Pokéwar

Two years, seven months, and fourteen days.

That’s how long the war lasted between Kanto and Johto.

In that incredibly short amount of time, hundreds upon thousands were killed. The island tore itself apart as both regions tried to usurp the other, with battles coming down to simply who had the most manpower. Conventional weapons were terrible enough, especially considering how long it had truly been since the last conflict, but the addition of Pokémon to the mix was horrifying.

They were practically weapons of mass destruction when they arrived on the scene. The presence of a trainer was a scary thing to see, for both sides. Seeing a trainer armed with Pokeballs meant a massive orange lizard could swoop over in seconds, and light up the entire defensive line in a ball of flame. It meant a heavily armored bipedal crocodile could literally shrug off dozens of shots while ripping your best friend into two. The first months were the most devastating for both regions, as Pokémon completely changed the face of war. Strategies that might have worked decades ago were now useless, and the integration of Pokémon into army cohesion was a sight to behold.

I’ve heard the stories and read the articles. Before my father’s untimely , he had many tales for me to listen to. Stories of brave soldiers rushing through gauntlets to save Houndour’s that were caught in barbed wire fences, or the many trainers that were picked off by a sniper’s bullet from afar. Dad said the number of trainers that were targeted was the exact reason there weren’t that many today, and the idea of that always made me sad.

Such is life and such is war when your opponent can summon literal dragons with a ball of light.

The Great Pokewar lasted only two years, but its toll shocked both regions. The political leaders that had steered both countries into the war were ousted one by one, and a sentiment of peace settled over the small island once again. There was even talk that both sides were ready to sign accords, vowing to never use Pokémon in such a fashion ever again.

Now that I was eighteen years old, I had been invited by Professor Elm to his lab to become a trainer. The local government was paying for as many people as they could to become trainers, and their money allowed us to pick a Pokémon for our first and would even provide potions and Pokeballs to get us started.

Some of us never would be able to do this without the government grants.