When I was a kid, one of the first books I really fell in love with was Pokemon Adventures (also called Pokemon Special). While the plot was nothing out of the ordinary, what I really enjoyed was the personality of the characters. In the Pokemon games and anime, the main cast are all somewhat simple. But in Pokemon Adventures, the author really goes the full mile in bringing out the gang. Red is a happy-go-lucky adventurer, while Blue is a narcisstic trainer who is always one step ahead. This rivalry is set up so well, that even though everyone already knows who is going to win the championship, it’s still an amazing moment.
My favorite out of all the cast, however, is Yellow, the hero of the second arc. In a world centered around Pokemon battles, Yellow refuses to fight. In fact, she doesn’t evolve anyone in her team until the very end, considering them friends rather than a battle squad. In the final climax, everyone evolves by their own will, to save Yellow from falling into the pit of an active volcano. Whenever I do a Pokemon run through these days, I now always keep my team at their first evolution until the final Elite Four fight.
For anyone who is a fan of Pokemon Adventures, I would highly highly recommend the fan series Festival of Champions. It focuses entirely on the Indigo League tournament, but each fight is less of a battle, and more of an exploration of the character’s ideals and beliefs in what a Pokemon battle is. Only 12 or so chapters have been released, but I can confidently say I’ve cried every time I read through them.
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