WELCOME TO THE REGION OF STEAM
Lanorae is a region inhabited by both people and Pokémon of many types. However, in addition, it has it's own traits, stories, and history. Lanorae is not a region just like those of Johto or Sinnoh, but rather could be described as a realm that has developed far from the influences of the more modernized customs that have found their home in the more recognized regions in the Pokémon world.
While other regions continued to develop and evolve, Lanorae remained within the era during which it was founded. It always grew, and it always evolved, yet, it never truly changed. That is precisely what sets it apart from its sister continents.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTRODUCTION
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lanorae's culture is most commonly described, in modern terms, as
steampunk, meaning that the region never really grew out of the ideas of the victorian era. While things such as language have developed to the same standard as in other regions due to communication -- meaning that common slang can be heard as well as slang native to the region -- some aspects, most obviously that of technology, has kept the same basic outline it always had.
Steampunk is characterized by a very victorian-styled environment, with some considerable enhancements to the basic principals of the industrial revolution: almost everything, in its entirety, is powered by steam and gears.
While some enhancements, as mentioned, have been made to enable primitive forms of modern technology, such as some types of computers, those forms of communication are still very much works in progress, or may very well be extremely advanced just in different ways than in the modern world. More focused on instead are the aspects of industry and transportation. Steam powered flying machines, locomotives, and ships are common sights, as well as a variety of different gadgets that inventors have come up with in their own time. Unfortunately, due to the reliance on steam and that which causes it, such as burning coal, some more industrialized areas in the region have become rather polluted as a result.
The most commonly used metal is brass, which is used in the framework of most machines, as well as small amounts of other metals, and even wood. As a result, most inventions in this region tend to be rather large and complicated as they lack the modernized sleekness of more reformed technology, yet they also contain a very rustic beauty.
Of course, as technology is not as advanced, some items that may be common in other regions may be extremely rare, or impossible, to find in Lanorae. Most notable of these items are the familiar
TMs and
HMs, which do not exist in the Lanorae region. Instead, they are replaced by notebooks that contain instructions that enable a trainer to manually teach a Pokémon how to acquire a particular move. The equivalent of TMs are generally little more than pieces of parchment that may very easily become lost or torn, while what would be HMs are written within carefully bound notebooks and can be preserved for years.
In addition, it is very common for Pokémon to be used in many forms of manual labour. Large flying types can be found serving as messengers and carriers of large cargo, and many may very well be trained for this purpose. Likewise, fire types may be used in factories as a constant source of flame, and many other Pokémon may be found serving other uses in addition to just battling.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TECHNOLOGY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As one of the primarily different aspects of the so-called "steam region", Lanorae's technology, as mentioned above, is heavily reliant on steam, gears, and very primitive forms of electricity. However, there have been some surprising technological advancements despite this, thanks to the many creative minds that populate the Lanorae region.
COMMUNICATION » The most common type of communication is via mail. It's not uncommon for many families to have a flying Pokémon specifically trained to deliver postage, and most letters are written either by hand or with a typewriter for more formal exchanges. However, some of the more well-off individuals may possess an early type of phone in their homes, complete with a spinning dial and bell-like ear piece.
Television is almost unheard of within the region, and is instead replaced by radio. Many organizations, such as a the rangers, use the idea of a radio in the form of a "walkie-talkie"-like communicator which operate on certain secret frequencies. However, these communicators tend to be very prone to static, which only gets worse in heavily forests, mountainous, or remote areas where radio waves have a harder time penetrating.
COMPUTERS AND STORAGE » What simple version of computers that are available are almost purely reserved for Pokémon Centres and research facilities. It is almost unheard of to have one for personal use at home, and they are very large, bulky, and have a keyboard set up much like a typewriter. These computers generally operate in black and white and have no access to internet save for a basic message system which operates via a link to all active computers in the region. Unfortunately, this link is not connected to any computers outside of the region.
These computers do not have printing capabilities despite having the ability of text storage, therefore they are generally used purely for Pokémon storage and more top-secret files in certain organizations.
Generally, extra Pokémon are stored either at a laboratory complex (in the event of most trainers that start out with a starter from Konika), an organization facility (for organizations like the rangers or the Omega Syndicate), or the Pokémon Centre in an individual's starting town (for just about everyone else). Unlike in more modern regions, however, Pokémon exchanges are not always instantaneous. Generally, the protocol involves messaging the computer where your Pokémon are stored, and generally a Pokémon capable of teleporting takes care of whatever exchanges are necessary.
However, due to this set up, extra Pokémon who are captured are not automatically transported into storage. There's simply no way for the psychic Pokémon who's services are used for this procedure to keep track of everything, therefore it is up to the trainer to request extra Pokémon to be stored at their first convenience. While there is some lenience on the matter due to this, trainers who are caught abusing the fact and have more than six Pokémon in their possession for extended periods of time are generally fined.
TRANSPORATION » Generally, most forms of transportation are done with the aide of a Pokémon: teleportation thanks to psychic types, flight via large flying types, and riding on the backs of large land and sea Pokémon are all accepted forms of travel for most, as is simply walking.
However, early forms of airplanes and hot air balloons are available in some locations, and more advanced development has resulted in large air ships that resemble zeppelins, which are used to transport large groups of people through the air. Subways are also available, though they are generally steam-powered and do not move nearly as fast as the well-known subway systems in cities such as Saffron from Kanto and Goldenrod from Johto.
When it comes to sea voyages, most ships are also steam-powered, though there are some which actually still rely almost entirely on sails. Due to the invention of methods of transportation such as the air ships, however, most ocean ships are generally used primarily for the transport of goods and supplies.
When it comes to transportation on a smaller scale, such as within cities, early steam-powered cars are available to the more well-off, as are motorbikes with side cars. However, the more popular option tends to be the bicycle, which is considerably cheaper than either cars or motorbikes, or in some cases carriages, which are most often pulled by Pokemon such as Ponyta or Stantler.
MECHANICS » Because of almost everything being steam-powered, large factories generally rely heavily on burning things such as coal, which unfortunately results in heavy pollution in some areas. However, creative inventors have also managed to find ways to recreate things like elevators or "robots", though are generally much simpler and bulkier than their modern counterparts. These "robots", in addition, are generally only capable of performing a specific task they were designed for and do not have any sort of artificial intelligence, thus they are generally more often referred to as complex machines rather than true robots. They are also commonly manipulated by psychic types to decrease chances of glitching.
Crude prosthetic limbs are also possible and actually efficient due to the advanced study that has taken place into anatomy and muscle structure. As long as there are muscles and nerve endings that are still healthy that these limbs can be attached to, they can be made and used. They are generally made from metal and most often resemble a blockier version of the skeletal structure of the missing limb.
MEDICINES AND HEALING » Because aspects of medicine and healing are not nearly as advanced as more modern regions, instantaneous healing is not possible, therefore, most injured Pokémon are generally kept overnight and ones in more critical condition are kept even longer. A lot of herbal remedies, potions, and antidotes are usually used, though this opens up the possibility for con-artists to advertise so-called "miracle elixirs", therefore most should be careful who they are buying medicines from.
Particularly critical injuries and violent diseases can be extremely dangerous in the Lanorae region because of how unprepared the medical field is. Therefore, it's not uncommon for strict quarantine protocols to be put in place in the event of massive epidemics in hopes that such diseases will be able to right themselves out.
