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DISCUSSION: When Ideas From Your Fic Coincidentally Show Up Later in Canon

SuperTrainStationH

East Unova Resident
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Has anyone else ever had an experience where something you came up with in a fic later on ends up becoming featured in canon to the point where no one would ever believe YOU came up with the idea first?

To start the thread off, I'll offer an example I came across.

In 2009, I started an overly ambitious story set in the Pokemon world which I actually posted many chapters of here on this forum at one point, and a major plot element involved the villains developing a fantasy WMD which was an energy beam weapon powered by energy harvested from Pokemon stolen from Trainers.

When I played far enough into Pokemon X/Y that the details of Team Flare's scheme were made explicit and the lore regarding the "ultimate weapon", well, that was quite an interesting experience for me.

Luckily, my story was so radically different from X and Y's story in spite of this, and it took place near Unova, so the plots didn't interfere with each other, and since I didn't get far enough in my story to actually write the parts dealing with the MY Pokemon powered beam weapon, I actually thought of a cool way I could explain that the beam weapon MY villains were creating an entirely new device based on ancient manuscripts describing the weapon used in the Ancient Kalos War, which was presumed to be lost to time.

Another example, not quite THAT specific, would be how recently I learned about a recent episode of the Pokemon anime that directly dealt with the death of Pokemon in an unexpectedly direct manner.

I don't have any stories of mine that closely mirror the events of that episode, but I do feel very validated knowing that some of the more emotional themes I wanted to someday explore in my fanfics that I never thought would be dealt with in official materials are something that actually have been touched upon by the show.

I also don't feel like some kind of insane, sick person for coming up with the idea of sacrificing Pokemon to power a WMD.

Actually that idea came to me in a very vivid nightmare I had once, so I almost feel like I can't even claim it as "my" idea, even if it came from my brain.


Has anyone ever had ideas or even specific plot elements or concepts from their fics end up appearing later on in official materials?
 
This isn't really fic related, but my dad always used to pronounce "Pikachu" as "Pichu" on purpose to annoy me before 2nd gen came out. Then lo and behold, Pichu actually came into existence.

Fic-wise... I haven't noticed any coincidences with the canon. In other fics, maybe, but not actual canon. Which isn't surprising - my fics don't really fit the tone of the canon at all.
 
When I was a wee little kid (7 or 8 years old), I wrote a few ideas down related to Star Trek: TNG. One of the ideas was that Jean-luc Picard would retire from service and become an ambassador to the Romulan empire and eventually be made emperor after some shenanigans in the senate. About six years later, pretty much the same happened in the film Nemesis, except it was a clone of Picard instead.

Now, would people believe me when I said this? I certainly hope not because that movie was trash, as was that idea. I would not want any associations to be made.
 
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A Thomas the Tank Engine fan fic I wrote once involved this construction team from the series discovering hidden treasure while working on a building site and then facing off with a foe who wanted it for himself. Then about two years ago they released a new movie for the franchise's 70th anniversary, and it involved that same team working on a construction site very close to the one in my story and discovering hidden treasure, which someone promptly wants to steal. I personally feel as though I should send a letter asking for my commission - the title was even pretty similar as well.
 
I mean, it wasn't in a fic, but during the DPPt days I had a binder I drew Pokemon ideas in, and had to dig it back out in disbelief when they actually announced the fairy type. Granted, "Light Type" hasn't become a thing yet, but who knows.
 
Not mine, but I read someone's blog in some years ago (Unfortunately I can't find it anymore. Though I thought was someone in BMGf), he said he wrote a fic about Ash Ketchum's past featuring a OC childhood friend, and on top of that, her name is Serena!!!

XY Anime come out, and then...... Do you need me to explain further?
 
Not sure, because I didn't read it myself. I'm not interested in Animeverse fic.
 
One? Two? Let's say lots and lots of elements across the years.

I was (well, still am, just not as active) part of a Pokémon RP that has lasted for well over five years. We came up with lots of things that, somehow, showed up in canon shortly after. Mega Kangaskhan and the PWT probably two of the most notable. Eventually we had to come up with a name for the phenomenon because it was so recurrent, we call it "GameFreak Spy".

It was just so weird.

One of the ideas was that Jean-luc Picard would retire from service and become an ambassador to the Romulan empire and eventually be made emperor after some shenanigans in the senate. About six years later, pretty much the same happened in the film Nemesis, except it was a clone of Picard instead.

Huh. Silly clones... Must have been notoriously weird. And don't worry, I won' make any associations :p

A Thomas the Tank Engine fan fic

A Thomas the Tank Engine fan fic

Sometimes I forget this fandom even exists... :p
 
Actually, I remember when I used to play pretend Pokemon as a kid, I had this idea where Pokemon could temporarily evolve into their final forms and gain more power, and now there is Mega-Evolution where the Pokemon can level up at their final form for a battle. Pretty interesting that they thought of it at least, and I can't believe I forgot about it.

Sometimes I forget this fandom even exists... :p
I'm so glad that it does at least, because its probably one of the best
 
My idea - which let's face it, was probably independently invented several times before me - that Gym Leaders would vary their teams based on the challenger's experience showed up in Origins
I think it was also hinted at in the BW2 trailer?

On-topic, a day after the Cars 3 teaser was released, I discovered a fanfic written from 2011-2 called Back-up Plan, which was an AU where Lightning McQueen dies in Cars 2. I read a story about McQueen dying while looking at "Lightning McQueen is McFreakin' dead" memes.
 
Not my fic but since I work very closely with the author, it's close enough.

In Poké Wars: The Defervescence, Uxie mentions unlocking a further evolution of Mewtwo and calling it his mega form. While it had been revealed that term was the official name of the Mega Evolutions the day before the chapter was release, Cornova's chapters are usually written and beta-read days before they are uploaded.

Similarly, Poké Wars: The Exigience mentions Cacturne changing his shape and body structure slightly as a result of his enhanced power. That change was never named but it could be compared to a permanent and less severe form of Mega Evolution.
 
It wasn't yet revealed at the time, but my story has a Pokedex with a pokemon working the AI and low and behold, Pokemon got Rotom-Dex
 
Since 6th grade I had a story idea in mind of an homicidal maniac joining forces with a gargantuan world destroying monster. Guess what appeared in the Team Flare Arc. Also in 8th grade, I was working on a story and had one part where a girl cuddled Meowth and called him the cutest thing. Finally the cat's received that treatment in the anime!
 
I was planing on making a story taking place a few years after Ash's adventure in Alola on how Misty and Lana first met each other. Misty's sisters won a trip to Alola and got some flyers about it and up coming events, they weren't interested and gave the flyers to her. They said they'll keep an eye on the gym while Misty is taking a vacation in Alola. While being in the ocean with her Pokemon, Misty's corsola wondered off and gets attacked by a Mareanie, and it managed to try to escape with the mareanie attached to it. Lana rescues the corsola and ran into Misty who's looking for it. After the girls rushed it to the Pokemon center, they properly meet each other and soon become friends. This is back when we all know that the writers of the anime won't bring old characters back into the show for a while again since it never happened in X&Y. When Sun and Moon episodes 42 and 43 were announced and that they're going to Kanto and Ash's friends in Alola are meeting Brock and Misty were announced, this have changed. In the end, both Misty and Lana became friends.
 
Please note: The thread is from 6 years ago.
Please take the age of this thread into consideration in writing your reply. Depending on what exactly you wanted to say, you may want to consider if it would be better to post a new thread instead.
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