After yet another arguement with Ash, Misty finds herself befriended by an understanding woman with a tragic past. Together they must overcome the end result of Ash's anger at being rejected, and the sinister macinations of a power hungry Sylph Co scientist.
Size: 263 KB (45,853 words)
Genre: Erotica
Sex Contents: Some Sex
Tags: Fa/ft, Teenagers, Consensual, Romantic, Lesbian, Fan Fiction, Humor, First, Oral Sex, Petting, Slow
Review by Celeste [other reviews by Celeste]
Reviewed:
For those of you (such as our esteemed reviewer) who are not familiar with Pokemon, here is a brief summary.
Pokemon is an abbreviated term for "Pocket Monsters". It refers to a wide range of material; including manga (comic books), anime (cartoons), video games, and other sundry merchandise. The setting for Pokemon resembles a possible near future of earth with one major exception. All animals (and some plants) have been replaced with 150 varieties of 'monsters'. These 'monsters' are usually representative or composite animals. For example, 'Meowth' is a representative cat, 'Arbok' is a representative snake, and 'Rattatta' is a composite small rodent. Some are drawn from fantasy such as ambulatory plants (Bulbasaur), ghosts (Haunter), and dragons (Gyrados, Charizard, Dragonair). Some are purely representative of ideas, such as electronic devices (Voltorb), or sloth (Snorlax). The entire ecosystem above non-ambulatory plants is comprised of these creatures.
By virtue of their unusual genetics, Pokemon have a large variety of ways to attack and defend. Some of these techniques you might expect, such as scratching and biting. Others are more unusual. Pokemon can throw directed lightning bolts, breath fire, produce beams of pure cold, or spray water with power and accuracy. Even more amazing, their near-human intelligence allows them to use strategy in selecting and directing their attacks.
The types of attacks a Pokemon can use are indicated by its type. A Pokemon can be up to two of the following types: water, electric, fire, grass, flying, fighting, poison, earth, rock, bug, ice, dragon, psychic, or ghost. The type of a Pokemon also indicates its strengths and weaknesses. Each type of Pokemon is strong against some types and weak against others. For example, a water type is strong against fire, earth, and rock types; and is weak against grass and electric types.
Another function of a Pokemon's odd genetics is the ability to 'evolve'. (Relax, this has nothing to do with the evolution that is or is not taught in school.) Once a Pokemon has garnered sufficient experience in battle, they are able to change their form. The 'evolved' Pokemon are bigger and stronger; and they can learn more powerful attacks. As a Pokemon grows stronger, it also grows more difficult to control. It takes a truly skilled trainer to control a Pokemon at its third state of evolution.
The biggest advance of this near future is matter to energy translation. Matter can be converted into pure energy. It can then be stored electronically, transferred across wires, and reconstituted into its original state. The largest single application is the Poke ball. The poke ball is a spherical object; half red and half white split down the center, with an indicator light in the middle. It can change in size from baseball-sized for easy handling, to golf ball size for easy transport. The poke ball can be used to capture wild monsters by translating them into energy and storing them on chips implanted on the interior. The monsters will try to resist this capture, so it is necessary to use previously captured Pokemon to battle and weaken them. Once captured, the monsters can be summoned forth and returned to the ball with vocal commands.
Humans and Pokemon interact in numerous ways. Independent researchers, such as Professor Oak, study Pokemon scientifically. The Silph Corporation creates Pokemon equipment for financial gain. Team Rocket uses Pokemon to gain power and influence. The most common interaction is that of the trainer. There are two types of trainers; 'errant' trainers and gym trainers.
An errant trainer is interested in capturing wild Pokemon; as many and as many types as he is able. Trainers are often fiercely competitive, using their Pokemon to fight other trainers for bets or prestige. Any encounter between two trainers will usually result in a battle. The loser of a battle usually runs away in shame. A gym trainer specializes in a particular type of Pokemon. They practice in their gyms, helping out local trainers and accepting challenges from errant trainers. Each gym is symbolized by a badge; the prize for defeating a gym leader is that badge. Once a trainer has eight badges, he can participate in a league tournament.
The cartoon version of "Pokemon" follows the journey of Ash of Pallet Town. At the age of ten, he sets out as an errant trainer. His stated goal is to be the world's greatest Pokemon Master. His dreams suffer a setback as his first attempt to capture a Pokemon fails. Instead, he ends up being chased by a flock of angry Spearow (aggressive bird types). In his desperate scramble to flee, he snatches a bicycle from a young girl with a hurried promise that he would give it back. Unfortunately, he lands in a pit dug by the nefarious Team Rocket. That wrecks the bike and nearly causes him to lose his first Pokemon, Pikachu. At the last minute, the Spearow attack Team Rocket. Team Rocket retreats, swearing they will one day capture Pikachu. After the Spearow clear away and Ash gets out of the pit, the girl Ash stole the bike from catches up with him. She announces that her name is Misty and that she will follow him until he makes good on his promise.
There, now you can carry on a conversation with your children about this without being embarrassed. (For thirty seconds, at least.) On with the review.
This story has been mislabeled as fan fiction. The setting is familiar to anyone who knows Pokemon. The characters of Ash and Misty have a general physical resemblance. However, the personalities portrayed by Ash and Misty are completely divergent from the source material. The author is either forgetting or ignoring that the characters he is portraying are no older than 12. Ash is too young to possess the complex personality shown in this story. Likewise, Misty is too underdeveloped to support the weight of a full-grown woman; especially while she is... um, distracted. Thus, this isn't any more of a 'fan fiction' than Dimitri's comic book fantasies. Anybody who is a purist is going to be bothered by this.
Let's ignore that, then, and focus on this as a work of fiction. The story opens with Ash and Misty shouting at each other. The match ends with Ash walking away, leaving Misty sitting at a stool. Unbeknownst to either of them, a bicycle courier watches this exchange. Feeling sympathetic, Miranda writes a poem and has her pet Rattatta send it over. A cup of tea leads to an invitation to hot springs. The offer quickly extends to a new bicycle, then a friendly bike ride, then a night in a hotel. Things progress from there.
The real beauty of this story is the accuracy to which the personalities of the characters are portrayed. Each character has an actual history, which leads to the present they now inhabit and influences their action. Ash is fiercely competitive and used to having others obey his commands. Thus, he naturally falls into the mindset of an abuser. Misty, abandoned and unappreciated by her family, becomes a natural victim. Nonetheless, she retains an energy and vitality with both intrigues and infuriates the abuser. Miranda's parents died while she was young, and she cared for herself thereafter. When she seems someone with a self-destructive personality, she would naturally try to help.
The characterization of the Pokemon is also well executed. They all possess independent personalities, along with complex interactions with humans. Their participation in the plot is well integrated, receiving not too much nor too little attention.
One separated from the abusive influence of Ash and in the nurturing influence of Miranda, Misty begins to improve. Her natural exuberance reemerges. As the story progresses, Misty becomes more secure and independent. She sets off on her own path, following her own dream.
Hmm... Oh yes, the sex. That is, after all, why the story is here. Otherwise the story would have been in rec.Nintendo.pokemon.fanfiction. Of course, the subject matter would be a little mature for that audience. Most of the people there would be more interested in Pokemon cards than psychology. Or perhaps bike riding... Hmm, where was I? Right. The sex scene (only one in a 70 page work!) is very good in an aesthetic sense. It is a caring act between two people who are interested in each other. Also, the sex actually makes sense within the context of the story. There is a slow build up and hesitancy before the act is committed. This is integrated beautifully with the personality of the characters. However, it could not really be described as 'hot'. Too slow, with too much extraneous description, and actual (ugh) conversation interspersed.
The accuracy with which the characters are developed becomes a problem as the story continues. The characters begin to portray the roles they fill too well and too exactly. Each action fits into the formula of the story, with little or no aberration. The sequence becomes set, and the ending is extremely predictable.
Minor nitpick: Miranda complains about Misty wearing shoes in the bed. The Japanese have very set rituals about shoes. Shoes are always removed upon entering a domicile or private room. Thus, wearing shoes to bed would represent a major faux pas.
In summary; if you're looking for Pokemon fan fiction or hot, intense sexual action, you'd best look elsewhere. If you're interested in a solid piece of fiction that examines the nuances of abusive relationships, this is for you.
