The mention of the Brave Olivine as part of the discussion on Pokémon airships the other day also merited the mention of its characteristic appearance, which is distinct of a particular style: that which is called "steampunk". It's a visual style (as well as genre) that is invoked in some settings of contemporary fiction popular among some circles - some of which I take interest in, other than Pokémon. As for the style and genre alongside Pokémon, that becomes the purpose of this discussion, to determine how it may be considered to be realized here.
Put simply, "steampunk" is a blend of Victorian (19th century) sensibilities and futuristic (forward-thinking) fantasies, incorporating technologies and machines that are recognizably contemporary - to the present time - but powered by retro-mechanical means and certainly, steam energy. Thus, it looks like as if the future came back to the past, or alternatively the past embraced the future, seemingly merging the two in an alternate course of development, which could be considered the case for many things of this style and genre.
As for the airship that prompted this discussion, it's an airship nonetheless, but it has a noticeably gaudy and industrial appearance to it that is less like modern airships. Many parts of it appear very much mechanical, including the Pokémon battlefield on the upper deck that comes together just so when the time comes for it to be used. The airship still runs on conventional mechanisms - perhaps seemingly defying those conventions as well - but the overall implementation looks like something out of the past rather than its present.
If there is anything that symbolizes the steampunk style and genre to a great degree, the Legends sub-series could be considered one, at least for the only currently released game (Arceus) that makes up the series. It's more Oriental than it is Victorian, but the "steampunk" style is at least evident in the ancient Hisui capture balls, which indeed do let out puffs of steam when a successful capture is made in lieu of the modern light. The next game in development might have further answers in addition to those already present.
Even Pokémon species don't seem to want to be left out of the movement. The two that exemplify the movement are Volcanion and Magearna - which also happen to be prominent in a movie or feature film of their own, also with "steampunk" sensibilities... but I'll get to this one later. Volcanion has fire and water running through its veins, creating steam as the key energy of this style, and Magearna is composed of gears as prominent mechanical features of this style. The manifestation of the style and genre thus applies to everyone and everything.
"Steampunk" is conceptually unique for its futurism made present (ahem) in a past time context, as well as the elements that particularly exemplify that style and genre. For Pokémon, semblances of it can be seen in various parts or elements, including the most recent one of that featured airship. Considering how the Pokémon world is mostly aligned with the present world, "steampunk" might be something odd for it, yet it does somehow work as well, and it makes for a world within a world that other fans and I can also appreciate and enjoy.
One year ago: Memories of Unova
Two years ago: Cosplay: CyFest 2022
Three years ago: Creepy Pokémon Flashbacks
Four years ago: Minimum Play with Pokémon Go
Five years ago: Performance Critique: Akatsuki no Matsuri 2 J-Song
Six years ago: A Storybook and a Reference
Seven years ago: A Successor Has Been Named
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