My favorite fic in this fandom is a porn fic.
No, seriously.
Now, before you say anything, there's reasons for that. I'm not entirely sure if I should actually post the link to it
because there's a lot of mentions of sex (albeit all of it is off-camera), but basically, it was about Bill going with Professor Oak and Tracey to the Orange Islands to study Remoraid. Tracey's in a relationship with Rudy, Bill begins to fall in love with Tracey, and terrible, terrible things happen after that. But the fic was just beautifully written. The characters were believable and human (albeit not remotely in-character -- and this is the only fic that I can forgive for doing that), there was just the right amount of drama, and it's pretty much the only example of switching POVs that I have ever read where the switches added something to the story. Each chapter alternated between Bill's point of view and Tracey's. This allowed the fic to explore their relationship fully as well as address the main issue: depression.
Really, the only thing bad about that fic was the amount of gratuitous Japanese, but it came from a time where that was pretty normal and acceptable around the fandom. Also the porn.
Besides that, some of my favorites along with the whys:
The fics on
Pokémon Rebirth, most notably Ultimatum. Normally, I don't have the attention span to handle original trainer fics, but Ultimatum is different. Not only does the plot actually get going in a direction that isn't a generic "trainer gets Pokémon and goes to earn badges" quest, but it also presents an entire cast of carefully developed characters in an extremely rich setting. Actually, I'd hate to say it, but I think the most interesting thing -- the thing that captured my attention and held it more than anything else -- was not plot or characterization but instead the amount of detail and thought put into the
background. The writers do an amazing job of not only creating a world but also being consistent about it, and it's pretty interesting to see their headcanon and all the small details that don't even make it into the fics. Also, while you're there, Getting Technical is a pretty cute webcomic, and Altered Paths makes for some pretty delicious drama.
Speaking of delicious drama,
Guilty by Design. It's an abandoned fic, but from the get-go, you're presented with a dark look at training... and not even the kind of training one would expect. It focuses on a Tyrogue/Hitmonchan who grows up in a less-than-lovable environment to be trained as a champion in Fight Club-esque tournaments. While one would think this would be prime angst fuel, it actually doesn't make the main character be a brooding angstbucket. Instead, it shows his development into something less than human in mentality. That transition and avoidance of having the main character be brooding allows the fic to explore some of its more serious themes while keeping it away from having an over-the-top angsty vibe.
Then, there's fics you literally can't find on the internet anymore, like LL Hodges'
Conspiracy of Jelly Beans, which was a hilarious fic about Gary insisting that red jelly beans were plotting to take over the world, if I recall correctly. Also something about J. Edgar Hoover. And the reactions that Tracey had to this were priceless. Shame I was too stupid to save it when I had the chance, but c'est la vie.
And
then, there's
Memory by Negrek, which was a fic told from the perspective (sort of -- third person limited, really) of a trainer within the game who is experiencing one game restart after another. Really, a lot of Negrek's work make use of interesting narrative devices, but here, each of Seth's lives flow into one another until it has to take a moment for you to realize that he just transitioned. It gives the fic a certain element of confusion that adds to Seth's own.
And then, to make this a bit short (because this is already a massive post):
-
Displacement Via Reconfiguration: One of the few crossovers I actually like -- and not just because it has Bill being tormented by
Digimon's Vamdemon. (That's actually the entire plot, by the by.) It's also because the idea of a crossover is handled extremely well. The fic acknowledges that the two universes are not at all alike, and it addresses the fact that placing one element of one universe into a completely different universe would involve chaos ensuing.
-
To Catch a Sailor Senshi: See above. Only add more
Sailor Saturn beating the crap out of a Vulpix with her Silence Glaive warm and fuzzy romance between Brock and Hotaru Tomoe.
-
Two of a Kind: In which an OC meets Brock, falls in love, and somehow
doesn't turn into a Mary Sue.
-
The Long Road to Glory: A pretty cute story about an orphan kid (who is somehow
also not a Gary Stu) who tries desperately to start off on a trainer's journey, despite someone trying hard to see that he doesn't. Also has some pretty interesting bits of headcanon thrown in, plus the characters are pretty well-developed (even the slightly stereotypically evil state official chasing after the main character).
- Any of
Leto's fanfics. Pick one. Any one. Leto has knacks for drama, fluff, and character development, and she's amazing.
And of course, there's a number of fics on PC that I like, but to avoid having to answer the question of why I named someone else's and not yours, let me just say the few that I like fit in with the whole "interesting plot" theme.
So I guess the short answer to all of this is I'm attracted most to fics that are carefully developed. Now, I'm not saying everyone needs to plan their fics in advance, but I'm saying that if you have something new and interesting to bring to the table, I'm totally there. Developed characters, fascinating plots, themes explored thoroughly (if applicable), carefully crafted worlds, fun narrative devices -- all the little bits of a story that let me get into it a bit more. I guess in terms of genre, this means I gravitate more towards drama, but really, if you have
anything that does all of that, I'll like you.
Or alternatively, just write about Gary insisting that red jelly beans are part of a massive cabal.
And yes, this did in fact take me more than an hour to write up.
