One year after the creation of the PCBC: OS, the end has arrived. After the critiques and final send-offs of the three judges, the announcement of the PCBC: OS Elite Four and Champion await. At the end of the entry are the listings for the PCBC: OS Secret Santa entries, as well as competitions that have been organized by the competitors of PCBC: OS.

THE FINAL ROUND
~halibabica
I was unsure of the need to include Tofu for the entry; it seemed like her role could have been filled by almost anybody, possibly someone more pertinent than a stretch over to a different tourney. But that's just a minor deal. I rather enjoyed your inclusion of Jack and Randy. I mean, Team Rocket takes over, so of course the guy in the tournament involved with Team Rocket would be an influence. I also liked that you made sure only Reika's Pokémon were involved in that fight; that way all of Tom's Pokémon could be saved and used for the 'real' fight. The B story that started on page 3 with all the escaping Pokémon was great, and you paced it into the main story very well. It was fun seeing all those other Pokémon drawn in your unique style. I still like how Slash's Hyper Beam is labeled as 'HYPER BEAM.' It's just silly, but a fun sort of silly. It fits well. Riley's big speech to Baruch on page 5, I think, was well done. Especially fitting as her role as the Morale Officer. Sort of, like, the 'final challenge' for her position. On that note, I thought Baruch's reaction to Tom's plan was appropriate, so this whole section of the story fits great.

It feels like the event takes place at the National Park only because that was the suggested location. It wasn't really implied why it would be the ideal spot for the Rockets to go. Also, Jack's reaction on page 6 to Riley and Baruch hugging was good. The 'big release' on page 7 was great. I liked seeing all of them at once, rather than some silly one-on-one intention to fight Mewtwo. The fact that Tom's Pokémon weren't affected by the psychic wave seemed contrived at first, but I enjoyed how you planned to still have the 'Tom vs Baruch' fight, despite the Rocket ordeal. Very clever, with the whole 'mind control' plan. Seriously, I like it (especially including the explanation on the final page as to why Tom's Pokémon weren't effected). I enjoyed following the battle scenes over the next few pages. And also that Dig Dug's body, now, is no big deal to anyone. Scary Face/Scared Face was also hilarious.

I really liked that, except Saltu and De Rol Le (appropriately), the other Pokémon didn't simply do six one-on-one fights. Rather, the other 10 often shifted whom they were fighting throughout the battle, depending on who was best to strategically attack or avoid. It really helped make the whole scene feel more authentic. The conversation between Tom and Baruch about how Baruch's Pokémon were working better/stronger/etc. was a GREAT inclusion. It really helps show that, even if Baruch were in charge of his own Pokémon, Tom still could have come out on top.

Dave and the ghost Pokémon, as I said before about this side-story, was quite fun to read. When I first started loading your pages, I was disappointed to see only 12, then I looked down and noticed, "Oh! There's a whole second half!" Mr. T's plan to try to get Mewtwo with Kingpin's Horn Drill was a nice inclusion. Also the explanation as to why Baruch can't just recall his Pokémon, nice job there. Rita's defeat of http:// made me laugh, despite it being a tense moment. Good balance, there. Mr. T freeing Isis, too, was quite nice, taking advantage of her being a Psychic type. Even if she was defeated immediately afterwards... "SheeeeEEEE?!" -- Was very good. And it also does a great job of showing how the 'spell' can be broken, even among non-psychic types. Also it was funny. Rita and Mr. T's battle in the second and third lines of page 18 was very well done, especially the 'knocking over' of the Reflect (and that Rita thought to Flamethrower through it, since it was only Reflect). Actually, all of page 18 was noteworthy; it's probably one of my favorites of your round.

The control of Bombchu was a great inclusion. Even though the 'main' fight is over, it adds a nice morsel of tension to the end. Especially Tom's running in there and showing a lot more compassion than we're used to seeing (revisited, nicely, when he tries to tell Reika he loves her). Then FINALLY we get an AXE THROW - that gun has been waiting to go off since page one, and it went off fantastically. You wrapped up the ending very nicely, both with the news report and the award ceremony. I liked that Tom was genuinely surprised that Baruch had conceded, rather than him having known beforehand, and, of course, showing that Tom has grown as a person. D'awww. Woooow, Hali, I am STILL in awe of how you can take such a simplified art scheme and make it so AWESOME. Throughout your entries, I hadn't even sensed any sort of artistic barrier. I was able to read your entries just as well as I could some kind of professionally published material. Okay, granted, there were a few pages where the panel ordering threw me off when I read one panel out of order, but other than that, it was great.

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Few participants have shown as noticeable an improvement in their art over the course of the tournament as halibabica. Although the style has been simple, what started as a collection of extended emoticons has taken shape as a legitimate way of conveying intricate and creative scenes of combat. The paneling has diversified, the camera has gotten bolder, and the poses of the characters have continued to become more fluid and dimensional, despite their minimalist rendering. Combined with a well paced plot, the smart humor and engaging dialogue have made halibabica’s run in the PCBC: OS one of the most enjoyable to follow in the entire tournament, and I am greatly delighted that he has become one of our esteemed finalists.

halibaba’s sixth entry increases the scope of the battle to a full six on six match, spanning an impressive twenty four pages that shatters his previous tournament record. However, the nature of his opponent’s Pokémon, all under the influence of a controlled Mewtwo, really undercuts the strengths of halibabica’s entries. Without direction from either trainer, the battle is without question the most silent of the tournament. This leaves fewer opportunities for halibabica’s trademark jokes, and the nature of the battle becomes more chaotic and reactionary instead of pre-meditated and adaptive. Regardless, the sheer number of character interactions involved is juggled grandly, as the consideration of attacks and their implications is no less complex or thought out.

This brings me to the plot of the entry, which very deftly brings all possible threads to a close. With so many side characters to keep track of, there is the distinct impression that not enough time was spent on some arcs to due their intentions justice, despite the entry’s length. Some elements, such as Jack and Randy’s involvement with Team Rocket, and Dave Davenport’s antics with a stray Rattata, could perhaps been cut for the sake of pacing, especially since the “Big Announcements” page neatly wrapped up their involvement anyway. Additionally, a major component of the entry, of the stolen Pokémon escaping and stampeding, seemed to trail off, as the grand meeting at the National Park never happened. Without resolution, that time might have been better spent easing into the characterizations of Baruch and Tom, who each receive a page a piece for growth in the entry.

It is my sincere hope that halibabica will continue writing comics and potentially entering other comic tournaments. His accomplishments here have proven that he is more than a worthy opponent, but more important than that, his entries are genuinely entertaining to read. Congratulations on a tournament well played, regardless of who is determined to be the victor.
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During the six rounds of this tournament, halibabica has shown us how one with such a simplistic, yet charmingly characteristic style can manage to constantly improve, while still keeping the artistic presentation that made it so memorable in the first place. Originally standing mostly on a well-written story and a format that helped to extend said narrative, slowly but surely halibabica's comics have shown many signs of artistic improvement, such as a better use of panels, more dynamic angles and action, and an overall more solid structure to lines. These improvements, coupled with an increasingly intriguing narrative, made Tom Faroph's campaign one of the most interesting ones of the PCBCS, culminating on its final entry - which despite some slight problems, was justifiably entertaining.

halibabica's Round 6 comic, even with a good deal of important plot points, managed to keep its focus on one of the defining points of all entries: the conclusive battle. Even with the direct use of mind control (which sadly limited a bit his opponent's participation in the plot), the grand 6-to-6 combat between the two teams showed some of Halibabica's best action scenes. Of course, there's still the main plot; with multiple (yet not too many) plot threads happening at the same time, most of the story managed to keep fairly interesting. However, when it came to the end, many of these threads were somewhat rushed, or not sufficiently concluded, such as the stampede going to the National Park - after a certain point, it's never mentioned again. Aside from this, and a slight predictability, it was still a good story, with interesting moments (such as the final "report" about the free will of Pokémon).

Many, many times, I have said that halibabica's artistic style and presentation, while well done, were still open to improvement. Well, that did not change - as it did not change to any and all artists, including the greatest of them. I will be looking forward to see how much more he will be able to improve.
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~BentoDS
Oooh, goodness, Bento, that WAS an ordeal, wasn't it? Let's see how many things I can get you on. I'm quite happy for the inclusion of all of Chapter 1. I'm glad you completely wrapped up that portion of your story, rather than just leaving up it to imagination. I loved the psychological contrast between Baruch and Medjool, especially toward the end. How Medjool acted there seemed very believable. Chapter 2 started out pretty weird. I've never seen such an in-depth description of a burrito in a story before. The chapter was a nice interaction between Baruch and Tom, however I don't think Tom was personified very well. He seemed to act more fitting of Baruch's view of him than the personality I usually get from Hali's entries. However, I will note that this doesn't last; toward the second half of the battle, Tom seems to act more appropriately.

I think you did a great job with Dig Dug, it (they?) appeared to match as they (it?) appear(s) in Hali's entries. This first couple rounds, though, weren't as interesting. The fight, I don't think, really picks up until http:// and Yarikh's battle. After that, it gets more interesting, and I feel more immersed within the story. Granted, that particular battle through Chapter 4 wasn't as exciting, but it was there that your entry showed marked improvement. In Chapter 5, I was almost disappointed that Saltu's gender confusion was just going to be treated as it always was; someone makes a comment and she goes on a rampage. However, I was glad to see it was handled differently. And you do such a great job of keeping Saltu in line with her usual self, even after her identifying as a woman. She still pretty much does everything over-the-top, and I enjoyed reading that. I also liked that De Rol Le wasn't as conversational as other Pokémon; appropriate for a Gyarados.

Chapter 6 was fantastic; I really liked reading it. However, I noticed that Rita, unlike every other Pokémon in the battle, didn't seem to speak at all, which I thought was a little unusual, given how often the other Pokémon, and Mr. T at the same time, speak. At this point, I'll mention the Magnezone. I wasn't sure what it's ... purpose was in the story other than some comedic relief. In fact, it just seemed like an extension of Bert, who you went through the trouble of getting rid of, if I recall. Then he just goes off. No real plot significance, it's really weird. The final fight, I thought, was on par with http:// and Yarikh's battle, but not as engaging as the fight between those two. But I also understand the realistic side of it; not every round will be more AWESOMEEXPLOSIONINTENSE than the one before it. The ending felt a bit rushed; you drop all these things Baruch has hanging over his head, but they sort of get hand waved away. But it was also a fairly nice ending; compared to all the crap Baruch's been through, I enjoyed it. My final complaint is the misplacement of Isis. It seems characteristically appropriate for her to just walk off like that, but it also just seems like another odd to stack against Baruch. Overall, though, it was a fantastic final round-worthy entry, and I greatly enjoyed reading it. Great work throughout the tourney, BentoDS, you did fantastically!
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BentoDS has been a shining example of what every character tournament writer should strive for. He has displayed the ability to capture the essence of not only his own, but other artists’ characters in situations of real drama and hilarious interactions. But first and foremost, he writes good fiction. Even when characters are only talking, sometimes within their own heads, BentoDS’s writing has real pull to it, and is genuinely entertaining to read.

The chapters of BentoDS’s sixth entry showcase his different strengths, and make for great pieces even when read alone. The opening scene is an apropos epilogue to the events of the previous round, but seems somewhat misplaced as the opening of the final round. Its unsettling nature sets a tone of seriousness and finality that is never quite attained later in the round, and transitions poorly into the light-hearted scene of the finalists’ double date. However, the scene at the Mexi Lotad is highly believable and amusingly uncomfortable, the product of either an intuitive sense for the characters’ interactions or greatly appreciated dedicated thought.

The battle itself is tame compared to the outlandish circumstances that Baruch has fought through previously. As the main villain of Medjool is already a decided non-threat, and Baruch’s opponent Tom provides very little chemistry for Baruch to emotionally get hung up about, much of the tension both for the participants and the reader present in previous entries is decidedly lessened in this round. This is not to say that the battle is not entertaining, as the lack of interruptions allows for real ingenuity in the Pokémon’s single skirmishes. The interpretation of the PCBC: OS Administration Staff’s Magnet Crew again steals every scene that they appear in, with the marvelously awkward Magnezone that props open the door when it gets hot out serving as the crown jewel.

Finally, as touching, (and in Saltu’s case, hilarious) as it is for Baruch’s Pokémon to complete their individual arcs of inner conflict and turmoil, the setting of the battle does not quite give all of them the amount of screen time that they deserve. Where the arc is integrated well, such as Anat’s case, it empowers the battle greatly. However, the magnitude of both Saltu and Rita’s personal struggles seems to be dampened unfairly due to the short amount of time that they are able to make such drastic changes to their characters.

Although there seems to be a lot of criticism here, it is done out of love for BentoDS and his work so that he can improve and continue to impress in the future. In a tournament filled with so many promising comic artists, and amidst an art community that has serious reservations concerning artists in character tournaments in general, I congratulate BentoDS for his accomplishments, regardless of who is determined to be the victor.
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In most original character tournaments, there is a general conception that, no matter how good it may be, a written entry will never be able to compete fairly against comics or other media. Technically, this is true - when aided by a good visual presentation, an already good story manages to contain a much bigger impact. However, if there is something that BentoDS's PCBC: OS entries have showed us it is that, while written pieces will always have difficulty to stand out, that doesn't mean they can't compete on equal terms with all others. Baruch Shafir's saga, aided by an interesting story, good writing, and superb characterizations, managed to not only compete equally but to also stand out.

BentoDS, much like his opponent, takes most of his sixth entry to the final confrontation between the two opponents, which makes great use of creative and intense action scenes and good writing (save very few grammar mistakes). Indeed, much of the story focus was given to the protagonist's relationship with his partners, even coming into terms with some of them (which led to both hilarious and deeply moving scenes, as strange as this may sound). It just irks me a bit that, despite leading to an extra difficulty to the character, (and a more interesting flow of events), one of his team members was neglected such treatment. But as I said, it still led to an interesting narrative, which also included the final and miserable appearance of Amir Medjool (one of the most complex and menacing antagonists in Pokémon original character tournaments, to say the least). While it would have been nice to see any of the plot points of his opponent's story being used, it's likely that this simplification of events was beneficial to the overall flow.

In original character tournaments, it doesn't matter whether a story was told through a visual or written medium, as long as it manages to be entertaining, interesting, or well-done - and in the best of cases, all three at once. BentoDS did a great job keeping it up with his story, despite the obvious limitations, and I hope to keep up with any future projects he may have.
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THE ELITE FOUR

1. =SunaGaara13


2. *DarkAngelX


3. ~Athens025


4. ~halibabica

THE CHAMPION OF PCBC: OS
~BentoDS

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PCBC: OS Secret Santa

• ~CCMax's gift for ~cheerfulfox: [link]


• ~cheerfulfox's gift for ~WindSeyro: [link]


• ~WindSeyro's gift for ~CaptainRikaKisuktai: [link]


• ~CaptainRikaKisuktai's gift for *Dampho: [link]


• *Dampho's gift for ~NoResemblance: [link]


• ~NoResemblance's gift for ~KazgarokProductions:
  [link]


• ~KazgarokProductions's gift for *xIOTAx: [link]


• *xIOTAx's gift for ~ZoraofWater: [link]


• ~ZoraofWater's gift for *ZippyFerret: [link]


• *ZippyFerret's gift for ~BrazillianCara: [link]


• ~BrazillianCara's gift for ~Athens025: [link]


• ~Athens025's gift for *Edowaado: [link]


• *Edowaado's gift for =SunaGaara13: [link]


• =SunaGaara13's gift for *Blue-Uncia: [link]


• *Blue-Uncia's gift for ~Dimly: [link]


• ~Dimly's gift for ~CCMax: [link]

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Upcoming Attractions
The following are either organized by participants from PCBC: OS, or might be relevant to the interests of followers of PCBC: OS.

~TSAR-OCT
Organized by ~Chelleromo, with assistance from ~BentoDS, ~FakaPokeBio, *Dampho and ~KazgarokProductions. This is an OCT based on the concept of Lovecraftian horror, which allows for great diversity in character design. Auditions are currently open!

#bigskycarnival
A Pokémon centered OCT that includes contests, races, and more in addition to regular battles. Auditions are currently open!

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