy the idea of being by himself and exploring the treasure trove of knowledge in the Tower of Shadow’s collection. “TATTER!” Arnold sighed. There was also a part of him that would have preferred to have his associates use his proper alias. He had long ago chosen the name Tatterdemalion as his nom de guerre, but after realizing his allies either couldn’t pronounce, remember, or care what his name was, he resigned himself to being referred to with the abbreviated term. The oak door to the library creak as it opened and woman’s head peeked in. She was an a attractive woman in her mid 20s with brown hair in two pony tails. She wore a black shirt, jeans, a brown trench coat, and an annoyed expression on her face. “Seriously, Tatter? I’ve been looking all over the Tower for you!” Arnold quickly started to roll up the scroll and reach for the cylinder he pulled it from. “My apologies, Moth. I was just catching up on some reading.” Sybil Dvorak, or Moth as she was known, raised an eyebrow as she noticed the scroll in Arnold’s hands. “You know Dansen doesn’t like people messing with her stuff.” “How odd, since we are supposedly a team now,” said Arnold as he re-sealed the cylinder and moved to the rack on the wall where other scrolls were stored. Five strings of thread sprang from Sybil’s shirt and stretched out to snatch the cylinder from Arnold. He glared at Sybil as the threads placed the cylinder in her waiting hand and re-knitted themselves back into her outfit. “Isn’t there some cliché about curiosity killing cats or something?” Arnold quickly crossed the room and yanked the cylinder from Sybil’s grip. “Yes. There certainly is,” he said trying to maintain his composure. “I’m surprised you are aware of it. Did you read about it on Twitter?” Sybil rolled her eyes as Arnold walked back to the rack. “No. I just figured you’d appreciate it. It’s like you. Creepy, annoying, and old.” Arnold bristled slightly, but before he could come up with a reply, Sybil was already heading for the door. “The point is, Dansen will probably kill both of us if you don’t get your wrinkled butt downstairs. Better move it. This will probably be our only chance to get this Russell guy.” Arnold watched Sybil as she disappeared through the doorway. He looked back at the rack, noting the location of the scroll he had been reading, then followed after her. Sybil had a habit of being rather brusque, but she did have a point. This was an important mission for their organization. “And besides,” Arnold said to himself as he grabbed his wide brimmed hat and wrapped his raggedy scarf over his face. “It’s not everyday you get to hunt a werewolf.” Marvel Studios, in association with Netflix and Broadway Beyonder Presents Night Shift Coming Soon November 2021

Review: Fate / Zero (Seasons one and two) (Non-Spoilery) Season Aired: Fall 2011 - 25 episodes MAL Link: Fate/Zero - Season One Fate/Zero - Season Two I watched it at: Crunchyroll An Introduction To "Fate": Fate requires an introduction as it is somewhat complicated. The source material for Fate is an epic Japanese visual novel which may be as lengthy as Lord of the Rings. There are three paths or routes that a reader may take in the visual novel which leads to alternate events unfolding. These routes are Fate, Unlimited Blade Works and Heaven's Feel. They are captured in the Anime series: Fate/Stay Night (series) Unlimited Blade Works (series) Heaven's Feel (unfinished trilogy of movies) Besides the core Fate story-line with its three routes, there are various side stories and spin-offs such as Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya which is an alternate version of Fate totally re-imagined using magical girls. But I digress. Fate/Zero is a two season prequel series to the Fate story with it's three paths, listed above. Now, I myself have not yet seen the core series. I started with the Fate/Zero prequel. I will skip the Fate/Stay Night series (released in 2006) as my understanding is that it has not aged well. Instead I will go to Unlimited Blade Works which was made by the same animation studio which made Fate/Zero. Heaven's Feel hasn't been completed, but that is where I would go after UBW. Chronologically, Fate/Zero can be a good entry point. The downside is that it kind of expects you to come equipped with some knowledge of how things work as gathered from the main series. On the other hand, if you started with the main series it may ruin the tension of Fate/Zero. It's kind of a no-win situation so I started with Fate/Zero. Review: "Then you swear that, once I defeat an enemy, you will buy me pants?" Ah, Anime. I just can't quit you. It's lines like this that keep me coming back. Fate/Zero invites the viewer into a world of epic battle, where heroes and legends of bygone ages are summoned to the present to compete for an amazing prize. Alexander the Great (with super powers) vs. Arthur Pendragon (with super powers) ... sure, why not? The concept might sound contrived to you, or it might sound cool to you. I personally fall on the "it's cool" side of that scale so I was ready to soak in some great fight scenes. I got that and a lot more besides. It's a huge cast of interesting characters all vying for the prize - sometimes through treachery and sometimes through alliances of convenience. But, in the end, there can only be one winner. The Plot in a Nutshell: Every 60 years the Holy Grail appears - a powerful and seemingly sentient artifact that can grant any wish. It will select participants who may participate in the "Grail War" and try to claim the prize. These participants will summon a great historical warrior to fight on their side in the Grail War. That's the gist of it, but the twists and turns you will follow as they all try to assassinate one another is an entertainment goldmine. My Verdict: Fate/Zero (seasons one and two) was one hell of a ride. An entertainment gold mine filled with rich and thick veins of ore. I had the luxury of binging the whole thing in one weekend and was deeply satisfied with my viewing choice. The storytelling, pacing, character development and, of course, the battles were epic. From the most brave and virtuous heroes to the most dark and depraved villains - they all have an agenda and they are all chess pieces in the ultimate game of life and death. Great animation, great sound, great story. It was glorious. Score: 5 out of 5 Review Rating Scale: 5 Brain wildly entertained. Neurons saturated with entertainment. 4.5 Brain extremely entertained. Neurons firing regularly. Outside world forgotten. 4 Brain entertained. Neurons well stimulated. Brain wants to look for the blu-ray. 3.5 Brain in Neutral. Neurons a little stimulated. Brain generally pleased. 3 Brain in neutral. Neurons flat lined. Meh, brain pleased just enough. 2.5 Brain in neutral but occasionally displeased. 2 Brain displeased and not entertained. Brain thinking about doing something else. 1.5 or less - Brain suffered through the show so it could tell you not to.

Review: Goblin Slayer (Non-Spoilery) Season Aired: Fall 2018 - 12 episodes MAL Link: Goblin Slayer I watched it at: Funimation Review: In fantasy games, goblins are often a low level monster that present an early challenge to players, but are rarely seen again beyond the very early game. They are good for some early experience, but players typically have no interest in goblins once better options are available. I mean, I personally don't certainly. I'm into better, sexier monsters that have better loot. But I digress. This show recognizes that goblins are a very early game creature and embraces that stereotype. Just like in fantasy games, this show has a whole cast of high level adventurers and none of them want to bother themselves with goblins. It perfectly captures goblin's place as the lowest rung of the monster hierarchy. And yet, goblins are still a nuisance and a constant threat to humanity. What to do? Enter the Goblin Slayer. The Plot in a Nutshell: The show is about a warrior who is obsessive about killing goblins. There is, naturally, a tragic backstory involved which left the main character deeply scarred and with an unquenchable desire for vengeance. The story opens with an absolutely brutal first episode that puts the viewer on notice that goblins are not to be trifled with. Once that bit of world building is established, the Goblin Slayer concerns itself with the main character moving from one goblin related problem to the next. Along the way, he is joined by other adventurers who have shared goals. The show is somewhat episodic and doesn't have a linear plot line. Different adventures are broken up into episode blocks. It does have a very satisfying no-hold-barred conclusion. My Verdict: Goblin Slayer is a bloody violent fantasy romp. The action, adventure and Dungeons and Dragons type callbacks are the draw here. For the most part, the characters in the show are served to you fully baked. There are no character arcs to speak of besides, perhaps, that of the young priestess character that follows the Goblin Slayer around. She is probably intended to be the audience surrogate and provides some gentle sanity to balance out the main character's obsessive violence. The main character does see a bit of development, but it's subtle and around the edges. Goblin Slayer never apologizes for what it is: 12 blood soaked episodes about how to make goblins dead. And, because of how brutal the first episode is, you will likely be all for their often spectacular demise. It is a dark, violent fantasy series and it succeeds admirably within that genre. Score: 3.5 out of 5 Review Rating Scale: 5 Brain wildly entertained. Neurons saturated with entertainment. 4.5 Brain extremely entertained. Neurons firing regularly. Outside world forgotten. 4 Brain entertained. Neurons well stimulated. Brain wants to look for the blu-ray. 3.5 Brain in Neutral. Neurons a little stimulated. Brain generally pleased. 3 Brain in neutral. Neurons flat lined. Meh, brain pleased just enough. 2.5 Brain in neutral but occasionally displeased. 2 Brain displeased and not entertained. Brain thinking about doing something else. 1.5 or less - Brain suffered through the show so it could tell you not to.

Review: My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! (non-spoilery) Season Aired: Spring 2020 MAL Link: My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! I watched it at: Crunchyroll Review: This show adds to the ever growing list of "Isekai" Anime that have been released over the last few years. Isekai is a genre that revolves around a normal person from Earth being transported to, reborn or otherwise trapped in a parallel universe or fantasy world. Usually, the fantasy world that the protagonist is transported to is based on a video game that they are playing at the time. That is, they become their game character in a reality that is based on that game. Now, I have a soft spot for Isekai shows because I get all the game references. It turns out that all those years I spent playing World of Warcraft come in handy when viewing Isekai Anime shows. This one, however, was a curve-ball for me because it revolves around a genre of games I don't ever play: Romance and Dating Simulations. Further, the protagonist is put into the role of the villain of the game. That is quite unusual. Typically, the main character enters the fantasy world as a hero. I was intrigued by the concept from the start. The Plot in a Nutshell: The female protagonist is transported to a world based on a romance game she is playing. There, she assumes the role of the games villainess, Katarina Claes. She quickly figures out what is going on and realizes that she's in deep trouble. She is the main villain in the story and every ending for Katarina Claes in these romance stories is bad. Some endings are simply terrible while others are very fatal. The show then deals with her gambits to avoid each bad ending and her interactions with the cast of characters inhabiting the romance story - including the actual game heroine. To her advantage, she appears in-world as the child Katarina Claes. So she has some years to put events in motion that will derail the natural arc of her villainess trajectory. My Verdict: This take on the Isekai genre is novel and I was on board to see how she was going to avoid her bad endings. The cast of characters is colorful and, while each does inhabit a certain romance character archetype, they are well presented with good personalities and motivations. Katarina Claes must navigate the traps each romantic archetype presents, so it's fine that we understand that the characters will not stray too far outside their archetype box. The art was colorful, well animated and provided some sumptuous costuming and locations, as one might expect from romance fantasy. The series started strong, however it did not finish quite as strong. It could have benefited by having more intrigue and by having escape from the bad endings a bit more challenging overall. The show does throw in a surprise at the end which helps make things a little more harrowing for Katarina Claes, and therefore more satisfying. I was engaged start to finish, though. I did not consider dropping the show. SCORE: 3.5 out of 5