d_s_t_e's Wattpad Reviews

The Journey of a Champion by Mooncrane098 [Pokémon]

The Journey of a Champion is a Pokémon fan fiction that follows a trainer named Riley as she sets out on her first journey. Things seem fine at first, but she soon discovers that Team Plasma is planning a comeback. What are they up to, and why do people keep calling Riley "Champion" when her journey has barely begun?

This piece has a fairly standard beginning for a Pokémon fan fiction: the main character is in her house with her mom, meets the professor, and starts her journey. Of course, there was also a prologue before any of this, which helps to add a bit more interest since we see a meeting between several leaders of Team Plasma.

As I read, there were definitely a few things that stood out to me about it. One was the way that the story incorporates Pokémon natures from the games, like Brave, Relaxed, Quirky, etc. This story is the first I've seen that actually has these natures affect the way a Pokémon acts and the way that it battles, and I really enjoyed seeing that. In fact, I would have liked to see even more of it.

The battling also stood out for a few different reasons. First was that the main character's battling abilities could actually be seen developing, especially in the early chapters. It's clear from the beginning that she has a talent for it, but the fact that she's not perfect right away makes it more realistic and believable as well as making things more interesting as she progresses. I also enjoyed seeing some of the clever battling tactics that were often displayed by both opponents, which certainly helped mix things up a bit. I also like that battling in this story is seen as being more than just ordering Pokémon around; it brings in a whole new level of possibilities and certainly a greater chance for the Pokémon to express themselves.

By combining Riley's Pokémon journey with the excitement of Team Plasma running amok and the mysteriousness of all these people thinking that Riley is someone special, I think that the plot retains the reader's interest pretty well. Things really get going in the last few chapters, where there's lots of action and everything that had been building up over the course of the story comes into play. The ending ties things up very well. The epilogue... well, you'll just have to read it for yourself.

Overall, I would say that this story didn't have any one specific failing. When I did come across something that seemed a bit off to me, it was always just a small thing, like the fact that her Oshawatt knowing quick attack is never explained. There were more moments where I wondered why a character did something, but they were small enough that they didn't really distract from the plot.

One thing I might suggest for this book is to add some more descriptions of the Pokémon, both to help the reader visualize the scenes and because some readers might not know offhand what all these Pokémon look like. I'll admit that I'm not particularly familiar with the latest two generations, so I found myself googling pictures of a few of them. Now, you might say that's my fault, particularly since I write Pokémon fan fiction myself and I really should know this sort of thing, but that's a whole other issue. My point is that, for the more casual fan, it would make the story a bit more attractive, and expanding your reader base as much as you can definitely helps.

I should note also that I found quite a few errors and typos throughout this story. It was definitely still readable, but I think that in some places it would be noticeable even to someone who isn't as tuned in to these things as I am. I think it's definitely good that the author has begun to edit it.

At this point, I would say that I'm definitely looking forward to reading the ending. This story seems to have developed a pretty good fan base already, but if you happen to be a Pokémon fan who hasn't read this one yet, now is your chance to get on board just in time for the big finish.

** Published in February 2014 **