Meh, the whole "RSE Hoenn being in another timeline" thing still bothers me, but I think its because of how it was implemented rather it being a thing. The concept of alternate timelines isn't a new thing, Gen V I think handled it very well by having parallel stories and then have some vague mention that in another time and place the events could have unfolded a different yet similar way. In addition we have NPCs who make brief mention of a parallel dimension like the guy in Opelucid City who wanted to see a Blitzle from the other version or the people in White Forest/Black City saying they came from/want to go to the other version of that place. Pretty much it felt like while playing the game there's also another parallel story playing out in a parallel dimension and it was done in a way that made it feel their was some mysticism behind it.
But what they did in ORAS made me feel like I was reading a fanfiction. First off, the time-traveling reward I have no problem with. Actually I quite like it since its rewarding those players who been playing all thee years and been transferring their beloved Pokemon up through the generations with them. However that's something that's not really part of the game's story or lore, just a bonus for those who played the original RSE. Where it becomes fanfic-y is that it was never hinted at any point in the main game story that this was a parallel dimension to RSE Hoenn. Throughout play ORAS I felt like I was just playing an updated version of Hoenn. Retcons happen ALL the time in Pokemon, especially when new games come out. But then comes the Delta Episode where Zinnia just blurts out that RSE Hoenn exists in a parallel dimension and if we teleport the meteor it'll appear there and destroy it. What?! And honestly before she said that I was kind of with her. Before she said it it sounded like she was saying that if we teleport the meteor, even though we save ourselves, we could possibly doom another planet and its people. Now if she stopped right there it would have created an interesting dilemma. If we don't destroy the meteor here and now it could travel to another world and possibly doom it, meaning in the far future we may never come in contact with this alien world who probably have a whole planet of alien Pokemon. BUT THEN Zinnia says the world she's talking about is RSE Hoenn in an alternate dimension and I stopped caring.
Why? Well first off Zinnia how do you know this alternate Hoenn exists? Where's your proof? She says she knows it exists and that's the end of that. Second, if we accept there's an alternate Hoenn, who cares? I know, I sound like a heartless jerk, but in terms of future storylines, what does it matter that the Hoenn in the non-Mega Evolution/Kalos War/Infinite Energy timeline exist if we're never going back to that timeline? I'm saving a thing in an alternate which, whether it survives or not, doesn't really effect me. They're depending on the player's own nostalgia instead of the in-game character's thoughts and feelings to make us feel we shouldn't teleport the meteor away. Third, bringing up alternate dimensions is always a can of worms as if you're going to bring one parallel dimension you got to bring ALL of them in, you can't cherry pick the one you want to exist. For every decision there's new parallel universes that come into creation for every option. So guess what, even though if our story Zinnia stopped us from teleporting the meteor away, in another parallel ORAS she failed and we teleported the universe away. And in the end, what did it matter? Answer is nothing, because according to Zinnia it was teleported to another dimension thus anything it does in the alternate dimension won't effect us. Fourth and finally, that alternate Hoenn that Zinnia is worried about is the same timeline as the Mystery Dungeon series where in that game RAYQAUZA HAS NO PROBLEM DESTROYING A METEOR WITH A HYPER BEAM! Honestly it sounds like Mega Evolution was a bad thing for this timeline as it looked to have weakened the Pokemon species. Rayquaza now needs to Mega Evolve to destroy a meteor which previously it could destroy with a Hyper Beam and Kyogre & Groudon now need to Primal Devolve to cause the end of the world even though in the original games the just being awake was more then enough to do that.
And to top it all off Zinnia is treated like a Mary Sue character. She can do no wrong and is right about everything, no questions asked. Of course the writers must have realized this so slapped on some baggage onto her with the whole Aster thing and being unworthy of Mega Evolving Rayquaza. Now had Zinnia acted like she was being urgent and been straight forward about things I probably wouldn't feel spite toward her. Like if she just told the player and Steven straight-up that teleporting the meteor would destroy an alternate timeline Hoenn and then said she has an alternate solution that would be fine. But NOPE. Instead she mocks and taunts everyone, destroys what they think is their one and only hope to destroy the meteor, and THEN says she has an alternate solution (after giving everyone no choice). Speaking of Steven, I have no idea why Zinnia treats him with such disrespect. HE'S THE LEAGUE CHAMPION! He's someone you want on your side! But nope, how DARE he tries to save the whole planet by teleporting the meteor away not realizing it'll go to an alternate Hoenn! He should be treated like a fool and not be told how they could save both Hoenns until the very last moment!... B!#$%, we don't have time for that! A meteor is coming to destroy EVERYTHING we know, so the sooner you could have told us your solution the more likely we would have listened and done it without you giving us no choice. And it's not like you wouldn't have been able to talk to Steven, you're not only a Draconian but the Lorekeeper of the Draconains! Being the Draconians have a close relationship with the Sootapolitans you could have told Wallace who's known to be a good friend of Steven and he could have vouched for you. But no, instead let's do things that'll put tens if not hundreds of thousands of lives at risk. Remember it was Zinnia who told Archie/Maxie about how to awaken Groudon/Kyogre who would have ended the world if we didn't stop it. Actually, now thinking about it, BOTH of Zinnia's plans to summon Rayquaza would have ended the world if things didn't go right which the wouldn't if it wasn't for the player who she DIDN'T plan for. Rayquaza was too weak to stop Primal Kyogre/Groudon and Mega Evolve, so if it wasn't for the player and some luck the world would have ended on numerous occasions because of Zinnia! And throughout the whole thing she acted like a smug child. What a horrible character.
You pretty much summed my points on the fanfiction and Mary sue elements of Delta Episode, but I beg to differ Aster wasn't a balancing element, it was a flat out sympathetic tool that turned a black hole pass the torch Sue into a snowflake Sue as she is sooooo unique while keeping that mysterious trait that makes every grunt and their aunts refer to it.
And here I spend 10 years thinking Cynthia was a Sue, she got dethroned so hard I might even like her one bit just by the sheer hate I got on Zinnia, I swear to god, if any other character did a small slip on it, or they referenced small stuff I could have taken it better, but now I have to deal with the Sue says it syndrome.
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