- Just what IS Pokémon Rebirth?

              - Wait...you're not saying it's a fa...fa...FAN FICTION?!

              - That can only mean one thing...more Ash Ketchum! *screams* I can't take it!

              - So Rebirth builds upon the anime universe, huh? Where in the anime timeline is it set?

              - Can you elaborate a little more?

              - Why is it, in "Ultimatum", that you call the Pokémon Rebirth chapters 'episodes'?

              - So why don't you animate it then, huh?

              - Can you explain why you've given this site a 10 and up rating?

              - Bwaaagh! There's so much to read here - where do I start?

              - How come <certain event> happened? The game/manga says...

              - Why isn't <insert Pokémon name> in Rebirth? It's cool!

              - Can my character/Pokémon design/plot idea be in Pokémon Rebirth?

              - Can I be a staff member?

              - What are you currently working on for Rebirth?

              - Why does pokemonrebirth.co.uk redirect to some weird unrelated site?

              - Why do you keep using the term 'RU'? What the heck does it mean?

              - I came across a GBA game called 'Pokémon Rebirth'. Does this have anything to do with you?

 

Just what IS Pokémon Rebirth?

Pokémon Rebirth came about as the result of frustration over the Pokémon anime during the early Johto series. While the game had its fleshing out in manga such as Pokémon Adventures (or Special to you hardcore fans), the potential in the anime seemed to have been lost, with episodes purely being written around Pokémon to introduce them.

Though it may well have began as an attempt to out-write the writers, Rebirth has since developed into a non-canon extension of the Pokémon anime universe. It is an ongoing project composed of multiple stories which take into account the first 13 seasons/movies. Rebirth functions by weaving together what the anime offers with relative conclusions based on observation and the occasional dash of free-wheeling what-iffery.

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Wait...you're not saying it's a fa...fa...FAN FICTION?!

 

Hey hey! Don't jump to conclusions just yet.

 

We understand Pokémon fan fictions have a bad reputation for being MarySue/MartyStu-ridden, overly-powerful critters and unsavoury pairings in abundance. With that in mind, our aim has been to try and show that a fictional spin-off of an existing project written by its fans need not necessarily feel like a fanfic.

Of course, in the end, its all down to a matter of opinion. You may agree or disagree with the concepts you find here, but essentially, Rebirth is my add-on patch for the Pokémon anime. It's your choice whether or not you want to apply it.

 

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That can only mean one thing...more Ash Ketchum! *screams* I can't take it!

 

Hold on just one second. Setting Pokémon Rebirth in the animeverse doesn't mean it automatically follows Ash's journey. Remember Chronicles? No? Well go and watch them - those episodes were entertaining.

 

Not to say Ash doesn't appear in Rebirth, but the majority of the stories here are centered on other people, not him. If you really don't like Ash that much, just skip the stories he shows up in.

 

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So Rebirth builds upon the anime universe, huh? Where in the anime timeline is it set?

"Altered Paths" begins as Ash Ketchum returns to Pallet Town from his travels around Sinnoh. "Ultimatum" starts a year later.

 

Other stories occur prior to, or amongst anime events, for instance, "Blank Pages" coincides with the events covered in "Training Daze". "Unrequited Youth" occurs during the latter part of Ash's Johto journey, travelling between Olivine City and Mahogany Town.

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Can you elaborate a little more?

 

Certainly! Here's a more detailed look at all planned stories to date, what parts of the anime they reference, and where they fit into the general scheme of things.

 

STORY TITLE

ANIME TIMELINE POSITIONING

INTERLINKED/REFERENCED EPISODES

Rock of Ages 3 years prior to the past events covered in the 12th movie. Arceus and the Jewel of Life [IL]
Song of the Timeless 102 years prior to the events of the 10th movie. Rise of Darkrai [IL]
Getting Technical 6 years prior to Ash starting his travels. School of Hard Knocks [RF]
Blank Pages 1 year prior to Ash starting his travels. Training Daze [IL]
Trials of an Errand Boy During Ash's travels in Kanto. Mewtwo Strikes Back [IL]
The Island of Professor Oak During Ash's travels in Kanto. n/a
Tangled Ivy During Ash's travels in the Orange Islands. n/a
Sublimely Ridiculous During Ash's travels in Johto. n/a
Cockaigne The earlier part of Ash's travels through Johto. Spell of the Unown [IL]
Fleeting Shadow The mid part of Ash's travels through Johto. Mewtwo Returns [IL]
Unrequited Youth The latter part of Ash's travels through Johto. Travelling between Olivine City and Mahogany Town. n/a
OutrAGEous! The latter part of Ash's travels in Johto. Oaknapped! [RF]
Between a Brock and a Hard Place At the end of Ash's travels in Hoenn. n/a
Inigma During Ash's travels in Sinnoh. n/a
Alliance During Ash's travels in Sinnoh.

Our Cup Runneth Over [RF]

Thief that keeps on Thieving [IL]

Altered Paths Shortly after Ash's travels in Sinnoh. n/a
Storm in a Teacup [WT] n/a n/a
Ultimatum A year after Ash's travels in Sinnoh. n/a
Darkness Revealed n/a n/a
Developments n/a n/a

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Why is it, in "Ultimatum", that you call the Pokémon Rebirth chapters 'episodes'? It's a written/drawn series, not an animated one!

Pokémon Rebirth is written with being animated in mind, therefore the chapters of series are referred to as episodes and are made to contain enough content that would fill around an estimated 20-25 minutes of screen time were it animated. Specials are split up into parts, to make reading them easier.

 

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So why don't you animate it then, huh?

We'd love to! But to bring a project as big as this to life would require far more Pokémon-loving animators than I currently have connections with. Besides which, animation is a lot of effort to put into a project that could be shut down at any time simply for being a fan work. It would be more likely for Rebirth to get officially animated as a whole.

 

 

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Can you explain why you've given this site a 10 and up rating?

 

I'm covering my ground. While not present in every story...

 

Pokémon Rebirth contains:-

Scenes of a violent nature (nothing described in gory detail, though)

Scenes of an unsettling nature (this is pretty much referring to transformation stuff)

 

Pokémon Rebirth does NOT contain:-

Very strong language (no use of the s_ or f_ words here! Other curse words may be present, but in the PG to PG-13 range.)

Scenes of an adult nature (can't stand reading that sort of stuff, let alone writing it...)

 

 

GENERAL STORY RATINGS

 

G : Content should be fine for all readers aged 10 and over. Pretty much written as an episode of the anime would be.

PG : Content may contain unsettling or perilous scenes and/or mild language. Comparable to movie, "The Rise of Darkrai."

PG-13 : Content will contain unsettling/perilous scenes and occasional use of moderate language. Comparable to movie, "Mewtwo Strikes Back."

 

 

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Bwaaagh! There's so much to read here - where do I start?

Good question, my intrepid Pokéventurer! Rebirth is split into two categories - that of the 'root' story which started this whole thing off, and the side stories that aren't directly connected to this root story, but may reference it in some way. I suggest you start at the root of the matter, huh?

 

*gets a boot thrown at her and coughs*

 

Bad puns aside, start reading at "Altered Paths". You will then be led to "Ultimatum". Once those two are tackled, feel free to read the other stories in any order you wish!

 

 

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How come <certain event> happened? The game/manga says...

The manga and games may say something different, but Pokémon Rebirth isn't based on the game/manga universes. It may take inspiration from them, but when it comes to deciding factors such as character origins, parentage, personality and such we look to the anime for the answers. If no answers are available, we may use other sources such as the games/manga/audio dramas/stage productions etc to develop our personal ideas.

 

Note I said personal. You may disagree with our theorizing and think otherwise for whatever reason. That's fair enough - in the end, this is a fan project. We just like to aim for linkable concepts that will produce deep and exciting results.

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Why isn't <insert Pokémon name> in Rebirth? It's cool!

Simple answer to that one. That particular Pokémon doesn't need to be in Rebirth. We only insert Pokémon that are important to the storyline as a whole. Unlike the television series which has -in the past- relied on writing the stories around the new Pokémon simply to introduce them, I add certain Pokémon if they are influential to the storyline. It keeps matters less superficial and more plot-orientated, which is what Rebirth is all about!

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Can my character/Pokémon design/plot idea be in Pokémon Rebirth?

Due to the increased complexity of the Rebirth Universe, we cannot accept Fakémon designs or plot idea suggestions.

I have recently begun accepting character cameo submissions for certain Rebirth stories. However, these submissions are of human characters and existing Pokémon OCs and are requested on demand. You can watch for opportunities to submit OCs for cameo appearances on the PokemonRebirthClub Blog.

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Can I be a staff member?

Not without an actual job to do, no. If we need staffers in a specific area, we'll make it known.

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What are you currently working on for Rebirth?

Curious, eh? Click here and find out!

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Why does pokemonrebirth.co.uk redirect to some weird unrelated site?

I used to own the domain name. However, when TRV stopped hosting my websites and I was taken up by Raising Waves, I was able to buy niftihalostudios.com and Pokemon Rebirth became a subdomain of that. When it came to renewing pokemonrebirth.co.uk, I decided against it as it would mean me paying out for two sets of domain names. It has since expired.

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Why do you keep using the term 'RU'? What the heck does it mean?

RU (something I tend to say in comment responses at the art gallery) stands for 'Rebirth Universe'. Some people visit the gallery directly from a link in DeviantArt, not realising its specifically designed to showcase art from this project. While I like to think of the official anime and Rebirth universes as being interlinked, I sometimes use the RU term to point out where I might have added/expanded upon existing anime characters and plot devices.

As for why I don't just say 'Rebirth Universe'...I'm a lazy bod. 8D

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I came across a GBA game called 'Pokémon Rebirth'. Does this have anything to do with you?

We have no affiliation with the team responsible for the Pokémon Rebirth ROM project.

 

 

For a detailed copyright and credits list click here. Pokémon Rebirth is a product of Niftihalo Studios and is hosted by Powweb