Time for the Gen 8 breakdown! With the release of this journal, you are all able to use Gen 8 Pokemon on your team(s) or in your stories! There are only three Pokémon currently banned from use: Zacian, Zamazenta and Eternatus. Like with the other banned Pokémon, the existence of these legendaries are completely unknown to the Pokémon of Huana. Outside of that, we had a few Pokémon from this new Gen that we wanted to make some observations and clarifications about due to their unique qualities. Please follow these general worldbuilding guidelines for the Pokémon below:
Morpeko: This Pokémon deals with a strange condition that can often lead to them feeling like they have a split personality. When hungry, this Pokémon rapidly changes into a new form and starts to act oddly, often violently as it tries to resolve it’s hunger. Sadly some Morpeko have to deal with stereotypes and hostilities that can occur due to this problem. As a result, Morpeko often try to live in places where food is plentiful. Morpeko can not rapidly swap between their forms in battle as it is entirely tied to their level of hunger.
Alcremie: Alcremie can take any form upon evolving as these forms are mostly based on personality more so than time of day or the items of food around them. Alcremie are able to change out the decorations adorning their heads if they can find the necessary material. However, Alcremie upon evolving have a default sweet they can reproduce naturally. This default sweet can not change, even if a different sweet is introduced into their body. Pokémon have not been able to figure out what personalities will result in which sweets and styles of cream due to the complexity of each individual.
Falinks: Falinks in this world are a part of tiny, individual hiveminds usually consisting of six units. The singular personality of a hivemind is just as complex and fully realized as any one Pokémon and each cluster of Falink’s will have its own individual hivemind/soul. They will have ambitions and opinions as well as any personality under the sun. The Brass serves as the source of the hivemind and is said to be where the true soul lies. The Troopers are seen as the limbs of the Brass and even when separated the Brass will be able to communicate fully through any of the troopers. It appears no distance can sever the Brass’s mind from it’s Troopers, but it can be disorienting and many Falinks rather stay in huddles. The disorientation can get so bad that although they can move without being huddled together, it is extremely difficult for them to do anything more than watch and possibly speak - fighting is next to impossible until the whole unit regroups. If a Trooper gets hurt or destroyed, the Brass will feel the pain vividly. If a Brass is killed, the entire Falink stops responding and ultimately dies. Unfortunately this hive minded trait has lead to some deplorable Pokémon using them as spies against their will. Most Pokémon in Huana have a hard time wrapping their heads around Falink’s condition.
Dragapult: Dragapult, much like Kangaskhan, are well known for being protective of their young and often carry them around to keep them safe. If you choose to use one, please note that if any Dreepy accompany a Dragapult, the Dreepy(s) should be treated as an NPC(s). They can stick around with the parent/guardian, but should refrain from helping with missions unless made into a full member in the guild.
Cramorant: While Cramorant are quite capable of launching fish from its mouth in Huana, most folks are not a fan being made into a weapon. As a result of this, most Cramorant come from families that choose instead to use hand carved items. These items will often be shaped into the fish of Huana as these are easier on the Cramorant’s throat. Despite being without arms, the craftsmanship can be quite incredible and the carvings have been said to bring good luck in communities that live amongst Cramorant. Unfortunately some Cramorant have made the mistake of swallowing their totem...
Regional Yamask + Runerigus: Yamask are made of spirits that became trapped within ruins upon returning to the mortal world. There seem to be a very few number of places within Huana that this can occur. A hurt Yamask will often feel drawn to return to the place it emerged, and communities of Runerigus will help them on this long trek. There are only a small number of them in existance and the ruins that etch their bodies are often unique for each individual. The designs themselves seem to be of long forgotten creatures and some members of the Neve Library speculate that they might be a glimpse of the Ancients’ true forms. Some vaguely humanoid ruins are said to depict a Machoke or perhaps a Sawk. Sadly the depictions are too rudimentary to make a solid call. Members can feel free to create their own clay designs for a Renerigus, but it must be in the general style of the canon design and should not depict a legendary Pokémon or even normal Pokémon. They should all feel mostly made up and be simple in design like the canon Runerigus.
Dracozolt+Dracovish+Arctovish+Arctozolt: Much like Silvally, these Pokémon come from abandoned places once belonging to the ancients. It’s unknown to Pokémon of this modern age about how these creatures even came to be as most of them live labored and difficult existences. If not freed from an ancient tube, many of these Pokémon existing today appear to have been born from Ditto who lived in the same ruins as them. With proper help, they can live longer lives, but most die young. They also tend to have disjointed personalities and have trouble adapting to languages, but they don’t tend to be particularly violent. Despite their labored existences, if they manage to reach adulthood, they can be quite powerful. Members are free to use them in their stories or team, but it’s good to remember that these Pokémon will have special needs and will need help in order to survive. Most of them out and about are incredibly young and hard to find. Adults are also unable to have children unless they have been cloned by a Ditto.
Galar Forms:
All Galar forms are available to be used on teams, but there are a few unique rules/Rival-Gates-specific facts in place for them.
Galar forms are not location-locked, meaning Galar forms can travel wherever they wish in Huana, but often prefer the climate that suits them just like any other Pokémon.
Galar Pokémon are not born based on location, but rather by genetic inheritance. For example a Mime Jr. born from a Galarian Mr. Mime mother will always evolve into an Galarian Mr. Mime itself. This includes the other Pokémon regional forms like Koffing and Farfetch'd. As long as their mother was a Galarian variant, their children will inherit this alternate form.
If you have a Koffing, Mime Jr., or a Farfetch'd 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 Galar form and have them evolve into their respective parent’s form.
Additionally, Galarian forms should be labeled and addressed as "Regional Forms" within the Rival-Gates world as Galar is not a place understood to exist.
Dynamaxing
It is possible for Pokémon to enter a state which is widely referred to as “Dynamax”, although there is a lot of confusion as to the difference - if there is one at all - between this state and Mega Evolution. Most believe that Mega Evolution is a much more offensive technique, while Dynamaxing is defensive.
Pokémon that Dynamax will not be able to grow to a large size in the world of Rival-Gates - since these transformations are being treated similarly to Mega Evolution, it’s best to think of it as your character’s stats being changed around the same way Megas do. Anyone in Huana who undergoes a Dynamax transformation may or may not take on their special “Gigantamax” appearance instead, but it must stay consistent (your Pokémon cannot turn into a normal Dynamax form in one scenario and then later on become Gigantamax, it has to be one or the other). Just like Mega Evolutions, characters cannot hold this form change for very long. It must be a situational ability that they can activate for only a short period of time, and then revert back to normal.
Finally, much like Mega Evolution, a special item will need to be attained in order to invoke the state. Rumors have it that a strange item called a Wishing Piece has been occasionally found in Huana. Holding a stone and wishing strongly for help will result in the one making a wish receiving an incredible influx in power. Once the energy is used up, the piece crumbles and a new one will need to be attained. Lucky enough for our guilds, a particular Meowth seems to have hoarded a good few and is willing to give them away at a price. Tim will be selling Wishing Pieces after the current deadline hits on December 15th. Check out the storefront then for this item's price.
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 Pokémon 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 Pokémon's leveling up move pools.
And that should hopefully be everything! Please let us know if you have any questions and we will do our best to answer.
~The Rival-Gates admin team
Created at simplydevio.us