A Compilation of Geeky Essays

Clemont and the Importance of Bonds

[A/N] Originally written on November 10th, 2019. This is the last of the ones I already had written down. The rest will be made in the present, so my opinions and ideas will be up-to-date.

There's too much fanfiction I need to write. Also my journal. Also my behemoth project that I've been neglecting lately. Basically, this is the worst time to be running out of steam, but I can feel it in my bones that I'm entering into a dry phase. My solution? Character essays.

Now that this little disclaimer is taken care of, time to get into the meat and bones of this entry. Clemont from the Pokémon XYZ anime falls into the usual type of characters I enjoy. He is a physically unimposing boy who's a total sweetheart. He's probably the most polite member of the party. He's a level 10 nerd. He's a little awkward and a little jumpy, but he pulls through every time. So yeah, maybe the characters I like follow certain key points. But they all differ in regards to how they exceed the archetypes.

Clemont is special because of the complexity of the relationships he shares with his Pokemon and especially the rest of the human cast. As you likely know, Team Rocket is the episodic antagonistic force of Pokemon. The party typically reacts with anything from mild annoyance to livid exasperation when they show up to cause mischief. Unless it's one of the few moments where Clemont... fanboys, per say. No, he's not a fan of any of those evil organizations that Pokemon consistently deploys. But what he is a fan of is inventions. You see, Clemont is a science nerd whose greatest passion in life is building machines. Though Team Rocket's main passion is stealing Pokemon, they also highly enjoy making and using gizmos (James in particular). So they have an interesting dynamic where, on occasion, Clemont expresses his appreciation or even awe of their gadgets, to the dismay of his own teammates. One time, he even sticks up for James when his awesome but impractical device earns the ire of everyone involved.

That's not to say he neglects his own teammates, though. With them, he also has some amazing dynamics, especially with Bonnie and Ash. Bonnie is Clemont's seven-year-old sister. Their mother makes no appearances and I don't know if she's even mentioned. Their father is always busy providing for them. So Clemont largely takes up the helm to help raise Bonnie, taking her with him on his adventure with Ash. As all siblings do, they have the potential to drive each other completely mad. Bonnie has the hilarious habit of proposing to various women on behalf of her brother, even those significantly out of his age range. He, humiliated, drags her out of the situation, apologizing and scolding her. On the other hand, Clemont's lack of physical ability and slight cowardice annoys Bonnie. His poor naming skills and the tendency of his inventions to explode immediately after serving their purpose also exasperate her. Despite this, however, they obviously love each other dearly. He is protective of her but gives her an appropriate amount of freedom. He even catches a Dedenne for her to carry around. She brags about him and desires his future happiness.

His relationship with Ash Ketchum himself is truly heartwarming in a beautiful way that isn't ever directly addressed. The presence of this bond flows through all of their interactions. As stated previously, Clemont is a highly intelligent boy with subpar physical abilities and traces of insecurity. Ash is a confident, courageous, and tenacious jock who can be a major airhead. They have a brotherly kinship almost instantly. That's sort of bound to happen when your first interaction with a guy is to save him from a several-stories high fall with an airbag in your inventor backpack. Clemont even calls himself, "Ash's right-hand man." Interestingly, though, it's impossible to tell which of them is the "big brother." Clemont idolizes Ash's strength and bravery, and wants to reflect them. Ash, on the other hand, is ALWAYS impressed by Clemont's inventions ("Science is so amazing!") and looks up to his maturity. They embrace each other, support each other, and are inspired by each other.

Clemont's enthusiasm toward science and zeal for life shines through in his friendships. So do his big-brother instincts and wisdom, even when he's a bit awkward. That balance of character reinforces the durability of his ties to his Pokemon and other people and makes for a well-rounded, enjoyable character who I can't help but root for.