DISCUSSION: Game mechanics in fanfics

[canisaries]

Only in Red and Blue.

fine whatever but you get the main point

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

I ignore pretty much anything unique to the games, as games are necessarily highly abstracted for reasons of playability and ease of implementation. I also ignore content that is strongly unappealing to me, such as all pokémon laying eggs. I'm even happy to introduce more nuance into concepts such as the type advantage system. This is my prerogative as a fanfiction author.

But really, I contest the idea that game mechanics are even a kind of 'canon'. The four move limit in particular is absurd if interpreted as literal truth! I choose to limit pokémon in the Different Eyes canon to what their trainers are capable of first teaching them and then maintaining good practice for. This is not necessarily four moves.

 

[diamondpearl876]

We could probably talk about all the discontinuities in Pokémon until gen 8 comes out, so I'm just gonna say an author is well justified in overruling a lot of canonical stuff.

I saw a couple of people mention recently that they're glad gen 8 isn't here yet since it could contradict their canon , which is another reason I don't think sticking to game mechanics 100% is really plausible or necessary.: no one will ever be able to adhere to all existing canons. And if you're gonna take liberties with which canon you pick and choose from, you might as well take liberties with creative license and diverge further, if not entirely, from canon. I can see people working to explain differences from canon to canon, though - ie., Clefairy gaining their fairy-typing being the result of, oh, I don't know, some sort of experimentation or altering radiation present in their habitat.

All Pokémon laying eggs is... kind of suspect, I agree. Of course GameFreak isn't going to go into the nuances of reproduction in a kids' series, and I can't say I really care to delve into the subject in my own fics (lol oops I had a Braviary and Feraligatr have a kid, not even close in egg groups), but at the very least, feline and doglike Pokémon laying eggs kinda makes me wanna cringe.

 

[canisaries]

For laying eggs, I feel like there's a compromise when it comes to mammalian mon. Not all eggs in real nature are hard-shelled or even opaque, yet they're pretty much still eggs as eggs go. Placental mammals are already born in amnia (which is also present in all other amniotes aka birds and reptiles) which the mother typically bites open after birth. If the membrane was a bit tougher and the "egg" had some spare yolk in it for the baby, it could survive and keep developing for a while after being lain, until it runs out of its internal source of nourishment and the mother or the baby breaks the "shell" and the young takes its first breaths.

Then again, it's just massively simpler to say eggs don't happen for some species. You won't need to come up with a whole new type of egg just so you can say one detail from your story kinda matches the canon. Unless you're specifically a fan of speculative biology.

 

[diamondpearl876]

Then again, it's just massively simpler to say eggs don't happen for some species. You won't need to come up with a whole new type of egg just so you can say one detail from your story kinda matches the canon. Unless you're specifically a fan of speculative biology.

Had no idea speculative biology was actually a field, but lo and behold. Shouldn't be really too surprised, what with the controversy and strong opinions around evolution as a concept even existing still today. The things you learn about life at 3AM! Anyway, brief overview tells me it's not too unlike writing about Pokémon as it is, what with the common talks of alternate forms outside of canon, Pokémon having more anthropomorphic characteristics than the average animal, writing evolution scenes and how it affects a Pokémon's mentality/personality, etc. Fun stuff.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Counterfactual biology is just a huge part of any pokémon worldbuilding effort tbh and my sensibilities are such that I can't stand any instance of mundane mammals laying eggs. Let alone the problem of bugs all apparently having K-strategy reproduction where they lay single eggs.

 

[Ambyssin]

I completely handwave the egg thing as being asexual and simply a result of compatible 'mons combining life energy to forge an egg (so, magic, basically). This way, the inorganic 'mons can reproduce, I can ignore the "offspring must be the same species as the mom" thing, and same-sex couples can have a kid through egg-making. :V

Also, as an addendum to my "types and type advantages" bit, I forgot to mention that there are some moves I consider type-less, that can hit any Pokémon regardless of what their typing is: Prismatic Laser, Photon Geyser, and Light That Burns the Sky. Because they're all drawing from electromagnetic radiation, not psychic energy.

 

[Drakon]

Game mechanics are useless to me because I make my pokémon settings more realistic...and those mechanics are a simple shorthand like the motive bars in The Sims.
I justify the egg laying with the same reasoning as to how a Blastoise or worse, a Squirtle can produce hundreds if not thousands of gallons of water from seemingly nothing.

Arceus did it by giving pokémon access to an alternate dimension.

 

[Glitchipedia]

• Levels, stats and experience: They exist, but are referred to only in broad terms like "strength" (levels and experience), "skill" (stats and EVs) and "genes" (base stats and IVs). Precise numerical values are eschewed in favor of vague descriptions like "decent", "good" and "superior"; where more accurate measurement is needed, a simple five-star scale based on CP is used.
• HP and PP: HP is referenced simply as the amount of damage a Pokémon can safely withstand before it must withdraw from battle, lest it risk actual injury. PP is treated similarly, in that a given move can only be used so many times before the Pokémon becomes exhausted or depletes a necessary resource.

To further expand on this, a Pokémon's vital statistics can be summarized as six main attributes much like in the games, but different ones meant to sound more realistic:

• Endurance: Replacing HP (and, to a certain extent, PP), "endurance" or "stamina" defines how quickly a Pokémon expends its energy. It is the job of the trainer to know when their Pokémon's stamina has run out and withdraw it before it can sustain any serious harm.
• Muscular strength and control: Measures sheer, brute force, a crude yet vital component in effective physical attacks. Can potentially be extended to accuracy as well. The basis for this comparison is the vitamin Protein's original Japanese name, "taurine", an organic compound necessary for proper skeletal muscle and cardiovascular function, among other things.
• Respiratory function: Related to endurance. The Pokémon will not lose stamina as quickly if it knows how to pace itself, improving its physical defenses. The basis for this comparison comes from the vitamin Iron's original Japanese name, "bromhexine", which is a drug used to treat mucus buildup in the respiratory tract.
• Immune response: With Pokémon, a healthy immune system is an indicator of strong special attacking ability. The basis for this comparison is the original Japanese name of the vitamin Calcium, "lysozyme", which is a naturally-occurring antimicrobial enzyme that forms part of the body's immune system.
• Regenerative ability: A quick healer can more easily withstand incoming special attacks. The basis for this comparison is the original Japanese name of the vitamin Zinc, "chitosan", a substance that can be used in wound dressings to reduce bleeding.
• Mobility: Arguably the least far-removed from its in-game counterpart, this simply measures the ease with which a Pokémon can move about, affecting its speed and evasiveness. While little justification is needed in this case, the comparison is nonetheless based on the Japanese name of the vitamin Carbos, "indometacin", a drug which can be used to treat joint problems, among other things.

Traditionally, these attributes are measured by either the trainer him/herself using available gym equipment, or by a medical professional for better accuracy. In modern times, these attributes can be measured more immediately by scanning the Pokémon with a Pokédex, but some trainers prefer to corroborate with an expert just to be safe. The Pokémon can then be rated on a five-star scale (compared with all Pokémon, not just those of the same species) based on these attributes. In the case where a Pokémon would logically appear to lack one or more of these attributes altogether (particularly Ghost-types, who should lack no less than four of them), they can safely be handwaved as possessing a functional equivalent that can be measured the same way.

In my case, I also apply flat battle rules as a League-enforced safety measure, meaning that optimal statistics are determined to be achieved at the equivalent of level fifty. As this is accomplished by way of power limiters built into the base Poké Ball design, wild Pokémon are not subject to this restriction. This makes high-level wild Pokémon, and legendaries in particular, far more dangerous since their power is effectively off the scale.

 

[Nitro Indigo]

I once read a fanfic which referred to natures and friendship as if they were game mechanics. Since that doesn't show up in any other Pokémon fanfics by the same author, I think it was a parody of fanfics that take game mechanics too literally.