Nominated by Venia Silente
This is not only a Collosseum story done right, which really is a subfranchise that needs more exposition in the fandom. No, this story does that well, PLUS at the same time being a reasonable and relatable story about a human outlaw in a world that has Pokémon in it. For extra bonus points, there's Espeon and Umbreon and they have quite well defined personalities on their own. Anyone of us who lives with pets such as cats or dogs (or more, cats AND dogs) can feel the pain of Wes having to deal with them and keep them entertained and engaged like, all the time. And it makes for a so much more human Wes-character.