Hello all!

With the release of the newest generation of pokemon, Rival-Gates will be introducing a few new things to our groups mix! The most noticeable one being the introduction of new pokemon. Carefully read through this journal to know what our rules are regarding these new additions to Rival-Gates before implementing any new material for your teams.

New pokemon

First off is the topic about the new pokemon. After discussing it over, we came to some conclusions about how we will be integrating them into the group. For now the following list of pokemon is off limits to teams:



Tapu Koko
Tapu Lele
Tapu Bulu
Tapu Fini
Cosmog
Cosmoem
Solgaleo
Lunala
Nihilego
Buzzwole
Pheromosa
Xurkitree
Celesteela
Kartana
Guzzlord
Stakataka
Blacephalon
Necrozma
Magearna
Marshadow

(so basically any new Mythical, Legendary, and Ultra beast related pokemon)


The above pokemon follow the same standards of the other mythical and legendary pokemon in terms of lore. They are completely unknown to the societies of Huana, who have no record or understanding of their existence.


Every other new pokemon is available for use and should be treated as if they have been in this world the entire time. However, we have a few requests for how a couple of the pokemon should be handled:


Wishiwashi’s School form: In order to make this ability make more logical sense outside of a large aquatic environment, Wishiwashi’s ability, Schooling, is more supernatural in nature in the Rival-Gates world.  Wishiwashis in this world are not as abundant as they appear in the sun and moon games, having been split up and scattered long ago in huana. Due to its weak stature, Wishiwashis developed a fascinating way to protect themselves by delving into their untapped energies. When well rested and in control, a Wishiwashi is able to summon a strong fearsome outer shell to protect it made of energy duplicates of itself. However, the longer it must retain this form, the more energy it expends, especially in battle. When weakened considerably, Wishiwashi can no longer retain this form and it fizzles out leaving the critter exposed to its enemies.  


Mimikyu: While Mimikyu’s existence in the sun and moon is delightfully sad, we are going to have to put a spin on this idea due to it’s unlikely nature to have formed in Huana’s cultures otherwise.


Mimikyus that have traveled to Rift City often tell a rather old story about a strange community somewhere in Huana where the Pikachu line lives in close quarters with their people. It was through their help that Mimikyu was able to come back from the brink of extinction. Out of a great respect they have for this pikachu community that saved them, Mimikyus have decided to honor them through their shroud, where before they hid themselves with trivial objects. Despite their crude looks, Mimikyus spend a lot of time working on their own pikachu costume and have passed down these skills to their children. Over time Mimikyu have found this costume has taken a strong hold in their identity and many feel incredibly uncomfortable if they go without it, so the culture has persisted even in those who haven’t witnesses the source of this tradition. These pikachu costumes can be very well made or poorly made depending on the skill set. Some might bear odd features or patches, as long as they retain the general look of a pikachu. As a bonus idea, reincarnated Pikachus often find themselves being reborn as Mimikyu due to this strange connection.


Alolan Forms:


All Alolan forms are available to be used on teams, but their are a few unique rules/Rival-Gates specific facts in place for them.


Alolan forms are not location locked, meaning alolan forms can travel wherever they wish in Huana, but often prefer the climate that suits them just like any other pokemon. Alolan Vulpix, for example, is more likely to live in a place like Neve then somewhere warmer like Rift City.


Alolan pokemon are not born based on location, but rather by genetic inheritance. For example a cubone born from a Alolan Marowak mother will always evolve into an Alolan Marowak itself. This includes the other pokemon like Pikachu and Exeggcute. As long as their mother was an Alolan variant, their children will inherit this alternate form.


If you have a Pikachu, Cubone, or a Exeggcute character in a team that was created before this generation’s release and none of your entries contradict this information, you can claim their parents are the Alolan form and have them evolve into their respective parent’s form.


Additionally, Alolan forms should be labeled and addressed as Regional Forms within the Rival-Gates world as Alola is not a place understood to exist.

Z Moves:

Z-Crystals, much like mega stones, exist in Huana but in a very scarce state (although not nearly as hard to find as mega stones). They are not recurring in nature and have been hoarded by leaders, individuals, and guilds when found. During times of peril or exploration, pokemon might be given them as rewards for a job well done. Ranking up to the Ultra rank rewards teams with a stone as a thank you for their hard work, while others might pop up in more interesting situations.


How they work is a bit different than Mega Stones. While Mega stones only rely on a pokemon having very strong emotions or connections to the task it will be tackling with mega evolution, Z-Crystals rely on two pokemon to work. Using Z-Crystals requires the one holding it to be accompanied by someone they hold in very high regards and both minds will have to be focused on inducing the Z move. It’s also understood that Z-Crystals cannot be too close to mega stones or the effects of each other's presence cancel them out. For example, one pokemon could mega evolve and the other use a Z move in the same location as long as both stones don’t not come too close together. A pokemon both mega evolving and using a Z-Crystal is unheard of and potentially dangerous, so extreme caution is advised against trying as it will usually result in catastrophic failure.


NPCs might have and use Z moves in your stories as they are slightly more common than mega evolution due to their availability to all Pokemon.

Updated Movepools:

One of the last topics to address is potential movepool updates for members. The rule still stands that you can use any previous generation’s leveling up move pools for your teams and that will now includes this generation's. If your pokemon can level up and learn a new move from this generation feel free to do so for now! TM and Tutor move rules and restrictions still apply unless previously limited moves are now available in a pokemon’s leveling up move pools.

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And that should cover most of the important information. If you have any additional concerns or questions please feel free to ask and we will get back to you shortly! We will also be wrapping up judging soon so it should'nt be too much longer before you see another journal from us with those results. For now have fun thinking up new ideas for these mons!


~The Rival Gates Admin Staff