The Strange World of Pocket Horrors - An Introduction
Everyone must by now be familiar with the idea of those games (plus related merchandising) where the occupants of some strange, parallel universe scrabble around, looking for odd little creatures to collect; cataloguing, training and ultimately submitting their pets into mortal combat with one another.
These little critters are usually found all over their land, often representing some elemental force, and are bestowed with lots of spectacular powers, which they employ against each other - at their masters bidding - until one of them is defeated. The victor usually levels up, perhaps even evolving into a higher version of itself.
But what happens to the defeated? Nobody ever mentions the losers of these battles. Sure, in the cartoons, they get nursed back to health, fit to fight another day... but really, zap any organic creature with some of those special powers, and we all know there is no going home for some of those once-charming companions.
Nobody really considers what those things would really look like, either. Take away the smooth lines rendered by animators, and bring those friendly, primary hues into more real tones... maybe then, they wouldn't look quite so endearing.
Which brings us here.
Welcome to the world of the Pocket Horrors (PokeHors for short).
Imagine a world where, after one of the gladiatorial creature combats, and after the victor is determined, the owner of the losing creature lovingly picks up those lifeless little husk that was once his (or her) champion, then takes that beloved pet to the taxidermist to have it preserved... and if possible, fix up those nasty battle scars.
Just as those games hark back to a more innocent time when kids collected bugs, learning about the world through this microcosm of nature, we like to imagine a similar world, where the exceptional and the different were celebrated in sideshows and dime museums, preserved in display cases or jars for the amusement and education of the collectors who were not so interested in the living specimens...
And
so, without further ado, ladies and gentlemen - for your pleasure - we
are proud to introduce to you the PokeHor Collection. A veritable
cornucopia of cadavers, collected and catalogued for public consumption
- the fey, the freakish, the fantastic: all in one exhibition. Please
note that those of a nervous disposition, or of a weakened heart,
should not enter this exhibition. We,
who preside over the PokeHor Collection, assume no responsibility those such patrons entering, beyond issuing this public notice. - No Refunds Given - Professor Broak's Floating Mausoleum and Taxidermy Emporium (slideshow)
Please continue on to the PokeHoR Gallery!