But what is my fic *really* about?

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

So, what's The King In Exile about?
Chairman Rose getting a massive wakeup call as to the consequences of his actions as they hit far more personally than he could have imagined.

Ok what's it really about?
I wanted to explore what I felt was an untapped gold mine in SwSh, that the story had so many more opportunities for fairy tale symbolism, and Rose as a deluded king figure was something I wanted to--

Blackjack we both know what this is about
Ok fine I just really wanted to write a

Spoiler

Leon death scene

is that so wrong






What's Obsession about?
Just that--Jirarudan's growing obsessions and eventual isolation, twisting him into the delusional man we see in the second movie. It's a disservice that most of his characterization is limited to his image song, which only exists on the Japanese soundtrack album, and bringing this character to light is an endeavor I--

Blackjack...
What? I thought he was a really interesting character because he's more or less a "take that" at the target audience, and with what little is known about him, there's a lot of room to work with in that broad framework to end up at that eventual goal.

...
Ok fine I'm a weakling for characters who have to grow up too fast and it's in part me working through my own issues with undiagnosed autism there it's not a very funny answer but I at least get to claim that the fic is about weaponized autism. Which is pretty funny I guess.

 

[MikaelBrigman]

Q. What is The Alchemist about?
A. A mess of self-loathing is recreated in the Pokemon world in the form of MissingNo's messiah avatar. He finds that it's not a meta he can work with, because even with his limited memories, he doesn't have a clue about the apocalypse that created Espers, people with Pokemon moves, allowed Ultra Wormholes to start appearing everywhere, and screwed around with everything's aura. There's also a Church of Helix which he has some trouble taking seriously. Team Flare has become FLARE, an organization dedicated to fighting so-called Anomalies, and he gets dragged into it to protect his fragile new body.
Q. No, what's it about?
A. The impact of differing perspectives, how people perceive themselves and others, deconstructing and reconstructing stupid anime tropes, and punching false gods in the face.
Q. No, I mean, what's it really, really about?
A. Neon Genesis Evangelion but worse.

 

[kyeugh]

Q. So what is Wandersword about?
a young lucario who yearns to free his people is partnered with a weary old knight who wants nothing more than to live out the rest of her days quietly. even though their interests are at odds, they forge an undeniable bond that forces them both to reassess what they truly believe and desire.

Q. Ok, but what is it really about?
a lady and her pokémon run around the country, smacking shit for money. they accidentally smack the wrong shit and get smacked back. oops, all conspiracies.

Q. Ok, but what is it really about?
what if your aunt’s dog was a member of the IRA?

 

[IFBench]

Q. So what's A Way to Reunite about?

A Way to Reunite is a short story about the unbreakable bond between a human and their Pokemon partner, even when separated by worlds, and the bond between human and Pokemon, separated by a screen. It's about the meaning of names, and friendship, and reunions. It's about the lengths friends go for each other, and how true friendship can never be forgotten.

Q. Okay, but what's it really about?

A human and their Snivy parnter, after their adventure is over, are seperated by worlds. Desperate to reunite, each think back on their adventures together, until the Snivy finds a way to reunite.

Q. Okay, but what is it about?

Snivy breaks the laws of the multiverse in the name of friendship.

 

[Flyg0n]

Q: So what's Home is Where the Hoenn Is about?

A: HIWTHI is a story about desperation, validation, value and friendship. It's about the pursuit of dreams, faith in the unknown, and confronting your own fears and self-doubts. It's about pushing yourself, standing up for what you believe, and dealing with the pain of failure. How far will you go for a dream that is not your own, and how far will you drag a friend in your own pursuit of something? Where do you place your sense of worth, and what do you do when that thing is lost?

Q: Okay, but what's it really about?

A: Following a devastating loss, a Flygon is left questioning her identity and value. Convinced that mega evolution will fix her problems, she drags her trainer on a desperate journey to find a Flygonite. Along the way, both are forced to grapple with their relationship and beliefs about strength and worth.

Q: Okay, but what is it about?

A:

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Q: So, what is Pokemon: Shifted Earth about?
Jackie Ferin - a man from Florida - hates Pokemon. Hates them, for what they did to Earth. Hates them, so much so, that he decides to found an anti-Pokemon group to protect these he holds dear.

Okay, but what is it really about?
It is a deconstruction of the concept of Pokemon becoming real. Pokemon are incredibly dangerous, and to say they will change Earth forever is an understatement.

Q: Okay, but what is it about?
It's a fic about denial, about fear - fear of the unknown, existential terror at what was once believed as fiction becoming real, about how for some, there is no hope, that they will still choose the path of destruction believing their views to be right.

Hi, Muted Programmer. Welcome to the forums! It's nice to see a revival of my thread, and this sure is a fun one, but I wonder if you might have missed the gimmick in your enthusiasm to participate. It's meant to end on a punchline!

Remember, this highly facetious format goes [deep themes], [genericised synopsis], [absurd strawman].

Perhaps I can shuffle your own example to give a demonstration, although most of the other posts in the thread would also suffice.

Q: So, what is Pokemon: Shifted Earth about?

It's a fic about denial, about fear - fear of the unknown, existential terror at what was once believed as fiction becoming real, about how for some, there is no hope, that they will still choose the path of destruction believing their views to be right.

Okay, but what is it really about?

A deconstruction of the concept of Pokemon becoming real. Pokemon are incredibly dangerous, and to say they will change Earth forever is an understatement. In retaliation for the harm they do to the world, Jackie Ferin founds a group to protect those he holds dear from the monsters.

Q: Okay, but what is it about?

Florida Man hates pokémon, takes up new career as monster hunter.

 

[Muted_Programmer_404]

Hi, Muted Programmer. Welcome to the forums! It's nice to see a revival of my thread, and this sure is a fun one, but I wonder if you might have missed the gimmick in your enthusiasm to participate. It's meant to end on a punchline!

Hi! Yes, it's good to see you. Though, Shifted Earth has had a re-write and restructuring - so here's what the new one would look like:

Q: So, what is Pokemon: Shifted Earth about?
It's a fic about change - about uncertainty. The uncertainty one feels when something completely alien occurs - in this case, when the fiction becomes reality overnight.

Okay, but what is it really about?
A pessimistic examination of the concept of Pokemon becoming real. Pokemon are alien in many ways not to mention dangerous, and to say they will change Earth forever is an understatement. Ryan Terwin, a police officer for the Brisbane Police Department, must cope with expanding protocols, raise a traumatized Pichu, and attempt to apprehend a group of Pokemon-abusing teenagers in the process.

Q: Okay, but what is it about?
Australian Policeman arrests Pokemon-abusing hooligans, raises a Pichu as his own child.

 

[Sinderella]

Q: So what's White Swan, Black Swan about?
Being that it's a mystery story, it's mostly centered around the idea that everything isn't what it seems at face value. People you might trust with your life might not be ones you should, and vice versa. It also grapples with the concept of overcoming past trauma, and moving forward with life without letting it weigh you down. We also visit much more fluffier things, like strong friendships and romantic relationships, and how having these important people in our lives might make traumatic experiences a little easier to overcome.

Q: Okay, but what's it really about?
A former theater hopeful and her best friend embark on uncovering a mystery that has rocked their home region, and along the way uncover some horrors that they were not ready to face. Their relationships with each other, their families, their Pokemon, and even the people they meet are mercilessly tested until everything comes to a white-hot boil.

Q: Okay, but what is it about?
Angery gnome and her homosexual supporting cast play Clue and eventually find out she's possessed by Satan, all while collectively flirting with a hot asexual billionaire.

 

[HelloYellow17]

Q: So what’s Of Sand and Shadows about?
At its core, Of Sand and Shadows is a story of overcoming. Overcoming loss, grief, impossible odds, self-loathing, and devastating defeat. It’s about rising from the wreckage of tragedy and your past mistakes to become someone even greater, about reaching inside oneself to find you have more to give than you ever thought you could. It’s about redemption, love, and selfless sacrifice.

Q: Okay, but what’s it really about?
A former criminal named Wes leaves his old life behind and sets out with his Umbreon and Espeon to start over somewhere new. Naturally, his plans get derailed fairly quickly (No thanks to his Pokémon) and soon Wes gets roped into playing hero, much to his chagrin. With a fearless and overly-optimistic young woman at his side, they investigate a suspicious emergence of Shadow Pokémon and find there’s a much bigger and more sinister plan threatening the entire region.

Q: Okay, but what is it about?
Edgy cool guy doesn’t look at explosions, but he does dote on his super-powered cats.

(See also: Mad Max: Fury Road + Pokemon + edgy early 2000s aesthetic.)

 

[ShiniGojira]

Q: So, what's Just a Normal Day about?

A: Well, it's about how anyone, no matter their differences or experiences, can become friends. It's a story of change, emotional baggage and how friends are important to anyone. Everyone has their own demons they have to overcome and friends can help make their journey easier to go through.

Q: Okay, but what's it really about?

A: It's a story where three brothers get specially picked for something they never expected to do and they journey through various universes and worlds with their paths dictated and observed by immortal beings. Each arc has its own theme and lesson the three brothers and whatever friends they make, will have to learn. They meet and change the lives of many people, bring hope and make friends while dealing with the knowledge of everything that was once fictional suddenly becoming reality.

Q: Okay but what is it really about?

Three brothers meet magical animals and learn how to make friends.

 

[silurica]

Q: So, what is Niente about?
A: It's a story about searching for purpose, the dedication and loyalty to what is deemed important, and grappling with failures in an era of conflicts. Despair follows.

Q: Okay, but what is it really about?
A: Set in a distant past before Unova was united, a lone dragon received a second chance at life after a divine encounter. The story takes glimpses into Kyurem's life before they became the empty beast we all know from mainline canon.

Q: Okay, but what is it about?
A:

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

Q: So what's Once a Thief about?

Once a Thief is a tale of how there's a story behind the faces on the opposite side of the Outlaw Mission board, and their hopes, dreams, and occasional bouts of unlikely heroism. About mistakes in the past and living with them, and being able to learn from the past while not letting it consume you. A tale of the conflict between wishes and reality brushing up against each other and the gray area in between the two.

Q: Okay, but what's it really about?

Three PMD Outlaws getting seriously in over their heads and getting into a cross-region pursuit arc with the strangest Axew they've ever met.

Q: Okay, but what is it about?

......Xenoblade references.

 

[K_S]

What is the cut and run series about?

Being revamped.

One of Professor Oak's first mentees was a trouble-making hellraiser by the name of Giovanni Sakaki. Not that anyone could concretely confirm anything... Legally. But there were enough incidents that oak was suspicious...

At first blush, the kid, Sakaki, seemed quiet, withdrawn, and with a perfectionist streak and a flinch reaction that screamed bad home life. He gave the kid a cat because it wasn't like a start-up lab was going to have things like Charmander or anything nice...

Kid and cat hit it off. Time passed. Journeys happened... Oak wrote a few papers... Kept track of the kid he sent off. Weird kid, but still he seemed the only slice of stability in the boy's life so why not mentor a little more so than he normally would? Giovanni had drive, looked to be getting all the badges and tracing their effect on the kids 'mon was as good an excuse as any for keeping in regular contact.

Then he finds out a very good cause for "why not"

Rocket grunts storm his home to "snuff" him for refusing to assist them. Because having morals and standing up to the mob/shadow government clearly was a no-no. And in the ensuing disaster oak finds out that Sakaki is a Rocket, on the assassination team... and more loyal to him than the organization he grew up in.

More than willing to kill on his behalf.

Horrified Oak might... Possibly... have /mildly/ freaked out. After stitching the kid up first... Watched in shock as the bodies were disposed of by someone younger than fifteen.

When Oak gets a grip and remembers his morals he moralizes. Because this is wrong can't the kid see that? And Giovanni's wry apathetic (it's just a clean-up job) spurs oak to do something he regrets for the rest of his life.

He cuts ties. Just leaves the kid with the mess and...

And just leaves. Takes a sabbatical. Does a small journey. Screws his head back on enough to see that he royally screwed up and when he tries to make things right...

It's like nothing ever went wrong. Giovanni's father who'd engineered the hit was dead and gone. All the bodies were whisked away. The gore untraceable even with a blue light (he combed the scene so many times with so many tools, looking and looking and even the search arcanine got him nothing...)

And from there... Life moves on. Oak keeps contact. A guarded stilted contact at first that flows back into their familiar patterns of mentor and mentee. And those change as both men age, grow and maintain their friendship despite glaring moral differences.

Cut and run starts near the end of oak and Giovanni's professional lives... Hints of their upcoming retirement and explores all that that might entail.

What's it really about?

Criminal mastermind trying to retire and cohabitate with his best friend professor as rehabilitation and to deal with his many many issues. spends a lot of time warding off wrong assumptions about ageism and relationship status while overpower grinding his pokemon team on innocent critters around the reserve when bored. it going oh so badly when incompetent governments, homicidal legends, and personal drama drop in all at once. Making him reassess all his life choices.

Chiefly him going "good" and the whole "stepping down thing".

Also, he's being dragooned by Oak to help train Ash's incompetently trained charizard as "rehabilitation" and he's not a happy man for it.

Alright, what's it really about?

An aging man with suspect history tells kids, government, and legends to get off his bleeping ground type of reserve and out of his best friend's yard. When they don't he digs out the big guns and sows social discord out of spite.

 

[NebulaDreams]

Q. What is Dreamdiver about?

A. It's about the complicated world of mental health and the ups and downs of someone's process of that treatment, as well as the inner lives of those treating their patients. It's about the border between dreams and reality, how different people use escapism in various ways, how anxieties manifest into dreams or nightmares, and how limitless the imagination can be when unfiltered. It's about the dangers of compassion fatigue, the cost of selflessness, the different forms that prejudice takes, how that prejudice becomes internalised over time, and how embedded it is into an unsupportive system rather than the machinations of one bad egg.

Q. Okay, but what's it really about?

A. A Hypno works as a dream therapist to treat his various Pokemon patients with their mental health struggles. Despite his efforts, he is continually worn down by the scapegoating he experiences due to his species, and his job, however rewarding it is, starts to take its toll on his psyche.

Q. Okay, but what's it about?

A. What if Creepypasta Pokemon had feelings too? And took a tab of acid as well?

 

[Extension_Driver]

Q: So, what is Pokemon: Rainfall about?
It's about the greatest question: *What if you woke up one day, to find your world destroyed by an apocalypse? What if you found that death itself was no escape?"

Q: Okay, but what is it really about?
Like sleep, like death, they wake up again. But instead of the comforting rustle of leaves and the scent of their kin, they wake to the crash of rain and the sharp wind nipping at their pelt. Between their fits of restless sleep, they see two children wielding strange red-and-white balls, an immense titan rising from the sea, and the greatest torrent of rain this drowned world has ever seen. A future that has already happened.

Like death, like sleep, they wake up again. A flood submerges a tiny backwater village, a Professor, once sheltering inside his lab, wanders once more, bringing one of his guests for his newest journey.

Q: Okay, but what is it about?
Immortal eternally-resurecting scientist meets immortal, eternally-resurrecting electric slimy cat. Hijinks ensue.

 

[Flyg0n]

Q: So what's Blood is Thicker Than Water about?

A: BITTP is about the loyalties that we have, where we put them. It's about trauma, healing, and the hold toxic relationships can have over your life, how they can warp you and change you little by little. It's about learning to grow and change and escape these manipulations, about lost causes that aren't so lost, and about the power of love and friendship to inspire someone to become better. And it's about self-worth and attachments, and how important it is to have good friends and how at the end of the day, grappling with the complicated feelings of abuse and mistreatment and how sometimes, things aren't so cut and dry but you have to do what's right anyway, even when your feelings get in the way. Love can't force anyone to change, but it can guide those who are seeking it.

Q: Okay, but what's it really about?

A: Several years after Orre defeated Cipher, there's new gangs and organized crime. And in the midst of all this, Drake must choose between old loyalties and new, and right and wrong, cruelty and kindness. Newly transferred detective Marcel finds himself drawn to protecting Drake, but he knows the path won't be simple. In fact, it could cost him everything.

Q: Okay, but what is it about?

A: how many times and how many ways can I whump the same two characters before people get concerned.

 

[IFBench]

Q. So what's In Tandem about?

In Tandem is about finding a new home, when your old one doesn't bring you happiness. It's about how friendships forged over the Internet can be just as strong as in-person friendships, or even family bonds. It's about how the Internet can bring both despair and joy, that it can connect the world together and so much more. It's about unrealistic expectations and disappointing reality, yet still finding beauty and wonder in what's there. It's about the things we as humans do that might seem strange to an outsider. It's about how wonderful many of the things we take for granted are. It's about what it means to be human, beyond being human-shaped.

Q. Okay, but what's it really about?

In the PMD world, a Tropius longs to be like the humans who saved her world. When she finally gets the chance to go to the human world, she flies at the opportunity, despite having little idea what the human world is truly like, nor what it truly means to be human. Remaining a Tropius, she attempts to find her place in this strange, yet wonderful world, and makes friends in one of the unlikeliest of places: an Internet chatroom.

Q. Okay, but what is it about?

A Tropius wants to live like a human despite being about as far from human as you can get. The Internet explodes.

 

[IFBench]

Q. So what's Day of Heroes about?

Day of Heroes is about realizing how far you've come, how much you've accomplished. It's about how even people who have done amazing things can have fears and worries like anyone else. It's about the beginnings of traditions. It's about friendships forged through hardships. It's about bonding over shared trauma. It's about thanking those who have helped you make it this far. It's about hope for the future. It's about healing.

Q. Okay, but what's it really about?

There is a holiday in the PMD world to celebrate the heroes who have saved the world, the Day of Heroes. But how do you celebrate a holiday dedicated to yourself? The very heroes this holiday is about attempt to figure this out, together.

Q. Okay, but what is it about?

Nobody else has written a fic giving equal love to all four main PMD games, so I decided to do it myself!

 

[IFBench]

Q. So what's A Comprehensive Guide to Items about?

A Comprehensive Guide to Items is about how stuff we see and use everyday have their own histories, some which we may not be aware of. It's about how there's so much to the world, more than we could ever imagine. It's about creation, and the joy that lies within arts and crafts. It's about legends, myths, and folklore about objects now considered mundane. It's about respecting the world, and appreciating all that it gives us.

Q. Okay, but what's it really about?

There's many items in the PMD world, all with their own effects, uses, and dangers. It can be difficult to keep track of everything you need to know about items. Fortunately, Acacia the Meganium, one of the heroes of the Meteor Crisis, has written this guide to help!

Q. Okay, but what is it about?

I may have an obsession with PMD items.

 

[Nekodatta]

Every single response in this thread is hilarious and makes me want to check out every fic here... Slowly...

Q. So what's The Timeslip Saga about?
It's about how life never goes how you expected it would. How you can find people similar to you in the most unthinkable places, of trying to make the most out of a seemingly hopeless situation. It's about how important it is to have someone who understands and can support you in your darkest moment, and how often what makes us happy is something we already had, instead of something we have to endlessly chase after. It's a story about the meeting of wildly different cultures and ways of life, and trying to find a common ground and understand each other.

Q. Okay, but what's it really about?
Imagining how the characters of Professor Sada and Turo from Scarlet and Violet would change (or how they wouldn't) if they actually were from the past and future and ended up stranded in Paldea together with no hope to get back to their respective times.

Q. Okay, but what is it about?
Cavewoman and spaceman meet through accidental time travelling and fall in love, faceplant into the 21th century together.