Time Capsule

[Silktree]

The following topic is a very good example for how the various media, namely the anime and manga, neglect many aspects of the Pokémon games that deserve to be expanded upon.

In Gold/Silver/Crystal exists the Time Capsule Machine, a tool developed by Bill that essentially allows trading between these games and their older counterparts, Red/Green/Blue/Yellow. The backwards compatibility was such that "tricked" the older games into thinking that the trading procedure was as normal.
Trading, in general, pertains to the gameplay and has little to do with the storyline. In fact, it is illogical for both players to be in the trade room when they are located in different cities, let alone different regions or timelines. The Pokémon games have two aspects--the gameplay and storyline. For the most part, the gameplay and storyline are blended together without interference. Yet, there are some sections in the game which pertain solely to gameplay, and the trade room happens to fall under this category. I would say that once the player enters the trade room, the storyline is temporarily put "on hold". Having said that, any mention of trading during the course of the game does indeed have impact on the storyline. The best example for this is the in-game trainers who offer to trade their Pokémon. It is for this reason that the Time Capsule Machine in Gold/Silver/Crystal does pertain to the storyline--Bill's presence in the game revolves around the machine, and it is even used as the background for Eevee's appearance. The true question is what impact the machine has on the storyline, rather than the gameplay: How did the machine cause Eevee to magically appear? Sadly, this was completely ignored by both the anime and manga.

The following is Bill's dialogue when met at the Ecruteak Pokémon Center:

Hi, I'm Bill. And who are you? Hmm, [PLAYER], huh? You've come at the right time. I just finished adjustments on my TIME CAPSULE. You know that POKéMON can be traded, right? My TIME CAPSULE was developed to enable trades with past. But you can't send anything that didn't exist in the past. If you did, the PC in the past would have a breakdown. So you have to remove anything that wasn't around in the past. Put simply, no sending new moves or new POKéMON in the TIME CAPSULE. Don't you worry. I'm done with the adjustments. Tomorrow, TIME CAPSULES will be running at all POKéMON CENTERS.

This is a clear reference to the gameplay. In other words, it is only meant to serve the player, rather than the main character (Gold or Kris, in this case). In the Pokémon world, there is no such term as "new Pokémon" or "new moves"--FireRed/LeafGreen reflect this by including the various new Pokémon and moves that have been introduced since the time of Red/Green/Blue/Yellow. If this were the only reference to the Time Capsule, I would not find it to have any significance to the storyline. However, the following dialogue with Bill when met at his house in Goldenrod City, suggests that there is more than meets the eye:

Hi, [PLAYER]! Do us a favor and take this EEVEE. It came over when I was adjusting the TIME CAPSULE. Someone has to take care of it, but I don't like being outside. Can I count on you to play with it, [PLAYER]?

This can either be interpreted as a coincidence that Bill found Eevee while adjusting the Time Capsule, or as a sign that the Time Capsule has some influence on the storyline. That is to say, Eevee came from the past right as Bill was nearly finished with his work on the Time Capsule.

On a related note, the backwards compatibility which Diamond/Pearl will include is not the kind to which one is accustomed from Gold/Silver/Crystal--the GBA games will take a passive part in the trading process. Judging from the wording in the interview with Gamefreak's representatives, I am under the impression that rather than trading Pokémon, the Pokémon will simply be transferred from the GBA games to Diamond/Pearl. The best way to illustrate my point is to offer an accurate translation of this part in the interview:

Question: Will you be able to take your Pokémon from the GBA and Gamecube with you?
Answer: -Of course!
-It will be compatible with all existing generation games (minus the GSC prior era, of course). However, it would be rather boring if you could just link your Pokémon directly to these games, so we've added in some new original elements to make it more interesting. Keep posted for information!
-Ideally, we'd like to incorporate the gameplay so that you'd somehow meet up with your prior team during the adventure, but we'll see what happens.

This eliminates the need in any complicated solution that would enable backwards compatibility as we currently know it. This kind of backwards compatibility will be aimed at one player, rather than two, wishing to use the Pokémon from his older games in the newer ones. After all, the trading will be handled in one Nintendo DS system.
It was made clear that this special feature will somehow revolve around the storyline. Will this include the Time Capsule? If it does, it may be the Time Capsule in name, but in practical terms many things will have to be changed. In the same way that it was revealed in this generation that Lanette co-developed the Pokémon Storage System, I expect to find out in the next generation that Lanette was also just as much involved in the Time Capsule project as Bill.

I have a firm idea in mind as to how the subject of backwards compatibility will be tackled in the next generation games, in such a way that will hopefully shed light on the storyline aspects. The mere existence of the Time Capsule in Gold/Silver/Crystal did not explain Eevee's mysterious presence; future games should provide an alternative explanation for the function of the Time Capsule. Before I offer my speculation, I would like to see how others view the topic at hand.

 

[Kioku]

I'd say Gamefreak just needed to come up with some reason of how to trade, so they figured a time machine would do it. *Dodges oncoming tomatoes thrown at.*

 

[Silktree]

At current time, there is nothing I can use as solid evidence to prove you wrong. But with all due respect, I did show that the game creators seem to have tried to send off the impression that there was more behind the Time Capsule. Considering their announcement regarding backwards compatibility in Diamond/Pearl, it is safe to say that future games are to take a different approach, incorporating the storyline. Granted, they may decide to drop the concept of a Time Capsule altogether, but judging by the way they upgraded Red/Green to the standards of the third generation, I believe that the original concept will be retained (significantly altered, of course).

If you wish to disagree, please show respect by adding more depth and merit to your claims.

 

[deja0entendu]

guess you didn't dodge the tomatoes as well as you thought you would haha

I'd say what Kioku said speaks for itself. It sounds reasonable.
Many fans would've been mad if they couldn't take their old teams with them, so they probably made so that it could trade. But it you were able to trade back "new" Pokemon the game would probably crash, so they restricted that. But they needed a story with it...
a time machine, obviously 3 years had passed so that would be logical.
and you can't send back Pokemon because the machine would get fried.

I highly doubt the Time Machine would have anything to do with Eevee making an appearence.
It said

Hi, [PLAYER]! Do us a favor and take this EEVEE. It came over when I was adjusting the TIME CAPSULE. Someone has to take care of it, but I don't like being outside. Can I count on you to play with it, [PLAYER]?

it came over to Bill by coinsidence
I believe that was put in so you can get an Eevee.
Two new Eeveelutions were made, so having two new ones, and not being able to get an Eevee would be a jip.
And they didn't want you to get a mass number of them to evolve.
So they had Bill encounter one, and give it to you.
I think Bill actually encountered it on the way home from Ecruteak because when he confronts the hero and tells him the machine is ready, he doesn't ask the hero to take it.


so in short I think the writers thought like this...

----you needed to get an Eevee or the new Eeveelutions would be useless
hmmm... have Bill encounter it when he's doing the time machine, and then get it offered to you.
We don't want them having all the Eeveelutions without trading! or breeding!


----you needed to get your team from RBY, but couldn't send "new Pokemon", and this game takes place 3 years later
HEY A TIME MACHINE TO SEND POKEMON!!! AND THE COMPUTER WOULD GET FRIED WITH NEW STUFF!!



in other words
I believe the storyline was written around the gameplay.

then end

 

[Zeta]

I wonder if, in Diamond/Pearl, the Pokemon transfer system will be handled sort of like a Pokemon version of an E-Card Battle? You'd select the Pokemon you want at a Pokemon Center, then you'd have a chance to battle it and recapture it in Diamond/Pearl? That way, it sort of works in a storyline context, and it would be harder to just transfer over all your uber powerful Pokemon at once and sweep through the game.

 

[FabuVinny]

Well, don't forget the badge system.

As for Eevee...was it really just a coincidence that Eevee appeared? Bill says "It came over when I was adjusting the TIME CAPSULE." Came ver from where? Kanto 3 years ago? Or does Bill often remove Pokémon from a Pokémon Center?

As for Bill not giving it to you at Ecruteak City, why would he just give it to a random trainer? But after hearing about your success against Whitney and you are nice enough to visit his house, he would be more likely to give it away. Don't forget that it is his favourite Pokémon!

 

[Lava Twilight]

The Time Capsule doesn't even make sense...... if Bill only finishes it during G/S, it didn't exist in the past. What exactly are you linking to?

Its purely a gameplay mechanic to get the older Pokémon sent over, nothing more nothing less.

 

[Joey]

Maybe he's integrating it into the existing trade machines of the past?

 

[Juputoru]

It seems that the Time Capsule sends *you* back in time, not just your Pokemon(it also explains how you manage to trade with the past that way - just go back in time yourself and trade with their mechanisms). After all, both trainers ultimately have to meet in the trading room for the trade to take place. Which begs the question of...how do you get back? Some sort of portable device that you take with yourself?

...and what's stopping something from going horribly wrong? Like trading a Pokemon for one of its ancestors, or something else that seems like it ought to rip a hole in the space-time continium?
And where do the held items come from/go to? Did trainers in the past not really care what their Pokemon carried around with them, and thus never noticed the items(and chalked up their effects to something else)?


As for Eevee...did Bill ever say it came from the past? It might have just been a wild one that the Center let him keep after it wandered in.

 

[deja0entendu]

Its purely a gameplay mechanic to get the older Pokémon sent over, nothing more nothing less.

agreed
:bounce:

 

[redchesus]

Its purely a gameplay mechanic to get the older Pokémon sent over, nothing more nothing less.

Yep! That's about it... they tried incorporating it into the storyline, but they didn't try very hard though apparently

 

[KAGOME05W]

its always bugged me that they have this technology and they don't make a big deal about it, I mean its a friggin time machine u'd think it would b talked about abit more.

 

[AshK]

Did anyone actually attempt to send a new pokemon, or better yet an old pokemon with a new move back to the old game for kicks? How badly did the old game get messed up? Or was it like "this pokemon/move can't be sent back because it is incompatible with blue/red/yellow. I never traded then so I wouldn't know.

 

[System Error]

Did anyone actually attempt to send a new pokemon, or better yet an old pokemon with a new move back to the old game for kicks? How badly did the old game get messed up? Or was it like "this pokemon/move can't be sent back because it is incompatible with blue/red/yellow. I never traded then so I wouldn't know.

Pretty much the latter case. The one exception is with the four trade evolution Pokemon and new moves they would learn at the level they are on in GSC. If you immediately trade back, you'll end up with one of the glitched moves of RBY.

Also, here's a fun fact that I am shocked and downright horrified has not been brought up yet here or on the 'pede: if you use the Time Capsule before fighting Red, when you go to fight him on Mt. Silver, he'll have four sets of ellipsises (ellips? ellipices?) in his dialogue - as opposed to one single if it has never been used on that file. Make of it what you will.

 

[The Outrage]

@Silktree
Even when I was young, I entertained the idea that the Eevee was from the past.

@System Error
Perhaps the longer pause indicates recognition?

 

[Green Zubat]

I'm very interested in the Eevee we receive from Bill - where did it come from, the future or the past? How did it get there (did Bill accidentally cause a rip in the spacetime continuum for it to walk across?) Who's was it?

Pretty much the latter case. The one exception is with the four trade evolution Pokemon and new moves they would learn at the level they are on in GSC. If you immediately trade back, you'll end up with one of the glitched moves of RBY.

Also, here's a fun fact that I am shocked and downright horrified has not been brought up yet here or on the 'pede: if you use the Time Capsule before fighting Red, when you go to fight him on Mt. Silver, he'll have four sets of ellipsises (ellips? ellipices?) in his dialogue - as opposed to one single if it has never been used on that file. Make of it what you will.

Actually, that's not quite true. According to Bulba, one can use the "Johto Guard Glitch" to sneak Gen II Pokémon into the trade with the past (they must still, however, know only Gen I moves). When sent back, the Gen II Pokémon become Glitch Pokémon.