POPULAR: Cliches in Pokémon Fanfiction

[Spitfire94]

Might be a bit off topic but random curiousity if anyone has an answer for it: When is it an appropriate time to give characters new Pokémon or evolve ones they already have?

 

[diamondpearl876]

Might be a bit off topic but random curiousity if anyone has an answer for it: When is it an appropriate time to give characters new Pokémon or evolve ones they already have?

There's already another thread talking about evolution if you want to check it out.

As for giving trainers new pokemon, it depends. I gave my OC 3 pokemon within the span of ~5 chapters and readers didn't approve, but I did it to challenge the OC to see how she'd deal with a bunch of changes all at once, and how she'd deal with trying to balance the team dynamic. Spoiler alert: she was going to fail at it because she knew nothing about pokemon and was a brand new trainer, and she was going to learn from it, but I started rewriting the fic before getting that far. I also wanted those 3 pokemon introduced ASAP because the pokemon characters are main characters along with the OC. So timing can be important, or it may not, depending on your story. More details might help.

 

[Dagda]

another cliche :
Ash with Aura and Psychic powers.
I can understand why it can be interesting to explore Ash's Aura powers, and the other superhuman powers people are able to obtain in the world. But I can cannot for the life of me understand the need for a OP protagonist with multiple powers, it is like giving Magneto the Flash's powers.

One that note would love to see someone bring up Ash seeing Larvitar's dream when dealing with his Aura powers.

Ash regaining all his old Pokemon again within one chapter. Although Ash getting Pidgeot etc. back can work very well the process is often to rushed with Ash regaining all the Pokemon in the span of one chapter or regaining one Pokemon pr. chapter.

Static Friends. Alot of fanfictions have Ash and his friends gathering together for one big adventure where they can all get to know each other and save the world along way. That is not a bad idea as such but the thing that really brothers me with this type of story is that his friends almost never have any changes to their teams despite Ash having the time to travel multiple regions since last seeing said friends. Being a gymleader/Doctor in training doesn't mean that peoples stop gaining /evolving their pokemon, Misty have gained three Pokemon in the show since becoming Gymleader and should have more if seen again. Have her go fishing on her days off, attend Pokemon Swap Meet or trade with other Gymleaders.

Ash trading all/Some of his Tauros. This is plot device that I both like and dislike, I like the idea of Ash trading some/all of Tauros as he cannot really train and fight with 30 Tauros. However it often ends up with Ash simple putting them up on the Global Trade System, I know Ash dont have the same emotional connection to his Tauros's as he had to Butterfree, but random trading doesn't seem like something Ash would do, he would need to know that his Pokemon are well taken off and not with people that thinks like Paul did in the beginning.

 

[Xel Yel]

Oh, oh, I've got one!

Psychic type Pokémon have the power to read their master/friends/allies minds, but they deliberately, explicitly say they won't because they love them.
While it's something that makes sense, it's still a terrible thing to have these pokémon tell you this at a random point of the story, out of nowhere. So if you do this, do it in a point of the story in which it's a relevant thing. Besides, there could be plenty of possible explanations which are not just "Because I'm such a good pokémon I won't do it", such as:
> It's near impossible to do that, as it requires a lot of psychic energy, more than the pokémon can handle;
> Psychic powers do not allow that in the first place (What is Psychic type, even? Its definition can be up to the reader, as generic as it is in the canon);
> They can only do it partially, as in they can understand some things of the brain but not every single detail of it (You know, because the brain is kind of a complex thing, not just a .txt file...).

In all honesty it's not that bad, but it's something I've seen in almost every single fiction in which pokémon can talk to humans if there is a Psychic type pokémon, so, yeah...

 

[CrystaI]

Thanks to a new thread topic, I wanted to add this.
I was thinking in putting this also in the Fanfic Pet Peeve thread, but I think this would suits more in here, because before it makes me sick to the teeth, it was abundant in everywhere and possibly being abused.

That is: Pokemon discussed solely by their types, everything are categorized by types, types being the first priority in pokemon-related topics.

Well I do understand that the pokemons are indeed having a physiological attribute which the canon called it "type", and I do understand that within the game, type being a very important strategic consideration where it had become the topmost determining factor during battle, much more than any other things such as stats and attack power.

But, do we really need go all the way to aggrandize endlessly of that little attribute which in the Pokedex (and also many other fan-made Pokemon encyclopedia) just took up a little corner of the info page, to the point of saying "All ___-type pokemons is ==insert whatever statement=="? And on top of that, extend it further to human characterization, design a character based on type, and there are so many type specialist and gym leaders are all being such trainers!
Everything is typified (double meaning intended).

I really have to ask, from a more realistic point of view, how important does "type" contributes to the overall physiology and battle performance of a pokemon?
Say for example, if a pokemon is weak to water, is it because of this simple reasoning of "it is fire/ground/rock-type", or because of something more complicated such as water will quickly drains the body heat of some pokemon thus causing them feels more pain than other pokemons, or the pokemon usually lived in dry weather where their body is not used to humidity thus soaking wet makes them very uncomfortable, or despite the body of certain pokemon is rock-hard but water can easily seep through it and get to its sensitive nerves underneath, etc.
Say for another explicit example, Ninetales and Slugma are both fire-type, but I really doubt the effectiveness of water attack against these two pokemons. For the latter, maybe not even water, but ice attack which gameverse theory-wise it is not very effective, will be very effective in terms of its physiology. For Ninetales, I would assume unless it is drown in a pool hence take in large amounts of water instantly into its body, water attack may not do much on its outer body.
And also, because with the recategorizing of pokemon types through the generations (From GenI -> GenII, and from GenVI -> GenVII), I have to doubt is "type" really an physiological attribute of pokemon? Isn't it rather just a scientific categorization developed by the human for the convenient sake of elemental anatomy grouping?

May be it is just me, but I really dislike that whenever pokemon is discussed within a fic, everyone "typifies" it, both the characters and writer, making types being the first thing in mind when comes to topic related to pokemon battles.
For me personally during my fic writing, type provides a little extra advantages and disadvantages when the attack damages the pokemon, but that's all, nothing further than that. When an attack didn't hit the opponent, it is just meaningless how effective it should be against certain pokemon. And when an attack does hit the opponent, even not very effective attack can defeat the opponent when bombarded in barrage. For damages and injuries in pokemon battle, I consider attack range and body size and pinpointed damage spot more than the consideration of type.

 

[Beth Pavell]

Psychic powers do not allow that in the first place (What is Psychic type, even? Its definition can be up to the reader, as generic as it is in the canon);

That does bother me a bit. It's one of those persistent bits of fanon that assumes all Psychic-types can use telepathy, and that telepathy will also be safe, easy, and pretty much just like talking. There's so much more you could do with it - off the top of my head, Terry Pratchett plays around with "the mind can't be simply read like a book" thing, the RPG Dark Heresy has gleefully dark fun with the "unwelcome intruder" approach

 

[Morningstar]

...But, do we really need go all the way to aggrandize endlessly of that little attribute which in the Pokedex (and also many other fan-made Pokemon encyclopedia) just took up a little corner of the info page, to the point of saying "All ___-type pokemons is ==insert whatever statement=="? And on top of that, extend it further to human characterization, design a character based on type, and there are so many type specialist and gym leaders are all being such trainers!
Everything is typified (double meaning intended)....

It really does seem to be one dimensional, especially since the anime (and possible other spinoffs) disregard the chart on most cases, as well as other gameplay mechanics like leveling.

I think the problem is twofold. The anime falling into this same trap even in the cases where its disregarded (see how many times a pokemon's type is mentioned), and that the devs wanting to ease beginners in and teach them about the type chart by adding characters based on and specializing on a certain type. Even in Sun and Moon, where they are mostly optional battles (and the optional trains are in a position that cycles them out at age 20. Which makes it arbitrary that the captain for the Grass trial just happens to be a cook or a cook in training that seems to live on a farm. That the Observatory's previous captain as a steel specialist while the current is Electric, or that the one on Vast Poni Canyon is "unmanned" isn't helping the matter). All of it leads to a sort of conditioning that assumes typing is a natural law of the universe, where its just a means to balance pokemon.

 

[Ereshkigal]

I will admit I am going to have two main human characters who are psychics... But since the fanfic I'm writing revolves around them and a psychic-type Pokemon, I figured it would make sense.

And I do admit Mewtwo is mentioned and will be mentioned a few more times. Mewtwo is, story-wise, generally held up as, "Okay, this was a major mistake..." Genesects will also show up, but only in the hands of people who would have the resources and reason to create more of them in the first place (basically, the military). The main characters are not going to qualify for people who have access to Genesects unless they tick off the military, and then it'll be entirely the wrong kind of access.

I think the cliche that bothers me the most is trying to avoid cliches. That can result in a story that is entirely unreadable. Doing them right, on the other hand, can make for a very enjoyable story. Doing them hilariously bad can also be a fun read, especially if you know you can't do them well and decide to make an obvious comedy out of your efforts.

 

[Xel Yel]

I think the cliche that bothers me the most is trying to avoid cliches. That can result in a story that is entirely unreadable. Doing them right, on the other hand, can make for a very enjoyable story. Doing them hilariously bad can also be a fun read, especially if you know you can't do them well and decide to make an obvious comedy out of your efforts.

True, true, so much true! On that regard, I think clichés are a fundamental part of any writing. If someone can write a story, be it of any genre or type, without using a single cliché, either the guy behind it is a genius, or the story will plainly suck. The reason clichés exist is because they are actually good plot devices, and things which generally make a story compelling. The problem is to use them properly, because you always need to add something of your own to them, and to put them within a reasonable context. Clichès are like foundations, to give a metaphor.

So I'd say go ahead with your story! (So long as you put your own twist to it and avoid being banal. So what if you have a Mewtwo or a Genesect? Just make sure to give them some proper personality/role within the story, other than being all-powerful legendaries.)

 

[UselessBytes]

Let's see if I can contribute

• Pokemon battles are dark and gritty and and a struggle for survival
• Main character has at least one shiny Pokemon
• Main character is absurdly powerful without any definitive reason why
• OC rival is literally Silver with a different name

That's all I can come up with for now

 

[Beth Pavell]

"Rated M for possible future lemons" "May be lemons in future chapters idk"

 

[Ereshkigal]

Hah!

I'm just hoping it doesn't become necessary to add a rating level just for me. I'm editing the first chapter because it touches on some dark stuff way too fast.

Not to say it's going to be anything resembling peaches and cream; it's still going to be pretty dark in what it hints at. But, I don't quite want to start piling up the bodies yet.

 

[AetherX]

"Rated M for possible future lemons" "May be lemons in future chapters idk"

That's how you grab readers.

 

[Misfit Angel]

Very tempted to add that to my stuff now, but it's hard since I take my work seriously

 

[0bs1d1an_kn1ght]

Pokemon battles are dark and gritty and and a struggle for survival

Are they at least written realistically? I mean, don't you think that's what it'd be like in real life?

 

[UselessBytes]

Are they at least written realistically? I mean, don't you think that's what it'd be like in real life?

I mean, in some situations, it fits. Like, hell, I write horror fiction and my story that I recently started, Real Fear, is pretty dark and gritty. But the way I see it, most Pokemon battling is like a sport, and sports don't tend to be a struggle for survival.

 

[Beth Pavell]

Either way you choose to portray the battle is a cliché in itself. If realism in an issue, then it's worth bearing in mind that though you can find some instances in history when sports have been brutal to the point of deadly, they are a rarity. Gladiatorial bouts in Roman culture are the archetypal example, though even then most gladiators lived lives of ordinary length. Because of course they did. They were the superstars of their day, the recipients of expensive and intensive training. What manager is going to throw away so much money in training and advertising revenue - yes, really - on a man who's likely to die in the ring? The other instance I can think of, I suppose, would be jousting. But then the joust was as much an exercise in training for war, and even then the purpose was never to try and kill one another.

Off the top of my head, the way I'd look at making the cliché work is by making use of the rarity of serious injury in battling - hence the "grit" is in there being no rules forbidding that level of viciousness in the battle.

 

[0bs1d1an_kn1ght]

As I'm writing a PMD story, I was thinking of portraying the fights more as a fight for territory or hunt than for sport.

 

[UselessBytes]

As I'm writing a PMD story, I was thinking of portraying the fights more as a fight for territory or hunt than for sport.

Well, for a PMD fic it'd obviously be different seeing as the main characters are the Pokemon themselves, and it's more of a fight than a sport in that case

 

[Ereshkigal]

Either way you choose to portray the battle is a cliché in itself. If realism in an issue, then it's worth bearing in mind that though you can find some instances in history when sports have been brutal to the point of deadly, they are a rarity. Gladiatorial bouts in Roman culture are the archetypal example, though even then most gladiators lived lives of ordinary length. Because of course they did. They were the superstars of their day, the recipients of expensive and intensive training. What manager is going to throw away so much money in training and advertising revenue - yes, really - on a man who's likely to die in the ring? The other instance I can think of, I suppose, would be jousting. But then the joust was as much an exercise in training for war, and even then the purpose was never to try and kill one another.

Off the top of my head, the way I'd look at making the cliché work is by making use of the rarity of serious injury in battling - hence the "grit" is in there being no rules forbidding that level of viciousness in the battle.

From what I understand of recent archaeological surveys, the idea that gladiator fights were to the death anything more than rarely is pretty much false. Apparently, a lot of the lethal blows were mercy kills for someone horribly crippled or accidentally injured in a way that would cause them to die in slow agony. And some fights to the death were for gladiators who were at the end of their career and wanted to go down fighting.

Once you get into the endorsements and similar deals, they really do end up pretty much the same as modern sports stars. A typical popular gladiator would probably resemble a modern NFL star on every level, save that they didn't have to live with the crippling injuries of their sports after their careers were over (which is the real reason the typical NFL player makes millions; they're going to need it just for medical bills).

However, Pokemon trainers in the games act more like special forces units who occasionally do work as sports stars. They break up gangs, engage hostile Pokemon, investigate ruins, investigate myths on occasion, hunt down treasure... I'm considering the possibility the Pokemon Leagues are not organized that real-world professional sports, but more like real-world military sports. Which would make the dabblers, like the hikers and school children who battle, more along the lines of paintball enthusiasts while the professional trainers are the ones who face military-level equipment loaded with training rounds. The objective would still be not to kill people, but at the same time I would not be surprised if nonlethal injuries were not a lot more common (in particular, bruises).