Why was Serena written out?

[SerenaToAlola]

As a fan of that shipping myself, I used to really want Serena to stick around because I love her personality and is very relatable to me, even after knowing that she would have eventually left. I thought she could have developed further in Alola and could have brought some funny or adorable moments with Ash. However, once we got that final scene, I was left satisfied, and I was perfectly fine with her leaving. I was afraid she would have left with a simple goodbye, but I gotta give kudos to Tomioka for giving her such wonderful finale.

She may be old news in the anime, and who knows if she'll get a special episode or cameo someday, but the hopeless romantic person appreciates what happened in those three years. Now, onto a new story… if I'll get back to the anime someday, that's it.

Yea as much I want Serena back, I do admit that they way that they ended her story was really good. I actually wanted to rematch the whole season just to relive those days of their pure innocent love. The second last episode or something actually made me cried cause Ash became such a good boyfriend lmfao. Yes I am also a hopeless romantic.

 

[Galactic_V]

I feel Serena's crush was very minor in the entire series. I loved we had childhood memories of Satoshi after so long and some of their scenes together were cute, however it didn't seen to be an important plot... More like a new thing the writers've never done before to give the characters new horizons (for a lack of better word).

I wouldn't expect Bakuman-ish stories, or any shounen there is that focus in romance, though a major mutual support'd look much more important if OLM wished to stage a possible couple (something as Naegi x Kirigiri, Hinata x Nanami or Akamatsu x Saihara? - no romance shown on-screen, but a strong mutual love implied)

 

[Likeitornot.]

Did Serena and her "crush" bring back any old viewers? Nope. Are any of the current viewers going to stop watching if she leaves? Again, nope.

Her generation is over, and "AmourShipping" failed at its intended purpose.

I don't think I'd agree that Amourshipping failed its intended purpose, since I don't necessarily feel its sole incentive was to necessarily bring back old viewers (perhaps, you feel it could possibly be as she is a connection to Ash's past, however considering it was not that strong of an impact - he didn't initially remember her, other characters like Gary Oak don't feature in this backstory, this memory isn't delved into that much, XY's continuity remained quite weak regardless - I don't think it was) nor do I feel it was to drum up such a loyalty to Serena that fans would quit the anime after her departure - that would be an incredibly detrimental marketing move.

Rather, amourshipping's purpose, in my opinion was to increase Serena's marketability - one of the very first things we discovered about her was that she had some previous connection to Ash when they were younger, and later that she develops a crush on him. This piqued people's interest in her character much more than other factors might have (shipping sells) so people were probably going to be drawn to the aspect. The pokemon anime itself having a romantic angle so closely tied to the protagonist was also a new departure in direction, so that would interest people too.

We had a few episodes with slightly misleading previews focused on Amourshipping in order to draw in people to watch these episodes especially. It makes things more exciting for some people if it relates to romance, even hints of it - look at the shoujo genre. Perhaps pokemon wished to appeal more to those who are normally interested in shoujo with this, I am not certain.

However, I feel that in the west and from what I have seen, in Japan as well - Serena is a rather popular character, and I think the shipping advertisement really benefitted her. It doesn't have to be a long-term idea but as long as it increased her marketability during XY - which I feel it did - then it achieved what it set out to do, in my view.

I am not suggesting this is her only trait, bear in mind but that it was a very marketable trait.

 

[SinnohEevee]

No amount of fan complaints will bring her back. She may make a cameo or get a special in SM, but she will be practically non-existent in Gen 8.
Nothing was said about May in Gen 6 even though she's the freaking female protagonist in RSE/ORAS.

 

[Anime Psyclone]

She wasn’t written out. She didn’t have any business in Alola and she wasn’t there in the game, so no reason she should be there...

 

[Nickelback4Ever]

With all due respect, Sun and Moon is such an enigma of a season, I can't imagine Serena apart of it. I could imagine early Misty and Brock and Iris and Cilan and maybe Tracy, yet not May, Dawn, Serena, Max, Bonnie, or Clemont.

Am I alone on this one?

 

[Sakuraa]

Petitions? I'm sorry, but seriously? Petitions? Some random petitions made by random foreigners online have no bearing on the staff's decisions which are made well in advance. Serena was destined to leave since that's the way it's been since AG, petitions or not.

Furthermore, Serena has no reason to be in Alola anyway. She had her time and now it's over. Time for the new girls to shine.

 

[Rath]

Another inherent problem with Serena (from a marketing standpoint) is that her starter (and thus her signature Pokemon) is Braixen, a Gen 6 starter. Starters lose importance after their generation is over.

If they wanted a girl that could stay for more than one generation, they'd have to give her a Pokemon that's representative of the series as a whole and isn't tied to any one generation, like Pikachu with Ash.

 

[SinnohEevee]

Another inherent problem with Serena (from a marketing standpoint) is that her starter (and thus her signature Pokemon) is Braixen, a Gen 6 starter. Starters lose importance after their generation is over.

If they wanted a girl that could stay for more than one generation, they'd have to give her a Pokemon that's representative of the series as a whole and isn't tied to any one generation, like Pikachu with Ash.

Like if they kept her Eevee?

 

[Hidden Mew]

Another inherent problem with Serena (from a marketing standpoint) is that her starter (and thus her signature Pokemon) is Braixen, a Gen 6 starter. Starters lose importance after their generation is over.

If they wanted a girl that could stay for more than one generation, they'd have to give her a Pokemon that's representative of the series as a whole and isn't tied to any one generation, like Pikachu with Ash.

There aren't that many Pokemon like Pikachu that could work with that, especially when Pikachu is the franchise's mascot.

Like if they kept her Eevee?

I don't think that Eevee would really cut it either. It does have evolutions from different generations, but that's the same reason why they wouldn't leave it unevolved. The main gimmick of Eevee is that it can evolve into different Pokemon through different means. People would want it to evolve into something and would probably be upset if it stayed as an Eevee.

 

[SinnohEevee]

There aren't that many Pokemon like Pikachu that could work with that, especially when Pikachu is the franchise's mascot.



I don't think that Eevee would really cut it either. It does have evolutions from different generations, but that's the same reason why they wouldn't leave it unevolved. The main gimmick of Eevee is that it can evolve into different Pokemon through different means. People would want it to evolve into something and would probably be upset if it stayed as an Eevee.

I think cuties like Jigglypuff and Clefairy could have gotten a pass, no?

 

[Hidden Mew]

I think cuties like Jigglypuff and Clefairy could have gotten a pass, no?

Maybe, but outside of Smash Bros. Jigglypuff doesn't have much presence marketing wise. Clefairy has even less. I'm not sure if there is a lot of Pokemon that Serena or anyone for that matter could get that wouldn't be tied to just one generation.

 

[Cresselia92]

Maybe, but outside of Smash Bros. Jigglypuff doesn't have much presence marketing wise. Clefairy has even less. I'm not sure if there is a lot of Pokemon that Serena or anyone for that matter could get that wouldn't be tied to just one generation.

Actually, your avatar has the answer to the question.

Lucario is so popular that it surely is going to appear in some form or another in every saga, especially if we look at the precedents:

DP - Maylene, Ridley
BW - Cameron
XY - Korrina
SM - M20

So, if a member of the main cast were to get a Lucario, he/she would automatically have the ticket to be potentially brought to the next saga, in order to further promote the blue jackal.

Sure, it isn't guaranteed, since the writers could still promote it through other characters related to the newest generation, but it surely would raise the odds in his/her favor.

 

[Shadao]

If we are talking about cute mascots on par with Pikachu, Piplup and Togepi are the closest contenders. Piplup in particular was extremely popular back in the DP age. It was virtually everywhere, from anime specials to manga and merchandise. It's no surprise that Makoto has a Piplup as her main Pokémon.

But in regards to Serena, I'm sure they can afford to bring Braxien into Alola if they choose to. After all, Braxien was notably popular considering it ended up in Pokken Tournament instead of Delphox.

However by this point, Pikachu is a universal character and Ash is replaceable. That is something to keep in mind. Not even Meowth has that much advertising in the franchise. Nor Wobbuffet.

 

[SerenaToAlola]

I feel like Sylveon could easily be that Pokemon that is representative of the series as a whole and not Kalos alone. Girls really love Sylveon.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

Actually I think that it might've been nice if they kept May from AG throughtout SM and she was dressed like each generation's protag.

Actually I think that it might've been nice if they kept [INSERT-POKÉGIRL-HERE] from [INSERT DEBUT SERIES] throughout SM and she was dressed like each generation's protag.

I feel like Sylveon could easily be that Pokemon that is representative of the series as a whole and not Kalos alone. Girls really love Sylveon.

I'd argue that more people know about Eevee than espeon.
Sylveon is not popular among the masses, I can assure you that.

 

[SerenaToAlola]

Sylveon is not popular among the masses, I can assure you that.

How did Espeon get dragged into this? I think Sylveon is very popular with the masses, they're just not the kind of people that you would usually associate with Pokemon I guess. So yea I think Sylveon has no strong association with a particular generation (as opposed to starters), is popular and it is also a Pokemon that Serena already has! It's perfect tbh!

I just feel like the only problem with Sylveon is that it's a bit bigger than Pikachu so it'll look a little odd next to it and all the other 1st stage starters.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

How did Espeon get dragged into this? I think Sylveon is very popular with the masses, they're just not the kind of people that you would usually associate with Pokemon I guess. So yea I think Sylveon has no strong association with a particular generation (as opposed to starters), is popular and it is also a Pokemon that Serena already has! It's perfect tbh!

I just feel like the only problem with Sylveon is that it's a bit bigger than Pikachu so it'll look a little odd next to it and all the other 1st stage starters.

That was a mistype. I meant to say Sylveon instead of Espeon there.
I know of atleast 10 people who know of Eevee but not Sylveon, and I'm sure many such people exist. Pokemon franchise is known by Pikachu family, the Kanto starters and Eevee. They're the face of Pokemon. (Along with debatably Mewtwo).

Sylveon will be a very poor mascot tbh.

 

[SerenaToAlola]

Sylveon will be a very poor mascot tbh.

As poor as Lucario would be but hey no one is asking them to be the mascot, just a good supporting character.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

As poor as Lucario would be but hey no one is asking them to be the mascot, just a good supporting character.

imo Lucario would be poor to represent the whole franchise, but a good representation of Generation 4. I see Sylveon in a similar vein.