Throughout the Talmud* there are launch-pad stories of sages being asked by their students and even their peers to teach them something they've never been taught before or else something that was taught to them by an even greater sage.
My question is, was this a (relatively) short-lived trend during the period of the Talmud; were these stories made up to serve as launch-pads for the series of Halachoth that follow; or has this been a tradition throughout history (or at least periods of history)?
In short, are there writings of rabbis throughout history responding to similar questions?
*(For an example of the latter: Bab. Shab. 138b)