I will always take advantage of any opportunity to talk about the Pokémon Adventures manga because I genuinely think it is fantastic. Composed of dozens of volumes, the Pokémon Adventures manga series is the closest thing that fans have to a dedicated expansion of the original handheld games, spanning from the original Red, Blue, and Green games on the Game Boy to the modern games. The Pokémon Adventures manga is split into multiple parts based on the games they adapt. Hence, each Pokémon region has its own dedicated story and main cast of characters. However, you can also look at the Pokémon Adventures manga as a large, overarching story where characters age, come back, and even help each other across multiple arcs. I open this review with his preface because all of that history is probably one of the biggest detriments of this volume.

Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire is an adaptation of the games of the same name. These were 3DS remakes of the original Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald for the Game Boy Advance with a slightly altered story that referenced updated mechanics at the time. However, while the games act as a separate retelling detached from each other with slight references, the Pokémon Adventures manga continues the two former arcs Ruby and Sapphire went through in previous installments. So this is volume one of season three, to put it in simplified terms, and is not a volume you'll get the most out of without prior knowledge. You don't have to go back and read every single manga volume. Still, prior knowledge of the original games they were based on or the previous Ruby and Sapphire Adventures is necessary.

To the volume's credit, it does everything in its power to catch new readers up to speed on the characters' history. Some of it's done subtly, such as the implied romantic relationship between our main characters, Ruby and Sapphire. In contrast, others are a bit more involved, like Ruby's scar on his head from a confrontation with the Salamence. The latter example, I think, is a perfect showcase of what was a pretty important character trait coming back and adding to the larger lore that this volume brings to the table. It works just enough independently, but you can feel it would be better with that informed history.

That this introduction comes together as strongly as it does despite everything is impressive. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire have a strong sense of urgency in its plot within the first couple of pages. You feel the sense of a looming threat just days away, and our cast of characters is frantically trying to get everything together to combat it. Different factions are working on multiple plans that either coincide with or run against each other, and you can feel the tension building by the time this volume concludes. It's almost like slowly tightening multiple guitar strings.

Ruby is trying to take on all this responsibility on his own, Sapphire and Emerald are training but not fully aware of why, the returning villain teams are secretly working behind the scenes, and new characters are introduced who seem to know a bit more than everybody else regarding the looming threat. It's captivating and a testament to the Pokémon manga's tight writing.

To complement that rapid pace, the presentation uses panel layouts and action shots to help the reader move through the pages at a breakneck speed. Something is always moving in these volumes, and it isn't until the very end that things start to slow down. But even then, you feel that slowing down is the calm before the storm rather than the narrative hitting some slog. It's exciting, even though it comes at the cost of the actual Pokémon battles feeling cut much shorter than necessary. There aren't many battles within this volume, but the featured ones only last three to four pages. The Pokémon Adventures manga has always been very creative with the way it utilizes Pokémon moves. However, it was left on the cutting room floor because it was trying to cover as much ground as possible. I'm hoping that things get a bit more evened out as this arc goes on.

Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire do just enough to be recommended to anyone with a passive history with the Pokémon franchise, doubly so if Generation III was among your favorites. While some battles suffer from the breakneck pace, and it's best appreciated with a better understanding of Ruby and Sapphire's informed history, this is still a fascinating story in the Pokémon world. The build-up and world-building are exceptional, with all the characters positioned in a way that hints at the potential for future development. I cannot speak for everybody, but I'm at least excited about what will happen next, and I think most fans would be as well.