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Description
BACKGROUND
Hailing from Undella Town, Soren sets off on a journey to become a Pokémon Musical Maestro. In Pokémon Musical Auditions (as each competition is referred to as an audition), Trainers (referred to as Musicians) create musical masterpieces based on a certain theme. Trainers must combine music, dance, and moves (like the appeals round of a Contest with music or the Freestyle Performances in Pokémon Showcases). The first round is a Choreographed Routine, can use however many Pokémon as they would like in this round. After this round, the Pokémon are put in the final 8. The second round is a Performance Round, where each trainer has one Pokémon which has to stand out with three other Pokémon in the performance. The Pokémon that outperforms the other three in that round move to the final 2 which is a Battle Round. This differs from a Contest because Pokémon must dance during the 4 minutes during the battle and going off rhythm will cause them to lose points for their review. The first team to lose all their points or have less points at the end of the round loses. The winner of a Musical receives a star pin. When a musician has received 5 stars, they can enter the Pokémon Musical Callbacks where one person will be awarded the title of Pokémon Musical Maestro. Pokémon Musical Maestro are well-renowned for being able to perform in various locations, signed with an agent to make money, tour around the world if the desire, and even release merchandise and media (CDs, Soundtracks, etc,).

Ash comes across Soren when he arrives in Striaton City. He is drawn in by the crowd rushing to the Musical Theatre. There, he asks around what is going on. He makes his way to his seat in time to see Soren perform. Soren does well, but he loses in the battle round. Feeling discouraged afterwards, he sits out front staring at his empty case, and Ash sees him. Ash comes over to encourage him that he thinks Soren did awesome, even though Ash does not know much about musicals. He refers to friends he has had who are amazing performers and that he thinks that he'll be an amazing performer too. Soren thanks Ash for his encouragement and the two introduce themselves. Soren asks what brings Ash to the region because with his Pikachu, he doesn't seem to be from around here. Ash states that he is taking on the Gym Challenge, and since Ash has been so kind to cheer him on that he would like to repay the favor. So, Soren accompanies Ash to the Gym where he cheers him on (the next episode). When Cilan later asks Ash to travel with him, Soren, in kind, also declares his desire to travel with Ash. The three boys begin to travel together on their adventure.

The three travel together through various adventures and shenanigans. From Striaton City to the Decalore Islands, these three supported each other through their highest and lowest moments. They caught Pokémon, made new friends and rivals, made new discoveries, and grew as trainers. On the topic of Rivals, each trainer had their fair share. While most rivals will stay from the original canon, there are a few differences. Bianca has gone from a Trainer and rival of Ash into a rival of Soren, but in order to make up for this, Iris has become one of Ash's friendly rivals. Soren also has a rivalry with Georgia, but Georgia competes in the Gym Challenge in addition to Pokémon Musicals.

The group also becomes friends with the aspiring movie producer/director Luke with his partner Zorua, but no one is the group shares a bond quite as close as Soren. The two became inseparable when he traveled with them for a couple of episodes. Soren's musical knowledge helped Luke produce a couple of his films, even transforming one into a musical. But, Luke isn't the only person Soren forms a quick bond with. When Dawn visits the Unova region, she stops into watch and musical to get inspiration for a contest which is where she reunites with Ash. It is this performance (in Undella Town - Soren's hometown) where Soren receives his final pin to qualify him for Callbacks. Dawn and Soren form a quick friendship learning from each other and inspiring each other in their performances. It is around this time that Soren meets and befriends a Meloetta who is intruiged by both him and Ash. His love for music attracts the Meloetta to him and his Pokemon. Meloetta even becomes a huge inspiration for his Callbacks performance.

Shortly after the Team Rocket invasion has been resolved, Soren is able to enter the Pokémon Musical Callbacks where he makes it past the first two Themed Choreograph Routine rounds. Later, he makes it past the two Performance Rounds. In the finale, it is Soren versus Bianca. Soren uses his Cinccino versus Bianca's Emboar. The Battle is an intense one, but at the last second, Soren comes out on top and actually wins. Soren did what very few have done before and joined the ranks of Pokémon Musical Maestros. While he began receiving offers and such, he continued to support and travel with Ash. In between events, he would have performances in towns he was near and some opportunities to use his skills at PokeStar Studios. While on the Decalore Islands, he was tasked with creating an album on the theme where he would also create music videos, performances, and other media to advertise his album. There, he met with a Kalosian journalist named Alexa who would also be helpful in spreading the news of the album he was working on - while on their way to perform in Kanto.

When they arrive in Kanto, Soren has phone calls with various friends, including Dawn. Dawn reveals that Unova is starting to have Contests, so Soren decides to after starting to do some Contests in Kanto to return to Unova as a Coordinator. But even amidst beginning to start the world of Pokémon Contests, he will continue having performances and creating media as a Maestro.

CHARACTER
Soren is passionate individual, but he can be prone to becoming insecure or self-critical when failing. When he met Ash, he was down due to his recent loss, but with encouragement from his new friend, he became remotivated to grow. This lead him to be an encouragement to Ash in turn. This cycle of encouragement becomes a pattern in their friendship with each supporting one another. Unlike other companions, he does not often argue with Ash. Instead while still having a close brotherly relationship, their personalities complement one another. Soren's calmer and gentle nature pairs well with Ash's energy and enthusiasm. But do not be fooled because Soren has a dramatic and energetic side that comes out when he is performing. On stage, his personality is on full display in order to bring the audience joy.

POKEMON
Minccino > Cinccino: Minccino is the first Pokémon that Soren is revealed to have since it travels out of his Pokeball. It was a Pokémon that his parents caught for him before he began his journey, and the two are inseparable. In a Musical battle, Minccino evolves into Cinccino while still remaining to have rhythm and overshadowing his opponent's move. While Cinccino is not Soren's strongest battler, he is an amazing performer and loyal friend. Cinccino and Soren are so in-sync that they often respond similarly to the same situation.
Petilil > Lilligant: Petilil was already a member of Soren's team by the time they joined Ash. It was revealed to have been a recent capture, and it refused to listen to him. At one point, Soren considers releasing it. But while considering it, Petilil hears and runs off. The two get into a fight, and Petilil becomes even more resistant to Soren. He initially caught Petilil because he saw how amazing of a dancer it was, but she clearly cannot stand to be a part of the team. While she runs off, she is taken by a group of Pokémon Hunters. Soren goes to save her with all his might, even causing harm upon himself. Soren is able to save her eventually - which allows her to grow in respect for him. She listens to him in the battle against the Hunters, and upon their defeat of the Hunters, they came across a lake where they solidified their bond. Then washing by was a Shiny Stone which Petilil touches to evolve into a Liligant. She becomes a core member of the team, and a powerhouse of the team for a while.
Munna: When the group reunites with Fennel after Nimbasa City, her Musharna detects a Munna is distress. They find the Munna and bring it to the Pokemon Center. The Munna is clearly in pain, so they nurse her back to health. From there, she teleports away, but she follows the group for a few episodes, watching them help and support others and following their dreams. Munna even watches a performance which makes her fall in love with performing. In her alone time, she would practice In a moment where Minccino is in trouble, Munna helps out. After saving Minccino, she shows off her performing skills and declares her desire to join the team. She becomes a fantastic member of the team.
Volcarona: Volcarona is a powerhouse on the team that does not join until a bit before earning his final pin. Soren and friends entered a town which was dealing with problems of a great unnatural heat - which at one point suddenly stopped. While relieved that this heat ceased, Soren became suspicious and investigated to find Team Rocket having captured a Volcarona. He figures out that this Volcarona fled to the town to heal and escape but its distress and power out of control led to problems for the town. After rescuing it, Volcarona desired to join the team. Volcarona struggled with having control over his moves and abilities but with training and support, he becomes a valuable member of the team.

AFTER UNOVA SAGA
After the Unova saga, Soren is next seen during the XY series where he is on a tour of Kalos, traveling around various regions. He joins the group in Pokémon Summer Camp near the end of his tour because that will be his final performance after having spent 3 weeks in Kalos. There, he participates in activities with Ash and friends. He is revealed to have caught a Clefairy in Kanto and a Mime Jr. while touring in Sinnoh. He also reveals to have two ribbons from Pokémon Contests. While at camp, he and Shauna both inspire Serena to go after performing.

Later, there are cameos in the following series showing merchandise, songs, advertisements, or performances (televised) of him. But, the last physical appearance of Soren is a cameo of him watching Ash's battle against Leon. He is watching with Brock, Cilan, and Alexa all together with his Cincinno on his shoulder.

TRIVIA
- He initially replaced Cilan, but I decided that I wanted to rewrite Iris as Ash's rival. This way, her rise to Champion status would make more sense. Additionally, I could also replace one of Ash's rivals with Bianca.
- The colors of his outfit is supposed to represent the American Flag since Unova is based off of New York
- Because red, white, and blue are also the colors of the French Flag, I did swap this Unova design with the Kalos design for a bit. But because I decided that I didn't like that design as much, I moved this design back to Unova and completely redesigned the Kalos design.
- Initially, Soren had a Zorua as his partner, but I removed that from his team (despite my great love for the Pokémon as to not connect him with my Unova Gym Leader who has a Zoroark)
- Dawn did not reveal until Pokemon Journeys that Unova had Contests. So, I made some rewrites to allow Contests to still be a part of Soren's journey because I love Contests. If I were in the Pokemon World, I would want to be like Wallace or Fantina - a Top Coordinator and a Gym Leader. So when I was doing research and saw that Contests were confirmed, I altered it to make him win the Musical and then think about what's next to get him to do Contests.

CREDITS
Soren was made using the Pokémon Trainer Creator v.2 made by the talented . All of her art is fantastic, and I suggest that you check her out right now. I did also do a few edits of my own on Paint. The link to the trainer creator is here: hapuriainen.deviantart.com/art… . It is nothing less than phenomenal if you have not already played it. Rights for the art go to her. Rights for the Pokémon names and idea belong to the Pokémon Company International.

Description
BACKGROUND
Hailing from Undella Town, Soren sets off on a journey to become a Pokémon Musical Maestro. In Pokémon Musical Auditions (as each competition is referred to as an audition), Trainers (referred to as Musicians) create musical masterpieces based on a certain theme. Trainers must combine music, dance, and moves (like the appeals round of a Contest with music or the Freestyle Performances in Pokémon Showcases). The first round is a Choreographed Routine, can use however many Pokémon as they would like in this round. After this round, the Pokémon are put in the final 8. The second round is a Performance Round, where each trainer has one Pokémon which has to stand out with three other Pokémon in the performance. The Pokémon that outperforms the other three in that round move to the final 2 which is a Battle Round. This differs from a Contest because Pokémon must dance during the 4 minutes during the battle and going off rhythm will cause them to lose points for their review. The first team to lose all their points or have less points at the end of the round loses. The winner of a Musical receives a star pin. When a musician has received 5 stars, they can enter the Pokémon Musical Callbacks where one person will be awarded the title of Pokémon Musical Maestro. Pokémon Musical Maestro are well-renowned for being able to perform in various locations, signed with an agent to make money, tour around the world if the desire, and even release merchandise and media (CDs, Soundtracks, etc,).

Ash comes across Soren when he arrives in Striaton City. He is drawn in by the crowd rushing to the Musical Theatre. There, he asks around what is going on. He makes his way to his seat in time to see Soren perform. Soren does well, but he loses in the battle round. Feeling discouraged afterwards, he sits out front staring at his empty case, and Ash sees him. Ash comes over to encourage him that he thinks Soren did awesome, even though Ash does not know much about musicals. He refers to friends he has had who are amazing performers and that he thinks that he'll be an amazing performer too. Soren thanks Ash for his encouragement and the two introduce themselves. Soren asks what brings Ash to the region because with his Pikachu, he doesn't seem to be from around here. Ash states that he is taking on the Gym Challenge, and since Ash has been so kind to cheer him on that he would like to repay the favor. So, Soren accompanies Ash to the Gym where he cheers him on (the next episode). When Cilan later asks Ash to travel with him, Soren, in kind, also declares his desire to travel with Ash. The three boys begin to travel together on their adventure.

The three travel together through various adventures and shenanigans. From Striaton City to the Decalore Islands, these three supported each other through their highest and lowest moments. They caught Pokémon, made new friends and rivals, made new discoveries, and grew as trainers. On the topic of Rivals, each trainer had their fair share. While most rivals will stay from the original canon, there are a few differences. Bianca has gone from a Trainer and rival of Ash into a rival of Soren, but in order to make up for this, Iris has become one of Ash's friendly rivals. Soren also has a rivalry with Georgia, but Georgia competes in the Gym Challenge in addition to Pokémon Musicals.

The group also becomes friends with the aspiring movie producer/director Luke with his partner Zorua, but no one is the group shares a bond quite as close as Soren. The two became inseparable when he traveled with them for a couple of episodes. Soren's musical knowledge helped Luke produce a couple of his films, even transforming one into a musical. But, Luke isn't the only person Soren forms a quick bond with. When Dawn visits the Unova region, she stops into watch and musical to get inspiration for a contest which is where she reunites with Ash. It is this performance (in Undella Town - Soren's hometown) where Soren receives his final pin to qualify him for Callbacks. Dawn and Soren form a quick friendship learning from each other and inspiring each other in their performances. It is around this time that Soren meets and befriends a Meloetta who is intruiged by both him and Ash. His love for music attracts the Meloetta to him and his Pokemon. Meloetta even becomes a huge inspiration for his Callbacks performance.

Shortly after the Team Rocket invasion has been resolved, Soren is able to enter the Pokémon Musical Callbacks where he makes it past the first two Themed Choreograph Routine rounds. Later, he makes it past the two Performance Rounds. In the finale, it is Soren versus Bianca. Soren uses his Cinccino versus Bianca's Emboar. The Battle is an intense one, but at the last second, Soren comes out on top and actually wins. Soren did what very few have done before and joined the ranks of Pokémon Musical Maestros. While he began receiving offers and such, he continued to support and travel with Ash. In between events, he would have performances in towns he was near and some opportunities to use his skills at PokeStar Studios. While on the Decalore Islands, he was tasked with creating an album on the theme where he would also create music videos, performances, and other media to advertise his album. There, he met with a Kalosian journalist named Alexa who would also be helpful in spreading the news of the album he was working on - while on their way to perform in Kanto.

When they arrive in Kanto, Soren has phone calls with various friends, including Dawn. Dawn reveals that Unova is starting to have Contests, so Soren decides to after starting to do some Contests in Kanto to return to Unova as a Coordinator. But even amidst beginning to start the world of Pokémon Contests, he will continue having performances and creating media as a Maestro.

CHARACTER
Soren is passionate individual, but he can be prone to becoming insecure or self-critical when failing. When he met Ash, he was down due to his recent loss, but with encouragement from his new friend, he became remotivated to grow. This lead him to be an encouragement to Ash in turn. This cycle of encouragement becomes a pattern in their friendship with each supporting one another. Unlike other companions, he does not often argue with Ash. Instead while still having a close brotherly relationship, their personalities complement one another. Soren's calmer and gentle nature pairs well with Ash's energy and enthusiasm. But do not be fooled because Soren has a dramatic and energetic side that comes out when he is performing. On stage, his personality is on full display in order to bring the audience joy.

POKEMON
Minccino > Cinccino: Minccino is the first Pokémon that Soren is revealed to have since it travels out of his Pokeball. It was a Pokémon that his parents caught for him before he began his journey, and the two are inseparable. In a Musical battle, Minccino evolves into Cinccino while still remaining to have rhythm and overshadowing his opponent's move. While Cinccino is not Soren's strongest battler, he is an amazing performer and loyal friend. Cinccino and Soren are so in-sync that they often respond similarly to the same situation.
Petilil > Lilligant: Petilil was already a member of Soren's team by the time they joined Ash. It was revealed to have been a recent capture, and it refused to listen to him. At one point, Soren considers releasing it. But while considering it, Petilil hears and runs off. The two get into a fight, and Petilil becomes even more resistant to Soren. He initially caught Petilil because he saw how amazing of a dancer it was, but she clearly cannot stand to be a part of the team. While she runs off, she is taken by a group of Pokémon Hunters. Soren goes to save her with all his might, even causing harm upon himself. Soren is able to save her eventually - which allows her to grow in respect for him. She listens to him in the battle against the Hunters, and upon their defeat of the Hunters, they came across a lake where they solidified their bond. Then washing by was a Shiny Stone which Petilil touches to evolve into a Liligant. She becomes a core member of the team, and a powerhouse of the team for a while.
Munna: When the group reunites with Fennel after Nimbasa City, her Musharna detects a Munna is distress. They find the Munna and bring it to the Pokemon Center. The Munna is clearly in pain, so they nurse her back to health. From there, she teleports away, but she follows the group for a few episodes, watching them help and support others and following their dreams. Munna even watches a performance which makes her fall in love with performing. In her alone time, she would practice In a moment where Minccino is in trouble, Munna helps out. After saving Minccino, she shows off her performing skills and declares her desire to join the team. She becomes a fantastic member of the team.
Volcarona: Volcarona is a powerhouse on the team that does not join until a bit before earning his final pin. Soren and friends entered a town which was dealing with problems of a great unnatural heat - which at one point suddenly stopped. While relieved that this heat ceased, Soren became suspicious and investigated to find Team Rocket having captured a Volcarona. He figures out that this Volcarona fled to the town to heal and escape but its distress and power out of control led to problems for the town. After rescuing it, Volcarona desired to join the team. Volcarona struggled with having control over his moves and abilities but with training and support, he becomes a valuable member of the team.

AFTER UNOVA SAGA
After the Unova saga, Soren is next seen during the XY series where he is on a tour of Kalos, traveling around various regions. He joins the group in Pokémon Summer Camp near the end of his tour because that will be his final performance after having spent 3 weeks in Kalos. There, he participates in activities with Ash and friends. He is revealed to have caught a Clefairy in Kanto and a Mime Jr. while touring in Sinnoh. He also reveals to have two ribbons from Pokémon Contests. While at camp, he and Shauna both inspire Serena to go after performing.

Later, there are cameos in the following series showing merchandise, songs, advertisements, or performances (televised) of him. But, the last physical appearance of Soren is a cameo of him watching Ash's battle against Leon. He is watching with Brock, Cilan, and Alexa all together with his Cincinno on his shoulder.

TRIVIA
- He initially replaced Cilan, but I decided that I wanted to rewrite Iris as Ash's rival. This way, her rise to Champion status would make more sense. Additionally, I could also replace one of Ash's rivals with Bianca.
- The colors of his outfit is supposed to represent the American Flag since Unova is based off of New York
- Because red, white, and blue are also the colors of the French Flag, I did swap this Unova design with the Kalos design for a bit. But because I decided that I didn't like that design as much, I moved this design back to Unova and completely redesigned the Kalos design.
- Initially, Soren had a Zorua as his partner, but I removed that from his team (despite my great love for the Pokémon as to not connect him with my Unova Gym Leader who has a Zoroark)
- Dawn did not reveal until Pokemon Journeys that Unova had Contests. So, I made some rewrites to allow Contests to still be a part of Soren's journey because I love Contests. If I were in the Pokemon World, I would want to be like Wallace or Fantina - a Top Coordinator and a Gym Leader. So when I was doing research and saw that Contests were confirmed, I altered it to make him win the Musical and then think about what's next to get him to do Contests.

CREDITS
Soren was made using the Pokémon Trainer Creator v.2 made by the talented . All of her art is fantastic, and I suggest that you check her out right now. I did also do a few edits of my own on Paint. The link to the trainer creator is here: hapuriainen.deviantart.com/art… . It is nothing less than phenomenal if you have not already played it. Rights for the art go to her. Rights for the Pokémon names and idea belong to the Pokémon Company International.