I’m picking stories based on how memorable they are to me, not necessarily how well-executed I think they are. These two things correlate very highly, but not necessarily perfectly.
Instruments of Creation—PMD fic, back after a 2-year hiatus. The Desert Cat combines grounded worldbuilding with endearing characters and sweet relationships. There is a lot of cuddling and a general sense of goodness to the world that makes one want it saved.
The Tessellation Solution—PMD fic. Pen consistently crafts excellent prose, and I would recommend anything she has written. The Tessellation Solution is memorable to me because it is the first Pen story I read, and it features a hivemind (I like hiveminds). I still think about it sometimes.
Let it Ring—A touching and concise story that raises ethical considerations about pokemon battling. I think the arguments and nuances presented have real life implications too, at times sounding surreally familiar. Well worth reading.
The Suicune’s Choice—Pokemon fic with original characters. I didn’t really want to include 2 paragraphs for the same author, but this Pen story is really cool. It establishes a strong sense of tension immediately and doesn’t let up after that. Haru’s sense of duty and frustration compel him to fight the institutional evil he sees in the world, but his choices come with a steep price. One of few fanfictions with heavy religious themes.
Gifts of the Mountain—PMD fic. Zion is another author who consistently writes well mechanically. She is passionate about poetry and fairy tales, which shows in her writing; it’s often denser, both with metaphor and allusion, than other fanfic writers. Gifts of the Mountain incorporates poetry into the narration and achieves a fairy-tale vibe with abundant personification. If you want something denser or darker, then I Walk through Your Dreams and Invent the Future. comes recommended. Or, at least, I probably will recommend it once it is finished, which I hope it eventually is.
Pizza with a Slice of Pain—A lighthearted, well-executed PMD story by Zion.
the envy of eden—Kintsugi is a good author, in general, but the envy of eden is particularly memorable to me. It’s fairly long, but finished, and explores some tricky ethical issues with the institution of pokemon training as presented in the story. It’s hard not to see parallels with real world animals and marginalized groups. Chapters take place from the perspective of pokemon who all have unique, nonhuman ways of thinking, so I could see the story appealing to xenofiction fans. Kintsugi excels at writing tense, dense dialogue and incorporating original folklore. Chapter ii also contains one of the most engaging fight scenes I have read.
Stick or Treat—An endearing, slow-paced short story about personal change. The dialogue is excellent. Girl-like-substance/Cutlerine is a noteworthy author.
A White Heron—This story contains a lot of meaning, but the idea that sticks with me the most is one of a truly nonviolent relationship with nature—a truly nonviolent life. Can I ever hope to achieve such a thing? I aspire to capture wonder as well as this story does. It is painfully beautiful.
Annihilation—A novel that confronts the numinous incomprehensibility of nature, by turns beautiful and terrifying. The climax contains one of the most memorable passages I have read.