The Timeline

     Story time!

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     The following has been reconstructed from old history accounts and textbooks, the dates are as accurate as they can be, but expect some discrepancy.

     July 2026

     - Global thermonuclear war is initiated, wiping out 3/5ths of the planet in a matter of hours, rendering the atmosphere untenable for the remaining people who head underground to live in a network of tunnels.  All resources not devoted to survival are used in expanding the tunnel system.

     Spring 2028    

     - A one earth provisional government is formed, resources are allocated to connecting the major tunnel complexes.

     Winter 2030

     - All the major tunnel complexes on the five major continents (Africa, Eurasia, N. America, S. America, Austrailia) have been connected via underground  shafts.  Human life has settled into a routine.  It is determined that the surface will remain unlivable for at least several centuries.

     2065

     - The first children born under the surface are now having families of their own.

     2100

     - Differences in languages are breaking down, as the much reduced population no longer has separate national identities to keep themselves apart from others.  Racism and bigotry based on physical features is becoming almost unheard of.

     - The surface is becoming more and more of a myth to the human population.

     2200

     - Human beings are slowly losing differences in skin coloring as races interbreed with increasing regularity.  Noticeable difference from ancient humans are larger eyes for night vision and more angular features and hair for easier personal recognition in the low light world of the tunnels.

     2250

     - The first Surface Observatories are constructed, allowing a chosen few to view the surface world for the first time in centuries via cameras and large periscope-like contraptions.

     - It is presumed that this is humanities first contact with sunlight.  Not to mention the surface fauna.

     2255

     - A religion has sprung up around the observatories, allowing "The glorious sunlight" to shine on the masses for brief periods during ceremonies.  The leaders of the church begin amassing power.

     2275

     - The church of the sun has supplanted the official government as the leaders of the human remnant.  Keeping an iron grip on who has access to the observatories (or "temples of the sun" as they are now known.

     2300

     - The first readings come back positive for human life support from the surface, this is kept VERY quiet by the church.

     2375

     - Word of the habitable surface world spreads like wildfire after a major church official has a change of heart and sides with the people.

     2380 - 2435

     - The great liberation.  Wherein the church is overthrown and supplanted by a secular theistic government by the people.  All organized religion is outlawed to keep something like this from happening again.

     2450

     - The last of the church strongholds (The observatories) are liberated by the people's government forces.

    

     - Humanity makes its first expeditions to the surface in centuries.

     2500

     - Humanity has regular contact with the outside world now, setting up forward bases and preparing to retake the surface from the local flora and fauna.

     2525

     - First permanent civilian settlements on the surface.  The fight for the surface begins in earnest.

     2650

     - Humanity has reconquered the surface world, coming to terms with life in the new wilderness, exploring for ruins of ancient human settlements.  Local nation states are beginning to form once again.

     2700

     - Human civilization is once again thriving on the surface.  People are at peace and happy.  It is discovered that some of the mutated animals from the surface world are intelligent and can be trained as pets and labor.

     - The first experiments in living matter/energy transference are a success, but only with certain species of surface fauna.

     2800

     - Energy/Matter transference technology is perfected, many people now keeping mutated animals as pets, cockfighting is common between keepers of captured mutations.

     2850 

     - Great war between new nation states, lasting several decades.  Mostly captured mutations are used in the fighting, an uneasy truce is entered upon the creation of an annual tournament between trainers of mutant fauna.

    2895  

     - Ash Ketchum is born in a small region of what used to be ancient Japan.

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     Seem of you may have read something similar to this, I'll be honest the basic idea of Pokemon-as-post-apocalyptic-earth has been around for a while, but this is my take on it.  Tell me what you think!

     Until tomorrow, lovelies.