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POKEGO Info Page

POKEGO In-Depth Information
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The Perplexing Organism Knowledge Enrichment and Growth Organization, or POKEGO for short, is an organization of scientists and researchers with a strong interest in learning more about the Spirit Realm. No one knows what they plan to do with this research, but they seem to have an overall optimistic viewpoint that with more knowledge and understanding can only serve to benefit everyone. Among paranormal groups, they have a reputation of being enthusiastic nerds who'll talk your ear off about their newest discovery. Interestingly, all the members of this group have a tree-based code name that they pick when they join. It's unclear if these are pseudonyms to protect their identity, or just a strange quirk.
Originally founded in 1996 by Professor Samuel Oak, POKEGO began as an organization that researched only the animal life found within the Spirit Realm. Since then, the organization has greatly expanded it's scope of research and now members of the organization study all sorts of different matters that pertain to the Spirit Realm. These different fields of study are structured into various divisions that are stationed all around the world, and tend to work mostly independently from one another. Unbeknownst to even most paranormal folks, it's become a refuge organization for folks who remember their past life and rather avoid working under the Black Order's stricter thumb.
For most of its existence, POKEGO has enjoyed a positive reputation among Paranormal folks as academics who at most will just talk your ear off at a party. However, this reputation took a serious blow in 2022 when a group within POKEGO led by Professor Willow enacted a plan to attempt to resurrected a previously lost world by kidnapping a god. The plan ultimately failed thanks to the efforts of the player characters, and POKEGO experienced both a heavy loss of members and hit to their reputation. The remaining members are now left with the task of rebuilding their organization from the ground up.
🌟 The dress code for POKEGO members is very relaxed, but all of them are given a lab coat with a POKEGO insignia and their codename embroidered on.
🌟 POKEGO is led by Professor Oak and a group of his most trusted advisors. This group oversees all the various divisions that work under the POKEGO umbrella. Within each of the divisions, the leadership structure will vary based on the needs of the division. Some will be held to stricter standards and be expected to submit regular reports, while other divisions run much more loosely.
🌟 The division most famous for having the least structure are the Spirit Realm photographers, who have a tendency to walk alone into Spirit Gates and come out months to years later with stunning photos and no zero explanations to how they survived that long by themselves. They also happen to be the least understood and most feared of the divisions.
🌟 Star Trek is incredibly popular among POKEGO members and practically considered mandatory to watch for new members. Due to how volatile it can get, discussions over who is the best Star Trek captain has been banned from many POKEGO functions.
🌟 Every few years, there is a large meet-up for all POKEGO members to discuss their findings and spend time with their colleagues. To encourage attendance, it usually takes place in the same city as a Star Trek convention.
🌟 While normally the Black Order has a tendency to conscript folks who begin regaining their past memories, they seem to leave the ones who join POKEGO alone. It's a bit unclear why the Black Order is so unwilling to tangle with those with ties to POKEGO. Whenever asked, Professor Oak just says that the Black Order and him have reached a mutual understanding, that's all.
🌟 Technically speaking, the youngest a person can join POKEGO is 10 years of age. However POKEGO members who are under the age of 18 will be considered a junior member and be part of a division nicknamed the POKEPUPS. This group acts more like a school club or summer camp than anything else. If they go on any field missions, you better believe they have chaperones and everything is done above board. And there is no taking them away from their parents unless they are orphans. Should they be orphans, a senior member of POKEGO will step in to serve as their legal guardian.
🌟 Once a POKEPUP hits the age of 18 and graduates high school, they will graduate from POKEPUPs and have the ability to participate in field missions on their own. However, most POKEGO members will choose to put this off and further their education by attending college. POKEGO used to have a scholarship program to support their members' desires to learn, but this has unfortunately dried up since the Willow incident - leaving many younger POKEGO members without the means to pay for school.
🌟 It is a time honored tradition for new POKEGO members to receive their very own Pokémon companion. They receive these Pokémon pals in two different ways. First if they are near a known gate that leads them to a stable Pokémon realm (besides the one in Kaisou, there are also stable gates that are in hidden locations in Japan, Hawaii, France, the United Kingdom, and Spain ), they will travel into the realm with an accompanying team of POKEGO members and catch a Pokémon for themselves. If they are unable to visit one of these realms or if it's deemed too dangerous (especially for younger members), they will be sent a Pokémon chosen for them by a senior member.
🌟 Starting June 2023, POKEGO has begun working with Cygnus Academy, a school in Undertown that is devoted to teaching magic and other related topics, run by Waver and August. Professors Rowan, Juniper and Sycamore have traveled to Kaisou to assist with it. The program they run (The PICHU Program) has more information here.
🌟 POKEGO has launched an apprenticeship program in Kaisou for those interested in joining POKEGO called SEEDOTS. More information can be found here.
🌟 Thanks to their collective efforts in Kaisou, POKEGO members currently enjoy a salary of $300 a month. There are no benefits.
In early January 2022, Professor Willow yet again attempted his experiment to travel through realms. This yet again ended in failure and more damage to the Spirit Vein. Now more people from other worlds arrived and locals within the city began awakening to their past life memories at a rate never seen before. With Zodiac now actively looking into the situation, Professor Willow decided to shift gears and infiltrated their ranks. Giratina alone wasn't enough to accomplish the goals, he needed the power of a god capable of creation.
That opportunity came in late 2022, when Professor Willow's team detected the presence of the Duat realm entrance passing through Kaisou. He took Giratina and used it to force his way into the Egyptian afterlife, taking the god Ra hostage. His cohort meanwhile did what they could to slow up the process in tracking him down, even performing a ritual that'd learn a realm full of demons (the Qliphoth) to come to Kaisou so they'd be too distracted with the demon army to notice Willow's movements.
However ultimately, it was thanks to the efforts of the Libra app users that Professor Willow's plans were stopped. Willow as apprehended, Ra was returned to his rightful place, and Giratina was set free- flying into the Spirit Realm into parts unknown.
AFTERMATH
The aftermath of Professor Willow's plot was devastating for POKEGO. Financially, they took blow after blow as sponsors and donors pulled out of their deals. But the lost of funding was a drop in the bucket compared to the true cost. As the plot came to light, infighting broke out within the organization. Those who were against the plot worked to stop and apprehend those involved with Professor Willow. A small number, usually those who were newer or on the outer circle of the group, gave up and allowed themselves to be detained. However most, not wanting to give up on that tainted, choose to resist. Some were killed in the process, while the others fled.
Tragically, an even worse fate awaited those who fled instead of facing the music. The Egyptian gods were furious over their sacred realm being violated, and wanted justice. While the app users had convinced them to spare Professor Willow's life, the same couldn't be said for his accomplices. Over the next few weeks, any of Willow's followers that weren't already in custody? Were tracked down and killed in brutal and painful manners by the Egyptians gods and their servants.
By the time it was over, the organization was in shambles. Between the deaths, the ones apprehended, and those who choose to leave - POKEGO had lost about half of its members. There were much talk of shutting down the organization altogether. But Professor Oak refused, believing that while many members of POKEGO had lost their way, the organization could still give great contributions to humanity. So after striking a deal with Zodiac and the Black Order to send those Willow and the surviving accomplices to Florida for a long term sentence of community service, POKEGO began to rebuild itself once more. This time, with a mission that looked only towards the future.
A member of the Psychology division. Half-japanese and half-british, Sorey is regarded to have a good temperament and work ethic, making it easy to work with. He was assigned to Kaisou to help with relations in the city.
Part of the archaeology division, with a focus on religious sites. Mikleo has an unusual condition that renders him invisible to most people. He also requires a partner to serve as a vessel to help him avoid corruption. After his last partner got involved in Professor Willow's plot, he's grown to distrust POKEGO. Thus he was assigned to Kaisou because there wasn't much else they could do for him.
A recent graduate of the POKEPUPs program. While he's a genius in computer science, he has the social skills of a feral kitten. Currently researching in Kaisou.
A genius researcher who specializes in linguistics, which is really ironic considering his communication skills are somehow worse than Yuuki's. While his official name is Dracaena, almost no one calls him that and refers usually to the moniker of "Cactus" due to his winning personality. Currently researching in Kaisou and working at the university
A friendly and easy-to-get along with fellow, Josuke was another person who went through the POKEPUPs program. He hopes to go to medical school one day and is currently helping out where he can with POKEGO and rebuilding it's reputation in Kaisou.