Serena as a traveling companion

[Lillie]

How do you feel about Serena as a traveling companion in XY so far? I feel that she has been great as one so far. At first she didn't do much, which I think could have been written a little better, but after that around the summer camp arc, she seems to have finally gotten some great development. She's found a goal, caught her first Pokemon, and seems to be getting more screentime and focus in general compared to the first year of XY. Her shipping subplot/gag or whatever you consider it is also interesting imo. I feel that if they balance out the shipping with Serena's goal and maybe have Ash show some hints as well, she could become a really dynamic character. What are your thoughts of Serena as a companion in XY?

 

[Misty-Moo]

Serena's character arc

I touched on this in the http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/f228/new-change-serenas-character-design-171694/ thread & I'd like to continue the discussion without derailing it.

Before I get started, I just want to make a couple of things quite clear.
I am aware that Serena's new character design indicates her character is heading in a new direction & I do like her.

Let's start with a general recap of the female companions (for those of you who have been living on Mars) - We started with Misty who was tomboyish & liked battling, but still had a caring & feminine side. Then came May & Dawn who while both being battlers (albeit eventually in May's case) were far more stereotypically feminine, they loved girlish things - shopping, baking, cute Pokemon, performing, etc. Then came Iris who was another battler & not really feminine at all. She wasn't very popular (I liked her, but that's a different issue), so the writers decided to go for a feminine character again.

With that, we come to Serena. She started her Pokemon journey to reconnect with Ash & get away from her mother & the lifepath that Grace had chosen for her, ie. Rhyhorn racing.

I don't have a problem with her reasons, however, I do have issues with how her character arc has been handled.

1) I feel that the writers have taken too long in her development -
For example, May left home just because she wanted to & going on a Pokemon journey was simply the means that she used to achieve that goal. However, it only took 13 episodes for her to decide on her path. It took 40 episodes before Serena discovered that Pokemon Showcases even existed.
I think some of this might be due to Bonnie - she's been the focus of 3 "Help out the POTD" episodes (Espurr, Flabebe & Lapras). In the earlier episodes, she's the one who wants to catch/train/interact with Pokemon. Or whenever our heros take part in a new activity on the road, she's always enthusiastic about trying it. This has caused Serena to be pushed to the background somewhat.

2) Why did they effectively reset her, rather than just continue to let her grow naturally?
In "Giving Chase at the Rhyhorn Race!" she overcame her fear of Rhyhorn & realised that even though she didn't want to be a Rhyhorn racer, she didn't hate the activity like she initially thought.
In "Dreaming a Performer's Dream!" she showed care in her pursuit of & communication with Pancham & determination in her defence of it when Team Rocket tried to capture it.*
In "A Race for Home!" she showed strength of character by telling her mother that she wanted to be a Performer rather that a Rhyhorn racer. She showed bravery by challenging Grace to a race, determination in general & desire for her new goal by winning (clearly demonstrated because Skiddo can sense that from their riders).

3) If introducing character customisation was one of the reasons for her new outfit, why not just have her wear different travelling outfits every now & again?
Our heros have been to many different places in their travels so far - the beach, mountains, festivals, etc. - giving Serena several opportunities to wear a special outfit.

* - I hate not knowing which pronoun to use

 

[Mythicalzoe12]

Shes a bad role model to little girls because she is telling them to go be with the boy you like and follow him to the ends of the earth if you love him that much. She is really creepy actually with her stalker motives and obsession with Ash. Not to mention she has no dreams of being a pokemon trainer meaning she is just there. Clemont joined Ash because his A.I gave him the boot while Serena joined Ash because she wants his ****.

 

[Misty-Moo]

Shes a bad role model to little girls

No she isn't.

because she is telling them to go be with the boy you like and follow him to the ends of the earth if you love him that much.

No, Serena started her journey to escape her slightly domineering Mother & the life path she had chosen for her and because she wanted the see Ash again.

She is really creepy actually with her stalker motives and obsession with Ash.

I've got no idea where you're getting that impression from, she's got a bit of a crush on him, nothing more.

Not to mention she has no dreams of being a pokemon trainer meaning she is just there.

Oh, please. There's only been two real battlers in the entire history of the Pokegirls - Misty & Iris.

Serena joined Ash because she wants his ****.

Again, you've interpreted it very wrongly there - she's 10, for heaven's sake

In closing, I suggest you read a bit less Amourshipping fanfiction before making sweeping assumptions

 

[CrashBash]

Have you even seen any of the XY episodes because, no offence, your entire comment suggests you haven't.

 

[Dr. Buni]

She makes me think Tracey wasn't that bad of a companion. That is how boring and bland Serena is. Plus, the fact she is mostly defined by having a crush on Ash is just... sigh. Clemont and Bonnie are some of the best companions, too bad Serena spoils everything :c To think all previous female companions were great. Iris was fun, Dawn was lovable, May was probably the best female companion and Misty, well, she is Misty. I'd take any of them back over Serena.

I truly believe the show would be a lot better if Dawn, Misty, May or Iris were in the place of Serena. Hell, how about Korrina, another XY character instead? She was freaking great and I love her character in the anime. She had chemistry with Ash, something Serena wishes she had. 

 

[PokePete]

I really like Serena as a travelling companion. Sure, it took her a while to find her goal and she was not very confident in the beginning but now she seems stronger and more determined than before. Also, her being interested in Ash makes her more interesting than previous female companions. She may not be the best of the previous female companions but she sure is not the worst.

 

[Mareepy]

She developed so much and had the absolute best episode recently and yet SOME PEOPLE says that she is defined by her crush on Ash.

Episode 60 and 64 is enough to staple her as the absolute best female companion Ash ever had. I love Dawn for her creativity and spirit but her development is nowhere near this standard. Nor do May. Lets not talk about the other two that has X->0 development.

 

[Almonds]

People complain she had no goal. She got a goal. People complain it's too girly, and a ripoff of contests.
People complain she had no character. She got character development. People complain about said character development.
People complain she's not a battler and that she's weak and useless and boring. Her Fennekin learns decent moves and she gets an aggressively enthusiastic Pancham who's a good battler and a dancer. People still complain.

Personally, Serena is the best travelling companion, better than the previous girls in every aspect. She's sweet, cheerful, supportive, and lovely. She's a rookie but has the will and potential. She's no battler, but she was never one to begin with anyways. She's stylish, and dreams of becoming the Kalos Queen. She has a crush on Ash, but she's living her life for herself, not for Ash. She's independent and spunky AND she's the sort of girl you'd see next door in real life.

She is my favorite and I love her :3

 

[Lillie]

Serena's development in XY64 pretty much just pushed her to the top as my favorite female lead. I definitely think she's getting the best development of all the female leads yet. Plus she battled and started enjoying it as well as holding her own against the Kalos Queen.

 

[pokepal_123]

After watching the last few Serena episodes people shouldn't even talk about how bad Serena is that's how much her Character has improved and developed and maybe in the shortest amount of time yet. Sure just 15-20 episodes ago I would have said that she was the worst heroine but now I can safely say that she is more developed than even May and Dawn in such a short amount of time her arc has lasted so far.

Look at how much she grown from being a person who had no confidence in what she was doing and only cared about Ash all the time to now becoming a much more assertive character focused on her dreams(finding what she wants to do in life after so long), learning to control her emotions and has done a lot more notable things such as catching her first Pokémon and getting her first evolution.XY064 pretty much finished of the first phase of her character development and now she is going to be focused on developing her goal now that she is a much more confident character than what she was.

 

[Necrozma]

She makes me think Tracey wasn't that bad of a companion.

Who's Tracey?

Plus, the fact she is mostly defined by having a crush on Ash is just... sigh.

What you actually want to say is 'sigh, I just can't deal with the fact Serena has a crush on Ash and despite the fact her character is not defined by her crush, I can't let it go'. Because seriously, Serena is not defined by her crush on Ash.

Unless you can provide substantial arguments?

 

[Ches20]

Dawn was the best. Serena voice is too annoying and Clemont and Bonnie have been the far better companions but see is alright.

 

[CrashBash]

Who's Tracey?

You remember the Orange Island saga? He was there.

 

[Kairyu]

It's a shame her goal is so boring. That's what really ruins her character to me. I just do not give a fuck about contest appeals at this point.

 

[Olive]

I personally am quite fond of the development that Serena's been given. Sure, it took about forty episodes for her goal to truly take shape, but then again, just how many people can say what their goal in life is by the age of around-ten. This for me is what I particularly appreciate about Serena's development; it felt a tad more realistic than that of any of Ash's other female companions. Misty and Iris had their intangible goals of wanting to master their respective types, which they had from their entrances if I'm not mistaken. Dawn had her coordinator goal from DP001. May's was a bit unique in that she originally intended to become a trainer before deciding on contests in AG013. Serena though had absolutely no goal tangible or intangible when she set off, and in many ways that lack of direction is more relatable and realistic than already knowing what your ultimate goal in life is when you set off on your journey.

On a negative point, the numerous misdirecting goals she seemed to develop up to the Summer Camp arc got a bit tedious after a while. Is she going to become a trainer? Will she become another cheerleader for Ash? Does she plan on becoming the next big Pokevision star? Is baking Poke Puffs about to become her goal? Nope. Becoming Kalos Queen is her dream. I personally found so much indecision to be a bit exasperating, but on another note, having so many different directions to go in did indeed make that final performance epiphany that much more relatable and significant.

As far as AmourShipping goes, Dawn+Serena Fan pretty much summed my thoughts.

Her shipping subplot/gag or whatever you consider it is also interesting imo. I feel that if they balance out the shipping with Serena's goal and maybe have Ash show some hints as well, she could become a really dynamic character.

Any who, despite the long and winding road that was her realizing her goal, I personally have to say that Serena has been given one of the more notable and relatable treatments in terms of character development. Ash's other female companions got their treatments too in varying degrees, but Serena just seems -- to me -- to be quite a few notches above the rest regarding her development as a travelling companion.

 

[pokemon fan 132]

About Serena im indifferent but with positive foretoken.

Meaning how my feelings turned from disappointment to moderate interest.

At first i was somewhat repelled by her character. She came of as fairly shallow and stereotyped product. With no real goals in sight. No motivation and interest for anything. No battle skills, many pokemon or activoty. Giving out impression of perfect housewife who knows how to sew, bake, clean etc. Giving out imprressoon of sattelite character existing for main protagonist(Ash). Trying to get noticed and please him with crush heavily defining her.

Making me question if this is really going to be everything there is to character pushing rather contrived sublot of love which has very small chance of something substantial ever coming out of it in show like pokemon and way writers forcefully tuck her character in Ash history by retconning past?

But with time as we got to learn more about Serena character, her background and feelings.

I started to realize how this could be what were writers planning ever since XY series started in regards to Serena character.

Wanting to take time and gradually with no rush or forced circumstances awaken change in Serena storyline, attitude and way she perceive things. Slowly starting to hatch out of cocoon in becoming more comfortable around Ash, Clemont and Bonnie,.

-In starting to view pokemon and pokemon related activities as fun and exciting(which racing didnt seemeed to accomplish).

-In realizing there exists ways for her to demnstrat love for fashion, baking, cute clothes etc through competitions like Tripokalon.

-Along with mustering strength and courage to let mother directly become aware how she does not want to be racer continuing family tradition.

If anything i think writers from very start planned to develop Serena in such manner, being for pokemon standards pretty good writing.

Becoming more interesting and as result starting to feel more as her own character. Gaining slowly identity and distancing away from Ash,. Not being treated as submissive, insecure and losing head over heels in fawning over Ash on every step girl anymore.

With moments like Summer camp and questioning herself of what is her place in Ash company, why is she even there wandering aimlessly with no purpose in life.

Shauna energetic nature leaving positive influence on Serena in deciding to give shot at pokemon performance and see if it suit her needs.

Fighting up for her dreams and direction in path to follow not being interested in continuing family tradition of professional pokemon racers. Hertwarming moments such as cutting hair after embarassing failure in her very first big event to symbolize reborn of stronger, more independent and brave Serena.

Beginning to realize her flaws resulting in better understanding for her pokemon were all positive and pretty good guidelines through which writers so far have taken Serena character.

With my hopes increasing about Serena future, storyline, likability and development having potential and planned out path through which she may further unfold out. Gaining more integrity to her own character, composure and some path in life to follow. With writers doing so far decent job with her.

Serena didn't won me over like some other girls did though so far. Partially because i guess im not much fan of girly, reclusive type of characters not forming much of emotional attachment to her .
Because i think whole love subplot has bad chances of going way of pokeshipping and contestshipping ending abandoned in past with her feelings for Ash leading nowhere. Being imo unavailing job to invest much into this just to end up disappointed if she gets replaced and end up forgotten as other girls unfortunately.

And because i admittedly still find whole idea of Pokemon performer quest pretty linear and generic. Although i admit with appearance of older woman Yashio and recent meeting with super idol Aria this might add layer of depth to whole concept. Being interested if writers decide to take Serena through route many celebrities and famous people in real life go through.

In learning how to cope with newborn fame and popularity from pokevision videos and more impressive acts delivering with pokemon on stage in future competitions. Possubly fearing she will let down her fans, not being able to cope with pressure and high expectations with this two new persons she met in life helping her to adjust to it.

Granted im not gonna lie. If i could choose i would rather have Misty or May as main companions for Kalos. Having more likable personalities imo. More exciting careers through which they can be further exploit(either through contests or Whirl Cup type of competitions expanding on water master quest and potentially becoming E4 student). And because for me more touching backstories and better chemistry with Ash and others.

But im beginning to warm up to Serena character and im willing to give her proper, fair chance until very end.

Because i began to welcome Serena changes and so far pretty good development she went through. Leaving better impression on me than it used to be case in first half of XY series.

 

[sweetpeamarie_]

I feel like out of all the girl companions, Serena is the most relatable. Her character development was great it may have took her awhile to realize her goal, but doesn't that relate to real life? I think the producers handled Serena great. She's grown so much from the first season of XY from having zero confidence to now having a set goal and going after her dreams. At first, I thought Serena was only here because of her very noticeable crush on Ash, but now I see that she's confident, determined, and strong (still has her crush for Ash XD! ) Ash and Serena compliment each other so well they both act as a voice of reason for each other. Serena always helping him with his gym battles and Ash helping her realize her goal. I do wish that she would just tell Ash how she feels about him *sigh*

 

[Hidden Mew]

Serena is an okay character. She has a likable personality, has good chemistry with the other characters in the main cast and has some nice moments with her Pokemon, mainly Fennekin. She's generally a nice character, but I do feel like she's wasted potential. Bear in mind that I haven't seen the more recent episodes yet, as I still follow primarily the dub, so I haven't seen some of her more recent episodes, but I think that taking about a year to start off her goal was not the best idea, or at least not handled in the best way. I liked that she didn't have a goal at mind at the start of the series. We rarely see that and the last time that happened was with May, who is my favorite female lead, and I was curious how Serena would find a goal when X/Y didn't have something like Contests.

While she wasn't completely inactive during those first forty or so episodes of XY, she wasn't as active as I would have liked her to be either. Seeing her try out more events to find her goal would have been nice and could have added more weight to her mother's claim that she always gave up whenever stuff got really tough for her, which also would have made her determination to become the Kalos Queen all the more impressive as well. It also didn't help that she didn't feel bad about not having a goal until the Summer Camp arc and then found it pretty quickly into that arc. Taking so long to start up her goal puts her at more of a disadvantage potentially since they have less time to work on her goal compared to all of the other leads who either had a goal from the start or in May's case, a goal less that twenty episodes into the series. It just makes her feel like wasted potential based on what I've seen thus far.

That being said, she has gotten better with the more focus and activity she's been getting lately. While her performances from what I've seen come off as glorified Contest appeal rounds, they aren't bad glorified Contest appeals. If Contests were in X/Y, she could have been a good Coordinator, which would have been nice since I do miss seeing Contests in the anime a lot. She has had some good focus episodes like with catching Pancham and especially confronting her mom about her dream. Hearing that she has some really good development later on is a good sign too. I also like her new design. It works surprisingly well, much more than I initially thought it would when it was announced.

As for her crush on Ash, I honestly think that fans online tend to make a bigger deal about that than the show itself does. They clearly reference it in the show from time to time, but it doesn't really feel like a main part to her character. It's a gimmick and whenever they have some scene or line to make her crush more obvious, it feels more like they're reminding the audience that this gimmick exists more than anything else. I don't really put much focus or importance on it myself when it's pretty obvious that it won't go anywhere, but I don't think that the crush is her main defining trait.

Serena is generally an okay character. She suffers from being wasted potential. I kind of want to like her more than I actually do, which admittedly isn't the worst problem a character can have. When the dub gets to her other focused episodes, that might help with liking her more, but for now, she's a solid okay.

 

[Pikachu979]

Honestly Serena is a ok character but her goal is boring to me