A theory about Pokémon Rejuvenation: Part 3

[Hycrox]

I’ll say beforehand that this is the final part of the Rejuvenation theory trilogy. Part 1 and Part 2 are right here. This is where I mean to answer all questions, once and for all.

 

So, last time I ended my post on the hypothesis that Rejuvenation’s world is an illusion masking the real world, our real world. I’ll start this by outright rejecting that hypothesis.

 

I’m doing so based on two arguments: one based on facts, and one based on logic, therefore arriving at a thesis based on facts and logic. Let’s start with the facts:

 

So, let’s assume the hypothesis I’m trying to disprove is actually true. Well, what’s the player character known as? The Interceptor. Which would mean he’s exterior to the illusion, based on the previous parts of this theory. That would make Rejuvenation a standard Isekai. For those of you who don’t know, “Isekai” means different world, and is known as a subgenre of animes, manga, light novels… in sum, weeb shit. The typical trope of this genre is the main character being transported to another world. This would definitely be interesting, as in Rejuv’s case, Melia could arguably be held as the main character. I do believe Rejuvenation is an Isekai, but not like this.

 

Rejuvenation is presumably set in more advanced times than ours. But at different points in the plotline, the player character travels back in time in this game. That makes it a bit tricky to determine which time is our time. Even the earliest instance of time we see ourselves in seems to be ahead of our time, or at least on par with it, given we visit Rejuvenation Corp, an extremely technologically advanced facility, at that point. Within the world of Rejuvenation, there isn’t any possible explanation for the various phenomena the player comes across other than these two: supernatural powers, those I believe are purely illusory; and simple modern science, made possible by the technological achievements of the time. Teleporters, weather altering technology, you name it! There’s nothing in our world that can even come close to that.

 

Now, let’s go onto the logic: What sense would it make for a deity to create a reality like this, with rules and morals akin to our world’s, but scientifically more advanced and with a whole lot of supernatural occurrences? Not to mention Pokémon, of course. Is it some sort of test for the player, and possibly even other characters in Rejuvenation? It would seem so, but, not only would it be counter-intuitive for the most part, considering the actions of those that can be held as proxies, but it also seems pointless. What would the test even be meant for? For the player character, and arguably every main character, most of the circumstances surrounding the big events they go through are out of their control. More often than not, winning a battle doesn’t make a difference in the outcome of the respective story event. Alternatively, it could just be for the entertainment of the deity. I do believe that’s partially the case, but if that were the only reason, I believe some of the features in the game, and actions of the players, would kind of hamper that. Talking about grinding and chain breeding of course.

 

But, since we’re close to the end, let’s go over what we’ve ascertained to be true about the reality beneath Rejuvenation:

• Within it, all manner of fantastic phenomena is not only possible, but common, in one way or another.
• It’s plausible for the references in Rejuvenation to be commonly understood.
• It would be a reality that the deity that created the illusion would have to change, for their personal interest.

 

Going over these points, and over the theory as a whole, I can safely say there’s only one possibility here:

Spoiler

Pokémon Rejuvenation happens in the world of Shrek.

 

Think about it: the Shrek references prevail over all others, even being integrated in the characters’ psyche. Regarding all other references: they’re our pop culture’s references, and knowing the Shrek movies, all of them had plenty of pop culture references for the sake of humour. Regarding the supernatural phenomena, all manner of magic is not only possible, but common, in the world of Shrek. Naturally, many kinds of beings exist in this world, beings that could be masked as Pokémon. The more scientific and grounded phenomena, well they can be reproduced by magic too. Like the teleporters: there are plenty of different teleporting spells that may have been created. In a way, some of the magic in Shrek can be held as science.

 

Now, here’s the big question? Who, or what would create this sort of illusion in the Shrek world? Well, I’d say, none other than the Fairy Godmother. This explains the grandiose aspect of Rejuvenation’s plotline, the focus on Melia (who resembles the idealized vision of Prince Charming, as established in the previous part of this theory), and the several attempts to stop the player character, presumed to be Shrek. Naturally, the player character is saved plenty of times by forces out of their control. I attribute this to the Fairy Godmother slightly changing her intentions. Now, instead of setting out to outright destroy Shrek, her plan is to test him, to see if he’s truly worthy of a fairy tale. Of course, some tragedies must stand in his way, for it to be a good tale. What the Fairy Godmother wants now is to orchestrate the grandest fairy tale ever.

 

But how would this fall into the Shrek Cinematic Universe? In Shrek 2, the Fairy Godmother was defeated, and destroyed, right? Well yes, but Shrek 4 changed that. In Shrek Forever After, Shrek is tricked by Rumplestiltskin, and that results in the Shrek Universe being reset to a point before the events of Shrek 1. In this universe, Fiona is set to marry Rumplestiltskin, instead of Lord Farquaad. Donkey doesn’t even know who Shrek is, and Puss in Boots is… really fat. Of course, everything turns back to normal before the end of the movie… or did it?

 

The universe being reset would mean the Fairy Godmother would be back, and still have a great deal of power. As she saw the universe turning back to normal, it’s possible that she managed to save herself. So, seeing how Shrek’s tale ended, she still couldn’t bear the thought of such a fairy tale. So, she made a wager: she would overwrite the reality of Shrek, as one colossal and extremely complicated test. She didn’t outright make it impossible for Shrek because, well, she didn’t have quite enough power. The use of such power even caused her to be split into the proxies… just like it happened to the deity in Nymiera’s story. Crescent, Freya and Amanda are the active ones, who can affect the player’s progress, but hold no memory of the reality they originated from. They’re effectively the three fragments of the deity in Nymiera’s story, and therefore their fates will mirror the three fragments’. And Jan? Well, he’s the original Fairy Godmother, depleted of her power, but still with some power over the world: administrative power! As you remember, the Fairy Godmother is actually a massive figure In Far Far Away, and also has her own very successful business. Meanwhile, Jan is a big figure in Grand Dream City still, mostly lead the restoration of Gearen City, and runs the Aevium League.

 

But, how would the deity fit into all of this? Well it’s how the Fairy Godmother sees herself. This affirmation derives from the fact that the only possibilities being this, and the deity being only a reference to Monotheistic religions, Christianity standing out due to the references to the story of Adam and Eve, and the Children of Light being heralded as children of Arceus, so children of God. I ascertained that it’s the former, and in order to reach this conclusion, I had a small interview with one of the Rejuvenation devs, who confirmed my hypothesis:

Spoiler

 

So, in conclusion, Pokémon Rejuvenation is a fan project, therefore non-canonical, that bases itself in the Shrek franchise. In Rejuvenation, Shrek is transported to another reality, and his friends and acquaintances are split into several people. This reality is entirely fictional, and a creation of the Fairy Godmother.

Well I still have to correct one thing about that definition:

Spoiler

Rejuvenation isn’t a fan project.

 

Wait, what? What does this mean? Rejuvenation is, by all means, a Pokémon fangame. Well yes, but that doesn’t mean it’s a Shrek fangame.

 

What do I mean by this? Well, let’s take a look at the first Rejuvenation side episode: Where Love Lies. Where Love Lies is a 4 chapter story that tells the tale of how Keta met Taelia, how they got

together, and the tragedy they were afflicted with. This side episode is, in its entirety, a reference to all 4 movies of Shrek. However, they’re not referenced in order. I believe this was made so it’d throw the typical player off, but fortunately, I’m not the typical player.

 

So in the first chapter, we see Keta, then Kenneth, departing from his home in Four Island, and arriving at Gearen City, which is being rebuilt at the time. He went there to try and help with the restoration of Aevium, but was disappointed when he found out all he was doing was construction working for some greedy real estate owner. Also, he was treated poorly by common people for being the new guy in town. This is a reference to how Shrek left the swamp to travel to Far Far Away in Shrek 2. The second chapter of this tale tells how Kenneth met, repeatedly rescued, and fell in love with Taelia, who had a dark secret she couldn’t let anyone see. This is, of course, directly referencing Shrek 1. Then, chapter 3. It starts in a great place. Kenneth and Taelia live a happy life, being the rulers of Sheridan, but a threat lurks in the background, just like Shrek 3. Unfortunately, this chapter does not have a happy ending. Finally, Chapter 4, as Kenneth sees himself in a new world, tormented by visions of Taelia and their daughter, Nora. To try and fix that, he’s got to go back home and confront his estranged brother, Deagan. Much like Shrek in Shrek Forever After, Kenneth sees himself in a new world where he’s alone, and strives to turn things back to normal.

 

In sum, Where Love Lies is a big reference to all Shrek movies so far. I believe that itself isn’t only proving that Pokémon Rejuvenation is set in the Shrek Cinematic Universe, but it’s proof of something much bigger.

 

Regarding Shrek movies, everyone who likes Shrek should still be waiting for Shrek 5. Rightfully, because in 2016, Dreamworks announced that Shrek 5 would happen, and it’d be released in either this very year, 2019, or 2020. Not much is known about this movie, but its screenwriter, Michael McCullers, said Shrek 5 will reinvent the franchise. While I loved the first two Shrek movies, I was still very curious about this. But well, recently I played Pokémon Rejuvenation. And, by reading the entirety of this theory, you’ll see how strong I found the connection between Rejuvenation and Shrek really is. That’s when it hit me:

Spoiler

Pokémon Rejuvenation is Shrek 5.

 

Yes, it’s an incredibly bold claim, but as you’ve all seen, I have my reasons to believe it. I say, it’s an extremely fitting end for the series. The first Shrek was about Shrek, an ogre living alone, keeping everyone else at bay, learning that he’s not only capable of loving others, but he’s also worthy of being loved. Shrek 2 is about Shrek learning how to fit in society, but not giving up who he is, and society learning how to accept Shrek. Shrek 3 is about Shrek having a hard time coping with his newfound responsibilities. Shrek Forever After is where Shrek gets tired of the family life he went through so much to get, and learns not to take for granted when he suddenly loses it. But what is Shrek 5 about?

Shrek 5 is about identity.

 

In Rejuvenation, the player character is known as the Interceptor, being the chaotic variable that ultimately determines what happens with their actions. But who is the Interceptor? Their mother was actually a doll, their father isn’t even mentioned, the identity of the Interceptor is a complete mystery. As we know that Shrek is the Interceptor, it can be affirmed Shrek’s lost his identity, and he has to go a long way to recover it. Shrek 5 is about Shrek’s quest through a completely unfamiliar world, to take back his identity and turn the world back to normal. It’s an immense project, met with many hardships, but many friends, all part of people/donkeys/etc Shrek once knew. Some may even be his friends only in this reality. And naturally, it’s filled with its heavy moments, its epic moments, and of course, its funny moments.

 

Well… that’s it! Hope you liked this theory. Just, one more thing before I go...

Spoiler

Well, most of Rejuv- I mean, Shrek 5’s humour is based on references, but there is a pretty interesting one I found featuring Angie…

 

[Ojama Yellow]

so shrek 5 wasnt held in area 51 after all

 

interesting

[Paperblade]

Is this what enlightenment is like?