Antoshi

"Latoshi, please listen. I really do care about you and your well-being. I'm fed up, too! I'm fed up with this fighting and the hatred and contempt between us. Aren't you?"

- Antoshi to Latoshi, A Blond Ray of Sunshine, Part 4: Family Reunion

Antoshi is the main protagonist of A Blond Ray of Sunshine — a Pokémon fan fiction series that takes place in a future timeline, almost one hundred years after the events of Pokémon Red and Blue. Making his debut in Part 1: A Blond Ray of Sunshine, he is portrayed as a kind, bright and outgoing 13-year-old boy on a journey as a Pokémon Trainer through the region of Kanto. With his best friend and only Pokémon, Fireball the Typhlosion, he collects all eight Gym Badges and competes in the Indigo Plateau.

Displaying supernatural abilities through his journey (such as the ability to understand his Pokémon's speech), he is shown to be an intelligent and capable leader. Though usually level-headed and even-tempered, he does show fear for his mysterious powers, which are initially out of his control. He also shows a much more vulnerable side when Fireball is kidnapped by Team Rocket. Unable to do anything but wait while the police search for Fireball, Antoshi goes through varying stages of grief — the most powerful of which allows him to unlock his pent-up superhuman energy. With his powers, he is able to single-handedly stop the two Team Rocket members that kidnapped Fireball and rescues his friend.

After a loss in the first round of the Indigo League tournament, Antoshi and Fireball decide to travel to Johto on a new badge-collecting journey. There, Antoshi meets his twin brother, Latoshi. While they get along well at first, Antoshi confronts him after believing Latoshi to be the culprit behind the recent destruction of a Johto town. Ultimately, the two engage in a superpowered brawl. From this fight, Antoshi's power and penchant for fighting is further explored. He begins to understand that, with his powers, his life is destined for greater deeds far beyond that of an ordinary Pokémon Trainer.

Conception and creation
Antoshi was conceived in early 2002, through text role-playing in AOL chat rooms. Antoshi's original incarnation was that of a scatterbrained Pokémon Trainer with unexplained, Psychic-type superpowers. He was very happy-go-lucky, slapstick, and carried around weapons like the “Spork of Doom!!” This 'random' personality carried over into the first take of fan fiction stories starring the character, which began in 2002. Antoshi displayed serious Mary Sue qualities in the stories, such as being liked by everyone he met, and becoming the instant crush of canon character Misty. The first series lasted for six stories and one 'special', spanning from 2002–2008.

The series went through a reboot in 2009, starting with a new story, A Blond Ray of Sunshine. More focus was put on making a serious, coherent, ongoing storyline involving Antoshi discovering and developing his powers, as opposed to simply always having them. The backgrounds of Antoshi and others are also explored further. The second series spanned five stories, with a sixth left unfinished, before being dropped in 2012.

The series went through another reboot in 2017 — its current incarnation — overhauling and expanding the story of 2009's A Blond Ray of Sunshine while keeping the core plot points intact.

A Blond Ray of Sunshine (2017)
Antoshi's first appearance portrays him as a kind, bright, and outgoing 12-year-old boy on a journey as a Pokémon Trainer through the region of Kanto, almost one hundred years after the events of Pokémon Red and Blue. With his best friend and only Pokémon, Fireball the Typhlosion, he seeks to collect all eight Gym Badges and reach the Indigo Plateau.

He is a quick learner; a level-headed strategist, well-read in various subjects concerning Pokémon and world history. His knowledge, and over a year of experience as a Trainer, make him confident when it comes to Pokémon battles. He does not want for attention, is shy around girls, and typically dresses in modest clothing sent to him by his mother. While friendly, has few friends aside from Fireball.

After taking a boat from Fuchsia City to Cinnabar Island, Antoshi and Fireball obtain their seventh badge at the Cinnabar Gym. Along the way, he shows issues keeping his mysterious powers, which become fueled by his emotions, in check. Before they can obtain their eighth and final badge, Fireball is lured away and kidnapped by Team Rocket members Matt and Jalyn. The resulting emotional distress of having his best friend stolen from him causes Antoshi's latent abilities to unlock. His powers allow him to chase down and capture the fleeing Team Rocket duo, rescuing his friend. They move on to the Viridian Gym and obtain their final badge.

Along the way, however, Antoshi experiences strange nightmares in which he witnesses a faraway event. The event ultimately occurs in real life, resulting in the destruction of a small town in the Johto region.

Sibling Rivalry (2018)
After competing in the Indigo League's semiannual tournament, Antoshi and Fireball are defeated in the first round of the bracket. They return home to Saffron City to take several months off. After Antoshi's thirteenth birthday, the duo embark on a new badge-collecting journey in Johto. They travel to Goldenrod City, led partially by Antoshi's curiosity of his link to the recently destroyed Johto town. In Johto, Antoshi develops a sixth sense that draws him into a chance meeting with his apparent twin, Latoshi.

The two boys are shocked to find that they appear physically identical — save for the colors of their hair. They get along for a brief time before Antoshi, with great suspicion about Latoshi's identity, presses him with questions regarding the destruction of the Johto town. Irritated, Latoshi lures Antoshi and Fireball into the Ilex Forest, where he reveals his plans for his ideal utopian world — by murdering everyone Latoshi deems to be evil. He invites Antoshi to join him. Antoshi is shocked by Latoshi's willingness to kill, and vehemently declines. A clash between the two young men with superpowers ensues.

Latoshi, who wields superior control over his own powers, emerges soundly victorious. He leaves Antoshi bloodied, brutally beaten, and nearly unconscious. Fireball is also left unconscious and badly injured. Lazarus insists that Latoshi kill Antoshi. Before he can finish Antoshi off, however, he has a last-second change of heart. Latoshi leaves Antoshi unconscious in the woods.

Antoshi briefly awakens to a vision of a young woman who also appears to be able to use the same kind of Ki energy he and Latoshi wield. After fully awakening some time later, Antoshi leads Fireball out of the woods. Thoroughly infuriated over Latoshi's threats to harm his friends and family, he becomes embroiled with the thought of revenge against his apparent twin.

Intervention (2018)
Antoshi and Fireball stay in a hotel room in Goldenrod for the time being. Following their fight, Antoshi is both enraged and haunted by it. He is unable to sleep, consumed by his memories and a thirst for revenge. He is cold and distant to Fireball for a time. He decides to head into the woods to begin training himself. Fireball, acting as his sparring partner, manages to calm his friend down for a time.

Antoshi decides to visit a library to learn more about martial arts and self-defense. The next morning, they hear a news report of a mass killing at a Goldenrod prison. Antoshi immediately connects it to Latoshi, and sets out to continue training harder than before. He soon senses someone's Ki, following it to its source, believing it to be Latoshi. It turns out to be the person who healed his injuries — a young woman named Serenity. Serenity chats with him, answering many of the questions on his mind. She also informs him that Latoshi is not the evil person Antoshi believes he is. Latoshi is being controlled by a spirit parasite named Lazarus. Serenity asks Antoshi to promise to help Latoshi instead of trying to kill him. Antoshi agrees.

Eventually, Antoshi finds Latoshi. He tries once again to get Latoshi to stop his crusade, but Latoshi goads him into another fight. Due to his near-constant training, Antoshi gains a strong upper hand in their fight for some time. Lazarus eventually steps in, taking over control of Latoshi's body, to turn the tables. Antoshi outlasts Lazarus' time-limited control, violently beating down Latoshi as the sable-haired boy regains consciousness. Lazarus' manages to infect part of Antoshi's spirit, speaking to him, mesmerizing him. His aura becomes corrupted, just like Latoshi's, and prepares to finish off Latoshi for good.

Antoshi hears Fireball plead for him to stop, breaking the parasite's control, letting Latoshi go. The two boys share a moment of somber peace, before Lazarus forces Latoshi to flee. Serenity informs Antoshi not to follow, and that ridding Lazarus' spirit is something that Latoshi must do on his own. Dejected, Antoshi walks away. Fireball quietly follows him, back to their hotel. As they depart, however, a mysterious, trench coat-clad stranger follows them.

Family Reunion (2019)
Still regretting losing control of himself, Antoshi and Fireball finally leave the hotel. As they prepare to leave Goldenrod and attempt to restart their Johto journey, the boy realizes they are being stalked by a figure clad in a trench coat. He and Fireball lead the stalker down and alley, confront the person, wanting to know why they're being followed. The stalker finds a source of water and, to their disbelief, turns their entire body to water and escapes down a storm drain.

On Route 35, the duo follow a sign into the woods, lured by the offer of free food and shelter. Finding a cabin, they are greeted by the owner, a young girl with long blue hair named 'Mimi'. She is friendly and cordial, allowing them to stay as long as they want. However, Antoshi soon discovers Mimi, unaware of his presence, turning her hands and arms to water. He confronts her, correctly deducing that she is their stalker. She reveals to the duo that she is Antoshi's sister, and that her name is actually Mitoshi. Overwhelmed, he runs outside. Fireball sits with him, managing to comfort and cheer him up. Antoshi returns to the cabin, apologizes, and talks to Mitoshi.

Mitoshi explains that, before she was born, her parents were forced to give their two twin boys up for adoption due to financial struggles. Their names were Antoshi and Latoshi. After learning about her brothers, she eagerly set out to find them, which is when she came across them during their second fight on the beach. Though shocked that he was adopted, Antoshi comes to terms with it, accepts her as his sister, and agrees to stay with her for a while longer.

Latoshi, meanwhile, waits until Antoshi is gone and decides to kidnap Mitoshi. He leaves a note, telling Antoshi to follow him to Mt. Mortar. Once the blond boy returns, he does so, taking Fireball with him. Antoshi explains Mitoshi is their sister, but Latoshi believes it's a bluff and attempts to execute her. She is saved, faster than any of them realize, by Serenity. Infuriated, Latoshi attempts to fight Serenity, but is effortlessly defeated by her. After Antoshi declines to fight him again, Mitoshi steps up and fights in his stead despite having no fighting experience. She, too, defeats Latoshi, highlighting just how enfeebled he has become under Lazarus' 'tutelage.' The showdown is interrupted when a mysterious young man named Collin arrives, hovering over their heads. He reveals himself to be Serenity's brother, and the former host for Lazarus. Collin explains to Latoshi that he's wasting his time keeping Lazarus around, and that the parasite is only out for itself. Collin takes his leave, as does a confused and enraged Latoshi, and then the rest go their own way.

Days later, back in the cabin, Latoshi appears before the group after having cast away Lazarus' spirit. They eagerly accept him, allowing him to stay in his own bedroom in the cabin. Latoshi sleeps for the better part of a few days, before startling the others with the revelation that he finally regained all of his memories. He finally knows he killed not only all of Fern Town, but also his adoptive parents. The next day, the three siblings and Fireball visit the remnants of Fern Town, which had been turned into a memorial park. Latoshi goes alone, finding his parents graves, deciding to speak to them. Having found closure, Latoshi rejoins the group, prompting Antoshi to seek closure of his own. He and Fireball return to Saffron City, explaining to his parents that he discovered he'd been adopted by them. They admit that they had been waiting to tell him after he was older, and had lived his life as Pokémon Trainer. Antoshi accepts their reasoning, admitting to them that he wants to put his Pokémon journey on hold to spend time with his siblings, and shares and embrace with his parents.

Once the duo return to the cabin, Latoshi suggests that there's one set of parents left to speak to: Mitoshi's. They set out for Mitoshi's home in the suburbs outside Olivine City, where a neighbor informs them that her parents were in an automobile accident. Terrified, the siblings accept a ride from the neighbor, who takes them to the hospital. To the girl's relief, her mother is fine, and her father only received an injury to his leg. She introduces her brothers to them, much to the overwhelming shock and joy of her parents. The group sit down and allow their mother to explain the full circumstances behind their adoption. Antoshi and Latoshi share their stories as well, and all sides are relieved to finally be able to meet each other after thirteen years spent apart. The siblings eventually take their leave, and head back to the cabin.

Some time later, while the group are enjoying breakfast together, Antoshi notices a mysterious figure fly over their house, leaving behind what appear to be snowflakes.

Powers and abilities
Antoshi initially displays several passive supernatural abilities; most notably, the ability to understand Pokémon speech. While asleep, he witnesses several faraway events involving Latoshi. He displays a form of Ki manipulation to Fireball, which he learns to use as a projectile weapon in fights.

Antoshi unlocks superhuman physical characteristics through use of his Ki — greatly enhancing his speed, strength and defenses. He discovers he can fly, allowing him to catch up to the car the Team Rocket duo Matt and Jalyn are fleeing in. He is initially fast enough to avoid bullet fire, and further trains himself to run faster than hypersonic speeds. He is strong enough to grab a speeding car and stop its momentum. He survived falling from a ten story building, with no injuries, and regained consciousness within a few days.

However, he has somewhat limited fighting experience and usage of his Ki. Using his powers for the first time rapidly drained him to the point of severe exhaustion. This was also the case during his first fight with Latoshi.

Reception and legacy
Antoshi has been called “kind”, “engaging” , “bold” , and “brave, but also quite reckless” by reviewers. A Blond Ray of Sunshine (2017) was awarded Bulbagarden's December 2017 'Fic of the Month' award.

Fanfiction Work

 * A Blond Ray of Sunshine (2017)
 * Sibling Rivalry (2018)
 * Intervention (2018)
 * Family Reunion (2019)