The International Pokémon League is a collection of major Pokémon Leagues from across the globe, and the government of the Pokémon World. It is headed by the International Champion, a role which is contested for every four years during the Pokémon World Championships. The International Pokémon League was formed nearly three hundred years ago,and has remained the dominant global power since its inception. It consists of six continental Pokémon Leagues, over one hundred regional Pokémon leagues and thirty independent Leagues. While its leader is chosen via battle every four years, other roles in the International League are much more traditional in their selection. The current International Champion is Ash Ketchum.
The Pallet Alliance[]
Formation[]
The roots of the International League began in 1579 A.P.W (After Pokémon Wars), when the five regions of Metone, Unova, Kanto, Dictioy and Sinnoh formed a militaristic and economic alliance. During this time, immigration between these five areas were strongly encouraged, with Metone experiencing unprecedented bursts of economic and population growth. This treaty was refer to as the 'Pallet Alliance', as it was signed on Pallet Hilltop in Kanto, a location which would later become Pallet Town.
This alliance would remain unchanged for at least thirty years, until 1609 when Kanto would establish dominance over nearby regions of Johto and Hoenn. Instead of establishing a military dominance over these two regions, the Kantonese League instead offer for both Johto and Hoenn to keep their independence, if they signed the Pallet Treaty. Despite discontent from the Johto population from the war and the destruction of the Brass Tower at the hands of the Kantonese army, they entered into the Pallet Alliance.
Following these additions to the alliance, smaller Leagues began to willingly present themselves to the members of the Pallet Treaty, desiring the protection and peace that would come with having more powerful allies. Between 1609 and 1620, membership in the Pallet Alliance swelled from seven independent members to over forty. Around this time, leadership of the alliance would previously be split between the five founding Leagues, but this became increasingly difficult as the Pallet Alliance gained more members.
To deal with this difficulty, it was suggested that the Champions of each member league would participate in a contest, the winner being viewed as the public face of the Pallet Alliance. Early competitions were held before every major political event. When this was deemed too costly to continue, a representative Champion was elected to serve a term of four years. The first Champion of the Pallet Alliance was Edmond Barker of Metone.
Opposition[]
Despite its growing power, the Pallet Alliance faced many problems. Smaller regions were wary of joining the Alliance for fear of becoming subservient to one of the founding members of the Pallet Treaty. This fear was largely dissolved when the position of the Pallet Treaty Champion was formed. As a result, many regions joined the Pallet Alliance in the hopes of claiming this position and with it, power over many Leagues across the world.
The main opposition to the Pallet Alliance came from the Pokémon Leagues of Orre and Forenzis, who viewed the growing power of the Pallet Alliance with alarm. This came to a head in 1701 when the government of Orre declared war on Unova, the most powerful member of the Pallet Alliance. Within a few short weeks, Orre had launched an invasion force upon Unova, killing Pokémon and humans alike. At this time, Cobalion, the legendary Deer of Steel, began to lead the wild Pokémon of Unova in a battle against the invasion forces. With the major part of their armies either killed or captured and the members of the Pallet Alliance mobilising their forces, the Orre government authorised the use of nuclear weapons against Unova.
Prior to the war, the capital city of Unova was a city called Entra, which was located in the centre of the region. Due to its highly defensible position and the rallying of the wild Pokémon by Cobalion, Orre forces had been unable to get within a day's march of the city. On the sixth of the month of Moltres (August), the Orre government launched nuclear missiles which decimated the city and left the surrounding plain barren. Sensing the destruction caused by these weapons, the legendary Wings of Council stepped in. With the aid of Celebi, Shaymin and the Legendary Dogs of Johto, the damage caused by the nuclear missile was surpressed and eventually contained into a single tree, later known as the Entree. The land was purged of lingering radiation and the legendary Pokémon raced to Orre as fast as they could. However, it was too late. Upon learning of the nuclear strike, the governments of Kanto, Sinnoh and Holon launched simultaneous missile strikes. By the time the legendary Pokémon were able to arrive in Orre and contain the radiation, the majority of the region had been destroyed, and the damage irreparable. At this time, the Wings of Council declared that technology which harnessed nuclear power was banned. Any region who failed to uphold this decree would be destroyed by the combined power of the Legendary Pokémon.
Creation of the International League[]
The International Confederate[]
Having now established itself as a powerful military alliance, the Pallet Alliance continued to grow. Learning from the example of Orre, the Forenzis Continental League joined the Pallet Alliance, bringing its membership to three Continental Leagues, 53 Regional Leagues and four independents Leagues. With the addition of Forenzis to its numbers, the Pallet Alliance renamed itself, called itself the International Confederate in 1705. During this time, the International Confederate was led for the first time by a Champion who did not belong to one of the five founding Regions, Jorge Washer, of the Orange Islands Independent League. Over the next thirty years, the International Confederate would continue to gain members.
The International Constitution and Pokémon Agreement[]
For several years leading up to the first International Championship, there were many discussions involving the concept of one global nation. It was only in 1729 that the first draft of an International Constitution was brought forward to the International Legislative Assembly by the Champion of Poligem. From here, the Constitution was discussed for several years until it was declared equal for all parties involved in the Confederate. In 1733, a representative from the Wings of Council was sent to the International Legislative Assembly to present a new section to the Constitution which completely removed humans from deciding the fate of Pokémon. Instead, this duty will remain in the power of the Pokémon themselves, or, in extreme cases, the Wings of Council. Discussion over this amendment to what was a finalised document became even more heated. More militaristic nations who used Pokémon as soldiers argued that the Pokémon Agreement would strip them of much of their power, while economic nations had a similar worry about Pokémon who were involved in the workforce. When the Pokémon Agreement was negoiated and agreed to, four Regional Leagues and nine Independent Leagues broke from the Confederate, not wanting to alter the relations their nation had with its native Pokémon.
The first International Championship[]
In 1735 that the Confederate created and signed the first International Constitution and Bill of Rights, upon paper made from the branches of the Entree in Unova. The Confederate underwent yet another name change and became the organisation known as the International Pokémon League. At this time, the International League had five Continental Leagues, seventy-six Regional Leagues and twelve Independent Leagues under its banner. This year began the tradition of the International Championship, cutting short the reign of the last Confederate Champion, Brock Amir. The first International Championship was held in Orre Colosseum, in memory of the defining battle which had destroyed the majority of the region. Jon Howe of Johto won the first International Championship, and become the first International Champion. At this time, Ho-oh granted his blessing upon the League, conferring a valuable flame to its Champion. The flame of Ho-oh would eventually go on to become the symbol of the International League.
The modern International League[]
By 1801, the International Pokémon League had the majority of the world's Regions under its control. As a result of the centralised system of government, life across the globe would improve for humans and Pokémon alike. In 1802, an unprecedent event occured when the International Champion was defeated in an exhibition match. Feeling that the current system which only allowed for regional Champions to compete in the International Championships was too confining, the qualifying criteria for the International Championships was expanded. Under the new system, Champions of a region were given an automatic place at the World Championships and Trainers who had completed eight Regional Leagues and two Independent Leagues were now eligible to compete in the World Championships. It was from this decision that the idea of a Trainer Journey was formed, and Trainers began journeying the world so that they may eventually be able to compete at an international level. Diplomacy between regions became much friendlier, and soon, long-standing grievances between Regions were forgiven or forgotten.
The Roles and Duties of the International League[]
Since the introduction of the International Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Pokémon Agreement, the International Pokémon League has settled into an administrational role. The League fulfils the following duties:
- Militaristic action against threats to the Pokémon World.
- Liason between the various Pokémon Leagues.
- Enforces the various laws of the International Constitution.
- Development, regulation and control of powerful technology.
- Support of the Pokémon societies.
- Human liason between the Wings of Council and the public.
- Provides emergency support to Regions dealing with national disasters.
- Grants and tracks Trainer Licenses.
Notable International Champions[]
- Jon Howe of Johto: 1st International Champion. Established the Flames of Ho-oh Tradition.
- Samuel Oak of Kanto: 21st International Champion. Willingly retired after his second term and became a renowned Pokémon Professor.
- Eagun Botswana: 22nd International Champion. Founder of Agate Village and researcher into Pokémon Relations with Trainers.
- Cynthia Carolina of Sinnoh: 24th International Champion. Dealt with various Legendary Pokémon emergencies, including the return of Giratina to our Universe.
- Ash Ketchum of Kanto: 25th International Champion and current record keeper for longest consecutive reign at 20 years.. Has won the International Championship five times.
Trivia[]
- While Ash Ketchum has the longest consecutive reign of any International Champion, he has not had the longest reign overall. The 8th and 10th International Champion, Whitney Church, was the International Champion for 28 years.
- Kanto has had more International Champions than any other region, with four out of twenty five Champions coming from Kanto.