Max's Journey is a Pokémon: The Series fanfic written by bwburke94 in 2011. Set immediately after the Advanced Generation of the anime, the fic was planned to follow Max through his first year or so as a Pokémon trainer. Two chapters and one side story were written and then deleted; the fic has been lost even to the author.
The fic's description on FanFiction.Net was as follows: "After the end of AG, Max sets off on his own journey. His first stop on the way back home is New Bark Town in Johto, but when he gets there he finds that a Pokémon trainer has captured four legendary Pokémon and threatened the entire world in the process."
Because of this fic's nonexistence, no tropes are verifiable.
Tropes used in the fic:
- Anti-Hero: While not the main hero, Silver comes off as this to the reader in chapter 2. When Max asks him where he got his Pokémon, Silver's response implies that he stole them.
- Ascended Extra: Brendan, though the author's notes at the end of chapter 1 imply that he will not be traveling with May and Max for long.
- Author Avatar: Averted. The author's real name is Brendan, but he specifically averted giving the pre-existing character Brendan any traits of himself.
- Canon Foreigner: Brendan, sort of. He did make a cameo in one of the movies.
- Continuity Nod: Several to the anime, starting in the very first chapter with Max's first three Pokémon.
- The Ralts that Max promised to return for in the anime returns in chapter 1 as Max's starter.
- Ash's Pidgeot returns in Chapter 1 and is given to Max as a gift.
- The Poochyena from the very first Advanced Generation episode returns in chapter 1 and is caught by Max.
- Like Father, Like Son: Several characters take after their fathers, as they do in the games and anime. To be specific:
- Max is a Gym Leader's son, and manages to win the Earth Badge on his second day as a trainer. May is an aversion, obviously.
- Silver is a Gym Leader's son, and implied to be a skilled trainer. Given that his father is Giovanni, it's also no surprise that Silver apparently stole his Pokémon.
- Brock and Forrest are a Gym Leader's two oldest sons, and both have run the gym in the anime. In addition, both use Rock-type Pokémon in the anime, though Brock has other mons as well.
- Brendan's father is Professor Birch, and Brendan takes an "assistant" role in the first chapter.
- Mythology Gag: A double Mythology Gag in chapter 2.
- Silver states to have "borrowed" his Pokémon (Bayleef, Quilava, and Croconaw) though the fic implies he stole them, similar to his game counterpart.
- Additionally, the player can "borrow" the second-stage Johto starters in Pokémon Colosseum.
- The Rival: Brendan takes the rival role just as he does in RSE, complete with a first-chapter battle with Max.
