Writer's Ultimate Challenge! (Game for Writers)

[Frostweaver]

I personally really liked Volbeat as the answer because it's the closest to the answer I have in my mind (of course there maybe better answers compare to the one I have), but Volbeat isn't an electric type. Yes it's a shape that we have ANOTHER bug/flying, but what's what Volbeat is. Volbeat seems to be better than Exeggcute because Light Azumarill's answer covers the point about the creepiness of the tower and also help with the pick up. Exeggcute comes in 6s which is definitely creative for the loneliness matter, but Volbeat can also send letters so these two unique points kind of cancels each other out.

If it's not for the incorrect information about Volbeat, I would have given it to Volbeat ^^;


In case of curiosity, my answer in mind is Ledian. It can do everything Volbeat can do (including the usage of Flash to help against the creepiness, or if necessary, fight the ghost with its elemental punches/psybeam), but its pokedex entry also reflect a closer relationship to star gazing. The fact that Ledian draws energy from stars give the impression that Ledian is rather energetic at the night time, and usually an energetic pet is a great companion against loneliness. So, Ledian will be my answer.

Breezy: 0
Charon-chan: 0
Dragonfree: 2
Eventidemjj: 5
Light Azumarill: 2 (1+1)
Yamato-san: 4 (2+2)

Question #6
The police, represented by Officer Jenny in the Pokemon World most of the time, usually uses Growlithe as their Pokemon of choice. The hospital, represented by Nurse Joy, uses Chansey and Blissey most of the time as well. There are several episodes concerning Firefighters in the Pokemon anime, and Captain Eden uses the Squirtle family there. The Postal office uses Pidgey as carrier pigeons in one episode as well. Every profession seems to have a Pokemon of their choice to assist them in their work.

What will make a good Pokemon helper for a lumberjack? Explain your choice.

Note: In the anime, Scyther, Machoke, Rhydon, Electabuzz and Pinsir have been seen before in a few episodes to assist in wood cutting and moving the lumber around in a Kanto/Orange Islands episode. Farfetch'd is also used to make charcoal within Jhoto, in the game and in the anime. Use this piece of information if you can't think of any suitable candidates, but you still have to explain your choice.

 

[Yamato-san]

よ～っし！追いつけたね。気をつけろう、エヴェンチデムジ、直ぐに一番ランキングが俺様の物から。
Basically, I just said "Alright! I'm catching up. Better watch your a** Eventidemjj, 'cause the top rank will soon be mine."

So, you're looking for one specific lumberjack partner, right? In that case, I think some of the things the anime used, like Scyther and Machoke, would be horrible without being partnered up with another Pokemon. Sure, Scyther can cut trees, it'd be awfully difficult to help carry them, wouldn't it? Machoke, meanwhile, has the carrying strength, but no cutting abilities (unless you consider punching the tree to fall down, which would only mess up the bottom of the trunk and waste some of the wood due to the rough chipping where it was punched, as opposed to what a perfect, straigth cut can do). Same goes for those others. With that in mind, I think the solution would be to find a Pokemon that's capable of both making clean cuts and lifting the log.

Celebi could use psychic abilities to lift, but it doesn't look like it'd be a very great cutter despite learning the technique in the games. Plus, it's a legendary, so there's no chance of it working with common lumberjacks, especially considering it's perceived as a guardian god of the forest, and lumberjacking kinda destroys the forest. I think any one of the fully-evolved grass-type starters would be perfect for the job, but which specific one is a different matter. They all seem big and strong, and they can make a clean cut with use of a well-aimed Razor Leaf or Leaf Blade. But Sceptile's not overly bulkey, so it may not be as well-suited for lifting the trees, plus, it would be near impossible for it to make a clean cut if Leaf Blade doesn't perform as it does in the anime (where leaves merge into a single blade... remember, if games, anime, and manga can have conflicting portrayals of a single technique, even to the point of being inconsistent in the same medium, the of course fanfic writers can portray it in several different ways).

All that leaves is Venusaur and Meganium. Hard to say out of those two, they both can use Razor Leaf to cut, they're both pretty bulky, and they both have Vine Whip to lift the trees (they can both learn Frenzy Plant as well, if they wanted to go for overkill). Looking at their bodily structure, Venusaur has the larger legs that look like they'd hold up more weight, however, it's also supporting a huge flower on its back, so it's possible it could over-strain itself more easily than Meganium if it were to carry even more weight (oddly enough, the Pokedex lists Meganium as being just barely heavier than Venusaur.... but then, Pokedex info is quite questionable at times). So, I think I might go with Meganium in the end.

 

[Act]

Um... I was just reading through, and...

your answer would have been accepted for 1 point if it isn't for "...." Ellipsis are either 3 dots, or 6 dots depending on what country you live in, however, I strongly doubt that 4 dots are also used for the ellipsis. I checked encarta and they don't show .... as a valid way to write the ellipsis either. So, sorry!

That's not true. Four dots is acceptable, or so I learned... sometime. I know this was a while ago, but it confused me. I would have said six dots is ridiculous, but obviously it's been done. I remeber learning that you use four dots to end a paragraph, and three elsewhere. I'm not sure what Breezy's context was, but I juts thought I'd throw that out there.

 

[prolific_rhapsody]

Sorry I haven't been on here, had a busy thanksgiving. I will not be able to get on today, so I hate to, but I think I'm gonna miss this question too, sigh. Will be on tomorrow, though. See Ya!

EDIT TO ADD: 12-4-2005, 5:21 PM E. time *adding onto this post because I didn't want to double post*

よ～っし！追いつけたね。気をつけろう、エヴェンチデムジ、直ぐに一番ランキングが俺様の物か ら。
Basically, I just said "Alright! I'm catching up. Better watch your a** Eventidemjj, 'cause the top rank will soon be mine."

Heh, not on your life, sport. My a** is made of steel! I'm back on now, so FEAR ME! Just Kidding...:rambo:

Where's Frosty?
It's been a few days since his last post... Although I am thankful because that gives me time to finish this question.

 

[pokejungle]

Originally I was thinking that we could just have a pokemon hold axe...but I'll go on just their inate abilities.

My selection would be Alakazam. First off, it would appear as if it wouldn't do too well for cutting the trees in the first place, but I delved a bit deeper into its strengths. Iron tail would be the perfect move to fell a tree, for multiple reasons. Alakazam's speed would be bringing down the attack at extreme speeds, and you need to remember that iron tail is a steel type attack...comparable to a blade. Especially with Alakazam's small, but streamlined tail. In my view, trees would go down with one swift hit.

Then you've got to help your trainer move them somewhere, of course. That's where physical strength is left for a better solution: its psychic abilities. In the metagame, and in the "Pokemon World", it's renowned for having psy power above and beyond the average psychic pokemon. Ample energy to carry one, or possibly up to three average sized tree logs.

On a final note, Alakazam's speed would again help it out, just in getting things done fast. It could also freeze a falling tree using psychic to help in a dangerous solution, and it wouldn't have to move to grab the tree...making a safer enviroment for those working around it.

 

[DarkCharlie]

What will make a good Pokemon helper for a lumberjack? Explain your choice.

Scyther can use Cut really well, but Pinsir can too. Pinsir also looks as if it would be able to carry wood. Scyther looks weaker than Pinsir, even if they can use Cut (probably) more accurately. Pinsir.

 

[Frostweaver]

I personally got Nidoqueen in mind.

It can cut (or use brick break) to cut the tree. It got strength to carry it. It got a very wide range of elemental attacks in stock for a lot of situations. Its type gives it a fair chance against most Pokemon that lives in a forest.

For Meganium, Vine whip can be used to hold the logs which is very true. The only disadvantage is that its type doesn't give it a very strong edge against the common bug/flying Pokemon that lives in the forest, should they ever attack cause their home is getting destroyed. Meganium does have access to Ancientpower to easily knock them down, but bugs are most likely in swarms and Ancientpower probably can't hold all of them at once...

Iron Tail can be very questionable. It just smashes the opponent according to *all* medium that shows it so far in manga, games or anime. Alakazam's tail is very small and we can all agree on that. So, what if the tail is shorter than the diameter of the tree log? >>; How effective it is in making a cut will be "interesting." Also, keep in mind that Alakazam got a very low strength to pull it off, too... Psychic powers will probably allow Alakazam to not just carry the logs, but simply teleport off with them if strong enough (if not, then just follow your method.) Alakazam is very powerful against the aggressive forest residents; all except Beedrill swarms, that is.

Pinsir isn't that much better than Scyther, and I personally think that Scyther is a terrible Pokemon for the job regardless of what the show says about it. It has an excellent cutting edge, but Pinsir will be pretty clumsy in carrying the wood (lol I got a mental image of Pinsir "dragging" the log by carrying one side of the log with the horns... doubt he can hold the entire thing with the horns or else he'll definitely lose balance when you're going uphill or downhill.) Again, weakness to flying with no access of abilities that hit flying types really don't help so much.

Alakazam and Meganium are both around the same in terms of usefulness, but I think that Yamato-san provides a better supporting statement as he considers all aspects of how effective a move will be in carrying the attack out.

Breezy: 0
Charon-chan: 0
Dragonfree: 2
Eventidemjj: 5
Light Azumarill: 2
Yamato-san: 6 (4+2)
Katsuro: 1 (0+1)

*kicks start the game again*

Question #1 for 2006

There are Pokemon that are definitely used more commonly than others in fanfics. Almost all the legendaries are all common sights in fanfics as the Pokemon characters. Why do you think that legendaries have all of this special attention in fanfics?
(winner is determined from their arguments and supportive statements)

 

[DarkCharlie]

I think that legendaries are common in fanfics because, in the games, most people want them. Also, some people like to base their fanfics on one Pokemon; maybe it makes it easier to write? Everyone likes the Pokemon Movies, which are also based on legendaries, so writers may try to do a Pokemon-Movie-ripoff. Legendaries are, though, special Pokemon; they are one of a kind, so some writers may think that it will make their fic exciting, regardless of wheter or not it actually works.
((No offense to anyone who writes about legendaries here!))

 

[Dragonfree]

Legendaries are popular in fics because they are more "interesting" than normal Pok?mon, in the same way as politicians and other people in power are more "interesting" than normal people. A problem that concerns them is more of a problem, winning them over to your side is more of a feat, and being up against them is more of a threat. They make purer protagonists and more evil antagonists. It's like they carry an aura of exaggeration. Everything surrounding them is bigger, greater, better, graver. Nobody would want to read a story written in all seriousness about how a corrupt Rattata wants to take over the world, but if the Pok?mon happens to be Mewtwo, it's a different story. The power and importance of the legendaries is therefore what makes them so popular, and undeniably effective, in fanfiction.

 

[Sankari]

(time for me to start playing this crazy game)

Legendaries are most often used by the writers who, say...aren't creative. In every Pokemon game ever created, legendaries are symbols of rarity, power, and sometimes beauty. Things of these qualities are interesting subjects to all of us, even if they are used over and over until they are worn and torn--even if they lose their effect of appeal to matured reviewers. Authors of these fan fictions usually get their "ideas" from the Pokemon movies, which lean completely on legendaries. I can only assume that these writers think that they are being unique.

--Don't yell at me for not putting the accent over pokemon. I, uh...don't know how O.O

 

[Yamato-san]

well.... legendaries are pretty much gods in the Pokemon world. Everyone of them is stronger than average Pokemon in some way (the anime and manga probably exaggerate their strength to an extent, but in the games, their stats really are like that regardless. The reason I use the term "in some way" is because in the games, some legendaries can absolutely suck in one aspect, like Registeel's offense, or Deoxys Normal Form and Attack Form's defense, but they excel in other categories, and their base stats combined still earn them a spot among the top tier Pokemon). Several of them are supposedly one-of-a-kind and have an eternal lifespan, judging by the fact that they've been around since the world's beginnings (the immortality issue was actually brought up about Mew, and in essence, Mewtwo, in the Birth of Mewtwo radio drama). And as a direct result of that, as well as how big of a role they played in the earth's history, nearly all cultures based tales and mythology surrounding them, which is why they're considered "legendary" in the first place.

Since pretty much everyone heard about them in said legends, there are those who seek them and wish to claim their powers as their own. This can be done through either a noble trainer protagonist striving to rightfully gain a legendary as a friend and partner, or an antagonist attempting to kidnap the Pokemon and force it into its arsenal. Sometimes, it's not just because they're strong that they seek legendaries, but it could also be because the legendaries have a unique power that no other Pokemon have which the character needs for something, like Houou's ressurection abilities, or Celebi's time-travelling (which, incidentally, was all the antagonist of the Special manga's GSC saga was really after), or Kyogre and Groudon's capabilities of forming the planet itself (which is exactly what Team Aqua and Magma based their goals on).

The reason legendaries almost always play a part in stories is because.... well, it's just kinda hard not to. With the world's culture, a mention of at least one legendary is bound to sneak in their somehow, and with their rarity and capabilities which could affect the entire planet, it's just so easy to make them a goal for certain characters, or to make them be a major character themselves in their own right (ex. a legendary becoming an antagonist, or assisting the protagonist), or something else that leaves your story with the impression of "this is big". That's not to say it's impossible to leave them out entirely... surely, quite a few Dragon Ball fanfics leave out the mystically powerful and highly-seeked Dragon Balls entirely (which, by halfway into DBZ, had become little more than a plot convenience to resurrect dead characters). Hell, it's possible to make your own canon, either leave out these Pokemon and legends surrounding them entirely, or water down their importance by making them nothing but a species, not one-of-a-kind, but just a little rarer and stronger than most Pokemon (you could make them as common and weak as a Magikarp, too, but I think that'd be overkill).

 

[Frostweaver]

Last day I did type up the stuff but then the forum won't let me post it (it just keeps loading and loading and never finish... -_-; )

I'm surprised how no one mentioned that most legendaries have a background made in advance to work with. Hardly any non-legendary Pokemon have any sense of background or an origin to where they come from, and it allows writers to have something to work with instead of some random creature. Most applicable one to this case is Mewtwo.

Breezy: 0
Charon-chan: 0
Dragonfree: 3 (2+1)
Eventidemjj: 5
Light Azumarill: 2
Yamato-san: 7 (6+1)
Katsuro: 1 (0+1)
Spoony-chan: 0
Darkcharlie: 0

(btw Yamato-san, in the game some legendaries just suck in comparison to fellow OU no matter how you look at it... *cough*Entei*cough*)

Question #2
Change the mood of following quote from sadness to joy.
-you may use any narrative manner, from any characters' perspective, or change the narrative to script
-your focus must be on Joshua and his loss in his final round of the Pokemon League
-the concept of hopes and dreams cannot be taken out from your edit

Joshua's parents tearfully looked on at their young lad, surrounded by all of his friends, laying their hands on Joshua's shoulders in sympathy. Joshua's faithful Croconaw leaned weakly against the wall, condemning her inability to claim victory over her opponent for the final battle.

It is an undeniable truth that for every Pokemon master made in Indigo Plateau, millions have failed at their life long dream. Joshua lad cannot escape from this ill fate, as he kneeled down in defeat against this year's new champion. He was so close to his dreams! Yet, they were snatched away...

 

[Sankari]

Question #2
Change the mood of following quote from sadness to joy. *You cannot change the concept that Joshua has lost the battle!*

Do we alter the quote completely or do we add onto it? I'm sort of new to this game, obviously -_-;

 

[Frostweaver]

Do whatever you want to the quote, but you can't change how he lost the battle. Of course, if by magic you barely alter anything and it still changes the mood, then that will score you the best points ^_^ Or, if you changed everything yet the mood barely improves, then most likely someone else did a better job.

If the question didn't restrict you in how to alter it, change it however you want.

 

[Dragonfree]

Are we allowed to make the point of view that of Joshua's opponent?

 

[Yamato-san]

(btw Yamato-san, in the game some legendaries just suck in comparison to fellow OU no matter how you look at it... *cough*Entei*cough*)

Regardless of what legendaries suck, there's no denying that they have an extraordinarily high stat total in the games. Look at this list, you'll notice that every legendary has a base stat total that's 580 or above.

Anyway.... narrative, eh? Pass.

 

[Sankari]

I might have a chance at this ^^

Joshua's parents thoughfully looked on at their young lad, surrounded by all of his dumb-struck friends, bowing their heads in simple disbelief and barely blinking their eyes from pure shock. Joshua's faithful Croconaw brought it's powerful body up, it's shaking limbs resisting but still stabbing a go at it.

Joshua looked away from his faithful friend, smothering tears in his right hand. How could all of his hardwork--all of those countless days of strenuous training--come down to this...? He shook his head, trying to shake it off. He tried to wake himself up from the painful dream--

He felt his jeans bound tightly around his right leg. His tears ceased their flow. Joshua looked down and saw the young Croconaw looking up to him with teary eyes...and a smile on her face. A smile...? Then Joshua realized the important thing about this battle. It wasn't about winning. It was about the companionship he had created in his Pokemon. His tears ran clear of joy as he stooped down and embraced his best friend.

That's the best I could do O.o It was difficult, but fun!

 

[Frostweaver]

Regardless of what legendaries suck, there's no denying that they have an extraordinarily high stat total in the games. Look at this list, you'll notice that every legendary has a base stat total that's 580 or above.

Anyway.... narrative, eh? Pass.

high base stat, but no use for them if you can't move cause your speed just happens to be your lowest and your def is equally sub-par... legendaries' stats that are "average" really hurt even if the base stats are good. You really need to concentrate on base stats that work very well together, then you can even have the worst stats in the other categories, such as Deoxys-FR. Horrid defense worst than Rattata, but so what ;)




Guess I should clarify my question a bit more... *edits question* I'll extend time and etc etc.

 

[Dragonfree]

The champion walked into the arena to shake hands with the new, young winner of the Pok?mon League and hand him the trophy. He saw the boy jumping up and down in sheer joy, waving to his relatives. Then he eyed the other boy at the far side of the arena, who was in tears, surrounded by his friends and family who comforted him.

The champion smiled slightly. Joshua, the boy, most likely did not realize how lucky it was that he had been defeated; he must have hoped and dreamed of becoming champion for a long time. But now, the champion himself would have given anything to be in Joshua's position - a fresh, young trainer with his whole life ahead of him, having experienced the thrills of the League and, what was more important, learned from them. Of all the millions of trainers who had entered the Pok?mon league four years ago, the champion thought to himself, he had been the one whose hopes and dreams came true; yet now, he felt that he had been the unluckiest of all those trainers. Now he knew that his battling skills had only robbed him of his childhood and friends. Joshua was a lucky boy.

He looked into the excited eyes of the new champion, and could not help feeling that the one who had lost to him was the bigger hero.

 

[Geometric-sama]

When's the deadline? I assume we're allowed to correct the grammar in the quote XD