POPULAR: Simple Questions, Simple Answers

[canisaries]

I'm planning on writing a fanfic that involves a Ralts and a bunch of Pawniard. Since I don't want to have Pokémon say their names, what should they sound like? Is there anything in Generations I could use as a reference point?

ralts could sound like mystic chanting or baby noises and pawniard could sound like metallic clangs

 

[Nitro Indigo]

I like mystic chanting better. I'm thinking of describing the sounds like, "it was clear to Protagonist that they were talking, but it was in strange sounds she couldn't understand." I'm now remembering Jynx's PokéDex entries, which say that it doesn't quite sound like humans.

Also, it's a My Little Pony crossover again, but this time I've found a way to describe the premise in a single clause.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Ralts and a bunch of Pawniard. Since I don't want to have Pokémon say their names, what should they sound like?

I like Canis' suggestions, but I'd like to add "sussurating whisper" for ralts and "clicks, chirps and hissing" for pawniard.

 

[canisaries]

i'm gonna have to ask this question on a pretty abstract level to avoid basically telling the entirety of the story i need this advice for... but what can one do to make a story feel like it has more consequence when the end situation of the story is mostly the same as it was in the beginning? as in, no characters that are there from the beginning really undergo much change when comparing the start and end, even if they do have conflict in the middle. characters that are introduced during the story and are new to the status quo do change, but also leave at the end. i pretty much have to have it this way for the sequel story (already written) to match up and be able to happen.

anyway, in other words, there's no real character development. i know that they say that it's the journey that matters and not the destination, but if the conclusion is lacking, it can really sour the experience and draw more focus to what the story doesn't have or does wrong. i worry the story is just solved without a price if no bigger change happens. i do have open ends i draw attention to to show that the future is uncertain, but once the sequel starts and ends with none of those factoring in... they don't help much in the bigger picture.

 

[UselessBytes]

@canisaries well, I can't say much without more details, but there's a couple of options. You could have the potential for growth but have the characters ignore it. It would probably make the mood a bit of a downer, but you could make it so the characters make choices in the midst of the conflict that turn them away from the path of change, or perhaps have some event cause them to abandon any sort of growth and return to their starting state. To use a silly example, there's an episode of Sword Art Online abridged where you think parody!kirito is finally going to stop being an unredeemable asshole, only to have that opportunity not work out at all and he goes right back to being a miserable bag of dicks.

 

[Beth Pavell]

I think the key question you'd have to ask yourself is "What's the point of the story?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

It's a tough question, @canisaries, and it does depend a lot on the specifics (this is true every time a writing question is asked, of course).

Perhaps if it's significant that little or no character change has occured, you could find a way to give characters an opportunity to demonstrate that they've learnt or grown and allow thme to make a hash of it. To be honest, I think you should consider showing them to have got worse, which is a legit choice not enough people give enough weight to.

Another option is to show the peripheral or knock-on effects of character actions, such as they may be, but that's very specific to whatever it is they've done along the way and might not be all that relevant.

Plus, even if the characters' characters haven't changed much, perhaps their experience changes their perspective or gives them new fears or goals. Maybe they have an intention to try different methods of achieving their goals at some point, even if there isn't significant visible change just yet.

Good luck!

 

[AceTrainer14]

I am trying to overcome an issue with a gym battle, and imagined a Pokemon to using Giga Drain on natural resources - water, rocks - to absorb nutrients and heal that way instead of by attacking a Pokemon. I feel there is some logic behind the idea as Pokemon do use the sun and moon to heal themselves with Synthesis and Moonlight, but I'm afraid it may seem like too much of a logical leap. Thoughts?

 

[canisaries]

I am trying to overcome an issue with a gym battle, and imagined a Pokemon to using Giga Drain on natural resources - water, rocks - to absorb nutrients and heal that way instead of by attacking a Pokemon. I feel there is some logic behind the idea as Pokemon do use the sun and moon to heal themselves with Synthesis and Moonlight, but I'm afraid it may seem like too much of a logical leap. Thoughts?

i mean it makes sense to me since it's grass type and plants are known to absorb things (hell, that's why they're SE against water), but are you sure it won't become one of those "why didn't they just" situations later? being able to heal by yourself (nearly) anywhere at any time may get in the way of some plot developments.

 

[AceTrainer14]

i mean it makes sense to me since it's grass type and plants are known to absorb things (hell, that's why they're SE against water), but are you sure it won't become one of those "why didn't they just" situations later? being able to heal by yourself (nearly) anywhere at any time may get in the way of some plot developments.

I think the fact that Giga Drain only absorbs some of the energy/nutrients would avoid that. You could argue that Synthesis and other healing moves could lower the stakes or allow for an easy out, but I think that that is easily avoidable. My concern is more if the logic would work enough for the idea not to flop.

 

[canisaries]

I think the fact that Giga Drain only absorbs some of the energy/nutrients would avoid that. You could argue that Synthesis and other healing moves could lower the stakes or allow for an easy out, but I think that that is easily avoidable. My concern is more if the logic would work enough for the idea not to flop.

oh, alright, i was talking about it in the context of a character without other healing moves. i think the logic itself working depends on how you describe it. a mon sprouting roots and using them to drain the environment makes sense to me, but a mon drawing nutrients and water to them telekinetically would raise some brows. that latter interpretation of giga drain feels more tied to a "draining life energy" take, and rocks don't exactly have that (rock and ground types excluded).

 

[KrspaceT]

Say got any cliches for 'better Ash at the start'? I'm currently writing a bit of a light-hearted fic whose basic premise is 'Dream World is the most broken thing' and I'd like to see what things it could be used to make 'Better Ash'...while Ash himself is still mostly himself.

AKA he is not going to torture any Team Rocket grunts or any other living creatures.

(Because that is a thing that "Better Ash' does for some reason.)

Other than 'non-normal starters', got any suggestions? Right now he's basically just got so many Nuggets he could probably shatter an economy, a few dozen Pokemon including Pikachu, Snivy, Frogadier, and Rowlet, training experience, and being older.

 

[Beth Pavell]

Depends what you mean by 'Better'. My inclination would be to ditch the cluelessness about things such as the type-chart and not knowing what common species are - which are only in the anime for the benefit of the audience anyway. I've occasionally skimmed fics where the author wants a "Smart!Ash" that reads like Ash is competing in a Smogon league, and it just never feels natural, for the character or for the story

 

[KrspaceT]

Depends what you mean by 'Better'. My inclination would be to ditch the cluelessness about things such as the type-chart and not knowing what common species are - which are only in the anime for the benefit of the audience anyway. I've occasionally skimmed fics where the author wants a "Smart!Ash" that reads like Ash is competing in a Smogon league, and it just never feels natural, for the character or for the story

...So basically nothing I wasn't already doing?

...I'll admit I was hoping for some cliche to turn on its head, like Aura or something.

....Huh., making a joke about Ash having Aura, and not finding it worth exploring would be a pretty good comedical bait and switch on the overuse of Aura on Ash's own part.

Dream World > Aura.

yes

 

[Beth Pavell]

Well if you want to trip up a cliché, have a Smart!Ash who finds that battling can't be reduced to Smogon-style analyses, because a real battle (As opposed to a simulated one) is fluid and much more difficult to predict. Or a Smart!Ash who finds he isn't as smart as he thinks he is, or an Aura!Ash who can't use his powers in any meaningful way because of all the static generated by the audience

 

[Greninjaman]

Does anyone have any advice on how to make the 'Pokemon Mystery Dungeon' Dungeons more natural and not an ever-changing labyrinth?

Edit: Sorry if this has been asked before, whether by me or another user.

 

[Daren]

Does anyone have any advice on how to make the 'Pokemon Mystery Dungeon' Dungeons more natural and not an ever-changing labyrinth?

If I recall correctly at least one old Roguelike explained it as the dungeons being positively massive--the area isn't changing, but you're exploring different parts whenever you enter. Something similar to that is probably the easiest explanation, at least for caves and forests.

 

[Greninjaman]

If I recall correctly at least one old Roguelike explained it as the dungeons being positively massive--the area isn't changing, but you're exploring different parts whenever you enter. Something similar to that is probably the easiest explanation.

That could work. There is also the option of each one being a normal location in the world, no magic or anything involved.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Better Ash" is just something people come up with for catharsis. When I was a kid in school and bullied often, reading about vengeful characters was vindicating, satisfying, even soothing. I can understand why people would write Ash giving out beatings to antagonists, or even his friends, if they were going through some stuff themselves. Still not in-character for Ash, still not good or interesting writing, still not a super-duper mentally-healthy thing to do.

Similarly, people who make Ash a smogon-style savant just hate being a "back seat driver" for the protagonist and haven't figured out that rules like the type chart are clearly an abstraction of a complex world. It's a relief to them to have a genius protagonist who doesn't make strategic mistakes, for whatever reason. People who write him with aura powers just think superpowers are cool and hate the missed opportunity from Gen IV's teasing of it. People who write him with a harem probably don't have a long term relationship. And so on.

As for PMD, the canon states that dungeons are magic and they literally do change. If you don't like that, create your own canon. Just... do what you want, you know? If you want them to be natural cave systems or whatever, just do that.

 

[Greninjaman]

As for PMD, the canon states that dungeons are magic and they literally do change. If you don't like that, create your own canon. Just... do what you want, you know? If you want them to be natural cave systems or whatever, just do that.

I need to remember: This is MY story. I can do whatever I want.
Thanks for reminding me.