The Weekly Prompt Thread

[LightningTopaz]

Stuck on how to begin that epic story, or just want to practice writing something? This is the place for you.

Each Monday, I'll post a prompt--it could be a first line of a story, a what-if question, a quote, or anything in between. (but it will usually have something to do with Pokemon) What you do with that prompt is up to you--be creative and write as much or as little as you want within forum guidelines.

Of course, you are also welcome to submit prompt ideas--but I (or another Workshop mod) need to have them by Friday (so it can be posted the following Monday)

You do not have to write on that week's prompt if you don't want to--every prompt will be archived and can be used at anytime

I hope that this will provide new writers with inspiration and allow veterans a chance to sharpen their skills.

Happy writing!

The Prompt List:

Once Upon a Pokemon (2/21/2011)
Good Advice, in a Pokemon World (2/28/2011) (thanks, Kyuuketsuki!)
But I Don't Wanna Catch'em All (3/14/2011)(thanks, Kyuuketsuki!)
Behind the Paradaisu (3/21/2011)
We're on Vacation (3/28/2011)
Rock On, Pokemon (4/4/2011)
The Things I Do To Catch'em All (4/11/2011)
The Heart of the (Pokemon) Cards (4/18/2011)
N's New Adventure (4/25/2011)
Life with Oak (5/2/2011) (thanks, Kyuujux!)
All in the Family (5/9/2011)
Lights, Camera, Pokemon! (5/16/2011)
More Sick Daze (5/30/2011)
Summertime Sing Along (6/6/2011)
The Stuff of Legendaries (6/13/2011)
Generation Six (6/20/2011)
Might is Right? (6/27/2011)
Our National Day (7/4/2011)
Scholarly Pursuits (7/11/2011)
A Leisurely Stroll (7/18/2011) (thanks, Jinoga!)
Save the Pokemon! (7/25/2011) (thanks, darkrai07!)
Please Hold (8/1/2011)
Back to School Blues (8/8/2011)
Licensed to Train (8/15/2011)
Go, Go, Pokemon Ranger! (8/22/2011)
Born to Be Wild (8/29/2011)
Good Night, Mon (9/5/2011)
Rainy Day Blues (9/12/2011)
E-Mail Call (9/19/2011)
Crazy for Chu (9/26/2011)
The Ultimate Victor (10/3/2011)
Ah, Nostalgia (10/10/2011)
Cooking with Pokemon (10/17/2011)
A Lesson in Song (10/24/2011)
Trick or Treat! (10/31/2011)
The Play's the Thing (11/7/2011)
Christmastime's Coming (11/14/2011)
We Love a Parade! (11/21/2011)
Sale of the Century (11/28/2011)
Let it Snow! (12/5/2011)
Pokemon Idol (12/12/2011)
Call In to Win (12/19/2011)
The Best Present Ever (12/26/2011)
Happy New Year, Pokemon! (1/2/2012)
Family Game Night (1/9/2012)
Hooray for Hollywood (1/16/2012)
It's Gone Viral (1/23/2012)
Pokemon's Got Talent (1/30/2012)
The Master Storyteller--part 1 (2/5/2012)
The Master Storyteller--part 2 (2/12/2012)
Retro Game Monster (2/20/2012)
Game On For a Good Cause (2/27/2012)
Let's All Sing! (3/5/2012)
Life in Lavender (3/12/2012) (thanks, Chimchar98!)
Stuck in the Middle of Nowhere (3/19/2012)
Goin' On a Picnic (3/26/2012)
April Fool! (4/2/2012)
On the (Egg) Hunt (4/9/2012)
Ready For the Storm (4/16/2012)
The Joy of Reading (4/23/2012)
What a (Park) Ride! (4/30/2012)
Happy Summer Days (5/7/2012)
We're On Vacation (5/14/2012)
PKMN TV (5/21/2012)
Heat Wave! (5/28/2012)
The Magic of the Musical (6/4/2012)
Out on the Grill (6/11/2012)
Breakdown! (6/18/2012)
Gone Swimmin' (6/25/2012)
One Brave Trainer (7/2/2012)
All to Ourselves (7/9/2012)
Starstruck! (7/16/2012)
Movie Magic (7/23/2012)
Create-a-Story (part 1) (7/30/2012)
Rise and Shine! (8/6/2012)
Back to School (8/20/2012)
Aspiring Actors (8/27/2012)
Flirting With Disaster (9/3/2012)
Who Needs Sleep? (9/10/2012)
Hit the Road! (9/17/2012)
Sleepless Nights (9/24/2012)
Falling Leaves (10/1/2012)
Create-a-Story (part 2) (10/8/2012)
Ready For Your Closeup? (10/15/2012)
Create-a-Story (part 3) (10/22/2012)
A-Haunting We Will Go (10/29/2012)
Vote For the Four (11/5/2012)
Giving Thanks (11/19/2012)
The Lights of Christmas (11/26/2012)
Making the List (12/3/2012)
The Worst Gifts (12/17/2012)
Jalepeño Samba (1/7/2013)
On the Verge of a New Adventure (1/14/2013)
A Song of Love (2/11/2013)
Inside the League (2/18/2013)
Rockin' the Red Carpet (2/25/2013)
Take a (Spring) Break (3/4/2013)
Changing Times (3/11/2013)
Shades of Green (3/18/2013)
Crashing Meowth's Party (3/25/2013)
PokePranksters (4/1/2013)
The Weekly Assignment (4/15/2013)
Going Solo (4/22/2013)
Test Anxiety (5/6/2013)
Dueling Vacations (5/13/2013)
Bathtime Bother (5/20/2013)
Super Soaked (6/3/2013)
My Dream Game (6/10/2013)
Anything Goes #1 (6/17/2013)
Karaoke Chaos (6/24/2013)
Picture Prompt #1 (7/1/2013)
A Million Colors Shooting 'Cross the Sky... (7/8/2013)
The Grand Prize (7/15/2013)
A Game of Their Own (7/22/2013)
Take Me Out to the Ball Game... (7/29/2013)
Stowaways (8/5/2013)
A New Start (8/12/2013)
Classmates are Cool (8/19/2013)
A Likely Story (8/26/2013)
Happy Birthday! (9/2/2013)
The Wonderful World of Pokemon (9/9/2013)
The Countdown (9/16/2013)
The Day After (9/23/2013)
Apology Accepted (9/30/2013)
Long About Midnight (10/7/2013)
Taking the Plunge (10/14/2013)
The Java Jolt (10/21/2013)
Costume Chaos (10/28/2013)
Practice Makes Imperfect (11/4/2013)
Struggling to Start (11/11/2013)
Reliving the Classics (11/18/2013)
Thanks for Chaos (11/25/2013)
Let It Snow... (12/2/2013)
Snowbound (12/9/2013)
Party Pains (12/16/2013)
The Deep Freeze (1/6/2014)
Quirky-mon (1/13/2014)
Lost in a Labyrinth (1/20/2014)
Story Starter #1 (1/27/2014)
A World of Wind (2/3/2014)
Story Starter #2 (2/10/2014)
Magic Jewels (2/17/2014)
Story Starter #3 (2/24/2014)
The Wonders of Trade (3/3/2014)
Story Starter #4 (3/10/2014)
A Stroke of Luck (3/17/2014)
The Switcheroo (3/24/2014) (thanks, LinkSeasonMaster!)
The Mistress of Disguise (3/31/2014) (thanks, LinkSeasonMaster!)
No Sense of Plot (4/7/2014)
A Disastrous Week (4/14/2014)
Hatching a Friendship (4/21/2014)
Anxious Feelings (4/28/2014)
Together Again (5/5/2014) (thanks, LinkSeasonMaster!)
Making Mom's Day (5/12/2014)
Cookout Chaos (5/26/2014)
Adventures in Pokesitting (6/2/2014)
Story Starter #5 (6/9/2014)
Dad's Day (6/16/2014)
Story Starter #6 (6/23/2014)
Baby Pokemon Blues (6/30/2014)
A Night with a Bang (7/7/2014)
Cliffhanger! (7/14/2014)
New Heights (7/21/2014)
Family Heritage (7/28/2014)
The Healing Touch (8/4/2014)
Festival Dreams (8/11/2014)
Remember When? (8/18/2014)
Happy Birthday! (9/1/2014)
Murphy's Law (9/8/2014)
Messing Up (9/15/2014)
Cartoon Chaos (9/22/2014)
Flick Fright (10/6/2014)
Grounded! (10/20/2014)
No Easy Decision (10/27/2014)
Catch Me If You Can (11/3/2014)
Poke-Con (11/10/2014)
Fireside Memories (11/17/2014)
In a Rush (12/1/2014)
The Thought That Counts (12/15/2014)
Go, Go, Pokerangers! (1/5/2015)
Returning the Favor (1/12/2015)
Kitty Chaos (1/19/2015)
The Big Winner (1/26/2015)
Big League Power (2/2/2015)
Reach for the Stars (2/9/2015)
Snowed In (2/16/2015)
One Song (2/23/2015)
Braving the Snow (3/2/2015)
Times Change (3/9/2015)
A Party to Remember (3/16/2015)
Seeds of Spring (3/23/2015)
Gotcha! (3/30/2015)
Rank In! (4/13/2015)
The Milestone (4/20/2015)
Camp Memories (4/27/2015)
Star Bores or Star Mores? (5/4/2015)
Nintendoland (5/11/2015)
In Memoriam (5/25/2015)
Everyone's a Critic (6/1/2015)
Confirmed! (6/15/2015)
Decisions (6/22/2015)
Awards Season (7/6/2015)
It's Hot! (7/20/2015)
I Won! (7/27/2015)
Poolside (8/3/2015)
The Wild Rush (8/10/2015)
Gaming On (8/24/2015)
Happy Birthday! (8/31/2015)
The Challenge of Cooking (9/14/2015)
That's Never Happened Before (9/21/2015)
A Master's Visit (9/28/2015)
Difficulty Spike (10/12/2015)
Epic Stomachache (10/19/2015)
Not-So-Scary Fun (10/26/2015)
So Bad, it's Good (11/2/2015)

 

[Brightness]

It may be fitting and may draw more participation from the community if you offer to document the best input for the week's prompt.

 

[LightningTopaz]

Maybe the weekend before a new prompt goes up, I could post the best of the week for all to read.

 

[Kyuuketsuki]

Prompt ideas:

"Life of Dr. Oak after giving away all of his Pokémon."
"How did Whitney's Miltank become so strong?"
"What if Volkner refused to battle the player?"
"So Amphy died... Now what?"
"John (my default name for unnamed characters) just started his journey with a Mudkip, but now he changed his mind and doesn't want to take on the League."
"Kyogre flooded the world."
"Cynthia was weird as a kid... Very weird..."
"So you want to be a master of Pokémon?"

And are we doing the "start and end are detailed" thing? Just a suggestion, shouldn't this thread be mixed with the other one? Since we aren't starting the story yet? Or did I just do something wrong?

 

[LightningTopaz]

These are two seprate things to do--Ongoing Story is for fun, this is to help writers practice.

I may do the first story with just the start written out, then the next with the start and end written out to see which goes over better

 

[Kyuuketsuki]

Ok, that sounds great! I'll be sure to post more prompts if I think of them..

 

[LightningTopaz]

Thank you for the ideas--just remember to send them in no later than the Friday before if you want them considered for that Monday

Since I already had a prompt planned for this Monday, these are going in the idea bank.

 

[Gama]

"What if Red joined Team Rocket at Nugget Bridge?"

 

[Giustizia]

Oooh good one! Makes you think...

How about in PokeSpe, if Ivysaur didn't evolve and the three trainers were killed! What would've happened afterwards?

 

[LightningTopaz]

Okay, here's your first prompt:


Ever wonder would classic folk tales and fairy tales would look like in the Pokeworld? Find a fairy tale or folk tale and Pokemonize it!

 

[Kyuuketsuki]

This folk legend is probably not known anywhere out of my country, since it is... from my country.

Rating: PG-13/Teen.

Spoiler

"It's the land," he said excitedly. "I've found it!"

He rowed his small boat faster, eager to reach the land of legend that everyone spoke of. Legend told of a distant place that no one had reached. I had all many names ranging from "The Land of Immortality" to "The Fountain of Youth". But one thing was certain; you can never die there.

The explorer jumped out of his boat to the water, he was mere meters away, but his eagerness caused him to forget that the boat was on moving waters, and it slowly sailed away as he swam towards the shore, carrying along with it all of his food.

His realisation came too late, there was no way he could swim to it now; it was swept by the current. But that didn't matter; he had to find the fountain of youth.

The land proved useful. It was filled with berries and fruits from Tropius, although no humans or Pokémon could be seen. There were no houses either. He traveled across the small island multiple times, searching for the youth he long has desired.

Each time he stepped on the sand, his foot dug deeper in. And after days of pacing around, it hit a treasure chest. This must be it. He opened it to only be met with a sequence of Unown, which he had trouble reading. He had left home at such an early age that he didn't finish his education, and knowing about these would have been helpful.

After hours of deciphering, he got one message: "DIG DEEPER".

And he did.

He threw away the chest and the piece of paper, and began digging. The sand was soft to his hand, but it eventually became tiring. A well was soon uncovered, imprinted with Unown figures from the inside, with a ladder leading down.

He climbed it all the way down. The journey took almost an hour, but his foot finally connected with the ground. Strangely, the room was well-lit, but the mystical light came from a single Gracidea Flower in the center of a shallow pool. A Seviper wrapped itself around it.

The explorer approached slowly, but the Seviper was keen and evil. She jumped forward and dug her fangs into his foot. He fell to the ground and howled in pain; death was inevitable. The poison made him weaker, but he had to reach the flower; it could save his life. The Seviper noticed it and smiled, then she jumped forward one more time.

Her victim was the flower. She opened her mouth and swallowed it whole. The light in the room went out. The explorer reached his hand and grabbed the snake in a desperate attempt to pull the flower out of it's mouth, but all he could feel was skin that has been shed.

At this point he knew that the Seviper had gained immortality, and will shed it's skin whenever it was about to die. He regretted wasting his life chasing something so material, and died alone in the darkness of the well.

 

[Zekurom]

This folk legend is probably not known anywhere out of my country, since it is... from my country.

Rating: PG-13/Teen.

Spoiler

"It's the land," he said excitedly. "I've found it!"

He rowed his small boat faster, eager to reach the land of legend that everyone spoke of. Legend told of a distant place that no one had reached. I had all many names ranging from "The Land of Immortality" to "The Fountain of Youth". But one thing was certain; you can never die there.

The explorer jumped out of his boat to the water, he was mere meters away, but his eagerness caused him to forget that the boat was on moving waters, and it slowly sailed away as he swam towards the shore, carrying along with it all of his food.

His realisation came too late, there was no way he could swim to it now; it was swept by the current. But that didn't matter; he had to find the fountain of youth.

The land proved useful. It was filled with berries and fruits from Tropius, although no humans or Pokémon could be seen. There were no houses either. He traveled across the small island multiple times, searching for the youth he long has desired.

Each time he stepped on the sand, his foot dug deeper in. And after days of pacing around, it hit a treasure chest. This must be it. He opened it to only be met with a sequence of Unown, which he had trouble reading. He had left home at such an early age that he didn't finish his education, and knowing about these would have been helpful.

After hours of deciphering, he got one message: "DIG DEEPER".

And he did.

He threw away the chest and the piece of paper, and began digging. The sand was soft to his hand, but it eventually became tiring. A well was soon uncovered, imprinted with Unown figures from the inside, with a ladder leading down.

He climbed it all the way down. The journey took almost an hour, but his foot finally connected with the ground. Strangely, the room was well-lit, but the mystical light came from a single Gracidea Flower in the center of a shallow pool. A Seviper wrapped itself around it.

The explorer approached slowly, but the Seviper was keen and evil. She jumped forward and dug her fangs into his foot. He fell to the ground and howled in pain; death was inevitable. The poison made him weaker, but he had to reach the flower; it could save his life. The Seviper noticed it and smiled, then she jumped forward one more time.

Her victim was the flower. She opened her mouth and swallowed it whole. The light in the room went out. The explorer reached his hand and grabbed the snake in a desperate attempt to pull the flower out of it's mouth, but all he could feel was skin that has been shed.

At this point he knew that the Seviper had gained immortality, and will shed it's skin whenever it was about to die. He regretted wasting his life chasing something so material, and died alone in the darkness of the well.

So... kind of like Gilgamesh, then?

 

[Kyuuketsuki]

I've never read Gilgamesh, but it could be.

 

[LightningTopaz]

Thanks, Kyuuketsuki for your work!

New prompt goes up tomorrow!

 

[LightningTopaz]

Your prompt this week:

"So you want to be a master of Pokémon?"

If you could give a new trainer advice for their journey, what would you tell them?

 

[LightningTopaz]

Prompt is extended another week

 

[LightningTopaz]

This week's prompt:

A trainer just started his journey with a Mudkip, but now he changed his mind and doesn't want to take on the League. So what does he do instead?

 

[raychuu]

Hey. ^^;
As a rookie writer, I thought I could use some practice, so I decided to join this week's weekly prompt. Sorry if it's a bit small, but I'm still open for any kind of feedback. Thanks!

Spoiler

I gazed at the stars lazily. The night was a calm one, my belly was full and I was tired, but sleep would not come. My mind was troubled just like a ship fleeting a stormy sea. I had to understand why, so I left the warmth of my sleeping bag.

The moon was little more than a stroke on the sky and I could barely see a thing, so I reached for my travelling bag, which stood tall and proud close to where I was trying to sleep. I took a matchbox from one of the many pockets.

I lit the match, creating an orange orb of light around my hand, and then proceeded to approach the campfire, already extinguished. I used the match to set it on fire again. I blinked as an explosion of illumination clarified my small camp, revealing it was surrounded by trees and more trees, with an occasional rock or bush prowling around the dark woods.

I sat down close to the fire and let out a sigh. I was now enlightened.

The problem was that I was wasting time. I had set off on a journey to become yet another champion wannabe like my father wished, but to be frank that was no my dream. I just wanted to have a cosy, normal life, with a routine and no big adventures waiting at every corner. I wanted to study, get a job, maybe marry and get a kid or two, nothing too important, but good enough to keep me happy and satisfied.

I reached for my jeans’ pocket (I was not very keen about sleeping with pyjamas in the hearth of the wild) and took a red and white ball from it. I pressed a button right in the middle of the ball and red and white broke in two. The lower half, the white one, spat a scarlet laser, which hit the ground that gained shape that, then, materialized.
The one who came from the ball was Mudkip, the Mud Fish Pokémon who had a huge head topped by a fin and with yet another fin serving as a tail. It was mostly blue, except for the external orange gills which sprouted from both its checks. I sat down to be levelled with small creature and then fixed my gaze at it.

Mudkip had been my starter Pokémon, the Pokémon I had received as the first of supposedly many Pokémon in my journey as a trainer. The little guy was nice and energetic, and seemed to like battles a lot. How could I make it happy if battles were not what I longed for?

The Mud Fish Pokémon nudged my head, perhaps sensing my troubled state. I scratched my chin, pondering. Mudkip seemed to understand when I talked, so maybe I could discuss the matter with it? It was worth a try.

“Mudkip...”, I began with a sigh, “Say I stopped takin’ you into battles. Would you be happy?”

The Pokémon fixed its stare on my eyes for what looked like a lifetime before nudging me gently again. Was that yes, or was it trying to comfort me before giving away the bad news?

“Would you... be happy by just bein’ my companion, say, not my brother in arms, or whatever?”, I questioned, insecurity shaking my words.
“Kip, Mudkip!”, Mudkip squeaked happily before jumping to my lap, prodding my hand. I hesitated, but then I decided that what he wanted to be stroked. I caressed its head fin, finding the sensation better than to pat the fluffiest of Zigzagoon.

“You understand, then...Oh, Mudkip, I hope we both can be happy...”, I said, more to myself than to Mudkip.

I kept on stroking Mudkip as tears rolled from my face to the ground. Sorrow had not provoked them, but happiness; happiness for knowing I could count on someone to be on my side for everything.

As dawn painted the sky with pink, I thought that I could never thank Mudkip enough. To face my father I would need any and every assistance possible.

 

[LightningTopaz]

That's perfect--I'm interested in how the confrontation would play out

 

[raychuu]

Thanks, I'm glad someone liked it! Maybe I could expand the idea into something more, we'll see. ;-)