Serena's Braixen

Serena's Braixen (Japanese: セレナのテールナー Serena's Tairenar) was the first Pokémon that obtained at the beginning of her travels in Kalos, given to her by Professor Sycamore.

History
Braixen first appeared as a Fennekin in A Battle of Aerial Mobility!. She was one of the three starter Pokémon new Pokémon Trainers could choose from Professor Sycamore. In A Shockingly Cheeky Friendship!, Serena chose Fennekin to start her with. Later, Fennekin chased away a  that was about to attack Serena with Ember. In A Blustery Santalune Gym Battle!, Fennekin woke up with Serena at a Pokémon Center and enjoyed a large breakfast with her. Fennekin mimicked Serena's actions during their breakfast by stretching at the same time she did. Later in the same episode, she was introduced to, , , and and greeted them happily.

In Giving Chase at the Rhyhorn Race!, Fennekin was first seen when Serena baked cookies, she mimicked her Trainer's actions again. Later Fennekin had her first battle, fighting against and using Ember to blast them off. Later Serena introduced her to.

In A Pokévision of Things to Come!, she became jealous of Aria's Fennekin after she watched her Pokévision video. Serena was inspired by the video, and she and Fennekin decided to make their own. While filming the video, Pikachu accidentally spilled flour on Fennekin. This angered her and she attempted to attack Pikachu with Ember, but he dodged and Ash got hit instead. Fennekin was later captured by alongside  and  but managed to escape with their combined attacks, including her Hidden Power. Later, Fennekin hesitated to run through a large muddy puddle that was between herself and Serena, showing that she hates getting dirty. However, after seeing her Trainer running to save her and getting attacked by Team Rocket, Fennekin ran to protect her by unleashing a Flamethrower attack at the villains.

In A Battle by Any Other Name!, Serena competed with Fennekin in a Poké Puff Contest against her new rival Miette. They made a style Poké Puff with a branch on the top due to Fennekin's affinity for branches. Later, they went looking in a forest for ingredients but were attacked by a group of angry. Fennekin tried to ward off the Swirlix with, but she was entangled in the Swirlix's white sticky thread and became stuck until she was rescued by Pikachu's. She then drove them off with Flamethrower. Later, she combined her attack with 's and Pikachu's Thunderbolt to destroy Team Rocket's mecha. Afterwards, she helped in the final round of the Poké Puff Contest but lost to the Berrybaker kids.

In Summer of Discovery!, Fennekin had a battle against Shauna's Bulbasaur. Fennekin started off with a Flamethrower and Bulbasaur countered with an Energy Ball. Despite having the type advantage, the Energy Ball hit and Fennekin lost the battle because of the First-Touch-Rule. In Battling Into the Hall of Fame!, Fennekin was used in a alongside Ash's Pikachu and Clemont's Chespin against 's Bulbasaur, 's, and 's. Fennekin started by using her Flamethrower to counter Charmander's Flamethrower so Pikachu could attack Squirtle. Squirtle managed to knock Pikachu away and hit Fennekin with a supereffective. Fennekin later tried to block Squirtle's with Hidden Power, but Aqua Tail overpowered her attack and Fennekin was defeated. She was initially disappointed after losing but later cheered up.

In Dreaming a Performer's Dream!, Fennekin watched the Rookie Class  with her Trainer as well as Shauna and her Bulbasaur, watching  and her  as well as Kayleigh's performance, until it was interrupted by a wild. Later she looked for after it chased after the same Pancham. She found Pancham and led Serena to it. After a while, Serena decided to Pancham since it liked performing and Serena wanted to be a Pokémon Performer, so Fennekin battled Pancham. It went for a Scratch but was captured by Team Rocket, as Jessie wanted a Braixen like Aria. However she was rescued thanks to the efforts of, Pancham, and Chespin. After Team Rocket was sent away by Pikachu, Fennekin and Pancham battled again, although Pancham was strong and escaped the Poké Ball once, she defeated it with Flamethrower and Hidden Power which allowed Serena to catch Pancham. She was later seen when Serena was announcing her dream to Fennekin and.

In Pathways to Performance Partnering!, Fennekin performed with Pancham when Serena was demonstrating to her friends and Nini. She used Flamethrower to create fire rings while Pancham jumped through them. To end their performance, Fennekin used Flamethrower while Pancham used to create a firestorm. Nini mentioned Pancham's movements weren't compatible with Fennekin's dance. After performing in Jessie's dancing training, she was captured along with Pancham and Chespin as well as Nini's and, in a balloon by Team Rocket, but it broke after Chespin and Pancham fought. During her escape, she was not impressed with Pancham and Chespin's squabbling, after being found by Team Rocket, she was defeated by 's but was saved when Chespin and Pancham, who had been squabbling for a while, temporarily teamed up to defeat Team Rocket. She was later reunited with her Trainer. In A Showcase Debut!, she first appeared with Serena and Pancham showing off potential outfits for their first Pokémon Showcase. Eventually she participated in the first round, in which Performers had to dress up their Pokémon using the available accessories within the time limit. She competed against Blanche's and Clarice's. Serena dressed Fennekin up in a white and pink hat as well as a large pink bow. When Serena was walking on the runway to show off Fennekin's outfit to the audience, Fennekin tripped over the bow and fell. As a result, she and Serena were knocked out with the least amount of votes. Fennekin was upset at losing, but she comforted her Trainer when Serena started crying at the pier.

In Battling with Elegance and a Big Smile!, Serena began training Fennekin and Pancham for their next Pokémon Showcase. It initially went well, but things changed when Pancham missed the ring of fire created by Fennekin and burned itself. The two Pokémon became angry with each other and, when another attempt failed, they started fighting. Their fighting caused Fennekin to hit Serena with Flamethrower and this angered Serena. She yelled at her Pokémon, and in her frustration, she ran away, upsetting both Fennekin and Pancham for most of the day. When she returned, she apologized to her Pokémon. After that, Serena and Aria had a Double Battle, using Fennekin and Pancham against Aria's Delphox and. Fennekin struggled against Aromatisse with her Scratch being blocked by. After some advice from Aria, Serena decided to combine their moves with Fennekin using Pancham's Stone Edge to climb up and launch a Flamethrower from above. However this was countered and overpowered by Delphox's Flamethrower, injuring Fennekin. Afterwards Pancham tried to block Aromatisse's attack on Fennekin with Dark Pulse, but it was being overwhelmed. After some words of encouragement from Serena, Fennekin evolved into Braixen and launched Flamethrower while Pancham launched Dark Pulse, dealing damage to Delphox and Aromatisse, but Aria was called away, cancelling their battle.

In Performing with Fiery Charm!, Braixen was used in the Rookie Class Showcase. During the Theme Performance, she was seen helping Serena bake some Poké Puffs for the judging panel. Afterwards, she was used in the Freestyle Performance, where she put on a show along with Pancham. Their performance was well received by the audience and, as a result, they got enough votes to put Serena ahead of her competitors. After that, they were declared the winners, earning Serena her first. In Mending a Broken Spirit!, Serena, Pancham, and Braixen began to think of a strategy on what they should do in their next Showcase. During their training, Braixen's branch broke after getting hit accidentally by Pancham's Stone Edge, devastating Braixen. When the others tried to get a new one, she turned them down as she felt her branch could never be replaced since she and Serena had promised to win the title of with that branch. Upset Braixen ran into the forest with Serena and Pancham chasing her. In the forest Serena encountered Braixen with a disguised James, who made Serena realize why Braixen was so attached to her branch. Trying to find a way to fix Braixen's stick, they went to the Pokémon Center. There Nurse Joy informed them on a 'tree surgeon' named Woodward. Serena, Braixen, Pancham, and James then headed towards Woodward's work place. There Woodward challenged Serena to a battle in order to determine her strong feelings for it. Braixen faced Woodward's. Unable to use Flamethrower, Braixen used Scratch, but quickly dodged the attack. After avoiding another Scratch, Gallade managed to hit Braixen hard with Slash. Gallade then used, which Braixen managed to dodge. Then Team Rocket appeared to capture Pikachu. Braixen, however, attacked them and learned and defeated them after focusing her feelings, but in the process shattering her stick. Pancham then showed a stick it had been holding onto to give to Braixen, so she could move on. Serena and her Pokémon put their hands together on the stick, making another promise to win the title of Kalos Queen, and Braixen accepted the new branch. Serena then put a bow on the branch as a sign of their promise. Serena and Woodward then continued their battle. Braixen avoided Gallade's Psycho Cut and then used her newly learned Fire Blast to deal serious damage on Gallade. Woodward then stopped the battle. Later, the gang tied Braixen's broken branch pieces together onto a young sapling so it could grow into a new life and be useful later on. Serena and Braixen made a promise to see the sapling after winning the Kalos Queen title and headed off to their next location.

In A Performance Pop Quiz!, after Serena won the Theme Performance of the Rookie Class Showcase, Braixen along with the others searched for, who ran away in fright. After successfully finding the missing Eevee, Braixen performed along with Serena and Pancham in the Freestyle Performance. Serena and her Pokémon danced, inspired by Eevee, before Braixen finished their performance by launching a Fire Blast in the air. Having dazzled the audience with their moves, they received the most votes, successfully earning Serena her second Princess Key.

Braixen was sent out to battle Celosia and several s, alongside Ash's Pikachu and Frogadier, Clemont's Luxray and Sawyer's Grovyle, to protect Squishy in From A to Z!. She was later recalled when Serena, Clemont and Bonnie fled with Squishy. In Meeting at Terminus Cave!, Braixen used her stick to light the way through Terminus Cave alongside Clemont's searchlight while Luxray and navigated with X-ray vision and ultrasound, respectively. She was later used to face Team Flare again, but the battle stopped when Squishy transformed to its and defeated Team Flare's Pokémon.

In A Dancing Debut!, Braixen was used in the Rookie Class Showcase along with Eevee, this time in the performance. During the night, she comforted Eevee along with the others to build up her confidence. Braixen and Eevee stayed behind in the waiting room for the Theme Performance while Serena and Pancham entered, then lept for joy over their victory, which made them qualify for the Freestyle Performance. She performed well along with Serena and Eevee for the first part until Eevee had fallen, shocking her. After Eevee had gotten encouragement from Serena, Braixen continued the performance and finally ended it with Fire Blast once again. Although they had lost, she had no hard feelings over it.

In Master Class Choices!, Braixen was used in the Rookie Class Showcase. She and Pancham participated in the Theme Performance, in which Performers had to place the highest number of on their part of the field before time ran out, but they merely watched as the Rhyhorn came running by themselves to Serena's side. She danced alongside her teammates and ended the performance using Fire Blast combined with Sylveon's, which formed a star briefly before exploding. After winning the Showcase, she and the others were congratulated by their friends with a feast. After helping Serena to get the three Princess Keys needed to compete for the title of Kalos Queen, Braixen was used in the Master Class Showcase in Master Class is in Session!. During the first round, she was grouped with Miette's Slurpuff and Sara Lee's. Braixen used Flamethrower to create swirling flames around her and Serena, while the two danced. She then finished their performance with a star-shaped Fire Blast. Her performance was well received by the audience and she received the most votes, allowing Serena to advance to the next round. In the following episode, she was used in the final round along with Pancham and Sylveon. After creating beautiful sparkles by combining her Flamethrower with Pancham's Dark Pulse and Sylveon's Swift, Braixen and Serena created a ring of fire using Braixen's branch. After being lifted up by Sylveon's, Braixen, Pancham and Sylveon combined their moves once again to create a giant blooming fire flower. Their performance impressed the crowd. However, it was not enough to defeat the opposing team, formed by Aria, her Delphox, Aromatisse and, causing Aria to keep her title of Kalos Queen.

Braixen later helped to combat the giant roots that were growing over Lumiose City in A Towering Takeover!, after Team Flare launched their attack. Later, in The Right Hero for the Right Job! as Serena,, Mairin, and Professor Sycamore approached Lysandre Labs, Braixen defended the helicopter from Mable's 's attacks. She later battled her way through numerous Team Flare Grunts and their pack of. In the next episode, Braixen was sent out to fight against the Giant Rock to prevent it from reaching Anistar City's. She later tried to fend off the roots to protect Serena, Mairin and Bonnie. In the following episode, Braixen and the rest of Serena's Pokémon received medals from Professor Sycamore for their heroic efforts against Team Flare.

In The First Day of the Rest of Your Life!, Braixen, along with her Trainer, Shauna, Jessie, and their respective Pokémon, performed for a crowd of Lumiose citizens. She was later used in a battle against Ash and Pikachu. Immediately, Braixen was hit by a speedy. Despite trying to block an incoming with her branch, the attack proved to be too strong. She then launched a Flamethrower, but Pikachu dodged the attack after which the two Pokémon clashed with Scratch and Iron Tail. Braixen was then able to fire off a Fire Blast, successfully hitting Pikachu. The battle was then called off by Ash.

Personality and characteristics
As a Fennekin, Braixen took after her Trainer in many ways, ever since they started journeying together. In A Blustery Santalune Gym Battle!, she mimicked Serena when she stretched out. She takes pride in her appearance, and becomes upset when her fur or tail become mussed or dirty. In The Bamboozling Forest!, she thanked for cleaning her tail with the Frubbles on the 's back, and in A Pokévision of Things to Come!, she hesitated to escape from  because of a large muddy puddle that blocked her path, only changing her mind after seeing her Trainer start to run across the puddle to her side. Her unwillingness to become dirty was seen again in Going for the Gold!, when she fled from a Corsola's.

Fennekin has a bit of a temper and gets angry quickly without thinking twice, as shown in A Pokévision of Things to Come!, when she continuously tried to hit with her Ember attack but got Ash instead. The same episode also showed that she is easily envious, becoming jealous of 's Fennekin's performance on Pokévision, and when Ash and complimented the performance. The same behavior happened again in Battling with Elegance and a Big Smile!, when Fennekin got into an argument with Pancham after they was practicing for the next Pokémon Showcase. When Pancham insulted Fennekin, she used Flamethrower in anger but accidentally hit Serena instead. She then felt bad and calmed down afterwards. However, she is friendly towards her Trainer and is affectionate towards her. After evolving in Battling with Elegance and a Big Smile!, she maintained this affection. She is also protective of both Serena and her friends. In So You're Having a Bad Day! and Over the Mountain of Snow!, Braixen reacted to Clemont's excitement over his inventions and Chespin's clumsiness in a similar way to her Trainer and Bonnie.

Fennekin has extremely similar interests as Serena. In A Pokévision of Things to Come! and A Battle by Any Other Name!, she enjoyed cooking and dressing up, particularly with Serena, and has a liking for Poké Puffs and other sweets such as macarons. In The Bamboozling Forest!, she also likes to snack on branches, which is characteristic of her species. As a Braixen, she is also choosy, gaining this trait indirectly from Serena after she made the promise of becoming Kalos Queen by using her previous branch. As a result, she wasn't willing to give it up at first despite it being broken and her having no other choice.

In the movie adaptations
Braixen appeared in the manga adaptation of the prior to her evolution as a Fennekin. She reappeared as a Braixen in the manga adaptation of the.

In the games
A Fennekin based on Serena's Fennekin was distributed to players who inserted a common serial code that was available in the interactive features of The Future Is Now, Thanks to Determination!. The serial code could be used to obtain Fennekin from February 26 to March 31, 2015. The common serial code was SERENA01.

Trivia

 * Braixen's evolution was first teased in [[Media:M18 Pikachu the Movie poster.png|the poster]] for Pikachu and the Pokémon Music Squad.
 * Braixen is the first Pokémon to evolve in the who did not have a variation of V (Volt) used as an insert song. For Braixen's case, DreamDream was used instead.

Voice actors
Below are Delphox's speaking voices in and 's dream in Dream a Little Dream from Me!.