Welcome from Texas.
I'm not sure what you mean by the batting inside puckering but it might be that you did not quilt it close enough together. If you mean puckering as in the look of an entire washed quiIt then that is another story. All quilts look different after they are washed. They don't have that smooth, unwashed look as before. Personally, I love the look of a washed quilt. I have some old quilts that my DH's mother & grandmother made & the batting inside them has sort of "balled up" over time. I think it's because they did not have batting like we have today.
I can't answer your question about the vibrant look of it. Maybe you could post a picture for us...a "before" washed & an "after" washed would be helpful.