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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.
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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.)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.
Well that's a problem in all media.Another cliche: Completely filler chapters,
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.
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.
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.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 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.
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.
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.
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?
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.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
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.Would pokemon be capable of drinking like humans do?
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.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!
@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.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.
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.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.
Alternatively, the Lucario is even more Aura-sensitive than usual and it feels psychologically overwhelmed by it.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.
I blame the anime. Specifically that one guy who just abandoned a Tepig like it was nothing.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.
Lucario would actually be really good at sniffing out intruders. Villain teams could make good use of em.Haven't actually read any actual fics with an evil Lucario (let alone different), though.
Also literally every other trainer who abandoned and abused their Pokemon and got chewed out by Ash for being terrible people objectively.I blame the anime. Specifically that one guy who just abandoned a Tepig like it was nothing.