Pokémon

Pokémon are the fantastical creatures at the heart and soul of Pokémon Tabletop United, and they are just as important as your Trainer’s Features, Edges, and Skills when it comes to defining your character. Some of a new Pokémon’s traits are determined by the GM and some by the player. The GM usually determines which Abilities a Pokémon has at their current Level in the wild as well as their Nature, but the player assigns their Stat Points when they capture a Pokémon. This chapter will walk you through managing your Pokémon and related mechanics.

Basic Pokémon Rules and Introduction
In most settings, Trainers are allowed to carry with them a maximum of six Pokémon at a time while traveling. The reasoning may vary from setting to setting – in one, the potential for Pokémon to be used as weapons and tools of violence results in heavy regulation of Pokémon training. In other settings, six is simply the regulation value because the Pokémon League acknowledges that six is the number of Pokémon which a skilled Trainer can reasonably split their attention between when traveling without neglecting any particular Pokémon.

While a GM may certainly bend this rule for their own campaign, it’s recommended from a mechanics standpoint as well that PCs be limited to a stable of six active Pokémon at once. First of all, it becomes a lot more work to track that many Pokémon at a time. Second, battles either become much less threatening when a Trainer has many more Pokémon to fall back on, or they become much longer in order to properly present the risk of having a whole team knocked out.

Some exceptions may apply, such as breeders carrying around extra Pokémon Eggs that may hatch during travel time or Trainers with a entrepreneurial spirit carrying Pokémon to sell to others. The Rune Master from the Game of Throhs supplement would benefit from being allowed to carry spare Unown for use as Glyphs – it’s highly unlikely a Trainer will record stats for all of their spares intended to be used in this way, after all.

Extra Pokémon beyond the limit of six are usually automatically teleported in their Poké Balls to a Pokémon Center for storage or to a Trainer’s affiliated Pokémon Professor, if applicable. All of a Trainer’s Pokémon are registered to a Trainer ID that allows them to digitally retrieve their Pokémon and prove ownership.

On the following pages you’ll see what a Pokédex entry for a Pokémon looks like and a short summary of what all the various information means.

1. Species – This is the species of the Pokémon, of course, complete with an image of what an average specimen of the species looks like.

2. Base Stats – A Pokémon’s Base Stats help determine how their stats are allocated for battle.

3. Type – Each Pokémon has one or two elemental Types, chosen from the 18 Types in Pokémon. They are Bug, Dark, Dragon, Electric, Fairy, Fighting, Fire, Flying, Ghost, Grass, Ground, Ice, Normal, Poison, Psychic, Rock, Steel, and Water.

These Types determine what kinds of attacks are strong and weak against a Pokémon and have a general bearing on the Pokémon’s traits – certain Types are more likely to have particular traits than others. Unlike Pokémon, Trainers do not have a Type.

4. Abilities – Abilities are special gifts separate from Moves that Pokémon can use.

5. Evolution – Many Pokémon undergo a process of rapid physical metamorphosis called Evolution. This usually occurs over a matter of a few minutes at most when certain conditions, listed here, are met.

6. Size Information – The average height and weight of a Pokémon of this species. This may vary between individual specimens and a GM could even change this average value in their campaign setting.

7. Breeding Information – This is all the information necessary to breed Pokémon.

8. Diet and Habitat – This information tells you where a Pokémon is found and what it needs to eat to survive.

9. Capability List – Capabilities denote both a Pokémon’s basic traits such as how fast they can move or how high they can jump as well as more specialized traits such as being able to see in the dark or lift objects with telekinetic powers.

10. Skill List – Just like Trainers, Pokémon have Skills, but they are less malleable than a Trainer’s.

11. Move List – Moves are the primary way a Pokémon fights in battle, and they can learn them in four ways – natural level up, inherited egg moves, from TMs and HMs, and from Move Tutors.

The next section will go into detail on how to manage each aspect of your Pokémon described above.

Managing Pokémon
Combat Stats

Just like Trainers, Pokémon have Combat Stats, Skills, and Capabilities. While most of a Pokémon’s traits are defined for an entire species in the Pokédex, their Combat Stats are determined by their Trainer’s choices.

While the GM usually assigns a Pokémon’s Nature and Abilities when first caught, the Trainer assigns all of their Stat Points up to their current Level.

Start by checking the Pokédex to see the Pokémon’s Base Stats. These are your starting point. For example, a Charmander has 4 HP, 5 Attack, 4 Defense, 6 Special Attack, 5 Special Defense, and 7 Speed.

Next, apply your Pokémon’s Nature. This will simply raise one stat, and lower another; HP is only ever raised or lowered by 1, but all other stats are raised or lowered by 2, respectively, to a minimum of 1.

Next, add +X Stat Points, where X is the Pokémon’s Level plus 10. However, when adding Stat Points, you must understand the Base Relations Rule.

The Base Relations Rule puts a Pokémon’s Base Stats in order from highest to lowest. This order must be maintained when adding Stat Points.

For example, with a neutral nature, Charmander has Speed > Special Attack > Attack and Special Defense > HP and Defense.

Here, Speed must always remain higher than other Stats. Stats that are equal need not be kept equal, however.

Charmander’s HP and Defense do not need to be kept the same; they must merely both follow the rules of base relation, each staying under Attack and Special Defense.

Calculate your Pokémon’s Hit Points when you’re done. Pokémon have Hit Points according to the following formula:

Pokémon Hit Points = Pokémon Level + (HP x3) + 10

Note that this formula is different than a Trainer’s!

Because these Charmanders are Level 5, they each have a total of 15 added Stat Points. Both of these Charmanders are legal, as each stat follows the Base Relations rule, even though they have applied Stat Points differently.

Furthermore, there are several Features that allow trainers to break Stat Relations; when adding stats, you don’t need to “correct” Stats due to the “violations” made due to these features. A Trainer with the “Enduring Soul” Feature for example, could raise their Charmander’s HP to match or exceed any other stat, despite the fact that it’s at the lowest priority for Base Stat Relations. Furthermore, this trainer would NOT be compelled to raise other

Stats to “fix” the violations caused by this artificially raised high HP.

List of Pokemon Natures
* These Natures are neutral; they simply do not affect Base Stats, since they cancel themselves out.

Flavor Preference
Pokémon prefer a specific type of flavor based on their Nature. Each Stat correlates to a flavor; HP with Salty, Attack with Spicy, Defense with Sour, Special Attack with Dry, Special Defense with Bitter, and Speed with Sweet. Pokémon like the flavor associated with the Stat raised by their nature, and dislike the flavor associated with the stat lowered by their nature. Pokémon with neutral natures do not have any flavor preferences. You will use these flavor preferences when feeding your Pokémon special food items, such as the Chef ’s Snacks.

Abilities
In addition to Combat Stats, Pokémon have Abilities and Moves that define them in battle. All Pokémon are born with a single Ability, chosen from their Basic Abilities. Normally the GM will decide what Ability a Pokémon starts with, either randomly or by choosing one.

Pokémon gain additional Abilities as they Level up.

At Level 20, a Pokémon gains a Second Ability, which may be chosen from its Basic or Advanced Abilities.

At Level 40, a Pokémon gains a Third Ability, which may be chosen from any of its Abilities.

While Pokémon gain only three Abilities through Leveling, many Features and other effects can also grant Pokémon additional Abilities. There is a category of Abilities called Last Chance Abilities for each Type that can often only be gained through these methods and not through normal Level progression. There is no maximum to the number of Abilities that a Pokémon or Trainer may have.

Moves
Moves are a Pokémon’s battle techniques and have the biggest influence on their combat ability. Pokémon may learn a maximum of 6 Moves from all sources combined. However, certain Abilities and Features may allow a Pokémon to bypass this limit.

A Pokémon may fill as many of its Move slots as it likes with Moves from its Natural Move List. This includes all Moves gained from Level Up, all Egg Moves, and all Tutor Moves marked with an (N). However, no more than 3 of a Pokémon’s Moves may be from TMs and Move Tutors, with the exception of the Natural Tutor Moves noted above. Any Feature that requires Tutor Points to cause a Pokémon to learn Moves is considered a Tutor Move.

If a Pokémon learns a Move via TM or Move Tutor that it can later learn via Level Up, once the Pokémon has the opportunity to learn it naturally, that Move becomes counted as a “Natural” Move for the purposes of the 3-TM/Tutor Move Limit.

Unlike Pokémon, Trainers have no limit to the number of Moves they may learn.

Capabilities
Just like Trainers, Pokémon have Capabilities that define traits such as how fast they can run, swim, or fly, how much they can lift, and how far they can jump.

Pokémon also have a number of non-basic capabilities that define their special abilities such as shrinking in size, breathing underwater, exercising psychic powers, and seeing in the dark. Certain Trainer Classes and pieces of Equipment may grant humans these capabilities as well, though it is rare. See page 303 for a list.

Unlike Trainers, Pokémon do not derive their Capabilities from their Skill Ranks; instead, they are determined by their species. Certain Moves can grant Capabilities or boost existing Capabilities. These bonuses are lost if the Move is ever forgotten.

Skills
Pokémon have Skills as well, but unlike Trainers, most of a Pokémon’s Skills are determined by their species, and they have pre-determined modifiers to their Skill roll values.

The Pokédex document assigns each species a roll value in Athletics, Acrobatics, Combat, Stealth, Perception, and Focus. Some species, such as the Porygon line, are assigned additional Skills, in this case Technology Education.

These are the Skills we’ve decided are most determined by biology and a Pokémon’s species rather than their individual personalities. While these values should be sufficient for most situations, there are two cases where

a GM will want to intervene to make a Pokémon more unique among others of its species.

Assigning Other Skills

Just like in the various mediums for Pokémon media, different campaigns will treat the intelligence and personality of Pokémon quite differently. One campaign make take an approach more akin to Pokémon Mystery Dungeon or any other Pokémon franchise where the creatures have more human-like intelligence and can attain complex knowledge. Another campaign might treat them mostly as feral animals.

It’s left up to the GM to assign social and Education Skills, if they feel it is appropriate for their setting. We’ve provided templates below to help in those cases, which are generally appropriate for middle or single evolutionary stages. Some species will have natural tendencies, such as Jiggypuff and other cute Pokémon tending to have high Charm rolls, but a campaign can just as easily feature rude and obnoxious Jigglypuffs.

Pokémon Skill Backgrounds

Not all Pokémon of the same species are created exactly alike. While Slowpoke are on the whole quite dull and lethargic critters, the occasional Slowpoke may be more acrobatic than its brethren. Similarly, while most bird Pokémon are quite acrobatic and perceptive, this does not necessarily hold for all members of the species, and it’s just as possible to have a terrifyingly obese Pidove who can’t even fly.

For these cases, create Pokémon Skill Backgrounds that operate similarly to a Trainer’s Background. Choose one to three skills to raise and an equal number of skills to lower by one rank each and treat these as the new defaults for the Pokémon’s Skill values. Give a name to the Skill Background as well, just as if you were making a custom background for your Trainer! A Pacifist Scout Background could raise Perception and Stealth while lowering Athletics and Combat, for example.

Example Pokémon Skill Templates

Cutesy Heart-Melter

Skills: Intimidate 1d6, Guile 3d6+2, Intuition 2d6+2, Charm 4d6+3, Command 2d6

On Evolution: Increase Charm by 1d6 or +2 and one of the other skills by the other value.

These Pokémon will win you over with adorable looks, but they aren’t above tricking you with crocodile tears too.

Examples: Clefairy, Jigglypuff, Audino, Emolga

Snarlyman Taskmaster

Skills: Intimidate 4d6+3, Guile 2d6+2, Intuition 2d6, Charm 1d6, Command 3d6+2

On Evolution: Increase Intimidate by 1d6 or +2 and one of the other skills by the other value.

These Pokémon lack subtlety, preferring displays of brute force to get their way and show leadership.

Examples: Machoke, Durant, Scyther, Nidorino

Playful Trickster

Skills: Intimidate 1d6, Guile 4d6+3, Intuition 3d6+2, Charm 2d6+2, Command 2d6

On Evolution: Increase Guile by 1d6 or +2 and one of the other skills by the other value.

These Pokémon are natural liars and pranksters.

Examples: Klefki, Cottonee, Girafarig, Bonsly

PokéScholar

Skills: an Education Skill at 4d6

On Evolution: Increase Skill by 1d6 or +2

These Pokémon have learned more specialized skills.

Examples: Chansey (Medicine), Unown (Occult)

Of course, you should adjust these for different species. A Mawile would have both high Intimidate and high Guile. An Altaria has high Charm and Intuition.

Leveling Up
Whenever your Pokémon gains Experience, add its Experience to its previous Experience total. If the new total reaches the next Level’s “Exp Needed”, the Pokémon Levels up. Pokémon have a maximum Level of 100. See the next page for the Pokémon Experience Chart. Whenever your Pokémon Levels up, follow this list: »» First, it gains +1 Stat Point. As always, added Stat points must adhere to the Base Relations Rule. »» Next, there is the possibility your Pokémon may learn a Move or Evolve. Check its Pokédex Entry to see if either of these happens. If a Pokémon evolves, make sure to then check its new form’s Move List to see if it learned any Moves that Level. You may choose not to Evolve your Pokémon if you wish. »» Finally, your Pokémon may gain a new Ability. This happens at Level 20 and Level 40, as detailed in the Managing Pokémon: Abilities section (page 200). Tutor Points Many Features which permanently change an aspect of a Pokémon require a Pokémon to spend “Tutor Points”. Each Pokémon, upon hatching, starts with a single precious Tutor Point. Upon gaining Level 5, and every other level evenly divisible by 5 (10, 15, 20, etc.), Pokémon gain another Tutor Point. Tutor Points are stored until used by a TM, Feature, or Poké Edge. Once used, Tutor Points are lost forever. Most often, these Features teach Moves, but may alter other aspects of a Pokémon. Features which apply to “your Pokémon” have all effects removed and the Tutor Points refunded if those Pokémon are given to another Trainer. You can also gain Tutor Points is through Heart Boosters, which are vitamins that grant 2 Tutor Points. Evolution Upon Evolving, several changes occur in a Pokémon. Take the new form’s Base Stats, apply the Pokémon’s Nature again, reapply any Vitamins that were used, and then re-Stat the Pokémon, spreading the Stats as you wish. Again, Pokémon add +X Stat Points to their Base Stats, where X is the Pokémon’s Level plus 10. You must of course, still follow the Base Relations Rule. Then, check Abilities and Moves. Abilities change to match the Ability in the same spot in the Evolution’s Ability List. When Pokémon Evolve, they can immediately learn any Moves that their new form learns at a Level lower than their minimum Level for Evolution but that their previous form could not learn. For example, Snorlax could learn Yawn and Belly Drum. Finally, check the Pokémon’s Skills and Capabilities and update them for its Evolved form. Training Pokémon Sometimes Trainers may wish to train their Pokémon in a safe environment. By spending an hour Training with their Pokemon, Trainers may apply [Training] Features, teach their Pokemon Poke-Edges, trigger Class Features such as Ace Trainer, or even grant bonus Experience based on their Command Rank. A Trainer can train up to 6 Pokémon at a time. Each day, a Trainer can also apply Experience Training to a number of Pokémon equal to their Command Rank. A Pokémon may have Experience Training applied to them only once per day. Pokémon that have Experience Training applied to them gain Experience equal to half their own Level, plus a bonus based on their Trainer’s Command Rank. »» Pathetic or Untrained: 0 »» Novice or Adept: +5 »» Expert or Master: +10 »» Virtuoso: +15 Example: Sylvana is an Ace Trainer with Adept Command. She has eight Pokémon - six in her party, and 2 in reserve. She can train all the Pokémon in her party during the same hour-long training session, but she can only give the attention needed to gain EXP to four of them. During this time, she can also trigger Ace Trainer, apply her Agility Training to her entire party, and work with her Pokémon spend Tutor Points to help them learn Poké Edges. Since Sylvana is also an Athlete, she can use this hour to Train her own Stats too! Training can be a very productive hour!

Poké Edges
While many Features allow Tutor Points to be spent to improve your Pokémon, that does not mean Tutor Points need to sit idly if you don’t have access to those Features. After an hour of training, Pokémon may spend Tutor Points to gain any of the Poké Edges listed below, provided they meet all prerequisites. If a Pokémon ever loses prerequisites for a Poké Edge they have, it is removed and the Tutor Points refunded.

Mega Evolution
Mega Evolution is a new type of physical transformation Pokémon can undergo akin to a temporary evolution. A number of different Pokémon can Mega Evolve, including some already at a third evolutionary stage. Two prerequisites must be met before Mega Evolution can occur, however. First, the Pokémon must be holding a special type of Held Item called a Mega Stone. Mega Stones are specific to an individual species line and form; a Mega Stone that works for Charizard would not work for Blastoise. Second, their Trainer must be wearing an Accessory Slot item called a Mega Ring. When a Pokémon Mega Evolves, its Combat Stats change, receiving an overall boost (of about 10 points!), and it gains a new Ability and sometimes changes its Types. The Ability gained from Mega Evolution is always added to a Pokémon’s current Ability list and doesn’t replace a current Ability. A Pokémon cannot gain two instances of the same Ability through Mega Evolution, such as Mega Blaziken with Speed Boost. In those cases, the Mega Evolution instead grants another Ability the user can naturally gain but does not currently have.

There are two ways you can handle the Stat changes from Mega Evolution, depending on how much bookkeeping you’re willing to do. You can either apply the changes directly to your Pokémon’s current Stats as if they were points applied from Level Up, or you can apply the changes to their Base Stats and keep a second sheet of Stats for your Pokémon’s Mega Evolved form.

Similar to Darmanitan’s Zen Mode, if you go with the latter option, you must keep the HP Stat in both forms the same. You may break Base Relations to do so. Mega Evolution can be triggered on either the Pokémon or the Trainer’s turn as a Swift Action. Once triggered, a Mega Evolution lasts for the rest of the Scene, even if the Pokémon is knocked out. A Mega Ring can only support one Mega Evolution at a time, meaning once a Trainer Mega Evolves a Pokémon, they can’t Mega Evolve any others for the rest of the Scene.

Unlike other Held Items, Mega Stones cannot be removed from their users once Mega Evolution has been activated, even through the effects of Moves like Knock Off and Abilities like Magician.

The following Pokémon have Mega Evolved forms, which are listed in their Pokédex entries:

Venusaur, Charizard, Blastoise, Beedrill, Pidgeot, Alakazam, Slowbro, Gengar, Kangaskhan, Pinsir, Gyarados, Aerodactyl, Mewtwo, Ampharos, Steelix, Scizor, Heracross, Houndoom, Tyranitar, Sceptile, Blaziken, Swampert, Gardevoir, Sableye, Mawile, Aggron, Medicham, Manectric, Sharpedo, Camerupt, Altaria, Banette, Absol, Glalie, Salamence, Metagross, Latias, Latios, Kyogre, Groudon, Rayquaza, Lopunny, Gallade, Garchomp, Lucario, Abomasnow, Audino, Diancie.

Of course, you may decide to come up with your own Mega Evolutions for your campaign, especially as a late-game boost to a Trainer’s starter Pokémon. This is relatively easy to do. Mega Evolutions give stat changes that equal out to a net bonus of +10, usually distributed across 3 or 4 different Stats. HP is never changed by a Mega Evolution. When a Pokémon Mega Evolves, they also gain a new Ability. In addition, a Mega Evolution may involve a change in Type.

Loyalty
A Trainer’s Pokémon does not exist in a vacuum. Their Natures, likes, dislikes, and the habits of species do and should play a part in how a Trainer interacts with their team. Cruel conduct and bitter medicine, even in the pursuit of being the best, can have major consequences if a Trainer goes overboard.

A Pokémon’s Loyalty is a secret value kept by the GM. There are 7 Ranks of Loyalty, from 0 to 6, and these ranks measure how well the Pokémon listens to you, how defiant they may become, or how vulnerable they are to being snagged and stolen by illicit parties. The Moves Return and Frustration also depend on Loyalty. Loyalty 0 Pokémon detest their trainers, and defy them at every opportunity. You must make a DC 20 Command Check to give commands to Pokémon with 0 Loyalty. If you fail, the Pokémon may loaf about doing nothing, or may use whichever Move or Attack it pleases on whichever target it pleases – including its Trainer or other helpless bystanders!

These Pokémon are usually the product of chronic and brutal mistreatment, such as Pokémon kept by a Lasher that are never allowed to fully recover from the Injuries inflicted by their brutal training or the application of Features like Strike of the Whip. It usually takes a special effort to lower a Pokémon down to this Loyalty Rank. However, it’s not unheard of for Pokémon to be caught at this Loyalty Rank as well. As an extreme example, a Trainer who crushed a mother Pokémon’s nest of eggs and then proceeded to capture her would rightfully earn the ire of that Pokémon!

In a more benign case, an especially powerful and feral Pokémon that was caught by a stroke of luck could begin at Loyalty 0 or even require a higher Command Check than 20 to order in battle at first. The Trainer would have to prove their worth in order to overcome this obstacle.

The typical behavior of Loyalty 0 Pokémon can vary widely, from near-paralyzing fear of their Trainer to incredibly active defiance. Either way, it is usually not a good idea to leave them unattended or even have them released and unrestrained in public, as they may be wont to run away or even attack bystanders.

Loyalty 1 Pokémon similarly dislike their trainer, and require a DC 8 Command Check to give Commands to in battle. Their ire for their Trainers is less extreme than the case of Loyalty 0 Pokémon. They are often mistreated as well, but to a lesser extent. A Trainer who both consistently uses Features such as Press and takes no special care to ensure their Pokémon enjoy themselves will likely end up with a team that resents them. Pokémon who feel as if they were caught in an unfair or undeserved manner may begin at Loyalty 1, particularly if they are Pokémon that tend to have a strong sense of honor, such as Gallade.

It’s not always a Trainer’s fault that a Pokémon is at this Loyalty Rank, however. For example, if a Trainer rescues a Pokémon from a Team Rocket laboratory or the basement of an abusive owner, the Pokémon may feel distrust toward them out of an ingrained sense of paranoia and fear for all Trainers. While not as obviously dangerous as Loyalty 0 Pokémon, Loyalty 1 Pokémon will display unruly behavior when let out of their Poké Balls and may make small displays of defiance such as “accidentally” tripping their Trainer as they walk down the street or scaring off wild Pokémon that their Trainer is trying to befriend.

Loyalty 2 Pokémon like their trainer well enough but hold no particular fondness for them. Most caught wild Pokémon will begin at this Loyalty Rank, and it doesn’t take much to maintain this level of Loyalty either. As long as a Pokémon is fed well and given basic necessities, they will tolerate their Trainer, even if they aren’t particularly willing to go out of their way for them. Even if a Trainer consistently makes use of Features such as Press, treating their Pokémon with respect and care the rest of the time may keep their Loyalty at this rank rather than falling to 1 or 0.

Loyalty 2 Pokémon generally behave themselves when out of their Poké Balls, but they won’t overtly display much affection. They will usually follow orders, however, and won’t get in the way.

Loyalty 3 Pokémon is the average loyalty for most Pokémon – these Pokémon are fond of their trainers and respect them to some degree.

Most Pokémon rise to at least this Loyalty Rank if they’re treated relatively well. If a Trainer avoids abusive Features and repulsive medicines and otherwise spends quality time with their Pokémon, they will attain this Loyalty Rank in time. It’s also possible for a Pokémon to begin at Loyalty 3.

For example, most Pokémon hatched from eggs will bond easily with their Trainers as a parent figure and begin at this Loyalty Rank. Befriending a Pokémon and earning its trust rather than beating it up to capture it will also often result in a higher starting Loyalty Rank. Pokémon of this Loyalty Rank and higher will actively pursue playtime or recreation with their Trainers, and they will feel disappointed or neglected if ignored or left in the Pokémon Storage System for long periods of time. Most Trainers, even when they have raised an established ‘tournament team’ to battle with, will find time to spend with their other Pokémon companions.

This higher maintenance is not without its benefits, of course. Pokémon at Loyalty 3 or higher can attempt to Intercept incoming attacks aimed at their Trainers in battle (page 242). They will also often take a more proactive stance when out of their Poké Balls when it comes to searching for useful things or pointing out potential dangers to their Trainers.

Loyalty 4 Pokémon show fondness and respect in more generous measures. Trainers who make an extra effort – searching out foods and Snacks that fit their Pokémon’s preferred flavor profiles, taking their Pokémon to a Groomer, and spending time indulging their Pokémon’s interests outside of battling, for example – will find their Pokémon growing to this Loyalty Rank over time.

Newly acquired Pokémon almost never come at this Loyalty Rank or higher. Only special circumstances may warrant this. For example, a Trainer inheriting the old family Hydreigon after the passing of their Gym Leader father. Or a Trainer who earns the deep respect of a Venusaur that acts as a forest’s guardian by saving the local wildlife from a large expedition of poachers. Pokémon behavior at this Loyalty Rank is similar to that at Loyalty 3 but taken to a greater degree.

Loyalty 5 Pokémon are true friends with their Trainers, and share a mutual bond of great trust and respect. At this Loyalty Rank and higher, time is one of the biggest factors in determining whether a Pokémon reaches these Loyalty Ranks. A Trainer may treat their Pokémon phenomenally well, but they must do so over the course of many adventures to earn these Loyalty Ranks. This time spent together means Loyalty 5 and 6 Pokémon are very comfortable with their Trainers and go out of their way to help and please them.

Loyalty 6 is a hard to attain rank, reserved for Trainers and Pokémon that share a true bond. Loyalty 6 Pokémon are often well-treated Starter Pokémon, or Pokémon that have been with the Trainer for so many years or through so many adventures that they might as well be that Trainer’s Starter.

Pokémon of this Loyalty Rank display an absolute bond of trust with their Trainers and are more than willing to risk their lives for them – and in most cases, their Trainers feel the same way. Pokémon at Loyalty 6 may attempt to intercept attacks aimed at any ally in battle. Most Pokémon of this Loyalty Rank have gone through serious trials and tribulations with their Trainers. While it is certainly possible to raise a Pokémon to Loyalty 6 with a lackadaisical lifestyle, it is much more common for Pokémon who’ve met danger head-on many times alongside their Trainers to reach this Loyalty Rank.

They know their Trainers well, may intuitively sense when they’re upset, and can see through almost all attempts at impersonation.

Changing Loyalty
Ultimately, it is up to the GM to determine when a Pokémon’s Loyalty Rank rises or falls. They may give you hints about how much a Pokémon loves you but are not obligated to tell you a Pokémon’s precise Loyalty Rank.

Raising Loyalty is harder at the extremes of the Loyalty spectrum, whether low or high. Pokémon with a very low Loyalty Rank, such as 0 or 1, have a hard time growing to trust a Trainer and are reluctant to establish a strong initial bond with them. Many Pokémon at these Loyalty Ranks are traumatized or jaded and find it very difficult to change their opinions on a Trainer. Good treatment, if given only occasionally, may be perceived by a wary Pokémon as a trap, and it takes a concerted effort over a longer period of time to build up trust that was lost through abusive behavior.

In the case of low Loyalty resulting from a Pokémon feeling as if it were undeservedly captured, no amount of good treatment will raise their Loyalty Rank on its own. For these Pokémon, their Trainers must prove themselves to be worthy of commanding them, and nothing less will earn their endearment. For many Pokémon in this category, this simply means demonstrating battling prowess, which is most easily done through Gym Challenges. For other Pokémon which display a strong code of conduct or sense of honor, then living up to their ethical standards might be the key for their Trainers.

On the other side of the spectrum, it is difficult to get a Pokémon from Loyalty 4 up to Loyalty 6, largely because so much of that is dependent on time and opportunity to display strong bonds of trust.

For both of these cases, it is often a good idea for GMs to construct a quest of sorts that embodies what’s needed for a rise in Loyalty, once the time is right. A Trainer struggling to earn the trust of a Pokémon they rescued from a lab that performed horrible experiments on its test subjects might be given an opportunity to take down another similar lab alongside their Pokémon. A Trainer who’s journeyed with their Starter for a long time may finally take them on a trip to see a special location to that Pokémon or take on and defeat a longstanding rival who has been difficult for the two of them to overcome in previous battles.

As a consequence, this does mean a GM has to start thinking more about a Pokémon’s personality, desires, and general interests as they grow closer to their Trainer. This is very important! Ideally, a Pokémon would give regular indications of what it wants in order to guide a Trainer along the path of raising their Loyalty. Loyalty changes around the values of 2 to 4 are much simpler, in comparison. Regular good treatment will lead naturally to increases in Loyalty as a Pokémon spends more time with their Trainer while persistent use of Repulsive Medicines, Moves like Explosion, and Features like Press will lower Loyalty over time.

Particularly extreme events, such as deliberately endangering a Pokémon’s offspring or risking life and limb to reunite a Pokémon with lost family will result in quicker and more pronounced increases or decreases in Loyalty Rank, of course.

Breeding Pokémon
When prompted by a Trainer with the Breeder Edge, or perhaps due to divine (GM) intervention, your Pokémon may decide to breed and produce an egg. When an egg is produced, roll 1d20 to determine the species of the egg. If the roll is 5 or higher, the egg is of the female’s species. If the roll is 4 or lower, the egg is of the male’s species.

Consult the Egg Move List of the Child’s Pokémon Species. Note down any Moves on the Egg Move List known by either Parent, or any Moves known by either parent that the Child can learn via TM. This is the Pokémon’s Inheritance Move List.

At Level 20 and every 10 Levels thereafter, the Child Pokémon can learn a Move from its Inheritance Move List, as if it was learning it via Level-Up. Nature, Ability, and Gender are decided based on the Breeder’s Pokémon Education Rank. If their Rank is high enough, they are allowed to choose. If it’s not, these are decided by the GM, or randomly generated – as your GM prefers.

Nature may be determined at random easily by rolling 2d6; the first d6 represents the Stat raised, the second represents the Stat lowered. If the same Stat is lowered and raised, this results in a Neutral Nature. May be picked by Breeders with a Pokémon Education Rank of Adept or higher.

Ability is decided from the species’ basic Abilities. May be decided by Breeders with a Pokémon Education Rank of Expert or higher. Gender may be determined at random by rolling 100 and checking its Gender Balance; see what percent of the Pokémon are female. If the number rolled is lower than or matches that number, the Pokémon is Female; otherwise, it is Male. May be picked by Breeders with a Pokémon Education Rank of Master.

When the egg hatches, roll 1d100 to see if the Pokémon is Shiny; on a roll of either 1 or 100, the Pokémon is special in some way, determined by your GM. See Running the Game for more details on ‘Shiny’ Pokémon.

GM Tip: Though eggs have explicit in-game hatch rates, consider cutting down these hatch rates a bit occasionally, especially if you often spend a very long time on every day. Unless an egg is particularly mysterious, 3 sessions is probably long enough of a wait no matter how much time has passed in-character. Exceptions apply, of course.

Optional Rule: Baby Template

You may wish to roleplay baby Pokémon has having a small handicap, due to their newborn status. If so, simply subtract 2, 3, or even 4 from each of the Pokémon’s Base Stats, lower each of their Skills one Rank, and lower their Capabilities by 2. Weight and height are lowered accordingly, by up to 50%.

Pokémon tend to grow quickly; every 5 levels, they gain +1 to each of their Base Stats, and they grow in size a little. When they have finally regained all of their Base Stats, remove the penalties to skills and capabilities. This template isn’t necessary for Pokémon that are already quite weak; a baby Sentret probably doesn’t need this applied, for example, and don’t even consider it on a Weedle. If your Trainers somehow gain a baby Pinsir or Tauros early on, you may wish to dampen those Stats however.

You can also use this Template to make Legendary Pokémon usable by PCs! You could even make it permanent or partly permanent, especially on Pokémon with a Base Stat Total of over 60 or so.

Capturing Pokémon
Typically, Capturing Pokémon is a two-step process requiring some Poké Balls. Poké Balls can be thrown as a Standard Action, as an AC6 Status Attack Roll, with a range equal to 4 plus your Athletics Rank. Poké Balls that fail to hit their target land on the terrain behind the target Pokémon harmlessly, and will usually land without breaking. If you roll a Natural 20 on this Accuracy Check, subtract -10 from the Capture Roll. Once the Poké Ball hits, you must roll the Capture Roll. Roll 1d100, and subtract the Trainer’s Level, and any modifiers from equipment or Features. If you roll under or equal to the Pokémon’s Capture Rate, the Pokémon is Captured! A natural roll of 100 always captures the target without fail. Calculating Capture Rates A Pokémon’s Capture Rate depends on its Level, Hit Points, Status Afflictions, Evolutionary Stage, and Rarity. First, begin with 100. Then subtract the Pokémon’s Level x2. Next, look at the Pokémon’s current Hit Points. If the Pokémon is above 75% Hit Points, subtract 30 from the Pokémon’s Capture Rate. If the Pokémon is at 75% Hit Points or lower, subtract 15 from the Pokémon’s Capture Rate. If the Pokémon is at 50% or lower, the Capture Rate is unmodified. If the Pokémon is at 25% Hit Points or lower, add a total of +15 to the Pokémon’s Capture Rate. And if the Pokémon is at exactly 1 Hit Point, add a total of +30 to the Pokémon’s Capture Rate. Pokémon reduced to 0 Hit Points or less cannot be captured. Poké Balls will simply fail to attempt to energize them. Next, look at the Pokémon’s Evolutionary Stage. If the Pokémon has two evolutions remaining, add +10 to the Pokémon’s Capture Rate. If the Pokémon has one evolution remaining, don’t change the Capture Rate. If the Pokémon has no evolutions remaining, subtract 10 from the Pokémon’s Capture Rate. Next, consider the Pokémon’s Rarity. Shiny Pokémon subtract 10 from the Pokémon’s Capture Rate. Legendary Pokémon subtract 30 from the Pokémon’s Capture Rate. And last, consider any Status Afflictions and Injuries. Persistent Conditions add +10 to the Pokémon’s Capture Rate; Injuries and Volatile Conditions add +5. Additionally, Stuck adds +10 to Capture Rate, and Slow adds +5. Got all that? Let’s see a few examples so you can be sure. A level 10 Pikachu that is at 70% Hit Points and Confused would have a Capture Rate of 70. Math: Level (+80), Health (-15), One Evolution (+0), Confused (+5) A Shiny level 30 Caterpie that is at 40% Hit Points and has one injury would have a Capture Rate of 45. Math: Level (+40), Health (+0), Two Evolutions (+10), Shiny (-10), Injury (+5). A level 80 Hydreigon that is at exactly 1 Hit Point, and is Burned, Poisoned, and has one Injury would have a Capture Rate of -15. Math: Level (-60), Health (+30), No Evolutions (-10), Burned (+10), Poisoned (+10), Injury (+5). Doxy: GMs should of course feel free to make adjustments to a Pokémon’s Capture Rate. If a Pokémon WANTS to be caught, the Capture shouldn’t fail, for example. Or if a Pokémon is simply way too powerful compared to average level of Pokémon held by PCs, the roll may fail even when it otherwise might not. If a species is particularly rare or common in your setting, you may create your own Rarity modifier.

Pokémon Disposition
Not all encounters with Wild Pokémon have to end in battle. Trainers may choose to help them out, befriend them, or seek their aid without capturing them. Pokémon can be tricky and difficult to predict, but as with most things in life, being friendly and open generally helps when trying to avoid hostile interactions. Wild Pokémon have 6 different Dispositions towards Trainers or a group of Trainers, ranging from Very Friendly to Very Hostile. Very Friendly or Friendly Pokémon will try to interact with trainers. Neutral Pokémon will likely just continue about their business, either ignoring or casually observing the Trainers. Fearful Pokémon will be very wary of nearby trainers, or may try to run away or hide. Hostile or Very Hostile Pokémon will likely stand their ground stubbornly against any incursions, try to run the trainers off, or outright attack them. The vast majority of Wild Pokémon will begin at Neutral, Fearful, or Hostile towards random Trainers in their territory. Helping Wild Pokémon with problems or bribing them with food may improve their disposition, to the GM’s discretion. If Pokémon are made Friendly or Very Friendly, they may even ask to be caught without a fight, but not always. Attacking Pokémon or attacking their friends or family will likely ruin a Pokémon’s disposition towards you. Some acts may be enough to go from Neutral straight to Very Hostile with little chance of redemption – hurting or killing a Pokémon’s baby, for example. As a Standard Action, Trainers may make a Charm Check to try to improve a Wild Pokémon’s Disposition one step; Very Hostile to Hostile, Hostile to Neutral, Fearful to Neutral, Neutral to Friendly, and Friendly to Very Friendly. The DC of the Charm Check depends on the initial disposition of the Pokémon. If you fail, you cannot try again to improve your disposition through a Charm check, but other actions such as providing food or helping the Pokémon out may raise disposition automatically or at least let you try again, to your GM’s discretion. Initial Disposition Charm DC Very Friendly --- Friendly DC 15 Neutral DC 12 Fearful DC 8 Hostile DC 15 Very Hostile DC 30

Pokémon Fossils
Fossils are calcified imprints of a long dead Pokémon that still contain a bit of Pokémon DNA.

Omanyte, Kabuto, Aerodactyl, Lileep, Anorith, Cranidos, Shieldon, Tirtouga, Archen, Amaura, and Tyrunt can often only be found as fossils, but that doesn’t mean Fossils of other Pokémon don’t exist.

Rock Type, Water Type, Bug Type, and Grass Type Pokémon make especially apt fossils, or this may be a good opportunity to give a PC a Rock-Shifted Pokémon!

A Trainer with the Paleontologist Edge can use a Reanimation Machine or Portable Reanimation Machine to create an Egg from a viable Fossil. The Egg is hatched at Level 10 unlike normal eggs. If they succeed, an Egg of the Pokémon is created with Gender, Nature, Abilities, Moves and such determined by the GM. Like a normal Wild Pokémon, this Pokémon has the potential to be Shiny. The GM may also decide to give the newly hatched Pokémon an Inheritance Move List.

GM TIP: Finding Fossils – Giving a PC a Fossil is a great way to create an exciting moment in-game! You can have your PCs stumble upon these fossils in a cave, or have them be gifts from a friendly NPC. You probably don’t need to do this more than once per game for most PCs.

However, some players may want to pursue Fossils more actively for thematic or character reasons; this should by all means be encouraged! If so, you may want to plant a few “Fossil Quarries” throughout your campaign setting. Here, PCs can spend an afternoon digging and searching to make a Pokémon Education or Survival Check to search for fossils. Even those Untrained in these Skills can usually find some useful items here: Shards, Evolutionary Stones, or other items. Those trained in the Skills will have an easier time finding these items.

Those with at least Adept Pokémon Education or Survival or the Paleontologist Edge are capable of finding real fossils though! The DC to find any items is to your discretion, but here are some ideas and guidelines for Fossils:

Easy (DC 15): Searching for Fossils in an undisturbed dried out lake bed. Fossils in the area are usually intact enough for revival and well-preserved by having fallen into prehistoric tar pits or similar areas. Fossil hunting areas will usually only fall into this category if they’re out of the way and not often visited.

Moderate (DC 18): Searching for Fossils embedded in shale on a cliff side or right inside a cave. Public Fossil Quarries usually fall into this category, as all of the easy pickings have already been found but enough remain to entice visitors.

Hard (DC 25): Searching for Fossils in heavily disturbed areas or where few factors exist to promote preservation of Fossil matter. Numerous factors such as seismic activity or nearby human civilization can make whole Fossils difficult to find in these areas. Trainers may have to find multiple pieces of a Fossil and reassemble them before revival is possible. It’s not always possible to find Fossils in a given area, not even at the Hard DC given above! The vast majority of caves and lake beds will have nothing in the way of recoverable Fossils, which makes the areas that do have Fossils to be found that much more special.

Fishing
Fishing is always a relaxing way to spend the afternoon. With a good fishing rod and some bait or a lure, it’s an easy way to catch some Water-Type Pokémon. What you can fish up depends on your Fishing Rod. There are three types of rods: Old Rods, Good Rods, and Super Rods. Old Rods are capable only of fishing up small, unevolved Pokémon at level 10 or under. Good Rods may catch unevolved Pokémon of a Level to your GM’s discretion. Super Rods may catch Pokémon of any size and evolutionary stage, to your GM’s discretion. To fish, you must attach Bait or a Fishing Lure to the end of your rope, then cast your line. Roll 1d20 every 5 minutes. If you roll 15 or over, a Wild Pokémon is on the line! If you roll 3 times without success, the bait is used up – lures may continue to be used though. Then you must make an Athletics Check with a DC of 8. If you succeed, you manage to reel the Pokémon in. From there, you may try to catch the Pokémon in a Hand Net, or a Poké Ball. The Pokémon may attempt to attack you or your allies, so it’s usually smart to keep a Pokémon handy when fishing. If you fail your Athletics Check, roll 1d20. On a result of 10 or lower, the Pokémon got away with your Lure. Bait is always lost upon a failed Athletics Check. GM TIPS: Here’s a handy list of unevolved Pokémon that are commonly found in Fresh or Salt Water via fishing. Feel free to add or remove Pokémon, based on your current location. Whether you choose the Pokémon that are fished or roll randomly is up to you! Fresh Water: Poliwag, Shellder, Goldeen, Magikarp, Carvanha, Barboach, Corphish, Finneon, Tympole, Basculin Salt Water: Tentacool, Shellder, Krabby, Horsea, Staryu, Magikarp, Remoraid, Carvanha, Feebas, Luvdisc, Shellos, Finneon, Frillish, Skrelp, Clauncher

Pokémon as Mounts
Riding certain Pokémon might seem intuitive; Ponyta are obviously built for it! Others, not so much. We have included a Mountable Capability to mark some Pokémon that may be mountable. However, Mountable is a suggestion and not a hard and fast rule. Ultimately, whether a Pokémon can serve as a mount or not is up to your GM, so here are some things to consider for GMs who wish to consider other options. 1. Size. If a Pokémon is too small, it wouldn’t make sense for a trainer to be riding it, when their legs are dragging on the ground. This could be confusing for certain species of Pokémon, but a quick look at the Pokémon’s Level should serve as a hint as to whether or not the Pokémon is too small for you. For example, a Ponyta around Level 20 or 25, can serve as a mount. Ponyta may not be very tall, but it can support an average sized human considering its shape and its legs that are built to lift itself with little burden and quickly move around. However, a newly born Ponyta should not be able to lift a person. It would be very tiny. Another example would be an Onix. Onix could easy serve as an entire party’s Mount. However, a newly born Onix would not be able to serve as even one person’s Mount as it would probably be no longer than a meter. Also consider that the size listed in the Pokédex is the average size for a species. Particularly old specimens or special ones your GM creates may be much larger and more easily used as transportation. 2. Power. If a Pokémon is large, but is as light as a feather or weak as a twig, it probably cannot carry your weight and keep itself up as well. This would be most obvious for a Sky Mount. If the Pokémon’s Power is one or two, there should be no circumstance in which the Pokémon would be able to carry your weight on their body. 3. Equipment. Some Pokémon might not ever be able to be a Mount, by itself. However, with a couple of Pokémon, such as a Nidorino and a Nidorina, some rope to use as reigns, a sled and some training, you could have a single mount between the two Pokémon. A school of Magikarp could hold a mattress up and make a raft. Several creative combinations of tools and Pokémon could create modes of transportation. Using Mounts in Battle »» Mounting a Pokémon is a Standard Action with an Acrobatics or Athletics Check with a DC of 10. »» If your Acrobatics or Athletics is at least Expert, then you may Mount your Pokémon as part of your Shift as a Free Action, so long as you can move at least 2 meters before getting onto your Pokémon. »» Pokémon take any penalties from carrying Heavy or Staggering weight as normal. »» When mounted on a Pokémon, you may Shift during your Trainer turn using your Mount’s Movement Capabilities instead of your own. During Pokémon turns, your Mount may use any unused movement to Shift, and may take a Standard Action as normal if you use your Pokémon turn on it. »» If either you or your Pokémon who is being used as a Mount are hit by a damaging attack that deals damage equal or greater to 1/4th of the target’s Max Hit Points, or are hit by a move with a Push Effect, you must make an Acrobatics or Athletics Check with a DC of 10 to remain mounted. »» If a rider’s mount hurts itself in Confusion, the rider must make an Acrobatics or Athletics Check with a DC of 10 to remain mounted. »» You may use your Mount to Shift on your turn while using your Pokémon turn to order another Pokémon in battle. »» It is very easy for you and your Pokémon to Intercept attacks for each other while you are Mounted due to the lack of distance. See page 242 for details on the Intercept Maneuvers.