Faelan

The funny thing about Faelan is that it wasn't actually there until 200 years ago. Not that it hadn't been settled or didn't have a proper government or underwent some sort of recent civil and political revampage, though those things are technically also true. It just literally wasn't there. There was nothing but a vast expanse of open ocean where it currently sits, not so much as a tiny island to break the monotony; it might've been a little foggy in the area, but there was nothing resembling a region in the vicinity. And then one day, lo and behold, there it was, a giant hunk of rock sticking up out of the ocean where the baffled sailors who discovered it had definitely not been expecting one.

It's a pretty nifty trick, a vanishing region. So nifty, in fact, that conventional science has yet to explain exactly how an entire landmass, tectonic foundations and all, can just up and appear out of thin air. Nor can it explain where the Pokémon that inhabit the place came from, or how the few species recognizable from elsewhere managed to find their way onto it. The region was there, though, and that was reason enough for people to start moving in, plausible explanation or no. The mysterious land was christened Faelan, it was settled and it's stuck around ever since.

Faelan has virtually exploded since its discovery and has become a full-fledged, modern region in its own right, complete with Pokémon League. It is also a popular destination for those looking to become Pokémon researchers or even archaeologists. The strange mist that hangs over the land seems to have peculiar effects on many Pokémon—and a few people—and in recent decades a few scattered indications of what might be ancient human habitation have been found. It's possible that the artifacts could have something to do with the... unpleasantness involving some legendary Pokémon that occurred around 150 years ago, though answers to such questions are few and far between. In the meantime, as long as said legendaries are left to their own devices then Faelan will certainly continue to prosper.

...probably.

As it happens I am an insufferable fantasy nerd. I have been ever since I-don't-even-know-when. It was really only a matter of time before I tried grafting my love of fantastical creatures, places and people onto my love of Pokémon.

The first few attempts didn't go so well.

To put it lightly and keep from embarrassing myself too badly, my original "fantasy region" was very poorly planned out. The basic concept was sound enough—"I'm going to make a whole region where every single Pokémon comes from some sort of myth or fairytale or something!" was the gist of it—and that concept is more or less the only thing about this project that has not changed to this day. It all spiraled horribly out of control from there, however. Most of the original Pokémon, only a few of which survive today, were flat-out ridiculous. It made heavy use of my original and totally necessary what are you talking about new types ("there should be a Mythic type that's kind of like Dragon because dragons aren't the only mythical creatures right and if they get their own type then there should be another one and..."). It had actual elves and dwarves and shapeshifting dragons and unicorns in it as Pokémon trainers, which might almost have been marginally okay if it were in the hands of someone with actual talent. I'm not even going to start on the television programs I envisioned them airing there. Oh, to be thirteen years old and painfully naïve again. Or not. Yeah, how about not.

You can all thank your lucky stars that that monstrosity and all the evil it stood for are dead and buried. The break I took from fakemon projects has done it some good, giving me time to grow the hell up and then weed out as much of the awful as possible before trying again. Oh, there's still a little magic and fairy dust involved, I won't lie about that; it's just that it should actually be enjoyable instead of groan-inducing. We'll see how it all turns out!