Title: Serena (Pokémon) Content: is a fictional character from Pokémon series. She first appeared in the video games Pokémon X and Y which was released in 2013. In the anime she first appears in Pokémon the Series: XY as Ash's traveling companion in the Kalos region. ==Design== Serena character was designed by Ken Sugimori and Atsuko Nishida for the video game series. While the anime and movie was designed by Toshihito Hirooka, and for manga by Satoshi Yamamoto. Her name comes from the French word serein, meaning "calm" or "peaceful". Serena's voice actor is Mayuki Makiguchi for Japanese, and Haven Paschall for English. ==Appearance== ===Video games=== Serena first appears in Pokémon X and Y as a playable character if the player chooses, and also as a rival if player chooses a male character, Calem. In Pokémon Masters EX, she appears as a Pokemon Trainer and forms a sync pair with Fennekin and its evolutions Braixen and Delphox. She also appears alongside Calem as a Pokémon Trainer trophy in Super Smash Bros. ===Anime=== Serena first appeared in Pokémon the Series: XY's episode "Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin!" It is known that she already knew each other with Ash Ketchum when they both attended Professor Oak's summer camp in Pallet Town. During the event, Serena lost her way and fell in the forest before being helped by Ash. Since then, she has had a crush on Ash and when Ash arrived at Kalos, her original intention was to return the handkerchief he had used to bandage her wound. Serena then chose to make a career as a Pokemon Performer after attending Sycamore summer camp. She has a dream to become a Kalos Queen. After Ash finished the event in the Kalos League, Serena then decided to continue her career by going to Hoenn. Before parting, she gave Ash a kiss as well as revealing her feelings that were stored all this time. Serena is back in a cameo appearance in Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series. She encouraged Chloe to attend the Lilycove City Pokémon Contest. Just before Ash, Chloe, and Goh departed for Vermillion City, she briefly reunited with Ash where they both shared their respective goals to each other. She also promised to support Ash in World Coordination Series. ===Other appearance=== In Pokémon Adventures chapter X & Y, a female character named Y or Yvonne Gabena is loosely based on Serena. Serena appeared in Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction and Hoopa and the Clash of Ages manga, serving the same role as in the respective movies they were based on. She appeared in Pokémon Evolutions anime web series on episode "The Visionary". ==Reception== As Ash's only female traveling companion in the anime who kissed him on lips, Serena received mixed responses. Scott Wilson from Sora News found it 'disgusting' because both Ash and Serena in the anime are both 10 years old. Meanwhile, Comic Book's Megan Peters considers Serena to be one of Ash's best travel buddies, if not his greatest. Levana Jane from Game Rant depicts Serena as a female figure who developed very differently from Ash's previous friends who appeared in the anime. While Laura Gray of Screen Rant wrote that Serena in the video game is a different and separate character from Serena in the anime.