2018 Fanfiction Awards Results

Nominated by Namohysip

This is in the context of reading episodes 1-7: A slow start akin to the canon Mystery Dungeon games allows for intimate familiarity with the main pair (and eventual trio) of the story. Underlying plot elements float about, but nothing fully solidifies, giving hope to a long and winding story as the plot unfolds.

Nominated by Ambyssin and The Walrein

After an extended absence from Serebii, Rediamond has returned with guidance, an interesting piece of xenofiction that makes full use of its pokémon protagonist to take a bit of an unusual look at the consumerist side of the trainer journey by framing the entire thing as a reality show. It's a premise I've never really seen done and it makes the (ordinarily boring) first island of Alola come alive. It also deals with themes of abuse and neglect and seeks to tackle the (often avoided) questions of how individuals with disabilities would tackle a trainer journey and what sort of pokémon can provide support (and how). The second-person POV is not going to be for everyone, especially in this case, but if you can gel with it, you'll be entertained for sure.

Nominated by Virgil134

Nominated by Cutlerine

Love and Other Nightmares is excellent, and I really like it, and you absolutely should give it a go, if you haven't already. Strong characters, so many awkward conversations (so many), a world that feels extremely real even as it shades into the supernatural at the edges. It's just great.

Nominated by Sike Saner

Nominated by The Walrein

Nominated by Cutlerine

There's just one chapter of this so far – but it's a really, really good one. There's a superb trial challenge, some adorable partner pokémon and a protagonist with a lot of potential. Most definitely one to watch!

Nominated by Namohysip

I see a lot of potential here. It's a play on the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon start, a human becoming a Pokemon in a strange new land. The similarities end there. Chimera… is he even supposed to be a hero? Or is he a nobody? He's actively looking for a way to make a name for himself as a second chance at life. Desperate, even. Will it drive him down a dark path? Will someone guide him down the right one again? I'm honestly not sure, and that's why I'm reading.

Nominated by Namohysip, Umbramatic and NebulaDreams

I'm nominating this one partly because of the author's reputation making, on a meta level, how this story turns out unpredictable. I won't spoil the ending, but everything about this work screams "proof of concept." What are you planning, Canis? What's going on with this setting and the undertones you have gently hidden throughout? I can't wait to see what else comes out of this setting after reading this one.

What can I say, it's cute. And somewhat horrifying.

Ditto on that. The characters were great, and the sense of dread and suspense building up to the climax was compelling as well, and while it's comparatively short, it ended on a satisfying note that left me wanting more from the author in this style.

Nominated by Virgil134 and NebulaDreams

This is a really heartwarming read about a Magikarp's journey to become accepted by his peers. It offers an interesting premise with a non-human perspective and it executes it tremendously, as the battles and training arcs are exciting, and the character development and ending is really satisfying, all in the length of a short story.

Nominated by Firaga Metagross

It's an amusing story about the absurdities of working in a strange place like the Rainbow Rocket HQ. Like a fantasy version of dilbert, in a way.

Nominated by Chibi Pika and The Walrein

A different take on the classic Red and Blue rivalry that focuses instead on their starter Pokemon–long, long after the Pokemon journey has come to an end. Plenty of awesome action and bitter emotion, capped off with a heartwarming ending.

Nominated by The Walrein

Nominated by Ambyssin

An interesting meta narrative here that does a good job going through the various range of emotions someone could experience playing through one of these games without coming off as terribly preachy, which is a serious risk that arises with these kinds of stories.

Nominated by Ambyssin

Bit of an odd ducklett coming from me. I'll admit this oneshot is part of a continuity of sorts and, having read other material by canis, my enjoyment might've been enhanced compared to what others would get from a vanilla reading. That said, as a quick jolt of psychological horror and general mindscrewy elements it does a very good job, thanks to very evocative language that presents our twisted POV character's thoughts for all the world to see (despite the fact that he would otherwise *hate* that). Add in some general fear of death/the unknown to sweeten the deal.

Nominated by Venia Silente

Historical figures in my Pokémon story? Why not! This story does not in itself offer anything innovative that I could tell, but it does pepper everything in that filter of how the past was so cool and rad and everything was better- except not, really. Everything we see runs just as well as it does your neighbour and you, but we can see here how even famous people have to go through the same worries as everyone else, even in a Pokémon world.

Nominated by Sike Saner

Nominated by Umbramatic

This one is just a oneshot yeah. But it features an obscure ship and fun character interactions, so it's worth a nomination to me.

Nominated by canisaries and The Walrein

There are layers upon layers of secrets in Hands of Creation. Whenever there's a huge reveal, for a split second you think you know the whole truth now, but then remember there are still plenty of mysteries out there that still haven't been unraveled.

Nominated by Ambyssin

Like with Salvage, this is one of those nominations I affectionately refer to as a "popcorn fic." Not necessarily designed to make you sit down and contemplate the mysteries of life, the universe, and everything… but one that's got a lot of witty banter, crazy action setpieces, and a bunch of heavy sci-fi plot threads of time-space manipulation, alien invasions, and apocalypse now shenanigans. It's all a lot of fun to read, bucket of popcorn or not.

Nominated by Umbramatic

Oh god. This fic. THIS FIC. The plot is a wonderful mess that gives me so many delicious feels. Keep it up Chibi.

Nominated by Ambyssin

There's a tendency for people to groan, shrug, and collectively roll their eyes at fics involving Legends and Mythical 'mons. But Negrek embraces the full absurdity of the premise of having godly shapeshifting powers at one's fingertips by framing everything in a strange, twisted sort of rescue operation. Imagine a heist movie, only instead of a cast of lovable, modern Robin Hood-esque rogues, you have a bunch of irredeemable assholes who all absolutely hate each other. I realize that might make the fic sound unappealing, but it's honestly entertaining.

Nominated by The Walrein

Nominated by Ambyssin and The Walrein

I anticipate pushback from canis on this choice, but utilizing the lore of Twitch Plays Pokémon in order to craft a tale that turns Red into a devout cultist hellbent on appeasing a demonic god of chaos, only to have a potential slip-up that leads into a severe existential crisis with Inception-level mindscrew checks the boxes in my book.

Nominated by Namohysip

SAO meets Pokemon? I mean, sure! But that's not where it ends. Crime Noir setting, set in the far-flung future of talking rodents alongside humans, where Pokemon are just a fantasy in the real world–what happens when everyone's dream finally becomes a reality, Pokemon Open World VR? I hope this continues.

Nominated by Umbramatic

This fic has a super-uniqe PMD setting and it had me really interested the whole way. Also being Owen is suffering.

Nominated by Virgil134

Nominated by Ambyssin

I concede this might be a dark horse (dark rapidash?) entry and I might've even put it in the wrong category. But the fic ditches the conventional PMD formula and even some of the tropes with regards to worldbuilding foundations to opt for a high fantasy setting that has a focus on religion, as well as spellcasting and the arcane arts. It also gets props for not falling into some of the classic trappings with regards to aura powers and giving it an essential "evil" variation in the Life element.

Nominated by Chibi Pika

This is definitely a different take on the classic Pokemorph genre, one which focuses on a Pokemon-turned-human, rather than the other way around. This fic also puts a neat focus on the different ways that Pokemon communicate with one another.

Nominated by Cutlerine and Ambyssin

Guidance just oozes style. The spareness of the prose works so well with the plot and the emotions it evokes; I could try to explain it here, or I could tell you to go read it yourself, and honestly I feel like the second thing is probably the better option.

As touched upon earlier, guidance uses a second-person xenofiction skew. However, this perspective is coming from an ice vulpix. Rediamond goes the extra mile to make Pixie's voice reflect the fact that she does not have human-level intelligence. There are an abundance of "Pixieisms" throughout the story… aka funny ways her vulpix brain interprets things we humans would be able to identify in a heartbeat. Throughout all of this, Pixie maintains a *very* snarky voice toward everything going on… until she knows she's messed up and beats herself up like the most depressed person you can think of. There are also the production roundtables, which read like members of the supporting cast riffing on members of the main cast.

Nominated by Ambyssin

Always a perennial contender in this field, dp continues to put the letter-writing scheme to good use, showcasing the distinct difference between Markus' and Haley's voices through both the formatting and the content of their letters. 2018 was more of a Haley year, giving us an opportunity for an extended look in her stream of consciousness. Her letters still jump around, but have developed so that the tangents don't seem quite a wild as they used to.

Nominated by Virgil134

Nominated by The Walrein

Nominated by Ambyssin

Canis earns every bit of that M rating through her descriptions. Not necessarily of the locales we find Red in, but rather for the intricate details given to the (admittedly gore-filled) carnage and the elaborate psychologic mind-games that Red is either trapped in or manages to trap himself in. All one needs to do is read the prologue to get an understanding of the level of detail this piece uses, though I concede that means this nomination is not for the faint of heart.

Nominated by Cutlerine

Destiny has a lot of description in it, and arguably it could, in places, be better integrated into the main narrative – but taken alone, the description is great, and it explores this interesting Gaelic-Johto/Anglo-Saxon-Kanto take on the Tohjo region with great depth and breadth, weaving it in and out of twentieth-century UK history in a really interesting way.

Nominated by Cutlerine

Horizon is a fascinating take on the PMD world, broad and deep and richly textured. Most interesting, though, is how deeply flawed it is – and not in the explicitly dystopian way that a lot of PMD darkfic does, either. It's just a world, presented without commentary, with its own history and traditions, many of which are incredibly real in how they are at once deeply ingrained into society and yet also subtly, insidiously harmful.

Nominated by Namohysip

I don't like urban settings. Cities are boring and gritty and mundane and I like nothing about living in them. Buildings and concrete, cars and gas and lights and… ugh! It's just so unpleasant to think about. Street gangs and street fights, money and corruption. It's just not fun.

…So why do I enjoy this setting so much?!

Nominated by Ambyssin and The Walrein

Cutlerine actually made me give a hoot about Mahogany Town, a place I couldn't give two licks about in the canon games, Rocket Hideout and gym be damned. That deserves an award in it of itself.

Nominated by Umbramatic

Ditto here.

Nominated by canisaries and Umbramatic

Unequivocant has the completely original Pokémon world of Equivos, which has a rich history and loads of different-looking towns. Equivos is the setting for many other stories of this author, but Unequivocant travels all throughout it, showing every nook and cranny.

There's some really good worldbuilding here that gives a nice epic fantasy feel.

Nominated by Ambyssin

One of the cardinal sins of Gen VII was the number of cameos it crammed into its games with no real rhyme or reason. By telling us the tale of just how Grimsley ended up in Alola in the first place, Bay looks to fill in the (very large) gaps that Game Freak left me with. And I thank her for that.

Nominated by The Walrein

Nominated by Chibi Pika

The concept of the Aura Guardians in Movie 8 is one of the coolest ideas that absolutely needed way more development and focus than it actually got. Luckily, that's what fanfiction is for–Heroes After All fills that much-needed void while also delving into the past of both Aaron and Lucario, and what led to the bond we saw in the movie.

Nominated by Umbramatic

The traditional Pokemon canon is the one that gets expanded here, and in a fascinating manner

Nominated by Ambyssin and The Walrein

Literally taking the throwaway paragraphs you find in the Pokédex and transforming them into full-fledged encyclopedia entries on the species covered. I, uh, realize that doesn't sound all that neat on paper, but it works! Trust me!

Nominated by Sike Saner

Nominated by Cutlerine

Sometimes you come across a fic and you're like, I wish I'd thought of that first. That's what this story is, for me. It's all about what Team Skull really is, as opposed to what the people of Alola think it is (and what they tell us it is, when we meet them in-game), and it's great.

Nominated by Venia Silente

Pick a one-off NPC that you were spoken about but probably did not even notice you battled, and unfold and twist the world around them, *before* them. Moreover, do so in a way that the story doesn't even need to have any action, or plot, or heroes or villains - the story and the life just *are*, just as they are for any of us, all that not detracting but enhancing the reader's ability to relate to the story.

Nominated by The Walrein

Nominated by The Walrein

Nominated by Ambyssin

Eh, maybe this one's a bit of a stretch on my part, but hey! New year, may as well do some yoga. As it stands right now, the perspective merry-go-round that is Phantom Project forces us to see through several lenses as Senori's teammates try to grapple with his death. This involves reckonings of shaky pasts. I admit, reading the prequel is probably a necessity to get the biggest bang for your buck here, but I still thought it worked.

Nominated by Ambyssin

I'd say it really comes down to Jodi and Tacoma. The former is, unlike many of Cutlerine's leads, on a better path professionally-speaking. Yet she still has to grapple with all the stress (both physical and emotional) placed on her by the events since her arrival at home and come to grips with some of the perils of poor communication. Tacoma has a tremendous amount of self-loathing and negativity that she, in fact, back-slides further into… and it doesn't fully resolve by the time the story ends, either. While that may not be complete development, it's real.

Nominated by Namohysip

You really feel for Sal in this fic. You can relate to his companions as well, but at center stage, you're really in Sal's fur during this five-shot story. His resignation and yet his determination add to an interesting mix, and his interaction with the Houndoom adds an interesting layer and foil to the mix.

Nominated by Venia Silente

With the directions the study of the character of Vito Winstrate (you do remember him, right?) I'm not sure if you could call this a best positive characterization or a best negative characterization, but it certainly hits the strong points of what portrayal of a character as seen "in-universe" should be.

Vito himself doesn't ever do anything, all we learn is from the people close to him, from the opinions his family has of him, and from yourself the reader as the events described reflect on your own memories from when you went through the game (you did give Vito some attention, yes?). Everything in there tells you a story about the character's story and it has everything that is needed to hit close to home: dreams, aspirations, legacy, rise, fall, marketing, training, and even depression.

If you didn't feel for the character, Dramatic Melody will *make* you feel. You have been warned.

Nominated by Cutlerine

By the end of this one-shot, you feel like you know its narrator very well, even though you've only really seen a sliver of her personality. It's short, punchy and very effective.

Nominated by Ambyssin

Dramatic Melody has a knack for using a small writing space to put lesser-known and often-forgotten characters under a microscope and this is definitely one of those pieces. Technically a follow-up to an earlier one-shot, we get snapshot glimpses of Hazel forming a new bond with the 'mon she had lost to Team Plasma. The progression in emotion from apprehension to a sense of optimism about their future is plain as day. It's a very short (and cute!) read, so I recommend you give it a look.

Nominated by Ambyssin

As alluded to earlier, the difference in their backgrounds and, by extension, their thought processes and overall views of the world make them bounce off each other well.

Nominated by Ambyssin

Their relationship has, to put it lightly, had one heck of a roller-coaster year in 2018. New revelations wound up tying these two together in a way I can honestly say I wasn't expecting and while I still need to catch up to understand the fallout, the revelation alone was enough to get me to put these two up here once again.

Nominated by Cutlerine and The Walrein

I'm not normally a fan of this genre, but The Wysteria Files is a great creepy conspiracy story that acts as a really effective wrapper for a collection of spooky stories, and I feel like it's been a little bit overlooked. Well worth your time and attention!

Nominated by Virgil134

Nominated by Ambyssin

2018 was, technically, a quieter year as far The Legendarian Chronicles goes, but coming off the heels of what happened toward the end of its first book, there's a sense of all-encompassing dread because you *know* something bad awaits Jade. But it's like watching a trainwreck… as much as you want to turn yourself away, you can't.

Nominated by Chibi Pika

A classic whodunnit mystery that'll keep you on your toes until the very end, with a neat twist!

Nominated by Chibi Pika

This fic opens right out of the gate by punching you (and the protagonist) in the face with a sudden apocalypse out of nowhere, and the looming aura of dread doesn't let up from there.

Nominated by The Walrein

Nominated by canisaries

Nominated by Chibi Pika

It's honestly a bit hard to count just how many times this fic ripped my heart out of my chest, sometimes multiple times per chapter, for multiple different characters. If you like reading about broken people trying to put their lives back together, this is the fic for you.

Nominated by Virgil134

Guiding Light has seen plenty of heartwarming moments in 2018, my nomination for Most Heartwarming Scene just being one of many. The members of Team Radiance go through some really rough stuff in their adventure, but even through the darkest night and the brightest day, Team Radiance always finds a way.

Nominated by Cutlerine and Ambyssin

This is just nice. That sounds like I'm damning it with faint praise, but I mean it sincerely. Sometimes, you just want something sweet and light, and that's exactly what this is.

I'm going to echo Cutlerine's sentiments, here. With all the angsty fics filled with death and destruction, it's nice to see something that's more down to earth and focused on stepping back and taking things in perspective after a loss. Add to that some sickeningly sweet character interactions and you've got a recipe for success! … that's supposed to be clever wordplay, b/c the lead spends a few chapters working in a bakery. And I just ruined the joke, didn't I?

Nominated by Ambyssin

I put this here last year and I'm doing it again because the fic is (intentionally or not) filled with black comedy that got belly laughs out of me. Relatively new to 2018 is the wonderful image of Mewtwo throwing temper tantrums like a kid who didn't get the Christmas present he wanted.

Nominated by NebulaDreams

Despite occasionally dipping into dark waters, Some Average Days… is consistently entertaining and fun to read. The different personalities on display here with all the quirky Pokemon are incredible, with the right amount of playfulness, mean spirited energy and sincerity to keep the tone enjoyable.

Nominated by Namohysip

Unlike my other nomination into this category, The Rainbow Rocket HQ one-shot made for an interesting narrative, despite the meta premise. The deadpan slapstick humor only spoken of through a disgruntled security admin made for a surprisingly relatable experience. I laughed aloud at least twice.

Nominated by Ambyssin

With a fic this long, you can bet there are plenty of running gags (used conservatively so they don't get too stale), humorous banter, ridiculous situations (such as our heroes joining a detective to investigate a crime Ace Attorney-style), and, of course, good old fashioned slapstick. It's all very lighthearted and sticks to a PG tone for the most part, so I don't think you'd find anything objectionable about Fledglings sense of humor. Unless, of course, you're not an Ace Attorney fan. In which case, we're gonna have to settle our differences with a round of fisticuffs. We duel at dawn!

Nominated by Venia Silente

A fair warning: this is a somewhat unconventional spice of funniest. The fic even has a content warning around it - but honestly? It just makes it funnier.

This is a story without a plot, without a clear antagonist and without the usual three-act narrative development because it doesn't need them. It is, in certain ways, a character study about a Skitty who has a bit of a hiiiiiiiiigh view of themself as a Trained Pokémon, and goes on to ramble on Youtube (or Pokétube?) about how he is deserving of the best Trainer ever and not just some runt with a couple of badges and it works why? Because Skitty are cats. And because the tirade there sells very well the attitude and vision of the world the Skitty would have off-camera.

Truly, it doesn't get much better than thinly veiled combinations of self-depreciation and take thats at the *reader* like this one: "Okay, so let’s assume that with some combination of luck, persistence, and my brilliant advice, you’ve managed to find a suitable trainer."

Nominated by Umbramatic

This fic's sense of humor just speaks to me. Like a lot. I think it might be Shane being just the right kind of jerkass

Nominated by Starlight Aurate

Kotone acts in a fairly typical manner when confronted with a talking Nintendo DS: she antagonizes it, provokes it, and starts screaming hysterically when thrown into the game she had abandoned years ago. Arkadelphiak does a great job of captivating the audience and making us laugh along the way.

Nominated by Chibi Pika

A delightfully silly little one-shot centered around the team leaders of Pokemon Go (with some love for the unappreciated and clearly best team lead Spark definitely not biased at all here nope.)

Nominated by Cutlerine

This is maybe as far from a standard trainer fic as you could imagine: a correspondence between a naive kid running from and into more than she's aware of and a prisoner so deep in the pit of self-recrimination that it's debatable whether he can even see over the rim. But it is a trainer fic, at heart, a story of people on the move, physically or emotionally, with pokémon (whether in the story's present or its past). There's nothing else like it. And it's utterly superb.

Nominated by The Walrein

Nominated by Cutlerine, Namohysip and Spiteful Murkrow

Guiding Light has featured pretty largely on my nominations sheet, and for good reason. It takes a lot to keep me interested in a PMD fic, but somehow this one has managed it. It's just good, you know?

Ambyssin has an interesting way of mingling known tropes of the Mystery Dungeon franchise and adding a dark spin to them. It all opens with Shane, whose arrival into the Mystery Dungeon world is one that is familiar, yet the means of arrival being much darker. The looming threat takes pages from past installments and twists it around in the same way. From as far as I've read, the plot's barely gotten started, but I know that a lot has yet to come.

Nominated by Umbramatic, Starlight Aurate and Spiteful Murkrow

This is a very close second for its short but sweet nature, fun characters, and ties to another great PMD fic

Virgil134 does a great job in fleshing out characters to make the audience really feel for them. Cabot's longing for adventure really shines through, as does his conflict with his parents when it comes time to leave home. The story is concise, engaging, and brings the characters to life.

Nominated by Umbramatic

There were a lot of good PMD fics this year, I gotta give props to this one for its epic plot, memorable characters, and an interesting setting.

Nominated by Ambyssin

Again, I confess my bias to the sci-fi premise and its abundant use of Ultra Beasts as destructive alien forces that bring forth vibes of disaster moves. It may not, on paper, seem like much of a PMD fic, but I do think it captures the spirit of a grand adventure well.

Nominated by Sike Saner

Nominated by Chibi Pika

Gonna give some love to an entry from earlier this year that I think deserves more attention. Furic is a delightful protagonist with an optimistic outlook on life, and it's just plain entertaining to watch him stumble into trouble while on the hunt for adventure.

Nominated by Cutlerine and Venia Silente

Casting Off is a spin-off, I think, but it works very well in its own right. Cabot is a delight to follow, and the richness of the world he travels through makes the journey all the sweeter.

It's easy to grab a standard story and put Pokémon in it. There's even an entire genre and sub-franchise for that which is PMD. But Casting Off goes extra by setting up a Pokémon-run Navy, as we have seen as part of the Fledglingsverse setting, and sending us into the nitty gritty of how it is run from recruitment and only up and up from there: all run by Pokémon of course.

The story not only involves one of the most developed PMD-style-but-not-PMD-really settings so far, and some of the nicest characters - Fledglings readers will surely remember Captain "Nugget", Cabot is the cheeriest Cranidos you'll ever meet and Berecien is the best Ponyta period (he's also a noble but ssssssh) - but it sets everyone on the course of having to face a number of problems *as Pokémon* that you and I probably take for granted, and it makes it work. At some point the story even catches you by surprise by making you realize that a horse Pokémon can't really tie or untie a rope, let alone a knot!

When you want a story by Pokémon, for Pokémon, Casting Off seems to work well as the final welcome into this particular subgenre.

Nominated by Chibi Pika and The Walrein

uA does a fantastic job delving into the mindset of her Purrloin main character, giving Salem a POV that is both clever and relatable and yet fantastically inhuman.

Nominated by Cutlerine and Ambyssin

'Hardy' was a delight. It made so much of its central theme, of hardiness and the capacity to endure in all kinds of senses, and it folded it into such a sweet story, too.

Once again, beaten to the punch but Culterine here. Hardy was a one-shot that caught me off-guard for how it managed to be uplifting while constantly and consistently subverting my expectations. Reading it, you would think that you'd know the exact direction Psychic plans to take it, but she zagged at every zig. The end result is a one-shot that shows the satisfying progression of our magikarp protagonist while treading unfamiliar ground.

Nominated by Ambyssin

Despite its fairly-bleak premise, world, and the heartbreak that the harrowing events have had on our main cast, The Worldslayers continues to be an absolute joy for me to read. Not the least of which because I honestly can't even make a solid prediction about what Sike's planning. I'm about as uncertain and nervous as Syr is about everything… and that's saying something!

Nominated by The Walrein

Nominated by DeliriousAbsol

This is a story I really need to sit down and catch up on. The world is original, the plot is engaging, and it's filled with unexpected twists. Events can be really intense at times, and I really want to avoid spoilers for those who haven't read it yet. One of the biggest highlights is its band of memorable characters. Sunflora bard, anyone?

Nominated by Cutlerine, Umbramatic and Ambyssin

It's difficult to do canon characters, but Bay hits all the right notes with Nanu and Grimsley. They're both so much themselves, and there are so many good one-liners and interactions, that it's hard to pick just one moment. And you shouldn't, really: all of them woven together add up to a brilliant portrait of two canon characters.

I am one of those people who actually wants that juicy canon character content in a Pokemon fanfic, and this fic delivers. In particular the dynamic between Grimsley and Nanu is just -chef's kiss meme-

It took until Gen VII for Game Freak to finally give some depth to a dark-type user. So, along comes Bay to up the ante and actually feature two dark-type specialists interacting together. It's perfect. And the more down-to-earth, slice-of-life pacing the fic's employed up until now has done a great job setting up the dynamic between Nanu and Grimsley, the former's withdrawn and cantankerous attitude playing well off the latter's natural risk-taking behavior and general air of mystique.

Nominated by Chibi Pika

Let’s be real—Aaron and Lucario are the best part of Movie 8, so getting a fic that delves into their past and how they met is a real treat.

Nominated by Cutlerine and Virgil134

Same as last time, honestly. Annie is one of those people who reacts to things in ways that don't seem like the natural way to react, but which, in context, make absolute perfect sense. It's no small achievement to create a character like that.

Nominated by Umbramatic

I really don't know what to say except he's just so… Grimsley and it's great

Nominated by Umbramatic

she's great, she's complex, she's a little messed up, and i want to give her a hug

Nominated by Namohysip

Pletora's an odd one. She's hard, but she's soft. She's indifferent, yet she cares deeply. She's content, yet she's restless. And most importantly, she's independent, yet she's lonely.

Two sides of the same Scolipede, all brought out by an innocent child. Reading her story was a fascinating, yet subtle trip down her psyche. I only wish it was capitalized a bit more.

Nominated by Umbramatic

Such a sweet, innocent(??????????) boy. He also needs hugs.

Nominated by Ambyssin

As much as Spiteful Murkrow will try to downplay it given the fic's ensemble cast nature, Pleo is a little star and is a very good birb. One who's had a very hard year. 2018 has seen considerable growth for the little guy as he's struggling to come to terms with what his role in the world as a "Protector" really means and balance out those feelings with his desires to live back on his home island in peace with his newfound friends.

Nominated by Cutlerine

He's a terminally anxious snake. Okay, but for real, Syr is really compelling. He's on the sidelines of everyone's tragedies, so much so that it can be easy to overlook the fact that these are also his own tragedies. It's an interesting, intense position to be in, and to watch him struggle through it has been a rollercoaster.

Nominated by Umbramatic

This poor boy suffers so much, and just wants to save his teammates and trainers from danger. It's almost Courage The Cowardly Dog-esqe

Nominated by Venia Silente

One of the lead characters in Virgil's Fledglingsverse gaiden story, we get to explore his character, his backstory and his performance as he first joined the Navy. Certainly the best Ponyta around, even if I might be biassed as the originator of the character concept I'll have to say the Fledglignsverse authors have made wonders with their envision and version of this Ponyta, and in "Casting Off" it shows.

Two elements serve to highlight this character to notorious heights. First, his chance encounter with the ever cheeriest Cabot, and how the two characters despite being so different will get to click and become adventure partners. Berecien's realism, down-to-earth attitude, forthcoming energy, focus on long term tasks, fidelity to the ideal of a Navy and personal history background pointed on a slow but sure ascension towards "recovering home" all of them contrasting and empowering via feedback with Cabot's idealism, family and team focus, exuberant take on joining the Navy and somewhat of a head-in-the-clouds overall atttude.

Second, what Virgil gets to do with the character. One would not really pin a Ponyta - a hoofed quadruped Pokémon *on fire* as the kind of Pokémon that could go into a wooden ship and be anywhere near useful there… and Virgil only stamps that perception by putting Berecien through a number of hurdles that you and I take for granted, including having to tie and untie knows. Of course, Berecien being Berecien and having Cabot for (cheery!) emotional support, shows off his credentials as a character and overcomes any and all struggles, to eventually become the character we see in "Fledglings".

Makes me so proud I wanna cry out of joy.

Nominated by Starlight Aurate

Oh, poor Nate. This guy easily provides some of the most entertainment in all of Salvage. Started out as a Team Rocket member, he goes through an endless amount of physical abuse. He's clearly shown to care deeply for his Pokemon, though, even when fighting with them, is always one of the characters I look forward to most when reading this story.

Nominated by Cutlerine

Kimberly is really interesting; I like how she bounces off Andrea, how the two of them can't seem to decide whether to go for each other's throats or become best friends. And she herself is a fascinating person: she's very sympathetic in a lot of ways and kind of accidentally, obliviously not very nice in others. It's a great mixture, and it works really well.

Nominated by canisaries

Goodra Anam is the most huggable character, even if you will get slimy doing so. He's just a bundle of joy and friendliness who wants everyone to be buddies and happy. He's the head of the Thousand Hearts Association, the Guild of this PMD setting. Some would wonder if such a childlike and emotional person is good to have as a leader or not, but he's surprisingly capable. But wherever he's not enough, there's his right hand and straight man Decidueye James.

Nominated by Starlight Aurate

Classic Mewtwo is one of the most powerful Pokemon in canon, and the most powerful Pokemon to appear in this fic (thus far). This version, however, is riddled with emotional distress and has the one goal of desperately searching for his mother. He manages to be terrifying and yet hysterical, if primarily due to his interactions with the great Nathaniel Morgan and the reactions he brings out of the unnamed protagonist.

Nominated by Chibi Pika

Look, this is the last chance I'll ever get to nominate him, so you better believe I'm gonna do it. As the fic came to its climax last year, all his fear, all his pain, all his feelings of being betrayed by the one who he'd trusted unfailingly–all of it came together in the most wonderfully heart-wrenching way.

Nominated by Ambyssin

I'm not entirely sure of the degree to which Namohysip's revisions have raised Zena's prominence in the story, but I'm glad she's gotten attention. Although the insecurities swirling around her loneliness come from her life's present situation and, thus, have a bit of a fantastical element to them, there is something deeply relateable about her plight and her desire for companionship. And that makes me invested in what's to come surrounding her potential character arc.

Nominated by Ambyssin

Talking about Cassia's overall role in Unequivocant is something that's, well, tricky to do because it would giving away one of the early act's biggest twists. I'm just going to have to ask you give it a read for yourself to see what the deal is, I'm afraid. ^^;

Nominated by Cutlerine

The manic energy, the sense of someone so caught up in an idea that he can't see past the moment of its execution; Archie only appears briefly here, but it's an extremely striking appearance.

Nominated by Ambyssin

Given the murder mystery nature of Ghost Town, if I were to name the actual culprit, I would take away a significant reason to read the fic in the first place. So, with Cutlerine's blessing, I am opting to keep this person's identity just secret. I do believe, however, that they fully deserve to be considered. Through glimpses into this character's head as well as steady drip-feed of information about the state of Mahogany Town over the years, we come to learn exactly how this individual operates, that there's more to their insidious behavior than the murder itself, and their reasoning for doing what they do. Even more impressive (in an absolutely bone-chilling way) is the fact that this person's line of thinking and justification for their crimes is something you could definitely find out in the world if you look in the right places.

Nominated by Ambyssin

With its sprawling ensemble cast, Fledglings has an expansive list of characters on all ends of the moral spectrum, but it seems like, each year, one antagonist gets a bit more focus. In stark contrast to the previous winners from this fic, Ketu is not in a full-blown authoritative position and doesn't overwhelm foes with sheer force and brute strength. He's a behind-the-scenes manipulator with a penchant for talking his way through every situation and using his (barbed) tongue to rope in useful assets. And when that fails, he's no battling slouch, delivering what, at the time, was probably the single most brutal act of the fic. His motive for working for his current boss is still a mystery, sure, but he's currently the most interesting baddie in the story.

Nominated by Sike Saner and NebulaDreams

Ditty. Even though what they do is absolutely terrifying, it contrasted well with their amiable nature, and their motivation legitimately made me question whether or not their intentions really were noble,

Nominated by Ambyssin

Originally an android made for the sake of serving the apparent Big Bad, Socket, 2018 has brought a shake-up to the power dyanmics of System. Hoopa essentially went rogue and opted to go for a Chaotic Evil route of pulling UBs into System to wreck havok just because it interested him. Add to that his "treatment" of his fellow androids and you've got the antagonist I'm most intrigued in in this space epic.

Nominated by Ambyssin

A bizarre fusion of everyone's favorite(?) Sam Riegel character from Persona 4… and the physics-defying, godly bewear of the Sun & Moon anime. Much like a previous contender, Parasect Cordyceps, Mayor Teddie has one gimmick: frightening the hell out of our protagonist with the promise of spine-crushing snuggles. And that gimmick is *hilarious.*

Nominated by Cutlerine

Honestly? She's just great. I am not accepting counter-arguments at this time, thanks.

Nominated by Ambyssin

Another gimmick character in that this Porygon-Z is, well, a malfunctioning AI of sorts (who insists his systems are perfectly operational). Pretty much ever interaction he has is guaranteed to get a laugh… unless you're one of those tech-hating types. Which I technically am, but I still found a way to make it work. :V

Nominated by Chibi Pika

While she's not exactly the kind of comedic jokester that this category would imply, there's just something about her ridiculously blunt, crude–and occasionally, inappropriately rude–way of speaking that just has me constantly in stitches. This interview chapters show this off the best, with her narration constantly interspersed with snarky asides directed at the reader.

Nominated by Sike Saner

Nominated by Ambyssin

Yes, you're reading this correctly. Negrek's version of Mewtwo is basically a whiny, self-absorbed brat who frequently gets emotionally dunked on… but then manages to turn it around on the (equally amoral) main protagonist.

Nominated by DeliriousAbsol

Totem Salazzle was just… Well, that scene puts it into words, I guess! I really enjoyed this arc, and she was one of the main reasons.

Nominated by Virgil134

Nominated by canisaries

Nominated by NebulaDreams

The ending of this fic was very satisfying, and the scene before it that made it the most memorable in my eyes was the final confrontation with Mill. Without spoiling much, the buildup beforehand of what this particular Pokemon was up to left me on the edge of my seat, and when it finally revealed what he was planning all this time, I was horrified, yet intrigued by the result. It was a brilliant idea executed in a really chilling way.

Nominated by Chibi Pika

Sam sure does have a knack for writing scenes in which nothing has even happened yet that nevertheless manage to freeze your blood cold.

Nominated by Firaga Metagross

Inyssa's use of hyperbole to mask her sadness is so in character and just adds to the emotional impact.

Nominated by DeliriousAbsol

This was a truly unexpected scene, and one I feel is definitely worthy of this category.

Nominated by Chibi Pika

Mother of all spoiler warnings: reading that chapter will basically explain the entire fic. It's also, conveniently enough, somewhat standalone, focusing on two characters in a time far removed from the rest of the fic. Two characters who forge an unlikely bond, knowing it can't possibly last and can only end in tragedy. Throughout the entire chapter, you know exactly what fate will befall them, and yet it still stabs you in the heart anyway.

Nominated by Venia Silente

How many stories start with the protagonist's *ultimate* defeat? Showing them at the peak of their adventure, right into the Champion's battle chamber, just about to bring down the frenzied Legendary, or in this case right in the middle of a stadium filled with people in a Final match for a Contest conference, only to take all of this away with a single stroke?

How close to home does this hit for some of us?

"Star Performer" goes to a number of pains to show you how badly this kind of defeat can crush anyone. Carefully chosen length and timing between sentences only serves to enhance the portrayal of the lead character being just thrown off their game, their mind reeling, their body tiring and still tense but their spirit just gone elsewhere. And this last, long enough into the second episode that the story even hints at the tried and true trope of juvenile love bringing people out of their shell to tell us how much strength is needed to pull the lead out of this hole.

Nominated by Starlight Aurate

Nominated by Cutlerine

You guys, it's just too cute! I'm a sucker for that kind of thing where someone searches for strength and, having found it, realises that their reasons for seeking it were fulfilled by the process, not the result. And this scene delivers exactly that.

Nominated by Ambyssin

Fledglings had multiple sprawling action sequences this year, but the kicker has to be the escape from Tidemill City which is a massive, nigh-chapter-spanning battle royale with cheese in which all of the story's villainous factions and their respective antagonists come to face-to-face. There's frantic fleeing, naval combat, significant collateral damage, and attacks flying every which way. Finding a representative sample was hard enough, so I hope this suffices.

Nominated by Cutlerine

This is the kind of action scene where the person whose POV you're following really isn't the kind of person who should be in an action scene. And it's really good at being that thing.

Nominated by Venia Silente

During "Casting Off" and beyond, Virgil's take on Berecien has been that of an awesomely collected of somewhat high-strung character that does not really go on tirades and puts up his best effort with only some minor complaints when faced with adversity, and his personality has notoriously contrasted with the more energetic, hopeful and idealistic Cabot. But here…

Someone had to strike Berecien's family nerve.

"So… I suppose that's your motivation for being here?" she [Cyanea] began. "Since the Company built a giant prison complex onto your island."

"That's right. I will never forgive those square-necks for what they did to our island after driving my family out," Berecien harrumphed. "Serving in the navy has always been a tradition in our family, but I'm hoping that by being here, someday I can get our island back from the Company."

This quote -and the conversation overall- has so much Berecien energy in it that I even had to make a meme for it. That's how impressive, enjoyable and representative it is.

Nominated by DeliriousAbsol

That final quote, by Rhys, is memorable because it was NOT expected. Had me chuckling.

Nominated by Chibi Pika

This little exchange just about sums up the core theme of the entire fic. The ultra-powerful gods of the Pokemon world–just a bunch of scared, flawed people making mistakes and trying to put things right.

Nominated by Cutlerine and Spiteful Murkrow

As my nominations so far probably show, I really like diamondpearl876's work. It's just all so good, you know? So many memorable characters and awkward conversations. None of that's easy to pull off, and that it works time after time is a real achievement.

Nominated by Ambyssin

Nominated by Umbramatic

Chibi again just keeps going and going and going… and they've improved so much.

Nominated by Virgil134

Nominated by Umbramatic, Ambyssin and Virgil134

Angst. Lots of angst. Namo already feels right at home.

Nominated by Sike Saner and Chibi Pika

Nominated by Cutlerine

There have been a lot of new voices in the forum this year, but Firaga Metagross' has been the one that stands out to me, as my nominations so far have probably made clear. Both All Suns Must Set and The Skull that Bears Seeds are full of promise, and I'm really looking forward to seeing where they go.

Nominated by Umbramatic and Chibi Pika

She just finished a sixteen-year long effort to finish her silly chapterfic she started at age 12. I think that merits a nomination.

Nominated by Ambyssin and Venia Silente

It takes some dedication to go on for a story that is ~60 episodes in and is nowhere near getting finished, and getting better and better with time, setting up an immersive world with relatable characters. All nicely wrapped up in a schedule that, while not frequent, leaves us wanting for more for sensible periods of time and with an accountability for releases that matches that of well-established content distributor *agencies* like HBO, all the while adding extra featurettes every now and then, even!

You wish Cartoon Network and Netflix had the delivery style SpitefulMurkrow has.

We authors don't need to deliver every day but we do need to *work* every day where possible, and the result of the daily, weekly, monthly struggle show nicely.

Nominated by Starlight Aurate

Del manages to get an impressive amount of writing done. She not only finished multiple fics, but also completed 2018 NaNoWriMo. She posts consistently and frequently and is clearly devoted to her writing.

Nominated by Cutlerine

Have you seen how many entries the Alola Dex has? And how rapidly all that has been posted? It's really impressive, and absolutely deserving of a nomination.

Nominated by Ambyssin

Nominated by DeliriousAbsol

To actually re-work a large chaptered story to fix some flaws takes some major dedication. Not to mention the side projects!

Nominated by Spiteful Murkrow

Nominated by Ambyssin

I think there's been a solid improvement in the quality of her prose descriptions and dialogue exchanges, especially if you look between the start of Foul Play and its most recent chapter.

Nominated by Chibi Pika

Neb has made great strides on revising his fic in just this year alone, and he very quickly and effectively takes feedback into account. I look forward to seeing where his writing goes in the future.

Nominated by Chibi Pika

Each time she returns to the forum, her writing has taken another great leap forward.

Nominated by Namohysip

Samples: (Namohysip)

I've seen Ambyssin leaving long and details reviews, often pointing out both the parts of the piece that worked, and areas that didn't fit, or concerns, and he doesn't hold back when giving them. Yet at the same time, he isn't tactless about it. He's measured and knows how to critique without making it seem like their perception of the work is worse than it actually is–a skill that many self-proclaimed critics forget. Additionally, his regular dose of snark and humor makes even the small jabs a joy to read.

Nominated by Ambyssin

Samples: (Ambyssin)

Nominated by Umbramatic

Samples: (Umbramatic)

Chibi is a prolific reviewer, and is always there with helpful, cheery, positive advice.

Nominated by Firaga Metagross

Samples: (Firaga Metagross)

It's harder to find a story Cutlerine hasn't reviewed! She gives a lot of newer writers on the site the opportunity to receive critique and the incentive to write more. Also, really good at catching grammar/sp errors.

Nominated by Umbramatic

Samples: (Umbramatic)

Negrek is pretty busy a lot of the time, but you can always count on them to set aside time for a nice, meaty, helpful review, and to me that's dedication.

Nominated by Starlight Aurate

Samples: (Starlight Aurate)

Sike Saner consistently comes back to the fics she started reviewing, and always leaves at least some comment on every chapter that's been posted.