Whoa, quite a bit has happened here while I wasn't looking. xD
Light Azumarill said:
I must smell like PokeNip!
I was reminded of this all-too-common problem while reading a fic just the other day. This is when the author makes all of the pokemon love their trainers instantly and forever. This is unrealistic (even my pets at home don't love me that much XP) and just booooring to read. This doesn't always have to apply to pokemon liking their trainers either; sometimes trainers don't like the pokemon they get too. When everyone gets along like butter and toast; it's just not fun to read.
Yeah, I've seen this a lot too. The oh-so-happy pokémon (Which is always precisely the one the trainer wanted, as introduced by the generic 'what pokémon do you want?' conversation) is ever so content with his equally happy trainer and they have an unshakable bond of friendship and trust at the beginning of day two.
...
No, that's not really my idea of good character development, but on the other hand, everyone having completely dysfunctional relationships with their pokémon won't work either (as it kind of gets monotonous) so I guess balance is the best.
Light Azumarill said:
Bad guys always abuse their pokemon!!
Yup. >> Just because someone's in Team Rocket or some other evil group doesn't mean they can't have a good relationship with their pokemon. I agree; there are some people that are just screwed up and only have a Rattata to kick it around, but abusing your pokemon is not a requirement for an antagonist.
Too true. Just because villains don't care for people or pokémon in particular doesn't mean that they need to be completely incapable of empathy. This also seems to be an all too common trait of rivals. Because the rival is always a big meanie-butt who spends his time abusing small, defenseless pokémon and all that shizzle. Oh, and being mean to the main character of course. xP
Come to think of it, wouldn't it be amusing if there was a good guy who actually mistreated their pokémon (Not intentionally, perhaps, but still) or actually was a worse caretaker than the villain of the story?
Hanako Tabris said:
I understand my Pokemon!
It annoys me when a trainer, who just started out, can understand their Pokemon's dialogue. Unless there is a good reason for it, like classes or new technology, then it really makes no sense. Yes, while it is easier to have the Pokemon just be understood, just remember that it's an entirerly different language.
Very true. This is actually something I've been struggling with, because on one hand conversations with pokémon provide lots of room for character development (Moreso than monologue) but on the other, the 'mystical powers of communication' is such a widely used cliché that I'm hesitant to use it, and I do agree that having no explanation at all is just wrong. I mean, if the person had - say - grown up among pokémon of the species then understanding would be motivated, but a creature the likes of which they have never seen? Fat chance. xP
ProtrainerEon said:
Superliciousness baby!
Grey turned to look at his Granbull. He stared at the opponent's much smaller Machop. This fight was decided. His Granbull had years of training and this Machop had only just leveled up since birth.
"Machop, attack!" (Trainer1's name here) ordered.
Machop rushed forward, dishing out a powerful hit. Its fist glowed with power as it smashed itself into Granbull. The strong Mega Punch sent Granbull flying and it was knocked out in one hit.
Lol, this actually reminds me of a certain fic where a newly hatched Eevee KOed Wattson's Manectric with one Tackle, because it apparently knew that its trainer 'loved it'. This was obvious, of course, because only complete and utter love could compell someone to send their five-minute old Eevee against a gym leader's trained Manectric. Yeah. xP Needless to say, I don't much appreciate writers doing this either.
Shiney said:
Black and White, Moral.
To put it simply, people cast villans and heroes in sheer personifications of what they stand for. A true hero has as many dark secrets and fasads as anyone else, and the only way to tell if someone is truly evil or not, is to have a hard time telling whether or not their gultimate goal is right. [/ramble]
Nyu, I agree that the 'heroes' shouldn't be perfect little angels. I don't think they all need to have an uber-angsty past of blodshed and cruelty, but yeah, everybody has a skeleton or two in their closet. Besides, readers tend to be more interested in flaws than merits.
Shiney said:
Black and White, Racial.
Now, let me point this out, I'm not trying to raise red flags or anything. But it seems like every story I read, the characters are either white, or pokemon. Why not add a little diversity, it's not like it'd actually change the character''s roles. Mix it up with a few splashes of different geniologies here and there. IMHO, it really hleps the immersion role.
I'll be honest and say I hadn't actually noticed this until you pointed it out, but yes, it's true. A lot of folks just automatically assume the protagonist(s) to be white, don't they? I seem to recall one fic - not a very good one, mind you, but still - where the main character turned out to be dark-skinned and quite a few people expressed their surprise over it. Question, though, how should they be described? Because some types - like hispanic, for instance - are kind of hard to describe, because the geographical area the name came from doesn't exist in the pokémon world yet going into detail about nuances of colour etc. seems to be kind of a dubious solution stylistically. Does anybody know of suitable equivalents? 'cause I'm honestly stumped about the right way to describe them. x__x This is definitely a good point, though, and certainly worth remembering.
