Ultimate Trainers! A Danganronpa Pokemon Trainer AU Zine

Contributor Lineup Reveal!

    ABOUT

    Ultimate Trainers! is a fanzine consisting of characters from the Danganronpa franchise in the Pokémon Universe.The zine itself will focus on the contributors' ideas of the Danganronpa cast in the Pokémon world. Whether they are trainers, gym leaders, villians, or a lovely slice-of-life with their trusted partner at their side! It's up to open interpretation.The zine will be free and digital only featuring artists, writers, and digital merchandise.Danganronpa and Pokémon spoilers may be present in this zine! However, we will not allow any content involving upcoming installments, such as Pokémon Legends Z-A, in the project.

    Schedule

    APRIL 20th—MAY 20th: Interest Check Period
    JUNE 1st—JULY 1st: Contributor Applications Period
    JULY 8th: Contributor Applications Results
    JULY 18th: Pitches due
    AUGUST 15th: Check in One
    SEPTEMBER 15th: Check in Two
    OCTOBER 15TH: Check in Three
    NOVEMBER 15TH: Final submissions
    NOVEMBER 2025-JANUARY 2026: Formatting Period
    To be Determined: Release Date

    MODS

    Nia | Head & Graphics Mod
    Hello hi! I'm the one running this bad boy and in charge of the graphics. Lover of all things crossovers, super delighted to be working on this <3
    This is my first time running a zine, but I have experience in making graphics for ship weeks, done Page Art/Merch/Writing for mutiple zines, and been part of the Multi-Animator Project Community for several years!

    Beans | Art Mod
    Hello! Thank you for taking interest in our project! My name is beans, I'll be working with everyone as the art mod for the zine! I was previously art mod for Danganpawlooza furry zine, and I have plenty of experience with zines as a page/merch artist as well. Pokemon was the very first game series I ever fell in love with, so its only right to mesh it with another one I really love!

    Q | Merch Mod
    Hi hi! I'm Q, a 23 year old artist who loves danganronpa, The Adventure Zone, Omori, MLP, and a bunch of other stuff INCLUDING pokemon :D I've been in multiple DR zines as both a page/comic artist and a merch artist and was the Art mod for Train your heart: A Tenko Chabashira zine. So excited to work with everyone on two amazingly fun franchises that I adore!

    Rumi | Writing Mod
    Hi, I’m Rumi! I’m a writer and a lover of all things Danganronpa and a fan of Pokémon as well! I am the head moderator for Selfless Devotion: A Kirumi Tojo Fanzine and the writing moderator for Fangs of Despair: A Danganronpa Vampire Zine. I’ve also contributed my writing to multiple Danganronpa zines! I’m very excited to be here!! 🖤

    Quinn | Formatting Mod
    Hi, I'm Quinn!! I'm an artist and graphic designer and I'm super excited to be the formatting mod for this zine! I've been a fan of Danganronpa for nearly five years now and a lover of Pokemon for most of my life. I've participated as a page and merch artist in multiple DR zines, and handled formatting for Hexes and O's: An Owl House Zine and Tokyo Mew Mew Zine Vol. 2! I can't wait to see what fun crossovers come to life in this project :D

    Rox | Organization Mod
    Hi I'm Rox, but I also go by chatot too! I'm helping as the organization mod for this zine. Most recently, I have been working as the Finance and Shipping mod for both The Ultimate Survivor: A Rantaro Amami Zine and Deathbound: A Shinjiro Aragaki Zine! I'm looking forward to helping everyone out and being a part of this project!!

    FAQ

    What is a Zine?
    Zines are an assemble of creative works that's centred around a theme or media. This one is focusing on Danganronpa Alternative Universe, where they co-exist with Pokemon.    Where will zine communication be held?
    In an invite-only Discord Server! When accepted, you will recevied an link to the server. You do not need to be super active on there, just please communciate with the mods if you need extensions or feedback on your piece. You must also stay in the server until the project is fully complete.    What Danganronpa characters are allowed in the zine?
    We allow any canon Danganronpa character, whether it be from a light novel, manga, or anime. The one character that is not allowed in this project is Hajii Towa.    Are we allowed to use Pokemon Characters this zine?
    Pokemon characters are accepted, within moderation. Want to have Kaede Akamatsu having an intense battle with Red? Go ahead! Just remember that the Danganronpa characters are the focus. Feel free to make them in passing/as cameos.    Do I need an extensive amount of Pokemon / Danganronpa knowledge for this zine?
    A general understanding of them both! You do not need to play every single game and such to be in this zine, however all dangaronpa spoilers are allowed whether direct or vague.    What positions will be available? And how many will you accept?
    We are planning to have 25 Page Artists, 5 Writers, and 5-6 Merch Artists!
    We are also looking for Page Artists interested in doing the Cover or Comics! Then if a writer is interested, a merch or page artist can do spotart for them.    Can we apply for multiple roles? Or even all three?
    Yes! However, you will only be accepted into one.    Will you be having any guests for the zine?
    We will not have any guests!    Is romantic/ship work allowed in this zine?
    We will not allow any romantic/ship content in this zine. Nothing is stopping you from having said ships interact, but please keep their relationship platonic in your work.    Are collabs allowed?
    Yes! And very much encouraged! Writers are allowed to scout for a Spot Artist, Comic Artists can work with Writers, and two merch artists can work on merchandise together! Just please stay commutative with one another and let the moderators know who you are collaborating with.    Are we allowed to use inspirations from other Pokemon mediums (Manga/Anime/Spin-offs) or does it only have to be mainline games?
    Whatever works for you. Use concepts from the anime, manga, movies, lesser known games, and so on! Your piece doesn't have to centre around a canon place either and be an unnamed route or city. As long as it's in the Pokemon world, and the "world" is simply humans and pokemon co-existing.    May we use fangames/Unreleased Pokémon/Fakemon in this zine?
    We ask to keep content official and not use anything that's unreleased or fanmade. We are aware of the recent leak that consisted of many Beta Pokémon, and for consistency sake we will prohibit the use of beta Pokémon.
    Slightly alternating the Pokémon’s canon design is encouraged! Such as adding accessories, alternation of patterns and colours, and sizes.    Can we make zine pieces of Danganronpa characters as Pokemon instead of them as trainers? Like Pokemon Mystery Dungeon?
    Apologies, but we will not accept Danganronpa character as Pokemon / completely making them non-human into the zine for consistency sake. However, having a pitch in mind that's like Detective Pikachu is acceptable!    What about Legends ZA?
    We want contributors and supporters alike to enjoy and experience the new Pokémon game however way they please. Some people look at trailers, others view leaks, or go in completely blind. No content from Z-A will be in the zine, including possible new Pokémon/Mega evolutions, mechanics, and plotlines. For contributors, please do not talk about upcoming Z-A content within the server, especially any leaks!    What do we do for teams, outfits, or backstory? Are they already pre-made?
    You’re free to use your own interpretation, headcanons, and team choices within the zine, as long as the cast is recognisable. Sharing ideas are alright too, as long as there’s permission and consent from the contributors to use the same team/idea.    Can I still apply even if I do not know much with Pokemon Lore?
    Yes! Please go on ahead! You do not need to have extensive knowledge in Pokemon to be in the zine. You will not be restricted in rules and mechanics seen in the game/manga/etc, have fun with it! If you simply just want to make content with your favourite Danganronpa character with your favourite Pokemon, that's perfectly fine and even encouraged.    If a question here isnt anwsered, please refer to the Tumblr Ask Box for needed clarifications!

    Interest Check Questions

    Should I have written Danganronpa/Pokemon fanfiction before preferred? Or is being in the fandoms of both enough?
    Having at least one Danganronpa work is more than enough! We understand that each person's interpretation of the Pokémon world will vary in intensity, so we want to focus more on the characterization of the Danganronpa characters involved. However, having any Pokémon works in your application is still highly encouraged!    When contributor apps open, how good should the ability to draw Pokémon be? and will that affect someone being accepted?
    With this being beginner-friendly zine and now over 1000 Pokemon in the series, we are open to all levels of ability for drawing Pokemon! As long as you are open to depicting a Danganronpa character within the Pokemon world. The moderators are here to assist when needed as well!    Will there be a way to make sure the same characters or pokémon aren’t repeated too many times? Like if five different people all just wanted to draw Nagito or a whole mess of contributors gave a bunch of different characters all piplups or something.
    This will be handled throughout the creation period! We will ask contributors to provide different Danganronpa characters in their pitches and keep track of who is showcasted in each work. Pokemon selection is a bit more lenient as there is over 1000 of them, but we will keep an eye on those as well.    Can OCs be added?
    The focus must be on canon Danganronpa characters, so you cannot pitch anything involving an OC. However, for pieces with a large scene and several characters, you're free to add them to help with composistion.

    General Guidelines

    -Contributors must be at least sixteen (16) years of age by the end of the result period.-This zine will be SFW (Safe for Work) with canon-typical violence.-The focus is Danganronpa Characters in the Pokémon world. The pkmn world is vast, so no one is restricted to only making them fit the "standard" lore. If you'd like as well, you can do a little swap with roles (Ex. Having Kaede be the Leaf/Red/Kanto Protag). Whatever works for you. There’re also no restrictions on what they should have on their teams.-All work you do for the zine must stay private with the team. You may not share anything until the zine’s completion. However, if you would like to use your work for portfolio purposes and before the zine’s release, please contact the moderators. After the release, you may share whatever you desire publicly.-Plagiarism and use of AI is prohibited in the project.-Please ensure the zine’s schedule works with your own. By applying it means you are accepting and committed to the deadlines presented. We will work with you with anything that comes up, and we will allow extensions when given ample time. If you feel as though you’re unable to complete your piece and need to drop, please contact the moderators privately. Things happen!-Bullying and harassment will not be tolerated in any shape or form. Furthermore, please do not ridicule anyone’s work. Any disrespect will result in a removal from the zine.Please, if you have any further questions, refer to Tumblr and send an ask!

    Application Guidelines

    Page Artists: We are looking for an understanding of anatomy, colour, and composition. Also, please ensure one of your samples has a detailed background, whether it be a scene or abstract.
    If you are interested in being a comic artist, you need to provide at least one comic example in your samples!
    If you wish to apply as cover artist, having Pokemon is required in your samples!    Merch Artists: We are looking for an understanding of anatomy and colour. A background is not required for your samples. We do encourage you to provide examples of digital merch you're interested in creating for the zine, such as icon and wallpaper examples.Writers: We are looking for an understanding of grammar, imagery, and characterisation.
    Please ensure that your samples are around 1-2.5k words as these wil be the intended specs for the zine. You may have longer pieces in your portfolio, but please nothing exceeding 6k. Writers are allowed to take an excerpt from a longer story, as long as it’s functional without added context.

    -This zine is beginner friendly, and no previous zine experience is needed for this zine. We merely ask for a general understanding of your desired role.-Applicants will be asked to give three of their strongest pieces. At least one of your samples must feature Danganronpa. Having Pokemon (Or other creatures/animals) in your samples is not required but strongly encouraged!
    In addition, applicants will be asked to provide a portfolio so the moderators can view more of their work. This portfolio can be in a Google Drive, tag on social media, Carrd, etc. As long as it’s easy to navigate. If any of them need a password to access, please provide one in the application!    -A discord is required while applying. We will be asking for in the form! All forms of communciation will be done there, so it's important you have one before the end of the application period.-Please do not add NSFW work in your portfolio, even if it’s a SFW excerpt in a longer NSFW work.-Only submit finished pieces! No Work in Progresses or studies.-You can submit Traditional Artwork! As long as the photos are taken/scanned in high quality!-Works involving Ai are forbidden.-You are free to apply for multiple roles, although everyone will be selected into one role.-You are free to add Legends Z-A content to your application, such as the starters or protag designs, but nothing involving leaks and unreleased material!