#ash vs serena

[mamasplat]

This is from my “shoehorning Calem into the anime plots ship drama” comic but i literally never finished the other panel and then came up with a different idea for it all together so this is just a lonesome old scene redraw that never saw the light of day- so i am dumping it here with a partly unfinished background.

[blossysartgobrr]

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY and the Scott Pilgrim franchise's 20th anniversary so have this gift I made for myself!

More under the cut

[pokenoire]

🩷🧡

Serena and misty go the mail together

And Ash can handle it 🤣😂

[otp-after-dark]

“It must be hell being a man like that.” —June Osborne, 3x03

This episode is a landmine. Everywhere June steps — boom. Power plays. Regret. Love hanging by a thread. Every decision cuts deeper. Every glance says the things they can't.

And it’s here — in this episode — that everything starts shifting. Nick. June. Lawrence. Everyone is burning beneath the surface.

The June/Lawrence dynamic kicks into full gear. And honestly? It's electric.

“Here’s what I don’t get. If women don’t want to be defined by their bodies, why are they always using them to get what they want?”

Touche, Lawrence. Because here's the thing about Joseph Lawrence: He isn’t Fred Waterford. He doesn’t dress up his cruelty in fake righteousness. He doesn’t even pretend to be consistent. He’s a man at war with himself — brilliant, dangerous, fascinating.

And when he throws June’s own rebellion in her face:

“You left the Waterfords in ashes. Do you think they got what they deserved?”

You can see it start to dawn on her: She can’t predict him. She can’t control him. She’s going to have to earn her power here — or die trying.

“It must be hell being a man like that.”

And it is.

Lawrence tests June hard in this episode.

“Are you capable of solving problems, making decisions?”

Not grand speeches. Not blind idealism. Real decisions. The ones that leave blood on your hands no matter what you choose.

He takes her for a drive. Gives her a choice: Save five Marthas from the colonies — or do nothing and save no one.

At first, June hesitates. Wants to save everyone or no one. Wants a perfect win.

But Lawrence cuts through that fantasy:

“Five is better than none.”

And June realizes — the hard way — that in this world, survival is compromise. Mercy is compromise. Victory is compromise.

(And it’s why this show is so much richer than easy "good guy vs bad guy" stories.)

Meanwhile, back on the other side of the emotional apocalypse: Nick is back. And oh god — he’s a Commander now.

WHAT.

You can feel June’s shock the second she sees him standing there — uniformed, stiff, trying not to even glance at her across a room full of men who would kill them both if they knew the truth.

And Lawrence — smart, ruthless Lawrence — notices immediately. One look at Nick, one look at June, one look at the baby, and he knows. (Not Fred's kid.) (Not a Waterford heir.) (A bomb waiting to go off.)

It’s a detail that will matter for seasons to come.

Elsewhere:

The Waterfords are fractured. For a brief moment, almost human. (Don’t worry, it doesn’t last.)

Serena tries to pick up her pieces at her mother’s house — and her mother? Charming as ever:

“You know there’s no place for you without Fred.”

It's the bitter truth Serena can’t escape — because every freedom she thought she had was bought with other women's suffering. And no matter how many times she burns it all down, she’s still trapped by the world she helped create.

(My issue with Serena has never been ambition — it's that her humanity only shows up when it's convenient.)

And then. The scene.

Nick comes to see June at night. Not a grand gesture. Not an escape plan. Just Nick. Standing there. Wanting to see her one last time.

Beth knows immediately he’s not there for her. He’s there for June.

“So you’re a Commander now. You can go get Hannah. You can get me out.”

June demands. June hopes. But Nick — god, Nick — just says:

“I’m sorry.”

And you can see the apology kill him. Because for once, he’s powerless too.

When June snaps:

“Can you do anything? What are you good for?”

Nick flinches. Visibly. Like she slapped him. And you feel every ounce of his shame, his heartbreak, his helplessness.

He tells her he’s getting deployed. He’s leaving. This is goodbye.

And June — caught between anger and grief — says goodbye like it’s nothing. Half a whisper. Half a lie.

But the second he turns to leave, she regrets it. Instantly.

Because love like this — messy, brutal, alive — doesn’t just disappear.

So she calls him back. Reaches for his hand. Pulls him into her room.

One last time. One last night. One last tether to a world that’s slipping away from both of them.

(To be a fly on that wall... honestly.)

[kalosian-woods]

GYM LEADER THOUGHTS PT. 3

(pt 1 here / pt 2 here)

VALERIE

Yes, I'm still mad that the first episode within Laverre (that even has Serena's face in the title card sequence for JP version) didn't have Serena vs Valerie. It was perfect. It was cool. For once Serena knew about the Gym Leader before everyone and just happened to not tell them until they were already there. But enough about Serena and more about the star of this show.

Honestly I wish we got more of Valerie as a whole. She's a lady from Johto who decided to stick around Kalos and set up shop here as a fashion designer (which looks to be a pretty lucarative buisiness if all of those crowds and hearsay mean something). She looks as light and drifty as a feather, but also can come down as hard as a mallet.

(ngl every sylveon encounter sans serena's one scares me in the anime, why are they Like That)

It really is a testament to how much she truly understands her Pokemon to be able to make full use of their abilities, like Sylveon's feelers or utilizing Trick Room to boost Spritzee's speed (in which, hey, why is its speed stat so low fr??), and I love how much that connects with her keen eye for Pokemon-styled fashion and her love for Pokemon overall.

The very fact that one of her most leading desires, if not the most leading desire, is that she wants to be a Pokemon as well/becoming one with them is amazing as it is, thematically and from a characterisation standpoint. That's the reason why she designs her clothes the way they are-- to mimic the Pokemon to a T and hopefully transfer that feeling and replicate the effect. It's such an interesting goal in Kalos itself: where people and Pokemon bonding together can cause the rise of the local phenomenon, where we have previously learnt a lesson with Korrina about the roles in a battle, where we are at the third quarter of the journey to the Kalos League. It feels almost late, except that I feel like it's more of a late AND early 'concept' as it is.

Late as in we've already delved into the roles of people and Pokemon, and how each of them fufill their own roles in battle and have their own strengths/weaknesses, covering each other up through trust and love (basically the whole basis of Mega Evolution). But in a way, isn't Valerie already following that principle by talking to Sylveon pre-battle, telling the Pokemon what to do, keeping focused on what Ash is calling out or is possibly planning?? (but also seriously, major parallels to Ramos talking with Gogoat in battle and satisfying its bloodlust lol)

And early when we think about Ash-Greninja; wasn't Ash, in that state, becoming Greninja? Weren't they merging, becoming one, beyond one? And didn't they viscerally need that connection? And didn't they understand each other beyond words? And didn't Greninja adopt Ash's look and Ash adopt Greninja's stance, a physcial reminder of their bond?

(c'mon let me have this gif... at least it looked nice here and actually showed the whole similarities to mega evo in a way that even i can tell...)

The fact that her designs are based on Pokemon are also what she views as 'true beauty' 'inspired by nature itself' (subs surprised me by giving her a rural accent lol), which ALSO links a lot to the upcoming Team Flare arc (well... whatever part of the arc we got) (look, all we got was a rushed rant about beauty and sharing for two eps in terms of 'themes' and it still gets me :c) with their own perceptions of beauty. In a way it's fitting that we get this in the Fairy Gym, where beauty is expected and sort of standardised, especially since Valerie is a designer. She has to make beautiful clothes, so she can sell them to enough people and get enough hype to start the next collection.

But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? And I like how Fairy Type Pokemon in and of themselves aren't conventionally 'attractive' or y'know, the common image of fairies themselves. We've got the Marill line, Snubbull line, the Mimes; Pokemon like Klefki and even Xerneas, Life itself. What all connects them is that idea of mystique and wonder (and lots of pink, Opal was right heh) and glamour, that is, not everything appearing as it really is. While I like the direction of Valerie designing famous fashionware, it would've been amazing to see some of that 'glamour' at its true form, beyond her slightly feral Gym Leader personality (no seriously why are Kalos Gym Leaders like that)-- maybe she adopts some of Bill's (from Kanto, y'know, the lighthouse guy) philosophy and acts as a Pokemon to really get a feel for their skin since her clothes are designed for battle. Maybe she forgoes speaking some days and surrounds herself with her Pokemon to get that purest essence of them. Maybe she gets challengers to indulge some 'connection' time with their Pokemon too, in a similar way of how Ramos got Ash to try out tea and gardening before the Gym Battle. Or maybe she designs some clothes off challengers Pokemon lol. Idk just give us more unhinged Valerie and I'm yours, people.

OLYMPIA

Psychic-Type Gym Leaders are unusally busted in the anime (re: whatever Sabrina is on in OG/S1), but I find it so cool that Olympia can actually see the future. Not only it works so well with the Kalos themes of Life and Death and even Order, but also just the whole idea of her going out of her way to protect Kalos with this gift as well as guiding other trainers to also harness their Psychic powers.

Her apprentice, Charlene, describes this power as being led by the voice of the stars, which makes it feel like this outer force that has been determined long before anyone was around-- with the fact that the light of stars reaches Earth after travelling for millions of years, echoes of the past appearing before us today. I feel like this is especially poigant with (presumably) her duplicate ancestor in 'The Legend of X, Y and Z' Olympica, who literally looks just like her and even managed to survive the whole Yveltal Oblivion Wing buisness. I mean, we have no proof that she isn't the same person, but also just the fact that they both have predicted the rise of a Legendary and a person who follows it is pretty neat imo.

I really do want to talk about the fact that she used her powers to protect Kalos from the TSME incident regarding Kyogre and Groudon, though; because honestly, we don't really get to see the actual effects of Legendary clashes and that's one thing I like about XY, that they at least think about that (even though we just got a side mention of it here).

Beyond the fact that it's Sycamore who brings it up (hi bro, how's Lysandre and Alain doing heh), I find it interesting that most of her visions regard what the Legendary Pokemon are doing. Which makes sense in a way, because they are the major movers in the Pokemon world-- most plots, human-caused or otherwise, usually involve them. And the fact that Charlene talks about having to decipher what Olympia's current predictions means to figure out their scale and significance really shows that it's not only the work of Olympia to save everyone, but something that the whole city/the Psychic Trainers take part in. Something something teamwork makes the dream work something.

On top of that, the way that they 'took all possible countermeasures' in Kalos to prevent any casualties or negative effects really speaks to the peace that the Kalos region truly enjoys, and how that banks on Olympia's predictions and the analysis of Anistar City residents. Because all Kalosian are protected from threats like these, I feel like that really softened them up in a way. Hoenn over here has dealt with Groudon and Kyogre at least twice in Ash's run, while Kalos has, up to this point (anime-wise) only had that Jan problem with the XY special, since there is no indication of the Pokemon War having happened. And maybe that factors towards Lysandre believing that he has a right to cull the world as he sees fit with Legendaries, because there hasn't been anything like this before, and maybe that leads to the reduced amount of participants in the League, and maybe that is something that Alain reflects when he compares his past self to his present self (hardened by circumstances beyond his control).

And maybe the way that Olympia goes through this visions is her own way of doing what's right, even if it means coddling them, even if it means holding their hand with the Psychic Trainers getting guided through a meditation session (which leads to Carrie getting 'carried' away with her own views on the future), because only she can truly see the visions and in a way, she's always going to be a little biased. Being a Leader (in more ways than one) would probably mean for her that she has to make the hard decisions, especially since the bulk of the predictions falls onto her to view and describe them. I know that she comes around with Charlene to admonish Carrie but imo the way that it's a 'habit' speaks a lot as to how long this has been going on, and honestly I just like imagining the great oracle being a mother hen and wanting to protect everyone no matter the cost. Also also I wish her predictions made more sense sometimes ('deep green eyes' 'green fire' girl it's clearly red fire and the only thing green is Squishy's body, not his eyes) (ik I'm not supposed to take it literally but also it's not just me, right?? it could've been cooler) and also because she relies so much on 'seeing' past and future, I'm having her in the AU have a blindfold on so she can focus 100% on her visions (which can be shown as pinpricks of light/ 'stars' that she views in the darkness of the blindfold) with her Meowstic and Charlene guiding her in the physical world. Look, I'm just having fun with this AU lol :P

WULFRIC

We know him, we hopefully love him: the guy who ended Ash's relentless winning streak against all of the other Gym Leaders and who indirectly forced him to self-reflect and reconnect with Greninja (no matter how quick that reconnection was :/). Wulfric to me is such a mixed bag in the way that we don't get to see as much of him as the others, even though in-games we initially meet him in the Pokemon Village and see how much he cares about other Pokemon, looking after all of these wild ones and even asking us to check around.

Strictly talking about anime though, he's definitely a character. After spending the better part of a season getting to his Gym, he absolutely wipes the floor with Ash. And I find it interesting that it's not the first match but in the rematch that he whips out Mega Evolution, especially since (a) no other Gym Leader in any continuity, I believe, uses that except Korrina and (b) he actually and actively makes the rematch harder right in front of Ash's eyes and goads him into doing his best against his Abomasnow. Just straight-up chills lol. Can't say that he isn't testing Ash for all he's worth. And his quote, ugh /pos!!!

(yes his anime line is the same as the games, that's just Gym Leaders at this point lol)

Going through the in-game quotes, it really seems that he's an honest guy (to a fault) who likes to state things as they are, no matter how hard or soft it may come off as (which is very much shown in anime, even with the little screentime). He's unrelenting, hard-headed, and as inflexible as ice + numerous other faults that he's glad to list lol. But he's also got a family and he keeps a picture of them in his locket (get away, anime) and is glad to have supportive friends and if that isn't the true depth and duality of this man then idk what is heh (old man opposite of Ramos over here with the fluidity of man instead lol).

And honestly? I think these traits are such good ones to come across for the last Gym, for Ash and for us. That you can survive life being stubborn and unrelenting, and you can also be as fluid as water, and each of these ways have their own strengths and weaknesses. And it is about covering for those weaknesses and leaning to those strengths that make all the difference-- No, rather it is through the bond you make, with both people and Pokemon, that allows for the covering of your faults and the boost to your own strength.

As any self-respecting XY AU will do /j, I'm obviously going to linger on Snowbelle and the effects that it has on everybody. We desperately needed more of Wulfric as a whole, not only as a Gym Leader but as... well... himself. For a Gym at such a pivotal moment of Ash's (and everyone else's) journey, we should be getting oodles out of him. And the games literally gives us an option with the Pokemon Village!! Like imagine Ash and Greninja facing such a place, a place where Wulfric said was filled with Pokemon that were abandoned or too strong for their own good (isn't that what Greninja was, so long ago?). Or just Ash finding out that Wulfric has a life outside of the Gym a la Brawly style in Hoenn, realising that battling isn't everything. That this super strong Gym Leader that is demolishing his team isn't even training non-stop like he has been (can you tell how many times I wish Ash got that reminder in XY???). At this point of time where Ash is distancing himself from his friends and they can't do anything, where Sawyer has surpassed his idol and Serena is disillusioned, shouldn't Wulfric, in all of his stubborn and woman-respecting (no seriously, have you seen his face when Ash handed Serena his jacket the first time they battled?? also family of girls and His Wife) glory be the one to show Ash the way?? Not in words, I don't feel like he's the type of guy to wax poetry or lecture him on some grand moral. But in actions. In just being himself.

CRISIS TIME (OKAY ❤️ YAY ❤️)

(no i'm not going into the whole clembot thing even though it does link to clemont and his role as a gym leader. that needs another ask/post)

Honestly there isn't much to say about the Gym Leaders together, except that it was very sudden lol. We don't get much chemistry out of them beyond the very obvious Grant + Viola (hey guys), but there is the fact that they decided to come together at Lumiose together, and before that, watch the whole Lysandre talk (which meant that they were definitely paying attention for the League). Does it make much sense?? Not really, especially since... Umm... where are they watching this again??

Yeah. Fun places to watch. Don't fall off a cliff, Grant. And also cool 5G network you got there, Olympia, must be nice to pirate channels like that.

But I do like the fact that they all came to work together rather than just them all doing their seperate things. It must've been hard with all of their differing personalities and battling styles, but they were stronger for it, working towards that one goal together: stopping the Megalith.

Valerie pulling out Spritzee with Moonblast, Korrina running ahead with Mega Lucario and Bone Rush, Ramos paving a way with Grass Knot and such powerful words:

(even though once again, please, we need more work on Ash for this to be applicable... but yes, for once, he can't afford to look back, he has to keep going, this is the price of strength - that it's only you who can handle the burden at the very end)

Viola freeing them from the vines and getting one-shotted herself, Grant building his own wall for them to climb before seeing what happened to her and jumping to save her anyways, because they care. Wulfric stopping the vines coming in from behind them, because he cares. Because they all care-- Malva going ahead to clear the way besides Diantha, Sycamore, Clemont and yes, even *suppresses laughter* Blaziken Mask. Olympia somehow surviving all of this to blast off a few Future Sight attacks. And even afterwards with the Lysandre Rock (yes, I'm calling it that), the way that they all collaborated together (Valerie calling out Light Screen/acts as Protect against the first attack, Clemont directing everyone to the device on Lysandre's arm as an attack point, the way they kept attacking and believing and trusting that this will do it, that they will stop it, that all their efforts aren't for naught, a force so strong it tided Zygarde over to fight for their side--). All of this is the accumulation of them, deep down, deciding that they love this world as it is and will do anything for it. Will protect it, will fight for it, will even sacrifice themselves for it. As Ash aptly says:

And even though we never get any time for the Gym Leaders to, y'know, actually talk to each other, I can't say that it was nothing. Because taking down the Megalith? It was a team effort, and actually needed some sort of collaboration and mutual understanding to fight it the way they did. Even if we do go with the assumption that none of them know each other beyond strictly canon, well, you can't say they didn't make memories together.

Of course the Crisis had more than them and I can go into that, but since we're going about the Gym Leaders here we're sticking with it. But man, for a big event that had somewhat patchy leadup, you have to admit it was flashy. Not going to spoil for the AU, but basically you can catch some of my drift here lol, and honestly, feel free to drop your suggestions (everyone!!). Because while it was okay, I honestly, truly, believe that the Kalos Crisis and everything before it could've been oodles more better and fleshed out while retaining that dramatic effect.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Anyways, that's all of my current thoughts about them acculmulated over a few days, ngl I have more thoughts now after pouring over this all but I can't be bothered to add anything at this point ^^' Hopefully you've enjoyed my analysis/rant/thoughts about life itself, it was pretty fun embedding pics and gifs even if it was such a big pain lol. Feel free to add your own thoughts about the Gym Leaders, I love hearing new ideas and perspectives heh :D <333

[many-interests-life]

New Negaishipping AU

A new account means a new au with some new headcanons, as well as some old ones, along with some impressive twists and turns in it.

Like my last au, we're starting at the end of Pokémon Journeys. At age 11, Ash and Pikachu take the road, going wherever the wind takes them. When stopping at a Pokémon Center, Ash sees a notice for an entry battle between Iris and Trip. Seeing Iris in an entry battle scared Ash, knowing that losing to Cynthia dropped Iris down to 8th place in the Masters 8 after he took 1st from Leon. He decided to go to Unova to watch the match, and cheer for his close friend. When he got there, it was already the finale, with the matchup being Trip's Serperior vs Iris's Haxorus. Serperior was starting to squeeze the life out of Haaxorus with Wrap, and Iris began to have an anxiety attack. However, she started to hear the cheering voice of Ash Ketchum from the crowd. She turned, saw him there, and began to calm down, and shared that same energy with Haxorus, who eventually broke free using Poison Jab and later beating Serperior to give Iris the win. After the battle, Iris ran up to Ash and pounced him with a hug. As soon as Ash blushed, he, as well as his Lucario, knew that he had a crush on Iris.

After that, Ash and Iris call each other often while they're traveling in different directions. It gets a little annoying for their Pokémon to listen to them sound awkward towards each other.

Iris's 12th birthday unfortunately happened to be on the busiest day in Unova, so none of her friends or rivals could make it to her birthday party. Well, not ALL of them, as Ash traveled to Opelucid City just for that purpose, and even though he was the only one to come, Ash's appearance made Iris smile. As presents, he gave her a Dragon Amulet that he had Olivia make him back on Akala Island in the Alola Region, he showed off his own Snivy, now a fully evolved and powerful Serperior, and he challenged Iris to a double battle, which ends in a tie, making Ash the first Monarch in the history of the Pokémon World Coronation Series to ever tie in a battle. After this battle was when Iris realizes she has a real crush on Ash.

Not long after, a new Masters 8 Tournament is announced, with the bracket changing slightly. Alain was now the Kalos Champion, with Diantha retiring after that. Marnie was in as well, now as the new Spikemuth Gym Leader, as well Flint (Sinnoh Elite Four Member) and Raihan returning to the ranks. The final results of this tournament were the finals being between Ash and Iris, with Lucario vs Haxorus in the final clash, and Mega Lucario emerging victorious, allowing Ash to keep his title of Monarch.

After the Tournament, Ash and Iris begin to travel together once again, as their journey were far from over. From ages 13 to 14, they have all sorts of adventures, and training Ash's older Pokemon to get stronger and possibly evolve, with Ash's Gible evolving to a Garchomp being their biggest success. Along the way, they stop in Hoenn, where they meet Serena and May, and these three girls that they all became friends when meeting in Hoenn after their starting travels with Ash. This surprises him, and he asks Serena and May to join him and Iris on their Journeys. May sadly declines, as she became the Hoenn Princess and Top Idol, and had duties that kept her in Lilicove City, but Serena agrees to join him. Later, Cilan reunites with Ash and Iris and gets introduced to Serena, who was thrilled at first, but later gets annoyed at Cilan's evaluations. Sure reminds Serena of a certain nerd she traveled with in the past...

From ages 14 to 16 (For Ash, Iris, and Serena. For Cilan, he was just now entering his 20s), Ash, Iris, Serena, and Cilan all travel together and have many adventures together. At one point, Ash decides to go home to Pallet Town and relax. There, Ash introduces his friends to his mom. And all his friends find the peaceful to be more relaxing than city life, which was what they had to live in for a while. During that time, Ash confesses to Iris that he likes her, and they agree to start their dating life together. Little did they know that Serena like Ash as well, and saw their confession, and began to feel jealous and upset. Eventually, Serena decided to confess to Ash, and surprisingly, she didn't get the response she was expecting, as Ash accepted it too. So now, he has two girlfriends. And here comes another twist. After getting her life saved by Iris from a final, ultimate catastrophe cause by Team Rocket, Serena started to have feelings for Iris!!! Eventually, without Ash or Cilan knowing, Serena confesses to Iris, Iris accepts, and the two of them are now dating. Little did they know that Lucario was watching the confession, and through Aura, Ash saw it too, but he wasn't angry, but actually happy, as he saw Serena actually happy, and Iris said she would always be loyal to Ash first. Later, the two girls admit their new relationship to Ash and Cilan, and while Cilan is shocked and a little angry at Iris, Ash isn't, as he admits he saw the confession through Lucario's Aura-infused eyes, which shocks them. Now, we have a three-way tie between Negaishipping, Amourshipping, and Fairdragonshipping. (I know the original word for this, but I'm not using it, because I don't care for it.)

After all three confessions, they all tell their friends and family, with May being the most shocked, as she was friends with Ash, Iris, and Serena equally! from ages 16 to 18 They all have a very interesting dating life ahead of them.

Sometime during their dating life, the three travel with Goh, Chloe, Cilan, and Clemont and Bonnie altogether, and they all have a lot of fun. At one point, Ash gets challenged by Hop, who is now the new Galar Champion. After a fierce clash, the battle ends with Ash and Pikachu using their specialty Z-Move, 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt, with Ash emerges victorious. This impresses mostly Iris, but everyone agrees to go visit the Alola region for a while.

For a whole year, when they were both 18, Ash and Iris stay and enjoy the Alola. I say only Ash and Iris, because everyone had to leave to do their own personal things back in their respective homes, even Serena. During her first full year in Alola, Iris meets Ash's Alola friends, becomes rivals with Kiawe and Gladion, becomes an Ultra Guardian member, and receives her own Z-Ring with various Z-Crystals, and catches some Alolan Pokémon of her own.

After their time in Alola, Ash and Iris reunite with Serena. From ages 18 to 19, and this time accompanied by Goh, who is now a professor's assistant in Project Mew, they all travel together again. During this time frame, they are all in Kalos, where with the help of Korrina, Iris and Serena receive Mega Stones for their respective Pokémon. And then, at age 20, instead of Ash being the one to propose, Iris is the one to propose to Ash. And after they recently turn 21, Ash marries Iris. The both of them offered Serena to marry them too, but Serena politely declined, as she was too pleased to see Iris happy with Ash as newlyweds. She promised that she would always love them both, but she ends up marrying Shauna 6 months after Ash and Iris got married. In exchange, Ash and Iris promised that if they have children, Serena would be their godmother, which made Serena cry tears of joy.

There's my new au! I'll post headcanons for each section along the remainder of this year! I hope you enjoy my new au! I know I didn't mention Lucario very often, but he still plays a major role in the au, and I will mention him in the headcanon sets.

To @pokenoire , talking to you and realizing your place in Tumblr inspired me to add some pieces of your passion into it, and I'll keep it up throughout the year. I did include some lesbian Serena bits into you. And yes, even though I said she was dating both Ash and Iris, she started to get more interested into Iris after she got saved from Team Rocket.

To @moonxpalace , please don't hate me or feel disgusted when you read the twists I chose to make with Ash and Iris's dating lives! I was just trying to be creative!

[predictionprincessmieru]

Ash has changed. Serena has chosen.

Our hero's journeys diverge, as Serena begins her quest to conquer the Pokémon League and Ash sets out beyond the lands of the Kalos Region. Yet, even apart, their hearts remain connected— For they now have the same goal, to 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙉𝙚𝙬.

Follow our heroes as they struggle, persevere, and evolve in the 2nd entry to the Trying Something New series.

Chapter 1 of Pokémon XY: Finding Something New is out now! Read "The Journey Continues - Serena vs Viola!" at the links below!

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/59830117

FFN: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14402750/1/Pok%C3%A9mon-XY-Finding-Something-New

[bestygogirl]

BEST YGO GIRL TOURNAMENT

Submissions: Closed

Tournament begins evening of September 26. Polls will last one week.

There will be 64 match ups in round 1 and to make it easier, these will be split up into four groups of 16.

I will not reblog propaganda that is bashing one opponent rather than being primarily focused on supporting one.

Mod IS biased but won't be voting.

Groups and match ups under the cut!

(match orders subject to change)

Group A:

Barbara VS Rovian Kirishima

Aqua VS Yoko Sakaki

Eve VS Sushiko Maki

Gloria Tyler VS Princess G

Dog-Chan VS Ranran Nanahoshi

Melissa Claire VS Miyu Sugisaki

Brooke Walker/Umimi VS Epoch

Himika Akaba VS Queen

Akari Tsukumo VS Aileen Rao

Reira Akaba VS Kyoko Taki

Luna (zexal manga) VS Sorako Noodle

Grace Tyler VS Sunavalon Dryatrentiay

Cathy Katherine VS Manya Atachi

Ray Akaba VS Kiku Kamishirakawa

E’Rah VS Asaka Mutsuba

Houchun Mieru VS Nanaho Nanahoshi

Group B:

Yuzu Hiragi VS Entermate Uni

Aoi Zaizen/Blue Angel VS Entermate Corn

Sayaka Sasayama VS Dian Keto

Mimi Atachi VS Diabellestar

Asana Mutsuba VS Cyber Tutu

Yuamu Ohdo VS Dark Magician Girl

Ranze Nanahoshi VS Darklord Ixchel

Yuna Goha VS Cyber Angel Dakini

Light Tsukiko VS Blue Eyes Abyss Dragon

Rebecca Hawkins VS Condemned Darklord/Maiden/Witch

Ecclesia VS Baronne de Fleur

Yugi’s Mom VS Ash Blossom & Joyus Spring

Echo VS Sky Striker Raye

Princess Rose VS Apollousa

Mizuchi Saiou VS Tour Guide from the Underworld

Emi Ayukawa VS Sunny

Group C:

Masumi Kotsu VS Winda

Tiger (Haruka Kamijo) VS Traptrix Rafflesia

Yuka Goha VS Tearlaments Kitkallos

Anzu Mazaki VS Silent Magician

Mitsuko Hiramori VS Sevens Road Wtich

Isis Ishtar VS Pumprincess of Ghosts

Mana VS Prima Guitarna

Rei Saotome VS Performapal Ladyange

Luna VS Nini the Mirror Mikanko

Tome VS Lyna the Light Charmer

Yubel VS Madolche Queen Tiaramisu

Mikage Sagari VS Insect Queen

Anna Kozuki VS Lady Labyrinth

Misty Lola VS Kitt

Rio Kamishiro VS Hu-Li the Jewel Mikanko

Ayu Ayukawa VS Ha-Ra the Sword Mikanko

Group D:

Serena/Celina VS Emma

Asuka Tenjoin VS Miss Mystery

Carly Nagisa VS Haru Tsukumo

Miho Nosaka VS Patty

Kotori Mizuki VS Momoe Hamaguchi

Romin Kirishima VS Junko Makurada

Ghost Girl/Emma Bessho VS Sera

Ruri Kurosaki VS Vivian Wong

Mai Kujaku VS Dinois Velgear

Kisara VS Droite

Shizuka Kawai VS Princess Adena

Camula VS Risa Kagayama

Martha VS Tilla Mook

Aki Izayou VS Xiangsheng Magician

Sherry LeBlanc VS Blaze Maiden, Rino

Rin VS Underworld Goddess of the Closed World

[mouse-romance]

The Order of the Epiphany VS The Farsight Enclave

The cathedral dressed in somber tones, upholding Sister Serena on its balcony, awaiting for the heretic xenos to show up. It was her first day as an Imagifier, ascended by her sisters even though her young age, blessed with the most peaceful voice of them all.

The doors of the cathedral opens, letting the majestic rhino and the heavily armed Sisters to march into battle. Sister Serena gets into the tank, leading the Sacresants, doubting her own worth, but with blind faith towards the Order and the Emperor.

The silent prayers, muffled by the steady growling of the tank, accompanied the Sisters inside, as they adventured into an alleway, unaware of the silent xenos that awaited them.

And suddenly, like the shadow of a ghost, the infamous Farsight himself jumped in front of them. He defiantly unsheated his heretical sword, trying to intimidate the Sisters. And soon enough, a rain of missiles and ashes striked the rhino that witheld the faithful. They prayed fevorously, knowing that their demise wasn't destined to be inside that tank, and as if the Emperor himself were shielding them, they survived the infinite missiles of the xenos. But Farsight, the "Hero" of the xenos, wasn't done yet.

He stormed towards the rhino and it was torn to pieces. The burning scraps of it flew away against the cathedral, as Sister Serena chanted peacefully to rally her Sisters, preparing for battle. They stood toe to toe against Farsight himself, but even with the shield of the Emperor and his eternal gaze upon them, they couldn't hold for very long. Farsight slaughtered the Sisters, one by one. Sister Cassiopea stood between the blade and Sister Anarchia to save her, while she dealt a deadly blow to one of the suits. As Sister Fidegna headshotted the last suit, she was impaled by the heretical runed sword...

And only Serena stood alive after that. Just the "Hero" and the Martyr. And she couldn't fight in those circumstances. Her whole equipment was the Imagifier, carrying the charred skulls of the Saints, but even against those odds, she stood firm against him. The survivors of the retributor squad, who were awaiting near the cathedral walls, could just watch as the events went on. Farsight, the "defender of the greater good", was about to murder an innocent child, a beautiful soul with the most peaceful voice of the Order. She chanted. She sang soft words of encouragement, not anger. She followed the path of the Sacred Rose, embracing the love for her Sisters more than the hatred for the xenos, as she was brutally decapitated by the xeno.

After her demise, Farsight assumed that the rest of the Sisters would retire from the battlefield. It would be the "smart move", the "logical" even, so he flew away from the crime scene, to jump back in front of the cathedral, assuming that the field was conquered.

But Sister Helestia and Sister Olivosa, who saw everything from the distance, were not going home that day. Farsight was caught by surprise. This reckless move, this "ilogical" and "unoptimal" move on the Sororitas behalf was his last mistake.

They only had to strike true once, to actually penetrate that wicked armor of him (that was already damaged by the martyr sacresants), and their righteous conviction made them unhesitant towards the adversities. A rain of grenades fell from the sky. Farsight did his best to fall back, but it was too late. The skies opened sightly to blind him with a beam of light, as the Emperor gazed down on them, and the xeno blew to pieces for his crimes.

[mamasplat]

The kalos vs amour au is rotting in my WIPS I only have the motivation to shitpost I’m sorry

Calem will use Serena as a human shield, she can take it- I believe in her-

[glittercakes]

How did, respectively, Shamus and Damien react once they laid their eyes on the lovely Serena for the first time ever and which strategies did they adopted to win her heart and steal her away from Ash?

PS How would Shamus and Damien react in a bout of jealousy whenever Serena swoons over Sir Flash, being him one of Ash's most suave and gallant personae?

When they first see Serena, they just keep staring at her. She was obviously not at all comfortable with this. Then, they decided to challenge Ash to a double battle, and if they win, Serena has to go with them. There were a lot of objections to this, especially since they were treating Serena like some kind of prize instead of as a person who can make her own decisions. However, Ash does eventually agree, on the condition that Damien and Shamus leave them alone after they lose.

It was Pikachu and Greninja vs Damien’s Electivire and Shamus’s Emboar. It was a tough fight, but Ash managed to win. However, the jerks went back on their word and attempted to grab Serena anyway. That’s when Ash transformed into Mighty Ash and sent them blasting off with a punch.

They also end up spying on the Kalos Gang and they’re both fuming when they see Serena fawning over Sir Flash, both jealous of his power and charisma.

[pokemonfan587]

Who ahould I draw Fanart of for my Anipoke timeskip AU

[otp-after-dark]

Nick is Gone but Not Forgotten (THT 3x07–3x13)

Nick’s absence leaves June unmoored — more reckless, more dangerous, more alone than we’ve ever seen her. These episodes show June slipping closer to the edge while quietly laying the foundation for the full-blown rebellion of Season 4. Without Nick grounding her, June becomes her own gravity — dangerous, brutal, determined to burn Gilead down one bloody step at a time.

Watching these episodes back-to-back feels like watching June build herself into a weapon. A weapon sharpened by grief. Honed by rage. Tempered by the memory of the people she’s fighting for — Hannah, Nichole/Holly, Nick.

Key Themes and Arcs That Stood Out

1. Betrayal and Brutality.

When her new walking partner betrays her to Aunt Lydia, June snaps. She beats her nearly to death — a brutal, unflinching moment that kicks off a landslide:

Hannah is moved.

Hannah’s Martha is executed.

June’s partner dies in the hospital.

And June? She spirals even further inward. Every death stacking on her shoulders.

Without Nick, without even Rita anymore, June has no one left to catch her when she falls.

(And that emptiness is deafening.)

2. The Birth of the Big Plan.

Out of the ashes, a new idea blooms: June will save the children of Gilead.

If she can’t save herself yet, If she can’t save Hannah yet, she will save as many others as she can.

Even if it kills her. (Especially if it kills her.)

This vision — this pivot toward open rebellion — defines the back half of Season 3.

3. Lydia’s Backstory.

We finally see where Aunt Lydia came from: Not a monster born, but a monster made — lonely, desperate, aching to believe she’s righteous.

It doesn’t excuse anything. But it reminds us that Gilead breaks everyone. Even the ones who think they’re doing God's work.

4. Fred vs. Lawrence.

Fred tries to pull Lawrence into a showdown, proving, once again, that Fred is just a little man who thinks he can outmaneuver actual monsters.

Trapping Lawrence and June in the house, forcing them toward a fake Ceremony.

And when Lawrence hesitates —when he realizes he is finally powerless in the system he helped create —June doesn’t let him off the hook:

"You helped create this world. How long did you think it would be before it came for you?"

It’s brutal. It’s deserved. It’s the cost of every compromise.

5. Eleanor’s Death.

Eleanor’s death is something different. Not victory. Not revenge. Just loss.

When Eleanor slips away — lonely, broken, drowning in despair — June could have saved her. She chooses not to.

And Lawrence? The man who has navigated every cruelty with detached pragmatism —finally breaks.

No half-smiles. No jokes. Just grief, raw and hollow.

Because Eleanor wasn’t just a casualty of war. She was everything human Lawrence had left.

6. Commander Winslow.

Winslow — all smirks and sadism — quickly becomes a threat. To June. To Lawrence. To everything that’s barely holding itself together.

But June — ruthless, feral, done with being prey — takes him out. At Jezebel’s. Blood. Fury. Survival instinct sharpened into a blade.

When she confesses what she did, Lawrence, somehow, doesn’t lose it. He just smirks — dark, resigned — because at this point, what else is left?

"Cheer up. Fred and Serena are toast. And you just got away with murder. All in all not a bad morning."

Because in Gilead, survival is the only justice left. And if you can’t laugh at the wreckage, it will swallow you whole.

7. Serena Sells Fred (and Herself).

Serena, once again, chooses herself. Flipping on Fred in a deal with the Canadians and Tuello —selling Fred out to save her own fantasy of motherhood.

But secrets don’t stay buried. Nick and June were never just Fred’s pawns. The story Serena wanted to sell unravels.

(Karma in action, honestly.)

8. Lawrence Wants to Clean Up His Own Mess.

Before the plan is set in motion — before the children are freed — June and Joseph share one quiet goodbye.

He knows he's not leaving. Not running. Not escaping the wreckage he helped create.

He says it — not defiantly, but almost softly:

"Eleanor would have wanted me to stay and clean up my own mess."

And June, battered but unbroken, offers him a final gift — not forgiveness, not absolution, but something simpler:

"May God grant you peace, Joseph."

Not every war ends with clean victories. Not every survivor walks away without scars. But for a moment, in the crumbling house where so much pain began, two broken people find a sliver of humanity between them.

Then June walks away. Into the fire. Into the blood. Into the war she is about to ignite.

Because Season 4 isn't just survival anymore. It's revolution.

And through it all:

June rises. Not soft, not safe. Hard-edged. Flaming. Unbreakable.

Even Rita — one of the last to see how much June has changed — says it best:

"Such a boss now."

And she is. Broken and bloody and stitched back together with barbed wire — but still standing. Still fighting.

Still dreaming of freedom. Still dreaming of Nick. Of Hannah. Of a world where love can survive again.

June without Nick is fire without a hearth — wild, untamable, and burning everything she touches. The resistance is born in these episodes, but so is something darker —a June who stops waiting to be saved and starts saving herself.

"Wouldn't it be funny if you actually turned out to be a hero?" June isn't waiting for heroes anymore. She’s becoming her own.

[kalosian-woods]

This may be treading into spoiler territory, but I want to ask, do you have anything planned for Shauna, Trevor, and Tierno?

Heyo and thanks for the question heh :D Dw, there's plenty I can talk about without treading on some secrets (espeically since I love the Rival Trio pls they're so good)

It's actually kind of weird how I have some crystal clear ideas for some of them and just ~vibes~ with other moments of their journeys lol. I can tell you (well, not exactly, but you get the gist) the team that I've assigned to Trevor and at least one mon that I really want to give to Shauna but Tierno is just 'please get something other than 3 Water Types'. Okay, but seriously, they're so full of potential and fun stuff all around!! They're (presumably) childhood friends that started their journeys on the same day and split paths, but still have contact with each other!! They all have different dreams and are finding their own way in the world and yet they still make time to support each other whole-heartedly!! It's such a fun spin on the usual dichotomy where people either travel together or not at all and I love that for them. The amount of mental essays and potential fic docs I get thinking about them is incredible in and of itself ngl.

For starters, I'm definitely thinking of putting the Summer Camp Arc way earlier, a little after the second Gym this time. It always confounded me whenever I think about the actual timing of that arc, like why did Ash think about getting ready for his battle with Korrina and 4 eps after he's already at camp (where he learns and then unlearns something), Serena finally commits to something without too much thought (the whole finding herself is cool on paper but there wasn't much focus on it with the actual eps beforehand pls) and lord knows what Clemont was doing. And right after that they teleport to Shalour, no joke. Going back to the Rival Trio, meeting them earlier on gives us more time with them, which everyone can benefit from lol. I have this whole thing with the camp but some points are:

More interactions overall with all of them, and I don't just mean Ash and Tierno + Serena (and Bonnie??) and Shauna + Trevor and Clemont (don't get me started on these two). I want Trevor asking Ash about all of the Pokemon that he's seen. I want Tierno dragging Clemont out of the corner because he's already had experience with Trevor doing the same. I want Serena taking up the dancing style of Tierno for funsies and Trevor trying to stop his Charmander from provoking Chespin (who knows he can't win but will battle anyone who messes with him). I want more stuff overall, more of them mixing and talking around and actually doing camp stuff together and against each other in friendly competition-y ways (edit: and also what was wrong with me why didn't I finish this lol)

Actual activities please, the one thing that always gets me with the Kalos Summer Camp vs the Sinnoh one is that A) the teams aren't that much fun, and maybe it's because they're way too small?? And no one really gets to interact with others outside of already established friend groups, even the npcs B) the activities were less, idk, interactive?? We got warm-up battle with our own mons, Pokevision, that one off-screen fishing competition, orienteering and then group battles at the end. Compare that with Sinnoh's Day 1 (getting used to a new mon and then battling with it the next day), observing Pokemon in the lake and writing up a report (and you can team up if you want), a night time race and then a triathlon.

Continuing from the last point, I enjoy the way that Sinnoh allowed everyone's own mons to shine in their own ways, while showing how people influence other Pokemon and each other as well. Angie's introduction and subsequent on-screen time was impeccable in this arc, Conway in his own team was great (even with his moments) and Jessie in the last team actually made me appreciate her a tiny bit more. They're actually going through Pokemon stuff in this camp and learning new things in fun ways, while also having the catastrophic problems that is bound to happen.

I feel like for the Kalosian variant to have that same impact that the Sinnoh one did, it would need its own standing out points. Maybe this one is more fun-orientated and based on interactions with your own Pokemon as well as the Pokemon that your team members have (and obviously people as well). Maybe we can have activities where they can swap a pokemon with a friend for the day, or go through an obstacle course, or have to find a prize with only one piece of a map. Have slightly bigger teams and have more fun team names! Why couldn't we get a Team Lugia or a Team Porygon and Porygon2, huh?

Team Rocket overall. I'm not elaborating.

There's more stuff but yeah, I feel like having a really good first arc with them would go such a long way in actually establishing credibility for the Rival Trio as a whole. We remember Tierno as the rhymthic battling style guy, and we sort of remember Shauna for introducing Showcases to Serena. But I think it says something when I couldn't tell that both Tierno and especially Trevor were gunning for the league from this arc, and ngl it felt like Shauna wasn't fully sold on Showcases until after the camp, as she was researching at the time of the camp and Serena asked if she registered in the Pancham ep (which could've been a cool plot point if we talked about it, pokeani).

I want to see Trevor learn to connect with Charmander and both of them going beyond with the merging of both their dreams (to be strong and to see all kinds of Pokemon) with both of them balancing courage with sense. I want to see the other side of this with Tierno, of a determined dream with his buddy Squirtle but not so much of a direction or an idea of where to take his dancing skills (and maybe Ash being interested in it along with Serena taking it to heart will inspire him at the camp). I want to see Showcases from Shauna's side, to see how she got into it, the highs and lows, rivals and Pokemon and the climb upwards (instead of being perfect one ep and then okay in the rest). I want the camp to change them just as much as it changed the main gang. And as time goes by they get stronger and more wiser for it, we see their teams grow alongside them, the finals with the Master Class and the League.

And speaking of the camp affecting them as much as our main group, I also want them to have their own wacky adverntures and death-defying feats. Meeting with Legendaries and Mythicals. Getting losts in forests. Trading Pokemon and joining each others side quests. Training montages and new rivals and other friends and so many accidents (and evil teams wait who said that). Ash and co are not the only main characters around here and I hope I get to play around with these goofers as much as everyone else in the really (really) big Kalos and XY overall. So do I have a concrete plan? Not exactly, but I've got some big plot points in my mind and the rest should fill itself out. Hopefully that makes sense?? I've been pooped these last few weeks so that's why it took a while with this response and the more I look at it, the more confused I am with my own response lol. But yah, seriously dw anon, you've been great!!!!!!!!! Loving these questions fr <33 Hopefully you're having a good day sans my late reply :'D

[anotherworldash]

Look at what i found on reddit

I'm laughing so hard at the pettiness X'DDDDDD I could talk all day about it.

I don't think Journeys writers hate Serena, though, they just prefers Pokeshipping.

(I don't hate her or Amour too actually, I wrote 2 fanfics of Riv4lCrushShipping and don't mind Amour as long as it's shown as respectful one-sided love, I JUST HATE THE CRAZY SHIPPERS)

That's why they fixed Serena's 'Ash obsession' in her last appearance in Journeys。 She no longer blushes over Ash like she did in XY, they changed her 'crush' into simple 'admiration' (I could swear XY serena would jump onto the boat lmao)

then, they kind of reverse the role with Misty by emphasizing Misty's (longtime) crush for Ash that many people had forgotten or missed for the past 10 years (AS THEY SHOULD) . For the final touch, they finalized it by making Ash noticed her crush for him, I love the great DETAIL that he cared about it enough to tease Misty, whereas he never reacted to Serena's crush on him.

Even as much giving Misty a hair accessory related episode. OK, you can call me deranged for this. Even fellow pokeshippers can agree to disagree with me here. But, I always see the hairtie as an analogy for 'support'. Just like holding on handkerchief symbolize bearing affection towards the owner. (I wrote about it in my post here : https://www.tumblr.com/anotherworldash/680442224201383936/pokeshipping-sumo-analysis)

Ash's presence supported Serena's character until she found her own dream and goals. At first, she didn't expect the gift, the gift was just there, intentionally given to her as a part of Ash's thankful personality. It's just like how she first met Ash. She didn't expect him to be there, but he just had to be there, and intentionally helped her because that's just how he is.

and on the flip side, Misty's presence was Ash's support. He borrowed her bike to brought Pikachu to the hospital, she defended the hospital when Team Rocket first attacked, and provided pretty much support and guidance during his first seasons. The best part is? He knew he needed it and asked Misty for it (the hairtie/support), and she said she was going to give the hairtie anyway x'D (THE FEELINGS ARE MUTUAL!).

(screencaps by : https://twitter.com/Games23_/status/1631873137800527872)

Overall, I just think that the writers return characters to their original purpose. Somehow during the making of XY they wanted to follow the formula of classic Shonen, therefore we come to this conclusion :

Misty -> to accompany and guide Ash , making him the admirable character he is now

Serena -> to showcase that the Main Character is admirable to others

There is no romance in PokeAni as it's a kid show and intentionally made to promote new products every year with every new seasons directed by different teams. But with all the fanwars out there, I think it's made clear that the writers place Misty as the main girl, and Serena, as the side girl. Just the classic Emilia vs Rem, or Chitoge vs Onodera.

I'm happy they made the mini series!! although i havent watched all episodes cause i'm still looking for official streamingsite in my country (ID) .

[turboacek-blog]

I do like XY #xy10thanniversary

Saw it was the 10th anniversary today (or yesterday by the time I posted this) and saw people decided to talk nicely about it so figured I should as well lol

I do genuinely like the series despite the discourse online about it being one of the most annoying things to me

XY I think unlike a majority of the series as I think about it had one of the strongest openings in the anime, as the whole Lumiose City-Garchomp-Froakie stuff was genuinely captivating and I feel that you will always have people hooked on XY just because of that as it’s to me on par with the first episode of the whole series with Ash and Pikachu which is also generally seen as one of the best episodes

And on a similar note, as I have issues with the team flare finale it also has one of the stronger ends to a series as well

So you have a series with a strong opening and, relatively strong ending, then you sprinkle in other generally accepted great moments in between like Ash vs Clemont it’s no surprise people love this series

And I think that’s the success of the XY, when it hits those highs it’s some of the best the anime ever has given us

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Other thoughts

I think of the six formulaic series (OS-XY) I think I like XY’s pacing the best, and that’s part of the reduced number of episodes compared to earlier series but also didn’t have the random side island adventure like BW, for the most part, the gap between gym badges and princess keys were not bad at all and I think we did spend a decent amount of time with characters that would end up recurring such as the rivals, the family members, mentors, etc

I already made a post about it but I think Clemont is my favorite male companion of Ash’s as I think he fills that sweet spot of being a smarter intelligent member of the group to explain things not only for the audience but the rest of the group but he’s also not so smart that Ash Serena and Bonnie can’t give their intelligence about subjects, and also the balance of since Clemont is close in age to Ash we get to see a Psuedo brotherly bond, rivalry and friendship between them where other companions lack at least one of those aspects, and I think he’s also a nice balance between each two members as he’s not as fit and adventurous as Serena which plays off of Ash and Bonnie, but he’s also more battle-ready like Ash contrasting Serena and Bonnie, yet has the sibling dynamic with Bonnie that Ash and Serena don’t relate to

Serena is this weird mix of I definitely see why people like her and she’s not my fav girl companion but I’m not going to say that her story wasn’t handled well at all, as any non super positive feelings about her is my personal feelings and nothing with her, I think tiring her and Ash together via camp was a That brilliant move without it being too soul-cross lovers, the crush added a unique aspect to the show that hasn’t really been touched on since maybe OS, I enjoyed each of her three Pokémon, and the sister's bond with Bonnie was adorable as we never really got something like that excluding maybe the SM girls

Bonnie grew on me a lot, when I was first watching it it’s hard to relate to the kid character but over time I appreciate the nice story work they did for her while also not shoving her to the front until kinda the Team Flare finale stuff, I think while I did like Max Bonnie was able to be a lot more likable as a character and it’s interesting because I think in a lot of ways she’s like the little girl Ash

Ash is the controversial one I noticed and while I see where both sides are coming from I am neutral on this Ash but he’s not the boring Ash but he’s also not the badass Ash I think he’s the Ash that was finally able to relax, early on we see that fire in him to get stronger and go things head first and through XY we see him slow down and be more at peace with what’s going on around him which is why I think people say he’s the most mature Ash, which he’s definitely more mature than OS Ash for sure but I think the maturity gets confused with lack of childishness, Ash while having his moments wasn’t as goofy here which I think is what I missed here as I think a “core” part of Ash is his fun side which was nonexistent was less here it felt like which obviously has the pros of viewers getting what seems to be a more grown-up Ash also I think loses a crucial part of him

Side characters

While not my favorite batch of side characters I think to say they were bad would be a disservice as they all played their role well, I think the standouts are Tierno Shauna and Korinna

Battles

I know there’s discourse about the animation and art style and just general battle decisions but I do think that the battles looked great and I think visually wise they peaked gym battle-wise here, each battle felt like each person had some experience to them as even the more rookie trainers were using moves that you never see from a previous series early on or even later in that journey

As I can (I’m not) be in the camp that thinks Pikachu losing to Surskit was stupid but I think the battle did show that Surskit was a problem and to be taken seriously despite it being a Surskit

Pokémon

Despite some personal feelings, I do think this was maybe the most solid cast of Pokémon (as in Ash and companions) only behind a few like maybe an OS and SM

I think despite some losses that you can argue about this is one of the most consistent Pikachu’s as no electric “reset”, I think Ash’s other five had distinct personalities and traits, same with Serena’s and Clemont's and Dedenne

And should point out that you can’t convince me Ash-Greninja isn’t the most fanfiction thing the show has done, but it is admittedly very cool, I even used one for my Pokémon Moon play-through as I just thought it would be cool to use

Mega Evolution Specials

I never got the same attachment to these specials as I watched them much later but they were very good specials and I’m glad they did the thing of making them in the same universe and tiring them into Ash and the gang's storylines

As I’m not an Alain fan I do like him as a second protagonist and of the few that probably think that him being the one to beat Ash in the league was acceptable (more thoughts on that in a separate post maybe lol)

Marron and Chespy were cute, Steven was cool, Team Flare was a big upgrade over their game counterparts, etc

Overall not my favorite series definitely one of the series where I can just put a gym battle on or see certain things over without it feeling dated