I think Pastel is the most overused and overrated gene of all (aside from Pied, but they're in a class of useless all their own). In most cases, Pastel turns everything brown. Or if it doesn't, it makes every combo look the same as it matures. An adult Firefly looks no different than an adult POG. I've mostly purged my collection of Pastel, it only looks good in my female Bullet by making the dark coloration richer and sharper. Everybody uses Pastel to brighten, which is great when they're fresh out of the egg, but after a year it has the exact opposite effect and makes everything look like mud.