Okay, so, this is our Pacific Rim What_If plotting a post. A few things- the film took place over the course of ten years. If everything's cool with it, we're upping that to twenty. That way kids had to grow up in this world and adults had more time and adults who've lived through it had more time to be bitter. So as of now we're in 2030, fifteen years after the first Jaeger was created. We'd be at the point kind of where the pilots are still ~rockstars and they're not shutting down the program yet, but Kaiju are appearing with more frequency and getting harder to manage. Also, thread out scenes from everybody's pasts if you want.

Here's a short timeline:

-August, 2013: First attack on San Francisco known as K-DAY
-2014: Pan Pacific Defense Corps formed
-2015: First Jaeger launched
-[Whatever our characters are doing]
-2030: Present day

Facts to know:
-We don't have powers in this 'verse but if you want to make your Jaeger or personality reflect abilities somehow, go for it
-Shatterdomes, the PPDC headquarters where Jaegers are built and repaired and stored and where everyone stays and trains, are set up along the Pacific even though it would make more sense if they just built one in the ocean near the rift, but whatever. The US West Coast Shatterdome is in Los Angeles.
-The training academy is up at Kodiak Island, Alaska
-Pilot's "rank" in the PPDC is ranger
-There's other stuff to "be" at the Shatterdomes like trainers, engineers, awesome science guys, people in charge of creating piloting simulations, people who work the LOCCENT Mission Control while pilots are out battling (like bad ass bow tie guy), just in case not everybody wants to be a ranger.
-At this point there are an assload of Jaegers, so pilots make up your own or use one that already exist.

OKAY. Well. Now that this novel is finished, go forth and write out your character histories and describe your Jaegers.