This is a beautifully powerful art piece which captures a wide range of emotions between Ash and Misty. I am particularly drawn to the colouring technique which is smooth yet strong - outlining realistically the details of the folds of clothing (particularly the fabric clenched between fingers on the far left and right sides of the image) and picking out the textures of the hair and depth in the eyes.

The composition of the images shows the passage of time and the emotions felt during that time well. In particular, the Johto related image with its slightly faded look gave me the impression of distance - not just physically but also emotionally - between the featured characters.

I am also fascinated with how the artist has been able to convey the appearance of water drops in this medium, something that isn't easy to do.

As a final thought, a darker-coloured background instead of the white one may have contributed to heightening the emotion further.

It's hard to right a 'critique' on a deviation that does so many things right as this one.

Simply looking at this deviation as line art is is fantastic. The layout and symbolism with Ash and Misty shows a level of true artistic professionalism rarely seen among fan artists. The expressions on their faces show more than anything seen from the characters in the actually anime, and show the artists true thoughts on the relationship between them. Coupled with the character pulling at their own chests, the emotional tension bleeds from this deviation

The traditional coloring flawless. Dynamic highlights and shadows,Contrasting colors, and a wild variety of hues, make this a joy to look at. Coloring overall shows a true mastery of the traditional artistic medium

It's often quite difficult to be truly original with fan art, but the layout and artistic vision of the piece show what can be done when artist uses what their talents to embellish a popular series and pairing.

What comes out is a artistic piece that is gorgeous visually, emotionally, and artistically.