apparently I’m putting fakemon here as well
First bit, basis. The original trio are based on the Three Wise Monkeys: see no evil (-pours), hear no evil (-sears), speak no evil (-sages). The most common addition is do no evil, since it’s part of a Confucius quote that includes the others:
“Look not at what is contrary to propriety; listen not to what is contrary to propriety; speak not what is contrary to propriety; make no movement which is contrary to propriety”
I could also do “choose no evil”, “smell no evil”, or “touch no evil”, other additions from a Xunzi quote or honestly no clue for the origin of the other 2, maybe people went for senses?
“[…] makes his eyes not want to see what is not right, makes his ears not want to hear what is not right, makes his mouth not want to speak what is not right, and makes his heart not want to deliberate over what is not right”
((I could be convinced to make another monkey trio based off of choose, smell, and touch with another triangle but I’m already belaying another idea with the elemental monkeys doing this because guess who can’t stop their brain))
Now the Pokémon stuff. Since the canon monkeys are a type triangle, I gotta expand it into a square. Luckily that’s pretty easy with the Ice type. Fire is 2x to Ice, Ice is 2x to Grass, Grass is 2x to Water, Water is 2x to Fire. Added thing of Ice being 1/2x to Water while Water is 1x to Ice. This also works nicely with “freezing” being inaction, which the Wise Monkeys are meant to be against with the whole quote being used for those who choose to do nothing or ignore evil when faced with it.
Design. One thing that annoys me with the Elemental Monkeys, specifically the Simi-s, is that Simisear has no subcultural basis. Simisage is 50s American greaser inspired, which also inspired Japanese the subcultures bōsōzoku & yankee/yankī. Simipour is based around 60s & 70s hippy/beatnik subculture. Simisear? For the sake of this, I’ll say Simisear is representative of the 80s’ New Romantic subculture. This leaves me with 40s or 90s. 40s is going to be difficult because WWII, with some subcultures taking a backseat during wartime and properly getting doing at the turn of the decade — no Teddy monkey for me — with an exception being Neds, who emerged from poverty in 1930s Scotland. Poverty doesn’t exactly go away in wars. The way I see it my options are:
90s rave (possibly Gabber specifically, a subculture popular in the Netherlands).
Though punk would suit the typical stance of this line's basis, I think rave would work well for the top/trousers pattern this line would help complete: Pansage has green trousers and Simisage has green trousers, separate from the main body around the torso; Pansear's division is roughly in the middle but Simisear clearly has fully integrated red trousers with separate fur at the opposite side via shoulders; Panpour has a blue crop top thing and Simipour has a long blue top separate from main body around the torso. The -sages & -sears have furry tails as a result of their trousers, while the -pours have nakey tails until the tip. Since we can't do baggy, grunge is out; it was one of the main parts of grunge fashion to obscure silhouettes. The Pan- of this line would have a roughly middle division like Pansear, while the Simi- has integrated top pattern like a tracksuit and some distinct fur around the ankles like trainers. All the Pan- ones have upright hair-fur but Simipour's hair goes down. This Simi- would be the same.
Naming. Now with the trio being a quartet, I get to fix something that’s bugged me with these guys for so long: the -pours differing from the others by having their second half begin with “p” instead of “s”. If I have the Ice Types’ second half begin with “p” I can be happy, especially since it gives it an alternating order! The issue: not many ice words begin with p. Polar, permafrost but shortening that to “perm” to fit the 4 letter thing feels weird. “Pack” could work. 1 syllable, 4 letters, refers to a bunch of ice floating as one continuous mass in the ocean, works with cooking theme because “pack with flavour”, maybe a nod to pack mentality if I want to bullshit more meaning into it. That has it, Panpack and Simipack!
Also the new brother would be Calam from calamint, a type of mint with high amounts of menthol native to the UK. Mints are supposedly cold, and calamint is used in cooking. Wouldn’t join his brothers in their gym, maybe he’d just be a cook or a previous champion or E4 something. Can you tell I don’t care about him as much as my new monkey friend? I’m sure that’ll change as I try doodle designs.
I’m gonna try draw some ideas. The one issue I have so far is I think the colour fur for this line is going to have to be white and each of the monkeys are said to release elemental stuff from their head and my brain is making relevant but inappropriate links.
