Basics
There are different kinds of battles: Pokemon battles, which typically feature single, double, or triple battles that Trainers cannot directly involve themselves in; and Full battles, where there are no restrictions and Trainers can fight directly. Aside from Trainer involvement, they play similarly.
Turn Order
Players get 2 turns: one for their Trainer and one for their commanded Pokemon.
- During Full battles, when a Trainer is KO’d, they can send out a Pokemon for free and can command two Pokemon until they are conscious again.
Initiative is your Speed stat + any bonuses, combat goes from highest to lowest Initiative; ties are settled with a d20 where the highest roller wins.
Effects that last 1 Full Round last until the same Initiative Count next round.
Your turn is separated into 3 Phases: Start Phase, Action Phase, End Phase.
- The Start Phase is only used to make checks to end Status Afflictions and regain all your Actions.
- The Action Phase is where you choose to do stuff.
- The End Phase is when you take damage from ongoing effects.
Creatures get 1 Standard and Shift Action per Action Phase, have any amount of free actions, and a scaling amount of Interrupt Actions.
- Standard Actions: Use Move/Struggle Attack, get & use item on target, throw something, draw or switch weapon, use Pokedex, take another Swift Action or activate effects that require Shift Action (Sprint to move twice)
- Shift Actions: Move around, hand a small item to someone adjacent to you, return or send out Pokemon, switch out Fainted pokemon
- Full Actions: Require both your Standard and Shift Action.
- Free Actions: Completely unlimited and can be taken as many times during your turn as you want.
- Sending out a Pokemon and drawing a weapon are Free Actions at the start of combat unless surprised.
- Interrupt Actions usually occur outside of your turn, but you are able to expend an Interrupt Action on your turn through certain actions, such as Delaying your turn.
- You have 1 Interrupt Action per Tier, regaining their uses during your Start Phase.
- Extended Actions cannot be performed in combat and typically last from 5 minutes to an hour. Downtime Actions can only be done during Downtime Phases and last from 2-4 hours.
- Only 1 type of Priority – you can take your full turn in between other people’s turns.
Switching Pokemon is a Standard Action done by Trainer or Pokemon, Fainted Pokemon may be switched out for free.
- You can simply Recall or Release 1 Pokemon as a Shift Action, or 2 Pokemon as a Standard Action
- Players who still have a Pokemon turn left can control the newly released Pokemon on the same round it’s released
Individual Trainers and Pokemon have a resource that replaces Action Points – Power Points, or PP. The maximum number of PP an individual can have is equal to their Tier + Rarity, but they refresh during Downtime Phases.