POPULAR: Cliches in Pokémon Fanfiction

[CrazyVulpix55]

Is it considered cliché if the protagonist of my fanfic has a Kantonian Ninetales and a Shiny Glaceon?

 

[Beth Pavell]

Some people consider shiny pokémon to be a cliché, but I think that much like Mary Sue, its infamy outstrips its ubiquity. I really think it depends more on how they're written. When authors treat a different colour as being the same as a personality trait (Much like some authors insist in doing with hair colour), then I start to have a problem with it.

Some point out, not unreasonably, that a different colouration is rare in the games, so it shouldn't be commonplace in the story. And while that does have some merit, there are a couple of counterpoints to consider. First, rare isn't the same as non-existent: somebody's going to have captured a shiny pokémon, so why not the protagonist. Second, from the perspective of fanfiction you can argue that if anything it's more unlikely that pokémon of the same species are going to have exactly the same colouration.

I tend to agree with the latter point more. I like to see and to write a whole range of physiological differences in pokémon, beyond the "official" standard and shiny colouration. Hell, when the Alola games rolled round they were doing what many authors already were with regional variants

 

[CrazyVulpix55]

Some people consider shiny pokémon to be a cliché, but I think that much like Mary Sue, its infamy outstrips its ubiquity. I really think it depends more on how they're written. When authors treat a different colour as being the same as a personality trait (Much like some authors insist in doing with hair colour), then I start to have a problem with it.

Some point out, not unreasonably, that a different colouration is rare in the games, so it shouldn't be commonplace in the story. And while that does have some merit, there are a couple of counterpoints to consider. First, rare isn't the same as non-existent: somebody's going to have captured a shiny pokémon, so why not the protagonist. Second, from the perspective of fanfiction you can argue that if anything it's more unlikely that pokémon of the same species are going to have exactly the same colouration.

I tend to agree with the latter point more. I like to see and to write a whole range of physiological differences in pokémon, beyond the "official" standard and shiny colouration. Hell, when the Alola games rolled round they were doing what many authors already were with regional variants

Ah, luckily the Glaceon is just sassy by nature and not because of her coloring, the Glaceon was hatched, it's the child of the protagonist's parents' Eeveelutions an Umbreon and a Jolteon, the parents' teams were technically chosen by my parents.
Despite living in Alola, my protagonist's main partner is the Ninetales, but there's a reason for that which is explained in the story

 

[Greninjaman]

Honestly, most of the franchise is pretty bloody formulaic at this point. Perhaps to the benefit of its sales, but to the detriment of its merit.

Thanks. Yeah. I agree. That's part of the reason I stopped watching the anime. Also, the charm of the main games has worn off for me. I played through Shield once, then tried to do a challenge only to get bored. I feel that may be why I was never invested in the anime rewrite/reimagining.

 

[Blaine.]

IDK if any have done this, but some cliches I might have

Sad Backstory on how they got their starter.

Excels In Class

 

[toastghost]

some that come to mind:
the main character is/has...
has a special connection with their pokemon

randomly has a mythical as a partner

starter was disobediant at first

easily catches a legendary

 

[CrazyVulpix55]

some that come to mind:
the main character is/has...
has a special connection with their pokemon

randomly has a mythical as a partner

starter was disobediant at first

easily catches a legendary

I don't even know why this is a thing

 

[toastghost]

I don't even know why this is a thing

what do you mean?

 

[Lightning Flame Blast]

I feel like the problem with shinies usually isn’t that they’re there, but that they become excessive or OP. I’ve seen several stories where the MC just bumps into shinies left and right and catches them all, to the point they don’t feel any special anymore, and others where the shiny is specifically stated to be twice as powerful than usual because of its condition, which is just a terrible idea.

I like the addition of shinies to the main party when that actually makes a difference to the overall dynamic. Maybe their color makes them a target for criminals. Maybe they feel pressured and uncomfortable because everyone treats them as special. Maybe they feel special and somebody has to knock them down the horse before they get too cocky.

 

[CrazyVulpix55]

what do you mean?

I read fanfics for some reason this is a very common thing in most Fanfics

 

[CrazyVulpix55]

The most common thing I've seen in x readers is that the reader always has to have a Sylveon

 

[Nitro Indigo]

@CrazyVulpix55 @Beth Pavell You could make the shinyness important to the plot. There's a fanfic where the main character rescued a shiny Growlithe from poachers.

 

[Blaine.]

You could make the shinyness important to the plot. There's a fanfic where the main character rescued a shiny Growlithe from poachers.

If I get a shiny in a fanfic, it will just be because of dumb luck. No symbolism or anything, just dumb luck

 

[CrazyVulpix55]

@CrazyVulpix55 @Beth Pavell You could make the shinyness important to the plot. There's a fanfic where the main character rescued a shiny Growlithe from poachers.

I guess that works, but Krystal the shiny Glaceon was hatched when the Protagonist was nine years of age, but yes Krystal is important to the plot, in chapter 11 Leah sends Krystal to her parents to tell them that she's trapped in a villain's lab

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

What @Nitro Indigo is reasonably suggesting is that if a character has a shiny there should be a narrative purpose to the fact that they are shiny. Example given: their shiny status made the pokémon a target for poachers. @Lightning Flame Blast made some similar suggestions. Otherwise, the impression given if that a pokémon is shiny only to indicate that they are special, in a way that is narratively unearned.

One of the most prevalent and significant weaknesses in fanfiction is the presentation of a character as important or special or good in a way that is unearned.

 

[Blaine.]

What @Nitro Indigo is reasonably suggesting is that if a character has a shiny there should be a narrative purpose to the fact that they are shiny. Example given: their shiny status made the pokémon a target for poachers. @Lightning Flame Blast made some similar suggestions. Otherwise, the impression given if that a pokémon is shiny only to indicate that they are special, in a way that is narratively unearned.

One of the most prevalent and significant weaknesses in fanfiction is the presentation of a character as important or special or good in a way that is unearned.

Would it be wrong for my character to get a shiny because of dumb luck, that's how it works for me.

 

[Kyuu-Tales]

Would it be wrong for my character to get a shiny because of dumb luck, that's how it works for me.

Well, you could choose a Pokemon which has a shiny variant that is barely distinguishable from its regular form such that the character doesn't even realize it's shiny until something happens or someone brings it up.

 

[CrazyVulpix55]

Well, you could choose a Pokemon which has a shiny variant that is barely distinguishable from its regular form such that the character doesn't even realize it's shiny until something happens or someone brings it up.

Like a Shiny Glaceon persay or the Garchomp evolution line

 

[Nitro Indigo]

@Kyuu-Tales I got two ideas: either the character didn't realise a Pokémon was shiny until it evolved because it was one of the boring shinies, or the character had never seen a non-shiny version of that species before.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Would it be wrong for my character to get a shiny because of dumb luck, that's how it works for me.

Prose fiction is subjective, and I am not the arbiter of "right and wrong" in writing.

Still, my opinion here is that it's about the rest of the execution. Your ptoagonist gets a shiny out of dumb luck - that's fine. Is this the only shiny in the whole fic? Do they get treated as if they're really cool for it, or are people envious and bitter about it, or is it just not considered a big deal because shinies aren't any better than non-shinies really? Do they fawn over the shiny for the shinyness, or not really give a damn? And so on. I hope you can tell what I'm going for here.

It's not really an idea that's relevant to my own writing, since my personal canon just has variants and breeds and subspecies and whatnot and shinyness sort of becomes insignificant.