d_s_t_e's Wattpad Reviews

Deadly Alliance by ChanYingXu [Pokémon]

Deadly Alliance is a Pokémon fan fiction about a boy named Isaac and his friend Emma Maple, who set off on a journey to rescue Emma's father Professor Maple after he is mysteriously kidnapped. After 30 years of inactivity, can Team Rocket really be the ones who are to blame? And, if so, how can two brand new trainers gather the strength and the allies to oppose them?

I'd like to start out by saying that this book was one of the four that I most enjoyed in the adventure category of the Pokémon Watty awards this year. Even though it wasn't one of the three that I voted for, it was a very tough decision, and I really wish I could have voted for it, too. I would definitely recommend it.

Except for the prologue, which had a great mix of action, mystery, and suspense, the beginning of this book was one of the few parts of this book that I didn't like as much as the rest. For whatever reason, it didn't really draw me in.

Perhaps part of that is because it seems fairly standard for a Pokémon fan fiction: receiving the first Pokémon, getting into the first battle, receiving a Trainer ID, etc. I think the main reason, though, is that it begins from the perspective of Isaac, who seems rather unconcerned about things, even after Emma convinces him to help check on her missing father. I love how we get perspective changes in later chapters, and that makes me wonder how this chapter might be different if we got it at least partially from Emma's point of view. Since she's filled with worry and concern, I think it would add a sense of urgency and tension to it.

One thing I do like about the beginning, though, is that we get a good reason as to why Isaac and Emma are going out to try to rescue her father alone rather than going to the police. I always like things like this that help to make the story more believable.

On the other side of the coin, though, I found myself wondering where Emma's mother was. Why couldn't she have gone to the lab with Emma and what is she doing throughout the rest of the story? Parents can be very troublesome in stories where the kids are supposed to be the heroes. I think that's why Disney kills so many of them off. And, actually, I think that may be exactly what the author could do to Emma's mother. She's not contributing anything to the plot, after all. I think it would actually make the story more interesting if Professor Maple was a single father who trusts that Emma is responsible enough to be left on her own while he goes off to do his work. That would presumably add an even greater bond between her and her father, which would in turn create an even greater motivation for her to bring him back safely.

 For me, this story starts to get really interesting in Chapters 5 and 6, where we start to get pieces from different perspectives. These chapters also show conflict and action and leave us in some suspense, and I really like how we come back to some of these perspectives later on in the story because it's a good way to remind the readers of what is happening elsewhere even as Isaac and Emma make slow progress and encounter distractions or setbacks.

The story really kicks into high gear for the ending. I thought that the last 10 or so chapters were really great all around. By this point, I could also see where some of the threads that had been laid down throughout the story began to prepare for things that I hope will be addressed in the sequel.

There were also things that I liked about the story overall. First was that there was a good balance of action in each chapter. There was always something happening, always something to make each chapter worth reading for its own sake and to keep the reader wanting to continue, which is very important in a longer work like this one.

I liked that all the characters had their own stories and their own personalities, and that we got a glimpse into the past of several of the more important characters. It made all the characters more real for me and also helped me to really care about what happened to them. For me, characters are one of the most important aspects of any story, and this one pulled them off well.

Finally, I really love the environmental angle that is brought up at several points within the story. When we see contemporary problems like this in the fictional world, it really helps to make a story relevant to us as well as providing a special interest.

I also thought that the battle scenes were good. I love the scene near the beginning where a Wheezing uses acid to dissolve an Aron's metal armor and creates hydrogen gas, which it then attempts to light on fire. Science! It's also extremely creative. On the other hand, I felt like, in one case, the same attack was used as a surprise just a few too many times. It remains a surprise for each new opponent, but is no longer surprising for the reader after the first couple.

On a final note, I'm happy to report that this story was well written. I noticed very few errors in it, and most of them were simply improper formatting around dialogue tags. The author should be congratulated on that.

In conclusion, if you are a Pokémon fan, this is definitely a story that you should try.

** Published in November of 2013 **