Main Characters and Pokémon level up when they fill their XP bar. Once filled, the bar resets to zero.
Main Characters
When main characters level up, they get more actions and attributes.
Each time a Main Character levels up, they may:
- Add +1 to any stat (not to exceed 3 for any stat)
- Take an Action or Attribute from another playbook
- Add +3 Bond to any of their Pokémon
When a main character has leveled up at least 5 times, they may also choose one from the following. Each option may only be chosen once per Main Character
- Change playbooks:
- replace their unique mechanic with one from another playbook.
- Their stats, actions, and attributes remain the same.
- Your character's life goals have fundamentally changed. Reevaluate the goals you share with your party that you decided on at character creation.
- Take a move or ability. Be sure to run this by your GM.
- They have achieved their dream. Retire this character from play and make a new one.
Each option may only be chosen once per Main Character
Pokemon
Levels describe how powerful a Pokémon is. They are NOT a perfect analogue for how levels work in the games!
Levels have no caps, but at a certain point, you can reset your Pokémon's level.
Level 1
At level 1, the Pokémon has
Leveling up
Pokémon level up when they fill their XP bar (it takes 5 points to fill).
Each time they level up, a Pokémon may increase their HP or their Battle by 1. This means a level 2 Pokémon could have 1 HP and 1 Battle, or it could have 2 HP and 0 Battle.
Pokémon can learn a new move at every odd level. Once learned, a Pokémon never forgets a move, but they can only have four moves available to them at one time. This pool of four moves can freely be changed outside of Battling.
Pokémon can take a new Attribute every 5 levels. The possible attributes it can take is based on what abilities it can have in the video game. At a high enough level, a Pokémon will have taken all of its available attributes. After that, they can start taking attributes from other Pokémon of the same Type.
Higher levels
Pokémon do not have to start at Level 1. For example, Starters usually start at level 2. When creating Pokémon at high levels, it helps to recognize that the Pokémon's level always equals the combined totals of the HP and Battle stats.
Evolution
If a Pokémon normally evolves by level up in the games, the GM will decide when the time is right. If a Pokémon evolves by other means (evolution stones, etc) your Main Character will need to get ahold of the means somehow in-fiction. If a Pokémon evolves by a weird in-game mechanic (like holding your device upside down) your GM will plan a creative solution with you.