Creativity and Innovation in your world

Today Apr 21st is the International Day of Creativity and Innovation - a day where the UN and others encourage the creation of culture and the multidisciplinary study of the world around us.

As writers in the Pokémon fandom we are certainly well attuned to the need for inspiration and the context for creativity, adaptation and inspiration, as we go and run the entire gamut from original characters to adding new Pokémon or even entire maps and worlds and original settings.

But that's us. Today I'd like to ask: how do your characters do? How is culture preserved and expanded in your world and what role, if any, do your characters fit into that scheme of things?

Do your Trainers - and your Pokémon - content themselves with the path of fighting across routes and challenging Gyms, or do they go beyond the line of duty and seek the knowledge from different branches of Arts and Sciences - such as agriculture, psychology, chemistry or physiotherapy even - to complement their performance? Do your Coordinators study the musical arts and theatrical performance? For those writing PMD-esque fics, how do your teams or guilds preserve culture and pass down lessons to future applicants? Who is at the forefront of uplifting a civilization that is not exactly like humans'?

In other words, what do your characters do, if anything, to better understand and teach the world where they are fighting?

Grimsley I think is pretty content with being a trainer. When he comes to Alola, he tries to make an attempt at studying quantum physics (aka ultra wormholes), but it's out of his league haha. He does bring some of his Elite Four experience to Molyane and Kahili.

During his Interpol days, while Nanu got some idea of biology and chemistry thanks to his former colleague Charlotte, he wasn't that motivated to go depth into those subjects. Being a native of Alola, he teaches the younger folks and those less versed of the region Alola's culture and such. He doesn't teach it enthusiastically of course, haha. Oh, he also writes in his spare time, which I hope to squeeze it in somewhere.

Venia Silente said:

But that's us. Today I'd like to ask: how do your characters do?

Click to expand...

This...tends to differ between roles I suppose. While currently my cast seems more of just a group in a much larger world, the way they highlight things is being in the culture around them and meetin other characters avid in such culture. An important aspect of SC I'm aiming for is the over impression left on characters by the world around them or by others in a culture and that's something my protagoninsts I hope can show.

Even my antagonists will serve a role is showing culture both positive and negative. Several find themselves in certain instance of it, maybe a day off, while others might just be living in the cutlure and helping show the properties of the world around them.

Venia Silente said:

How is culture preserved and expanded in your world and what role, if any, do your characters fit into that scheme of things?

Click to expand...

I definitely want to have some little showcasing of the cutlure. Some little side outings that while move the plot along, also enact a sort of taking in the world around you. Some activities and other things that our characters may find themselves thrust upon or hearing about certain views or things that are pretty common to that country. I think the message of "we're all different" is quite an interesting one and exposing many characters to others and even some antagoninsts helps serve to form a rather lengthy discussion inside the character while showing a bit more of the world and how it works.

Roles may change or stay the same, but I can say certain ones hold a lot of relevance to culture. Aegis being a prime example of this, but the interesting case of "his" own culture compared to the views now is something else I'd love to dive into. How cultures change and how one would percieve it now compared to the past is something I don't think is done often wtihout time travel so why not be one that can do that without time travel?

Venia Silente said:

Do your Trainers - and your Pokémon - content themselves with the path of fighting across routes and challenging Gyms, or do they go beyond the line of duty and seek the knowledge from different branches of Arts and Sciences - such as agriculture, psychology, chemistry or physiotherapy even - to complement their performance?

Click to expand...

I'd say mostly for my main cast it concerns more finding their place in the world since they are to "belong" where their ancestral homeland is and following someone's footsteps is a good means to it. I don't think many of the main cast you see now gets into some deep roles, though some to branch into different aspects of knowledge, but I can confirm certain characters do find another role in their world to participate in and other aspects as well.

Venia Silente said:

Do your Coordinators study the musical arts and theatrical performance? For those writing PMD-esque fics, how do your teams or guilds preserve culture and pass down lessons to future applicants? Who is at the forefront of uplifting a civilization that is not exactly like humans'?

Click to expand...

I choose option C (none of the above in relation). Since well SC is dealing with a more sentient/realistic mindset for the mons it does have a more tribalistic mentality when it comes to how they do things. So countries and different things they do come into play rather than simply mon species outside some jokes or conditions. A specific thing I can think of is finding something I can put unique to that culture. Since I do base some of my countries off of real world areas I like to add my own twist on things and see how far I can go for them

For example,
Sorphian music has been very wind based focused and led to many such instruments like the flute, claronette, pipes, and other such like instruments to be improved upon to form unique sounds or for ceremonial purposes. Such as the flute staff that is spun while taking in air currents to play a rather deeper form of a flute sound.

Another one I'll give is Valendorine architecture is vastly built upon geometric consistancy. It's why you'll see buildings tend to be box shaped without too many things messing with that method due to it being a very efficient means of building. If one were to go into one of Valendorine's bigger towns, you'd see the area constructed like a zigorratt in a few areas with the town built around with different houses/levels connected as if block stacking with buildings. Districts and markets would be more accessible to the populace on each level and the top would be what you'd consider the town hall or the church. Smaller ones don't posses suhc zygorat styles in nature bur retain much of the architecture as well as being more expansive than built towering.

Venia Silente said:

In other words, what do your characters do, if anything, to better understand and teach the world where they are fighting?

Click to expand...

Something I tend to do is showcasing mechanics through combat, talking about issues or showing them to the perspective of my character as they would view it in real life, highlight opinions or perspectives in coversations. My characters experience I try to shape as one would feel going somewhere and interracting while staying with someone. Keeping a sort of stranger aspect while being able to participate in the world around them is something I really would like to showcase in this story. Being able to experience the lense of a different world as one would learn by being a stranger sounds like a relatable and appealing way of conveying this information without a big info dump.

Venia Silente said:

But that's us. Today I'd like to ask: how do your characters do? How is culture preserved and expanded in your world and what role, if any, do your characters fit into that scheme of things?

Do your Trainers - and your Pokémon - content themselves with the path of fighting across routes and challenging Gyms, or do they go beyond the line of duty and seek the knowledge from different branches of Arts and Sciences - such as agriculture, psychology, chemistry or physiotherapy even - to complement their performance? Do your Coordinators study the musical arts and theatrical performance? For those writing PMD-esque fics, how do your teams or guilds preserve culture and pass down lessons to future applicants? Who is at the forefront of uplifting a civilization that is not exactly like humans'?

Click to expand...

Well, for starters, in the World of Stairway to Heaven, you can't just grab a Pokemon and start wandering around challenging gyms (legally). You're required to earn your trainer's license during your schooling (or after) if you want to be able to go on a journey as a trainer/coordinator/similar. Much like the real world, going to school is mandatory to a certain point, so every character you are likely to come across has at least basic training in the standard knowledge and skills required to get by in life and at least a rudimentary knowledge of their history and culture.

This stems largely from the way I'm trying to build that world. I'm trying to capture a lot of the feel I got from watching the anime, but I'm also aiming to put a more realistic spin on things. For example, even though Pokemon competitions of varying sorts are heavily ingrained in the culture, being a serious trainer isn't just a lifestyle choice, it's a job - and a risky one at that. Your income is based entirely on your ability to win battles and you have to win a sufficient amount to cover your own basic needs like food and clothing, but also those of your Pokemon. Then there's things like pokeballs, evolutionary stones, the gear required to travel through treacherous terrain etc.

Naturally, having this dose of realism as well as having Pokemon-related fields being so heavily ingrained in the culture of my world, you're going to see this through the lens of the characters who exist in that world - because it is so imperative to win battles and because successful trainers like Gym Leaders have a degree of celebrity about them.

If you look at the characters I've introduced so far, you can see hints of these extra lengths trainers go to to maintain an edge. Eloy, for example, you see a few examples of him having been following the battling scene long before ever becoming a part of it. You also see hints of this battling culture through Gwen's expertise gained from her goal of becoming a breeder, trainers want access to combatants of the best stock to improve their chances - either by breeding or by getting experienced help in raising them. There's also clear signs of people turning to less savoury means of gaining that edge as early on as the very first chapter. When the ability to win literally determined your livelihood, it's only natural to expand your education to compliment your performance and give yourself an edge.

I guess, really this was just a very long-winded way of saying the way culture is handled in my fic is derived a lot from how culture has developed in real life. In much the same way, those that integrate themselves into a certain aspect of that culture have to face realistic challenges.

Not entirely sure this essay actually answered what you were asking, but there you go.