Pokemon Gyms of the Viggif Region: BEGIN! (p5)

[Dux is not you]

...I feel like I'd be some rando bug kid, at best. 'Hey, check out this rad Pokeyman I just caught!' Then we fight, and you kick the everlovin out of my sad little Weedle and Metapod. I give you all my money and go 'Oh no! I can't believe it! It turns out my Metapod wasn't the world-crushing god-tier juggernaut I thought it was! Fie! Fie! Curse the cruel gods that made this dark day!' or some such. My bug-catchin net droops with unimaginable sorrow as I gather my beaten monsters and trudge sombrely to the nearest PKMN Center. I cry lots.

[Booyakasha]

...like, I'd be there on my knees, cradling my poor battle-bloodied Weedle, and it would look up at me, its eyes brimming over with tears. Tears of pain and confusion. And it would whisper, 'Why?'

Not 'Why do I die?' Nay sir. Rather, 'Why did I live?'

Gently, gently would I close its eyes. Weeping silently I would. Sing 'Non Nobis', my voice hoarse with grief.

[March]

As a leader, would I have any restrictions in terms of what I could use? I'm starting to make teams for every type of Pokemon since I haven't done team building in a while and I'm excited about this.

[Marilink]

Still working out the exact details, but my initial thoughts would be to make this more like the games and less like Smogon--i.e. you must have a signature move/TM on all your Mons, and probably not have any held items either.

I got a little sidetracked by real life for a bit here, but this is still happening.

[Booyakasha]

...can I still be a tragic bug kid whose Pokemon all die?

I could show up later in the lobby of the Pokemon Tower, saying endless rosaries for my dead Weedle and Venonat. That'd be fun, wouldn't it?

[I am nobody]

My concern was actually less about not knowing enough meta to be a challenger and more that challengers will just mop the floor with leaders and trainers like they do in the games. Leaders and trainers would need some kind of buff in addition to the crippling penalties of being a predictable monotype with no items and having one move locked-in if we want it to be competitive at all. I guess penalizing challengers in some way could also work, but without one or the other challengers can just always come in with a party with perfect type-matching.

The simplest fixes I can think of are giving leaders are forcing challengers to use the same party in all gyms and/or giving gym members a level or tier advantage.

[I REALLY HATE POKEMON!]

...can I still be a tragic bug kid whose Pokemon all die?

I could show up later in the lobby of the Pokemon Tower, saying endless rosaries for my dead Weedle and Venonat. That'd be fun, wouldn't it?

Would you swear off Pokemon in their name, aging into a bitter, retired trainer who berates the local youths as they're catching their first pocket monsters? Yet deep down you want to believe again? ...Then the memories. Not again. Never again.

[Marilink]

My concern was actually less about not knowing enough meta to be a challenger and more that challengers will just mop the floor with leaders and trainers like they do in the games. Leaders and trainers would need some kind of buff in addition to the crippling penalties of being a predictable monotype with no items and having one move locked-in if we want it to be competitive at all. I guess penalizing challengers in some way could also work, but without one or the other challengers can just always come in with a party with perfect type-matching.

The simplest fixes I can think of are giving leaders are forcing challengers to use the same party in all gyms and/or giving gym members a level or tier advantage.

I hadn’t thought about it from that angle.

I think “use the same party in all gyms” is the best solution here.

[Booyakasha]

...can I still be a tragic bug kid whose Pokemon all die?

I could show up later in the lobby of the Pokemon Tower, saying endless rosaries for my dead Weedle and Venonat. That'd be fun, wouldn't it?

Would you swear off Pokemon in their name, aging into a bitter, retired trainer who berates the local youths as they're catching their first pocket monsters? Yet deep down you want to believe again? ...Then the memories. Not again. Never again.

...actually kind of apt.

Some finky stinko swiped my original Brick Boy and 'Pokemon Red' a few years back. Like, the one I played in high school. It had my team on it, man. My team. Jolteon, Articuno, Alakazam (I was dumb and didn't catch Mewtwo. Sue me), Gyarados, Dragonite and a rotating cast of Charizard, Tauros and Sandslash, depending. Took on the Elite Four with them. Beat my dumb friend Joe with them. Couple of hundred hours invested, there. Now gone.

...I mean, I'll not pretend it hurt me, or at least not the way it hurt when the family dog died that same year (RIP Spooky, 1991-2004. Thy Saviour Snoopy holds thee in his paws), but it still made me all grumpy and squamous, and it's part of the reason I've never to this day been able to get into a new Pokemon game. At best I get ten hours in, and then go, '...I wonder what's on teevee right now.' Woof.

[Dux is not you]

I think “use the same party in all gyms” is the best solution here.

That possibly goes too far, but it sounds interesting.

[I REALLY HATE POKEMON!]

Level advantage seems more fun and reflects the challenge presented in the games.

[Marilink]

I think “use the same party in all gyms” is the best solution here.

That possibly goes too far, but it sounds interesting.

I’m liking the idea more and more when I think about it—mind telling me why you think it might be too far? (Not offended, I just legitimately want to hear the other side)

[Dux is not you]

"Goes too far" in that it might make things impossible for the trainers, or disproportionately more difficult anyway.

[smol Kat]

Level advantage seems more fun and reflects the challenge presented in the games.

Level advantage? Can you elaborate? I'm intrigued c:

[I am nobody]

I assume he's referring to what I mentioned about capping challengers to levels below leaders. Kind of like how the games make it so that leaders usually have one Pokemon a couple levels higher than your strongest unless you've been grinding a ton or only ever using one Pokemon.

[I REALLY HATE POKEMON!]

Yep, that.

[Deku Tree]

Just saw this. I think I'd be interested. I'll spend a little time over at Bulbapedia and get back to you on what I'd like to take on.

[I am nobody]

Also, I'll sign up for all roles (Flying gym).

[smol Kat]

yeah, that'd be fine by me

[Marilink]

All right y’all, hoping to set this up this week