POPULAR: Cliches in Pokémon Fanfiction

[Nitro Indigo]

I'm guessing that new authors assume that following a pre-existing story note-for-note is easy, then they get bored of it. That's how I felt with one of my first fanfics.

 

[Greninjaman]

That also makes sense. I can see how following a story closely is easy while going in a different direction is harder.
On one hand, if you follow the story, you don't have as much work to do since the story is right there.
On the other, if you take the story in a different direction, it's more work becuase you would need to plan things out and add stuff.

 

[Poke Dragon]

I personally don't like fan-fics that follow the official story path the exact same way, it's just boring. There are so many ways to make something original out of existing official material.

Another cliche: Completely filler chapters, I don't mind the story slowing down a touch, but when an entire chapter prevents progress from being made in any way, then it's better that said chapter didn't exist at all.

 

[System Error]

Despite Hoenn being my first and favorite region, I absolutely can not stand fanfics written about it. Not because they're all bad, but because they all feel the damn same; May(99% of the time its May playing the lead roll)sitting in the back of the truck, moaning about how she was just days away from getting a starter from Elm before being uprooted. She picks Torchic as her starter(just like May always being the protag, she always chooses the little bird. I've literally never seen a story where May picks one of the other two)and the story tends to follow the plot of the games with no real devation.

Just once i'd love to see a story where May/Brendan are happy with the prospect of moving to a new region, filled with exotic Pokemon they've never seen or heard of and i'd love to see Treecko or Mudkip chosen. Hell, even make one of the evil teams good! Just please do something different.

I'll shamelessly tell you to keep an eye on me for whenever I reach that point in my OC's metaseries, in that case - hopefully in a year at most if I keep the pace I want. Not sure if it fits your wants since you mentioned May/Brendan, but a different plot in Hoenn and doing different things with the evil teams is something I'm doing. (It's in Sinnoh now though. Complicated.)

On Aqua/Magma, that is a bit odd considering one of them IS good in the paired games. Guessing it's unpopular to go that route, given writers' tendencies to amp up the threat levels of teams.

Aside and speaking of journeys, I haven't read enough admittedly to call it cliche or not, I suspect it is very, but one thing I always enjoy: abnormal pathing through the region. No need to follow the games' badge path.

 

[BackSet]

Another cliche: Completely filler chapters,

Well that's a problem in all media.

On the Lucario subject: my plan to avert cliches is to have the Lucario basically own it's trainer. I mean it's not gonna be sending her out to battle or anything (no she'll do that herself) but it's obvious who's really in charge.

 

[RK9]

I'm guessing that new authors assume that following a pre-existing story note-for-note is easy, then they get bored of it. That's how I felt with one of my first fanfics.

To be fair, there's a difference in following the pre-existing story in big lines for a general lay-out but deviating with your own touch and giving it a twist and full on 1:1'ing the entire game-story into your fic but just this time with a talking protagonist.

 

[creativelover93]

My cliche is pokemon battles taking up the entire chapter (even three to six chapters focusing nothing but battles). It's okay to have action, but don't drag it all the way too long. Focus on the plot and the characters dangit!

Pokemon leaving their original trainer for different reasons. One can be favoritism over another pokemon trainer, not very compatible and a pokemon who acts abusive to their trainer and their teammates.

Well that's a problem in all media.

On the Lucario subject: my plan to avert cliches is to have the Lucario basically own it's trainer. I mean it's not gonna be sending her out to battle or anything (no she'll do that herself) but it's obvious who's really in charge.

That's a great idea. I could use Lucario as a pokemon who is a hero that everyone looks up to, but once they get to know him, he's a selfish jerk (like a Broken Predestal TV or Fake Ultimate Hero Tropes).

The last one is Spearow is portrayed as evil (thanks a lot anime and Sun and Moon ) in the media. In my future Sun and Moon fic, Spearow is portrayed as a father/older brother figure (somewhat like Brock in a way).

Gloria is always portrayed as a Scottish hard drinking potty mouthing tomboy who is sometimes abusive and psychotic towards people and her pokemon around her. This is ridiculous because Gloria is underaged so why the heck she would be drinking?

In my SWSH fanfic, Gloria is still Scottish and a tomboy, but she acts like a cool big sister to everyone and doesn't drink (it would be funny if her mom drinks and does the potty mouthing instead). She only swears if she stressed or angry, but other than that, she's mostly humble and kind hearted. I don't mind if Gloria is not Scottish in fanfics. She can be Welsh or British and Victor can be Scottish instead. It would be kinda interesting.

 

[BackSet]

Also Beedrill is portrayed as evil. I may contribute to that because it's hilarious.

 

[Poke Dragon]

My cliche is pokemon battles taking up the entire chapter (even three to six chapters focusing nothing but battles). It's okay to have action, but don't drag it all the way too long. Focus on the plot and the characters dangit!

I couldn't agree more, this is the reason why I try not to have battles take up most of the chapters I write, the battles there are either quick or results in something not possible in the games or anime.

 

[KrspaceT]

I personally don't like fan-fics that follow the official story path the exact same way, it's just boring. There are so many ways to make something original out of existing official material.

Another cliche: Completely filler chapters, I don't mind the story slowing down a touch, but when an entire chapter prevents progress from being made in any way, then it's better that said chapter didn't exist at all.

Pokemon has a problem in what I'd call a 'story bottleneck'. A lot of points of the start are pretty restrictive. I've noticed it mostly with Ash fics as I find it is really hard to diverge well between Pallet and Mt. Moon.

Well because I don't like seeing stories where Ash finds Bagons in Vermillion Forest after dismissing 'boring' Caterpie nad Pidgey

 

[FluffleFi]

Aside and speaking of journeys, I haven't read enough admittedly to call it cliche or not, I suspect it is very, but one thing I always enjoy: abnormal pathing through the region. No need to follow the games' badge path.

This is another cliche i'm tired of seeing. I've read a grand total of one story that has the trainer going a completely different route through the region. It was an Ash story that had him go through Diglett Tunnel to battle Lt.Surge first, because he himself wanted to follow a different path than everyone else. Because of this Ash ended up battling mostly different Pokemon. Why does every trainer have to start off in Pallet Town or Twinleaf? It doesn't have that they always battle the exact same Pokemon; Brock has his Geodude and Onyx, Falkner has his Pidgey and Pidgeotto and so on.

Another cliche is the whole abuse angle that so many stories like to use. Its always something rare like an Eevee, Ralts, Riolu or a starter. And we already know the trainer's going to end up bonding with it so its not like anyone's worried if the Pokemon'll decide to leave. Sometimes the author really likes to make their trainer seem overly heroic and compassionate by making other trainers just straight up vile and stupid. One story I once read the trainer ended up with a Treecko whose afraid of thunderstorms, because for whatever reason her old trainer thought Treecko evolved by getting struck by lightning. Its not that I hate this cliche or any other, they exists everywhere and the author's meant to at least try to make something unique out of it, I just wish they'd stop using it to give their protagonist some rare Pokemon.

 

[RK9]

I couldn't agree more, this is the reason why I try not to have battles take up most of the chapters I write, the battles there are either quick or results in something not possible in the games or anime.

A good example for battles is BNHA. It's not one for massively long or complicated fights. Their fights serve to convey something, instead of a fight for coolness.

One of the best/biggest fights was All Might vs a massive villain and their fight... was literally 3 or 4 head on attacks. That's it. And it's still the most hype fight in the series. And just like that, a lot of their fights are really bland/simply choreographed.

 

[Beth Pavell]

Gloria is always portrayed as a Scottish hard drinking potty mouthing tomboy who is sometimes abusive and psychotic towards people and her pokemon around her. This is ridiculous because Gloria is underaged so why the heck she would be drinking?

Just 'cause you're underaged doesn't mean you can't somehow get your hands on alcohol. Granted it's harder if you're fourteen as opposed to sixteen or seventeen, but's not impossible

 

[creativelover93]

Just 'cause you're underaged doesn't mean you can't somehow get your hands on alcohol. Granted it's harder if you're fourteen as opposed to sixteen or seventeen, but's not impossible

Okay, but what would the adults think when they see teens get their hands on alcohol? Would they get a long lecture about drinking? Would they get in serious trouble? Would the adults let them with adult supervision? Would pokemon be capable of drinking like humans do? How would it affect pokemon battles? It would be interesting to write about now that you think about it. I still think the way Gloria is usually portrayed is still cliche though.

 

[Nitro Indigo]

Would pokemon be capable of drinking like humans do?

That's... an interesting worldbuilding question. I read a fic* where a Vaporeon gets drunk, but it's treated exactly the same as human drunkness because the purpose of it is to get him to ramble about his backstory. Apparently, horses can drink beer without getting intoxicated, but I am not a vet please don't quote me on this.

*It's called Whispers of the Abyss, it's on Fanfiction.net, and it's really good.

 

[System Error]

My cliche is pokemon battles taking up the entire chapter (even three to six chapters focusing nothing but battles). It's okay to have action, but don't drag it all the way too long. Focus on the plot and the characters dangit!

Honestly, I think that one's more a manner of personal opinion, one that seems to be increasingly common. There's nothing wrong with a long battle. The thing is, you can tell a mini story in the flow of it. You can get into the emotions of things. You can use it to advance the plot itself. You can use them to establish someone (show don't tell). You can do all sorts of things when you go into detail. I think the best comparison would be wrestling: yes there's lots of talking that sets up the fights, but you can still have your scripted fights last a good amount of time, and the best of these have a story in them playing off the talking/story outside the fights.

The converse is worse in my opinion: not giving battles the attention they deserve. I've seen and heard about full 6-on-6s last not even half the chapter. You don't need to go all out for every single battle, but there are times and places where you DO need length. Going by the wrestling comparison, that would be a late 90s match that lasts only 3-5 minutes to pay off a months-long engaging story. It'd be the same thing in Pokemon battle writing: if you build up to a final battle between rivals and then have it end with just basic descriptions, no emotion, and Pokemon on each side falling like bowling pins, just to get it done and over with in the space of half the chapter, yeah. That's an unsatisfying anti-climax.

I don't necessary disagree with you blanketedly, that said, and yeah, too many in a row can burn a reader (and writer!) out. I once made the mistake of making every battle lengthy. I can still do that, but I handle it nowadays by glossing over the less important ones.

This is another cliche i'm tired of seeing. I've read a grand total of one story that has the trainer going a completely different route through the region. It was an Ash story that had him go through Diglett Tunnel to battle Lt.Surge first, because he himself wanted to follow a different path than everyone else. Because of this Ash ended up battling mostly different Pokemon. Why does every trainer have to start off in Pallet Town or Twinleaf? It doesn't have that they always battle the exact same Pokemon; Brock has his Geodude and Onyx, Falkner has his Pidgey and Pidgeotto and so on.

@Beth Pavell 's the Long Walk has one: it's in Johto and so far has gone from Azalea (after some stuff beforehand) -> Goldenrod -> Cianwood with original things in-between. @Poke Dragon 's fic I wouldn't call a journey, but it starts in Northeast Unova and does involve travel. And my planned fic in Hoenn I mentioned pretty much stomps on the nuts of linearity.

On the Lucario subject: my plan to avert cliches is to have the Lucario basically own it's trainer. I mean it's not gonna be sending her out to battle or anything (no she'll do that herself) but it's obvious who's really in charge.

On this subject, I had a Super Robot Wars inspired fic idea at one point. And the OG antagonist faction was led by a Lucario. Real nasty piece of work too, came from the PMD world and aligned with Plasma and Mewtwo briefly for Pokemon Liberation and to find a way back, before Ghetsis' attempted betrayal. Then his goal became "render most of humanity braindead with a massive aura storm to make Pokemon the dominant species in this world too". Haven't actually read any actual fics with an evil Lucario (let alone different), though. A lot of Pokemon do seem to be routinely "evil" or "good". One that amuses me, anime related: Beautifly vs. Dustox, when their Pokedex entries paint Beautifly as the more aggressive one.

 

[Serverus Snope]

I can totally see why the overusage of Lucario as a Pokemon is considered cliche, considering it's one of the most popular Pokemon ever. But I do echo the statement that it all depends on the execution. Using the same character archetype and story beats for a Lucario can come across as uncreative and lazy. I haven't written any story like that myself, but I've seen a few that have, though not in depth. I actually do have plans to give one of my fic characters a Lucario later down the line, but the Lucario in question isn't going to follow the typical personality traits that are typically hoisted upon it (Mysterious, stoic, hates humans except for its trainer, able to talk, so on). I plan on making it shy, deeply insecure, cowardly, and unable to use aura for reasons that I won't mention due to spoilers.

Alternatively, the Lucario is even more Aura-sensitive than usual and it feels psychologically overwhelmed by it.

Another cliche is the whole abuse angle that so many stories like to use. Its always something rare like an Eevee, Ralts, Riolu or a starter.

I blame the anime. Specifically that one guy who just abandoned a Tepig like it was nothing. Then again, the actual rarity of starters in the series is kind of inconsistent.

Haven't actually read any actual fics with an evil Lucario (let alone different), though.

Lucario would actually be really good at sniffing out intruders. Villain teams could make good use of em.

 

[BackSet]

I blame the anime. Specifically that one guy who just abandoned a Tepig like it was nothing.

Also literally every other trainer who abandoned and abused their Pokemon and got chewed out by Ash for being terrible people objectively.

 

[Lightning Flame Blast]

Overly rude trainers are kind of a pet peeve of mine in fics. Not that there aren’t people like that in real life (or even in canon), but a character whose entire role is composed of insulting the protagonist, ridiculing everyone else’s skills and the way they treat pokemon and brutalizing every opponent, it becomes way too obvious that this isn’t a character so much as an aritificial tool to try forcing catharsis on the reader when the asshole inevitably gets everything they stand for pounded into the dirt later on.

 

[Fan of Jarrus]

A Lucario can be cunning or rash. Like the one who I travel with in game.