[System] Advancement & Evolution

[astralprogenitor]

Rather than typical levels, experience in PE is denoted in terms of ranks. Each rank grants a certain amount of attributes, socials, and skills, and when you move up in ranks, you gain more of them to distribute! Both humans and pokémon advance via ranking, though the method through which they do so is different.

Pokémon also advance their powers through the mysterious process of evolution, whereby their body changes and their inner potential grows higher, letting them surpass their previous limits. Nauwill also offers the potential of sealing off evolution and gaining this new potential through absorbing power wells, letting smaller and less developed pokémon potentially be as devastatingly strong as their evolved counterparts!

Details for all forms of advancement can be found below. While reading, please keep these terms in mind for quick reference:

CT - Community Task: Research Projects and Expeditions. You may also claim a Community Journey so long as you wrote at least 500 words throughout the thread. One completed thread is 1 CT. Only threads done at your current rank count - once you Rank Up, you can't use old threads!
TS - Training Session: Specialized solo roleplay where you bond with your pokémon and can train lower ranked pokémon up to your own. TS refers specifically to the day's training, not an actual turn in.
RU - Rank Up: Completing enough TSes to Rank Up a pokémon. Only counts if you are raising a mon to your current rank, i.e. an Amateur raising a mon to Amateur; if an Ace raises a mon to Amateur, it does not count as a RU!
RP - Roleplay: Completing a roleplay thread involving one or more characters belonging to other players. 500 words per player minimum.
Solo - Solo Roleplay: Completing a roleplay thread that uses only your characters. 1000 words minimum.

 

[astralprogenitor]

Human Advancement​

Human characters all start at the Beginner rank unless otherwise noted; this gives them the standard six (6) attributes, six (6) socials, and nine (9) skill points to start at and denotes some measure of experience in life. Children and young or inexperienced trainers would start at Starter, but those are not allowed on the island!

Each rank will grant more points to distribute among the various areas of the character sheet. In addition, gaining rank for a character gives them the ability to train up their lower ranked pokémon as well. However, rank in general can be a bit of a double-edged sword; pokémon will often not listen to trainers whose rank is lower than theirs, as the trainer either doesn't understand how to communicate with them or simply isn't strong enough in the pokémon's eyes to warrant obeying. Trainers should be wary of trying to command pokémon who are two or more ranks above them, as this can sometimes be insulting enough that they'll attack in retaliation! Gameplay wise, higher ranked pokémon can't be used for any task that requires rolling their dice, so you can't use them for exploring. However, you can still RP with them, and it's up to you how they respond to the difference in rank between them and trainer!

Human ranks can be attained by the following actions - note that you can't skip ranks, and you must do all tasks listed in order to climb to that rank. These are not cumulative - if one rank lists 1x TS and the next rank lists 2x TS, you'll have to do a grand total of 3x TS to climb both ranks. Also note that these requirements are per character; you may have as many characters as you want in the shop, but if you want them to advance in rank, they'll all need to do the requirements separately!

Remember: if you forget the acronyms, they can be found at the top of this thread!

You may not reuse previously submitted threads. A single task/roleplay/thread/battle can only be used as a requirement submission once.



Beginner Rank
Requirements

• Character approval.

Grants

• 6 points for Attributes.
• 6 points for Socials.
• 9 points for Skills.
• Skill limit of two (2). No skill can have more than this score.

Amateur Rank
Requirements

• 6x CT
• 1x RP or 2x Solo
• 4x TS

Grants

• +2 points for Attributes
• +2 points for Socials
• +3 points for Skills
• Skill limit of three (3).

Ace Rank
Requirements

• 10x CT
• 4x RP or 8x Solo (1:2 ratio for mixing amounts)
• 2x evolve or power well pokémon (RLC power wells do not count)
• 1x pokémon with 3+ happiness
• 1x pokémon with 3+ loyalty
• 2x RU

Grants

• +2 points for Attributes
• +2 points for Socials
• +2 points for Skills
• Skill limit of four (4).

Pro Rank
Requirements

• 20x CT
• 5x RP
• 5x RP (additional) or 10x Solo (1:2 ratio for mixing amounts)
• 2x evolve or power well pokémon (RLC power wells do not count)
• 2x pokémon with max happiness
• 2x pokémon with max loyalty
• 6x RU

Grants

• ????

Master Rank
Requirements

• 1x metaplot participation
• ????

Grants

• ????

Pro and Master ranks will be adjusted after player testing and feedback. Further ranks will be added as necessary, and requirements may be adjusted at any time based on player experience. Remember - these are long term goals, so if they look a little daunting ... good! Characters shouldn't advance overnight on Nauwill, and neither should players become Masters in a day.

 

[astralprogenitor]

Pokémon Advancement​

Unlike humans, pokémon do not advance naturally - at least not quickly. While there are pokémon of great ranks in the wild, these are usually older, well-seasoned veterans who have honed themselves over years. It's a struggle for them to grow on their own, for reasons that scientists haven't yet figured out, but in the presence of a human trainer, their growth becomes exponentially easier - for equally mysterious reasons. Many people have surmised that this is one of the major reasons why even fully sapient or hyper intelligent pokémon will work with human partners, although - as the answers from these pokémon often vary immensely - that's likely only part of the story.

For the shop's purposes, however, every pokémon will come with a starting rank already assigned to them. Imports will be ranked per Pokérole's suggested pokédex entries for sanity. Random giveaways and sales will start at Starter rank. Pokémon caught on Expeditions will have ranks appropriate to that area.

In order to raise a pokémon's rank, their trainer must first attain that rank. You cannot train a pokémon higher than its human partner's rank! After, the trainer must make special advancement rolls during a TS in order to gain training experience, and once enough training experience is gained, the pokémon gains a rank. This is explained in detail in the Training Session thread.

When gaining a rank for a pokémon, the player will post in the TS thread with the appropriate form in order to allocate their new stats. Pokémon gain the same attributes, socials, and skills per rank as trainers do, so check the post above for appropriate allocations.

 

[astralprogenitor]

Pokémon Evolution​

In addition to gaining ranks, pokémon gain new power through a process commonly referred to as evolution. A pokémon that undergoes evolution experiences a sudden and dramatic change in their entire body; their physical form is reshaped in a burst of energy, and usually with this new form comes new strength and new potential as well.

Evolution in the wild is, actually, somewhat rare; most evolved wild pokémon tend to be either aggressive predators or particularly crafty prey. This is because the process generally does not seem to occur based on any age or physical health, but rather most often from battling prowess. While some pokémon have been known to spontaneously evolve during times of duress or after an impressively long life, these seem to be the exception rather than the norm. There are other oddities in the pokémon world, of course - some pokémon evolve when exposed to certain natural minerals, others evolve from intense happiness... some have even been known to evolve simply due to the shift in frequency of their pokéball during a trainer change!

Regardless of the source, however, pokémon who evolve are forever changed. Their bodies are different, of course, but many times their minds are as well, with higher evolutionary status often granting enhanced comprehension and intelligence. In some extreme examples, evolution may even give a previously instinctual beast true sapience, so it's important for trainers to take care to understand their new partner's needs after this change!

Evolution via Battle​

The vast majority of pokémon evolve simply by gaining experience in battle and triumphing over their foes. While ranking up might make them technically stronger, only this real world experience seems to trigger the growth necessary to enable evolution. Easy sparring matches don't seem to count, and neither does fighting pokémon significantly weaker. Only real, genuinely challenging matches can push a pokémon towards evolution, so it's no surprise that so many wild pokémon don't evolve! Even more confusing is the fact that some pokémon seem to naturally evolve faster than others, even when put under the same levels of challenge and care. There are many variables that affect battle evolution.

In shop terms, pokémon that evolve via battle come in one of three growth flavors: fast, medium, and slow. Growth speed dictates how many Victories a pokémon needs to have in order to evolve:

Growth Speed​	Number of Victories​
Fast	5
Medium	15
Slow	45

However, a Victory is not simply a win. In order for a fight to count as a Victory, the following must be true:

• The fight is taking place in the wild or against another player's character.*
• The opponent pokémon is no more than one rank below the pokémon's rank.
• The final blow must be a result of the pokémon's moves. (So a pokémon fainting from the active battler's Poison or Burn effect counts as a Victory.)
• The pokémon must be present/in battle when the opponent is defeated. (So an opponent fainting as a result of poison from a pokémon that swapped out would not count as a Victory for it or the new active pokémon.)

If these conditions are all met, the win counts as a Victory. A single pokémon may have several Victories in a single scene - whether fighting against another trainer or during an Expedition. This is perfectly valid, and each Victory should be recorded appropriately.

You are responsible for recording Victories for your pokémon. Wherever you choose to record your Victories for a specific pokémon, make sure to copy the link to the end of the individual fight! We will not search threads to find them. You will need to present all links at once in order to claim an evolution.

*Trainer battles will be checked for legitimacy. You may arrange training matches specifically for grinding Victories, but both players must be playing fairly. Spamming something like String Shot repeatedly to allow your opponent to defeat your pokémon is not allowed and we will restrict a player's right to use player battles for evolution if we see this sort of behavior.

Evolution via Other Means​

As mentioned, pokémon are sometimes known to evolve from exposure to other items or actions as well. The most common of these involve evolution from sheer happiness and exposure to natural minerals, such as fire or shiny stones, but other, less widespread evolutions come instead from manmade items and actions. Many of these are unique to specific pokémon, but can generally be categorized as follows:

Happiness: A pokémon is so happy and is so strongly bonded with their trainer that the emotion overwhelms them and makes their whole body change! Available when Happiness and Loyalty are both at max.

Trade: A pokémon reacts to the frequency change that takes place when the bonded trainer attached to their pokéball changes. So named because it originally occurred only during pokémon trades, though in modern times specialty items are available to induce this effect without the actual need to trade. Available on use of the Link Cable item or when actually trading a pokémon. Note: "tradebacks" are not allowed on Nauwill due to Link Cables being considered much less stressful on a pokémon's mental state.

Stone: A pokémon reacts to the natural minerals, substances, or energy found in a natural stone and evolves in response. These include anything such as a leaf, water, thunder, dusk, or several other similar stones. Available on use of the appropriate Stone.

Unusual Item: A pokémon reacts to an unusual, often manmade item, such as a Metal Coat or Protector. These generally require assistance from a professional, as often these evolutions were, in the past, triggered by trading while wearing the item or through other odd means (why were people spinning their milceries around to even figure that out?!), and thus require specialized equipment to induce. VCA offers these services, requesting only that the trainer owns the requisite item and makes an appointment ahead of time. Available while owning the appropriate item for a pokémon's evolution and after writing a min 300 word RP/Solo about either preparing for an appointment with a VCA specialist or reacting to the evolution afterward.

Other Methods: Other methods do exist, but they are typically unique to an individual species and don't fit in a neat category. Examples include sirfetch'd evolving after doing particularly keenly in battle or shedinja surviving only if a trainer has an available pokéball to take it in immediately after nincada's normal evolution. Available as dictated in the unique pokémon's pokédex description.

How to Evolve​

So you've obtained your Victories, raised your Happiness and Loyalty, or you're gotten whatever weird item your pokémon needs to evolve. What now? Well, now you can apply for evolution. Take yourself over to the Evolution Application thread(LINK), fill out the appropriate form, and ... wait.

Due to the fact that pokémon are individually colored and lineart is made as needed, you may have to wait a while for your evolution to be completed. In this interim, you may continue to use your pokémon as normal in its pre-evolved state! Do note that any Victories achieved in this form will not count towards the next - your slate is wiped clean and you must start from zero to work towards a second evolution! Once the art for your pokémon is completed, it will be officially finished and you can allocate its new stats in the same thread.

New stats? Yes! When your evolution is complete, your pokémon will be given a set of new base and potential stats, and you can reallocate all their rank points as though you'd gone through a retraining session. More instructions are available in the previously linked thread. Keep in mind your newly evolved pokémon will be set to the base rank of that species - whether or not your trainer can handle it. Be aware of what you're doing!

Keep in mind that evolution is permanent. You can't go back to a previous form, even if you really want to, so make sure you're happy with your decision before committing to it!

 

[astralprogenitor]

Power Wells​

A unique feature to the island of Nauwill, power wells - as they have been dubbed - have turned the scientific community on their head with regards to pokémon evolution. These strange sprouts of energy can be found sporadically dotting the landscape of the region, seeming to appear and disappear at random. While not conclusive, most theories about evolution had, until their discovery, revolved around the idea that the process was necessary to facilitate the greater strain that came from greater energy and power. Bigger, stronger bodies were necessary to contain bigger, stronger abilities, and the fact that most (though not all) evolutions were notably more capable than their previous forms, and none were ever known to be weaker.

Exposure to a power well, however, has thrown that notion entirely into question as it completely stunts the ability of a pokémon to evolve. That alone is nothing special, as the mineral known as everstone does quite the same, but its secondary ability is an amazing one; a pokémon who is fully exposed to a power well absorbs its energy, rendering it unable to evolve, yes, but also granting it the expanded capabilities of evolutions it could have had. Furthermore, it seems that absorbing a power well also allows a pokémon to learn moves that it normally wouldn't - a bulbasaur can learn moves that a bulbasaur could normally learn, but it also gains the ability to learn moves a venusaur could, and at the same ranks!

Not just any pokémon can benefit from exposure to a well, however. Those that don't evolve don't see any reaction from contact, and are considered safe for use in investigating a potential location without accidental exposure. Pokémon with two stages of evolution possible, like a chikorita or a deino, seem to only react to particularly large and powerful wells, whereas a pokémon with only one step of evolution remaining, like a scyther or a torracat, are capable of absorbing even a small well to gain its benefit. While this does seem to support the theory that evolution has something to do with a quantifiable 'goal' of energy, it certainly seems to contradict the idea that the less advanced bodies simply can't handle it!

The factions of the island are hesitant about endorsing the use of power wells, as any long-term side effects are currently unknown, but all three have agreed that the monitoring of their appearance and use is important. For this reason, the URA provides all explorers with special markers to be left at the base of any discovered well, and the discoverer is considered to have the rights of usage over that particular one - assuming they don't choose to give it up, of course. All pokémon exposures are to happen under strict observation of a qualified scientist, and as such any individuals found with exposed pokémon who haven't been recorded will have their pokémon confiscated for observation and the individual expelled from citizenship in the region. Yes, they can do that - doesn't anyone ever read the fine print?

Using Power Wells​

In shop terms, power well locations are treated as items, coming in small and large varieties. They can be used as an alternative to evolution to power your pokémon up! Small wells can be used to power up any pokémon that has only one evolution stage available to them, and large wells can be used on pokémon with one or more evolution stages available. Note that split stages do not count as "more" - a kirlia can use a small well even though it could turn into gardevoir or gallade, since it could only turn into one of those. A ralts would, however, need to use a large well, as it would have two stages ahead of it (kirlia and gardevoir/gallade).

Power wells are used in the Evolution Application thread(LINK). Upon absorbing a power well, the pokémon's stats change to match its highest evolution, as if it had evolved - if a split evolution is possible, the player will pick which one they want for their stat distribution. The pokémon will gain the ability to learn any of that pokémon's moves as well as any that it would be able to learn naturally, so long as it has the appropriate rank. The pokémon will also get a free stat redistribution as normal, but there is a caveat to this.

Power welling will immediately advance the pokémon to the rank of the new evolution, so be careful that you can actually control it!

Note that power well usage is permanent. It cannot be undone, so be certain you don't want to evolve your pokémon beforehand!

 

[astralprogenitor]

Learning New Moves​

As pokémon grow in ranks, they grow in their natural ability to perform different moves as well. These are documented in their pokédex entries and are available for any player to reference at any time. However, pokémon don't usually learn them spontaneously; in the wild, it can take a long time for one to figure out they can use a new ability, but alongside a trainer, these skills are much more accessible.

New moves can be learned through Training Sessions(LINK). A pokémon can learn up to four moves for active use at a time, with up to two more possible if they've absorbed one or two crystal essences.

Moves can only be chosen based an a pokémon's current rank and species, however. If a pokémon isn't a high enough rank, it can't learn a move, and if that species can't learn a move, that's out too - even if a prior or future evolution could learn it. The exception comes with pokémon exposed to a power well: they may learn moves from their own move pool as well as their chosen highest evolution. Any moves in between or belonging to other split evolutions are still unavailable, however.

 

[astralprogenitor]

Fused Pokémon​

Lesser fused pokémon - that is, those with odd colorations caused by fusion shards - do not have any unusual behaviors or patterns in their advancement. They evolve as the species that they are and learn moves in the same way. Standard and greater fused pokémon - those more complete fusions caused by larger fusion crystals - do have some notes needed for both evolution and learning moves.

Evolution​

First, evolution: every fully fused pokémon has a "base" species - this is generally the species that it's more readily identifiable as - and it takes its stat distribution and primary evolution method from it. This means a charmander/weedle fusion will evolve at a medium pace through battles, and when it evolves it will gain charmeleon's stats.

However, it is worth noting that the "subtype" of the fused pokémon will never change, and will always match the species of the parent that it doesn't take its base from. The previously mentioned charmander/weedle will turn into a charmeleon/weedle and then later into a charizard/weedle if allowed to fully evolve. It will never appear as a charizard/kakuna or charizard/beedrill! In order to have this combination at all, one of its parents must have been a weedle, as well, while the other could have been a charmander, charmeleon, or charizard. Similarly, if its other parent had been a beedrill, then it would appear as a charmander/beedrill, charmeleon/beedrill, and then finally charizard/beedrill. Subtypes do not evolve!

It is also worth noting that greater fusions may be less recognizable as their "base" species, as their fusion is more complete. However, so far evolutions have always been shown to function the same. Only one of the species will evolve, with the other half being fused with each of those stages.

For more information about fusions, click here.

Moves​

Fully fused pokémon may learn moves from whatever its current species is as well as its subtype just like it would learn any other move. It must meet the rank requirements, of course, but is otherwise free to choose anything that its subtype could learn at that rank. This does not grant access to any of its subtype's evolution or pre-evolution moves: a scizor/incineroar could learn its own and incineroar's moves, but it couldn't learn things that only a litten could learn.