The Fundamentals of PBA - Battling Rules, Capturing Rules, Leveling Rules, and more!

This topic will cover a variety of different fundamentals that make up the forum's various features. This topic will cover battles, levels, catching Pokemon, and et cetera. If you are confused by anything in this thread, ask someone on the staff to assist you.

LEVELING UP AND EVOLVING

The first thing to note is that the Kanapa Region does not measure Pokemon strength in levels as other regions do. Here in the archipelago, Pokemon are measured by their trainer's Stars, denoted by a "*". 1* Pokemon are the weakest, while 5* Pokemon are legendary in their strength.

Trainers may "rank up" a Star by proving their worth: a student may apply to take a "placement exam," where they'll battle a teacher for the honor of ranking up. However, students must wait a week between attempts to enter a placement queue, and these battles are one at a time; if there are 3 people waiting to rank up, you must wait for each of them to complete the exam to do it yourself. The Pokemon that teachers use are always random, taken from the school's vast bank of resources, and never revealed before the battle.

Pokemon Star levels are akin to levels only in moves. Upon ranking up, Pokemon can learn whatever moves that are between the previous and new Star levels. The Star Levels correspond to normal levels as follows:

1* = Level 15
2* = Level 30
3* = Level 45
4* = Level 60
5* = Level 75

So if a Pokemon ranks up from 2* to 3*, it can learn whatever new moves that are between levels 30-45 in the Pokemon's natural moveset. Whichever moves they learn are up to the trainer's discretion.

To reiterate, when a student ranks up, their Pokemon get a burst of new power and ranks up alongside the trainer. To evolve a Pokemon, it depends on how many evolutions it actually has. If a Pokemon has 2 evolutions, like a Bulbasaur, it will evolve into its first evolution at 2* and it final evolution at 3*. If a Pokemon has 1 evolution, like Yanma, it will evolve at 3*. Once your trainer is a Star, all Pokemon are this star: even a tiny Togepi they may had caught as a 1* somewhere.

If the Pokemon you catch is a higher star than they would normally evolve at (e.g. a Bulbasaur at 2*), they will immediately evolve 1 stage. If you are Ranked 5*, they will automatically evolve to their final form.

BATTLING

Below is the specifics of how to battle on this site. The system covers every possible outcome in a Pokemon battle, which has many different available outcomes. It may be updated to include what is missed, and if the Battle System is missing something, please message the staff and let them know!

ATTACKING

To deal damage, it is important to look at two things on the Pokemon's stat page, which can be found in "Bulbapedia," "Serebii," or a variety of different database websites. These two things are the Pokemon's Stats, specifically Attack or Special Attack, and their move's power.

There are two kinds of moves in Pokemon battles: Physical or Special. The move "Psycho Cut" is physical because the Pokemon gets up close and personal to directly deal damage, while "Psychic" is special because the Pokemon does not physically make contact with the opponent.

Physical moves coincide with Attack while Special moves coincide with Special Attack. To use a move, look at the move's power. Then, look at the Attack or Special Attack stat of the Pokemon using the move, depending on if the move is Physical or Special. Add the power of the move and the stat. We'll call the result the 'Total Power'

Then, multiply the power based on what Star you are as a trainer.

1* = .1
2* = .2
3* = .3
4* = .4
5* = .5

So, hypothetically, let's say you are 2* and using an Ivysaur. You want to use the move Razor Leaf. You will add the power of the move, which is 55, to the Attack of Ivysaur, since the move is Physical. The sum of this, the Total Power, is 117. 117 x .2 is 23.4, which rounded down is 23 damage. So, the attack deals 23 hit points to an opponent.

HIT POINTS

To calculate the Hit Points of a Pokemon, simply look at their HP stat in the same place as you would find Attack/Special Attack stats. Then, multiply it based your trainer's Star.

1* = 1
2* = 1.1
3* = 1.2
4* = 1.3
5* = 1.4

That's it! So to come back to the 2* Ivysaur, it's HP stat is 60. So 60 x 1.1 = 66 total hit points.

EFFECTIVENESS

Based on the type of a move and the type of an opponent, a move may either be 'super effective,' 'effective,' or 'not very effective.' Fire is super effective to Grass, Grass is super effective to Water, and Water is super effective to Fire.

To calculate effectiveness, look at type advantages. Based on the amount of types on the opponent's Pokemon that a move is super effective against, multiply the final damage amount (after the Total Power is multiplied down) by the following multipliers.

1 type = 1.5
2 types = 2

So back to the 2* Ivysaur! Let's say it is battling a Wartortle, which Razor Leaf is super effective against. Razor Leaf's final damage amount was 23. However, since it is super effective in this instance, it will deal 23 x 1.5 damage. So against a Wartortle, it will do 35 damage!

Well, what if Ivysaur was versing a Graveler? Graveler is a Rock/Ground type, and both of these types are weak to Grass. Because of this, Razor Leaf will deal 23 x 2 damage, or 46 damage total!

Adversely, 'not very effective' moves work the opposite way. Based on the amount of types on the opponent's Pokemon that a move is super effective against, multiply the final damage amount by the following multipliers.

1 type: .75
2 types: .5

Ivysaur's Razor Leaf is not very effective against Mawile, as it is Steel type. Therefore, with one type where it is not very effective, the move will deal 23 x .75 damage, or 17 damage. Jumpluff has two types resistant to Grass, and therefore the move will only do half damage, or 12 damage total.

STATUS CONDITIONS

Some moves deal status conditions. For example, Poison Fang has a 30% chance of poisoning the target. Here is where you will use the Status Dice. Based on the percentage possibility that a status will be inflicted, certain numbers will inflict said status condition if they are rolled on the dice. Poison Fang will poison an opponent if the numbers 1, 2, or 3 are rolled on the status dice. Basically, you count up to a move's percentage to inflict a status condition, dividing by 10. The Status Dice have 10 numbers in total.

Of course, with moves like Toxic, whose primary reason is to inflict a status condition, rolling the dice is not necessary.

Below are the approved statuses that are allowed in battle. If a status condition is not below, it cannot be used in battle, and any move using it shall strike it as a possibility.

Poison: opponent loses .1 of their max HP each turn. This cannot be removed with time or switching out.
Burn: opponent loses .1 of their max HP each turn. Each attack does x.9 of the normal final damage. (if an attack normally would do 23 damage, it now does 21 damage.) This cannot be removed with time or switching out.
Frozen: opponent cannot move for 4 turns.
Sleep: opponent cannot move for 3 turns.
Confusion: opponent must roll the Status Dice upon attacking. If 1-5 is rolled, the Pokemon hurts itself at half the normal final damage. (if the attack normally would do 23 damage to an opponent, it does 12 damage to the user instead). If 6-10 is rolled, the Pokemon attacks the opponent normally. Switching the Pokemon out negates this.
Curse: the user of this move loses half their HP, but the opponent loses a quarter of their HP each turn as a result. The cursed Pokemon cannot be healed by any item or healing move. However, switching out negates the curse.
Flinch: only 'Fake Out' can administer a flinch. The opponent cannot attack for a turn.
Heal Block: opponent cannot heal their pokemon in any way for 5 turns, unless the Pokemon is switched out.
Infatuation: opponent must roll the Status Dice upon attacking. It only hits if 6-10 is rolled.
Partially trapping: For moves like Fire Spin or Bind, where the Pokemon is trapped. The one who is trapped must have 1/8th of their max HP deducted per turn. This lasts for 3 turns.
Seeding: For the move Leech Seed. The one who is seeded must have 1/8th of their max HP deducted per turn. The seeder, in turn, adds 1/8th of their max HP to their HP per turn until it is full. This cannot be removed unless by switching out.
Trapped: If a Pokemon is trapped by a move or ability, it cannot be switched out.
Encore: opponent can only use their last-used move for 5 turns.
Embargo: opponent cannot use items, held or otherwise, for 5 turns.

HEALING MOVES

Below are healing moves along with the fraction of Max HP that each one heals.

Heals 1/2 the user's max health: Roost, Slack Off, Synthesis, Recover, Softboiled, Milk Drink, Softboiled, Morning Sun, Heal Order, Swallow
Heal 1/8 the user's max health: Absorb, Mega Drain, Giga Drain, Horn Leech, Drain Punch, Leech Life
Heals 1/8 the user's max health per turn: Aqua Ring, Ingrain, Leech Seed
Heals 1/2 an ally's max health: Heal Pulse, Present
KOs user, heals switch-in 100%: Lunar Dance, Healing Wish
Heals 3/4 the user's max health: Wish
Heals users 100%: Rest

RECOIL MOVES

Below are recoil moves, which damage the user upon the attack landing.

Multiply final damage dealt to opponent by .25, damage user by this much: Take Down, Submission, Shadow Rush, Wild Charge, Head Charge
Multiply final damage dealt to opponent by .33, damage user by this much: Volt Tackle, Flare Blitz, Double-edge, Brave Bird, Wood Hammer
Multiply final damage dealt to opponent by .50, damage user by this much: Head Smash, Light of Ruin
Damage user by half their current HP: Shadow End

WILD POKEMON

The following are how you both encounter and capture wild Pokemon in the various areas of the Kanapa Region.

ENCOUNTERING

Each student of the Pokemon Battle Academy is given a device called an Incense Bracelet. It is a special band to be worn at all times, for the sake of protecting students from Pokemon that are too strong. The Incense Bracelet releases a concoction of scents and odors too slight for humans to detect, but these bracelets will warn away certain Pokemon, depending on how strong they are.

And you guessed it, the bracelet's incense is modified depending on the trainer's Star level. With each promotion comes a new slew of Pokemon to catch. To see what Pokemon you can catch at what Star levels, look towards the 'Encounterable Pokemon' page in each area. To encounter a Pokemon, simply roll the Encounter Dice in the area, and refer to the aforementioned page. Whichever Pokemon your dice roll corresponds with is the one you encounter.

You are allowed 10 wild encounters per hunting topic before your Pokemon is "injured."

BATTLING AND CAPTURING

The Encounter Dice must be used as well in Battling. Considering it is hard to battle yourself, and considering the lack of levels, encountering wild Pokemon is mainly for the sake of capturing. The 'Battle' rules for wild Pokemon are akin to Safari Zone rules, but a bit more complicated.

Trainers have 3 options: Battle, Capture, or Run. Each time the trainer chooses battle, they get a better chance of capturing the Pokemon. However, they also get a better chance of knocking it out.

When you roll the dice, these are the possibilities depending on what options you pick.

Choose Battle 0 times; Roll Dice: 1-5 capture, 6-50 break free
Choose Battle 1 time, Roll Dice: 1-5 KO, 6-20 capture, 21-50 break free
Choose Battle 2 times, Roll Dice: 1-20 KO, 21-40 capture, 41-50 break free
Choose Battle 3 times, Roll Dice: 1-25 KO, 26-50 capture

You can always simply choose to 'Capture' without battling, and you will stay on the same level you were in your previous post. For example, if you choose 'Battle' once, you can keep rolling the dice without choosing 'Battle' again, and you will have the same odds as if you chose 'Battle' once.