Nexuses are worlds within the frame of the now empty real world which are filled with limitless possibilities. On the outside, they appear as huge (some are even planet-sized) deep black marbles reflecting the starry night sky (even though there are no stars in this universe anymore), but on the inside, you never know what you're going to find. Even the main eight Nexuses still hide many secrets and are largely unexplored, as humans rarely dawdle far from their settlements.
The Space Aether Foundation classifies them into three distinct categories: the Main Grid, the Micro Grid and the Unauthorised Grid.
THE MAIN GRIDThe Main Nexus Grid is comprised of eight Nexuses, listed as numerals #00 through #07. They are the largest populated Nexuses under direct juristdiction of Space Aether Foundation.
#00 - Space Aether Foundation Headquarters & Aether CityThe first Nexus, established soon after the fallout of the universe. There is nothing in this Nexus except for vast skies.
A modern city floats around the Space Aether Foundation Headquarters building in this environment. The space within the Nexus is seemingly limitless, with no end in scanner range in any direction. Some theoretists still claim something else must exist within this Nexus, but no research has yielded any results all the years since its discovery (unknown date) and initial human inhabitation. The sky within the Nexus is constantly sunny, never shifting towards either extreme hot or cold. Weather conditions are stable with no rain nor any possible or projected disturbance. The source of the sun-like formation shining inside of the Nexus is still unknown and unclear, as scanning it has provided no conclusive results nor matches with any known compound whatsoever. It is positioned approximately twice the distance between the old Pokearth and the old Sun, putting its size to gargantuan scales. It never sets so, in order to provide the city's inhabitants with a healthy biological cycle, the Space Aether Foundation has built filters into the barrier around the city which activate accordingly to dwindle the amount of light-exposure during night time.
All other Main Grid and Micro Grid Nexuses orbit around #00.
The actual HQ is a huge building towering at more than 10 km in height. It is suspended in the air. Cadets' office occupies floor B9. The President's chamber is on floor 333333.
The HQ & city mostly houses Aether Employees of all sorts, and has around a 1,000,000 inhabitants.
#01 - Gear CityThe second Nexus, functioning as a massive shipyard where Space Aether Employee Metalworkers work tirelessly day after day to build newer and better Anti-Spaceships capable of penetrating the outer spatial integrity of Nexuses.
A vast city where gravity is artificial, there is nothing in this Nexus except a metallic dome-like-sky and a city built in the shape of a ball. Everything inside it is artifical, save for, obviously, life. The city was not built by Space Aether, instead appearing to literally be the interior of Nexus #01 itself. How or why the Nexus was formed in such a way is unknown. There used to be wild Pokemon in the many pipe-like halls leading deeper into the construct, but all have been safely deposited in the Micro Grid in the year 103. Nexus #01 afterwards took the previous function of Nexus #05 (ship construction) as it was deemed better suited for it. The city itself looks like someone threw a whole lot of metallic buildings together and connected them via pipes, railroads and metal bars. Its power supply seems limitless and emanates from the core that is located in the deepest parts of the city where few dare wander. Attempts have been made to harvest this power but none even reached the core. This has fueled rumors about unknown dangers lurking below.
At night, the sun built into the dome-sky shuts down.
>12,000,000 inhabitants.
#02 - (former) Village of VictorsWhat was formerly a grand Nexus of expansive plains where grass danced with fire itself and where legends were born (according to legends, at least), has been reduced to a mere shell of its former self through the last 20 years, ever since the incident happened. These plains that used to spread across the Nexus have since been replaced by poorly contsructed slums and rows of berry-trees that bear no fruit any longer. Pokemon roam free within this Nexus, as containment and detainment of Pokemon released during the aforementioned incident was impossible to achieve without casualties due to the sheer number of them. Most people living here have flocked to the Nexus after getting fired or some other event that left them broke, so the place has become a sort of human dumpster. And it definitely looks the part. Delinquency is a rule there. Oh, and they also live in fear of Pokemon in this Nexus, though some have started changing opinions. What the future holds for this Nexus is unclear, but life is hard. People here tend to resent Space Aether for leaving them in this state and President Haether is working her very best to correct the mistakes of her predecessor.
The skies shine a bright red.
inhabitants (presumed over 3 million).
#03 - Kartantuan JungleThe third Nexus presumed to only fall short from the title of the largest because of #00's expansive skies and #04's oceanic depths. It is a jungle made from trees and plants much largers than the ones you're used to. Ferns grow as tall as buildings and trees tear the skies. It is an unwelcome environment that humans have avoided for a long time, though some have opted to live their lives in peace there, away from the business of Space Aether, starting self-sufficient small tribal societies which live in treehouses high up on the tallest branches to avoid dangers below. Pokemon roam wild within this Nexus, as containment is impossible, and mostly consist of Flying, Bug and Grass types. The bountiful environment allows them to enjoy life in the jungle.
Over 99% of this Nexus is left unexplored as most expeditions fail. None of the actual tribal settlements have been discovered as of now.
inhabitants.
#04 - The Wailuda Triangle ResortThe majority of Nexus #04 is comprised of untamed, raging oceans. The only inhabitable segment of the Nexus's interior is a small triangle-shaped area around a big island called the Wailsland. Space Aether controls and regulates the weather here, making it stable. Meanwhile, in year 347, it has been remodeled into a popular resort where people from all other Nexuses can come and enjoy the charms of the seaside. There is an aquarium filled with Water-type Pokemon here open for public, though it is under heavy surveillance at all times, but what's really interesting about this Nexus are the unexplored depths. Using highly efficient Anti-Space probes, it has been estimated that the actual depth of this Nexus cannot be estimated in terms of human comprehension. An Alakazam died after being exposed to the computed results in an attempt by the Foundation to decipher them, after which further testing was prohibited.
Magikarp have been imported and can be fished in the waters here. The locals make a living out of it.
The Magikarp are chipped and, upon evolution, removed and brought into a containment preserve.
113 inhabitants.
#05 - Storage Site 00The grim building in front of the constantly black skies used to be the Main Grid's main shipyard until it got scratched over 500 years ago and remade into a dump. Nobody goes there anymore except for janitors and there's not much to see anyways. Just a building full of trash. Oh, and Pokemon that have escaped during the incident 20 years ago. Exactly for this reason has it been ruled that janitors be given permission to carry their own Pokemon on them, a notion largely accepted by the majority of them as most of them were trying for the Cadet position at the Aether Academy anyways but failed.
0 inhabitans.
#06 - Space Aether Agricultural Lab FacilityWhere berries are grown. Large farmlands adorn the horizon, dotted with white buildings - laboratories, and rows and rows of GMO berry trees. This is mostly a workplace for most of the people, nobody actually lives there and it isn't interesting at all. This used to be a butcherhouse for when Pokemon meat was still used as food, but not anymore as only synthesized meat is allowed to be used nowadays.
0 inabitants.
#07 - Las SpaceadiseA high-tech flashy city of casinos and all things neon. It is the playground of the privileged and only the rich can afford to live here. Most of its income comes from gambling facilities and fraud, and most of the people living here are con artists of some sort. Nothing seems to exist outside of city limits (only impenetrable and impassable darkness), but everything can exist within them. It is the place where desires come to fruition. Space Aether keeps out of its affairs because of the vast riches #07 has on its disposal. Pokemon Professor Banana lives here.
576,389 inhabitants.
#08 - The Crystal Forest
The newly discovered Nexus where the party fought their first battle against a Nexus Core. A place that appeared out of nowhere, where none aged nor felt hunger or fatigue, yet were at the same time being dragged into a painless crystalline slumber, their bodies petrifying. As such, the prevalent ‘organisms’ in this world were crystalline trees. The cycle of Life and Death was disturbed in this world, but had been calmed with the defeat of the Nexus Core and brought into balance again. As such, life is slowly resuming and the crystals are retreating, giving back that which they’ve taken.
This is also the Nexus where the party met Zeta, a mysterious young girl that helped lead them to the Core. She is knowledgeable about the folklore of old and spoke of a Tree of Life at the center of the world, having been told that by her father. However, who her father is is unknown yet.
An active effort has begun to populate #08 as well, and you should be expecting developments soon.
It takes around 30 minutes from one Nexus to another using the high speed Anti-Space Bus.
People constantly travel to their workplaces in another Nexus or Micro Nexus, so travelling between Nexuses has become an everyday phenomenon nobody really even talks about anymore except when complaining about ticket prices.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE MICRO GRIDThe Micro Grid refers to all authorised Nexuses that fall out of the Main Grid categorization because of their smallness. These include Pokemon containment preserves, academies and stuff like prisons and mental hospitals.
***SPACE AETHER ACADEMY***The Space Aether Academy is the leading facility for training new Space Aether Employees and its own Micro Nexus. Actually there are two of these, one for people with more money and the other one for people with less money. Of course, everything is better in the richer Academy, but the less expensive one is a good alternative for the less fortunate people. After all, the 2nd Academy has been built specifically to house those that could not pay the tuition for the more expesnive courses offered.
Everyone has to pass one of the courses offered at the Academy, as everyone works for Space Aether.
-> The Cadet CourseThe most popular course taken in the Space Aether Academy, but also the most expensive one and the one with the highest fail rate.
Children can start the course at the ripe young age of 7, and finish it in 4 years minimum. Generally though, people apply when they're 11 and fail at least twice before completing the course at the age of 17.
The course does not accept anyone older than 21 and if you fail and you're older than 25, you cannot retake the year or the course. Applicants that fail, cannot afford the tuition, or are too old, become Space Aether Janitors. This happens to 75% of all the applicants. Yes, 75%.
At the end of the course, whether you went to the 1st or the 2nd Academy, you need to take the official Space Aether Employee Cadet Exam held at the HQ which consists of a written exam and, allegedly, a practical exam. Allegedly because you've only been put through the written exam and have already been given your IDs.
Who knows what kinda stuff is waiting for you or if the practical exam even exists.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE UNAUTHORISED GRIDThe Unauthorised Grid refers to all Nexuses that have not been approved by Space Aether. Any new Nexus that appears is first branded as such before explored by Cadets and populated or given a purpose. Through history, mostly small ones have been popping up, but lately, their mean size has begun to grow. This is cause for concern, as larger Nexuses tend to hide many mysteries.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE INCIDENT
The incident that took place 20 years ago resulted in several containment and preservation facilities in the Micro Grid colliding with several Nexuses from the Main Grid (mainly #00 and #05), in an attempt made by a group calling themselves the Space Pokelluminati to reintroduce Pokemon and people while subsequently undermine Space Aether. The traces of the rebellion led the Space Aether Employee Detectives to Nexus #02 and caused its downfall.
Space Pokelluminati have not been heard of ever since.
...
THE LAST/LONE STARThe Last Star is the last remaining astral body in the universe of Pokemon in Space. It is the brightest recorded star in history so far.
Ever since the Great Comsostrophe, humans (and Pokemon) have had an innate yearning towards the Star. It is unknown what causes this phenomenon.
Space Aether is currently attempting to send probes to reach the Star, but are getting no results.
It is general folklore that the Last Star holds the answer to everyone's prayers and has the power to change everything to how it used to be.
...
ANTI-SPACEAnti-Space is a physical state in which nothing exists, not even Anti-Space itself. The only reason people can survive in the universe of Pokemon in Space is because of the Nexuses. Even Anti-Spaceships are infused with the same kind of energy as the Nexuses in order to prevent them from falling out of existence. This makes interstellar travel much more difficult and prevents the humanity from launching real expeditions towards the Last Star.
...