/sip/ Concepts and Open-Source Resources

This page tries to give Anons — new and old — a starting point about the AU of the "/sip/ - So I'm a Pokemon" thread on 4chan's /vp/ board.
Active threads can be found here: https://boards.4chan.org/vp/sip

On the Topic of Writing

Every beginning is hard, especially when you try to create something in an existing canon. While /sip/ has a loose canon and is pretty flexible, it is only natural to want to create something that fits the general feel of the AU. To make (you)r start as easy as possible, here are some questions with answers to help you decide whether you want to join the fun:

1. How much fantasy can I use in my story?
   a) Generally as much as you'd like, within reason. The concept of Pokémon becoming real is already absurd in itself, after all, so most of the ideas that come to your mind when you hear /sip/'s premise probably won't feel out of place either.
   b) However, do try and ground it in reality to some degree. No man, nor Mon, will be trying to destroy The One Ring to kill some cartoonish villain that took over the world. History does have plenty of weird or horrific events to get inspired by, though. So get inspired - the world is your cloyster!
   c) That said, while there isn't a strict shared canon between all stories, we do try to keep things at least somewhat tidy. Thus, if you want your story to be thought of as being part of the broader universe most /sip/ stories loosely share, we don't recommend writing global events that would negatively affect everybody else. Such things have the potential to step on other writers' toes and limit them. So unless you're setting out to write a story that is explicitly not in continuity with the others (though it's fine if you want to do that), don't go and write something like, "The UN banned all Pokémon from doing X globally" (Like joining the military, doing certain jobs, getting insurance etc.), for example. You could still write something like, "The WHO issued guidelines to handle newly transformed humans", or "Y started a company that makes cool gadgets for turnees". You are encouraged to create such things and especially to open-source them for others to use. (See the Open-Source section on this page for further info)
2. I struggle to come up with a concept or a story. What do?
   a) If you fail to come up with something, maybe you set your own goals to high? The best stories are those that captivate with simplicity. Try and start with something easy and seemingly mundane from your life, like grocery shopping or going sight-seeing/hiking. A bird-mon certainly does do those things differently than a quadruped or a living pile of rocks.
3. But my life is boring... no one wants to read this...
   a) Doubtful, but understandable. If you truly just vegetate on your couch all day, doing absolutely nothing, then we're truly sorry for you. However, even the most shut-in Anon must be doing something in their life, even if it seems boring. Your life differs from others. What you find mundane, others might find insightful and not at all boring! Not many know what a rubbish collector or a janitor does all day, why not spice it up with a Trubbish or a Minccino?
   b) You could also think about doing a short story about a trip (school, work, family ...) you had or a visit (parents, great-parents, friends etc.). A school trip with a bunch of Pokémon seems like a good time (and a stressful one for the teachers).
   c) If you truly don't have anything to write about, why not hit that sweet random button on Wikipedia? Youtube videos can also be a great inspiration, if you're into those kind of videos that show interesting places, jobs, or history.
4. Okay, I got my idea. What Pokémon should I use?
   a) First of all, you don't need to write from the perspective of a turnee. You can write a human character that lives with Pokémon or has to deal with turnees on a regular basis. (i.E. Copanon, Churchanon, Drifteranon)
   b) Whatever strikes your fancy! Could be your favourite, your least favourite, or maybe you just let Lady Luck decide for you. Just try to avoid the big-shot legendaries (Dialga, Arceus, Groudon etc.). Smaller ones are fine, like Shaymin, Marshadow, Manaphy, or anything else that doesn’t have OP powers. Prepare to be torn to pieces if you decide to write a Dialga turnee. You wouldn't be the first...
   c) There is a gentleman's agreement to not use Mons already in use in bigger stories (i.e. Decidueye, Lucario, H. Zoroark). However, no one will be mad at you if you decide to use another Lucario, as long as it isn't just a carbon copy of the existing character.
5. What about power levels? How do I decide how strong my character is?
   a) That is entirely up to you. While some Anons follow the dex entries, other official sources, or try to scientifically try to come up with logical explanations why something works a certain way, you can just scale your character(s) as much as you like or need them to. A word of warning, though: Don't make your character the special snowflake that can do everything all the time. It's boring and will only lead to you being mocked in the thread. We don't want some donut steel OC from the latest batch of Sonic-OCs... Also, a Macargo probably isn't hotter than the surface of the sun, so try to take all dex entries with a grain (or a spoon-full) of salt, unless you want to follow the dex religiously for comedic effect.
6. Can I reference or use (side-)characters from other stories?
   a) Yes and no. Feel free to use the open-sourced stories and their concepts to your heart's content. You are also allowed to make references to other characters, like what Lucarioanon and Copanon did a few times. Abstain from directly writing a character from a different story into yours, unless the original writer has given you their explicit blessing beforehand. A good rule of thumb is, that if you need to characterise (write dialogue, make them do something etc.) a character from another writer, ask before doing doing it.
   b) If you see a side-character in a story that you like, feel free to ask them whether they want to do more with said character or if you could branch off a story from them. It's how Super Macho Mon and Copanon started, after all.

Pokémon Induced Psychosis Syndrome (PIPS)

Turnees do not just have to live with a new body in an otherwise familiar world, but a multitude of mental problems as well. In-universe, PIPS attempts to make sense of all the different mental afflictions by categorising them into two big groups: Anterograde PIPS (PIPS-A) and Retrograde PIPS (PIPS-R).

Both forms are not mutually exclusive and quite a few turnees suffer from both manifestations in some form.

Turnees can also have no symptoms at all, like Emma from The New Police Animals by Snivyanon.

Anterograde PIPS

If a turnee shows non-human thought patterns and desires, they are suffering from Anterograde Pokémon Induced Psychosis Syndrome (PIPS-A).
This mostly manifests in the form of urges and instincts, like suddenly liking a food you hated before or reactions to external impulses humans usually do not have.

Stronger cases of PIPS-A may manifest a Pokémon persona in their mind, that can act as an individual and in certain conditions even take over the turnee's body for a while, maybe even permanently.

Retrograde PIPS

Turnees suffer from Retrograde Pokémon Induced Psychosis Syndrome (PIPS-R) when they show signs of so-called "false memories". Affected individuals may remember their pre-transformed life like they were already a Pokémon. Maybe an affected turnee references to their family as a "pack" or their home as a "den", or they may remembering a pre-phenomena event to already include Pokémon instead of people, including themselves.
Typically, the younger a turnee is, the more severe the consequences of PIPS-R are.
PIPS-R can form over time and may get stronger to the point an individual may not remember their human life anymore.

In combination with PIPS-A, there are cases that turnees go feral and lose themselves completely. There are no known, nor confirmed cases of turnees returning to normal, once they have turned feral.

Notable /sip/ Characters With PIPS-A

Charlie the Machamp, by Macho
Charlie shows the extreme urge to flex his muscles and to impress others with his bulk.

Layla the Hisuian Zoroark, by Copanon
H. Zoroark are known for hating all life, a trait Layla inherited post-transformation. She shows extreme hatred towards living beings around her and becomes sadistic when she loses control over her instincts. She is aware of the fact and despises herself for it. One of the more severe cases of PIPS-A.

Unnamed the Golisopod, by Golisopodanon
This troubled individual only has a mild case of PIPS-A. Showers are not enough anymore, so he seeks out larger bodies of water to submerge himself in.

Simon the Snivy, by Snivyanon
Simon's PIPS-A manifests in the form of a separate persona called "The Serpent". The Serpent has a mind of its own and can take control over Simon if he lets it. From the outside, he behaves like a different person when the Serpent takes over.

Notable /sip/ Characters With PIPS-R

Lucarioanon the Lucario, by Lucarioanon
Lucarioanon has a mild case of PIPS-R, as he remembers some details about his past as a Riolu/Lucario, but catches most of them after the thoughts have crossed his mind.
E.g. remembering his family as a "pack", or remembering his non-turned mother as a Lucario making medicine instead of buying it as a Christmas/birthday gift.

Ben the Litten, by Herdinganon
Ben started with basically no present PIPS-R, but gradually had more and more false memories as he let the PIPS-A induced Litten persona take over more and more, and for longer periods. Together with a strong case of PIPS-A, Ben is the closest to becoming a true feral turnee.

Reto the Flaaffy, by Mienshanon (Oneshot)
Reto is a rare case of pre-turning PIPS-R, where an individual shows false memories before actually turning into the Pokémon the false memories are about. Not much further is known about the condition and his fate after turning.

Open-Sourced Concepts and Stories

Some Anons have donated parts or whole stories to be used by everyone else. Thank you to all contributors!

Misadventures of Mitchell Mimikyu

Read his story here. First contribution by Anon.

Mitchell is a Mimikyu turnee that has severe anxiety about "being naked" (unnamed PIPS-A?) and thus wants to have hollowed out Pokémon plushies to wear. He is self-conscious about having robbed the stores that sell these plushies. Interestingly, his personality shifts with each plushie he wears. With one example being his Lucario costume, so he becomes more heroic.

The Neighbourhood Watch

Read the story on Bulbanon's One-Shots pastebin.

This is more of a concept than a story. It's about so called Neighbourhood Watch groups, that help each other out in case someone wants to be checked upon regularly.
Here's an excerpt of the story linked above about what the service does:

The service distributes door hanger signs (like the “do not disturb” signs used by hotels). We just have to check if they are signed with today’s date and then move on with our list. For everyone else, we knock. Usually it’s someone who was sleeping in late. Most people in this situation don’t get too annoyed by the wake up call since they voluntarily signed up for this service.
When nobody answers within 5 minutes of knocking we consult our list. We check what instructions the resident has given us and follow that. This can range from calling the homeowner to using a spare key to enter the home and investigate. Nobody likes doing the latter. It leads to a lot of awkward situations. Most of the time we only have permission to call the police and ask for a wellness check. We usually advise against this since the police have been strained to their absolute limit these days and there’s no guarantee when they will get to you.

The story follows a member of such a NW, who tells the reader about his experience.

Noseanon Noses North

Read the story on Bulbanon's One-Shots pastebin.

Noseanon finds himself turned into a Nosepass. Being plagued by the Nosepass' instincts to not move and always face north, Noseanon discovers what a magnetic body does to electronics and the general populace. His inability to go any other direction than north leads to many potential shenanigans.

Zam Technology Corporation

Originally part of the Good Deed Rewarded One-Shot by Bulbanon.

Zam Technology Corp. was started by Leo, an Alakazam and former cat of Anon, and has dedicated itself to create various items and gadgets to help newly transformed humans and animals settle in with their new life. This ranges from simple bags that were designed to be worn by quadrupeds of all sizes, to gadgets that help armless Pokémon grab things again (with various results).

About Leo
Leo is embarrassed that he used to be a cat and hides that information as much as he can, but his nostalgia for his favorite cat toy often betrays him.
Starting a business without a human ID, SSN, and all the govt bureaucracy behind that would have been one of his first major challenges in his new life.