5th Gen Alternate Universes/"What-If" Scenarios

Sometimes I like to think of "alternate universes" where things turned out very differently, or "what-if" scenarios. The kinds of things that make you think, "Just imagine!"

Do you have any of these for gen 5? Please share; I'd love to hear about them!

Sometimes I wonder what things would have been like if N had been found by Looker instead of Ghetsis. Obviously, the plot of the games would have been completely different. But after seeing just how kind and fatherly Looker was in the post-game of XY, I can't help but imagine that if N had been found by Looker, his life would have been so much better and happier. He even could have grown up to be a detective or member of InterPol! I also wonder what Ghetsis would have done: would he look for someone else to use as a pawn in his plans--if so, who would it end up being?--or would he change his plans altogether?

Honestly if it was Looker I feel as if N would have become a champion eventually. Just could've seen that.

... and Ghetsis might have groomed Cheren or Bianca instead ...

Scary stuff.

And what if Tornadus and Thundurus destroyed the whole region instead of the Reshiram and Zekrom plot??????

Just imagining Cheren or Bianca as a part of Team Plasma at all is really something. Having them be their leader is a whole other level of "What. Wow." Would they still be planted in Nuvema Town to grow up as the protagonist's childhood friend, or would they just be raised in the exact same manner as N, I wonder?

I remember seeing some fake boxarts for a "third version" to BW featuring Landorus, way back when. It's very interesting to imagine how the plot would change if the mascots were Thundurus and Tornadus instead of Reshiram and Zekrom. A lot of narrative themes would change, too, to coincide with their design and lore inspirations.

Another fun thing to imagine would be Black/White ending where Ghetsis wins. It could happen for various reasons: the Gym Leaders don't make it to the castle in time, and the player character and their team is unable to handle all of the sages at once and so N and Ghetsis go unopposed, Reshiram/Zekrom never awakens for the player character, Ghetsis cheats even more with his Hydreigon, etc.

Then Black2/White2 is where the new player characters lead or become part of a resistance force against the evil Ghetsis Empire or something.

Nah said:

Then Black2/White2 is where the new player characters lead or become part of a resistance force against the evil Ghetsis Empire or something.

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That's a really cool idea! It reminds me a lot of the protagonist from Colosseum. Having Ghetsis win and then start the next game as part of a team to take him down would be such a unique spin on the story.

I just had an idea, if this had actually been a thing: BW ends the way it does (defeating Ghetsis), but B2W2 start with him already in control of Unova. Whether B2W2 are "what-ifs" in and of themselves, or if Ghetsis rose to power in the time between BW and B2W2 could be left up to the player.

Rivvon said:

I just had an idea, if this had actually been a thing: BW ends the way it does (defeating Ghetsis), but B2W2 start with him already in control of Unova. Whether B2W2 are "what-ifs" in and of themselves, or if Ghetsis rose to power in the time between BW and B2W2 could be left up to the player.

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Oh that's cool too!

Really I think that the fact that Black/White have legit sequels opens up a lot of possibilities for alternate stories; what we got from Game Freak was simply just one of many possibilities.

This is something that has been stuck behind my brain a long time Now what if Ghetsis won? What if he got what he wanted and ruled over the world with his Cane what would the world be like then? Since if Ghetsis got what he wanted you the player character would not be alive As you would have been impaled by icicles Before N had a chance to get there But if this would happen How would he get Either Zekrom/Reshiram?

Lostsoulofmadness said:

This is something that has been stuck behind my brain a long time Now what if Ghetsis won? What if he got what he wanted and ruled over the world with his Cane what would the world be like then? Since if Ghetsis got what he wanted you the player character would not be alive As you would have been impaled by icicles Before N had a chance to get there But if this would happen How would he get Either Zekrom/Reshiram?

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A situation like that would probably require Ghetsis to search out N and the BW protagonist so he could get the other Dragons. In a case like that, maybe the BW protagonist and N would have to join forces to defeat Ghetsis--that reminds me a lot of the final gen 5 episode of Generations, actually!

Yeah if Ghetsis won... the original protagonist would have had to save the day. Ghetsis was destined to lose - he put all his eggs in one powerful basket and didn't have a backup plan. :c

My what if scenario is also what would have happened if Ghetsis had not found N. Not necessarily with the positive influence of another figure like the Looke to temper N. What if he had just stayed with Pokemon in the woods and continued along with limited contact with people? As an abandoned child raised by pokemon I think N would have been susceptible to distrusting humans without Ghetsis' interference. Especially if Concordia's tale is accurate that he upset people with behavior that suggested he could talk to Pokemon.

Is N a victim of Stockholm syndrome and his beliefs only there as the result of Ghetsis systematically brainwashing him. Or did N believe Ghetsis because he wanted to believe what he was saying, on some level did it just resonate with him? I'm inclined to think the latter or at least that the difference lies somewhere in between.

I think without Ghetsis N might have evolved into a sort of Princess Mononoke figure as he lived in the wild, and still view humans as an enemy. Without Ghetsis it may not have been as focussed, but I think the predisposition to fear humans was there before Ghetsis.

What if Team Plasma had actually built their base in a tactical position and not in the bloody Pokemon League where all of the most powerful trainers in Unova can easily access...

VisionofMilotic said:

My what if scenario is also what would have happened if Ghetsis had not found N. Not necessarily with the positive influence of another figure like the Looke to temper N. What if he had just stayed with Pokemon in the woods and continued along with limited contact with people? As an abandoned child raised by pokemon I think N would have been susceptible to distrusting humans without Ghetsis' interference. Especially if Concordia's tale is accurate that he upset people with behavior that suggested he could talk to Pokemon.

Is N a victim of Stockholm syndrome and his beliefs only there as the result of Ghetsis systematically brainwashing him. Or did N believe Ghetsis because he wanted to believe what he was saying, on some level did it just resonate with him? I'm inclined to think the latter or at least that the difference lies somewhere in between.

I think without Ghetsis N might have evolved into a sort of Princess Mononoke figure as he lived in the wild, and still view humans as an enemy. Without Ghetsis it may not have been as focussed, but I think the predisposition to fear humans was there before Ghetsis.

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If I remember rightly Ghetsis only showed pokémon that had been mistreated to N, so very much brainwashing. You can tell once he meets the protagonist though that then he is starting to pick his facts because he wants to believe what Ghetsis told him.

Luna said:

What if Team Plasma had actually built their base in a tactical position and not in the bloody Pokemon League where all of the most powerful trainers in Unova can easily access...

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It's called a power play dude. Plus what sort of self-respecting bad guy heading up an evil organisation doesn't have some sort of play on a volcano base?

Amore said:

If I remember rightly Ghetsis only showed pokémon that had been mistreated to N, so very much brainwashing. You can tell once he meets the protagonist though that then he is starting to pick his facts because he wants to believe what Ghetsis told him.

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Oh yes, you are definitely remembering it the right way. We learn from Concordia that Ghetsis showed N abused pokemon. This is part of a quote from her I find interesting. "Ghetsis deliberately brought only those poor pokemon closer to N. N was touched by their plight, and started pursuing ideals/ the truth, thinking only of Pokemon."

It still sounds to me though that N took some initiative on his own the way she tells this story-- Ghetsis is showing N something then kinda stepping back for him to arrive at a conclusion. Its a really subtle form of manipulation, but its reliant on N to work. Ghetsis left abused pokemon near N to get an emotional response from him. N made judgments about the world when he saw suffering and took action. As you mentioned N will also pick his facts to fit a narrative he's comfortable with. I think he's already ready to believe the worst of people based on Concordia's Black and White 2 account that N was an outcast people feared because he talked to pokemon.

The situation I say has some grey area, rather than brainwashing someone I think Ghetsis chose someone who was going to be fairly compatible with his teachings based on the life he had previously known.

Ah, this is why I love Unova, you can always have a good debate with others about characters and story!

VisionofMilotic said:

comfortable with. I think he's already ready to believe the worst of people based on Concordia's Black and White 2 account that N was an outcast people feared because he talked to pokemon.

The situation I say has some grey area, rather than brainwashing someone I think Ghetsis chose someone who was going to be fairly compatible with his teachings based on the life he had previously known.

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Oh really, I don't think I stuck at it with Black 2 long enough to hear that (got a pre-owned game that crashes a lot, but I didn't even start it until the refund timeline was done because Assassin's Creed IV was so good). I guess he's kinda of like a good-hearted Tom Riddle then - or if Harry Potter had been less of a dick but somehow hurt more people after they started judging him for talking to snakes.

VisionofMilotic said:

Ah, this is why I love Unova, you can always have a good debate with others about characters and story!

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Yeah it's definitely their most ambitious storyline, I like how they aged up the characters. Kinda wish I could afford to do at least Gen VI to see if it's anywhere near as good (also because I want to ride a Rayquaza into space).