I'm just as mystified by some of the results as the rest of you; but we have to remember people put a lot of time and effort into their work. Regardless of whether or not you thought so and so did or didn't deserve to win and/or advance to the final round; to blatantly say as much seems a bit ungracious and outside the spirit of this competition. Wesley, Diego and Linkandzelda didn't solicit all these votes and your disappointment isn't their fault. People vote for what they like; and a popular, well-distributed and widely-played hack like Light Platinum will always have an edge. There will always be an element of popularity to contests like this; and people will always disagree over whether that popularity is deserved or not. But it just isn't fair to take it out on the hacks themselves or their creators.
Frankly, I didn't vote simply because in between my own projects and my IRL life, I didn't have much time to devote to playing very many hacks. But I would like to congratulate everyone who received even one vote - be proud of yourself
As for the top three, I wish them all well - its amazing how far you've gotten, and good luck in the judging!
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:fanfic:
It is the year 2001. Instead of leaving for Hoenn as he had been planning, Ash instead finds himself stranded in the wilds of Johto; lost, frightened - and a pikachu. But this is not a world of Rescue Teams or friendly talking creatures - this world is brutal, bloody, and senseless. And if Ash hopes to battle the demons from his past in order to save his future, he must learn to conquer his terrifying present... and hang on to every last scrap of humanity he has. Rated PG-15
:rom hack:
A brave young child, gifted with Raikou's power, sets off on a journey to the North to stop a terrible evil. Along the way, he discovers truths and tragedies about the broken world in which he lives...the strength of his own spirit...and the promise of a brighter future.