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Creative liberties with your story

Here are some other things I've done:
- The Pokedex is, for the most part, inaccurate.
- Most Legendaries can breed, but the reason why they won't breed at the Day Care is because they refuse to breed in captivity.
- Pokemon vary in size. Pokemon larger or smaller than usual exist.
- More powerful Legendaries can shapeshift (and have more freedom of doing it than Ditto).
- Legendaries are used to people trying to summon them every so often.
- Arceus CANNOT be caught no matter what.
 
After such long discussion (or should I say just a listing of so-called "liberties" from each writers) of the topic of this thread, I just had a thought coming up in my head.


The exact same question was also asked in another forum, where the replies in there were much more in-depth into to topic of "liberty and freedom" of creativity of a writer. It is obvious that fanfic writers write fics based on a canon work. But the canon itself, is not a dead set universal law to be follow unquestioningly, rather in general speaking it is more like a setting norms there to provide reference materials for basis building of one's story. Any other information the canon didn't provided explicitly or alluded suggestively, are canon plot holes or simply just blank spaces. We fanfic writers are free to fill and work in that blank spaces provided within the canons, expand the canon settings by providing our own headcanon theories, or even explain the things that were non-existing within canons.

For the expansion of canon, I'm sure many Pokemon fans had ever trying to explain the mechanism of Pokeball. Well, there doesn't exist an official and rational explanation about the mechanism of Pokeball. That's why we can see different portrayals in different Pokemon canon works.
In anime, Pokeballs expand in size when you use it, absorb the Pokemon by firstly somehow transform the Pokemon into some form of energy, when recall a Pokemon, a red beam is shoot to the target Pokemon and absorb the Pokemon as a form of energy. There are many fan theories floating around to explain this phenomenon, some even go super in-depth into quantum mechanics and physics theories that I don't even understand...... That, is expansion of canon, and yet headcanons of each theory presenter.

For the non-existing things in canon, let's say politics within the Pokemon world. IIRC, these things are never ever being mentioned or even alluded for once within any of the Pokemon canon, but that doesn't mean it didn't exist any sort of politics affairs, nor any form of government within the Pokemon world. One is welcome to make up a government within the Pokemon world, and write a politic story about it. If not politic story, one can still design the government and respective law suits if your story requires it. That is part of the unexplored blank space of the canon, and fanfic writers have the freedom to expand upon it.


But more than often, fanfic writers doesn't like to follow all the materials provided in one canon. Some choose to follow a bit of information from one canon, borrow a bit from another canon, or even make up some original materials. Author set up a complete blank slate, create a basis by filling in selective canon materials required by the story, and create a story based on this custom platform. In this way, author had much more freedom than just expansion of canon.

The very simple alternative universe fic is already such kind that disregarding certain elements in a canon. So simple as making Ash Ketchum a competent Pokemon trainer worth to be Pokemon Master, or having TR ruling the world.
But for more or less, I think every Pokemon fanfic writer had tried already to disregard certain elements provided in canon materials. Such as altering the battle system, alter the graphic portrayal of certain moves, or changing the identity of Pokemon Trainer itself.

The good thing is, Pokemon had so many different canons that each differs significant from one another. From the characterization of Pokemon and human, to the cultures and rules of the world itself. Because it is inconsistent, alternatively it also suggests that it doesn't have a consistent portrayal, author is suggestively encouraged to create your own Pokemon world, with its own rule and culture, also your own region, your own fakemon, or your own history timeline.


Very few, but yet it is not prohibited. Go completely original, do what the canon had never done before! I don't mean journey fics in original region with original history and culture filled with original fakemons. I mean original story idea that doesn't resemble any of the canon story.
No Pokemon in your Pokemon fic? Fine, just provide an explanation why there is no Pokemon in your fic. Be it a post-apocalyptic story, or Pokemon massacre happened in the past, or all Pokemon transformed into Poke-human.
The personified Pokemon romance story? That's also fine. A celebrity legendary Poke-human fell in love with a common civilian Poke-human... Whatever. (I already saw there is truly such a fic like that in another forum)
Human transform into Pokemon and battle? Sure why not? Pokemon ReBURST already tried it. Well, one can say that is canon work, but it is really not part of the official work registered under Pokemon Company or being trademarked. I personally view it as an "officially published fan work".
A massive Pokemon war story on a global scale? Sounds interesting. If the author can pull it off nicely. Let it be as dark as possible, because it is war!
Crossover with another franchise? Of course possible! Even the official Pokemon games had already tried in crossover story (Pokemon Conquest, and upcoming Pokken), why not try other crossovers in fanfics? My fic is Pokemon x Digimon.



TL;DR. So to put it shortly. Even it is fanfic based on some canon works, ANYTHING GOES!
It is the liberty of author choose to follow the canon material word by word.
It is also the liberty of author choose to only follow some of the selective canon material.
And it is also the liberty of author choose not to follow any of the provided canon material, but create one's own foundation.

The only things that bounds your fanfic is not the canon itself, but the creativity limit of the writer.
 
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Excellent post. I agree with all of it.
Largely because I have an expansive headcanon that has been snowballing for years into something massive and elaborate. And every time I write, I surprise myself with how I mess with or conform to canon in some way or another.
Really, I love the challenge of writing with Pokemon, of making the whole thing interesting, and treating the concept seriously.
 
Do not worry about does your does your headcanons contradicts with the canon or not, because official Pokemon canons never ever give explicit details about its world, so we never knew is our headcanons wrong or right. As long as it makes sense to yourself and to your fanfic, then it will be fine.

For me, I also have my own headcanons about how the Pokeball should work, how the cities and towns run in the Pokemon world, also how the Pokemon Trainer system works. However, my headcanons are rather contradicting with the anime portrayal, because my headcanons are rather "realistic", I incorporate a lot of real-world rules into my own PokeWorld, whereas the PokeWorld inside my head is no more the PokeWorld from any of the canon. But I would not say mine is 'incorrect', because there is no 'correct' portrayal of Pokemon world. As I had said before, even the canon is inconsistent on this issue, hence anything is possible.
 
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One of the biggies is that I never write a city or town as "Goldenrod City". Everything will refer to it as "Goldenrod".
I'm toying with not capitalizing "Pokemon" most of the time.
 
Using Ice being weak to Dragon as a "big change" I think demonstrates a lack of creativity. That's only a solid rule in the game because of standardization---let's say there was a pure-Dragon Type that was covered in thick fur. It's weak to Ice-type in the games. But do you think if you wrote a story with that Pokemon, it'd suddenly die when walking around in a blizzard?

I'd probably throw out the Type Chart, it's an idea that's useful for a statistical RPG, but it really doesn't have a place when you're working in a medium where you don't have to worry about standardization for game-play sake. I notice a lot of people get worked up when the show doesn't play exactly by the rules of the Type Chart, and I always found that an extremely nerdy thing to get upset over. There's no reason the show needs to follow the rules of the game by the letter. But I digress...

You can use the Type Chart as a decent guide, but don't let it own you. Use basic logic and what makes sense, taking in account the individual Pokemon. Carnivine may be Grass-type, for instance, and for gameplay purposes it's weak to Bug-type, but really when writing one I don't think there's any shame in making it excel against Bug-types given its status as a giant Venus Fly Trap. And just because it's a Ground-type move, if it's a projectile like a Mud Bomb, it's gonna hurt a Flying-type Pokemon if it slams into them.
 
i think when it comes to fan-fiction, you can take some artistic liberties as long as you don't change the whole concept, but, in dealing with work that focuses around history, politics, culture, etc. you must use as much right, unbiased information as you can. i cannot stress this enough. these are very important subjects and i feel it's wrong to tamper with them. i think it's fine to make a fiction piece about, say, 9/11 never happening and how the world in that universe is different than the world in ours, but screwing with it just for the plot or character's sake is... not good, lol. i really don't like that and i'm sure there are others that don't like it as well. if a character or plot doesn't work with a certain historical event, then use another character/plot or scrap the idea.
 
Some creative liberties I have currently established (or am considering establishing) in my story Reset Bloodlines over on F.F net

Canon

  1. Pokemon training starts at age 15
  2. Starter Pokemon are rare in the wild, but not impossible to find. Most starter Pokemon seen come from Pokemon Professors
  3. Pokedex's are rarer, being hand made by Pokemon Professors for specific trainers
  4. Special abilities in humans, such as Aura, Pokemon Speech, or the ability to be followed by rain like that guy from the Clubsplosion, are known as Bloodlines. They are rather rare, sort of like the X-Gene in Marvel, and are treated about as well
  5. Pokemon often know only four moves. However, well trained mons can use more than four
  6. Stone and trade based evolutions can be found in the wild, albiet rarely and being poorly understood by science
  7. Trainer nations (like Kanto, Orre and Unova) are in a Cold War with the Ranger Nations (Fiorre, Almia, etc)
  8. Pokemon are more dangerous than in anime canon, but less than in, say Sun Soul and Pokewars. Professor Oak, approximately fourty years ago, found out the secrets to making the world a better place
  9. Pokemon rights differ by nation. Some Pokemon regions, like Kanto and Hoenn, are more progressive about it than Johto or Sinnoh
  10. TM and HM's are in the form of instructions that can be read by Pokedexes
  11. Pokedex's are multi purpose tools. They can access the internet, play music, function as credit cards, and Ash's often sounds like it wants to take over the world
  12. Pokemon Trainers who do not have a place like Oak's lab handle having more than six Pokemon on hand by having the Pokeballs locked. They can be unlocked by locking active Pokeballs
  13. MissingNo is essentially the devil
  14. Pokemon need to be kept active (either in training or on their own at labs or similar locations) or their skills deteriorate.
  15. Once a trainer wins eight badges, they can re-challenge a league as many times as they want.
  16. A trainer, particularly one who can't move around that much, can challenge the local gym for a special badge that allows them to go straight to the Pokemon League. They fight the Gym's best team, and if they loose they cannot re-challenge any gym for one full year.
  17. Brock's parents are dead and he is engaged to someone (Lucy)
  18. Iris and the Striaton Trio were lost as children; Iris was abandoned to die in the woods and the Trio were stolen from a hospital by an unknown party. Dawn has no record of her existence, but is in fact alive.
  19. Giovanni has issues with Juan.
  20. Giovanni and the other team leaders are fierce rivals who occasionally work for mutually beneficial reasons
  21. The Team Rocket Trio is stalking Ash on the orders of Giovanni, for reasons unknown to all but him.
  22. Rota is an independent monarchy to the north of Pewter City. Team Rocket cannot go there without risk of execution.
  23. Misty's family is related to Siebold.
  24. Gym Leaders are required to have teams for all eight different badge levels (1st badge to 8th badge)
  25. Pokemon can be transported in Pokeballs either by standard teleporters, or by the experimental H.O.P.E gloves that Oak is testing with Gary and Ash. The Pokdex's transport button does not work.
  26. Misty and her family have a worse relationship than in canon. Much worse.
  27. Bloodline abilities come in four varieties: Attack bloodlines that give the user the ability of one Pokemon move (Transform, Rain Dance, Splash, etc), Species that give you the abilities of one specific Pokemon (Lucario, Charizard, etc), Type Heart bloodlines that give you all the attacks, the general abilities, understanding, and control over a type of Pokemon (Water, Dragon, Psychic, etc) and Dominion, which gives you power over a broad concept often influenced by the user's own world views (Power, Luck, O-Powers, etc)
  28. Bloodliners used to be very rare, but for the last 16 odd years, their numbers have exploded, though still somewhat rare, it is like 1 in 10 million became 1 in a thousand. For unknown reasons, most born are female
  29. Psyduck is more of a deadpan snarker, though he still retains some of his ditzyness.
  30. Pokemon have different views on relationships than humans do. Some are monogamous like the Bulbasaur line, others like the Pikachu line are casually polygamous. Some merely mate and don't put much more thought into it.
  31. There are more than 8 gyms in a region.



Yet to be written/considering
  1. The Safari Zone is a re-wilding area in Kanto, sort of like Wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone or Plestiocene Park in Russia. It only lets people in when there is overpopulation
  2. Pokemon eggs are not totally dependent on the mother's species
  3. Iris is more literally a wild child, having been raised by Pokemon after being abandoned by her parents to die in the woods
  4. May is Norman's Stepdaughter and Max's half-sister. This relationship is still as strong as canon, if not more so
  5. Mega-Evolution can only be used by either Bloodline possessors, or remarkable humans
  6. Pokemon black markets are a major issue
  7. Wes is an amnesiac time traveler from a bad future.
  8. Once you win a Grand Festival, you can no longer compete in them.
  9. Unova is only home to Unovan native Pokemon. Some non-native species do migrate over it, such as Dragonite, however. Kalos's native species are the Kalos native species, and obtained the other species as gifts from other nations after the loss of most of their diversity to AZ's weapon.
  10. Pokeballs that are not the basic variety are rare and expensive
  11. Ash, Red, Yellow, Richie and numerous other characters share the same father, who possessed the Power Dominion bloodline.
  12. Whenever Red speaks too much, he breaths fire.
  13. Due to money troubles, Johanna was forced to join a group known as the 'ultimate trainer project', which has ties to O-Powers.
  14. AZ's weapon can be altered to only take human or Pokemon lifeforce

I appreciate any thoughts you may have on it
 
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