The Indigo League (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
indigo_league) wrote2016-05-03 09:33 pm
indigo_league) wrote2016-05-03 09:33 pm
Entry tags:
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Game Basics || Pokemon Basics || Setting Basics
Extended FAQ: Training | Breeding | Rockets | Pokemon | NPCs
This section is for the moderators to answer your questions. If you receive an answer from another player or an anonymous commenter, please ignore it, as it may not be a correct answer. All player questions should go either here or (if you'd like it kept private) on the Mod Contact page, not on any of the extended FAQ pages.
→ G A M E | B A S I C S
What’s going on?
Good morning! Welcome to the world of Pokémon!
Your character has just woken up in one of two locations:They’ve also been given their very first Pokémon! Surprise!
- Either New Bark Town, the sleepy little town that’s the beginning of a trainer’s journey, or…
- Team Rocket Secret Headquarters, in the basement of the Radio Tower at Goldenrod City.
Normal trainers are immediately free to roam around; Rocket grunts must spend their first two weeks learning the ropes before they’re unleashed, but can still use the network freely.
Please see Getting Started for a few more details.
Do I have to engage in all the nitty-gritty mechanical stuff like battling or breeding?
Not at all! While certain events and game mechanics offer options to engage in this, if those do not interest you as a player, you are very welcome to OOCly handwave or ICly avoid things like battles and simply enjoy your characters living in the world of Pokémon and making lots of funky new pocket monster friends!
For anyone who DOES want to play with battling or breeding, there is more detailed/flavorful information about how both things work in this setting on the Training 101 and Breeding 101 pages, respectively!
Does this game have a rating?
Victory Road broadly aims to be PG-13, and the overall tone of the game is intended to reflect that of the Pokémon anime/games.
That said, as long as you use common sense, warn for any mature or triggering content, and take anything NSFW to a locked or warned post outside of the official game communities (ie, to an IC contact post in your own journal or a musebox), you're good to go! Players are very welcome to play self-contained darker plots, as long as they respect other players’ boundaries.
(Please though, no human x Pokémon smut, as Pokémon reproduction remains relatively unknown!)
What characters can be applied for, and is there a character limit?
If a character has a solid backstory and personality that can be described in an application, they will almost always be welcome in VR! This includes characters from nearly all media and even your own original characters.Here are some exceptions/guidelines (click to expand/collapse)
- Canon characters from Pokémon are not allowed, as they are frequently used as in-game NPCs.
- Real-life people are not allowed, unless they’re a heavily fictionalized version (e.g. Leonardo da Vinci from Assassin’s Creed).
- There can only be one of the same character from the same series in VR at a time, unless there are multiple distinct versions in-universe (e.g. normal Buzz Lightyear and Evil Buzz Lightyear from the cartoon).
- Multiple versions of a character from separate series with notably different events are allowed (e.g. Donald Duck from Kingdom Hearts and Donald Duck from Duck Tales).
- Characters of any age are allowed, within reason. For characters under the age of 10, players can choose to either physically age them up to 10 upon arrival, or simply have them arrive as-is, and have NPCs assume they are just a particularly teeny ten-year-old!
- Characters with multiple personalities in one body can be apped as a single character; characters that are multiple people in one body due to being possessed, etc, must be apped as separate characters.
- Malleable protagonists are allowed. Be aware that if a castmate's player does not wish to have their character recognize your protagonist as "their" version, you will have to respect this!
- We do not currently accept non-canon AUs or CRAUs.
- Fandom OCs are accepted on a case-by-case basis - please check with us before applying for one! As a general rule, we probably won't allow a secret Superman sibling from your unwritten fanfic, but we will be a lot more lenient on a well-developed character from a large fan project, or a personal fandom OC that simply exists in the same universe as canon characters. Be aware that you will have an extra burden of communicating with "castmates" - if a canon character's player does not wish to have their character recognize your fandom OC/does not wish to have your OC know something about their character, despite your OC's history saying they should, you will have to respect this!
Currently, the character limit is set at 5 per player. Additionally, one may only play 2 characters from one series, preferably those without close character relationships. (The 2 character limit may be waived for characters from your own original setting.)
As mods we reserve the right to turn down characters for unlisted issues, but we don’t anticipate or plan for this to come up often (if ever)!
Do characters get humanized? Can they keep their abilities?
All characters do indeed get humanized!
This means adapting to fun things like normal human organs. (Enjoy!) For characters with no canon human design, the player gets to choose what they look like in their fun new form- including any set of human sexual characteristics for characters who previously had none, regardless of the character’s gender.
Characters MAY keep small, easily-hidden non-human traits (such as sharp teeth or pointed ears), or things that make sense within the setting such as advanced prosthetic limbs (minus any extra tidbits like space lasers!).
On the other hand, characters do NOT keep any special or magical abilities* - only Pokémon get to have those! Any retained skills and talents must be within the range of normal human capabilities (i.e, The Flash can still be an Olympian athlete-level sprinter, but no superspeed!).
*There are only two exceptions: characters that can canonically speak/communicate with animals can now speak with Pokémon instead, and characters that were able to read minds can now read the minds of Pokémon only. That’s it! Closely associated skills - like mind control - are still not allowed, even if they would be part of the “same” ability in canon.
What about characters who died in their canon, or have some sort of physical or mental difficulty?
Characters who died in canon arrive in VR alive and well, healed of any actively life-threatening injuries or illnesses (remnants of the injuries, such as scarring or other lasting effects, are up to the player’s discretion)!
Magical curses, supernatural weaknesses, and the like can optionally be translated into mundane human analogues (e.g. a former vampire could have anemia in VR), but will otherwise be entirely nullified.
Besides that, this is mostly left to the player’s discretion! Characters with chronic health problems, physical disabilities, or missing limbs may arrive in VR with a new body without those, or they may retain them as long as they’re still able to interact with the world - perhaps with help from their Pokémon? If needed, characters may arrive with Arceus-granted (but otherwise mundane) prosthetics/mobility aids/hearing aids/etc.
Similarly, at a player’s discretion, engagement-alteringly severe mental conditions can be ameliorated or taken away by Arceus’s influence (or they may remain unchanged). The most important thing is that characters remain recognizable as they were applied for!
Regardless, Pokemon Centers have basic options for treating characters who need assistance, such as medication to counteract drug addiction cravings or for pain management. Cities have more in-depth options, as could be found in reality (or Pokémon-ized alternatives, like Psychic Pokémon therapists)!
Can we understand each other? Is there a language barrier?
By default, everything is translated to a universal Pokémon world language that characters are immediately able to speak and understand upon arrival. All standard in-game technology also uses this language.
However, at player discretion, characters may be able to concentrate to speak in any languages they are canonically familiar with.
Can anything be brought from home, like weapons or pets?
You can bring the clothes you are wearing, mobility aids like wheelchairs, and otherwise only things that are small enough to fit in your pocket! Small pins, lint, card-game decks, your glasses if you need them to see (or to just look cool), and other items like that are perfectly acceptable. However, weapons of any sort that could potentially cause harm to Pokémon will be removed from your person upon entry, regardless of size.
Please note that items with magical (or highly-advanced sci-fi) aspects would all become mundane in VR!
Some events will give you the opportunity to receive items from home (once again, excluding weapons).
As far as creatures or pets - nothing of the sort will be brought from home into VR! This includes more unusual cases like external souls, daemons, and the like - anything of that sort would simply become a normal internal soul. However, you are absolutely free to portray your character’s new Pokemon partner as being reminiscent of their pet/familiar/daemon, etc– they will not literally be the same being, but there is nothing stopping you from giving Taichi Yagami a Charmander who acts extremely similar to Agumon.
Can characters already know about Pokémon?
Fourth-walling the Pokémon universe is allowed for characters from modern settings, who would have possibly known of or played the games. They would only know of the first 150 pokémon, or the games Red, Blue, and Yellow.
Can deaths or injuries happen in game?
While death occurs naturally in-universe (albeit very infrequently due to all the free healthcare), due to the tone of the game there is no death of player characters or Pokemon.
When you're injured to the point of death, your body is transported to the nearest Pokémon Center, and you spend 24 hours there healing and replenishing your HP. Your Pokémon faint as they do in typical battle, but you have to take them to the nearest PokéCenter for at least half a day of healing and replenishing.
Injuries to the trainer and Pokémon that are untreated heal at a normal pace.
Can characters become a Rocket Grunt later/stop being a Rocket Grunt?
Yes, see the Rocket FAQ! In particular, leaving Team Rocket is a bit tricky in-character, since each member is an investment they don't want to lose...but it can be done.
Are canon updates possible? How do they happen?
They are! In game, your character falls asleep for a minimum of seven days, after which they awake with their new memories. They may optionally change physically as well, receiving new scars/aging/etc as appropriate.
If you want to canon update your character, just comment to the taken list again with the new canon point!
What about hiatuses?
If you're going on hiatus, please make sure to check the Activity Check guidelines and comment in the hiatus/drop post. While you're gone, you may handwave what your character was up to in the background - feel free to be creative!
Alternatively, because of the nature of Victory Road, a "glitch" may occur, where a character may disappear and reawaken in a PokéCenter, New Bark Town, or at the beginning of a route they had previously been traveling. Causes for this, in character, remain unknown.
How about drops and re-applying characters?
When a character is dropped, they disappear and their registered signal is erased from the PokéConnect. If their player doesn’t explicitly leave anything for others, then their items will similarly disappear. For their Pokémon, see If my character leaves the game, what happens to their Pokémon? in the next section.
If a character is reapplied for by a new player, the character will start anew. If a character is reapplied for by the same player, they may choose to start fresh, resume from before, or canon update.
If a character resumes from before (or resumes with an extra canon update), they will awaken in New Bark Town (or Goldenrod City for Rockets) regardless. However, they may regain their items, money, unlocked warp pads, and earned badges. They can also regain their Class Rank, but not immediately - see the Class Ranking page for more details.
If their starter is not in the possession of another player, they can also have their starter back immediately. Otherwise, they will have to pick a new starter and begin afresh. (For all their other Pokemon, see the If my character leaves the game, what happens to their Pokémon? question below.)
→ P O K É M O N | B A S I C S
How do Pokémon work here, in general? How do you handle actions that couldn’t happen in the video games but would be realistic otherwise?
VR works primarily in the spirit of the anime. This means that playing a bit loosey-goosey with video game mechanics is not only fine, but encouraged!
Due to the game's relatively lighthearted setting, characters and Pokémon cannot die, but other things are perfectly possible within reason. Someone could absolutely target a trainer in a battle instead of their Pokémon, or send out six Pokémon at once. Pokémon can be renamed as much as you’d like, even if traded. Battles do not have to be precisely turn-based, and Pokémon moves can be interpreted creatively!
Basically, keep out of power-gaming territory and prioritize OOCly cooperating to have fun with other players, and most stuff is just fine. If you’re worried something may be questionable/pushing the envelope a bit, feel free to bring it up to a mod beforehand!
How many Pokémon are there? Where can I catch them?
(Nearly) all of them! Victory Road strives to update to the current Pokémon generation whenever one comes out.
Pokémon can be caught on the routes and other areas around cities. Some events will have them invading houses or unfamiliar places, but many of them are in staple locations. Please check the Johto and Kanto availability lists to see what you can catch and where! (We’re trusting players to keep it within reason - your character probably isn’t catching an extremely rare Pokémon daily, but one every once in a while is fine!)
You can also trade with other trainers (with the consent of the other player), or buy eggs from breeders and raise a Pokémon from hatching!
I heard something about starter Pokémon? Can I get more than one?
Most characters will start off with a single level 5 Pokémon. Rocket Grunts instead start with a micro-chipped starter at level 15 and an additional Rocket-trained Pokémon at level 5. A complete list of possible starters can be found here.
How do we battle, and do Pokémon level up? What moves can Pokémon learn?
Pokémon battling is handled by you playing your character’s Pokémon and RPing it out, like any RP fight scene! As long as both players are okay with it, please feel free to be very flexible with how moves and battles work.
If you’re not planning to battle much/at all, or you’re planning to always handwave battles, then you don’t need to keep track of levels or moves if you don’t want to. But if you’re interested in more detail (or want to tackle things like earning Gym Badges), take a look at the Training 101 page!
How many Pokémon can I have? How many can I have with me at once?
At this current moment, you are allowed to have up to one hundred and fifty (150) Pokémon. That includes up to six on your person and one hundred and forty-four (144) stored on the PC or kept at your residence.
You may access your Box and swap out Pokémon at almost any computer in any city - including one at your residence. You may catch or breed more, but you will have to release some in order to keep the newly-caught ones.
If you have six Pokémon on hand and catch a seventh, one of the seven will immediately be warped to the PC - usually your newest catch, but it can be a random existing team member!
What's inside a Pokéball? What’s it like in the PC?
No one's certain, but it's not uncomfortable or unhealthy for the Pokémon.
Could someone hack my PC and steal my Pokémon?
Nope, even if they were standing right there to steal your password. Outside of (potentially) game events, the Pokémon in your PC are completely safe, no chances of anyone taking anything.
If my character leaves the game, what happens to their Pokémon?
Their pokemon will either end up in the care of close (or less close, this is entirely up to you) friends, go back into the wild, or end up at the Forever-and-a-day Ranch (from which they can be reclaimed should you ever choose to re-app)!
The only exception is Type: Nulls and Silvallys (“Silphallys”), who will all be returned to Silph Co. should a trainer drop.
What can characters find out about Legendary Pokémon, both in terms of trustworthy documentation and in legends/tales and such?
Aside from personal experience and other player characters, it's mostly tucked away in the form of tales and legends. Actual research on Legendaries is few and far between, in the annals of old-timey scientific journals from years back. Folk tales and secondhand stories, on the other hand, can be easily found in Violet and Ecruteak or heard from locals (or even other player characters)!
I have a more specific Pokemon question...
For questions concerning individual Pokemon meta or minutiae, there's an extended Pokemon FAQ that might have an answer! If you don't find what you're looking for there, go ahead and leave us a comment with your question here on this post!
→S E T T I N G | B A S I C S
What's the deal with the music?
Pokémon music plays everywhere. Where you eat, where you sleep, where you breathe. It's not loud, probably just the volume of background music at a department store, or a radio left on to help someone sleep. But it can get annoying and it changes when a character enters a city or a building. Hopefully you'll get used to it. Sorry, we left the BGM on.
There are other genres of music as well, however: radio stations and live concerts exist too. For some ideas and examples, feel free to take a look at our optional Music and Radio page.
After your character has acquired 5 total Gym badges, they may have their very own battle theme (picked by you)! Isn't that exciting?
What about ledges? Are they magic?
Yes, and no. Keeping the spirit of the game, you can still jump down from them, but they're functionally impossible to climb up, even for experienced climbers. Reasons for this remain a mystery even now.
How rough is travel on the characters? Is traveling off the map possible?
It's a bit of a challenge on the routes! For the first few days (or weeks, depending on how long it takes you to reach another city once you've left New Bark Town), you're stuck with what you're given in the Getting Started swag bag, along with whatever you've found along the route. If the weather is rainy and you have no poncho or umbrella, you might have to sleep under trees or ledges in order to keep dry. With your new Pokémon at your side, and maybe more friends along the way, you should be able to overcome this obstacle accordingly!
Thankfully, staying in inns is an option in cities, and Pokémon Centers can provide shelter in a pinch! (And your character may eventually consider renting or buying a residence, perhaps?)
As for traveling off the map: this is possible, but the terrain gets significantly more challenging the further you go - think preposterously thick forests, extremely rugged mountains, and the like - so the going would get extremely slow. Even for experienced trainers and travelers, they’re significantly more likely to get lost, attacked by swarms of wild Pokémon, and/or run out of supplies!
Do you need to be able to use Surf to cross water, or can characters swim?
Characters can swim across small bodies of water! Generally, though, water routes are long enough that they will require a Pokemon with Surf or some form of vehicle.
Additionally, characters that are swimming and do not have a Water Pokemon to protect them will be extremely vulnerable to attacks by wild Pokemon.
What's the PokéGear?
Glad you asked! PokéGear is quite simple, and each person, trainer and Rocket Grunt alike, gets one upon arrival Gears do not display names, merely trainer ID numbers, with the option to nickname your contacts as you choose. You are able to register other people’s "phone" (or rather, Gear) numbers by sharing them on the PokéConnect or in person with the PokéGear (by touching them together at the top).
Of course, technology is never fun without flaws. So all of these are subject to glitching, especially if submerged in water, burned, or electrocuted.
If a Gear breaks, you may get a replacement at the nearest PokéCenter or PokéMart for free. They have plenty!
What does my Trainer Card do?
It’s the key to your identity in Johto! (Although not everyone is a capital-T Trainer, everyone receives this card.)
Included in your pack, it swipes into your PokéGear to activate it with your identity. Your PokéConnect account is registered with this card, so it’ll stick with you even if you need to replace a Gear. When you get a job, you are often asked to swipe your trainer card as an easier way to clock in and out - you will generally be asked for it whenever some sign or proof of identity is required!
What can my character eat and drink? Is Pokémon-produced food edible?
Many varieties and cuisines of human food are available in towns and cities, and some Pokemon products are also edible! Please see the Food section of the Items page for examples and details.
Do I have to stick to the Items page for things my character can obtain? Can they get weapons or high-tech stuff?
In general, we’re pretty lenient on this - most things that fit the tone and setting of VR are perfectly fine to obtain, even if they’re not listed on the Items page. Your character can absolutely buy or make a skateboard; they just probably won’t be able to get a spaceship, even if those do exist!
If you’d like some inspiration, there’s an unofficial listing of some Pokemon-themed brands and puns players have previously come up with here.
However, please note that weapons in particular are not readily available in game! In Pokémarts, the closest available options are toy weapons and things with other purposes, like kitchen knives. One can create a makeshift weapon, but anyone caught with one will be subject to punishment by the Kangaskhan Police.
(Fist-fighting is discouraged, but not illegal.)
High-tech items are on a case-by-case basis. The game and anime do inherently have some silly and unrealistic tech, but characters will not be able to obtain/reproduce the Pokemon Center warp pads for themselves, for example. On the other hand, it’s probably fine for your engineer character to make their own version of the Silph Scope, or some very simple robot punching bags for Pokemon training! Check in with us in the comments below to make sure.
What are jobs and money like in this world? Do I need to keep track of money?
The currency of the PokéWorld is PokéMoney, notated in written form as P (e.g. “P100”). Don’t worry, you don’t need to actively keep track of it and how far your character’s budget stretches! All we ask is that you keep your character’s purchases within reason. (A new trainer can’t afford all the TMs in the department store!)
If you’d like a reference point for some thread dialogue or an idea of how expensive something is - P100 is roughly equivalent to $1-2 USD, and there’s an example price list of items bought and sold in stores on the Items page.
As for making money - characters can take on jobs or battle NPCs along the routes for more money. Team Rocket members have less availability for outside jobs (and will be unable to take them altogether if they’re openly affiliated with the Team) but are given a spending allowance each week, plus have basic necessities covered. As a general rule, random battles will be less lucrative than a proper job - but this can vary, as experienced trainers taking on more prestigious battles or challenges like Gyms will be earning more.
You are very welcome to just handwave something reasonable or say your character survives entirely off battles - but if you’d like some inspiration for what jobs might be available, click Examples below!Examples (expand/collapse)
- PokéCenter: Information Tech (filing papers and sorting files), Medical Assistant (helping out with patients)
- PokéMart: Cashier, Stock Clerk
- Local Inn: Dishwasher, Cook (cooking experience required), Housekeeper (includes cleaning rooms, doing laundry, room service), Front Desk Clerk (checking in/out, answering questions)
- Restaurants: Waiters/Waitresses, Chef, Janitors
- Goldenrod Department Store: Sales Associate (in stores, from clothing to toys to jewelry to beauty products), Trainer's Market Employee (equivalent to working in a PokéMart), Food Court Employee, Salon Hairdressers
- Goldenrod Radio Tower: Janitor
- MooMoo Farm: Ranch hands (shoveling hay, shoveling manure, milking Miltanks, brushing Ponyta)
- Olivine Lighthouse: Janitor, Lifeguard (daytime during the beach), Night Guard (includes babysitting Ampharos and keeping out intruders overnight)
More formally, for those who want a way to have a record of their character’s achievements and maybe even be rewarded for them, there is a Class Ranking system. See that page for more details!
Can my character run a business?
They sure can! We have a list of player-run businesses and services. Sufficiently experienced trainers may even run their own Gym!
Is there a delivery service in Johto?
Indeed! There is a Pidgey Delivery Service available at any PokeCenter for mailing packages, items, and physical mail to any trainer in any city.
Characters may also train their own Pokémon to do delivery!
What happens if you break the law?
If you're caught breaking the law (running away from a job after getting paid, creating a weapon, intentionally destroying public property, stealing Pokémon…) you will be taken in by the Kangaskhan Police (colloquially referred to as “Jennies”).
First offenses are served by a week of manual labor. You will be forced to do dishes at the Pokémon Center or help with the City Sewer Department (have fun smelling like Grimers for a week!). Second offenses are served by spending two weeks of manual labor, and so on.
If you run from your punishment, the Kangaskhan Police will have a warrant for your arrest for exactly fourteen (14) days. If you're caught, you will serve your time in the city. If you happen to escape, your warrant will expire after the fourteenth day and you can safely roam again.
If I'm in Team Rocket against my will, can I just pretend I'm not with them?
Yes you can! A Trainer Card does not register that someone is a Rocket unless you have engaged in nefarious schemes and have a track record with the Kangaskhan Police. If you are clear and swap out your uniform for normal clothes, you can easily get a job and go about a normal Pokémon adventure.
...however, your PokéGear will still receive Rocket messages, and Ariana may send someone to search for you. If that happens, it won't be so pretty.
Team Rocket just stole my Pokémon!
You might want to battle them to get it back.
If that doesn’t work (or you just couldn’t catch up with them), you may a) file a report with the Kangaskhan Police Dept (at a local PokéCenter or by using your PokéGear), b) plot to steal your Pokémon back, or c) cry.
This can be played out at the convenience of the players and robbers in question, and does not require mod permission unless it causes a problem or needs assistance.
Who are Victory Road's Gym Leaders?
As the game takes place in Johto and Kanto, it's primarily those region's respective leaders who are active in-game (potentially with some substitutes due to game events). Please see the Badge Requests page for a description of our current gym leaders, their teams, and how to challenge them if you wish to do so! Sometimes visiting gym leaders from other regions swing by periodically for events.
What about other Non-Player Characters (NPCs)?
They exist! From Joey the super amazing Rattata to those pokéfans along the routes, you can challenge those in the grass and talk to those in the city. Most act as though the trainers are just other citizens, becoming vague when the subject of the new arrivals comes up.
They can be attacked if one so chooses, but not killed. (But why would you hurt Mom? She made you lunch!) However, if the NPC reports it (as in, if you as a player choose to take advantage of the Police Alert), there will be a warrant out for that character.
Professor Oak's greeting on the PokéGear is a recording that is replayed for each person. He's often not found, and Professor Elm hides except for special circumstances.
For more information on NPCs, please see the Extended FAQ page on NPCs.
I have a plot idea for my character that I think has wider implications for the setting/other characters, or that involves NPCs! Or a plot idea unrelated to my character, even!
Head on over to Plot Suggestions!
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Last Updated: September 6th, 2025
Last Updated: September 6th, 2025
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