Pokemon RP Rules

In a nutshell, this is a role-playing game based primarily the main series of Pokémon video games, though it borrows many elements from other entries in the franchise. In it, players take on the role of a Pokémon Trainer, Collector, Breeder, or other class of human being; owning Pokémon is notably optional. While there will form an overlying plot, generally the role-play focuses on the various episodic adventures of small groups of individuals. That is to say, this group of characters will be presented with their own unique plots as they role-play, and where those plots go depends on both their actions and the GM's.

Players control their character, their Pokémon, and occasionally some minor NPC actions or the scenery. The role-play is run by a GM (Game Master; me) who controls most NPCs (non-player characters), appearances of wild Pokémon, wild Pokémon themselves, enemy trainers, items, rewards, exp, and so forth.


The World
- The setting is roughly twelve years after the events of Generations I & III, nine years after the events of Generations II & IV, and presumably six years after the events of Generation V. Locations and pokémon from all five canonical generations are represented. Locations from spin-off games, such as Ranger and Colosseum, may not be included.
- In general, things aren't going to be strictly as they are in-game. For instance, almost everything will be on a much larger and more realistic scale; there will be dirt roads large enough for cars; towns will have more than eight buildings; a Machop will be able to punch something without knowing the move "Punch"; etc.
- It is not perpetually sunny nor perpetually daylight. Characters need to think about necessities such as sleeping and eating, otherwise they may suffer some ill effects.
- Needless to say, you aren't chiefly limited to only doing things you can do in-game. For instance, a Lapras will be able to carry you across water without knowing Surf; you can sell and buy Pokémon; you can freeze a Magikarp and use it as a Melee weapon so it gains experience; etc.
- On that note, HM moves can always be used outside of a battle by a pokémon physically capable of using them. However, reason is taken into consideration. No Spearow will not be able to fly a 100 lb trainer from Pallet Town to Celadon City, and a Machamp will be able to use its strength to move objects more effectively than a Bulbasaur.
- I am not limiting Pokemon strictly to appear in the areas they do in-game. For example; though uncommon, you may find a Snover in Johto. More commonly, you may find region-local Pokémon in areas you might not find them in-game; e.g., a Grimer may sneak up on you out of a sewage drain in the midst of Saffron City.
- Team Rocket is still noticeably around, making moves here and there. Teams Magma and Aqua have gone largely unheard of, though rumors state they still exist. Teams Galactic and Plasma seem to have disappeared from the face of the planet, as far as the public can decipher.
- To be eligible for competitive Pokémon battles, trainers require licenses, which come in the form of Trainer Cards issued by the Pokémon League. It is assumed every player-character already has one of these cards; however, it may be revoked by league officials if certain rules of the league are broken (i.e., sending out too many Pkmn into a battle simultaneously, carrying more than six with you, killing a pokémon, etc.). By these rules, it is also assured that a battling pkmn can carry no more than one item into battle, and it can carry no weapons which aren't natural to the pokemon (such as Scyther's blades or Farfetch'd leek). An additional rule recently enforced by the Pokemon League is that the trainer cannot use items on his or her pokemon in the middle of a battle, with the exception being items that are not applied directly to the pokemon, such as flutes.
- We'll be using the Berries of Gen III and IV. It's assumed these are quite common in the wild (much more so than in the games), and grow on natural bushes or trees, not on magical plants sprouted by trainers which grow up to six feet in a couple days.
- It is legal to buy and sell Pokémon; however, doing so tends to be frowned upon.
- Poké Balls function by somehow shrinking a Pokémon and storing it in the ball, through a means of such complex yet inexpensive technology that virtually no one understands it fully. Like in the Pokémon Adventures manga, the top half of the ball is somewhat transparent. The ball's interior has an artificial gravity and air supply system which renders the Pokémon almost completely safe from external conditions, but does not enable the pok. If an inhabited ball is dented, cracked, or opened in any way, the contained Pokémon will emerge as normal--in this world, that is typically how wild pokemon free themselves from a ball if they are unsuccessfully captured. If a ball breaks, it is virtually impossible to repair. Already-caught Pokémon are recalled via a beam which shoots through the small dot on the front of a Poké Ball, like in the Pokemon anime.
- Although Pokémon contained within balls can be transported through certain computer networks, they are not magically "stored" within the network. Someone else (probably a family member or professor) must hold onto a player-character's spare Pokémon, and care for them accordingly.
- Perhaps unlike the games and the anime, Gym Leaders devote their entire lives to Pokémon training, and are among the most elite of trainers. Going into this, I am not expecting anyone to be able to beat all the Gym Leaders for any given region; keep that in mind.
- TMs in this world appear similar to compact disks. To teach a Pokemon a TM or HM, insert the disc into a pokedex, pokegear, or specialized PC (such as those found in Pokemon Centers). With the prior two devices, the device can only be used to teach moves to the individual who owns the device, but can be done over a short distance via bluetooth. With a PC, any ball containing a pokemon can be placed in a certain specialized container connected to the PC, and the TM/HM inserted into the disc drive.
- Aside from being used to teach TMs, Pokedexes serve four basic functions. First, they will work as searchable electronic encyclopedias for virtually everything directly related to Pokemon as species, including even what a given Pokémon eats. Second, they will provide basic information read-offs of wild Pokemon automatically whenever such a Pokemon comes in range of the Pokedex's built-in identifier camera, identifying the species, type, gender, and abilities. (With or without a Pokedex present, a picture of the pokemon, its level, and rough health percentage will be listed.) Third, it will automatically tag each individual Pokemon species its owner has either seen and caught, much like in the games. Finally, it serves as a digital representation of the user's Trainer License.
- PokéGears are essentially smartphones. Aside from being used for the purpose of TMs, they also have the function of a world map, along the lines of Google Earth/Maps; a radio and mp3 player; and a clock which will chime at the dawn of every even-numbered hour, which should help make it clear what time it is in the role-play. Additional applications for the PokeGear are obtainable in the form of SD-card-like objects which are inserted into the PokeGear itself. Simple things even a low-end cell phone could reasonably do, like be used as a calculator or be used to play simple video games, can be done by the PokeGear without the need for additional applications.
- A Pokétch is a watch. A PokéNav is silly. Don't expect them to do much.


The System
- Pokémon have levels, but this is primarily for determining approximately when they'll learn moves and when they'll evolve. The level difference makes dramatically less battle strength as it does in the official games, although it does still make a difference.
- It always takes 10exp for a pkmn to level up. A pkmn normally gets 16exp from an even match. Less will be earned if the pkmn only does part of the work (i.e., if you switch out), or if the enemy is weaker than the pkmn. More will be earned if the enemy is stronger.
- Experience will be earned even if the enemy Pokémon is caught (unlike in the games), although less will be earned than if the enemy was KO'd.
- If a Pokémon is used outside of battle for other useful purposes, such as a Fearow flying its trainer as a form of transportation, or a Charmander using its tail to light up a dark cavern, it will earn a bit of exp. once the task is complete.
- A Pokémon's current exp will be kept as a decimal value of its level in the second post, which the GM will update whenever experience is earned.
- For Pokémon that level-up via trade, a recently-invented machine has been added to Centers that allow evolution outside of trade. However, it costs P1000 to use, and it can only evolve a Pokémon that has has grown at least ten levels since its last evolution. Pokémon that normally evolve if traded while holding an item can still use this machine to evolve, but must be holding the item while using it.
- A Pokémon learns its level-up moves as normal, using the Black/White level-up set, though in some cases moves may earned a bit earlier, a bit later, or not at all.
- If there's a move that a Pokémon could reasonably learn (whether or not they can learn it in one or all of the games), it can be taught this move by its trainer without needing to level up or use a TM/HM. However, the trainer must make clear and deliberate efforts over a considerable period of time for the Pokémon to learn this move, especially if it's an unusual move for the Pokémon to learn (i.e., Raticate learning Water Gun, Machop learning Rollout). How long a move takes to learn is roughly determined by level; a Haunter learning Ominous Wind may only take one or two levels, while a Raticate learning Bubblebeam may take eight or more. Naturally, trying to have a pokemon learn multiple moves simultaneously in this fashion will have a very negative effect on the levels necessary to accomplish this feat, while making nigh-constant efforts for the pokemon to learn the move will have a positive effect.
- Pokémon can often have abilities/moves they cannot have in the games. Additionally, Pokémon can have multiple abilities.
- Outside of battle, a Pokémon can use all of the moves in its movepool without penalty. It can only use four specific moves in battle (excluding basic things such as punching, biting or tackling). These four moves are can be assigned and re-assigned at a Pokémon Center PC. Freshly-caught wild Pokémon will have their four most recently-learned moves assigned.
- While most abilities and moves function as they do in the games, some have varying functions in Pokémon Ghost, either to make them physically possible in the more detailed world of this role-play, or to prevent them from being overpowered. (For instance, recovery moves such as Recover or Rest can often only heal a small amount between battles.)
- Pokémon involved in battle will have their health listed as a rough percentage (which, needless to say, is the equivalent of HP in the games) in the GM's post. The pokemon's base stats, the strength of the attack they received, the effectiveness of the attack received, and various other factors will help determine how much of the percentage is subtracted after a pokemon takes a hit. After a battle ends, the second post will be updated with each player-character's pkmn's current health and experience.
- Battles are in real-time (meaning they aren't turn-based; you don't have to wait for your opponent to retaliate). Player-characters will order their Pokémon into battle, and control the pkmn insofar as what strategy it uses to strike, evade, or whatever the case may be. Be creative with what you do--there's at least a dozen different ways for an Electabuzz to use ThunderPunch. Whether or not a move hits, how hard it hits, whether or not a pkmn faints, or if a pkmn is successfully caught is determined by the GM. NPC trainers and enemy Pokémon will be, as noted earlier, controlled by the GM.
- Pokebucks are the main form of currency, and they are commonly referred to as Poke. As a general measure, each unit of Poke is worth a little less than a single cent of US currency, and it follows in saying, P2000 is a little less than $20.00.
- The primary method of earning cash is through competitive Pokémon League battling. Unless specifically stated otherwise by one of the participants, all battles are competitive. If you lose a battle, you must cede P500, unless a different amount is agreed upon by the participants beforehand. Failure to hand over the winnings can result in Trainer License termination.
- It is assumed you will always have enough "spare change" for borderline mandatory purchases like food, lodging, clothing, etc, or extremely cheap things like pillows or pens; in order words, you won't have to spend Poke from your official accumulated total. You will, of course, have to spend it on Pkmn-related items or transportation (like a bike or car). For other items not falling neatly into the previous categories, ask the GM before trying to acquire them free of charge.
- Pokémon of the same egg group have a possibility of breeding whenever they are left alone together. The use of certain incenses can enhance these chances.
- Only Pokémon sharing at least one egg group can communicate with each other on a level of depth akin to human interaction, barring Pokémon with telepathy or certain other special cases. While Pokémon can not communicate efficiently with humans, they do understand their trainer's intentions very well, enabling them to follow most commands as if they understood the words.
- Eggs have a definitive amount of time for how long they take to hatch, based on egg cycles. The time can be altered by factors that could affect an egg's capacity to hatch, such as certain Pokemon abilities, or being kept in an incubator. However, progress on their hatching will cease if they are removed from the character's party pokemon. For the majority of development, an egg is only slightly larger size than Poké Balls, and can thus fit in most contraptions designed to hold balls. Only when it's about to hatch does an egg enter a sudden stage of growth.
- As in GenV, most TMs have infinite uses. Some of the more powerful ones may have limited uses, but will be denoted as such.


The Meta-Role-Play
- All player-characters are expected to stay in a group most of the time, barring special circumstances. It is acceptable to split up on occasion, but only with the intent of re-grouping in the imminent future. This makes the role-play much easier for the GM to manage.
- Needless to say, any out-of-character comments should be made in (parenthesis), or ((double parenthesis)) if you prefer. I impose no limit on out-of-character comments, but I do ask that you try to avoid making posts that have only out-of-character comments and no in-character role-playing.
- You will hear me make references to "imaginary bonus points" (or IBPs). If you do something to earn these, it is considered good role-playing practice, and of course, doing something to lose them is bad practice. The amount I imagine you have will have a slight effect on whether you get a good or bad outcome--like earning something on your wishlist, or getting a meteor dropped on you.
- As a GM who is putting a good deal of effort into this, I reserve the right to kick out any role-player for any reason.
- If you have any questions whatsoever in regards to Pokémon Ghost, ask them (out-of-character), through VMs, through PMs, or through the #bitf irc. I will be eager to answer.


If you wish to join, post your character to my Visitor Messages, and include the following information. You may present the information in any format you desire, so long as all the fields below are included. Including additional information not related to the fields below is accepted and encouraged. Please realize that the role-play is currently filled, and attempting to join will only put you on a waiting list for if more room becomes available.

There is currently a limit of one character per player, but you may if you so choose replace your current character with a new one during the role-play.

Name (First and last)
Gender
Age (Being an adult earns you imaginary bonus points)
Hometown (Make it canon)
Occupation (Trainer, Breeder, Student, Pharmacist, Burglar, etc.)
Appearance (Height, weight, physical traits... clothing, assuming you're one of those characters who always wears the same thing)
Personality/Motivations (This will largely shape the plots that are presented unto you, and is intended to help the GM make interesting and relevant events and plot-points; being a coordinator or yet another scrapping youth who wants to be the champion loses imaginary bonus points.)
Backstory/Family (Surely you were not spawned from nothingness, right? Family members or other people mentioned in your backstory are considered NPCs over which you have significant control. Try to avoid using canon characters in your backstory.)
Wishlist (Pokémon and items you'd like to obtain, from an out-of-character perspective; Please list as many things as you desire, and feel free to update the list later (and inform me if you do); I'll try to create opportunities for you to obtain at least some of these things, but don't expect to get legendaries, especially not more than one. The more imaginary bonus points you have, and the more reasonable your desires, the more likely you'll get what you want.)

In creating your character, you get ten tokens (tkn) to spend on which Pokemon and items with which you would like to start.
- 7 tkn: Lv5 Starter Pokémon of your choice. You can't start with anything too powerful, obviously. The first stage of any three-part evolutionary line (except pseudo-legendaries) will likely be fine, though you could also, for instance, start with a Spinda or a Yanma, as neither is overly powerful.
- 5 tkn: Lv5 Starter Pokémon, random.
- 5 tkn: A Pokémon Egg of your choice. Again, it has to be within the realm of reason.
- 3 tkn: A Pokémon Egg, random.
- 2 tkn: A TM of your choice.
- 1 tkn: A pseudo-random TM. I'll try to make it something you can actually use.
- 1 tkn: Just about any single item you can care to have (including Pokédex, PokéGear, etc), save a Master Ball, a TM, an Exp. Share, an Exp. All, or a Lucky Egg. Common items like clothes or a deck of cards are, of course, free. You can also opt for four berries of any variety, four Gems of any variety, or any selection of Poké Mart items totaling under P2000.
- 1 tkn: P2000
Aside from your token selections, everyone starts with P2000, five Poké Balls, a Potion, an Oran Berry, and a Trainer License. You may willingly not start with any of these items or not spend all of your tokens, if you so choose. However, after your character has been created, all unspent tokens or untaken items will become permanently unavailable to you.

Regardless of whether or not you choose to have a starter, you will have the opportunity to catch Pokémon as the role-play progresses.

All starter Pokémon (aside from those in eggs) will be given a TM, HM, or Egg Move they are capable of learning, chosen at pseudo-random by the GM. Starter Pokémon in eggs will be given one of three pseudo-random Egg Moves; of those three, the player selects which one the Pokémon knows when the pokémon hatches.

If your character is accepted, you will be added to the waiting list. We'll discuss when and how your character comes into play when there's room for you to join.


Now then...

Welcome to the world of Pokémon!

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Aside from what was listed above, I also had a "hidden" system which would make it consistent in regards to when eggs would hatch. I'd rather not share the same system, as I could exploit it, but suggest some sort of consistent system be used for that.

I would often use the smogon damage calculator as an approximate guide to how much attacks would do against pokemon of similar level. There was a role-play in which I did away with it completely. (The setting of that role-play was actually... a post-apocalyptic world where pokémon were newly discovered creations of genetic manipulation. So using a generic damage calculator seemed silly. It was a pretty cool RP, though, but it took a lot of creative effort to run.)

...Many times, especially during character creation, I would end up using random.org when I needed to determine a random chance.

Finally, I would really like IBPs--or something less random perhaps--to actually be able to do something for players. You could make certain pokémon you want to catch appear, or acquire rare items abruptly, or--primarily--be able to teach a pokémon a move it couldn't normally learn (instead of just putting in "consistent effort" over an unidentified period of time). It's just a thought, though.

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Credit to Guy for making the Rules for this RP.