Well, the big day is tomorrow. And well, I've got a lot to say. And to the admins, if it may seem like I'm getting off-topic, everything tracks back to amourshipping. So please don't remove this. Anyways, onto my thoughts:
It's been quite an interesting 4 to 5 months for us here as amourshippers. When I first caught up to everything in the show of XYZ, we were at a serious high point. The cosplay episode had aired and everyone was hyped for an episode that was truly one of the best. Pair that with the coming episodes and we all had reasons to be super optimistic. Pokemon was changing, amourshipping was growing, and we as a community were very excited. And then that dreaded league finale came and changed everything. If there technically is a spot that represented the start of "decline" (not sure I should call it that). Sure, we had the greatest arc after that, but perhaps it was just an attempt to cover up what had just happened. Now, amour isn't directly tied to that at all and of course amour is still thriving, but things just shifted after that moment. Now look at where we are. No, I still haven't given up hope. I believe that Serena will in fact return to Alola, but in what role. That I cannot say.
Personally, I wish I'd started watching this show from day 1. Getting the opportunity to watch Ash and Serena's journey for 3 years as opposed to 4 months would've certainly been more satisfying. Sure, XY and XYZ weren't going to last forever, but I regret not being able to have more time. But it does bring up the question of where did all the people from that original thread go? The Amourshipping community is large, but here on Serebii, we are now but a few. No matter, I know that this thread will stay strong as there are people that really care about all of this. Let those of us who stick around keep this thread up and running. Let us continue to show our support for the pairing that took everything farther.
In regards to tomorrow's episode, it will be quite emotional. I'm really hoping that we get something good from Ash and Serena. I have seen the new preview and it does give me hope. Ash and Serena deserve to have their moment, especially if the writers don't want to leave Serena's character incomplete. Personally, if everything feels open-ended and underwhelming tomorrow, it just means that Serena will come back and have a good role in Sun and Moon. Why? Because there is no way that the writers will leave a main character's plot incomplete and if they do, the fans won't let them get away with it. Furthermore, it will be an emotional episode for us too as fans. I'll admit that one thing that makes XYZ so impressive was with how it really played at the viewer's emotion. From that snowball scene and Ash's depression to Greninja's departure to the tragedies in XYZ41, there has been so many emotional moments that have been produced, with amourshipping being involved in it as well. I haven't felt this way from a series since maybe Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but even that pales in comparison to this.
Anyways, last point, which is related to this thread. I hope that we keep strong and keep this thread alive and running well. However, I may not be a part of that process. No, I am not abandoning ship. I will still be here, but I feel that most likely I will need a break. I'm telling this now so that it doesn't feel like I am abandoning because of the result of the upcoming episode. Amourshipping and this thread will always mean a great deal to me and it is not because of those things that I am deciding to distance myself. Rather, I just feel that taking some time away from the thread will help me. Think of it as an anchored ship and the captain is taking a rest. Now, of course, I will be here tomorrow and the second Serena comes back, I will be right back here. So if say Serena is confirmed in Sun and Moon after tomorrow's episode, well then I won't be gone. Like I said, I'll still be here. I'll be lurking and occasionally I'll post where I see fit. Also, I have to stay on the forums to respond to messages and stuff. But, I will choose to avoid the threads as the negativity is toxic and I'd rather not deal with it.
I thank you all for that you have done for me. In these amourshipping threads, I found an internet home, I made new friends, and I was able to celebrate the greatest pokemon series and the greatest shipping ever. Thank you to guys like Red Pheonix, Zeldafan, Epicocity, lane, DryingPan (if you are still lurking here), and many more. You all have made my experiences here so much greater. I owe you all.
That's all I have to say. If you need me, feel free to just message me. Otherwise, you can find me on the SS Amour forums or possibly scouring around reddit. To the mods, if you deem that this went off-topic, I beg of you to at least keep this up for one day. This thread means a lot to me and I don't want to just vanish into nothing. After a day, feel free to delete this post or ban me if you think you have to.
Sincerely,
Omegaz