Current Nominations

Nominated by AmericanPi

Shattersoul's first fic features mastery of writing techniques, memorable characters, and many aptly humorous moments.

Nominated by AmericanPi and Negrek

Time and Tide features a rich plot, excellent writing techniques, and memorable, multi-faceted characters.

Time and Tide has it all: compelling characters, a deep and convincing world, and a story full of real struggle and emotion, all wrapped up in gorgeous prose. It's sad, strange, thoughtful, heartwarming, and sometimes downright hilarious. Absolutely worth checking out if you haven't already–you won't find another story like it anywhere on the internet.

Nominated by diamondpearl876

When I read any chapter of Sike Saner's "Communication," I'm reminded of the harsh but realistic idea that life is rather unpredictable, and that it is a personal choice whether to go along for the ride or try to find happiness for yourself. The main character, Solonn, struggles with this choice as he's unwillingly bounced around from one problem to the next. Solonn is quite likable and easy to relate to, so I can't help but root for him. I've even found myself yelling at the antagonists trying to stop him from reaching his goals, but then I've also found myself sympathizing with said antagonists. I could go on about the many strengths of this story, but what I think it succeeds in most is challenging you to consider perspectives you'd never thought of before.

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Nominated by Virgil134

Nominated by Cutlerine

There aren't a lot of fanfictions doing what The Progression does, which is probably why it's always seemed so interesting to me. While the earlier chapters do find it a little hard to strike the right balance between the difficulty that seems integral to their project and the free and easy communication that the surface story requires, the story's really come into its own this year, and Prax should be proud of what she's achieved with it.

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

There’s a lot of things to like about Flying in the Dark: two very engaging and relatable characters that give a lot of insights to the nuances of training; an epistolary format that works both in humanizing these characters and in exploring the importance of letter-writing; and overall great prose that makes something as simple as exchanging letters such an interesting read. diamondpearl876 presents a very unique way of approaching a journey, and she makes sure you’ll fall in love with Haley and Markus with each of their letters.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by AmericanPi

Shattersoul's first fic features mastery of writing techniques, memorable characters, and many aptly humorous moments.

Nominated by AmericanPi and Spiteful Murkrow

Time and Tide features a rich plot, excellent writing techniques, and memorable, multi-faceted characters.

Nominated by Virgil134 and Negrek

Fledglings' extensive world-building and charming characters makes it one of the most noteworthy stories begun this year. It stays true to the spirit of the PMD games while greatly expanding on their lore, and is worth checking out if you're interested in an upbeat adventure story.

Nominated by Negrek

The End stands out from other 'fics posted this year with a fresh take on the PMD world and the care with which it handles its various characters, "good" and "evil" alike. This is a story with a lot of shades of grey, and DeliriousAbsol navigates it with aplomb.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by AmericanPi

"Stationary" is an artistic one-shot that deeply affects the reader emotionally without using any dialogue whatsoever, which is a great feat.

Nominated by AmericanPi

"This Is…" is an artistic, reflective, complex, and emotional one-shot that fulfills the FFQ Edition 2 challenge of not using any dialogue.

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

“Blue” really shines in how it explores its characters and zeroes in on the melancholy they share, making sure that you get to feel it for yourself. Coupled with a very smart structure and solid writing, “Blue” is arguably the best work in [Imaginative]:[Clockwork]’s Chromatic collection so far.

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Nominated by Virgil134, Spiteful Murkrow and Matori

There need to be more Giovanni's Persian fics. This one is great and fills the niche nicely.

Nominated by [Imaginative]:[Clockwork]

24 Months is one of my favorite works posted this year, and for good reason. A unique style and solid prose are just bonuses in a story that expertly explores the range of motions experienced by a mother waiting on her child to finally come home.

Nominated by [Imaginative]:[Clockwork]

A fun setting, an escalating plot, and even a little intrigue combine to make The Master's Trick a real blast to read. The first-person narration lets readers experience the complete strangeness of the Trick Master's house in a fresh way even if they've played the games.

Nominated by Cutlerine

OK, so I'm biased: this was literally written for me, after all, as part of Yuletide, and so it has things in it that I specifically like, but I think its merits stand alone as well. It's smart, it's witty, and it's tightly structured. It's just a good short story, is all.

Nominated by Negrek

"Baton" is a fantastic one-shot that just works on multiple levels. The characters are all vivid and distinct, even though some appear for only a few paragraphs, and the story uses a clever "relay race" structure that works perfectly for shuttling from one POV to the next. Overall, "Baton" is a snappy, entertaining read that takes a whirlwind tour through the many faces of Team Rocket.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by Matori

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by JX Valentine

There's something slow and pensive about this fic, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. In The Yellow Sun, all you have is a bunch of kids on a New York subway contemplating their future. No action, no door into their inner minds, nothing like that. You're an observer for this fairly ordinary event, but the story captures that feeling of being an observer excellently. You feel like you're right there, sitting just a few seats down from these kids as you people watch, eavesdrop, whatever you'd like to call it. It is, when you get right down to it, a celebration of those quiet, everyday moments—the kind of thing that actually does capture the ordinary-is-extraordinary spirit of New York itself.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Ah, Bakura. Having left the fandom ages ago, I'd forgotten about how terrifying Bakura is, but this fic reminded me. He's the kind of character who seems gentle and friendly but just a little bit off, but then you're introduced to his murderous alter-ego. And similarly, you have that going on throughout this fic, with the well-meaning protagonist Megumi falling for it every step of the way. But what makes this fic interesting is that it uses Bakura's literally dual nature to create one of the creepiest scenes written this year. It's unsettling in a way because everything he does here is true to canon, but what he ends up doing and how Megumi reacts to it is, in short, a fantastic nightmare.

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Nominated by AmericanPi

The Curse of Forgotten Time has a dynamic plot that is always moving forward as the protagonist finds out what has happened to him.

Nominated by AmericanPi

Time and Tide features a very rich, detailed, complex, and creative plot.

Nominated by Virgil134

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by diamondpearl876 and AmericanPi

Humans of Hoenn has an interesting and offbeat format, but it works like a charm.

Nominated by AmericanPi

Glittering Celestial V combines elements of many different works into an interesting alternate universe where superheroes and game villains collide.

Nominated by Cutlerine

The Trick Master is a tragically under-explored character in fanfiction, and The Master's Trick steps in to fill the breach in a wonderfully eccentric way.

Nominated by Negrek

Besides being written in an epistolary style that you rarely see in pokémon fanfic, Flying in the Dark is noteworthy for its obliqueness. Although one letter-writer spends most of her time relating stories from her pokémon journey and the other often shares anecdotes from his, Flying in the Dark isn't really about those journies per se. Instead, it's more an exercise in trying to read between the lines and figure out the real story behind what's written in each letter. Flying in the Dark is something like a puzzle, with each set of letters providing new clues to figuring out the narrative unfolding between the lines.

Nominated by Sike Saner

Nominated by JX Valentine

There is no part of this fic that isn't unique. I mean, who else but Cutlerine would think to do a fic that: 1) was a weird Western with steampunk elements, 2) featured everything from djinn to a deep and vaguely Native American race of Kadabra, 3) used a Zork-like format and the cleverness of its own readers to drive the story forward and give it layers of depth a non-interactive story doesn't have by definition, and 4) pulled all of this off? No one, period. A Leash of Foxes is a fanfic experience unlike anything else that's happened on this forum, and months later, no one else has tried to do what Foxes did.

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Nominated by AmericanPi

JX Valentine's prose is very detailed and nice to read.

Nominated by AmericanPi

[Imaginative]:[Clockwork] writes with style, reflection, and simplicity.

Nominated by Dramatic Melody and Negrek

The way [Imaginative]:[Clockwork] works through each character and seamlessly shifts point of view makes for a very unique read. It’s boosted by a great attention to detail and a keen eye for the differences (and similarities) between these characters’ voices.

In "Baton" the POV moves like a baton, getting passed from one character to another as the narrative races through a Team Rocket base. More than just a gimmick, this tagging off is central to how the story works. Even aside from the structural conceit, this is a tightly-written one-shot that shows plenty of technical ability.

Nominated by Dramatic Melody and [Imaginative]:[Clockwork]

There’s a very delicate balance you have to hit when writing drabbles, and bobandbill has consistently done so in his collection. Whether it’s delivering a great punchline such as in “Mega Waste” or hitting you in the gut with “A Few Words”, there’s a lot of control in the writing that makes the drabbles successful.

Humor is hard. Drabbles are hard. bobandbill make them both look easy here, usually using the short length to actually make the punchline funnier and more effective.

Nominated by [Imaginative]:[Clockwork]

By using a pleasant voice and the kind of sweeping overview style of old stories and old storytellers, this one-shot is reminiscent of both traditional holiday stories and the folk tales it's about.

Nominated by Cutlerine and JX Valentine

The Progression is all about style, pulling together several different ideas and strands of thought into one cohesive and dazzling performance. Sometimes it's opaque, true, but in a way that's stylistically valuable rather than puzzling: when you come to a part that's hard to understand, it feels like it's supposed to be there, instead of feeling frustrating, and that's no mean feat.

Nominated by Venia Silente

[updated for grammar] There's not only the epistolary format here, but also the use of well measured sentences and other wordplay to switch between the contexts of one scene or event to the next, never breaking stride and never making the reader "jump" or be surprised by the mood of the writing. Of note to me was a passage near letter five where a sort-of-apologetic message switches to trading favors, and this writing style helps readers approach this story easily. The effect I feel particularly noticeable from letters four to six.

Nominated by Sike Saner

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by AmericanPi

JX Valentine describes her scenes and her characters' feelings very well.

Nominated by AmericanPi and Dramatic Melody

The descriptions of the desserts were so good, I could almost taste them myself.

Poetry’s description puts a lot of zest into this rather quiet fic. What’s even more impressive is how a bulk of the description is on food and taste - there’s a lot of finesse put into it that makes each cake the characters eat all the more delicious.

Nominated by Sike Saner

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Nominated by AmericanPi and Negrek

Time and Tide takes place in a richly developed world.

Time and Tide's drowned Hoenn is an eerie, atmospheric place whose inhabitants have been as deeply affected by Kyogre's reign as the land itself. Although the new world is often a harsh, melancholy place, filled with decaying reminders of a Hoenn long past, it has its wonders, too, from pearl-diving sableye to an underwater city build among the preserved trunks of Fortree City. Dark but not without hope, the setting shows a great deal of care and creativity in approaching what an underwater world might look like.

Nominated by AmericanPi

Glittering Celestial V takes place in a fun, creative, and interesting alternate universe where characters from many different works collide.

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

A great fic needs a great setting, and JX Valentine delivers yet again with this one-shot. You really get a feel of the grim world the characters inhabit through the solid description and in-your-face scenes, which makes the punch-in-the-gut events that much stronger.

Nominated by Virgil134

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

How Castelia City seems to surround you along with its characters really takes “Sharing Secrets” up a notch in terms of storytelling. Psychic does well in making you feel the peacefulness of Castelia Park and the stench of Castelia Sewers, and in turn it makes Aarune’s musings much more relatable

Nominated by JX Valentine

Foxes' Orre is practically a character in itself, with its multiple cultures, its ancient mythology, and all of the complications of its politics. Sure, the majority of this Orre in action happened in content published in 2014, but even the 2015 content gives you a glimpse of this fantastical version of the bleak and desolate desert we all know and love.

Nominated by AmericanPi

Inspired by Humans of New York, Dramatic Melody uses short vignettes to characterize and shed light upon non-playable characters who are often overlooked.

Nominated by diamondpearl876 and Virgil134

Nominated by AmericanPi

"Exit Interview" excellently and believably addresses the question of what happens to a villainous team after the leader is defeated.

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

A great take on an interesting premise, and PhalanxSigil makes sure to explore that premise smartly and give it a satisfying explanation. It’s strengthened further by the dynamic between Cynthia and Lucas, and you really sympathize with the latter once the fic tackles the bit of canon it ventures to expand.

Nominated by [Imaginative]:[Clockwork]

The moms of the pokemon are criminally underdeveloped, and Dramatic Melody fixes that for at least one of them. Behind every exciting journey is a mother left at home, and the worry, disappointment, and grief all come across crystal clear in this one-shot.

Nominated by Cutlerine

Aarune, and his obsession with Secret Bases, makes perfect sense from a gameplay point of view but is kind of insufficient from a narrative one. Sharing Secrets does a good job of filling in the gaps and creating a background to an otherwise fairly superficial side character.

Nominated by Negrek

Mystery dungeons don't make a lot of sense as anything but game mechanics, but Spiteful Murkrow takes pains to examine how they could actually function in a pokémon society. The story touches on everything from how rescue badges work to how gummis are produced and even goes into how guilds interact with the broader pokémon community, including many characters whose livelihood isn't tied to dungeon crawling at all. Overall Fledglings takes the weird world of mystery dungeon and manages to make it feel like a real, living place.

Nominated by Negrek

Mrs. Lovett's one-shot provides an in-depth backstory for Hoenn's Trick House. The games provide don't give a writer much to work with, but Mrs. Lovett not only manages to build up an entertaining, engaging view of the Trick Master and backstory for the Trick House's ever-changing puzzles, but makes the whole of it feel intimately connected with the rest of Hoenn, a plausible part of the world despite just how otherwordly the place turns out to be.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

Seeing the characters of Haley and Markus develop through each of their letters is one of the best reasons to keep coming back to Flying in the Dark. diamondpearl876 does well in exploring their views and playing around with their personalities, and each letter adds another facet to their characters that makes them such interesting people to read.

Nominated by Sike Saner

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

At the heart of starliteevee’s Drowning is Maressa, who has gone through quite a lot and is now thrown into this sense of uncertainty regarding her loyalty to Team Aqua, and it is a real treat seeing her character evolve throughout the story. It’s strengthened by the memorableness of the other characters as well - the interactions between her and the other Aqua Grunts is very fun to watch, and her dynamics with her Pokemon really shows how strong their bonds are.

Nominated by AmericanPi

Elaine, Chamila, and Oliver are all very well-characterized. They each take solace from their monotonous life with moments of serenity - Elaine with being alone in her office, Chamila with interacting with customers, and Oliver with bonding with his Pokemon.

Nominated by AmericanPi

Though there are only three characters in this one-shot, they are all interesting and characterized well.

Nominated by diamondpearl876 and Matori

Bay does an excellent job with two of the most fascinating Gen 6 characters- Sycamore and Lysandre- and exploring their relationship, in a oneshot fic.

Nominated by Virgil134

Nominated by [Imaginative]:[Clockwork]

Blackjack Gabbiani explores what it means to be a villain after your team's been shut down. What's great is that she does it several times in unique ways by looking at Team Galactic's entire admin roster.

Nominated by Cutlerine

Aarune doesn't have a whole lot of character in-game, and he doesn't need it: he's not much more than a foil for the Secret Base mechanics in ORAS. But Sharing Secrets makes him an actual person, with a history and a mind, and the result is really quite special.

Nominated by Venia Silente

[Imaginative]:[Clockwork] does a wonderful work here of characterizing Team Rocket as a character, but before that: as an enterprise, as an abstract entity that is itself the sum of its functions, yet made insufficient because of them.

We see how the entity of Team Rocket is perceived by various elements across the chain of command from Boss to Grunt and at each level contrasted by various members and their views on ideology and function, and we see the "character" of Team Rocket operating under those perceptions. What's more, the story baits the reader by presenting the case as if it was about to be a sort of parody on the spy genre only to shift to what I could only call a parody on the management genre, if there's such a thing. Whether you are at work or still in school you are going to recognize and relate to someone, in some level of the Team Rocket structure here.

Nominated by Negrek

Malva and Wikstrom in particular are very minor characters, without a lot of official material to draw from when trying to put together a convincing portrayal of them. Nonetheless, Psychic does an admirable job of capturing both their personalities in "Forgiveness," resulting in characters who both feel true to their canon representations while fleshing them out by taking a look at how Malva copes with Team Flare's demise. In particular, I think Psychic captured Wikstrom's dorky knight schtick just perfectly.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by JX Valentine

The fic itself, from start to finish, embodies N and (technically Hilda but also technically nameless) his lover in a physical way. It's brief, but it's passionate. You can tell that their relationship isn't necessarily long-term, but there's fire in it, a kind of poetry sparks and ignites whenever one touches the other. All that matters for them is this moment, not their past or their future but instead whether or not they take pleasure in physical contact (which they do—they really do).

Nominated by JX Valentine

It's a romance that lasts a chapter, but it's a romance that literally sets the stage for the rest of the fic. It's a whirlwind, action-packed adventure with fantastic elements, starring a pirate and a sword-wielding library guide (which, to be fair, given that this is a Cutlerine fic, is the least unusual part about this) with tons of implied fireworks and heavy doses of banter on Siobhan's part. The pairing leaves a lot to the imagination, in other words, while still being human and funny enough to be compelling. And besides, who can say no to any relationship that starts with a sword battle and ends with babymaking in the stacks?

Nominated by AmericanPi

The mother-daughter relationship between Nida and her mother is very organic and believable.

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Nominated by AmericanPi

The five members of the superhero team have a strong, believable friendship with each other.

Nominated by Virgil134

Nominated by Cutlerine

Nominated by Negrek

Archie and Maxie's relationship is complicated and painful. Both have been living as ghosts for hundreds of years, trying in their own ways to come to terms with their role in the drowning of Hoenn. Cutlerine does a great job of making these larger-than-life characters feel deeply human in their struggle to reconnect and make peace with each other over the course of the story.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Sometimes, the best way to portray a bond is briefly, with actions and little speaking, rather than lengthy declarations of dedication. In this case, what's remarkable about Caitlin and Meowstic is what the latter means to the former. With just one line of dialogue, Meowstic doesn't just calm Caitlin's frustration and rage; she also teaches her something important. It's clear that Meowstic is vital as a companion to Caitlin. She is her trainer's grounder, a mentor, and a companion beautifully in-tune with her emotions.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Although Hilbert isn't frequently around to interact with his mother, it's clear that the strongest element of this fic is still their relationship. Everything hinges on that mother-son bond, with Hilbert's mother waiting and worrying and doing everything she can to keep herself calm and reassure herself that her child will be back. That makes the ending all the more heartbreaking, as there's nothing that a good parent fears more than attending their child's funeral, and you feel that so much in the final paragraphs of this story.

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Nominated by AmericanPi

"Stationary" uses writing techniques such as repetition to effectively convey the anxiety of the protagonist.

Nominated by Sike Saner

Nominated by [Imaginative]:[Clockwork]

As more and more desserts come between Wally and O's real intent, I was practically biting my nails in anticipation. Even when she explains herself, neither the reader nor Wally is sure what to make of the strange girl, and it only serves to heighten the admittedly low-stakes suspense.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by AmericanPi and Cutlerine

The fic takes the reader through a rollercoaster of happy, scary, angry, depressing, and hopeful scenes, and the downer ending really ripped my heart in two.

The protagonist shoots a puppy, what more do you want. But aside from that, the slow build-up of the relationship between the espeon and its trainer combined with the mounting sense that it will end badly and the brutal speed with which it does are pretty sad, and the framing device of the growlithe in the graveyard just sharpens it.

Nominated by AmericanPi

Most of bobandbill's drabbles are funny, but "A Few Words" effectively broke my heart in just one hundred words.

Nominated by Virgil134

Nominated by [Imaginative]:[Clockwork]

Posted all the way back on January 1st, Writ in Water stuck with me thanks to a clever use of canon that will purposely and permanently sever the ties between two close friends. Although readers are denied a definite ending, we're left with the impression that Will and June's time as friends is coming to a heartbreaking end.

Nominated by JX Valentine

It's that last moment that gets you. Throughout this fic, you're forced to watch and wait right along with Hilbert's mom, and you hope right along with her that everything is going to be okay. But then you're treated to a full, relentless description of why he didn't, and you can't help but feel the same kind of pain Hilbert's mother endures.

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Nominated by Spiteful Murkrow, Cutlerine and Negrek

The journey fic is sort of archetypal for Pokémon fanfiction, I think, and it turns up in many different (sometimes near-unrecognisable) forms – but the most effective I've seen in the last couple of years is this one, which doesn't stray too far from the recognisable format. A good journey fic is always about more than just travelling around, and love and other nightmares delivers in style. I liked it last year, and like it more this year, when many of the early weaknesses have been patched over and improved on.

Unlike many trainer 'fics, love and other nightmares focuses a great deal on actual training, trying to teach an unruly gang of pokémon to overcome their weaknesses and work together as a team. While an epic quest looms in the background, the story is much more focused on the growth and development of its characters than on region-saving concerns. If you like character-driven trainerfics, especially ones with a heavy focus on the pokémon, you'll definitely want to take a look at love and other nightmares.

Nominated by Negrek

This action-packed trainerfic starts off with a bang–or, more accurately, a huge forest fire, a legendary pokémon, and an invitation to oppose Team Rocket–and keeps on gunning from there. The Legendarian Chronicles takes the "dubiously young child takes on criminal organization" subplot seen in many journeyfics and brings it front and center, making espionage a focus right from the get-go. Unlike most journeyfics, however, the protagonist isn't working alone to bring the gang down, which is good, because this story's TR is far more threatening than a bunch of bumbling grunts. The Legendarian Chronicles is great if you want to dive straight into a classic trainerfic that's heavy on the action and just a little bit dark.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by AmericanPi and Dramatic Melody

"Starlight" effectively scares the reader with its graphic description of a Garbodor and the terrifying events the main character goes through.

Right from the start, Sike Saner sets the atmosphere of a quiet but creepy fic. The animated descriptions and the eerie setting work very well, and they all come to a great and admittedly chilling conclusion with the reveal of Nalna.

Nominated by Sike Saner

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by AmericanPi

bobandbill's cute, funny collection of Pokemon-centric drabbles reads like a collection of fun comic strips.

Nominated by Negrek

The Radicals' Road is a light-hearted trainerfic with humor that borders on gentle parody. There's never a dull moment in Jack's journey across Johto, which is filled with bumbling but enthusiastic trainers, improbably attractive villains, and difficult choices between delicious food and stopping Team Radical's nefarious plans.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by Sike Saner

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by diamondpearl876, AmericanPi, Venia Silente and Negrek

[Updated for grammar] This is not just your run of the mill PMD fanfic. This one has pirates, mystery dungeons that make sense, a whole industry around gummis, and even better: a Legendary as a main character and the author makes it work! While not exactly a PMD setting like that of the games, it sure functions much like one and the characters have to pretty much deal with it, and there's a lot of lore and historical context that makes the characters in this story read much alive.

Did I mention it makes its Legendary work? "Pleo" is the funniest Lugia you'll read for a while.

Fledglings presents a sprawling and detailed PMD-style world with an upbeat, adventurous atmosphere. A classic coming-of-age story with a strong focus on friendship, it sets the conflicts of a group of friends trying to find their way against the backdrop of an unsettled world that soon intrudes on the lives of its main characters. I feel kind of silly nominating the same two stories for "Best New" and "Best PMD," but that's just how it worked out this year. Ultimately I think the choice between Fledglings and The End comes down to more what kind of stories you like than any great difference in quality between them–they're both solid choices.

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Nominated by Spiteful Murkrow

Nominated by Negrek

While The End takes place in a world reminiscent of the PMD games, with guilds and human-like technology in the hands of pokémon, the dungeon crawling's replaced with exploring of a suspicious, unwelcoming world fraught with war. While the story's factions, including a primary "evil" group made up of dark-, dragon-, and ghost-types, look like staples of a simple black-and-white moralistic tale, nothing is as it appears, and the story itself presents a nuanced look at how people of all descriptions cope with harsh times.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by AmericanPi

Each of bobandbill's drabbles focuses on a single Pokemon, bringing many different species of Pokemon into a fun spotlight.

Nominated by [Imaginative]:[Clockwork]

Bad Idea is cute and funny, and even has a moral at the end. The result is something akin to a children's book, making this an easy read with a charming story.

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

How “Ironside” takes you through Bjorn’s journey has a certain appeal that makes it a great read. It’s elevated by Firebrand’s narration, which made the story flow very well and made sure you rooted for Bjorn and his teammates.

Nominated by Negrek

Communication follows Solonn, a glalie with the remarkable ability to mimic any type of speech–including human speech, making him one of the rare pokémon able to hold a conversation with his trainer. This story has pretty much everything I want to see in a pokémon-centric 'fic: pokémon characters whose attitudes and lifestyle are shaped by their unique physiology and abilities, well-drawn pokémon societies with distinct cultures and philosophies, and explorations of how humans and pokémon manage to live together. Communication is far from just a Serious Fanfic tackling a pile of big issues, though; it's full of life, with a memorable cast of characters and plenty of humor running throughout.

Nominated by Sike Saner

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

Mrs. Lovett puts forward a great character study of The Trick Master with this one-shot. You really get a sense of his overconfidence and determination, and the fic is smart in putting those to the test with the introduction of May.

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

The way Blackjack Gabbiani explores each character in “Solar System” with such depth is a thrill to read. Even if I’m not familiar with the canon being explored, the fic still succeeds in making the characters relatable and sympathetic, which is a great feat.

Nominated by AmericanPi

"Dessert Course" focuses on Wally and an off-screen experience that shapes who he is.

Nominated by Cutlerine

You beat the Champion, and nothing changes. This is for gameplay reasons, obviously, but it's a really interesting subject to explore; not only does this story explain why all these new champions leave the League almost immediately to do other things, but it does so by taking a kind of humanising (and humane) approach that is immensely appealing.

Nominated by Cutlerine

I've drafted quite a few different versions of a conversation like this, between Sycamore and Lysandre after the fall of Team Flare, but none of them have been this good. It's a really compelling subject that's always seemed to me to be begging for someone to write about it, and Bay does so very well indeed.

Nominated by Venia Silente

Sometimes we are treated in the fanfiction world with the chance to see the world through the eyes of a Trainer who has just lost a battle. Even fewer times we get to examine the state of mind of those Trainers. And in rare occasions like this one, those are battles that matter and we get to see how the sense of loss and defeat in a Trainer affects them. Here we have a Trainer who, good person or good Trainer as she should be, is simply "destined" to lose because of where the canon puts them in the plot: right in front of the protagonist in a forced battle script.

Nominated by [Imaginative]:[Clockwork]

If we're being honest with ourselves, I think we can all admit that Aarune was kind of annoying in ORAS. Luckily, Psychic's here to do what she can to fix that, and it actually works. Her take on the character is nostalgic, sweet, and hopeful, and I ended up liking Aarune more than I ever thought I would.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by AmericanPi

Avice has a strong, compelling narrative voice and an interesting story to tell.

Nominated by AmericanPi

Chamila is a sweet, friendly young woman who is well-characterized in the space of a one-shot.

Nominated by Dramatic Melody and Negrek

The daring but confused protagonist of Drowning has really evolved with each chapter, and that has made her even more awesome than she already is. Starlight Aurate doesn’t hold back in injecting as much personality in her as possible, and her strong character does well in making the conflict of the story much more pronounced.

Maressa is a great main character, determined and willing to do anything in service of her beliefs. What exactly those beliefs are is in flux over the course of the story, but while Maressa is often conflicted about what she should be doing, she never ends up paralyzed or wallowing in angst. She makes for a very active, engaging protagonist, and it will be interesting to see where her character arc takes her.

Nominated by [Imaginative]:[Clockwork]

Even with no familiarity with the source material, Blackjack Gabbiani's Mars is immediately gripping. Describing her as an extremist do-gooder only scratches the surface on what the author sets up in a surprisingly short length.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

His cunning dialogue and unparalleled ego makes Persian a very likable character. There’s a lot of care solovino puts in making Persian unique and believable, which really boosts the enjoyability of the entire one-shot as it is narrated by him.

Nominated by Negrek

Mia is a scyther pokémorph, and Dragonfree does a great job of getting across the impression of a predator living in a nearly-human body in ways both large and small. You'd have to read Morphic to get the full background on Mia, but this one-shot is enough to get a feel for Mia's distinctly alien way of looking at the world.

Nominated by [Imaginative]:[Clockwork]

For a dragon, Bjorn is surprisingly well spoken, but it only makes the one-shot more enjoyable. With narration that's both serious and deeply emotional, Bjorn's loss, love, and desire drive Ironside forward beautifully.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by Spiteful Murkrow

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Nominated by Negrek

Edie brightens every chapter she's in with abundant enthusiasm and adorable emoticons. While her unflinching loyalty and devotion to her friends is a delight to read about and a major aspect of her character, Edie is also an ancient soul, struggling in her own way to adjust to a post-apocalyptic world she hasn't properly been a part of for hundreds of years. She has her own depth and plenty of room to grow.

Nominated by Negrek

Golduck is Maressa's strongest pokémon, and he provides a great complement to his trainer. Both of them are stubborn and headstrong, and they play off each other well. Golduck is his own hero, not just an accessory to Maressa, and takes an active role in rescuing Maressa when she's captured by Team Magma. All in all a Golduck's a strong character with an active role in the story.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by Virgil134

Nominated by JX Valentine

Sometimes, a villain is not an antagonist. Sometimes, a villain is simply someone who goes above and beyond to do harm to the characters around them. Throughout The Master's Trick, we're treated to the conflict between May and the Trick Master. We see the latter build increasingly elaborate puzzles, partly in response to May's confidence and partly out of his own passion, but it's May's confidence that pushes him into the final scene, in which he takes a page out of Cyrus's book to build a new, almost Lovecraftian world. Sure, throughout the fic, we're encouraged to sympathize for the Trick Master, and indeed, the fic is a great character study of him. But on the other hand, what kind of person builds a portal to a world where he's a god and proceeds to ensnare the plucky young game protag forever? Let's face it: the Trick Master basically succeeded where quite a few anime villains have failed. And he's the one we're supposed to like.

Nominated by JX Valentine

(As a side note, I'm well aware of the twist ending about DeLeo, but this doesn't come until the final chapter. For all intents and purposes otherwise, DeLeo is probably best classified as this until the very end, but if he technically doesn't count, feel free to move this to a more appropriate category.) In any case, one of my favorite types of villains is the one with an agenda. As in, these are the villains who don't realize they're villains at all, the kinds of self-righteous folks who aren't in it just to rule the world or destroy it and remake it in their image or for kicks and giggles. These are the ones who go after a less over-the-top goal and do so because they genuinely think what they're doing is morally right. DeLeo is one of these villains. If you ask him, he's a good guy. I mean, he founded the Hope Institute to help and everything, right? But on the other hand, the absolute horrors that ensue throughout this fic, horrors that involve turning the fic's resident cinnamon roll into an unstoppable murder machine (which is to say, horrors that involve the entire plot and everything in it), are entirely his fault. And he knows this, but it's totally, 100% okay because it was totes for a good cause. In short, DeLeo has issues, and not only does he have issues, but those issues kinda make him 1) hella complicated and 2) the heartbeat of this fic.

Nominated by AmericanPi

Nalna is a very interesting and well-written villain - her twisted behavior, which entails luring humans to her mansion to gleefully watch them suffer, makes her memorable.

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Nominated by Virgil134

Nominated by JX Valentine

The six kings have only gotten more terrifying after the end of Shatterpoint's prequel, Requiem. I mean, we've already seen them taking over an already unstable antagonist's body, and we've already been treated to the superhuman feats they were capable of. What could they do now? Rally the legendaries to their side and level an entire region. Like, literally. Level an entire region. And oh yeah, they've also subjugated the rest of the world and fed dissenters to ravenous houndour on national TV. And yes, I'm well aware that that last one sounds a lot like jaywalking in comparison to their other highly calculated murder sprees. Point is, the six kings are terrifying. They were in Requiem, and they sure as eff are now.

Nominated by Venia Silente

Writing about marginalized people is always hard to do reasonably, and it's perhaps even more uncomfortable when you have to read this character thinking he does not really get to know how he plays such a role or even how (or why) he's even put there.

SpitefulMurkrow makes a good work of presenting the Deino of the "Marked" low class in such a way that one can draw a relationship to many a kind of marginalizations: from the ISO standard "kid bullied by peers at school" who just wants to have someone to play with him; to the child who understands just enough of his place in the world to not seek out to pin the blame on people, even when he does end up meeting Pleo; to the simple person, inhabitant of their world just like anyone else, who is treated as bearer of a terrible sin merely because of the fact that he was born.

Nominated by Negrek

This nosepass is a loveable jerk, prone to causing damage with his giant schnoz and taking decades-long naps at inconvenient times. Karo also stars in the spinoff one-shot "Bad Idea," which is a cute story that gives plenty of insight into his character–and how much it gets him into trouble.

Nominated by Sike Saner

Nominated by AmericanPi

Ash is so dense that he can't even figure out how to use a ThunderStone. Then he collapses under the weight of his newly evolved Raichu. What a dweeb. :D

Nominated by AmericanPi

"O." "O?" "O." "Oh." "O." That exchange between O and Wally says it all. O is a spritely, quirky, and all-around amusing character.

Nominated by Sike Saner

Nominated by Sike Saner

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

A very simple scene, but the punchline at the end is what really makes it great. It’s hard to imagine a fully energized Mega Swampert in front of a measly boulder side-eyeing a shrugging trainer and not find it funny.

Nominated by JX Valentine

When in doubt, announce to your crush that you're very healthy. This is a 100% guaranteed way to get your senpai to notice you. Extra points if you do so before and/or after slamming into a wall … thing. Yes.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Me too, teacher. Me too.

On a serious note, bobandbill's drabbles in general do a wonderful job at capturing the humor, gravity, contemplation, or what-have-you of a scene in a short amount of words, but this is by far the best attempt to capture humor. It's ridiculous while still being real in a way. As in, absolutely, the kid had the horsea draw, and that's hilarious in itself, but so is the utter exasperation that this teacher is dripping with. You can feel how 100% done she is with this kid, and it's amazing.

Nominated by AmericanPi

Nalna's disapproval of Henry is so bone-chilling because how can anyone can have such horrible logic? Eesh.

Nominated by Virgil134

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by AmericanPi

With just 100 words, bobandbill effectively writes a drabble that makes you feel sorry for the Pokemon Fan Club chairman and feels like a punch to the heart.

Nominated by AmericanPi

This scene, after the fic takes the reader through happy, scary, angry, depressing, and hopeful scenes, really ripped my heart in two.

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

You know you’re in for an emotional punch when one of the harshest admins suddenly becomes soft. Starlight Aurate handles this reveal very well, not only in terms of how Maressa reacts to it but also in how Shelly, of all people, shows her sympathy while still maintaining her sternness.

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

With just one paragraph, Hakajin manages to convey the gravity of Satsumi’s pain, and it doesn’t fail to hit you with all the emotions. It’s brought up by the amazing description and the realness of her actions, which makes the scene that much sadder.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by [Imaginative]:[Clockwork]

There's nothing quite as heartwarming as an all-business character briefly succumbing to kinder tendencies, and Dramatic Melody nails it here. Sure, there's some punishment probably coming her way, but the fact that she risks it to give another character a happy ending is as sweet as it gets.

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

There’s a lot of friction between Tina and her grandpa throughout the entire story, but that all comes to a satisfying ending with this passage. Even if it is all-in-all heartwarming, [Imaginative]:[Clockwork] sure knows how to make you feel a lot of feelings with that killer last line.

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

Pretty much guaranteed to make you say “d’aww”, Bay delivers a very heartwarming ending with this scene, clearly capturing the wave of emotions that Augustine experiences and how Lysandre’s gesture makes all of it become clear to Augustine. (Also guaranteed to make you ship them, let’s be honest.)

Nominated by Negrek

This cute moment from "Under Control" does a lot with a little. Meowstic's reminder conveys a great deal about her relationship with her trainer, and Caitlin's mental image is both adorable and provides a concrete metaphor for the trouble Caitlin has controlling her power.

Nominated by AmericanPi

The battle is very well written. All five members of the superhero team use their unique skills and work together to defeat Bowser and his castle.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Otherwise known as "that one scene that made me nominate a one-off romance for Best Romantic Relationship." But more than that, this scene really encapsulates everything I love about Cutlerine's writing. You're not treated to the full details of what's going on. It's not this highly visual battle where you get to see literal sparks flying off these blades. What it IS is this fast-paced battle-and-banter, a well-choreographed piece with the right combination of wit and G-rated violence to give you a full idea of who these characters are, what they're about, and why it's hilarious that they're using the Head Librarian's office to make Avice, all in one go. Like a lot of Cutlerine's scenes, it's got this almost mythic aspect of it, where it's definitely a story told to you, but at the same time, there's just so much energy throughout this work that it's amazing.

Nominated by JX Valentine

What better way to come back from a hiatus than to nearly kill your protagonist via ship sinking? One of the things that really intrigued me the most about this particular scene, though, is the fact that it made me realize something. All too often in Pokémon fics, when one thinks about action, they think about battles of one kind or another, but action could mean a whole lot of other things. It could refer simply to a scene where there's a high-energy struggle to survive, a fight between a character and nature wherein not a single attack is fired. And that's really what this scene is about. It's not a battle. Two characters aren't going at it with each other. It's just Jade and the desperate fight to survive the sinking of the S.S. Anne. Every second, from the moment the call to abandon ship is made (or, really, even from the moment the chapter starts) right up to the end of the scene, Jade is fighting, and you're on the edge of your seat, watching her claw her way through open water to that Gyarados.

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Nominated by Dramatic Melody

Slightly strengthened by the fact that this is actually where the fic is at the time of writing, but bobandbill set up the reveal very nicely throughout the whole chapter. It was subtle enough to be a surprise but descriptive enough to make you read again and notice the foreshadowing, and it really leaves the readers wondering what the hell is gonna happen to the Mahogany Gym now.

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Nominated by AmericanPi

This quote really hit me right in the feels and made me very curious as to what exactly happened to the "old world".

Nominated by Virgil134

Nominated by AmericanPi

I found that exchange between O and Wally to be quite funny, for obvious reasons.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by AmericanPi and Cutlerine

JX Valentine writes with experience, technique, and artistry.

I haven't nominated Jax for much this year, but she is exceptionally good, in all the story formats she undertakes to work with. That flexibility of skill is pretty rare.

Nominated by AmericanPi

Having been writing for a long time, Sike Saner is experienced and creates interesting stories.

Nominated by Virgil134

Nominated by Cutlerine

Diamondpearl876 is great with character, and that's foundational to most of the types of story that get posted here on Serebii. It's certainly a skill that deserves recognition.

Nominated by Negrek

Cutlerine's work is consistently as thoughtful as it is imaginative, encompassing a broad range of themes and tones. Cutlerine's as accomplished at writing humor as she is horror, and no matter what subject she's tackling, her style is distinctly her own. Cutlerine is definitely an example of a writer who tells stories no one else could tell, and if you're not familiar with her work, you owe it to yourself to give it a try.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by Matori

His work continues getting better with every chapter and you will not find an author more dedicated to his work or the worlds and characters he creates.

Nominated by AmericanPi

Shattersoul's first fic, The Curse of Forgotten Time, is an interesting twist on the journey fic.

Nominated by Negrek

DeliriousAbsol's debut story is an ambitious chapterfic with epic scope and loads of threads to keep track of, and she pulls it off with flair that would put many more established writers to shame. Just as impressive as the story itself is how quickly she puts out new chapters–and her update schedule here at Serebii is much more relaxed than at other sites.

Nominated by Negrek

Comedy is one of the most difficult genres to write, but Dust_monster's debut 'fic is definitely humorous, exaggerated just the right amount to be funny while avoiding the "lol random" style of humor that a lot of new writers lean on. Definitely an author to watch.

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Nominated by diamondpearl876 and AmericanPi

Spiteful Murkrow makes regular updates on Fledglings.

Nominated by AmericanPi

Shattersoul updates The Curse of Forgotten Time quickly and regularly.

Nominated by Spiteful Murkrow

Nominated by Negrek

Coming back to a story after only a few months' hiatus can be difficult enough, but Chibi Pika recently returned after around three years with new content for her fanfic, which she's been working on for over a decade at this point, with no intentions of stopping.

Nominated by Negrek

Fledglings is Spiteful Murkrow's first long chapterfic, and the nominations it's earned this season are a testament to how big an improvement it is over his earlier works. Spiteful Murkrow's always had great ideas, and the advances he's made with his prose mean that Fledglings really lets them shine.

Nominated by JX Valentine

Nominated by AmericanPi and diamondpearl876

Samples: (AmericanPi), (diamondpearl876)

As an experienced writer, Dramatic Melody always gets to the point in suggesting what in a story needs work.

Nominated by AmericanPi

Samples: (AmericanPi)

An experienced writer and reviewer, Psychic is very helpful in that she is friendly, willing to answer questions, and detailed in giving advice.

Nominated by diamondpearl876

Samples: (diamondpearl876)

Nominated by Sike Saner

Samples: (Sike Saner)

Nominated by AmericanPi

Samples: (AmericanPi)

Negrek not only got back to me multiple times; she also took the time to give a good amount of advice on how to improve my stories.

Nominated by AmericanPi

Samples: (AmericanPi)

[Imaginative]:[Clockwork] is a very active and dedicated reviewer who has reviewed many stories.

Nominated by diamondpearl876 and Negrek

Samples: (diamondpearl876), (Negrek)

Sike's got to be following at least fifty stories by this point. Last year she managed to review nearly every 'fic that had been nominated for the awards–and that was on top of judging for the Criminal Intent contest and following plenty of stories for her own pleasure. Her reviews have been brightening writers' days all year, and the section would definitely be a lot less fun and friendly without her cheerful feedback.

Nominated by Negrek

Samples: (Negrek)

After returning from a long hiatus, American–Pi jumped right back into the reviewing game, providing thoughtful feedback almost every week.