Midori Region FAQ

[Akira]

Okay...maybe not so much "Frequently Asked Questions" as it is "Questions That I Know People Are Probably Going To Ask"...but FAQ is easier to say than QTIKPAPGTA...so yeah. If you actually have any questions that aren't addressed here, feel free to ask away. I should note that a good portion of these are already covered on other pages, but I figure it wouldn't hurt to go over them a second time. Just don't assume this means you don't have to read the rules.
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Q) I have a question about <insert whatever>. Who is the main admin of this site?
A) That would be me (as in the one who posted this FAQ in the first place). Of course, the other admins and mods should be able to answer any questions you might have (or at least direct it to me), so don't hesitate to ask either of them if I'm not around and they are.

Q) Is this region based on a real-world location? And if so, which one?
A) Afraid to say I'm not quite creative enough to put that much effort into this setting, so the answer is "no". That said, some may notice that I at least stuck with a theme when naming all of the locations, similar to how Red and Blue used colors and Black and White used cloud formations; namely, all of them are flowers.

Q) Can I start with <insert Pokemon>?
A) As long as it's not listed as being rare, uncommon or outright banned, then sure. Knock yourself out.

Q) Why is <insert Pokemon> rare/restricted?
A) The short answer; because I said so. The actual answer; mostly for balancing and lore-related reasons. The simple fact is some Pokemon are too OP to be freely given out. And in the case of uncommon Pokemon, we felt that they weren't quite special enough to justify listing them as rare, but also aren't quite unspecial enough to be readily handed out as starters; this was the compromise I came up with.

Q) Do I have to start at the lab?
A) Not at all. It's there for RP purposes, but the lab is hardly a requirement for obtaining your starter and setting off on your journey. Even if you plan on having your character choose their starters from the lab, it can be assumed that your character has already done so as part of their background. In fact, we'd prefer it if you did; lab threads tend to pile up rather quickly.

Q) Can my Pokemon start with anything other than their basic moves?
A) You may give each of your starters one Egg Move in place of one of the four moves they start with. Also, if you forego giving your Pokemon an Egg Move, you won't be able to turn around and decide to give them one after your profile's been accepted. So make extra sure you know what you want.

Q) What about Held Items? Can they start with one?
A) No, they cannot.

Q) Can I play as a Pokemon?
A) Not that I have anything against it or those who enjoy such RPs, but no, you can't. This simply isn't that type of site.

Q) What about Pokemorphs?
A) Same deal here; nothing against them, but it won't be allowed here.

Q) Do I have to go through the boards in order?
A) No. This site runs on liquid time, so you can be in multiple threads at once, and they can be anywhere. Whichever thread you made first will be assumed to have happened first, so do your best to ensure they don't contradict each other.

Q) Is there a limit to how many threads I can be in?
A) You're only allowed to be in one catching thread at once per character. Other than that, there's no limit...so long as you can keep up with all of them.

Q) Can we play as characters from the games/anime/manga?
A) No. This is an AU setting, and, therefore, none of the major events from the series happened, and most of the characters don't exist. You can, however use them as face claims if you want. I might silently judge you for being unoriginal though.

Q) Can I have one of the cosplay versions of Pikachu on my team?
A) There's honestly not much point. It's a neat gimmick, but that's all it is. What you can do, however, is purchase a Special Move to teach a normal Pikachu the moves exclusive to each of its costumes; Meteor Mash, Icicle Crash, Draining Kiss, Electric Terrain or Flying Press. Of course, there's nothing stopping you from ICly dressing up your Pikachu (or any other Pokemon for that matter) anyway; you just won't get any special benefits from doing so.

Q) What about Eternal Flower Floette?
A) EF Floette is, for all intents and purposes, regarded as a one-of-a-kind Pokemon. As far as I'm concerned, it still canonically belongs to AZ, so...in short, the answer is no. Also, unlike the cosplay Pikachu, its unique move is exclusive to that particular form. As such, I'm sorry say you will not be able to teach Ruin of Light to a normal Floette, regardless of how stupidly good the move itself is.

Q) Can I use <insert random character> as my character's face claim?
A) You can use any character for a face claim so long as they are from an anime, video game, or a western series that's done in an anime-like style (such as Avatar or RWBY). If you're unsure about a potential face claim, get a hold of someone on the staff and we'll let you know what we think.

Q) What about original art?
A) So long as it meets the "anime/anime-like" criteria, original artwork is perfectly acceptable. Just make sure no one else is using the same art and be sure to credit the artist if you aren't using your own artwork; preferably by including a link to their account for whatever they use to post their art, be it deviantart, pixiv, twitter or tumblr. Please be sure the artist is okay with other people using their art/characters for something like this.

Q) Can I use a real-life celebrity for my faceclaim?
A) No offense to those who like using them, but I personally can't stand celebrity FCs. So the answer is no.

Q) Does my character have to have a face claim?
A) Personally speaking, I'd very much prefer it if they did. However, I'm well aware that not everyone likes them. So, to put it simply, they are encouraged, but far from required. You're more than welcome to simply write up a physical description of your character, if that is what you prefer.

Q) Can I play as a Gym Leader/member of the Elite Four?
A) Why yes; yes you can. For now, only Gym Leaders will be available, but once a good majority of the Gym Leader spots are filled, I'll probably open up the Elite Four spots. That said, while there won't be any specific rules for apping such characters, we will be holding you to a higher standard than most other characters in terms of RP quality and activity; after all, these are important people, both in and out of the universe.

Q) What about the Champion? Can I app them?
A) Sorry but no. Members will not be allowed to make an app for them. Only way you'll be able to become the Champion is if you defeat the current Champion, whose identity shall remain a mystery, in an official league challenge (i.e.; you collected all of the badges and defeated every member of the Elite Four).

Q) Do you have to be a Battler to challenge the Gyms/Elite Four and try to become the Champion?
A)Not at all. Assuming your character isn't blatantly evil and obviously trying to disrupt everything, anyone is free to try, though Battlers will likely have a bit of an edge due to being able to gain Exp a little faster than most.

Q) What about Contests? Do you have to be a Coordinator to enter them?
A) Once again, the answer is no. Anyone is free to enter a contest. Though, like with Battlers and challenging Gyms, Coordinators will have a natural edge due to their class bonus.

Q) Will Psychics and Aura users be allowed? They are canon, after all.
A) Sorry to say, but I'm afraid they won't. While it's true that they are an established part of the lore, there's too much potential for abuse, and their overall capabilities are somewhat ill-defined. Frankly, I don't feel up to messing with them. Maybe I'll change my mind some time down the road, but for now, it's a solid "no".

Q) Can my character be exceptionally strong, physically fit, etc?
A) As long as it's within reason, then sure. I don't wanna see anyone pulling some DBZ/Fist of the North Star shit, though.

Q) Can my character carry/use a weapon?
A) At most, we might allow a stun gun for self-defense or a small pocket knife. But firearms any kind are a definite "NOPE". Besides, why use a boring knife or gun when you have literal monsters capable of breathing fire and unleashing tidal waves?

Q) Can I make an account with a pair of twins acting as a single "character"?
A) We won't stop you, but you'll be limiting yourself. For one, they will be treated as a single character in every sense, meaning they'll have to share the same trainer class and face claim. Likewise, they will still be subject to the normal party limit (six Pokemon per team), meaning both of them will only be able to carry a max of three Pokemon around with them, and you'll only be able to claim event/giveaway prizes once, rather than twice. If you're still okay with all of that, then go for it. Otherwise, you'll probably be better off finding someone else who'd be willing to play one of the siblings.

Q) Are you out of your mind? Why are the pseudo-legendaries selectable starters?
A)There are two major reasons for this; the first is because in their base forms, the pseudos aren't really any stronger than any other base-form Pokemon. Hell, Beldum is outright terrible, only being able to learn one move by level-up, and a whopping three moves via tutor. The second is that, while they are powerful once they fully evolve, they're far from unstoppable. Garchomp may be a powerhouse, but this doesn't make it any less vulnerable to a Lapras with Ice Beam or Hail + Blizzard. Nevertheless, we're not ignoring how powerful they are, hence why they're limited to only one and otherwise considered rare.

Q) Can we teach a Pikachu and/or Eevee the moves exclusive to them in Pokemon LGPE?
A) As good as the moves themselves are (hell, they'd be outright broken if anyone other than Pikachu or Eevee were using them), we've decided against it. Simply put, there's too many ifs and buts involved, and we decided to simply nip the problem in the bud by not allowing them. If the Gen VIII games roll around and they're still a thing that can be taught to a normal Pikachu/Eevee, that'll be another story entirely. But until then, we're gonna say no.

Q) What about the updated movesets in LGPE for the original 150? Or the moves that got buffed?
A) Yeah I don't see a problem with using the updated movesets. That said, the moves that got buffed will stay the same as they were before LGPE came out, due to the fact that a few of them are kinda broken. Like Solar Beam and Sky Attack, which are now as strong as a low-end Z-Move with no major downside other than having to take a turn to charge up...excpet LGPE didn't have held items, meaning Power Herbs weren't a thing. So...yeah. And as tempting as the buffs to Absorb and Mega Drain are to keep (I've kinda been hoping for them for a while), the fact that Mega Drain is now at 75 BP kinda makes Giga Drain (which wasn't even in LGPE) pointless. Again, if the Gen VIII games roll around and these buffs stick, then that'll be a different story. But until then...yeah. The altered movesets are allowed; the move buffs are not.

Q) Why so few berries? There were a lot more of them in the actual games.
A) Mostly because it would have been an absolute bitch to add every single one to the shop list. As such, I decided to stream-line them. Remembering that Natural Gift was a thing helped in determining how many there would be; one for each Type except Normal. Simple.

Q) Okay but what's with you adding Berries from Gen II?
A) Just kinda felt like it. Because reasons.