Updated Pokeumans Guidelines!

So, you’ve started growing fur and your hands are turning into paws or claws? Or are you a clone that’s figured out what Pokéxtinction is up to and want to let the world know? Well then, this is the place to be. Though, while it’s good you’ve come here, we’ve got some guidelines you should follow to keep Pokéxtinction off our trail.

Setting, Main Character, and General Rules

EVERYTHING MUST BE POKEUMANS RELATED! We need to stay as inconspicuous as possible, so non-Pokéuman related submissions are a threat to our people. Anyone caught posting non-Pokéuman artwork more than three times or after a warning will be removed.

The story must be set in REAL LIFE, as in, Planet Earth, ideally present day.  No faraway, PMD world, Kanto, Johto, Orre, etc. here. And this means there is not a fourth wall to break (though there are exceptions to this rule.)

You can either make a character based off of yourself, or a fictional one. If based off yourself, it is highly recommended that you stay true to your real life, including hometown, school, family, etc.

You don't have to reveal your last name if you don't want to. You can be known as (insert your first name here) the (insert Pokémon species here). Or, you can also be known by the species of Pokémon you transformed into if you wish.

It's pretty much your choice as to which Pokémon you turn into, the reasoning is that a sign of having the transformation gene is the fact that you like Pokémon to begin with, and the more you like a specific Pokémon, the more likely you are to have the gene to turn into that Pokémon.

Don't have a favorite Pokémon? Then the one you turn into can be completely random. Can’t think of one? Consult your local Pokémon name generator.

NO LEGENDARIES. I cannot emphasize this enough. They are not to be transformation options, they are not to play any sort of role in your story, there cannot even be fake copies of them. That's how strict this rule is. Trust me on this one. None of the real Legendaries know that Pokéumans exist.

Rotom is fine, though.

Men may turn into always female Pokemon, and females may turn into always male Pokemon. There are usually symptoms before the transformation, as the transformee may feel like they want to be the opposite gender. Also, if a TG Pokéuman puts on a Humanizing Ring, they’ll become their original gender.

The ideal place to start your story is when the transformation starts to take place, and you just realize it. (Alternatively, you could start with a member of Pokéxtinction knocking you out, or a PRT member arriving to rescue you, and then you could notice.)

You can also start anywhere down the road in your base life or PRT career to give the intro something different. Or be a member of Pokéxtinction if you want to get into a new perspective.

You are going to end up getting taken to a base, away from your normal life, and a clone will replace you. Alternatively, you could also choose to spend a life in hiding…good luck with that. Though, the benefit of going to a base is that at the end of your years, if you’ve earned it, you can gain access to a rare crystal that has a more permanent effect on humanization, and you could return to your old life.

The base must be completely new and made-up. If you want to use someone else's base, ask permission first about when in their timeline you arrive.

Though, Long Island Base is off limits to Pokéumans moving in.

Everyone's stories here are interconnected. You can connect with other stories and do collaborations if you’d like, or keep to yourself.

The vast majority of people transform in their teens, but there are always exceptions. You can add uniqueness to your story by taking advantage of that fact.

It takes at least ONE WEEK to fully transform. A lot of people shortcut this.

Abide by all rules of the group.

You may see some people's characters having "special powers", but know that they are completely optional and becoming more discouraged.

Go here for info on Pokéxtinction, in case you want them or their bases to be a major plot point in your story. pokemonmanic3595.deviantart.co…

We are in this fight together, so we have a NO TOLERANCE rule for bullying, harassment, trolling, mean comments or flame wars (our Water troops are tired), so please, keep your mean comments to yourself. BUT REMEMBER, constructive criticism is different than being mean, and it is encouraged.

Base, Teachers, and Classmates

Since you're making up your own base, it's up to you what the walls are made out of, what the layout is like, etc. All bases have classes, dorms, cafeterias, rooms for recreational purposes, a PRT area, an Elite Four, and a room for the headmaster or headmistress.

If you're using someone else's base, study their descriptions very carefully and stay faithful to them.

You make up all the teachers, including the headmaster or headmistress. They all have names like "Mr. Brimhall the Smeargle" or "Mrs. Corrine the Clefable."

Required classes in your schedule include Battle Class, and Pokéuman History. There is also a lot of fluxuation available if you are farther along in your classes, or are an older transformee and have already finished schooling. And, as you prepare to either head to a Pokéuman Village or return to your old life, you’ll have to take a class preparing you for what it’ll be like.

Until you fully transform into a Pokémon (during that one-week period), you won't have to take P.E. or Battle Class.

If you hate any of these with a passion, though, you can haggle with the headmaster/headmistress to put you in an alternative class that suits your interests better.

Classmates can be all your age, or they can be much older/younger, depending on the difficulty of the classes you get placed into.

Even if you don't have roommates, you'll be placed in a room that makes it look like you will. All rooms have one or two bunk beds at least, or even more, if you want.

Have fun with after-school activities!

Joining the Pokéuman Rescue Troop (PRT)

This is completely optional. Don't do this unless you really want to or your plot forces you to.

The moment you sign up, you have to take two weeks of intensive training before you can attain the very first rank of Trainee.

Read this handy chart for PRT ranks and how many missions it takes to earn them. pokemonmanic3595.deviantart.co…

You can quit the PRT at any time.

Of course, you can also be kicked out if you endanger your teammates, the missions, the people you're rescuing, etc.

Pokémon Mechanics

When it comes to attacks, you can only know four attacks maximum. However, you're allowed to combine two or more of these into what are known as "combo moves".

A lot of people (including Brandon) shout the names of their attacks in battle, even such attacks as "Bite", "Crunch", or "Hyper Voice." Personally, I think that's a bit impractical, and telegraphs your moves to your opponent too much, so I simply have my characters perform their attacks and describe in the prose what the attack is. You're allowed to choose either option when describing attacks in your stories.

If you're a Pokémon who can evolve by level-up, you do so when you "receive enough experience in battle", which translates to an arbitrarily-defined point in your story that you feel is the right time.

If you evolve via a stone, obviously, you need the stone. I say that merely touching the stone doesn't automatically trigger evolution, though; only if you feel that you're ready will the stone work.

If you evolve via weird methods such as "link trade", "level-up around Mt. Coronet", etc., just follow Pokémon Mystery Dungeon's methods and use a Link Cable, Coronet Rock, etc. to evolve, and follow the requirements for stones.

If you really don't want to evolve and it looks like you will through battles, you can request a teacher to get you an Everstone. You then wear it on your person, either as a necklace, bracelet, etc.

You can learn new moves via TMs and HMs, which are CD discs provided by the training centers. You press the disc on your head, choose to forget a move (if you already know four), and voila! You now know the move, but only if your species can learn it, of course. This has to do with your body’s natural limitations on how much energy it can expend. (This also explains PP in the games)

Leaving the Base

You must take three years of classes in order to graduate and leave the base.

If you're really strong and feel confident, though, you can leave even earlier than that by challenging the Elite Four of your base and defeating them all in a row.

You can then live in a faraway, remote village, far away from human civilization, where only Pokéumans like you live. There, you can get a job, get married, have kids, etc. Best of all, these hidden villages secretly help keep the world in balance.

If you really want to turn back into a human, though…you'll have to find a really rare stone of some sort, AND deal with your clone back at home.

No fighting Mr. X, even if you join the PRT. That fight's reserved for Brandon the Lucario only.

Story Writing Advice

Each line of dialogue is placed as a new paragraph.

Read popular stories for many example in proper spacing, examples being:
Dragon Island
Rescue Number 301
Well Grounded Confidence
Room 181
Please do your best to have proper spelling, grammar, etc. in your stories. This sounds obvious, but there are still people who don't do this. Our group members will be happy to give you advice, so listen and learn from their criticisms. Don’t get discouraged!

I recommend planning your story out to have an ending. Sure, life in the Pokéuman bases can be fun and exciting, but stories are more about events that add up to a logical conclusion. If you want to write about life in the base, do a one-shot instead that describes the experience.

If you plan something that you’re not sure about how it complies with the rules, send it to Brandon (pokemonmanic3595) via note so he can catch if you're doing anything wrong. He knows this universe better than anyone here.

Logical conclusions can range from either graduating from the base and living in a remote village, to choosing to take a job in one of the bases, to travelling the world (secretly, of course), and more. Use your imagination, and consider the implications.

If you have any other questions, be sure to ask Brandon, or post a message on the group's homepage!