| Serena | |
|---|---|
| Pokémon character | |
 Serena inPokémon the Series: XY | |
| First game | Pokémon X and Y (2013) |
| Created by | Satoshi Tajiri |
| Designed by | |
| Voiced by |
|
| In-universe information | |
| Occupation | Pokémon Performer |
| Home | Vaniville Town, Kalos |
Serena (Japanese:セレナ) is a character in the 2013video gamePokemon X andY. Players can choose to play as either her or the male protagonistCalem. She also appears in thePokémon anime series, accompanying her childhood friendAsh Ketchum on his journey through the Kalos region. In the anime, she has a big crush on Ash and ultimately kisses him in a now-famous moment in Pokémon lore. As a result, Serena's character and theship between her and Ash became popular among fans.
Developed byGame Freak and published byNintendo, thePokémon franchise began in Japan in 1996 with the release of the video gamesPokémon Red andBlue for theGame Boy.[5] In these games, the player assumes the role of a Pokémon Trainer whose goal is to capture and train creatures called Pokémon. Players use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon, both in the wild as well as those used by other Trainers.[6] Serena was designed byKen Sugimori for thePokémon X andY with input fromPokémon video game designerJunichi Masuda.[7] Masuda choseFrance as the background for the Kalos region, which is the main setting in these games.[8] During thePokémon X andY showcase at the Pokémon Game Show in August 2013, the character was named "Yvonne". This name was later used in the manga series.[9]
She is voiced byMayuki Makiguchi in Japanese.[4] Makiguchi discussed her love of fashion helping make her empathize with Serena more, exclaiming that she has been learning to makesweets to get into character more.[10] The kiss between Ash and Serena was intentionally censored, with the staff making it obvious pokemon is watched by younger kids too so it should stay age-appropriate.[11] Haven Paschall voices the character in the anime series in English.[1] Jackie Lastra voices her inPokémon Masters EX,[2][3] while Akari Kitō voices her in Japanese.[3]
Serena first appears inPokémon X andY as one of the two protagonists that can be played as, alongside the male protagonistCalem. She begins her Pokémon journey, receiving either aChespin,Fennekin, orFroakie as her Starter Pokémon, with the goal of collecting all eight badges in theKalos region and defeating theElite Four to become the Pokémon Champion of the region. She has various friends, including Calem, who also gets one of the Starter Pokémon, as well asTierno,Trevor, andShauna, who all serve as her rivals. Throughout her Gym Badge journey, she also deals with the villainousTeam Flare, led byLysandre, and must stop him from getting the power to destroy those who oppose his vision of the world. She also captures either of the legendary PokémonXerneas orYveltal, depending on if they played theX orY version of the game. She eventually fights the Elite Four, including the ChampionDiantha, before finally defeating her. If the player chooses to play as Calem instead, Serena takes the role of a rival.[12]
Serena also appears in the Pokémon anime series, where she acts as a travelling companion ofAsh Ketchum inPokémon the Series: XY. Prior to the start of the series, she met Ash at Professor Oak's Summer Camp in her youth, where he helped her recover after she was startled by a wildPoliwag. Due to this, she developed a crush on him, even though he never notices. She eventually recognizes him on a television broadcast during the series, and she meets up with him, though he does not initially remember her. Throughout the series, Serena has a goal of participating in Pokémon Showcases, female-only beauty-pageant-like competitions, to become the "Kalos Queen", a title for the best Pokémon Performer.[13] At the end of the series, she leaves forHoenn, kissing Ash before departing. She later reappears inPokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series and briefly reunites with Ash before parting ways again.[13]
She appears alongside Calem as a collectible trophy inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS andWii U, and later has her hat be an alternate costume for the PokémonJigglypuff inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.[14] A counterpart to the character, named Yvonne with the nickname "Y," appeared inPokémon Adventures.[15]
Serena has received generally positive reception, identified as a popular character among fans of thePokémon anime. Jose Otero fromIGN talks about Serena representing females and Calem representing males, saying, "it actually looks more interesting when they become rival characters for the player."[16] Victoria McNally fromThe Mary Sue appreciates the presence of Serena's character inX andY, which is considered to represent female players by providing options to change hairstyles and clothing styles.[17]Dexerto writer Laura Grey noted various qualities that made her so popular, including her challenging stereotypes and "genuine nature and determination."[18]Inside Games writer Sawadee Otsuka felt that the customization of characters inX andY influenced players' enjoyment of them, particularly Serena, noting that players seemed to become more interested in playing as her due to the fashion mechanic.[19] Japanese celebrityShoko Nakagawa cut her hair short, attributing it to Serena cutting her hair short in the anime.[20]
Theship between Serena and Ash has been the subject of discussion among fans and critics. The relationship between Serena and Ash has created a fan community of people whoship them together, with the ship name being called "AmourShipping", with speculation being made that Serena and Ash would end up together.[11]Polygon writer Allegra Frank also discussed the shipping community behind the two, believing that the fact that Serena seemed to actually love him set her apart from other common ships with Ash, such asMisty andMay.[11]Screen Rant writer Samantha King felt that Serena was the true love for Ash, arguing that he has shown no real romantic interactions with anyone except Serena and that the more recent episodes with Misty dashed hopes for that ship due to it being presented platonically.[21]Comic Book Resources writer Joe Ballard agreed with this sentiment, arguing that Misty being quick to anger and mock Ash did not work as well for Ash, where Serena's gentle personality balanced well with Ash's excitable personality,[22] Serena's love of Ash became very iconic for Pokémon shipping fans,[23] and the Serena X Ash ship was often listed in the "10 Best Pokémon Ships".[24]
Serena is the first and only female character implied to have kissed Ash on the lips.[a]Hobby Consolas writer Jesús Vicario Rodríguez noting how some fans have disliked the way the scene was handled due to not being able to see the kiss.[26]Inside Games writer Nennetaro noted how excited the kiss between them made a lot of fans, discussing how Serena is a rare character in the series due to her explicit affection for Ash.[27] Following her departure in thePokémon anime, some fans demanded that she return to accompany Ash in the next series.[28] Allegra Frank suggested that the way that the kiss is obscured makes it more suggestive than kisses on the cheek Ash has received in past episodes, arguing that it was a scene special to both Ash and people who viewed the two as a prospective couple.[11]
Her return to the series was in high demand compared to other characters, with a Change.org petition calling for her return receiving more than 26,000 signatures.[29] According to anIT Media reader poll, Serena was the most popular female character in the series, receiving more than a quarter of the vote, with many commenters expressing disappointment that she was removed from the anime.[30] While discussing the prospects of her returning,Comic Book Resources writer Ryan McCarthy argued that, despite the popularity of such a request, she likely would not return in a major capacity. He argued that if she did, the kiss would have to be addressed, which would detract from the emphasis on adventure to focus on romance, which he believed would not fit the tone of the show.[31][32] Serena's eventual return to the anime was criticized byGame Rant writer Levana Jane Chester-Londt, arguing that the limited amount of interaction between Ash and Serena was disappointing.[13]
There was also disappointment from some viewers of the anime series when Serena was reappeared inPokémon Journeys after previously receiving warm responses, especially when looking at her appearance which is now described as an "adult girl".[33] In addition, the reunion between Serena and Ash which was very short was also considered not to meet the audience's expectations.[33]
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