Pokémon x Hatsune Miku music collaboration: Project VOLTAGE

koala · September 8, 2023, 11:01am

夢と冒険、未来と音が交わる初めての世界へ！

To the first world where dreams and adventures, the future and sound intersect!

Project VOLTAGE is a music collaboration between Pokémon and Crypton Future Media’s Vocaloid voicebank Hatsune Miku, featuring 18 types/songs to be sequentially released from September 29, 2023. Each type will be accompanied by illustrations showcasing Hatsune Miku in Trainer form with her buddy Pokémon, designed by 6 artists.

https://www.project-voltage.jp

Preview Visual

illus. KEI
ft. Farfetch’d & Pikachu
Character designer for Hatsune Miku
https://x.com/keigarou?s=21

Type: Psychic

illus. Bamboo
ft. Meloetta
https://x.com/_take_oekaki?s=21

Also known as Take, they participated in character designs for Sun & Moon, Sword & Shield and Legends: Arceus, three of which they also illustrated into cards

Type: Grass

illus. Megumi Mizutani
ft. Rillaboom
https://x.com/megtany?s=21

Type: Fire

illus. Megumi Mizutani
ft. Skeledirge
https://x.com/megtany?s=21

Type: Water

illus. Megumi Mizutani
ft. Primarina
https://x.com/megtany?s=21

Type: Electric

illus. kannnu
ft. Rotom
https://x.com/sirakannnu?s=21

kannnu’s teaser fanart

Type: Normal

illus. Megumi Mizutani
ft. Chatot
https://x.com/megtany?s=21

Type: Ice

illus. kantaro
ft. Lapras
https://x.com/_akikan?s=21

Type: Rock

illus. Megumi Mizutani
ft. Aurorus
https://x.com/megtany?s=21

Type: Ground

illus. kannnu
ft. Flygon
https://x.com/sirakannnu?s=21

Their accompanying fanart

Type: Flying

illus. kannnu
ft. Altaria
https://x.com/sirakannnu?s=21

kannnu’s accompanying fanart

Type: Fairy

illus. Megumi Mizutani
ft. Jigglypuff
https://x.com/megtany?s=21

Type: Bug

illus. Megumi Mizutani
ft. Kricketune
https://x.com/megtany?s=21

Type: Poison

illus. kantaro
ft. Toxtricity
https://x.com/_akikan?s=21

Type: Ghost

illus. Bamboo
ft. Mismagius
https://x.com/_take_oekaki?s=21

Type: Dark

illus. Lownine
ft. Galarian Obstagoon
https://x.com/lownine?s=21

Also known as Kazuma Koda, they have drawn several cards since SM12a GX Tag All Stars as well as Pokémon merchandise. Outside Pokémon they have also done concept illustrations for NieR, Fire Emblem and FGO

Fanart

Type: Steel

illus. Megumi Mizutani
ft. Jirachi
https://x.com/megtany?s=21

Type: Fighting

illus. Bamboo
ft. Sirfetch’d
https://x.com/_take_oekaki?s=21

Type: Dragon

illus. Hitoshi Ariga
https://x.com/ariga_megamix?s=21
character design by Yusuke Ohmura
https://x.com/yusuke_omura?s=21

Ariga’s accompanying fanart

I participated with Dragon Miku’s illustration…!

Mr. Omura’s design is really cool and I got excited

I’ve liked Hatsune Miku since she was called a “Vocaloid” when she first appeared.The way she’s created as a character and the visual Vocaloid P, which can be freely varied by the artist, are very unique. There are so many talented people out there in the fields of songwriting, video production, drawing, and animation, and I think it’s amazing in terms of discovering talent and contributing to culture.

It’s a story that I can’t help but get excited about when Pokemon comes together, and I’m really happy to be able to be involved.

Thank you (illus. kannnu)

MV1: DECO*27 - Volteckerr ft. Hatsune Miku

September 29, 2023

MV2: inabakumori

October 6, 2023

https://x.com/inabakumori?s=21

citriina · September 14, 2023, 12:32pm

As a long-time Vocaloid fan and someone who has theorycrafted Miku’s team(s) pretty extensively, I’ve been thoroughly enjoying each release as it comes. I appreciate the compilation of all of them together!

Quite a few of these have sneaky references and callbacks to certain historic Vocaloid songs too, which is fantastic to see.

koala · September 15, 2023, 10:03am

Type: Flying

illus. kannnu
ft. Altaria
https://x.com/sirakannnu?s=21

kannnu’s accompanying fanart

pfm · September 15, 2023, 12:06pm

Best type

jonbo · September 15, 2023, 12:43pm

I’m really surprised they didn’t make Chatot the Flying type so that they could make Exploud the Normal type.

koala · September 15, 2023, 12:48pm

Their choices seem to be based on whether the Pokémon is commonly associated with music, musical equipment, fashion or singing. Exploud is destructive noise

Exploud triggers earthquakes with the tremors it creates by bellowing. If this Pokémon violently inhales from the ports on its body, it’s a sign that it is preparing to let loose a huge bellow. - Ruby dex entry

jonbo · September 15, 2023, 1:22pm

Yeah they’re definitely destructive noise. They did use Loudred as speakers in Detective Pikachu. I know most of the other choices are more elegant-ish music but I think it would have been cool still.

koala · September 19, 2023, 10:02am

Type: Fairy

illus. Megumi Mizutani
ft. Jigglypuff
https://x.com/megtany?s=21

koala · September 20, 2023, 10:12am

Type: Bug

illus. Megumi Mizutani
ft. Kricketune
https://x.com/megtany?s=21

koala · September 21, 2023, 10:40am

Type: Poison

illus. kantaro
ft. Toxtricity
https://x.com/_akikan?s=21

koala · September 22, 2023, 10:39am

Type: Ghost

illus. Bamboo
ft. Mismagius
https://x.com/_take_oekaki?s=21

koala · September 25, 2023, 12:07pm

Type: Dark

illus. Lownine
ft. Galarian Obstagoon
https://x.com/lownine?s=21

Also known as Kazuma Koda, they have drawn several cards since SM12a GX Tag All Stars as well as Pokémon merchandise. Outside Pokémon they have also done concept illustrations for NieR, Fire Emblem and FGO

Fanart

koala · September 26, 2023, 10:13am

Type: Steel

illus. Megumi Mizutani
ft. Jirachi
https://x.com/megtany?s=21

koala · September 27, 2023, 10:19am

Type: Fighting

illus. Bamboo
ft. Sirfetch’d
https://x.com/_take_oekaki?s=21

jonbo · September 27, 2023, 12:54pm

I’m not entirely sure what I expected for fighting, but it definitely wasn’t this. I think Kommo-o would have made more sense.

koala · September 27, 2023, 1:06pm

Sirfetch’d and Farfetch’d (from the PV) were in reference to her parody cover of a Finnish song that was accompanied by a gif of Bleach character spinning a leek a.k.a Leekspin Girl. Both Pokémon were chosen because of the leek

Leekspin Miku Leekspin

I had zero knowledge of Miku before Pokémon made this collab so I’m discovering all this as the reveals go on lol

koala · September 28, 2023, 12:09pm

Last but not least:

Type: Dragon

illus. Hitoshi Ariga
https://x.com/ariga_megamix?s=21
character design by Yusuke Ohmura
https://x.com/yusuke_omura?s=21

Ariga’s accompanying fanart

I participated with Dragon Miku’s illustration…!

Mr. Omura’s design is really cool and I got excited

I’ve liked Hatsune Miku since she was called a “Vocaloid” when she first appeared.The way she’s created as a character and the visual Vocaloid P, which can be freely varied by the artist, are very unique. There are so many talented people out there in the fields of songwriting, video production, drawing, and animation, and I think it’s amazing in terms of discovering talent and contributing to culture.

It’s a story that I can’t help but get excited about when Pokemon comes together, and I’m really happy to be able to be involved.

That concludes all 18 Pokémon & partner illustration reveals, complimented by yet another of kannnu’s fanart

koala · September 28, 2023, 12:28pm

From September 29 onwards, 18 music videos (MV) will be released sequentially over several months with their own individual artists

MV1: DECO*27 - Volteckerr ft. Hatsune Miku

September 29, 2023