My Issues with Pokémon Fanfiction.

Issue #3, The Dryness Of Content Recently

*sigh*...

Welp, I had to get here eventually, didn't I?

I'm gonna say it, and though this diatribe might not agree with everyone else, I honestly couldn't care less.

Eeveelution fanfiction as of recent has been the driest its been in ages.

I'm sure many of you understand what I mean, in the sense that nothing fresh, new or exciting seems to be popping up anymore. Nothing fun, unique and invigorating seems to be really bursting out at me anymore.

Occasionally, I'll find, during the first and second lockdowns we had here in the UK, there would always be a fresh new story to envelop ourselves in for about a week or two, varying on the story's length, and I remember them fondly. And on rare occasions, a certain story would be written here that would take the whole community by storm.

The last story I remember being like this, being one that I'm sure many of you have heard of, is the amazingly written 'Shatter Me'.

I have not yet caught up with it, since I've been more focused on other things, and even though it did have its flaws near the beginning, it has by far and away gone above the call of duty to be one of the best books published on Eeveelution Wattpad as of recent. I cannot recommend it enough.

Recently, I will admit, it's happened again. With 'After All This Time'. I had stumbled into this book unexpectedly, as I had only recently entered a more Speed x Pearl mindset, due to the duo having a far better relationship dynamic and chemistry (which I might touch on if I ever visit ES again). Me and an online friend had discovered this book, and upon close surveying of it, I have to say, it was one of, if not the absolute, best Eeveelution Squad fanfictions I've ever read. I'd offer cheers to the author, but I've done that enough already. It played off of a familiar trope, but added just enough flavour to it, to the point where I'd occasionally forget that I was reading an ES fanfiction.

However, if we set apart these two examples, and perhaps some other good books that might be getting updated rarely, there's not much good coming recently. It all feels like, and I mean this as respectfully as possible, people trying out writing for the first time, and not quite being sure where to go with their story.

This is fine, and I will not judge anyone for it being their first attempt, but I do think it's good to get at least a little practise in beforehand before brazenly publishing a book, despite it being rather lacklustre in quality.

This is part of the reason why I write what I write, to try and add, not necessarily a new, but an interesting concept to the world of Eeveelution fanfiction. I understand that I'm not the best author out there, hell, I'm not even the best in my friend group, but I certainly think that I'd rather be original and decent than well done and bland.

I hope that another story can come along, with a fresh, exciting new concept and once more take this little sub-genre of Pokemon Fanfiction by storm, even if it's not mine. I'd rather somebody else make something exciting than nobody at all.

Sorry to go on and on, but this is something I care quite a lot about.

Cheers.