As the Redditors in the community call it, 'tis the curse of being a Poke Girl. Every female companion has both supporters and criticizers; the most logical ones were those who called Serena a bit fluff, some call her a ratings pump (because of her crush on Ash), and others just call her generic. Of course, I'm afraid I have to disagree. To get into details, Serena didn't battle, differentiating between Pokémon contests and Pokémon performances showcasing her separate journey. The crush felt very natural, and as I've mentioned above, it's not just the crush; it is admiration. She was the most relatable companion, even more than Misty, she didn't have an intense personality nor a decisive goal, but that makes her so relatable and human. Most Poke girls usually get criticized initially, but everyone slowly warms up to them. It's the same with Serena as well, she gets a lot less flak now than she did originally, and I'm glad because I love her character.