[Interesting Trope] Attempts at fanservice/virality that failed not because they were hated, but because nobody noticed them or cared at all.

[u/mp3help]

1) Hoopy the Hoop, Portal (2007) When you defeat GLaDOS and her room is destroyed at the end of the game, debris rains down in the final cutscene, including a big metal hoop that bounces around a bit. Developer Erik Wolpaw said the team dubbed it "Hoopy the Hoop" and expected it to become the big meme of Portal. Of course, none of the fans paid much attention to the hoop since "The Cake is a Lie" became the biggest meme of the game, and overall one of the biggest video game memes of all time.

2) Burgh, Pokemon Black and White (2010) When designing Burgh, developer Yusuke Ohmura said Gamefreak had many of their female employees give input on his design to create their ideal handsome man. However, as someone who's been in the Pokemon fandom for almost 3 decades, in the 15+ years since Pokemon Black and White released, I have personally never seen any fans swoon over Burgh, or even mention him in general. If anything, characters like N and Colress are far more well-known within the fandom as the most handsome and beloved male characters of Pokemon Gen 5.

[u/Urika86]

Oh shit it's been a long time since I played Scarlet and Violet I totally forgot he was an Elite 4 Member.

[u/Timekeeper98 → u/Urika86]

I was just kidding. He’s both, and also an accountant for the Paldea League. Man has three jobs canonically.

[u/JBR_4025 → u/Timekeeper98]

Dude is overworked and would really not be forced to work extra hours fighting trainers.

All he wanted was to be a regular accountant and have a quiet life, but for some reason he’s one of the strongest trainers in Paldea and this ruined his life

[u/Actual_Squid → u/JBR_4025]

Larry's formal job title is Accidentally Important Here

[u/JBR_4025 → u/Actual_Squid]

Gary is in constant misery but cannot retire because he’s too good as a Pokemon trainer even if he probably gives them the bare minimum of training. His Pokemon are just that devoted that they give their 100% every battle and he loves them back.

I’m pretty sure that if he ever retires the universe would make so he gets another, more important position that wrecks his life further much to his despair.

[u/Actual_Squid → u/JBR_4025]

Gary retires and people stop wanting to join the Paldea league 

[u/blackjackgabbiani → u/Actual_Squid]

Is Gary his name in another language?

[u/Actual_Squid → u/blackjackgabbiani]

I meant to type Larry, I was in need of a lunch break

[u/blackjackgabbiani → u/JBR_4025]

From his dialogue in Masters I feel like they may hint that his ideal job would be restaurant reviewer

[u/JBR_4025 → u/blackjackgabbiani]

It wpuld be hilariously sad if he ever got his job but restaurants operated in the same way as ZA with him being forced to fight between dishes in order to be able to review the restaurants... and then fighting the staff if the review wasn't of their liking

[u/ClubMeSoftly → u/JBR_4025]

No wonder he hides his gym

[u/DrTacoDeCarnitas → u/JBR_4025]

Became important at his job and it ruined his life, a classic tale

[u/CAJEG1 → u/Timekeeper98]

He's the only character to be a gym leader and an Elite 4 member sinultaneously, and it happens to be in the only region where Pokémon Champion is a qualification and not a title. They couldn't have done this in Kanto where there's, like, 3 successful Elite 4 challengers in 50 years and he would basically never have to do his second job?

[u/Wasphammer → u/Timekeeper98]

He also moonlights for the Hoenn Elite 4 in Pokémon Too Many Types.

[u/Beanbomb47 → u/Urika86]

Kinda fitting tbh