History and Culture of Nede
"Okay! Cut! End it there. What a scoop!"
- -- Chisato Madison, reporter for the Saffron City Times
Energy Nede is an ancient planet, with over 40,000 years of history. Because of that, a timeline is simply not all that useful -- especially because many characters from Filgaia and Lunar would find it to be inscrutable. It also has a rich culture, which is quite different from the other worlds of the Dream Chasers setting.
History of Energy Nede
Energy Nede, approximately 45,000 years ago, was the capital of a massive interstellar empire. It commanded enormous fleets and soldiers, who were armed with hyper-advanced technology and Symbology. This ultimately prompted a war that led to an event that has defined Nede's history ever since: the creation of the Ten Wise Men.
The Ten Wise Men were artificial constructs, imbued with powerful Symbology. They are poorly understood now, but believed to have been artificial organisms. They stopped the war against the Nedians' empire, but at enormous cost to their enemies. The Nedians sealed the Ten Wise Men away, but at enormous cost: much of their planet was destroyed, reduced to the Kanto Region and half of the neighboring Johto Region. Other regions, such as Unova, Paldea, and Kalos, were completely lost.
Since then, Nedian society changed to become isolationist -- rejecting almost all contact with the greater universe -- and ultimately much more peaceful. The Kanto Region has been peaceful, dealing mostly with the occasional disaster (usually man made) and criminal problems. They have also undertaken a systematic cataloging and preservation effort of Nede's wildlife, including taming them.
This led to the creation of Pokémon, which is a term for Energy Nede's fauna. At this point, they can't quite be said to be wildlife; even wild Pokémon are a product of millennia of breeding and careful study to preserve the organic history of their otherwise-destroyed planet. Nedians see Pokémon as both their charge to protect (as their actions led to the planet being nearly destroyed) and their partners, though important exceptions exist.
Since Nede began its isolation, its history might be considered stagnant; it hasn't had major political developments and has enjoyed considerable stability. However, it has made important advancements in saving and preserving much of Nede's flora and fauna, and has had very significant cultural output. However, a number of people feel Nede has grown complacent; it has preserved what it has very well, but never managed to grow beyond that, such as finding ways to bring life back to Lost Johto.
Nedian Culture and Society
Energy Nede has a very vibrant culture. This is built on its advanced technology and impressive social welfare programs. The society is post-scarcity, with no real questions of food security, poverty, or lack of access to medical and social services. Severe poverty isn't a concern, and the poorer areas of the Kanto Region are much better off than the slums of either Filgaia or Lunar. This isn't to say they lack in crime, social ills, or the like, but life on Energy Nede is largely better for the everyday person than it is on Filgaia or Lunar.
Everyday life in Energy Nede is largely close to modern Earth, with trains and automobiles to get around cities. Highly advanced technology exists, but largely underpins it; there is a strong effort to maintain natural spaces, which does mean the preferred route between cities (at least quickly) is via mag-lev. One can find modern kitchens and plumbing, televisions and tablets, and other modern amenities in Nedian homes.
Someone on Nede can find a wealth of movies, television shows, plays, books, and articles to enjoy. These cover numerous genres, though one often finds some amount of Pokémon in them. The idea of taking a journey is a common theme; this is deeply rooted in Nedian culture, and many different forms of media focus on this.
The currency on Nede is called FOL. It is most often issued by a card, which electronically stores the money. Coins and bills are exceedingly rare. FOL is not interchangeable with gella (from Filgaia), silver (from Meribus and Glenwood), or gil (from Spira), though Nedian coin collectors may pay for examples. In general, FOL needs to be earned the old fashioned way, but Nedian social services will generally help Drifters in a pinch.
Nedians tend to look at the past with regret, however, and this shows in their work. Nedians value making up for the mistakes of the past, blaming the destruction of their world on themselves. This shows in their priorities as a society, such as enormous efforts to preserve Pokémon from regions outside of Kanto and documenting the history of their world. It also shows in works of art that look back on the past with a mixture of regret and longing.
Some younger Nedians have chafed, as much of Nedian culture has focused on remembering and enshrining the past, rather than trying to improve the present. This has given ammunition to groups such as Team Rocket.