Pokemon Storm Gray

[EmeraldSky]

(rated E10+ for fantasy violence)

After a bit of a hiatus (and burnout from Shine Diamond), the Pokemon Anime Remix Project resumes with my imagined Unova remix.

Be warned--this is not quite the games you remember, and not quite the anime you remember!

Prologue: The Way to Unova

Ash raced into his room, grabbed his bag off of his bed, and rummaged through it to check if he had everything he needed for his upcoming journey. "Let's see...updated global passport, check...PokePass for Tintri, check...global traveler ID, check, plane tickets, check, PokeNav has global expansion chip, check...PokeNav has plenty of memory for pictures and video, memory cards for picture and video transfer and upload...Pokeflute, whistles, and my harmonica in case we wanna jam somewhere..."

He smiled as he reached for a red and white hat with a blue Poke Ball design on it. "And of course, my hat..." he smiled as he plopped the hat onto his messy black hair. "We're ready to go, Tintri!" he grinned at a yellow mouse Pokemon. "Unova, here we come!"

[I'm excited too, especially about the Pokemon that live there.] Tintri agreed. [I wonder what the local Electric type is...]

"I'm excited to see all the Water Pokemon Unova has to offer..." Misty agreed as she met Ash in the hallway. "Especially seeing Swannas in their native land..."

"...and I'm excited to find out what kind of lore and music Unova offers." Brock agreed as he too arrived in the large living room of the Ketchum house. "That, and Tarina's been talking non-stop about taking in as many plays and concerts as we can find." He let that hang as he invited a smaller yellow mouse Pokemon wearing a red cloak and a matching hat with a white plume on his shoulder.

Misty smiled as she saw a familiar well loved guitar case as part of Brock's luggage. "Wouldn't be a trip to a new region without you bringing a guitar along..."

"How else could I learn some of the local folk songs?" Brock smiled back before making sure the black fedora complimenting his black, green, and orange outfit looked presentable.

"Finish getting ready, gang--Prof. Oak's here to take us to the airport.' Delia reminded the group from the foyer.

"Right!" Misty smoothed out the wrinkles in a sparkling pale blue T shirt and Ash checked himself over in a mirror.

Delia noticed Ash's hat was slightly askew, so she gently nudged it into place. "There you go--now you're all beautiful, champ."

"Thanks--we'll be right out!" Ash assured his mother before gathering up his luggage and leading the way outside.

He balked when he saw Prof. Oak wearing a shirt with a colorful flower print design. "Uh, Professor? What's with the Alolan flowery shirt?"

"Aren't you going to be doing field work while we're in Unova?" Delia was equally concerned about Prof. Oak's choice of outfit.

"Of course--but I'll have plenty of free time in between all the conferences, lectures, and seminars." Professor Oak assured Delia as Taran arrived with more luggage.

"As tempting is it might be, try not to annoy Prof. Oak with '99 Bottles of Juice on the Wall', okay?" Taran reminded Ash. "The airport's not that far away."

Ash just grinned at his father. "We don't have far to go, so I doubt we'll have time to even sing along with the radio." With that, he climbed in the car.

[What kind of music do they have in Unova?] Tarina asked as Brock followed Ash into the car. [and what else can trainers do besides Gyms and badges?]

"According to this, if a trainer feels the call of the stage rather than the Pokemon League, then a trainer can take part in the Pokemon Musical." Brock read from a brochure as Misty and Taran joined him and Ash in the back seat.

He showed Tarina a picture of humans and Pokemon in ornate costumes dancing on a stage as Delia joined Prof. Oak in the front. "Human and Pokemon work together to bring some of the world's greatest stories, plus some original tales inspired by folklore, to the stage. While there are theaters all across Unova, the most famous location for any theater or Musical fan is Nimbasa City's Trinity District."

[Looks beautiful!] Tarina smiled, picturing her master on a stage as Prof. Oak started the car.

Brock turned the page, then showed Tarina a picture of girls in beautiful costumes acting out a scene. "A variation on the Pokemon Musical is the Pokemon Revue--while boys can compete in the main Pokemon Musical, the Pokemon Revue is for girls only."

[How can a girl play a boy?] Tarina wondered.

"Remember seeing 'Peter Pan' at the Fireside a few months ago?" Brock reminded Tarina as the car arrived on Pallet's main street. "That's an example of a girl playing the role of a boy. The Pokemon Revue is that on a much bigger scale--where girls play all the parts, including boy roles."

[Interesting...] Tarina mused. [Is there some kind of Revue troupe we can see while we're in Unova?]

Brock read a little further down the next page. "One of the most famous Revue troupes outside of Kanto and Johto is the Melody Revue, based in Nimbasa City's Trinity District." he read. "The troupe is itself divided into eight sub troupes, each one named for a flower, and specializing in a specific type of play."

Tarina grew starry eyed at a picture of a girl with wavy black hair in musketeer garb on the page. [She's beautiful...and brave!]

"Do you know who that is?" Prof. Oak asked Tarina as he focused on the road. "That is Christine Mendoza, the star performer of the Melody Revue's Peony Troupe. They say any performance she's in is not to be missed!"

Tarina nodded. [I hope we get a chance to see her and her friends while we're in Unova...]

She noticed planes arriving and taking off from the car window. [I see planes!]

Brock smiled. "In order to get to Unova, we have to ride on a plane. It's much farther than anywhere you've been so far."

"In fact, the Pokémon native to Unova cannot normally be found in any other region." Prof. Oak explained as he pulled up to a curbside drop-off.

"Now I REALLY can't wait to find out what Unova has to offer!" Ash smiled as the car came to a stop.

He smiled as his parents and his companions. "Just think, we'll be seeing Pokemon and places no one in Kanto has ever seen before!"

To Be Continued...