2019 Fanfiction Awards Results

Nominated by NebulaDreams

The uniquely flawed but likeable characters, the lax yet tense pacing, the dramatic and emotional weight each chapter has, the ever-growing sense of scale, the detailed worldbuilding, and the themes explored here make for one of the best trainer fics I've read.

Nominated by Namohysip and Kindoflame

What better way to commemorate the finishing of one of the longest works than by nominating it, eh? I didn't go through this entire thing for nothing.

Nominated by Namohysip and RednBlue

This is a very subdued story with a lot of powerful emotions hidden beneath. There's a lot to admire from how Nebula can bring high fantasy down to earth.

Definitely one of my all time favorites.

Nominated by NebulaDreams

Hands of Creation continues to be excellent through the constantly unravelling nature of its storyline, with a lot of exciting action, a lot of tears shed, and a lot of moments that will make you go 'holy crap!'

Nominated by Kindoflame and canisaries

This 500k+ epic just keeps on giving. In 2019, we've explored new characters and old, each one with their own motivations and ideologies. We've asked ourselves which side really is the good one, and the answers seem to vary significantly by reader - a sign of a truly multifaceted story. These fleshed out characters are what make the conflicts so tense and emotions so visceral, and it keeps you reading strong even past the half-million words mark.

Nominated by NebulaDreams

This is a close call since there were lots of good contenders for best one-shot with the contest entries, but SWAP! hit that sweet spot between good conflict and an upbeat tone that landed it for me near the top here.

Nominated by canisaries

Nominated by Namohysip and RednBlue

I dunno man. It was a really simple story with a nice world to go with it. I liked it. And I'm surprised it was published in 2019–just right at the very beginning.

Nominated by NebulaDreams

Nominated by Namohysip

Don't overlook this one. There are a lot of little things going on in this plot being built up and I can't wait to see what Bugle is gonna do with it.

Nominated by Kindoflame and RednBlue

Had me on the edge of my seat, swear to jeebus

Nominated by Namohysip

It's literally a Kirby crossover and nobody acknowledges it.

Nominated by Kindoflame

Nominated by Kindoflame

Nominated by Kindoflame

Nominated by canisaries

Nominated by Namohysip

The plot is heavily tied to how the main characters grow and react (differently!) to what happens, and what they do to make things happen next. How people change, and how they don't change at all…

Nominated by Kindoflame

Nominated by Namohysip

Tales of grief and recovery mingle together in this very modern Pokemon story.

Nominated by canisaries

The character arc of Icetales took me by surprise in what I expected to be only a light fic, and it's also what makes this fic a great fit for the Heartwarming category.

Nominated by Namohysip

I didn't see it coming, and yet I'm probably more invested in it than anything else in the story.

Nominated by Kindoflame

Nominated by Kindoflame and canisaries

I haven't read terribly far yet, but it's clear that these two bring the best out in each other: Curio encourages Shine to have fun and live his life, and Shine makes Curio realize when she steps too far out of line. No wonder the Luxray so badly wanted to find the Lucario again.

Nominated by NebulaDreams

This one shot discussed some really interesting themes of choosing between doing what you love and suffering for your art, or being successful and hating it, and these two characters really brought out the best in that with their individual plights and how they interact together.

Nominated by Venia Silente

When you read about the afterlife, in a world with creatures capable of things Pokémon are capable to do, a part of you hopes – and hopes against hope – that some things we consider tenets can be broken if it can make for a short, bitter-or-sweet story.

This OS made a damn fine job of building up to that hope that it would work yet at the same time the hope that it *wouldn't* work, that it would be worse if it did, and I feel like this is one of the rare times where, suspenseful as the fic is, one doesn't really want to see that continuation, because at a meta level some hope remains in the unknown, in the "nothing established on print yet".

Nominated by Kindoflame

Nominated by canisaries

Nominated by Namohysip and Venia Silente

All things considered, it's a very relatable story for a lot of people – The bonds you lose as time passes and you go separate ways, only to wonder what could have been, but can no longer be…

Capitalism, fam, and what it does to people no matter the species. What this story shows is but a time slice of a degradation that can easily go on for months, for years and that it seems no matter the powers we adscribe to ourselves or to our characters, it's just not possible to escape.

Hopefully somehow, someday, we'll find out a better alternative. One that pays at least ₽1200 an hour.

Nominated by NebulaDreams and canisaries

When you break it down, this is a really cute story about a couple of Ninetales changing their lives for the better as well as the lives of others in some way,

I won't spoil this one either, but the conclusion of Icetales' arc is very satisfying.

Nominated by canisaries

A lovely short story about a determined little mail-Golett and a reluctantly helpful Luxio. Its adorably polite protagonist and feel-good ending are what make it so heartwarming to me.

Nominated by Venia Silente

How come the one, True way of giving justice to Dunsparce in this fandom not make it in yet?

This story gives off the vibes of classical, '90s Buffy the Vampire Slayers season finales and makes you lick your lips on it. There's simply no opportunity Namo leaves unturned to make something fun happen with the varied characters (who, reminder, are all Dunsparce here) even until the very end.

Nominated by Namohysip and Kindoflame

Nominated by Kindoflame

Nominated by NebulaDreams

Despite being based off of the TPP verse, it introduces a lot of new characters and transforms old ones, putting it all in a different context. Boy, it is uncompromising in how low it can sink in terms of what the main character does, but it does it in such an interesting, complex way, and isn't afraid to have a laugh either, so it hits the right balance between terrifying and darkly comic.

Nominated by Namohysip

The brave coward is a trope you see a lot, but not often one done quite like this, I don't think… And it's subtle, too.

Nominated by NebulaDreams

Pixie is an icy bundle of joy while also having a lot of depth to her beyond being a bratty fox. Not even the Pokemon in Broken Things are safe from being afflicted with mental hangups.

Nominated by Namohysip

This guy has a lot of internal conflict going on, and is probably the one Pokemon who seems to understand life in both sides of the world's main division–Pallids and civils.

Nominated by Namohysip

I kinda wish I saw more of this guy. He's probably one of the most level-headed characters in the early story and that seems to continue, and it's a nice contrast to all the action going on.

Nominated by Namohysip

I kept it vague, but anybody who read it would know who I'm talking about; for such little screen time, the implications and the hints toward the source's story makes for an oddly wholesome, if not unsettling, message.

Nominated by Namohysip and Venia Silente

He wanna be a dragon.

It is very *very* difficult not to relate with this little Eevee nor to not find funny both his perception of life and his various misadventures.

Nominated by Kindoflame

Nominated by NebulaDreams

One word. That is all.

Nominated by Namohysip and Kindoflame

Nominated by Kindoflame

Nominated by RednBlue

Has been posting his fic almost every single day since he began. Pretty dedicated, eh?