ABOUT -- Midocian City

[ZOM]

Despite its modern-day appearance, Midocian City had humble beginnings as little more than a small trading village formed by Denton Village and Marit Bay natives. Midocian offered a new life for pirates hoping to make a wholesome living, and for farmers who yearned for more than tilling and harvesting acres of land just as their parents and grandparents had. Acting as a go-between for Marit and Denton, trade was bustling in Midocian Town, but those who lived there were not the kind to build upwards and outwards. They were happy as small-town merchants peddling their wares.

As Midocian was forming and taking root, Graucan Port was becoming more and more a center of wealth and power in Decona, and the richest inhabitants of Graucan were increasingly searching for new luxuries to spend their money on. Before Lunita Island became such a popular getaway spot for Deconians, the real hub of activity was Graucan Port, but many upper-class residents were displeased with the growing working-class population of Graucan and felt that it was becoming no place for their own ilk. A group of well-to-do families came together to discuss a new project, pooling their vast resources to develop an appropriately luxurious spot in the cooler northern part of Decona. They knew of Midocian Town, and thought that it would be no particular challenge to cultivate it into something bigger, grander.

They spent much of their collective fortunes to first build an elaborate vacation spot on the outskirts of Midocian Town. The water resort, glistening with chrome and silver and sparkling blue water, drew in a great deal of visitors to the small town, which earned the trust of local merchants. Their businesses were booming, after all, so they were glad for these new developments. However, after the initial success of the investment made with the water resort, new developments began springing up, new businesses and residences, each one more gaudy and expensive and luxurious than the last. Old small-town businesses struggled to keep up and fell into debt one by one, until only those who changed to meet demands and sold out to the newcomers were able to stay afloat. Modest small businesses were demolished to make room for new golden skyscrapers, and the streets themselves shone with wealth. Lush green parks were created to allow residents to see nature without all the less pleasant bits, and without ever leaving their city.

The development happened startlingly quick with so much old and new money being poured into it. Technology advanced at an astonishing rate, and great minds came together with a nearly limitless budget to design and erect a high-tech dome around the city which would allow for complete climate control. Soon, Midocian City was the great glistening metropolis of gold that Deconians know today. The trouble with Midocian was that it had sprung up seemingly overnight, rather haphazardly and without any sort of grace or caution. It was luxurious, yes, but there was a dirty downside: the sewage system was built as rather an afterthought with the one goal being to keep that mess out of sight and out of mind. As a result, huge amounts of sewage and muck were being funneled into Umbil Lake from Midocian. Furthermore, no consideration had been given for old residents of Midocian Town, and homelessness escalated as many families and individuals found themselves unable to keep up with the growing costs of living in the city.

To "fix" the homelessness problem, local law enforcement grew increasingly harsh towards homeless individuals, arresting them whenever they were spotted on the streets. In turn, the homeless were chased out of town or underground into the sewers, and so as far as Midocian leadership was concerned the problem was greatly improved. Out of sight, out of mind; but the filth spewing from the sewers into the lake was and is a blemish on the face of the city, visible only to those on the outside.

The city is host to innumerable spas, gourmet restaurants, and high-end boutiques, and the many tall, gleaming skyscrapers house businesses and shops of all kinds. The parks are green and beautiful, and the water resort is enormous and luxurious. Residents are glamorous and well-dressed, and overall the city truly is an amazing sight to behold. Dedicated trainers, however, know of the dark sewer underneath the city; the gym leader of Midocian has made his base there to be sure that as many people as possible will see the corruption that the city is founded on. Poison-type Pokemon like Grimer and Trubbish live in the sewer along with all the displaced homeless individuals of Midocian, so it's a fitting location for a poison-type gym even without the politics involved.

Trade remains good between Midocian City and Denton Village, so the road between the two settlements is well-maintained and frequently traveled. Midocian's relationship with Marit Bay, however, has suffered greatly, as most of Midocian's residents would be scandalized by the thought of even existing near one of the seafaring folk of the Bay, never mind doing business with one.

OTHER TIDBITS:

• Law enforcement in Midocian City is infamously strict and corrupt. They will swoop in to oust or arrest anyone who looks like they may not fit the false-utopic city, under the pretense that the individual is "suspicious," but they will also take bribes and are well aware of just how many homeless are living in the sewer undercity. It is recommended that visitors to the city either do as the Midocians do while in Midocian City, blending in any way that they can and being on their very best behavior, or they make their stay very brief.
• There is a very large Pokemorph population in Midocian, to the point where non-Pokemorphs are usually looked down on as being of a lower class and status. Much of Midocian's population as a whole is very, very classist.