Pokemon Forever - The Return of Team Flare:

"'We are going to do things surpassing the power of humans and Pokemon. Try and stop us if you dare."

Two years it has been since Team Flare set the ultimate weapon loose upon Kalos. This time, hell bent on revenge and behind a dark conspiracy, they plan to take over Kalos using the famed Mortality Duo. Only six teenagers stand between Kalos and oblivion.

And the clock is ticking."

Genre: Fanfiction

Rating: N/A

Ivy (@RiverIvy)'s review:

Something that definitely made this book a very beautiful, dazzling ride were the rich descriptions of just about every single detail there was. All were spun elegantly, marvelously, and had a wonderfully brilliant aura to it. It did a great job in making the story bounce off the words and come to life.

Another thing I adored was the writing quality in itself. Like one of my friends, who also read his works, remarked, it is magnificent. The words have a kind of old-fashioned, soft elegance to it. The vocabulary is terrific, there just seems to be a natural flow between paragraphs, and the grammar was great.

The opening hook at the beginning of the book's prologue was quite good, but I just feel that it could've had more effort into it. For example, spicing it up with a bit more heavy descriptions or more display of emotion – it would have built up the overall mood a lot better. Still good, though!

In fact, the entire prologue was great: it did a fantastic job in leaving the reader with questions and craving answers. It just, like with the hook, could've been stretched out a little more.

The way the battles are described are just...breath-taking. The author illustrated it in a way that was vivid and engaging; it really left the reader feeling excited and made me feel almost as if I was standing there the whole time while the battle was taking place. Fantastic job on that one.

Bit of a minor detail, but I'd also like to add that the introduction of the main character, Alice, was a pretty unique start: with a dream of her taking on Pokemon battles – that, in a way, served as foreshadowing (albeit admittedly a very obvious one, since it's a Pokemon fanfiction after all), instead of just the average waking-up-in-the-morning.

The beginning of the story was good. It had a way of introducing the characters' lives, family, and personality – all, not through information dumping, but rather examples through actions, dialogue, and thoughts. It was enjoyable at the same time, too, which just made it all the better.

The plot was good: it was original, fun, and intriguing at the same time: with all those historical marks and stories added to it.

Characterization was...okay, for the most part. It was clear that they each had their own individual natures, but I feel that the author could've put a little more effort in making their personalities shine through.

Speaking of the beginning, another thing I loved was the way the writer illustrated all the marvels and wonders of the characters at the beginning of their journey. It set a great example of an actual novice trainer; in most Pokemon fanfics what irritates me is that all the characters just barge into their adventures already knowing everything, not making any mistakes, not taking a second glance at the fact that they're seeing a whole new world to their eyes. Sigh. Very glad to know there's at least one fic out there that doesn't do so...

Again a minor detail that I enjoyed: Alice lost some of her earlier battles, which is, again, realistic and something I approve of a LOT. Many writers don't realize it, but this is a very important detail. Considering in 99% of Pokefics the characters just win all of their battles as if it were a breeze, I make sure to always pay very close attention to this detail.

Then again, while we're on the topic of realism, there are also some aspects of the book that were...unrealistic.

For example – and probably the most annoying one – the dialogue. You'd expect a teenager's speech to be casual and somewhat careless, but here the character's speak in a way that just seems to be too formal and classy to sound natural. Maybe I'm only reading into it too much, but it bothered me a lot.

Speaking of dialogue: avoid using certain sounds in it. For example: "Roaaar!" he roared, or "Croak!" he sounded; things like that. Instead, use "he/she croaked/roared/etc." Much more professional that way.

Again about dialogue, there were some errors: like putting the comma after the closing quotation instead of before. Example: "Hi.", he said. (That's incorrect)

Correct: "Hi," he said. This was fixed in later chapters, though.

Wrong use of "it's".

It's = it is, Eg: It's sunny today.

Its = indicates possession, Eg: The sun was shining, and its rays were beaming down.

I felt that, in the story overall, a bit more passion, feeling; a bit more flare could've been added. I'm not really sure how to describe it – there's no exact example, but... At some points, I felt the writing was somewhat – lifeless. Just add more emotion to it.

Overall, this book was amazing. Rich, descriptive, and fresh with originality, I definitely recommend you NOT to miss out on this. With just a bit of improvement in the areas of emotion and dialogue, this could be worthy of a Watty award winner.

Rating: 8/10

Emerald (@Skamory_Rider)'s review:

The Return Of Team Flare, as all of you know, is written by one of our own critics, Monsieur @calliope95 . It is a story that starts off in the Kalos Region (a region I'm not familiar with, so this is going to be hard) two years after the crime organization named as Team Flare gets foiled for the final time. But, what's this? There appears to be reports of Team Flare across the country? Follow Alice, a new trainer from Vaniville Town, with her friends in stopping Team Flare in achieving they're goal: getting Xerneas.

What I liked about this story is how the plot progressed excellently. I also liked how the author made his descriptions of every setting clear to the readers. One thing I also liked is how every plot twist was executed almost to perfection. There was just a time when I find the book slightly rushed, but I'm sure the author is aware of that.

What I felt about the characters was how they were easily characterized by the reader. The writer has done a good job at that. But there were often times when the characters were a bit cliche, for example, Alice winning every gym battle.

What I liked most about this story is the legend. Ever since I read Fiery Lands and Muddy Waters and The Golden Throne, I always feel delighted when I'm reading one when everything was described to perfection. I really liked how the legend was believable in my own opinion.

And now, onto the contradictions.

What I didn't like, because hate is too strong of a word, is the constant punctuation errors in the dialogue. These were, however, lessened as the book progresses, so: Lesson Learned

Other than that, nothing else, really. There were rarely any grammatical errors and only a number of typos that I can think of.

So, that's it! The Return Of Team Flare. I feel indifferent on this book, seriously. Another ordinary Pokemon story that has its own quirks and is special in its own way.

Rating: 7/10 Great

Scarlet (@Scarlet_Regnar)'s Review:

To be perfectly honest, the intro saved this book for me. The intro made it perfectly clear that this wouldn't be another retelling fic, that this would be a new adventure entirely. If the prologue wasn't present, I probably would have put the book down because Chapter One felt like a retelling/typical adventure fic, which I am often oversaturated with when I have to read fics for reviews or contests.

In retrospect, however, I feel that the story was better for it because it showed actual trainer growth, where the trainers are young and inexperienced, and how a new journey together would feel like.

One of the things the fic did very well that I personally struggle with is imagery. It excelled in that field, painting a picture without drowning me in paint. Its dialogue was also very nice and its characterization was spot on, yet I felt a bit overwhelmed with characters towards the end where it kept introducing new characters and not really doing much with them.

Plotwise, I loved it, there were twists and turns and gutsy actions towards characters... SPOILER ALERT (I can't believe you put Sycamore in the hospital!)

Grammar wise, I found it to better than most fics, despite some weird punctuation formatting at the end of quotes, (For example: .", and ?", and ", ) but a good editor could iron out most of the kinks.

I'm kinda mad this fic is unfinished as I want to know more and what happened, so for a good example of a fic that takes the traditional "starting adventure story" and spins it on its head, please check this one out!

My Rate: 6.5/10 =Considerably Good

Lumi (@Luminescence22)'s review:

The main thing that I loved about this book was the safe, cozy aura it possesses. I felt it right away on the first chapter, when I first read about the protagonists. I have to say, X did a good job on that part ;)

However, what disturbed me were how the characters talked. I'm a bit of a Grammar Nazi (okay, I'm lying. I'm an all-the-way-through Grammar Nazi!) and I admit that I shook my head in disapproval when I saw this. To state an example:

"Well, well, look who's here.", May smirked as she walked towards Quincy. "Long time no see, Quincy.", she said, making the other girl flinch in terror.

See the periods? I'll give you a bit of an advice here, pal. It's okay to use periods, but ONLY if you aren't going to add commas after the closing quotation. And vice versa, too! It's okay to use commas after the closing quotation, but ONLY if you're not going to add the period after the sentence. I hope this helps; it's just that I'm the type who rapidly loses interests after seeing multiple mistakes on the story, ESPECIALLY where the characters' talking are concerned.

However, I'm glad to say that this story's plot was enough to encourage me to keep on reading. The delightful bantering and chatting amongst the characters, the surprise humors on each chapter, I loved them. While reading the parts where they traveled, I could almost see them right in front of me, their Pokémon jauntily following them wherever they went. You did a good job on this part, X. I applaud you:)

During the battles, which I admit were quite detailed and precise, there was just one thing I was looking for but didn't get while reading these scenes: emotion. There was no emotion portrayed, no paragraph devoted onto how the Pokémon felt while battling or how the Trainers were expressing their grief at seeing their Pokémon hurt. The battles were straight to the point, brief, firm, never displaying any emotion or feelings. Also, might I suggest prolonging the battles next time? I'd appreciate it. I'm not one of those readers who skip battle scenes, you know! In fact, for me, they're one of the best parts of the whole story.

Another con: not much emotions were displayed as well during the various parts of the story. {SPOILER ALERT, SPOILER ALERT, SPOILER ALERT!} Like when Harry was 'kidnapped' by Madame Celosia, all the author wrote was what the characters did to save their friend, what they spoke, how the events transpired, blah, blah, blah. Once again, I'm looking for EMOTION, something a person like me is captivated by and which I consider plays an important role in the whole story.

{END OF SPOILER}

The romance between *cough, cough* two of the characters. Yes, their relationship started slow, I liked the way the author made it slow, with only developing crushes at first, but again, no emotion. Please fix this! To give you a better idea of what I'm talking about, here's an example:

May stared at Sevan, feeling giddy as usual. His hair was slicked back just like always, and he wore at trademark smirk which she and probably ever other girl who met him was captivated by. She didn't know why she was feeling like this, or how it came to be at all. But what she knew was that she was falling for him. Hard.

Yep. Just like that. ^^

I'm also quite enthralled by the appearance of the villains in this book! (Dun, dun, dunnn.... Again, if you want to know what I'm talking about, then READ. THE. BOOK.) I suggest making it more sinister than it already is, X. That way I'd definitely feel the shivers!

All in all, this is a book that I'd recommend to you Pokémon-lovers out there~! And of course, my rating'd be 7/10, for the 22 chapters currently published.

Interview with the author:

Q: Why do you write?

A: I write because it gives me a way to express myself to the world. It gets my ideas and emotions flowing, and I get to create worlds in the process. It's a win-win scenario.

Q: What's more important in your opinion: characters or plot?

A: I'd say both. The characters create the plot, the plot defines the characters. It's a very delicate balance.

Q: Do you work out an outline or a plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

A: I prefer to see where the idea takes me. I set a key goal, and I flow towards it. I fix any bumps that come in the way and try to keep the flow smooth.

Q: While you are writing, do you ever feel as if you are one of the characters?

A: Oh, yes, all the time. When I want to know how one of my characters would react in certain situations, I step into their shoes and walk miles. I often get carried away planning their life, but it serves as good context for future chapters.

Q: Could you give us an insight into your main character.

A: Although a story can't generally be told elaborately in one person's perspective, because we don't really know what that person's truly thinking, I suppose the main character of my story is Alice. Alice Fairflower's just your regular girl- normal life, normal parents, normal friends, normal ambitions. She's never faced the other side, and she doesn't know what it's like. She's like what many of us call the "normal" kids- she doesn't belong to any stereotype, or had any exact event- negative or positive, at least that which would make an impact on someone- in her life so far. But as she goes out on her journey, she discovers the other side. And what it holds.

Q: Do you read as much as you write and if so, who are your favorite authors and books?

A: I think I've read far too much! XD But since you ask.

My favorite authors- and the books they've written so far- would be "The Secret of Absol" and "The Howl of the Wind" by RiverIvy, "Flaming Dreams" by FloralArtistry, "Fiery Lands and Stormy Seas" and "Reign of Rain" by PokeBroncoFan, "The Golden Throne" by Vespin, "Deadly Alliance" by ChanYungXi, "Blue Lightning" by PikaChick, "Journey of a Champion" by MoonCrane098- the list could probably go on.

Outside Wattpad, it grows even more- J. K. Rowling, C. S. Lewis, Dan Brown, Sidney Sheldon, Eoin Colfer, Suzanne Collins, Garth Nix, Sam Bourne, Yann Martel, Arthur Golden, Enid Blayton, Shakespeare(although you'd have to dumb it down too much) and Charles Dickens are some of my most favorite authors. Again, I read too much XD

Q: Which writers inspire you?

A: Dan Brown. I love mystery, fantasy, mythology and history. They just draw me to them with a really strong force- and Dan Brown's probably why I started writing and imagining various scenarios in the first place. I started writing- almost immediately, in fact- The Return of Team Flare after reading ChanYungXi's "Deadly Alliance". It's really a must read. There's no other word for it.

Q: Do you ever get a writer's block? If so, what are your ways of overcoming and dealing with it.

A: I've gotten writer's block exactly twice so far- and I've learnt to go with their flow. I don't write even a single word, but I gather information. Whatever ideas or thoughts occur to me, whether it's for my story or for anything even related to the story, I write it down- this way, I'd have more context for future chapters, and I wouldn't have necessarily waste my time. My advice? If you get writer's block, welcome it. Let it stay within your head for a few days. You must have a few passing thoughts about something in other fields of your life in the meantime- new clothes, change of scenery, that person you have your eyes on, all of that. Note that down. You'd be surprised to see how it could help your story.

Q: What are your ambitions for your writing career?

A: I'd really love to write more. It goes without saying that my profile and works on Wattpad will probably be active for a long time- but outside, I haven't really thought about it. It'd be pretty awesome to be a full-fledged novelist or a writer, but you never know... only time will tell us. (Or me.)

Q: If you had to write your book all over again, would you change anything in it and what would it be?

A: I'd make a solid, adamantine outline of the story. Writing as you flow through is a pretty fascinating boat to travel on, but it has its downs as well. I'd lay down a really elaborate plot- essentially gather all my ideas about the series- and then do some minor fittings. But aside from that, there's really nothing I'd want to change.

Q: What advice would you give to your younger self?

A: For the love of God and everything that falls under His realm- DON'T BE A CREATURE OF INSTINCT. Analyze. Plan. Research!

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

A: You could probably have a error-free story with grammar and romance that might make Shakespeare cry. Or you can create so much mystery around it that even Sherlock Holmes can't decipher it. You could have comedy that results in a cackling epidemic internationally. But it won't do any good if you don't imagine the world they're in. Look at where your character is standing. Describe the scene. Are they in a forest, building, meadow, beach or battlefield? Do they have their loved ones nearby, or are they facing their archnemesis? What do they feel? What do they think? Write everything. Just let it flow out of you. Burst, more like.

And dream. That's all it takes. Feel. Dream. And write that. That's what writing's all about.

Q: To finish this interview, would you like to share your favourite quote, if you have one?

A: I've had trouble with this for the past two days, but I think I've decided on one quote(XD):

"You are endless galaxies- and you have seen but one star."- Linda Goodman.

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Credits:

Article written by: Ivy (@RiverIvy)

Reviews by: Ivy, Emerald (@Skarmory_Rider), Lumi (@Luminescence22), Scarlet (@Scarlet_Regnar)

Interview conducted by: Flora (@FloralArtistry)

Special thanks to: X (@Darker_X, previously @calliope95)

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Hope you all liked this article! Also, the satisfactory questionnaire, which we've mentioned a couple of times before, will be up soon after the review.

This was also Lumi and Scarlet's, our two newest critics, first review, so good job to you too!

Thanks for reading!

-Ivy and Helsu