Pokémon Book Reviews

"Pokemon Forever - The Return of Team Flare" - by Darker_X [Not on wattpad]

Pokemon Forever - The Return of Team Flare:

"'We are going to do things surpassing the power of humans and Pokemon. Try and stop us if you dare."

Two years it has been since Team Flare set the ultimate weapon loose upon Kalos. This time, hell bent on revenge and behind a dark conspiracy, they plan to take over Kalos using the famed Mortality Duo. Only six teenagers stand between Kalos and oblivion.

And the clock is ticking."

Genre: Fanfiction

Rating: N/A

Ivy (@RiverIvy)'s review:

Something that definitely made this book a very beautiful, dazzling ride were the rich descriptions of just about every single detail there was. All were spun elegantly, marvelously, and had a wonderfully brilliant aura to it. It did a great job in making the story bounce off the words and come to life.

Another thing I adored was the writing quality in itself. Like one of my friends, who also read his works, remarked, it is magnificent. The words have a kind of old-fashioned, soft elegance to it. The vocabulary is terrific, there just seems to be a natural flow between paragraphs, and the grammar was great.

The opening hook at the beginning of the book's prologue was quite good, but I just feel that it could've had more effort into it. For example, spicing it up with a bit more heavy descriptions or more display of emotion – it would have built up the overall mood a lot better. Still good, though!

In fact, the entire prologue was great: it did a fantastic job in leaving the reader with questions and craving answers. It just, like with the hook, could've been stretched out a little more.

The way the battles are described are just...breath-taking. The author illustrated it in a way that was vivid and engaging; it really left the reader feeling excited and made me feel almost as if I was standing there the whole time while the battle was taking place. Fantastic job on that one.

Bit of a minor detail, but I'd also like to add that the introduction of the main character, Alice, was a pretty unique start: with a dream of her taking on Pokemon battles – that, in a way, served as foreshadowing (albeit admittedly a very obvious one, since it's a Pokemon fanfiction after all), instead of just the average waking-up-in-the-morning.

The beginning of the story was good. It had a way of introducing the characters' lives, family, and personality – all, not through information dumping, but rather examples through actions, dialogue, and thoughts. It was enjoyable at the same time, too, which just made it all the better.

The plot was good: it was original, fun, and intriguing at the same time: with all those historical marks and stories added to it.

Characterization was...okay, for the most part. It was clear that they each had their own individual natures, but I feel that the author could've put a little more effort in making their personalities shine through.

Speaking of the beginning, another thing I loved was the way the writer illustrated all the marvels and wonders of the characters at the beginning of their journey. It set a great example of an actual novice trainer; in most Pokemon fanfics what irritates me is that all the characters just barge into their adventures already knowing everything, not making any mistakes, not taking a second glance at the fact that they're seeing a whole new world to their eyes. Sigh. Very glad to know there's at least one fic out there that doesn't do so...

Again a minor detail that I enjoyed: Alice lost some of her earlier battles, which is, again, realistic and something I approve of a LOT. Many writers don't realize it, but this is a very important detail. Considering in 99% of Pokefics the characters just win all of their battles as if it were a breeze, I make sure to always pay very close attention to this detail.