Pokemon in regions

[SebastiaanZ]

I didn't see a thread about this, so I thought I'd make one.

I am writing a new Pokemon fanfiction, starting a new trainer out on a journey (of course with a lot of twists, but I start out normal). And I have been thinking, if I start him out in a specific region like Kanto, should I have Pokemon from other regions appear as well? I mean of course they can, but should he be able to catch them? Or make the Pokemon from other regions, and like Alolan version Pokemon very rare or something?

I'd like your feedback on this so I can get going.

 

[Starlight Aurate]

It honestly depends on your personal preference--it is YOUR fic, so you get to decide. People in your audience will all feel differently, as some may appreciate that you keep to what's in the games and some may feel it would be more interesting to have more diversity. I'd say you should at least have their locations make sense (say, finding a wild Onix in Unova in the mountains rather than in a forest).

Personally, I try to keep my Pokemon more region-specific; if what I'm writing takes place in Hoenn, I typically only have the wild Pokemon be what's found in that area of the RSE games (wild Carvanha in the river on route 119, for example). I also have s =ome Kanto and Johto Pokemon show up, if they can be found in that area in the games--for example, I would put that wild Lanturn and Chinchou can be found in the deep water in Hoenn.

I'm not really sure why you think being able to catch them would be an issue--if he finds them, what's to stop him from at least trying to catch them? And as far finding Alolan versions of Pokemon in other regions, I Think that might make the fact as to why they're Alolan moot--from what I've read, these Pokemon are exclusively found in those forms on Alola because of certain environmental factors that don't really crop up in other regions. Of course, there's plenty of fanfic fuel behind that--maybe your character is starting to find Alolan Pokemon in Kanto for certain reasons that revolve around the plot.

Sorry if this was a bit long-winded or not much help. If you want anything else, shoot me a message. Good luck with your writing!

 

[JX Valentine]

Or make the Pokemon from other regions, and like Alolan version Pokemon very rare or something?

While I generally agree with Starlight, I'd also like to emphasize her point about how Alola forms of old-gen Pokémon exist in Alola because they've adapted to that region's environment. Thus, you don't really find Alolan Vulpix or Sandshrew or so forth wherever you find their "normal" variations, specifically because there's no reason for them to take on those adaptations just anywhere else.

However, if you really want to use them, there's still probably a way to work it out—you'd just need to take into consideration the environment of your setting. (Let's assume that you're considering setting your fic in Kanto but haven't really made a solid decision yet—or that mentioning Kanto was an example.) For Kanto, an Alolan Vulpix might not make sense because the region's temperate. Short of Seafoam Island (which is a watery cave and thus the wrong ecosystem for fox-like creatures anyway) and a few anime-exclusive locations, there aren't really that many places shown in Kanto where a Vulpix that's adapted to snow can exist. However! If you decide to set your fic in a fan region where there are snowy mountains or if you decide to set your fic in, say, Sinnoh (home of Mt. Coronet, a snow-capped mountain), then absolutely, you could totally have Alolan Vulpix. The point is, canon states Alolan forms are environment-dependent, but unless that actually means Alola has a super-unique/magical environment, you can still have the right factors to recreate those forms. You just need to keep in mind that not every region has the right combination of factors on-hand.

On a negative side, though, there's also the fact that we don't actually know a whole lot about Alola Pokémon in general so far, and that's also important to keep in mind. Sure, we know their names, types, and brief overviews of new moves and abilities, but we don't really know full movesets, move specifics (How powerful is Revelation Dance, anyway? What type are half of these signature moves?), or in some cases, evolutions. So it'll probably be harder to include Alolan Pokémon because until you know specifics, you're probably not going to have some of the vital details needed to bring these Pokémon to life. (Like, well, evolutions.) That and you'll need to be extra aware that you may have to "update" your Pokémon or your story as new information comes out. This is one of the less dodgy reasons why folks might tell you it's a good idea to hold off on using Pokémon from a newly announced gen if at all possible. (The slightly more iffy reason involves the fact that some people feel it's a bit gimmicky to use upcoming gen Pokémon, but that's really a matter of personal taste.)

Tl;dr, true, no one's really stopping you, and so long as you don't do it excessively (i.e., so long as you don't set your story in one canon region but then only ever show another gen/region's Pokémon for no apparent reason, effectively ignoring/replacing all of the native Pokémon), you do you. But it's definitely a good idea to take into consideration the region's environment when choosing what Pokémon to show off, and it's equally a good idea to be aware that Pokémon from as-of-yet unreleased gens require a bit more work to pull off due to the lack of information you'll have on-hand.

Good luck!

 

[SebastiaanZ]

Yeah I meant the Alola Pokemon more in a trainer way, not in a wild Pokemon way. I mean my protagonists (yeah multiple) can meet a trainer from Alola who has an Alola form Sandshrew.

The story's protagonist is either starting in Kanto or in Johto, Kanto mostly because of well its the first series' region and Johto mostly because it was my favorite Anime series until XYZ came out, and has personally my favorite battle, Ash vs Gary in it.

Also I plan on involving a custom region, with possible fanmade Mega Evolutions (you won't be able to change my mind on that ). Friends of me said make a custom Pokedex as well, but I am not going for a custom Pokemon Generation. What would your stand be on that (on the Mega Evolution part)? I mean it is fanfiction after all. Or a Synchro Bond thingy like Greninja and Ash. I mean the way they explained it in the anime, that essentially could happen to anyone, a Pokemon adapting to their trainer.

Also depending on what region I start out, my protagonist would go with a Bulbasaur as his starter in Kanto, or a Cyndaquil in Johto. Eventually he would travel to the other region and obtain the other starter (so Cyndaquil if he started out in Kanto, or Bulbasaur if he started out in Johto).

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Creepychu]

Short answer to both the initial question and your follow-up is that it's all in the way you sell it. Part of what makes fanfiction (and fiction in general) great is that you have just about infinite creative license so long as you present your ideas in a way that clicks with your readers. Your questions seem to be very focused on the surface-level details of your story (what setting you're placing it in, what particular pokémon are involved etc.) but the thing is that's all window dressing compared to the actual core parts of the story, like whether you have an interesting plot that keeps people reading, compelling characters they're willing to get invested in, or a strong writing style to bring all those details across to your reader.

So yeah, you can do any and all of those things you listed or none of them and it's honestly not going to make as big a difference as you might think. Nobody here is going to blanket judge you just for shallow stuff like that, but by the same token you aren't going to get much attention just from including things that people around here like either, so just write whatever comes the most natural to you; the more invested you are in your own fic the more likely you are to put in the extra effort that will get readers interested in it too.

 

[SebastiaanZ]

Short answer to both the initial question and your follow-up is that it's all in the way you sell it. Part of what makes fanfiction (and fiction in general) great is that you have just about infinite creative license so long as you present your ideas in a way that clicks with your readers. Your questions seem to be very focused on the surface-level details of your story (what setting you're placing it in, what particular pokémon are involved etc.) but the thing is that's all window dressing compared to the actual core parts of the story, like whether you have an interesting plot that keeps people reading, compelling characters they're willing to get invested in, or a strong writing style to bring all those details across to your reader.

So yeah, you can do any and all of those things you listed or none of them and it's honestly not going to make as big a difference as you might think. Nobody here is going to blanket judge you just for shallow stuff like that, but by the same token you aren't going to get much attention just from including things that people around here like either, so just write whatever comes the most natural to you; the more invested you are in your own fic the more likely you are to put in the extra effort that will get readers interested in it too.

The reason why I ask the more surface scratching questions, is because I got some plot points together already, just needed some questions as tools as to how I could incorporate Pokemon and their various forms into it. I know how to write, I have been writing Yu-Gi-Oh fanfiction for years and I wanted to go with the other anime I used to and now since XYZ watch a lot.

Another question, one of my ideas would've been to have the story take place years after the actual Pokemon anime, which means I'll cut off the real anime at some point to make place for my own canon. Most likely after XYZ. What would be your stance on having included for example new gyms or new Elite Four or a new Champion trainer? Just to get a general idea what others think.

Okay I am working on my character's future Pokemon setup ... would it be acceptable in a serious fanfic to have the main OC forge a bond with Latios or Latias and that it eventually joins the OC in its journey (alas Pokemon Omega Ruby)? Cause I kinda love Latios and Latias.

 

[JX Valentine]

Merging your posts together. Please note that we kinda frown on double posting in discussion threads and encourage users to edit their previous posts (or delete and repost if they really feel the need to bump).

That having been said, though, it seems like the answer to both of your questions is, again, do what you want. I mean, sure, you know how to write fic, but ultimately, the points Creepychu and Starlight have brought up to you still stand. People really don't mind about specific details; it's all about execution. If you do any of the things you're proposing well, then it'll be perfectly fine and enjoyable to the audience.

And I think I get what you're trying to say by "using our responses as tools." It seems like you're gauging our interest in your concepts, am I right? If that's that's the case, then bluntly put, it'll be more productive if you just write the fic and post it, rather than ask us about each detail you're thinking of putting in your fic. The reason why is because, again, all it comes down to is execution and context.

That said, if you want to gauge our interest in your full idea, I'd encourage you to post a full summary over here. (Please note the formatting of that thread before posting. It's not really a thread you go back to over and over again but rather a thread to post your summary to get your general concept hammered out.) As it stands, it feels like you're veering off the course of your original subject, but it seems like not much else can be added to the discussion of the original subject. For that reason (and to encourage you to, you know, post your fic, as most of your questions can just be answered with "do what you please"), I'mma gonna go ahead and close this. Here's hoping this won't discourage you to post your fic, of course. It sounds interesting; you just kinda need to take the plunge and do it.

Good luck!