Since I honestly think the Pokémon Adventures manga is amazing, I will constantly seize the chance to discuss it. The Pokémon Adventures manga series, which spans from the first Red, Blue, and Green games on the Game Boy to the current games, is the closest thing fans have to a devoted expansion of the original portable games. It is composed of dozens of volumes. Depending on which games they adapt, the Pokémon Adventures manga is divided into several sections. As a result, the primary cast of characters and focused story for each Pokémon location are unique. The Pokémon Adventures manga, on the other hand, may also be viewed as a sizable, overarching narrative in which characters develop through several arcs, age, and even assist one another. I begin this review with his preamble because I think that this volume suffers greatly from all of that history.
The game version of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire is called Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. The original Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald for the Game Boy Advance were remade for the 3DS with a somewhat different plot that made reference to newly released mechanics at the time. Though the games function as independent narratives with hints of overlap, the Pokémon Adventures manga follows Ruby and Sapphire’s two previous storylines from earlier volumes. To put it simply, this is volume one of season three, and you won’t get the most out of it if you don’t know anything about it beforehand. It’s not necessary for you to read every manga volume back to front. However, it is still required to have played the earlier Ruby and Sapphire Adventures or the original games upon which they were based.
To the volume’s credit, it makes every effort to bring readers up to date on the background of the characters. Certain aspects are handled delicately, like the suggested love affair between Ruby and Sapphire, our two primary protagonists. Some, however, are a little more complicated, like as Ruby’s skull scar from an altercation with the Salamence. The last example, in my opinion, is a great illustration of a very significant character feature returning and contributing to the greater mythology that this volume offers. It functions adequately on its own, but you get the impression that having that knowledge of the past would improve it.
It is impressive that in spite of everything, this introduction comes together as strongly as it does. The initial several pages of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire’s plot convey a great feeling of urgency. You sense that a threat is imminent, and our ensemble of individuals is working nonstop to gather resources to stave it off. By the time this volume ends, you can sense the tension rising as many factions are working on several ideas that either support or contradict one another. It resembles gradually pulling on several guitar strings.
The returning villain teams are working covertly behind the scenes, Ruby is attempting to shoulder all of this responsibility by himself, Sapphire and Emerald are training but are unsure of why, and new characters are introduced who appear to be somewhat more knowledgeable than everyone else about the impending threat. It’s engrossing and evidence of how well-written the Pokémon manga is.
Panel layouts and action shots are used in the presentation to enhance the fast-paced reading experience by enabling the reader to turn pages quickly. In these volumes, there is constant movement, and things only really settle down toward the very end. Even so, you get the impression that slowing down is not the story getting stuck, but rather the quiet before the storm. Even while it makes the actual Pokémon battles seem far shorter than necessary, it’s still entertaining. This volume contains very few combat, and the ones that are depicted often last three or four pages. Pokémon moves have always been used in a highly inventive way in the Pokémon Adventures manga. But in its attempt to cover as much territory as possible, it was left on the cutting room floor. As this story arc continues, I’m hoping that things become a little more balanced.
If you have only a casual interest in the Pokémon series, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are still worth checking out, especially if you enjoyed Generation III. Even while some battles suffer from the fast-paced action, and it’s best enjoyed after learning more about Ruby and Sapphire’s background, this is still an intriguing tale in the Pokémon universe. The world-building and build-up are superb, and every character is placed to suggest possible directions for future expansion. Though I can’t speak for everyone, I believe the majority of fans would also be enthusiastic about what would come next.
