Quote Originally Posted by Kentucky Fried Torchic View Post
Boy, you don't mess around! My initial plan was to review a few chapters at a time, but there was so much packed into this prologue that I had to share some of my thoughts!

Some people use prologues to lay the groundwork for the adventure to come, to introduce the reader to the characters, or to simply grab the audience's attention by leaving them wanting more. This prologue did all of the above, and instead of whetting my appetite on some intrigue and mystery (although there were shades of that), my experience of "wanting more" came from the explosive battle with Rayquaza! Hopefully I didn't just spoil the prologue, but wow, using a high-stakes, high-octane scene like that to climax your prologue makes me only wonder where the story can go from there.
Glad you enjoyed it! Rayquaza's battle was one of my favourites for the teamwork element of it, but at the same time, things only improve from there, even if the battles that come later are relatively lower stakes at times, the further you get, the more you will find the battles are deeper (with the exception of scenes where there are battles upon simultaneous battles and I just don't have the mental capacity to flesh out as much), especially when you have a battle between two very talented trainers, each trying to outwit eachother.

Having just come from reading the underlying S.S. Wishmaker RP, I am glad to see further world-building on top of the foundation of elements already laid in that collaborative endeavor. The shady side of the Pokémon Leagues and governments feels very Tom Clancy at times, especially when describing things like unregistered Poké balls, a really cool concept that immediately had me wondering about how they interact with the likes of Team Rocket and Kurt in Azalea Town. Are Aprikorn-based Pokemon balls illegal? The overall shadiness around the League and governments also makes me worry that Steven is too naďve in trusting that he can protect Starglade merely by hiring the right personnel. Institutions have minds of their own, and the more I see the less I trust.
Good pickup! One of the things I enjoy doing is taking the things that a franchise who largely try to sell to children glosses over/pretends doesn't exist, that adults would wonder about, and flesh them out. The Pokeballs are one example, and another is Jon's comments about his insurance premium going up. Like, what sort of society would allow civilians to carry what we would consider weapons of mass destruction, without asking questions of liability? If my charmander burns my neighbours house down, and I can't afford the damage, what happens then?

As for aprikorn based-Pokeballs (and I'm making this up on the spot), my guess is that manufacturers making those sorts of more unique Pokeballs would have to get certification, and part of the process would be placing the tech in the Pokeball. In the same way my boss used to make his own trailers for towing various bits of equipment around and whilst legally he could, he was also legally required to stamp the VIN number on the trailer that the state government provided and such.

As for Steven, in terms of experience as Champion, between himself, Cynthia and Lance he has been Champion for the least amount of time, and honestly, the S.S. Wishmaker was an eye opening experience for him at how government can place their faith in the wrong people. You will see (especially in Season 2 and 5) that this experience in the prologue has changed him.

Also coming off of S.S. Wishmaker, it was a pleasant surprise to see the Diamond Ladies make a reappearance. From the epilogue and the title alone I did not expect them to come back, especially so soon, but the reasons for doing so were clear in-universe. The powerful relationship between Jon and Cassandra was evident in the RP, and it was a treat to see them working and battling together for a common mission. Unfortunately, the cast reunion also hinted that Lance is back and up to his old ways, but, again, the reasoning in-story made perfect sense. Of course the League would use a Dragon Tamer to try and subdue Rayquaza. It wasn't entirely clear to me why the powers that be wouldn't want to tame Rayquaza instead of killing it, but thanks to Jon and Cassandra's efforts that's neither here nor there.
You are asking all the right questions! And that last one gets answered considerably later in the story! Season 2 to be precise ;)

Speaking of old friends, I always really enjoy Latios. Well, to be most accurate, I should say that I especially enjoy the reactions of other characters to Latios. Even the legendary Pokémon pales in comparison to my real favorite character though.

One reason why Jon is my favorite character is that he will make the hard choices that need to be made, but always with full knowledge that he will need to make amends for them later. We saw this in S.S. Wishmaker, and we can see it here, too. His initial plan to put Rayquaza to sleep with magic is one of those instances. He is quite ruthless when he needs to be, yes, but moral as well. He can also be persuaded by an alternate plan, such as Rayquaza's appeal to honor.
Latios is always a favorite of mine! He does undergo some development, but ultimately is largely still himself, albeit a bit more fleshed out. Honestly, it started because Latios physically comes off as the strong, silent type given its power and design, even in the anime when it is a bit more cute. Heck, I've had characters in other RPs before with Latios who just fit that category. So I thought "What if I make Latios far less serious and more of a clown?" and it resulted in this!

I'm glad to see Jon is liked as a character, as I (and I am aware I am my own worst critic) sometimes feel he is just too much of a cliche thirty-something year old white dude who is too much of a jokester whilst also being too willing to throw down. Honestly, I think him opening the Eon Academy is the best thing for his character, as he takes on a teacher, and then mentor role for a while with far less high stakes stuff. It lets him be a normal dude and actually get developed in that sense.
The battle that happened between Jon, Cassandra, and Rayquaza was also a nice treat for the audience. The battling showcased was a good blend of game-based strategy fused with a writer's imagination. The quick-thinking and coaching from Jon highlighted again his talents as a teacher, and the rapid fire of the battle culminated in a dazzling finale. Some detail was sacrificed for the breakneck pace, which was an all right trade to make.

Ultimately, the story has cemented Jon as a profoundly viable protagonist and I'm certainly looking forward to reading more, much more!
Yeah, I get what you mean about detail! Don't worry, there will be far more detailed battles to come, especially as Jon's students (who were referenced but haven't been introduced yet) grow into capable trainers themselves!

Keen to hear more of your thoughts!