Pokemon's Canonical History 3/3 - Contemporary History

All information is taken from in-game lore within the canonical games, therefore is the best understanding we have of the actual history of the Pokémon universe without speculation or fan-theory. Footnotes and references below.

Part 1: The Origin Story                     <---->                      Part 2: The Ancient History

 Seven Hundred Years before the events of Pokémon, Humans from the town of Ecruteak constructed two towers to strengthen the bond between Humans and Pokémon. The towers became the the roosts of two Legendary Pokémon. Ho-Oh, who brings good fortune and is capable of resurrecting Pokémon, perched atop Bell Tower. Lugia, guardian of the seas and is capable of creating month long storms perched atop Brass Tower.

Five Hundred years before the events of Pokémon, Cianwood City Pharmacy was established and remains the oldest known business in the Pokémon world. Four hundred years before the events of Pokémon, the town of Azalea had a long drought. When the Slowpokes showed up, they all yawned and cause it to rain in the town. Slowpokes were revered in the town ever since. Three Hundred years before the events of Pokémon, war struck the Kalos region once again, this time between Humans. The king of Kalos constructed Parfum Palace.

One hundred and fifty years before the events of Pokémon, a storm stuck Ecruteak and a lightning bolt hit Brass Tower, setting it on fire. Lugia and Ho-Oh then fled the towers, but not before Ho-Oh resurrected three Pokémon that perished in the fire. Each of the Pokémon resurrected took a different form representing the disaster, Raiku was born with powers of electricity, representing the lightning strike. Entai was born with powers of fire, representing the flames that killed the Pokémon. Suicune was born with powers of water, representing the rain the doused the fire. The three legendary beasts then roamed free, and it is said they cannot be caught by traditional methods.

Between forty and twenty years before the events of Pokémon, a meteor hits the Pokémon world, and in the crater, Lunatone is first discovered. Also, Mr Fuji founds the Pokémon Laboratory on Cinnabar Island. Also, Humans first land on the moon. [1]

Eleven years before the events of Pokémon, Red is born. Also, the last Litlenoid meteor shower occurs, marking the potential for another meteor to hit soon and wake the primal giants, Kyogre and Groundon, as foretold would happen one-thousand years previous.

Between ten and one year before the events of Pokémon, the first ever genetically engineered Pokémon is created, known as Porygon. Also, Sylph Co., a gadget an technology company, and the leading company who makes Pokéballs, begins development on the Master Ball, a device said to be able to catch all Pokémon without fail. Lastly, A Pokémon named Mew is apparently discovered in the jungle region of Guyana. Mewtwo is created as an attempt at cloning Mew, but is too powerful and intelligent for any of the scientists to contain. Mewtwo escapes the lab it was created and finds itself in the Pokémon Mansion. It destroys Pokémon Mansion and flees, ending up in Cerulean Cave, a place where Humans rarely dare enter due to the powerful Pokémon inside.

The events of Pokémon begin with Fire Red, Leaf Green, Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby. [2]

Footnotes

1. This is mentioned by only one NPC in Pewter Museum and there is a fair amount of fan-theory around this. I have kept it in as cannon because Humans certainly seem to have the technology capable of a moon landing, space shuttles can be seen in the games, and as that character still says the same thing in the remake version, making him canon until proven otherwise.
2. It is worth noting that this part of history has significantly less information - there are a few reasons for this. Firstly, Game Freak want to release as little information as possible to keep it cryptic and keep leaking pieces of lore as they go. Secondly that some of the histories have had time to be embellished, as little is known about the Pokemon world, much of it could be myth, thus this contemporary time where history is recorded, less can be embellished. If anything, this raises more questions about the position of humans in the Pokemon world.

References

• Largely from in-game text in the Pokémon games: Fire Red, Soul Silver, Alpha Sapphire, Platinum, Black, Black 2, and X. Everything from the main story dialogue, to Poke-Centre Library texts, to the Old Man NPC in the Pewter Museum.
• Www.Serebii.net – where I got all of my information from Pokémon flavour texts:
  • Mammoswine, Porygon, Deoxys, Shaymin, Mew, Darkrai, Arceus, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Xerneas, Yvettle, Yamask, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Kyogre, Groundon, Azelf, Mesprit, Uxie, Rayquaza, Lunatone, Regigigas, Regiice, Registeel, Regirock, Cradilly, Armaldo, Cranidos, Shieldon, Tyrantrum, Aurous, Latios, Latias, Ominite, Omistar, Kabuto, Kabutops, Relicanth, Archen, Tirtuga, Archeops, Caracosta, Aerodactyl, Hetran and Mewtwo.
• http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/History_of_Pok%C3%A9mon – How I created the outline for the origin story and history, though it contains a lot of gaps and misinformation, so read with a pinch of salt.
• http://pokemon.wikia.com/wiki/Sinnoh_Mythology – References to the Sinnoh Myth and origin story text from in game.
• http://archive.is/D9iPz – A tweet that states the official timeline of the Pokémon games for reference and canon of the historical events.
• http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Canon – for the understanding of which games are canon.