A little something I threw together to celebrate the release of the MD Red and Blue remake--what if the MD world had theater troupes to inspire and entertain the rescue teams and the explorer teams?

(rated E10+ for fantasy stage violence)

Act 1: The Curtain Rises

For the most part, Harmony Town didn't look too much different from any other little town in the Pokemon world.

It had a town square where its residents could gather. There was a school for the young Pokemon, where the wise Professor Noctowl taught them the ways of the world. There were a wide array of shops selling daily sundries and supplies for rescue and exploration teams. There was the local branch of the Explorer's Guild, where explorer teams rested in between missions. There was the notice board for rescue teams near the post office.

But one Pikachu sighed as she looked out on the bare patch of ground near the north end of the town square. That space needed something, she thought...something like a theater!

Her bored look turned to a smile as she remembered past trips to the various theaters across the Pokemon world. Everyone in town knew that Mayor Erin, the Lucario that looked after the town, had once been an actress before entering public service. If the town had a theater, the Pikachu surmised, Pokemon would come from all around to visit. That, and the town would have something to be proud of, like many other towns in the region.

The thuds of approaching Scorbunny feet snapped the Pikachu from her thoughts. "Oi! Lita!" a female voice called in the distance.

"Hi, Ruby!" the Pikachu smiled, waving as her Scorbunny friend settled in the grass next to her.

"What were you thinkin' bout so hard?" Ruby asked as she unfurled a picnic blanket on the grass. "Remembering our trip to see the Theatre Royal in Amber Town?"

"Not quite..." Lita admitted as Ruby set out an array of sandwiches and other treats for the two of them. "I was thinking about possibly building our own theater and giving our town something to be proud of..."

"It's not as easy as asking the mayor for funding." Ruby cautioned. "Once you've built the theater, who's gonna perform in it?"

"Anyone that wanted to." Lita replied as she bit into a roast beef sandwich. "It could also be used for concerts, dance performances, and lectures..."

"They say that every theater troupe's dream is the Beacon Theatre in Luminous City." Ruby smiled. "The Gardevoir that runs the place is very particular about which acts perform there, so if you make it there, you've made it big."

"Who's to say we can't be one of those famous troupes?" Lita mused. "But first, we need our own theater to perform in."

"It's decided! We ask Mayor Erin to build a theater here!" Ruby declared as she held a sparkling juice can high.

"I can drink to that." Lita smiled as two sparkling juice cans clanked together as a sign of their promise.

---------

Later that afternoon, Ruby and Lita arrived in the town's administration building. "How may I help you?" the Taillow at the front desk asked.

"Is the mayor in right now?" Lita asked. "We have a proposal we want to talk with her about."

"You are in luck--Mayor Erin is receiving visitors now." the Taillow smiled. "What's the nature of your proposal?"

"We want to build a theater on that bare spot of land at the north end of the square." Lita explained. "It would give the town something to be proud of, boost tourism revenue, and lower crime."

"Okay...I'll inform the mayor you wish to see her." With that, the Taillow fluttered off down a hall.

Ruby sighed as she trudged to one of the comfy chairs in the foyer. "And now we wait..."

"Well, we can look at what the good troupes have done, and get ideas for our first scripts." Lita suggested as she located a theater magazine in the pile of magazines on a table. "We could do an adaptation of 'The Golden Dragon', like the Rainbow Company did." She showed Ruby a picture of a Riolu and a Fennekin in beautiful costumes battling a shiny gold serpent-like dragon puppet on a stage.

"Brush up on your singin' and dancin' then--'The Golden Dragon' is an ancient adventure tale that Professor Noctowl says is one of the earliest musicals." Ruby smiled.

"Maybe once we get some practice and enough actors, we could do a musical." Lita grinned. "Or maybe we could do a Robin Hood tale?" She gestured to a Treecko in the traditional Robin Hood costume shooting a bow on another page.

"That would be fun!" Ruby smiled. "If you don't mind writing Robin Hood as a britches role, I'd be honored to play him!"

Lita giggled at the thought of Ruby in the iconic green outfit and feather hat. "I'll keep it in mind, then."

Ruby gasped in awe at a Combusken portraying Moltres on another page. "Oh, 'The Tale of Moltres!' I used to always ask Mum to tell me that story at bedtime when I was a lass. Only, in our version, Moltres and Princess Valencia have a little more to do!"

"Let's get the theater built, then write that script." Lita gently reminded Ruby before thumbing through a few more pages. "Ooh, 'The Knights of the Round and the Jewels of Excalibur'!" she smiled, showing Ruby a picture of a majestic Zacian puppet giving a Dewott in the role of King Arthur a prop sword.

"Another great choice!" Ruby smiled. "Perhaps we can ask Mayor Erin to borrow some of her back issues of 'Theater Today' for script ideas?"

"That one's the current issue, so it has to stay here for now." the Taillow replied as he returned. "But Mayor Erin would be more than happy to give you some back issues for script ideas after your meeting."

"So Mayor Erin can see us?" Lita asked.

The Taillow nodded. "Come with me, and you can tell her all about your theater proposal."

---------

"Wow..." Ruby gasped as she and Lita arrived in Mayor Erin's office. "Never knew our mayor liked to read this much..."

"Most of tose are city building codes and law books, in case someone needs help with an ethical dilemma." Mayor Erin replied in her gentle North Galarian accent. "But back to te matter at hand...Cyan tells me you two wish to build a teater by te north end of the square."

"Yes...were you planning on using that land for something else?" Lita asked.

"Tankfully, no." Mayor Erin replied. "Te only reason we haven't built anyting on tat land yet was because no one's approached with any decent proposal te build someting on it. I believe a teater would brighten the area, and bring te arts te all!"

She reached for a piece of paper. "But before we kin start buildin' a teater, we first need te give it a name and tink of what it will look like."

Lita thought for a moment for a good theater name. "How about...the Moonlight Theater?"

"That's a good idea--make it look like you're watching a play under the stars!" Ruby suggested.

"What kind of scripts were ye wanting to perform in tis teater?" Mayor Erin asked as one of her Riolu assistants started sketching construction plans for the theater.

"High adventures!" Ruby smiled, brandishing one of the unsharpened pencils on Mayor Erin's desk like a sword.

"Joyful comedies..." Lita went on. "...and heartwarming romantic stories. The only tears here are tears of happiness and laughter!"

Mayor Erin smiled. "I'll present these initial plans for a teater to te city council in a few days. In te meantime, go brainstorm some scripts, and start recruiting some actors and a crew."

"We will!" Ruby smiled.

"We'll do everything we can to give a great show to the townsfolk!" Lita agreed as she and Ruby turned to leave.

To Be Continued...