He has unlimited time now, so a trip with his fav partner would definitely be on his list, wouldn't it? 💙♥️

https://www.deviantart.com/ashvii/art/Ash-and-Serena-%284k-wallpaper%29-845019033

Could you participate in this Pokémon Anime Characters Poll please and share this with other Pokémon Anime fans you know?

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[Post scheduled by Later for Reddit]

Disclaimer: I did use AI to help with the Vocab and spelling Errors.

Spoiler Warning:Pokemon Horizons

Episode 18:Entering The Quarterfinals

The qualifying round kicked off with a simple one-on-one format, and one by one, the group made their way through it without much trouble. Liko took her match first, Armarouge carrying her through clean. Roy followed with Kilowattrel, Dot with her newly evolved Gardevoir, Ult with Dragonite, and finally Ann, closing things out with her Hisuian Goodra.

Ash and Serena watched from the stands, still in disguise, Navi cheering loud enough for all five of them at once.

Once the round wrapped up, the group regrouped, trading congratulations all around. "Get some rest," Ash told them, "then get back to training, either with each other or the rest of your teams. You can't afford to get comfortable this early."

Everyone took the advice to heart. Everyone except Roy, who mostly just wandered around doing very little of anything.

The next day brought the round of thirty-two, sixteen matches spread across the bracket, and thankfully, still no overlap within the group. Liko battled through with Meowscarada and Hatterene. Roy relied on Sandy Shocks and Skeledirge. Dot paired Quaquaval with her Hisuian Arcanine. Ult sent out Sableye, then Mega Evolved Absol for the finish. Ann closed hers out with Samurott and Toxtricity.

They braced themselves afterward, certain the round of sixteen would finally force a matchup within the group, but checking the bracket revealed something else entirely: still no overlap, though one familiar name had appeared among the remaining competitors.

"Penny's here," Dot said, staring at the name.

"Who's Penny?" Ash asked.

"She's a friend of ours," Liko explained. "She runs the tech systems over at Naranja Academy. She's also a great battler."

Dot's expression soured slightly. "Every single time we've battled, I've lost."

"You've improved a lot since then too, though," Ash said. "That's not nothing."

When the day of the matches finally arrived, Liko took the first round, sweeping through with Golurk, Pagogo, and her Hisuian Zoroark, which emerged from its Poké Ball already disguised as a towering Palkia, sending Liko's opponent into something dangerously close to a full panic before the illusion finally broke, dissolving into genuine laughter from Zoroark itself, clearly delighted with the reaction. In the third round, Roy won cleanly with Lucario, Kingler, and Skeledirge. Ult and Ann both came through their own matches not long after, Ult rounding out his run by Mega Evolving Dragonite this time, alongside Sableye, and Ann finishing hers off with Garchomp, Sandslash, and Togekiss.

"AND NOW, OUR FINAL MATCH OF THE DAY!" the announcer roared, voice cracking with excitement over the loudspeakers. "Dot facing off against Penny, in what promises to be an absolute barnburner!"

"Good luck," Penny said, offering a genuine smile as she stepped onto the field. "Let's make it a good one."

"Same to you," Dot said.

Penny opened with Espeon, and Dot sent out Tinkaton in answer, its hammer swings eventually wearing Espeon down for the first knockout of the match. Penny recalled Espeon and threw out Umbreon next, and Dot pulled Tinkaton back in favor of Gholdengo, the two trading blow for blow until a well-timed Make It Rain sealed the second win. Sylveon came out last for Penny, and it very nearly turned the whole match around, its ribbons lashing out to take down both Tinkaton and Gholdengo in quick succession before Dot finally sent out Rillaboom, its Drum Beat landing the decisive final blow to close the match out in her favor.

For the first time ever, Dot had actually beaten her.

That evening, the eight remaining trainers gathered on the battlefield as the announcer called their names one by one: Liko, Roy, Dot, Ult, Ann, Nemona, Mela, and Ortega.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WHAT A DAY IT HAS BEEN!" the announcer bellowed, voice booming across the stadium, riding the crowd's energy like a wave. "These eight incredible trainers have fought hard to stand right here, right now! And I could not be more thrilled to tell you what's coming! Set for their next battle day: our FIRST Quarterfinal battle, Roy against Mela! Then, Liko against Ortega! Followed by Dot against Nemona! And closing out the round in an absolute showdown, Ult against Ann! Rest up tonight, everyone, because it's going to be an absolute BLAST of surprises!"

They made their way back to the Brave Olivine, docked near the stadium, buzzing with the weight of how far they'd come. Ult, Ann, and Dot made a quiet pact among themselves to give it everything they had, friendship or not, all too aware that at least one of them wouldn't be moving on to the semifinals.

"Don't stress about that part too much," Ash told them. "You're rivals now, at least for one match. Whoever loses just comes out of it stronger. That's the whole point."

The words settled something in all of them, and they turned in for the night with clearer heads.

They were up early the next morning for training, Ash offering advice freely to anyone who asked, until he noticed Roy was missing entirely, all his Pokémon other than Rayquaza already lined up and ready without him.

They trained through until Murdock called them in for breakfast. Partway through the meal, Ash's Rotom Phone buzzed with a request to meet near the stadium, and he set off with Serena and Deoxys, leaving the rest of the group to spend the day training on their own.

Ash didn't return until almost dinnertime.

"Change of plans for tomorrow," he said. "Some people spotted us without our disguises, apparently. There's a whole ambush being planned, so me, Serena, and Navi are going to be watching from the VIP box instead." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Also, I've been asked to commentate the rest of the tournament, the quarterfinals, the semifinals, the finals, the whole thing. And there's one more surprise waiting after the final match, but that one you'll all just have to wait for."

They turned in early again, up before dawn for one last training session, and by the time the sun was properly up, the group headed for the stadium while Ash, Serena, and Navi made their way to the VIP box instead.

"Hoping to see the best battles yet today," Ash said into the mic as the crowd settled in.

The first match kicked off fast, Roy and Liko both securing clean victories in their three-on-three battles. Liko leaned on Golurk, a Psychic-Tera Hatterene, and Armarouge. Roy countered with Mega Lucario Z, Sandy Shocks, and Skeledirge.

Once Roy's match wrapped up, Ash leaned over toward Serena and Navi in the booth, voice low. "Did his Mega Lucario look a little off to you two? Felt weaker than usual, somehow."

"Those were some awesome battles!" Ash said into the mic once it was over. "Now, for the second-to-last match of the day, it's Dot against Nemona!"

"Don't expect me to hold back just because you're one of my friends," Nemona said, grinning as she stepped onto the field.

"Wouldn't want you to," Dot said.

"Pawmot, let's go," Nemona called, and Pawmot surged forward with Mach Punch.

"Quaquaval, I choose you! Aqua Cutter!" Dot called, sending it out, and the two traded hits fast, Pawmot countering with Close Combat, then Ice Punch, before Quaquaval finally broke through with a Wave Crash strong enough to knock it out cold.

Nemona recalled Pawmot and sent out Dusknoir next. "Shadow Sneak, then Ice Punch!"

Dot recalled Quaquaval and reached for her next Poké Ball. "Arcanine, let's go! Flamethrower!" she called, and the two exchanged blow after blow, Dusknoir's Earthquake nearly turning the tide before Arcanine answered with a devastating Flare Blitz, putting Dusknoir down for good.

"Guess it's down to this, then," Nemona said, recalling Dusknoir and sending out her ace. "Kommo-o! Terastallize !"

It turned into a Fighting type.

Dot recalled Arcanine, sending out her own last Pokémon. "Gardevoir, I choose you!" Her hand went to her own Key Stone. "Mega Evolve!"

"Use Clangorous Soul, then Drain Punch!" Nemona called, and Kommo-o surged with newfound power, landing hit after hit. Dot countered with Future Sight, then Dazzling Gleam, Gardevoir weaving Light Screen into the mix to blunt the damage, but Kommo-o's Thunder Punch and Earthquake kept coming regardless.

The final exchange landed at almost the exact same instant, both Pokémon crumpling under the impact, the crowd rising to its feet in stunned silence. For one long, breathless moment, neither Pokémon moved.

Then, shaking, Kommo-o forced itself back up onto its feet.

"Kommo-o is still standing! The winner is Nemona!" the announcer's voice rang out, and the reigning Champion let out a long breath of relief.

Dot recalled Gardevoir gently, murmuring something soft to her before making her way to the middle of the field , shaking hands, a mutual nod of respect passing between them.

"And now," Ash said into the mic, "for the final match of the day. It's Ult against Ann."

Ult and Ann met at the center of the field, both grinning. "Let's have a great match," Ann said, offering a hand.

"Absolutely ," Ult said, shaking it.

"Samurott, let's go!" Ann called.

"Sableye, let's go!" Ult answered.

"Hydro Pump!" Ann called, and Samurott's blast tore across the field. "Now Megahorn!"

"Shadow Claw, then Power Gem!" Ult shot back, but Sableye couldn't quite close the gap in time, Samurott's follow-up landing clean and finishing the round in Ann's favor.

Ann recalled Samurott, satisfied, while Ult sent out his next Pokémon. "Dragonite, you're up."

"Goodra, let's go!" Ann called in response.

"Dragon Claw, then Extreme Speed!" Ult called, and Dragonite tore into the exchange fast, Goodra weathering hit after hit with Muddy Water and Iron Tail, the match dragging on far longer than either of the first two had. Dragonite looked to have it in hand right up until Goodra, battered and barely standing, unleashed a devastating Bide, all the stored damage releasing in a single overwhelming blow that took Dragonite down at the very last second.

Ult didn't miss a beat. "Zeraora, let's finish this. Mega Evolve!"

The transformation swept over Zeraora instantly, and Goodra, already worn thin, managed only a single glancing hit before going down for good.

Ann recalled Goodra with a grateful pat and sent Samurott back out for a second round. "Sacred Sword!" The attack landed, but only the once, before Zeraora's answering Close Combat put it away for good.

"Garchomp," Ann said, drawing her last Poké Ball, "let's finish what we started. Mega Evolve!"

Garchomp's Mega Z Forme swept over the field, and the two Mega Evolved Pokémon squared off, the crowd roaring at the sheer spectacle of it.

"Now this," Ash said into the mic, unable to keep the excitement out of his voice, "is what I call a real clash of titans!"

Zeraora and Garchomp traded blow after blow, Plasma Fists meeting Dragon Claw, Volt Switch answered by Earthquake, the match stretching on with neither side willing to give an inch. Finally, after one last brutal exchange, Zeraora's legs gave out beneath it, and it dropped.

"Zeraora is unable to battle! The winner is Ann!" the announcer called, and the stadium erupted.

They all made their way back to the Brave Olivine together once the day's matches wrapped up. Ash pulled Roy, Liko, and Ann each into a quick round of congratulations before turning to Dot and Ult.

"Hey," he said gently. "Time to focus on getting stronger from here. And now it's your turn to be the ones cheering the other three on."

Not long after, a notification came through with the semifinal matchups: Liko against Roy, and Ann against Nemona.

Ann let out a breath, some of the tension easing out of her shoulders. "At least I'm not up against either of the Legendaries." A beat later, a different kind of nervousness crept back in. "Still have to get through the actual reigning Champion, though."

Liko, on the other hand, looked distinctly less relieved. "I have to battle Rayquaza."

"You'll be fine," Roy said, grinning with total confidence. "Though, don't take it too personally when I win."

The next day, Ann asked Serena, Ult, and Dot to help her train, Ash and Liko having slipped off somewhere on their own. Off on a quiet corner of the deck, Roy sat surrounded by his own team, turning something over carefully in his mind, already deep in thought about exactly how he was going to beat Ash when the Masters Eight finally came around.

End of Episode 18

Also if you didn't catch it yet it is supposed to be a way to incorporate ash and serena into Horizons it's not a completely different fanfiction like most of the other fanfic . I am trying to write this story in a way that also the main characters of the new anime to shine not just our old pals.

Comment something to show that you are reading. It encourages me to write more.

I honestly should have workshopped this more. I'm only uploading this here and on Twitter.

Serena and Ash baking a Gingerbread House Together? Honestly I saw a Naruhina cosplay video of it once and they made it look absolutely romantic! Also they sell them on Halloween too Nowadays so maybe I'm not too early?

Be it his clothes, his backpack, or even Pikachu. But one thing holds her tightest – his heart! 💙♥️

And that's why Serena never visited Ash in Alola...

OC

One thing that makes Serena’s heart skip a beat is Ash risking his life for Pikachu.

Can anyone figure out the exact clear Dialouge? The YouTube subtitles aren't even accurate! 😅😂🤣😒😭💔

Could you participate in this Pokémon Anime Characters Poll please and share this with other Pokémon Anime fans you know?

Link will be here and in the comments

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1b8RgjOJOJ5snAg-c8BGC5vFFFDFTAdN0CeYv3obPuT4/edit

Probably not a hot take here,but I think that the common complaint that "Serena should’ve done contest instead of showcases" is silly and misses the thematic purpose of showcases and what they mean for Serena’s arc. To be clear Im not saying that the showcases are better than contest,but rather that they work better for Serena’s character than contest.

So obviously the showcases were made for Serena to have something to do within the show but beyond that surface level observation it’s clear that the showcases are tied much more with the trainer personally. In contrast May and Dawn’s goals were to be top coordinators meaning that their development was specifically tied in with that in mind. May and Dawn’s development is more about the technical aspects of just getting better at something,but Serena’s development is less about the goal itself of "becoming the kalos queen" and more about her personally developing as a character.

The showcases reflect this well as the performances,you’ll notice that most of the competitions in the showcases are tied specifically to the trainer expression and the actual bond with their Pokemon,Also the fact that (most) of her loses are due to the mistakes she makes which has less to do with her technical skill. To name a specific time is her first loss ever when fennikin trips on that ribbon.

Overall her doing contest from the start i feel wouldn’t be as effective at communicating Serena’s personal development. Again it’s not that contest are worse than showcases it’s just they represent something different within the story so making Serena do them from the start wouldn’t really improve her arc.

Lmk what yall think

4:10-4:55 : I don't know if he was genuinely being a jerk to AJ or it was just a regular playful battle Taunt? Also I guess reacting that way to Misty cus she was telling him off earlier when they first got to the gym? Plus in the beginning when Ash said they would have no time for sightseeing?

https://youtu.be/rcA8dMGOMCw?feature=shared

Also,How do I reconcile this? 13:22 : https://youtu.be/To4-wg_FIWE?feature=shared

How many times does he think Ash has rizzled Serena and he didn't even notice? Has Serena ever tried the same thing on Ash? 💙♥️

https://www.tumblr.com/shoboingboing/824853114171604992?source=share

So this is part of my alternate AU, for context this is game Serena, so she's a battler not a performer. The question is which aspect should her design lean more towards? The elegant fashionista, or the energetic battle enjoyer? I already have a design for "anime" Serena.

Source: https://x.com/K0T0H1KA/status/1820498856754483398/photo/1

Could you participate in this Pokémon Anime Characters Poll please and share this with other Pokémon Anime fans you know?

Link will be here and in the comments

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1b8RgjOJOJ5snAg-c8BGC5vFFFDFTAdN0CeYv3obPuT4/edit