Pokemon Capture Progress

[Lupin]

Now this is a question really to both authors and fans.

Do you think it is better for the main character to catch his/her main squad of Pokemon (i.e. main six pokemon) early on in the chapters or it be a process that lasts for a while. In the case of journey fics, should they get all six pokemon before the second badge, or should it be not until the fifth/sixth badge?

What is your personal preference?

 

[Neko Godot]

Well, in my fic, Tim just got the fifth badge, but only has five Pokemon. He will have one be taken away, and will catch two more near the seventh badge. He will also trade one later.

 

[Seijiro Mafuné]

I think it varies according to each main character.

For example, in my fics, the main characters don't view themselves as trainers, so they go with a more 'friendly' way to catching - read, they become friends/partners and then the Pokémon force their way in. Meanwhile, their partners, being either more used to 'normal' ways of training or just being plain hotheaded, tend to collect more Pokémon.

Example? Well, in Pokémon Johto, here's the estimative for the ending rates...

-Kenta: 30
-Marina: 60+

It's all dependant on how the trainer is, in my view.

 

[katiekitten]

It depends, it is your choice. What I do sometimes on the games, is catch a pokemon, train it for ages, get fed up with training so many and PC it. XD My final team is nothing like what I started out with, I pick themup on the way. So, if I were to write a fic like that, I would personally do the same.

 

[Ryano Ra]

I like this thread for some strange reason. x.o;;

As someone before me specifically stated, it is really based on the trainer, but can also be based upon the plot, the settings, the time, and the right capture. For example, I am currently writing an OT fanfiction and the main character will not capture his first Pokemon (besides his starter) until possibly after the second or third badge. It really varies upon what Pokemon they want to go after; a dragon wouldn't be obtained until you go hunting for such a long time, while a flying-type could be acquired at any particular time, since they are constantly found roaming the air and the skies. Some trainers might want to assemble their team as early as possible, and others might not. Some might want to have all six to train with and have a variety of choices, and some trainers might want to focus on each Pokemon individually until they build up enough strength where it'll be enough to win battles as they focus on a newly-captured Pokemon.

However, my personal preference is that it all comes natural; for a writer whose composing an OT fanfictional piece, let the Pokemon and the writing come to you. If you mention a wild Sneasel, that doesn't necessarily mean you should let little trainer Georgia capture it and be happy; when you feel it's the right time for your character to make another capture, then let it somehow flow into your story like how a young Skitty might get caught into an Ariados's spiderweb; quick and fast at first, but intelligent and thoughtful once trying to get out. Let things happen at a good pace, but when it is time for action, think things out before going on and continuing the journey.

 

[Wandering Rhythmical Phoenix]

The Main Male Hero in "Ties" (Yuki) DOesnt catch all 6 pokemon till after the Third Badge, his Companion, however (Sera) gets All Six (Plus One) Before the Third Badge. Its all a matter of Contents/Trainers goals ECT. A trainer whos been Training longer will probly have More than 6 pokemon (Meaning, any trainers who come in but have been traiinging longer than the main chareter(s) will more likely have more Pokemon)
I just find it more praticle that Trainers focus on Evolving their Pokemonthan catching new ones. Most of Yuki's pokemon evolved to the Second stage over the course of a few chapters during a stream of battles. Most of Sera's evolved off screen or dont evolve period

 

[Xtra]

In the anime, Ash had 6 pokemon after Misty, let Buterfree go, and only had 5 pokemon with him until the Viridian City tournament (though he had a bunch in Oak's lab, some we never got to see him catch).

 

[Dragonfree]

Well, in The Quest for the Legends Mark has a full team of six before his second badge. That's not really my opinion of how the progress should go as much as just my n00bish tendency to make everything happen too quickly when I was first writing it, though. I guess it depends on the writer. Some people can probably pull off making all the Pokémon in a trainer's team get used properly despite there being many of them, but others can't and are more comfortable with just letting them catch a few over a long period of time.

 

[Dilasc]

The way I see it, those Pokemon boxes exist for a reason... it's to store other Pokemon that you get. In my fic, my characters aren't afraid to have multiple choices. Yes, even though that may seem like making Pokebots, I find I can easily manage the personalities of fifty or so Pokemon.

Of course... I'm not quite at that part of my story yet, and the main characters of my works are progressing at differing rates. Regardless, teams are bound to have rotations as Pokemon find themselves in the box/at the lab, even starters are not immune to such a spectacle.

 

[The Great Butler]

In mine, Rich started out with his party full and complete, but that was only because I wanted to have him as an already-established trainer at the start of the story.

 

[Dunsparce]

My main character (Lee) loaths the ebtire league system.

In his opinion, badges only give you bragging rights. Thus he has never collected any badges at all.

By the end of the seventh chapter, he now has three Pokemon on him.

He hasn't really caught any the traditional way. I already have a fully planned out team for him, each Pokemon will have distinct personalities

 

[purple_drake]

Well, in my story the characters aren't focussed on capturing pokemon. Keegan, my main charrie, begins with two pokemon she has as pets; as her journey continues she captures pokemon because they're sick or in trouble and they end up staying with her. One of my other OCs begins with three pokemon and then collects one or two along the way, usually for mutual benefit or by accident, while my final OC enters the story with a full team.

Since most of the charries aside from them are canon, they've already got their established teams

In general, though, I plan out all the teams beforehand and find a legitimate way they get the pokemon according to their personalities. With regards to gaming, I decide on my team before I begin and box all the other pokemon I catch; sometimes that means I have only one or two pokemon for something like three badges, but it means I know where I'm going and what I'm training.

Reading fics in general? I think it's better when the catching is spread out, especially when it's a pokemon you intend to add to your charrie's main team. Catching a pokemon, if it's done in an original way, can be a pretty big event.

 

[Lupin]

The way I see it, those Pokemon boxes exist for a reason... it's to store other Pokemon that you get. In my fic, my characters aren't afraid to have multiple choices. Yes, even though that may seem like making Pokebots, I find I can easily manage the personalities of fifty or so Pokemon..

True, but some writers can find it hard having all these different characters (or Pokemon as the case may be) and have trouble keeping track of their personalites, histories etc

 

[icemew]

I think having their team early on is a better idea in some ways, because it gives more time to develop the personalities throughout the story, plus it's easier to battle. But at the same time, I think it doesn't usually make much sense, unless the team is made of really common, easily caught pokemon.

Right now, my character only has two pokemon, and it's the seventh chapter. I'm following the games (kinda) so pokemon only appear in certain areas, so in order to collect different ones, like the ones I want on her team, she has to travel around a bit. I think that makes more sense than having all of them show up close together. She'll be getting another one soon, but it's all really spread out, and it'll be a bunch of chapters before she gets the next. This makes writing battles rather tricky...

So I think that, if it makes sense, getting a team early on is probably a good thing to try for, but most of the time, it doesn't work out that well, and it's better to spread it out so it's more natural.

 

[The Burnt Shadow]

Well me, I would rather keep the amount of pokemon small. Right now in my fic, my character only has one pokemon and is on the fifth chapter. Well technically he has a lot, but he's only holding his main pokemon, one of them he's only holding on for a while and well the rest were sadly confiscated from the Pokemon league before the story started (He had issues with the league). I'll be giving him two new pokemon in like chapters 10+ or something. Most of my fics are concentrated in saving the world rather than collecting badges. In the Renegade Saga, I overdid the catching by having a trainer obtain a Blaziken, Ampharos, Aerodactyl, Absol and Registeel. Later I found that it would be difficult to use all these guys especially since the trainer was concerning a lot more on Aerodactyl and Blaziken. Later on I had to give Registeel and Ampharos to some mysterious trainer (I hated that part). Personally for me in journey fics, it would be a bit difficult for a trainer to have something like a full party already before the second badge, considering that he would be a new trainer...

 

[Negrek]

As people have already mentioned, it largely depends upon the 'fic. In some cases it could work to fill out a trainer's roster with six near the beginning. However, in my experience, it is rare that this is true, unless you're starting with an established trainer who already has several pokemon. That's because, in order to catch all those pogeys, your first few chapters are going to be, literally, crammed with captures on your way to six--or more. As purple_drake said, a pokemon capture can be a big event, but overdo it and throw in way too many, and it starts to seem repetitive and boring. Many authors also quickly find themselves unable to deal with such a wide range of characters.

With regards to my fics, taking a look at the four main ones, which have the pokemon characters planned even if they're not written, two feature established trainers who begin with far more than six pokemon. Of the other two, one never makes it to six within the scope of the 'fic, ending with five, and the other never captures a one to accompany his starting pokemon.

 

[FireTrainer92]

Terry the character in my story is a breeder with two pokemon later he has three eventually he'll probroly have four

 

[Arcanine Royale]

Let's see, I think if my character were to see a pokemon, he would try to catch it. But I would have him fail a couple of times so he would almost give up and then he would try to catch one one last time and would catch it.

I prefer having characters catch pokemon one at a time, sequentially. Then as each grew stronger they would catch more. For example, if two pokemon were required for the first badge, my characer would have to catch one more. I also like having different ways to capture. These include befriending and plain ole' capturing, as well as buying from a "caravan" and such.

 

[Black Angel]

I try to put some game-like realism into my fic (or did before it was closed). Anyone who plays the games knows that it's fairly easy to fill up a roster before the first badge and also know they're first roster isn't the same at the end. I would try to spread out the captures in the beginning so it doesn't seemed rushed and it helps develop personalities with the Pokemon aswell (especially if they have nicknames). Also it depends on your character aswell, in a Journey fic most of the time the trainer is inexperienced so one should keep in mind that he can't fill his entire roster too fast due to the inexperience but if the person is more experienced or carries a heavy advantage (Masterball or very powerful Pokemon) then one can expect him to capture everything he/she sees.

 

[Lupin]

I also like having different ways to capture. These include befriending and plain ole' capturing, as well as buying from a "caravan" and such.

I've never seen once in a fic a Pokemon being brought and that was a trainer that brought the magickarp for 500 quid near Mount Moon. It was quite good as it was useless for ages.

I know what you mean though. I once created a character that caught a Pikachu by accietent in Virdian Forest. And later on he met a trainer that wanted a Pikachu and offered his Magnemite in return. So I like having different ways of capturing pokemon too.