The Plot Bunny Thread

[JX Valentine]

Originally Posted by ChrisTom

1. A small island town is about to experience a hurricane. A Pikachu who get's lost from her family befriends a trainer who decides to seek shelter at the local Lighthouse. Upon entering they discover an ancient secret, having to do with Lanturn, Relicanth, and the birth of the ocean...

Doesn't sound too bad. Of course, the concept hinges on what the secret is and where you go from there, given the fact that this discovery (of the secret at least) seems like the beginning of the story.

2. Okay, my main question with this is should it be a story or an RP? I can't really decide. The town of Cinnabar Island is struck with fear. There have been sightings. Sightings of something so strange, so otherworldly, so terrifying that it peirces their hearts with fear at the mere name of it. Some say it's nothing more than mass hysteria. But after one boy's father get's killed by it, he knows he'll have to unravel the secret of: The Cinnabar Anomaly. Yes, I stole the name from the fanon Pokedex, don't judge me.

Because you're really focusing on only one person's perspective of the events, it's probably best to leave it as a story. An RP would require you to open up the possibility for other people to jump in and want to investigate this mystery. Given the fact that this is a mystery that might actually require you to link that death with the sightings (because I'm not sure if the boy would watch his father get killed by a monster and be completely stable after that -- not to mention I'm not sure how many people would believe him if he said his father was killed by said monster), it seems like more of a private investigation, rather than something just anyone can jump into with their own characters (even if you tried to limit the cast to a handful of open slots).

Long story short, it's a murder mystery about a boy trying to connect his father's death with strange sightings of a monster that may or may not actually exist. It would, as a consequence, probably focus on that boy's quest to discover the truth because the circumstances of the death would most likely be incredibly shady.

[ChrisTom]

Well JXValentine, my idea for the Cinnabar Anamoly would be that if it was an RP that it would be like you said: people coming in and trying to solve the case. I would tell the participants that they are from various parts of the Pokemon World and that all of them are sort of "Detectives". If you'd like me to show you more of the story-in-progress please PM me. I will even spoil the juicy deets to you if recquisitioned.

[JX Valentine]

Even so, your story seems to revolve most around a single character, and it seems to be built on paranormal investigation, not just your average CSI. This means that it will have more emotional impact (and therefore allow for more character development) for a single character and not your outlying detectives because it's related most to the kid's father.

Additionally, as I've said above, your detectives will most likely be paranormal investigators because they're getting into purported sightings of an unknown creature. Think about how seriously a lot of people take alien or ghost hunters in the real world. You have people who do, but for the most part, not everyone does. This means the investigation will be harder for your detectives, even to the point of potentially causing your main character to mistrust them a little. I mean, if someone came up to you and said they completely believe your story about how your father was killed by something everyone else says doesn't exist, how would you react?

[ChrisTom]

Very true. I didn't think about that...

I've been really interested in Forensics and Mysteries recently, as I just read my first Sherlock Holmes. The mystery of Boscombe Valley was very good.

[JX Valentine]

Oh yeah. Boscombe Valley's pretty good itself, although my favorite would probably be Scandal in Bohemia. I'd say why, but it'd be a spoiler.

But yes. Mystery isn't an easy genre to work with. While it's great when it's pulled off, you'll need to think about every last detail and every last step, which is something else I didn't actually bring up. In order to make the mystery reach the conclusion you want, you'll have to have not only the ending planned out in detail but also every last step that gets to it. While it's possible to have an RPG like this (if you used the "storybook" format and advanced the plot only when certain conditions are met for each chapter), you'll need tighter control over your players than normal if you want them to notice all the clues -- including the way all NPCs behave with regards to this mystery -- you've had in mind. Actually, Sherlock Holmes should be a good example of this, so definitely keep reading and take note on how Holmes picks up on the tiniest details that eventually lend to the way he solves this mystery. Feel free to use Doyle as a springboard for ideas on how to work in the subtle details you'll want for that climactic conclusion.

If you're dealing with paranormal investigations (because you very well could turn around and say, "No, really, it was just a guy who killed this kid's father."), it's even taking it a step up because you're going to have to figure out how to get these characters to arrive to the conclusion that it's not just some person who did the murdering. This would require convincing not just the cast but also the reader -- who might be expecting a Scooby-Doo-style "man in a mask" conclusion -- that it really is that mysterious creature lurking on the sides of the shores.

Good luck either way.

[ChrisTom]

Well the story isn't so much Mystery as it is Paranormal. I really wanted to focus on the Anamoly itself. I make it very clear that this Anamoly is real, so it's more about the kid finding out what in heaven's name it is. I do want it to have a feeling slightly akin to your "Man in the mask" thing, but just a little bit to where the reader might be thinking some person's controlling it. I also was hoping to try and lean in on the Horror Genre as the death was caused by, well... I'd like to send you a copy of a rough draft for the first chapter if that's alright. Please let me know. Thanks again.

With all regards,

-ChrisTom

[Roxasabridged]

Originally Posted by JX Valentine

While it's interesting to have a Pokémon-focused epidemic wipe out the Pokémon population, you'll want to think of a couple of things:

1. Eight to ten years' incubation time isn't really a "quick and aggressive" spread of a virus. This is assuming you didn't mean it mutated in eight to ten years (i.e., assuming that you meant that each Pokémon died within eight to ten years after receiving the Pokérus virus). For a comparison, try looking up the Black Death, which killed roughly a third of Europe's population within two years. The course of the disease (at least, from the time of contraction to the time of death) was only about a week, and this was bacterial-based. Viruses like the flu can be up to half that time. Of course, a virus can have any variety of symptoms (which in turn could mean it could detected at any length of time -- including, in some cases, not at all), but if you want your virus to be a deadly epidemic, it always helps to do some research into historical epidemics to figure out how to make yours a bit more believable.

I wasn't too detailed earlier. I tend to miss things when typing on a Wii. When I say quick and aggressive, I mean that the virus infects Pokemon on contact, and the beneficial side is almost instantly activated. Basically, it's a normal Pokerus Virus... With fatal effects much later on.

2. Also, think about how this virus is transmitted. If it was given to trainers only via injection, unless it mutated into a more contagious form fairly quickly, wild Pokémon probably went untouched unless this concentrated 'rus displays the same behavior as Pokérus itself (i.e., contagious through skin-to-skin contact).

Yeah, like I said above, it spreads on contact, and all Pokemon would be affected sooner or later.

3. Ecology. Pokémon represent a huge part of the ecology of that world, with some (legendaries) even being embodiments of nature itself. If you wipe out several hundred species all at once, you're risking throwing the balance of nature off, which would no doubt result in horrific things happening to the environment and to humanity itself. Be careful.

Yeah, I understand Legendaries being important for controlling certain aspects of the world. I was planning on having them in a hibernative status, trying to combat the Pokerus effects they contracted, or just not interacting with the world.

4. Remember that this is a virus, one that (in the present of the games, at least) isn't well researched to begin with. You'll have to ask the question of how many people would be willing to infect their Pokémon with a virus -- and, of course, whether or not this is a moot point, considering point #2.

The scientist would have studied Pokerus for a while, saw its beneficial effects, and try to recreate it. New or power hungry trainers would've used the Pokerus to get stronger, not considering the consequences. More skeptical trainers would have had their Pokemon contract it through battles or interaction regardless.

In other words, viruses aren't bad for a concept, but I'm just saying put a lot of thought into it. You could potentially come out with something interesting (like a post-apocalyptic hell); it just depends on how you handle the virus.

As for the rest of the concept, I can't say too much that you'll probably answer within your fic as it is. For example, did the humans magically get these abilities, or is it a new step in human evolution? (This would classify your fic as either a fantasy or a sci-fi piece.) Considering the human race has been living without Pokémon for roughly three centuries, would the Institute have the technology to take over the world without the PokéSpirits? (This question would mean that the army would actually be pretty pointless. As in, the human race would have moved away from depending on Pokémon powers and towards relying on technological weaponry, which in three centuries could have advanced to the point where an untrained piece of flesh would be laughed at by a robot with a nice gun. In other words, who would the Institute be fighting against, and would it be worth it to them to capture and enslave mutants as opposed to building bigger robots and either eradicating the mutants -- if they thought the Spirits would pose a remote threat to said robots -- or just ignoring them?)

I don't want to give too much away, but the PokeSpirits can be considered the first step to reviving Pokemon through complex means.
As for technology, given the overall lack of weapons the games seem to have, and how evil plots seem to revolve around Legendary Pokemon (Which everyone believes is dead) No one sees any real point in fighting with no overwhelming power to back up their group. However, seeing as a lack of weapons is pretty stupid, I could try shortening the time that the world's spent without Pokemon to about... fifty years? The world would be on a slow decline to ruin, and may make it easier to write about.

On that note, I don't know. There's a lot of fics/RPs out there that entail "I have a special group of people with special powers, and there's someone out there who wants to use these people to take over the world." This is actually part of the reason why I'm telling you to think about these questions and concepts and figure out where things might need to be tweaked. It's an interesting idea on the surface, but if you don't ask these kinds of things, you may run into problems with cliché or WTFery.

Good luck though.

Thanks.

[JX Valentine]

Originally Posted by ChrisTom

I'd like to send you a copy of a rough draft for the first chapter if that's alright. Please let me know. Thanks again.

Sure. Fine by me.

Originally Posted by Roxasabridged

When I say quick and aggressive, I mean that the virus infects Pokemon on contact, and the beneficial side is almost instantly activated.

In that case, it's not aggressive. An aggressive virus would be if the negative effects kicked in right away unless you consider what it's doing to be beneficial (i.e., strengthen a Pokémon physically) to be an unintended side-effect of an attack on the victims' immune system.

Yeah, like I said above, it spreads on contact, and all Pokemon would be affected sooner or later.

Also keep in mind several things I said earlier. First off, it's doubtful that all trainers would rush out to get the virus applied to their Pokémon. Remember, it's primarily considered a virus -- a disease. On top of that, in many canon continuities, amping up your Pokémon artificially isn't exactly taken lightly. (The anime, for example, encourages in numbers of episodes that it's pure training that gets Pokémon to be strong, not necessarily artificial boosters. Hence a lot of Ash's special training. Poké Special, if I recall correctly, is pretty similar in this regard -- or at least the people who go out to amp up their Pokémon's power artificially are the gullible ones, given how Blue comes into the story. While the games allow and encourage the PC to do it, people like Karen also imply that training isn't necessarily about having the most powerful Pokémon around.)

On top of that, not a lot of Pokémon are easily accessible. Legendaries like Ho-oh, for example, need to be summoned in order to make an appearance towards humans, and numbers of others (like the Lake Guardians) are sealed away in manners that make it extremely difficult to access them. It was only part of the game's plot that a single PC did.

Then, of course, you've got places like Mt. Silver, which is heavily restricted in terms of access in the first place. It'd be highly doubtful that the Pokémon League, who runs the guard post just before the route to that place, would allow trainers through if their Pokémon were on the equivalent of steroids.

Of course, this also brings up a couple of other good points I'd forgotten earlier:

1. Not everyone reacts to a disease the same way, and not every disease is a death sentence. For example, there have been people who had survived every flu epidemic in history. Given how many Pokémon there are in the world (i.e., how it's unlikely that they all got infected within the first year, given that this is limited to contact only), chances are, someone would have done more research into the disease before the fatalities kicked in or during the epidemic to develop medicines and vaccines to combat the illness.
1a. That and unless the milder form of Pokérus behaves completely differently and is genetically different to the concentrated form, you've already got a number of Pokémon who would be immune to it, just on the virtue of having had the virus already. (This goes especially for a fic that's using game canon.)

2. Not everyone reacts to a disease the same way. Sure, it sounds like a repeat point, but remember that everyone's immune system is different. This includes every immune system between non-humans, too. If Pokémon start dying early because of the disease, there will probably be a lot of investigation as to why, especially if the disease is pretty obvious by then (which it probably would be if you've got something that's perfectly healthy just keel over due to organ failure).
2a. As a side note, this is why I really don't think eight to ten years is viable for an incubation period. Diseases mutate extremely quickly. For example, the flu virus mutates as quickly as once a year, which is why you have to get a new vaccination annually. Bacteria is the same way; it's not unusual for antimicrobial-resistant strains to pop up just because you use hand sanitizer on a constant basis. (This sounds paranoid, but it actually isn't.)

Actually, to help you understand how a virus might work, I'd recommend playing this game. Granted, it assumes that the disease you're creating is a lot like the flu, but it should give you an idea of how quickly something like that might spread if only a small population has it in the first place.

Alternatively, if you can, try to find Stephen King's short story "The End of the Whole Mess" because it's essentially a lot like the story you're pitching, only with people, a shorter incubation period, and a pretty good reason for why something this dangerous would be released on nature.

3. Even beyond that, you'll probably have issues with the Pokémon League. Remember, it's like a sports league, so most likely, they'll put serious regulations into place because it'd be a lot like taking steroids (ones whose risks haven't been fully researched). It might actually be illegal to use the Pokérus enhancement, or they'd simply try to come up with major restrictions on its use. Whatever they do should be an issue you'll want to think about as well.

Yeah, I understand Legendaries being important for controlling certain aspects of the world.

I'm not just talking about legendaries, either. When you wipe out multiple huge populations of anything, there's going to be some serious repercussions on the environment as a whole. For example, think about what would happen if all of the insects in the world suddenly disappeared. Very little would get pollinated, for one thing, which means massive amounts of plants would die off right there. Then, of course, they're a major part of the food chain, which means massive other species would die off. It would leave a huge impact on humans because a huge chunk of what we eat and take for granted are either pollinated by or fed by insects.

Pokémon's the same way, only even more so because the humans in that world not only acknowledge their dependence on them but also go out of their way to make it so that their ordinary lives intertwine with Pokémon in some fashion. Removing these supports would be a lot like finding a house on stilts and then taking a sledgehammer to its supports. Considering how many species there are in that world and how humans have always been at a point where they literally cannot function without Pokémon being some part of their lives, it's actually questionable as to whether humans would actually survive that kind of mass-extinction.

The scientist would have studied Pokerus for a while, saw its beneficial effects, and try to recreate it.

This is why I'm recommending that you find a way to read "The End of the Whole Mess" if you can -- because thorough testing after screwing around with things that occur in nature on a genetic level is extremely important. (Considering the way today's general microbiology works, yes, you could probably figure out how much of a risk mutation and fatalism could be in a virus.)

As for technology, given the overall lack of weapons the games seem to have, and how evil plots seem to revolve around Legendary Pokemon (Which everyone believes is dead) No one sees any real point in fighting with no overwhelming power to back up their group.

I know you admit later that a lack of weapons might be a plot hole, but I'd just like to say that the only reason why they don't have conventional weapons in the games is because Pokémon are the weapons. Put it this way: imagine Earth as it is today. Now, have every gun just abruptly disappear. Just because the guns are gone doesn't mean the wars in this world will magically end. It's just that the military will have to figure out a completely new way of fighting to maintain power.

Moreover, it should be noted that not every evil team's goal necessarily needs legendary Pokémon. Sure, you've got Teams Magma and Aqua, which hinge on the idea that Kyogre and Groudon will help them. However, Team Rocket's goal is simply to take over the world. It's just that legendary Pokémon would have been an easy way to get firepower to reach that. However, without legendary Pokémon, Team Rocket will still want to take over the world and maintain their power over people. So, what's the most logical thing to do? Come up with a way to stabilize their hold on society, and come up with this way as quickly as possible. Chances are, they'll be quick on the uptake when it comes to developing weapons. They might not be the same as real-world weapons (although if the anime and manga canon has anything to say about it, they've already got firearms and other advanced killing technology), but they'd do it if they wanted to keep going for their goal to be a major threat to, well, anyone.

Moreover, you've still got the Pokémon world's militaries to worry about. As Astinus pointed out about someone else's "everyone's in a war" idea, there's still wars being fought in the Pokémon world. (Lt. Surge should be evidence enough for this, as should his gym trainers.) No one ever said that Pokémon are the only weapons being used in combat, just that they make things easier. Once Pokémon are gone, though, you'll still have those military-versus-whoever combats, and you'll still need some kind of weapon in order to avoid getting annihilated by whatever world power comes to threaten you. After all, unless the Pokémon world's people are somehow devoid of basic human instinct, this race has the tendency to get territorial and violent. In the history of mankind, there has been no group of people who have not seen some form of combat (hunting, tribal wars, whatever). So, of course, it's going to continue, and of course, humans will want to make sure their fraction of the species is more powerful than some other fraction of the species.

Or putting it in simpler terms, the human race in reality could have just decided there would be no real point advancing themselves when everyone just had clubs and bows and arrows. However, we had to advance because we're pissants who like fighting each other with ridiculous amounts of force.

So, yeah, even if you give them fifty years, someone will probably scramble to advance weapon technology upon seeing how this world might just descend into chaos due to the mass-extinction of Pokémon. Gotta keep order somehow, after all.

In short, yeah, keep thinking about it.

[TheLegendaryMew]

Ok well i started on this a while back but ive been so busy i didnt get it completed, then i reset my computer so i lost it QQ. Anyways i just wanted to ask you all if you could rate this story plot. The name of the Story is called Leeds City Boys.

Ok so basically the plot centers around 4 main characters. Ryan, Mark, Scott and Racheal. Ryan and Mark are best freinds, Scott is Ryan's brother and Racheal is Mark's sister. Ryan, Mark and Racheal go to the same college as each other. Ryan is in love with Racheal but Mark dosent know. Anyways thats the basic outline of the characters

The storyline is:

One day Ryan comes home from college and switches the News on. He sees a big headline flashing at him about the increased number of gangs been formed in his hometown of Leeds. He gets a brilliant flash of inspiration to create his own gang to combat the gangs already been made. He tells Mark this and Mark goes along with the idea. They recruit some people and grow very quickly. They name thier gang "Leeds City Boys" or "LCB" for short. But then they get greedy with power. The LCB turns into the very thing they were trying to stop. With Money, Power, Fear and Respect on thier side nothing will stop them from terrorizing Leeds. They quickly rise through the ranks to become one of the most feared gangs in Leeds. They now have to make a choice. Either continue on the path there on and wind up dead or stop now well they still have time and go back to what the LCB was originally formed to do: Stop gangs terrorising the city. Will Ryan have the willpower to call it quits?

[Neelh]

@TLM Nice! It looks quite awesome! But Racheal needs more time. She just looks like a little random addition.

[TheLegendaryMew]

@Neelh Thanks! Its my first story plot so its nice to hear some good feedback. Hmm yeah your right about that ill give her some more time in the story :D

[Ruin Maniac]

Yes, Racheal needs more time, but what about the character of Scott. if you ask me, I think you need to flesh out your characters more before you go on to writing any chapters yet.

[Digimon Kaiser]

I have had this idea in my head for YEARS (before I even joined PC), and it shares some similarities with Dinosaur King (but I've had this idea before I even heard of it), along with Digimon, Pokemon, and multiple other series that would take too long to list. It's about time I put it down on a board to see what you guys think.

The year is 2040 and our world has been aligned with another, one with species extinct in our own world, but there's a catch: Each of these species have one of ten elemental groups (Fire, Light, Ice, Air, Electric, Ground, Nature, Water, Metal, and Darkness), one of two alignment classes (Positive and Negative), and can use telepathy to communicate with chosen few humans. Time travel exists now, but has not yet been truly perfected by scientists, and therefore is a secret kept by a select group of organizations, but they plan to give it out to other groups 5 years later.

In the "World of the Lost Species", as some have improperly dubbed it, a conflict is beginning, and ten human teenagers from our have teamed up with an individual of a species from the other, to save both worlds from their ultimate destruction.

The ten chosen creatures (Element) Nickname [Species]
(Fire) Blaze [Tyrannosaurus Rex]
(Light) Kari [Dimetrodon]
(Ice) Glacia [Woolly Mammoth]
(Air) Zephyr [Quetzalcoatlus]
(Electric) Shocker [Phorusrhacos]
(Ground) Terra [Baluchitherium]
(Nature) Verde [Triceratops]
(Water) Marina [Icthyostega]
(Metal) Crunch [Smilodon Fatalis]
(Darkness) Leroy [Stegosaurus]

(Their humans allies will be revealed later, because I can't remember them or find the paper I wrote them down on)

[JX Valentine]

@ Digimon Kaiser: It's not bad in terms of a concept, but the problem is, right now, it's vague and generic. As in, it pretty much sounds a lot like every season of Digimon coupled with Dino King and maybe (if you squint) Spider Riders. That's not to say it's a bad idea. It's really all in what you do with it beyond that point.

Right now, you've mentioned an organization that's keeping time travel a secret, but we don't know how that ties in with the story of the two worlds coming together. (I'm personally thinking the fact that you're writing about dinosaurs is a hint, but I can't even be too sure here.) Likewise, you mention a conflict, but a conflict can be anything from an all-out war between countries in the other world or a race to stop an evil dinosaur from destroying/taking over both worlds or a race to stop the mystery organization from abusing their ability to time travel. We don't really know, and that's really where the meat of the story will be. You can have really awesome ideas for monsters and magical worlds, but your story can fall apart with the plot concept (which is more than just "teens are pairing up with dinosaur partners").

[StarBreak]

I have this idea of a Pokémorph fanfic. It takes place in a world where all the Pokémon were killed by an accidental release of an experimental GM virus. The same virus messed up with the DNA of humans, giving them the power to morph, at the price of a halved lifespan. There will be war for a certain something. A cure, perhaps?

I need help with the battle system. What will a one-on-one battle resemble? How will strategies change if only one Pokémon is used? How should I implement the traditional six-on-six battle?

In short, what do you think can happen in a world where only Pokémorphs are the intelligent life form?

[JX Valentine]

Originally Posted by StarBreak

I need help with the battle system. What will a one-on-one battle resemble? How will strategies change if only one Pokémon is used? How should I implement the traditional six-on-six battle?

The answer you're looking for can be summed up in a single sentence: Think about how wild Pokémon would battle.

See, it's not unusual for a Pokémon to use itself as the only combatant, and it's equally not unusual for a battle to be less than a one-on-one match. (Six-on-six technically isn't even all that traditional. Think about how many trainers in the games or the anime use their full roster against another trainer. That kind of thing is usually reserved for special battles; most of the trainers in either canon carry around less than that, while the game's hero avatar usually only needs a handful to take out NPCs.) So, for a Pokémorph battle, all you need to do is think about how one of these wild Pokémon would engage in battle with others. Sure, the Pokémon in question would have a human mind, but other than that (and, of course, differences in the way a morph's body would work compared to the way a full Pokémon's body attacks), it's pretty much the same.

In terms of strategy, yes, it'd be different. If your story takes place only a little while after the virus hits, people will probably be incredibly cautious when it comes to a match unless you're trying to say something about their general character. After all, they've got only one shot at winning. They can't simply switch in another Pokémon when the going gets tough. Most of all, they're directly involved in all the danger. Although Pokémon battling's a huge sport, I'm not sure how many people would readily jump into a Rock Slide themselves.

Of course, you could potentially have a tag-team battle happen, where morphs team up with other morphs to fight. Some might even "switch in" if the single opponent they're battling happens to have advantages over them. Professional wrestling actually does this kind of thing a lot. It might give you some ideas on how to go about doing it.

Other than that, the concept's pretty vague. A lot of people write about morphs in a war of one kind or another, but you could be cooking up something that puts a new spin on the genre. *shrug* Good luck.

[Delusions of Originality]

I would add the general caveat that you should be careful about how you explain the nature of the virus, why it's logically able to give people the ability to morph/turn them into morphs/etc., why the same virus turns two different people into two different and possibly entirely unrelated species (scizor and espeon, say), so on and so forth. More mature, serious readers tend to tire of pokémorph stories very quickly because the authors just want "people with pokémon powers" and throw together some slipshod excuse that, in the end, makes very little logical sense (see the groan-inducingly typical "um well Team Rocket did it *vague distracting handwave*", though it looks like you're steering away from that and its ilk so far). You probably don't have to launch into a whole genetics lesson, but you're going to have to work a bit harder to make it believable than someone writing another genre precisely because it comes with such a heavy stigma attached. If you haven't already, I'd suggest reading Dragonfree's Morphic--much more logical take on morphs than one usually sees, and well-written in general. Dragonfree's morphs are still intentionally created, not an accidental mutation caused by a virus, but it could still give you some ideas.

Actually, once you've established a pretty firm explanation for how these morphs came to be, it might help you iron out some of the details of the battle system. To what degree are these people morphed? How does it affect their stamina, their mentality (i.e. do they take on some pokémon instincts along with their human intelligence? Does it make them more aggressive)? How much abuse, especially in the form of elemental attacks, are they capable of taking? How powerful are the attacks they can use? This can help you determine, for example, whether or not they're actually battling with the intent to knock one another out, or whether it's expected that the loser cries uncle before he/she is too badly injured (which might be what you want if single competitors constantly being knocked silly is one of your concerns).

[StarBreak]

Originally Posted by JX Valentine

(Six-on-six technically isn't even all that traditional. Think about how many trainers in the games or the anime use their full roster against another trainer. That kind of thing is usually reserved for special battles; most of the trainers in either canon carry around less than that, while the game's hero avatar usually only needs a handful to take out NPCs.)

You caught your own mistake right there. NPCs are not human; they cannot think for themselves. They are programmed to be easy to beat in the storyline. When a real human competes against another real human, both wants to win, therefore both will use whatever it takes to win. If you have taken part in competitive battling (Wifi, Shoddy etc), you will know that many players use Pokémon that compliment each other (eg. Celetran, SkarmBliss), revolve around a general strategy (eg. defensive teams, weather teams, Trick Room teams) or help the main attacker reach its potential (eg. Suicidal Stealth Rock leads, Baton Passers, Memento and Dual Screen users). It is highly unlikely to find a filler unless the team can function efficiently with five members or less. It's all about the teamwork.

The anime can afford to have a smaller team because one-on-one battles are more common, and they are very likely to be friendly competitions in which a loss is not really something to cry about. In a war, you either kill, be killed or both when forced to fight.

Originally Posted by JX Valentine

Of course, you could potentially have a tag-team battle happen, where morphs team up with other morphs to fight. Some might even "switch in" if the single opponent they're battling happens to have advantages over them. Professional wrestling actually does this kind of thing a lot. It might give you some ideas on how to go about doing it.

Sounds like a good idea. I'll look into it.

I have been thinking about something. What if there are more than one virus created for the same war in the past? How does this idea of a virus race sound?

The Pokérus affects all Pokémon, so the humans on one side of the war genetically modified the virus beforehand in an effort to at least weaken enemy Pokémon. The new Pokérus eliminates whatever immunity the host had instead of promoting its growth. Think of it as a Pokémon HIV. They also developed a vaccine for their Pokémon, with its data was stored in the computer system and classified as top military secret. Spies risked their lives trying to steal the information, but found it easier to just permanently delete it. The research team had to start from scratch. Unfortunately, the GM Pokérus was somehow accidentally released before the project was completed. It was already too late by the time the vaccine was ready. There were no more Pokémon to save. That war became the first war with battles between humans only.

The same thing basically happens at the meanwhile on the other side with two big differences. The humans genetically modified another virus, this one to kill people. They, of course, also developed a vaccine for their side of the war. For a while, everything went as expected. They were winning as their human enemies were dying to both the virus and the usual dangers of war.

Back to the Pokérus modifiers' side. There was a huge loss of manpower, so the other side of the war still had advantage. It was a do-or-die situation. People became desperate. Anything that sounds remotely plausible was given a shot. A second research team was employed to produce a counter the virus. How they do it does not matter, as long as it works; they can make virus-proof barrier, they can come up with an appropriate gene therapy, they can attempt to steal the blueprints of the vaccine, they can create their own vaccine from the samples of virus... Whatever. Anything. Even other experts think up of their own ways. The government had offered an attractive reward to the creator of the most effective virus counter.

I am still thinking of how to conclude the war.

[JX Valentine]

Originally Posted by StarBreak

You caught your own mistake right there. NPCs are not human; they cannot think for themselves.

Who said it was a mistake? It works like that on a meta level, but if we think on an in-world level, my point still stands. The hero avatar is meant to be this incredible training prodigy who can rise from humble beginnings to defeat all eight gym leaders (which is hinted in canon as not being an easy task for most people, if you ask around Pewter City before hitting Brock), take on not only the Elite Four gauntlet but also the actual champion (the greatest trainer in the region before you come along), and capture the forces of nature/gods of the Pokémon world with very little effort. Sure, it might seem like the game's easy, but that's the point and part of the story.

Not to mention my point was that very few NPCs carry around a full party of six Pokémon. The only ones are either the trainers who overload their team with easy Pokémon (read: Magikarp), the champion, and every Gym Leader or Elite Four member you rechallenge (in Heart Gold/Soul Silver, namely). This implies that a full six-on-six battle is meant to be a special event, not just something that happens ordinarily.

As for your idea, the main problem I can see with it is the fact that a lot of people try to come up with a way to use a plot that eradicates all Pokémon life on the planet... but, well, this is like trying to eradicate a huge percentage of all life on Earth. Unless you set aside a certain percentage of Pokémon that survive (not just legendaries but also Pokémon in general), then you might be able to work out a setting where the ecology isn't ravaged to the point where that other virus isn't needed. (I say "to the point where the other virus isn't needed" because if you screw up a planet's ecology that much, then you're risking making the planet uninhabitable. As in, even if you have real animals in your world, Pokémon are most likely a huge keystone in how the Pokémon world's ecology works. It'd be like taking away all the bees that help pollinate plants, all the spiders that keep the insect population in check, and so on and so forth.)

In other words, a lot of authors try to do this kind of thing (and you can see other pages in this thread for an example), but you've really got to think on broad terms if you do stuff like that -- not just "I have a virus, and it leads to a human-on-human war." Especially given the fact that, with all you're trying to do, that war you're planning probably won't happen in a matter of months. Sure, you can devastate the population of Europe in less than a year (thank you, history), but the genetic research itself will probably take a few years, assuming there's no government-induced setbacks.

Unless, of course, you're thinking about creating Soylent Green with Pokémon. At which point, go for it.

[Artificial-Insanity]

I have a BIG problem here!

You see, I've been in this fandom for over 3 years now... since the early days, I've seen several plot bunnies form. Thing is, I know I can only write ONE long story (and MAYBE an occasional one-shot) per fandom.


So. One Pokeball, and a hundred plot bunnies! Help me capture the best Plot Bunnie!



1) Based on Pokespe, in terms that only a select few posses a Pokedex. The original Pokespe characters would all be in their twenties and be famous. (moreso than they are already) as well.
It is about a brother-and-sister team. The boy, Hematite, is in a wheelchair, and Garnet, the girl and older sibling, would like Hematite to become a Pokemon Trainer as well. The idea is that a year before the present day, Garnet said she would go on a Journey across Hidem, my made-up region. Hematite is jealous, thinking that just because he's wheelchair-bound he can't ever be a trainer. (Or so says their grandparents, whom they live with.)
What Garnet was really doing, was planning a path for Hematite to be a trainer. On Hematite's 11th birthday, she gives him two Pokemon- a Ponyta (or Rapidash) and a Buizel. Her idea is that Hematite would ride on Ponyta when the Wheelchair is not plausible, and that Buizel would be his Starter.
So basically, Hematite and Garnet would travel around Hidem, with Garnet being Hematie's 24/7 guardian. Oh yeah, and there's probably going to be some crazy take-over-the-world scheme going on. (not sure what or why or how)


2) A more simple story. This one would be based on my adventures in the games, but not necessarily the games themselves. (if you follow) Basically, it would start off Hoenn and then go to Sinnoh, and then Kanto and Johto! (I may or may not include Isshu and future regions... it would sort of depend on where the region is)
Basically, most of the core plot would stay for the most part. However, there will be some twists...

Spoiler:

Such as Momoko (that's my character name in the games) joining Team Magma for a while...
The legendary trio of Hoenn would not be captured by anyone. instead, they would flee to Johto after being battled.
Norman/Senri is NOT Momoko's father. Instead, Mint (who travels with Momoko {also my Character from Emerald}) and Sakura (Mint's older sister) or Norman's daughters.
Brendan/Yuki still remains as he was in RSE.
The Elite 4 and Gym Leaders are set up like they where in Emerald.
Wally/Mitsuru does appear, however, he already got his Pokemon on his own, rather than having to ask Norman/Senri.

Also note, that I would wish to use Japanese names for all characters, locations, and Pokemon. Moves and Items would still use their English names.
Since this is BASED on MY adventure IN the games, the continuity in the games is semi-ignored (Basically, the events of Kanto are never seen, and rather, Momoko would go through the HGSS Version (not the GSC Version), with another rival having been through the original Kanto.)

So basically, what Momoko wants is to be the best damn Dragon-Type Trainer ever. (She Idolizes Clair/Ibuki and Lance/Wataru)



3)........................................................................... eh? really? Ic an't think of anything else?
Oakay, so I guess it's Pokespe/Origional Region Based Fic VS. Modified Game Based Fic!

[JX Valentine]

Originally Posted by Artificial-Insanity

1) Based on Pokespe, in terms that only a select few posses a Pokedex. The original Pokespe characters would all be in their twenties and be famous. (moreso than they are already) as well.
It is about a brother-and-sister team. The boy, Hematite, is in a wheelchair, and Garnet, the girl and older sibling, would like Hematite to become a Pokemon Trainer as well. The idea is that a year before the present day, Garnet said she would go on a Journey across Hidem, my made-up region. Hematite is jealous, thinking that just because he's wheelchair-bound he can't ever be a trainer. (Or so says their grandparents, whom they live with.)
What Garnet was really doing, was planning a path for Hematite to be a trainer. On Hematite's 11th birthday, she gives him two Pokemon- a Ponyta (or Rapidash) and a Buizel. Her idea is that Hematite would ride on Ponyta when the Wheelchair is not plausible, and that Buizel would be his Starter.
So basically, Hematite and Garnet would travel around Hidem, with Garnet being Hematie's 24/7 guardian. Oh yeah, and there's probably going to be some crazy take-over-the-world scheme going on. (not sure what or why or how)

I'd say go with this one. It's an idea that isn't basically average new trainer faire, and it deals with subjects that could be potentially interesting. You also have fewer problems with this one than the other one (which I'll get into in a moment). With this idea, though, you'll want to take into consideration two things that you haven't really described above:

1. The fact that Hematite is disabled. A lot of newbie writers tend to give their characters interesting obstacles to face (blindness, psychological disturbances, that sort of thing) but forget to follow through with it. Don't forget that your character ultimately can't walk, and this will most likely end up being a problem later, even if he has a Ponyta. It will probably affect him psychologically (especially since he's been told all his life that he can't do certain things that a lot of other people in the world can) as well as on the obvious physical basis.

Also, try to think about why he's in a wheelchair. Sometimes, being in a wheelchair doesn't just mean not having the ability to walk, depending on the problem that led to the character being put in one. Cerebral palsy isn't the same as paralysis caused by an accident, for example. Either could bring in a whole list of other problems for both the brother and the sister.

In other words, yeah, I know it's one of my most-stressed pieces of advice, but remember to do a bit of research before going into this kind of character. It can be well-done if it keeps in mind that the wheelchair means a whole lot of things to the character.

2. How this relates to Pokespe. Right now, ignoring the part about Hematite's disability, it seems a lot like an average journey. Pokespe, meanwhile, tends to be about kids who are destined to save the world from legendary-related disaster. The journey (badges, ribbons, et cetera) tends to be a side quest, sometimes even explicitly so. (Looking at you, RS arc.) Normally, it's kosher to have a story set in a canon universe, but because this is set in a fan region so far into the future, you'll want to make sure the reader knows that it's not a fic based on the franchise in general but instead one based on a specific universe. You'll probably have to bring in elements of the stories in Pokespe and bring up the characters, depending on how you want to establish the story's setting. (You'll probably end up having to bring in the stories from the canon universe anyway because, heck, they saved the world on multiple occasions.)

2) A more simple story. This one would be based on my adventures in the games, but not necessarily the games themselves. (if you follow) Basically, it would start off Hoenn and then go to Sinnoh, and then Kanto and Johto! (I may or may not include Isshu and future regions... it would sort of depend on where the region is)
Basically, most of the core plot would stay for the most part. However, there will be some twists...

Spoiler:

Such as Momoko (that's my character name in the games) joining Team Magma for a while...
The legendary trio of Hoenn would not be captured by anyone. instead, they would flee to Johto after being battled.
Norman/Senri is NOT Momoko's father. Instead, Mint (who travels with Momoko {also my Character from Emerald}) and Sakura (Mint's older sister) or Norman's daughters.
Brendan/Yuki still remains as he was in RSE.
The Elite 4 and Gym Leaders are set up like they where in Emerald.
Wally/Mitsuru does appear, however, he already got his Pokemon on his own, rather than having to ask Norman/Senri.

Also note, that I would wish to use Japanese names for all characters, locations, and Pokemon. Moves and Items would still use their English names.
Since this is BASED on MY adventure IN the games, the continuity in the games is semi-ignored (Basically, the events of Kanto are never seen, and rather, Momoko would go through the HGSS Version (not the GSC Version), with another rival having been through the original Kanto.)

So basically, what Momoko wants is to be the best damn Dragon-Type Trainer ever. (She Idolizes Clair/Ibuki and Lance/Wataru)

I actually have to do this in list format.

1. While you said Isshu's presence in your story is a maybe, never include a region in an upcoming game in a story until more information is known about it. The reason why is because if you know very little about it, you'll end up having to speculate, which means that when the actual games come out, the details in your story (Pokémon in your region, how moves work, what moves each Pokémon will learn, what kinds of places and gyms are across the region, that sort of thing) will probably be all wrong.

2. Unfortunately, while you have the bit in the spoiler tag about Team Magma, the rest seems to be generic new trainer faire. You've got a girl on a journey to become the greatest trainer (even if it's just with Dragon-types... which actually raises a completely new issue I'll get into in a moment). She's probably going to go on a badge quest of some kind, and she has her own generic rival. Not only that, but you've also basically said that this will follow the games. (Only... not?) So, it'll probably be a little less exciting than your first idea because this kind of thing, where the embodiment of the writer's game character sets off across a region to collect badges and go through the basic plot of the games, has happened quite frequently in fanfiction anyway.

3. I can only wonder what kind of starter she'd have, considering Dragon-types are extremely rare. They also tend to suck early on but grow into serious powerhouses (which means you'd probably see her taking on Johto without too much trouble if she's got a Salamence or something), but mostly, they're just intensely rare. Some of them tend to cause the reader to laugh if you bring them out. (For example, if your character starts off with a Dratini she finds in the wild -- especially injured in the wild -- this will probably cause your fic to be considered a parody because so many parodies start off like this anyway.)

4. I cringe a little at the occasional disregarding of canon. I mean, this is either based on the games, or it isn't. And even then, you'll probably run into problems because some readers will expect that certain canon details (like the entirety of the Kanto plot) will pop up when, in your story, they won't. In other words, your trap is the fact that this sounds a lot like standard new trainer faire, and it sounds like you're basing this on the games (sort of). As a result, a reader will end up assuming that they'll be following your character through the basic plots of each region, and when they don't see them, they'll wonder when this story is supposed to take place.

This will probably get even more confusing because of the way the timelines in each of the games work. RBY/FrLg and RSE are set in the same timeline; DP and GSC/HGSS are set in a timeline three years after the first one. In fact, HGSS's Team Rocket subplot happened because of what happened in Kanto three years prior to the game's events. So, to say that Kanto's plot happens at roughly the same time as Johto's just invites a mess because the Team Rocket in Johto don't have a reason to screw around with Magikarp in the Lake of Rage or take over the radio tower in Goldenrod yet.

Not only that, but the bit about Wally seems like there's no reason for it. I mean, the entire point behind why he hangs out with the player character is because he got his first Pokémon with their help thanks to the fact that his family didn't want him to leave home. As in, they thought he was too sickly to go out on a journey, so they wouldn't give him a Pokémon. In the games, at least.

5. There's also no difference between GSC's core plot and HGSS's. The differences between the games are in the features (including where you find Suicune), side plot (like the Safari Zone stuff), and the role of the kimono girls (which seems more like a superficial thing, really). Just so you know.

6. While I have no problem with writers using Japanese names for characters, locations, and Pokémon (and, in fact, one of my favorite fics does this), it really has to be all or nothing for the sake of consistency. As in, it wouldn't make sense to go with Japanese names for three elements of Pokémon canon but English names for the rest. Your readers will probably end up having to look things up anyway because most people don't know every single character's Japanese name. (For example, if I said Mayumi, I'm not sure how many people would know who that was right off the bat. They likewise probably wouldn't know what Hajitsuge or Taneboh were. So, they'll probably have to look those up just as much as they would probably have to look up Kougousei -- or, if I wanted to make things easier, Photosynthesis -- or Orennomi.)

7. Finally, you'll probably have trouble tackling this kind of fic. While it's not unheard-of to create a fic that spans hundreds of chapters and multiple books, keep in mind that to write a good epic like those will usually take years of work.

In short, yeah, you'll probably have less trouble with the first one. Good luck!

[pichuspark]

OK, I'm kinda new to the Pokemon fanfic world so I'm just wondering if this idea of mine isn't all boring and stuff...

So, the plot of my story is that there is a Chikorita who is abandoned by her Trainer for unknown reasons. She is then found by a group of Bug and Grass-type Pokemon that call themselves the Bug Brigade, and they promise her that they will return Chikorita to her Trainer if she helps them in their quest to take down Team Rocket, because they think that the humans don't really care about Team Rocket's plans.

Ok, the summary's pretty...bad. That's why I need some ideas

[Izanagi]

I came up with this off the top of my head a few minutes ago. What do you think?

Senterra
Background
The story begins on a planet called Senterra, which is actually Latin for “Old Earth”. The reason before this naming is because at one point in time, long ago, Earth as we know it was actually the combination of two separate heavenly bodies, one called Vita Corpus (Latin for Magic Body, which became Senterra), and the other, Mors Corpus (Latin for Dead Body, and which is now the Earth we reside on today). When the two worlds were conjoined, civilization thrived on the existence of magic, and magitechnology. Though not everyone could use it, those who could were revered as wise and powerful beings, or Sorcerer, as us Earthbound call them, (Earthbounds being those without magical capabilities). However, some non-magic users began to become jealous of the Sorcerer’s, so, using technology, and machinery to counter their magic, war broke out on Senterra between the Sorcerers and the Earthbound.

The two ended the era of peace, and segregation was born. The two societies were separated. The war, which would be known on Senterra as the “Arcadian Birth War”, went on for many seasons. To end the conflict, both began development on super weapons, which would destroy the other faction. The Earthbound developed the first nuclear weapon with their alliance with science and technology, and the Sorcerer’s began creating a great beast with their alliance with magic. The name of the beast would be known as Ragnapecus, (a combination of the words “Ragnarok”, and “Pecus”, Latin for tamed beast).

The Earthbound launched their nuclear weapon, but it was countered with the release of Ragnapecus, which engulfed the nuke. However, the nuclear radiation spoiled the beast’s radiant shell, turning it into a monstrous demon, known as Ragnafera (Combination of “Ragnarok” and “Fera”, Latin for wild beast). Ragnafera began an uncontrollable rampage, destroying both the forces of the Sorcerer’s and the Earthbound. Desperate to stop Ragnafera, the two came together once more, and decided to separate Senterra into two heavenly bodies instead of one, splitting up Ragnafera’s being with them. The essence of Ragnapecus would reside with the Sorcerer’s, on their world, Pecusterra, and the Earthbound would adopt the destructive Ragnafera, but a concealed form, which would only be released if the wickedness of man reached it’s own. The Earthbound would reside on a body known as Feraterra, but eventually, as the knowledge of their origin on Senterra was lost to the ages, a new name was adopted. Earth.

The Senterrians thrived as a people, and were easily capable of reconstructing their civilizations on a new planet with the use of magic. However, the Feraterrians began civilization over anew as well, but took longer to rebuild their civilizations. However, as the prophecy of Ragnafera had been written, the sin and wickedness on Feraterra eventually began to grow, and it seemed that every time civilization began to prosper, war would only destroy it again, forcing man to begin all over again.

Eventually, the two worlds distanced more and more from one another, until Feraterra, at this point, Earth, completely forgot its origins and the relationship with Pecusterra. It stayed that way for millenniums… but unbeknown to the Earthlings of contemporary days, soon, Ragnafera would be awakened from his slumber on earth, and not even Pecusterra would be safe from its wrath.



I've got another one.

Rise of the Earthbound

Setting and Background
Rise of the Earthbound takes place in an alternate reality of Earth, where back in the time before advanced technology magic and sorcery actually existed and thrived, but with the progression of industry and mechanics, the art of magic was slowly lost and forgotten by all but a few remnants, known as “The Remnants”, respectably.

In the year 2084 the all of civilization was destroyed at the hands of nuclear holocaust caused by the quake of World War III, which would forever be remembered as “The Great War”. Survivors of The Great War scattered throughout the remains of the Earth, and began tribes and packs, and slowly began rebuilding civilization through their own separate means; however, there were two general ways of living. There were those who tried to revive the power of technology and machines, and there were those who tried to revive the far more ancient traditions of utilizing the lost art of magic, which they found possible through the teachings of Remnants, and the discovery of lost remains of magical society, revealed by the removal of such things as certain cities and foundations that took the place of where nature once flourished.

Those who used magic to run their culture were now also called Remnants, and those who tried to use machinery and other related means were referred to as “Machinas”. In order to further emulate the former world before the Great War, the tribes of the Machinas began to converge to form cities and nations. Though things began small, over the course of many decades, centuries even, they began to prove successful. The many cities took the form of steampunk, and eventually they formed a government too. And the government was led by a president, who led the nations through democracy.

The Remnants took a different approach. Their societies remained separated in different tribes and small camps, but they remained connected with one another, and were free to interact with one another through forms of trade and more. They were governed by the “Seven Sages”, elders who were all either original Remnants, or descendants of them. The Seven Sages didn’t truly bare any control, but they were revered and respected for their immense knowledge and wisdom.

Peace, more or less, was maintained for hundreds of years, until the year 567 AGW (which stood for After Great War), when a new president was appointed to lead the Machinas, a man named Alexei Balk, took office. This changed things drastically. Eventually, Balk became more of a dictator than president, and waged war against the Remnants after convincing his people that they were to blame for the collapse of the world and triggering the Great War. Though the Remnants were reluctant to fight back, they eventually had no choice, and a battle that would be remembered as the “Balk War” began. It lasted eight months before the Seven Sages came up with a resolution. Using their magic, the Remnants decided to end the war by raising the continents of their land into the sky, making the homes of the Remnants inaccessible to the Remnants. From then on, the Machinas would be known as the “Earthbound”, and connection between the Remnants and Earthbound ceased from then on.

[Konekodemon]

InuYasha, Naraku Reborn: Based on the anime. This time things are going to be different. After realizing it was the jewel that was the villian, and it had been controling Naraku all this time, and that his true wish was just to be with Kikyo meaning Naraku was never evil at all Kagome makes a better wish this time. Her wish,"Bring Naraku and Kikyo back to life then disappear forever." Now Naraku gets a second chance at life, to start over a new beginning. And he plans on spending it with the love of his life, Kikyo, who realizes Naraku's feelings and falls head over hills in love, back.

[JackGamer]

Magink is an incredibly powerful book of spells, for it contains every spell ever written/made. It needs seven keys to open it, which are spread out throughout the land of Farlock. This book was made by the Elders strictly for use in great peril. As the Keys are being gathered by the King for use to control or destory Farlock it's up to a small rebellion to gather the Keys for themselves and destroy Magink once and for all. (It can only be destroyed by reading a spell from the back of the book.)

I know that the plot line is in really simplistic terms, and I'm usually better with my vocabulary, but I'm really tired.

Anyway; what do you guys think of the plot line; that's what I'm asking about?