Can Serena's Goal Truly Be Interesting Without Battling?

[Cinderfella]

May and Dawn...and to a vaguer extent Misty and Iris...were all battlers. I say vaguer because Misty and Iris didn't have routinely battling competitions like Contests besides Tournaments to further their goal; however, in order to become Water and Dragon Pokémon Masters-they do have to battle.

After Iris left the show-she battled Claire. Misty battles on a regular basis back at the Gym.

May and Dawn battled for a living. In order to be a True Top Co-ordinator, they had to be a Top Notch Contest Battler. And then...there's Serena.

I like Serena personally...I think her character is genuine. Then there's her goal...and I make this thread because it's been on my mind and now recently with current episodes, I know it's been on others' as well.

Can Serena truly be an interesting Pokémon performer, without any battling? These things would probably be more exciting with battles. Serena essentially is the first female we've had who may not be a battler.

Is that ok? What's confusing is that she saw passion in the summer camp arc with other trainers battling with their pokemon. I can't help but wonder as to why if her career never would involve battling?

Suppose Serena ends up with several fully evolved Pokémon, would her end goal be to be Kalos Queen with all 3? How...does...that...work?

What gives me hope is that Pancham did interrupt the last Showcase in its capture episode...so maybe the final round of a Tri-Pokalon is battling? It makes sense with "Tri" in the name doesn't it?

One solution could be: May appearing and introducing Serena to contests after she tries out her first Performance or becomes Kalos Queen soon and realizes there's much to be desired would be perfect. If Serena ultimately settled on contests in search for something more-that just may be ideal writing. Of course, as a fanbase, we'd have to be patient.

Discuss.

 

[JacobYBM]

Given the characters are still competing to be the best at their field, yes it can be interesting. Hikaru no Go is nothing but people sitting around playing a game with flat stones most of us don't understand but that did not stop it from being engrossing and fun. The Kalos Queen still could just as easily require similar forethought, planning, and spontaneous attempts at one-upping the other characters. Hell, it already has an advantage of sorts: it'll have dancing! Dancing and idol cartoons are all the rage right now. If the production staff have the time and talent to pull it off we could get some interesting dance scenes.

It is entirely possible this could be a great storyline, just as it is entirely possible for the Contest storylines to have been bad.

 

[Odinn]

If she wasn't the co-star of the show alongside Ash, I probably wouldn't mind.
If your intend isn't raising a Pokemon (which means doing something to make it grow [usually battling or at least earning experience with different things]), what's the damn difference with a regular CoTD?
How can a co-star have a goal without Pokemon involing in it? Without battling means no Pokemon. When a Pokemon gets screen-time, it's usually being pet or doing some battling-stuff. What? Fennekin will become a Delphox out of nowhere and start cooking due to humanly shaped body? So...

 

[Cresselia92]

I think it can. I'm actually quite intrigued by her goal, which doesn't actively involve battling as the main event for once. I mean, even the anime Contests we're very battle-oriented, at the end of the day. Honestly, they were nothing more than more choreographed battles with "health bars".

Not saying that Contests were bad, mind you, and I loved the various combinations of moves, but I also would like to see some Pokemon being more than just battlers, whether they have more style or not. There is so much more potential that could be exploited with them, and the Pokemon Showcases may be the first step toward more varied and original activities than just battles. After all, not all people watch the anime for the battles, and the Showcases may suit more their tastes.

I'm not denying that the Pokemon Showcases may end up a disappointment, especially if they don't differentiate themselves from Contests and end up being just "Appeal Rounds" copied from Contests, but I'm willing to give them a go. Besides, it's not like Serena may not battle at all throughout the XY saga. She can easily fight outside her goal. Being a Connoisseur didn't stop Cilan from battling, after all, and as such her goal shouldn't automatically exclude battles for her, especially not after the Summer Camp where she found out that battles can be fun. Or at least, I hope so.

 

[Sakuraa]

I certainly think a goal can be interesting without battling. The main focus of Ash's journey is to battle so I personally think it is good to have more variation and allow other characters to do things that don't focus on battling and making their Pokemon stronger. I personally think performances can bring more to the table than battles since we can see several different kinds of performances she can make depending on what Pokemon she'll use. These are the things I liked about contest appeals and battles and I think they'll definitely work here. I personally found Serena's performance from XY 50 to be really nice.

Also, unlike say, Connoisseur Cilan or Breeder Brock, Serena's Pokemon are going to be doing something in relation to her goal. She has to train with them and make sure they know how make interesting performances and that she herself can perform with them. I'm personally very interested in seeing the future Pokemon Showcases and what the trainers and Pokemon will do.

 

[Lillie]

I'm actually voting for 2 options on this 1. Yes her goal can be interesting without battles, but she needs to be proactive for it to be interesting. If she's staying in the background being inactive for most of the series, like Brock and Tracy, then yes it would be boring, but if she really trained for them and became proactive by participating in Showcases then yes it would be interesting.

 

[CrashBash]

It's not so much as to whether Serena's goal will be interesting without battling, it's whether she'll be interesting herself.

I've never been a fan of things in Pokemon that don't really focus on battling. Practically why I never bothered with the movies and performances in White 2, or the PokeVision in Y. Same carries over to the anime. It's part of the reason why I like Misty and Iris more than I do May and Dawn. Of course, this isn't always the case...Cilan frequently battles, and yet I can't stand him because he himself is annoying as anything.

Long story short, if they can keep Serena's focus interesting, then there's the possibility she won't get boring as a character.

 

[pokemon fan 132]

Everything can be interesting if you deliver enough passion, creativity and varied elements into your storyline to give viewer sensational and coherent way of developing your character forward.

In case Serena becomes pokemon performer choosing this profession as her ultimate and long term dream, how enjoyable it will be or not ultimately depends on other characters she interacts with and competes against.

How viable and diverse obstacles, competitions and tasks put on road may be with purpose of pushing Serena character toward title of Kalos queen.

But most of all in what way this would affect her bonds with pokemon, character personality, feelings and thoughts and if we could witness emotional growth from trainer and her pokemon in developing strong feelings. Working like real team.

Granted i was always more propitious toward main girls being battlers finding such way of seeing pokemon in action as more appealing building on excitement. Even more so with ones like Iris or Misty who can be put in domain od regular trainers partaking in more brute fights/tournaments where strategy and physical strength, resistance plays bigger predominance than in contest battle rounds necessarily. Where you dont have to faint opposing pokemon to win with points and judges score often having main word.

But im willing to overcome my skepticism and personal preferences because pokemon world is known as place where all kind of careers and coexistence between humans and pokemon exists. Place where not every person is trainer driven by competitive flare, spirit and decisiveness to catch as many pokemon as possible, fight all kind of people in tournaments and become powerful and respected champion, E4 member,master, specific pokemon type master etc.

Finding it cool and in lot of ways bold from writers side to try expand horizons in giving us insight in different kind of ways where we can see human and its pokemon excercising, working on strengthening thrust, understanding and respect for each other. See new unexplored ways of utilizing pokemon in action and showcase its qualities without being involved necessarily in explosions, exchange of attacks and counters in thwarting opposing strategy.

And based on Tripokalon information available currently offer idea to not just see pokemon, but person which commands their pokemon in action as well through theme and free style performance.

Afterall even though Brock or Cilan were not battlers by profession. I cannot deny how Brock had enjoyable and unique moments where we saw human and pokemon working as partners; applying knpowledge in healing their wounds, preparing rare potions and medicines ending in all kind of dangers(Sharpedo, Stantler, Nuzleaf, Solrock, Shaymin and many others). Or exchanging advices with other breeders adding for fluid dynamic and healthy way of seeing pokemon virtues brought on surface through alternate ways without fighting.

If his career was more exploited and got more focus it couldve been unique way of delivering suspense and excitement on more frequent basis. But since not even all girls who are battlers had that blessing in their goals being fleshed out enough either because of poor decisions or different formula show followed(especially in OS) im not surprised.

However this examples i gave revealed at very least to me how dreams which dont involve extensive training and battling has potential to be interesting and fresh.

So im going to work under assumption how Serena goal of becoming pokemon performer building her way on becoming Kalos Queen could work out. But only if aside from baking, making pokepuffs or dancing and using requisites on stage with your pokemon there is more to it.

To prevent both:
-monotony and repetition
-give some outlet to instill flare, competition and excitement when watching competitors trying to outdo themselves.

Because at end of the day if dressing up in fancy clothes, doing coreography moves and classy presentation similar to how new ending which focused on Serenas looked like is all there is to it.

Than ill pass not having a whole lot interest in idol like with accent on stereotypical role competitions not fitting pokemon show well enough imo.

But if this is followed with some other elements. Such as production of pokevision videos for example giving us awkward, unpredicted moments behind the scenes when filming movie making Serena frustrated and anxious when running in unexpected problems.

Nice set up for character development in sense of Serena not being able to reconcile differences between her pokemon like Fennekin and Pancham working on becoming better intermediator figuring out how to resolve their issues and her selfdoubts.

Interviewing other famous people from Kalos. Such as Diantha as one of stars and celebrities, fairy type gym leader Valerie who according to TV show in games Gym Freaks enjoys big popularity being former top model liking beautry and fashion .

Something i imagine would make Serens gush over her being excited to meet her and receive help about projects in becoming more elegant and beautiful during performance on stage.
Covering her participation in side competitions like racing, cooking faceofs like we saw to be case between Serena and Miette, fishing adventure uploading it on internet for entertainment purposes with intention of getting more people interested in watching her video serving as good promotion in future Tripokalon events. Shiowing her taklentn in other fields that way or attempts to be better at it working on way to become true star.

Than maybe Serena dream imo could have enough variety, originality and appeal toward it to function just fine without seeing her battle or be involved in some overly dangerous situations often, Like it would be case with trainers.

Anyhow realistically at end of the day it all boils down to our personal preferences. What we consider in our minds as attractive, creative, fun and eventful and what not.

You dont argue about tastes afterall and there is no guarantee how something i like and enjoy in others will as well. And vice versa, so whether Serena goal could be interesting without battling or not. There is no definite yes or no in here.

 

[BlisseyandtheAquaJets]

As long as Fennekin gets over her divaesque dirt fear, I'll be satisfied with whatever Serena does.

 

[Dr. Buni]

Not to me. Pokémon is essentially about battling to me. I don't find contests and Serena's random goal interesting at all.

It doesn't help that Serena is one of the blandest main characters in the almost two decades of Pokémon.

 

[SammyW27]

If anything, I think it'll be MORE interesting without battling