Using the Game's Plot

[Plight]

How do you go about doing this without it being insanely boring? I’ve seen it done before and people just hate it. I think the only one I’ve seen and enjoyed is Saber’s. But mine is based on Ruby. It may change to Emerald once I get the game, though I’m not sure they follow the same storyline. Basically this is what I’ve been thinking:

The character, Fin, is from Rustboro, a New York/Vegas of sorts. Fin lives on the 23rd floor of the Sunshine Home Apartment Complex. Her family is an average working class family. Her father works for Devon Corp. and her mother at the flower ship. Fin is about to become the delivery boy… hem… girl of Devon Corp. Her parents think why not kill two birds (figuratively!) with one stone and start her Pokémon journey as well, as Fin would be the region delivery… person. *SIDENOTE* In this fanfic, Pokémon are expensive. Meaning they are not free from professors. Getting pokémon from a professor is for “privileged kids.” Which is another thing to say for stinking rich kids. You would rarely see a kid from Littleroot with a “lab pokémon.” So, how are there so many trainers? Parents need to catch a wild pokémon, buy one from a breeder, or if there is a Pokémon Trainer’s Academy: buy one through the school’s program. Fin’s parents catch her a Skarmory from a flock that rests on the top of their building (they come to Hoenn during Johto’s winter), as they were already behind on the bills.

Yeah, so I have a very basic plot. So my question is… if Team Whoever decides to trail Fin and her annoying accomplice (comic relief character) would that just be bad? I thought it would be masterful to have a delivery… person to be tracked down every so often by these weird people in costumes and be completely oblivious to the fact that every time she picks up a Devon Corp. item she’s carrying a ticking time bomb. But I thought about how everyone on here would think of that and I didn’t feel too good about the plot. So I come here asking for advice. How could I flesh out the games and would it work with my plot? And what about legendaries? I know that my character will not be capturing them, but should she even encounter them? Or let Team Blah Blah succeed and live in a post-apocalyptic world? I should probably ask Saber about this… how did you handle the legendaries? As I haven’t had the chance to read all of your fic (though I’m itching to, I love it so far), I’m not sure you’ve covered this.

But basically, I’m calling out to all experienced fanfiction writers for help.

 

[FlamingRuby]

The main thing to remember: as long as it doesn't sound like you copied it out of your game, you're fine.

 

[Tezza]

I'm not sure how it follows the Ruby plot, not being well versed in any of the R/S/E games, but it definitely sounds interesting using the delivery. So long as Fin doesn't Fly (HM02) from city to city as you'd shave off a lot of interesting adventures.

I think it's quite easy to do an interesting game plot, so long as you don't stick entirely too the game but have your own adventures as well added in. The game can be like long distance plot planning but it is the personality of your character and how they tackle the problems that make it interesting. That's where a lot of people fail. Just "travel-> Get Badge-> Travel-> Help out Ol'mate -> Get HM->Get Badge....

I myself follow the Gold plot but have spread things out and made them whole as well add a few other things. Spreading out the Belsprout Tower of Violet is one way of advancing a game plot. I turned it into a big labrynth, each level a chapter.
Think, in the game, you help a fellow at the Slowpoke well. The graphics are base and you just battle Rockets. A rocket isn't going to go "Oh, you beat me! Time to go home and watch the Simpsons."

As well as that you have to stray from the basic game plot otherwise it's just boring. Use the 'Travel' part to make your own random chapters. I've had bushfires and crumbling ruins and misadventures at the Daycare center.

I also think its good to follow games because it means that "Ambiguious Team in the Shadows" chapters are few and far between. They're rationed out and they are BIG! Think of the massive and exciting chapter it would be. It would be bad if they trailed Fin and co. It's just so Ash & Co.

I also think the game is also a great guide for Legendary Pokemon because you only meet them rarely, and there's so much to offer. In the game to get Moltres you paddle around a fairly easy Victory road, walk into a cave, walk up to Moltres and battle. Big whoop. It's how you pull this out into an exciting adventure that detirmines if your Game fiction is successful.

 

[indigestible_wad]

Personally I don't see how that's following the plot of the game. Unless you follow the actual plot of what the game actually does. But I think since you have different characters and backstory it should be pretty fine.

Gnerally when you make a story based on the game's plot, you want to put something that is not in the game in there so that it becomes half and half. You seem to have done that well so it should be no problem for you.

 

[+Chaos Blade+]

A fic can be off the game's plot. BUT, you must keep in mind not to stray your mind from the world of crappiness. As long as you create something with ingenuity, you can create, as indigestible_wad stated, "half-and-half". And based on the sidenote, it looks as if you have done that "half-and-half" thing quite well.

Give your characters personalities, not just the average hero[ine], nor the Gary-Stu or Mary-Sue. If you do that, your half-and-half fic will be unique, much like Breezy's Hoenn League: A Brendan and May Adventure, a critically-acclaimed fic that is based off of the Ruby and Sapphire games.