COMPETITION: Design a Pokémon!

[Ledyba]

Hello you.  You like Pokémon? Great.  You like creativity,..uh sorta?  Still, great, here at PKMN.NET we're hosting a competition when you combine the two loves and not come out with something creepy with other fusion concepts such as The Fly.


To celebrate Pokémon Black and White and our the launch of the brand new Donation Member System (more can be found here)  we're launching this competition, where you may have guessed it, to design your own Pokémon

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL.  The winner of this competition will receive a Brand New Copy of either Pokémon Black or White.

Basics:

Hang on, design my own Pokémon?
Yep.  Although, mind, it can be a single Pokémon or a Pokémon evo line, it doesn't matter, as long as you:

• Keep within the rules of the franchise (no 12 line evo chain, thank you.)
• Don't copy older Pokémon or Monsters from other series (This writer being a huge fan of Pokémon and YuGiOh will see right throw that..! we're watching.) Of course you can take broad influences (Hey a dragon that lives in a cave -- I'll make one too! With my own unique touches) but don't go the hole hog and grab a Salamence and paint in orange.
• One entry per person – we're not supermen, unfortunately, so we can't do 500 of yours in a single night.
• Keep in the rules of PKMN.NET (don't know how you'd break these, but as a standard clause, its here, although I suppose you can break them by calling your Pokémon something sweary..)

Hang on a moment, in what manner are we doing this? I have the drawing ability of a cow, am I expected to draw/sprite?

Take it from someone who's drawing ability is yet to pass a three year old level, we don't want to exclude people by this.  Sure, you can sprite.  Or you can do art.  Or you can write.  Your limit is your imagination! If you don't feel confident with drawing, you can describe it lucid terms! As long as you express what your Pokémon is about!

Although everyone is expected to take some writing for concerning lore/location and such.

Your Pokémon will be designed on based of the games.  That's to say, you'll have to:

• Give it a name! Clearly, make it witty or clever, based on a pun or such, or just sounding good! For example, my Pokémon would be called Cleggeg.
• Concept! All Pokémon are based on concepts, some paralleling real life, some of someones imagination, from Bulbasaur (a plant/repetile hybrid that absorbs sunlight to power itself) to Mewtwo (failed clone) and to simple things like Magicarp (Weak fish Pokémon with fantastic potential) or Bagon (Simple cave dwelling Pokémon that wishes to fly) your appearance, lore, stats and such should all reflect this.  For example, my Cleggeg is the Colour Changing Pokémon, that turns a shade of Blue and Yellow all the time.

Oh and you can't design pre-evo/evos of real Pokémon.  C'mon, be fresh .

• Looks! Written or drawn, or both, what does your Pokémon look like? Does it look cool? Does it fit with the current Pokémon, does it reflect its core concept? (Giving Magikarp biceps would defiantly go against that don't ya think?) 
• Stats! All 'mon have these, even if you're not competitively battle minded, its useful to keep this in mind because it is integral to a Pokémon's character.  For example, Magikarp is meant to be weak, so his stats reflect this, why Gyarados is supposed to be a brute, and such he has high attack.  Gardivour is a protector of its trainer, hence high Special Defence whilst Slowpoke -- ah you get the idea. 
• Moves! Again, on the Gameside this is important.  And you have to remember your Pokémons character when decided moves.  You might find it odd Octillery learns Flamethrower, but it fits in his character of a Octopus Tank (its Japanese name has 'tank' in it.) so don't be thrown off by giving your Pokémon attacks you wouldn't normally associate its type with. To make it easier for everyone, stick to known current moves.  Do not make up your own. Same with abilities on that note, unless, unless the ability is central to the pokemon's concept (Think Sheddy)
• Pokedex Entry! This is what really ties it all together. The limit doesn't matter as long as you sufficiently give the Pokémon some story and its context, but this is the explanation we're hoping.

WHAT DO I WIN. WHATDOIWINWHATDOIWIN

Woah, calm down there. As much as we'd like to send you on a cruise around Europe we couldn't do that.  (And if we could I'd by typing this on the deck of the SS SUPERcow) The Prizes are nearly as good! In First Place will win a Full Year's Donation account aaaaand best of all.. a copy of either Pokémon Black or White!

Runners up (the number depending on the number of people who've entered) will recive a Donation package depending on their final postion.

Also, the best of the rest will have their Pokémon proudly shown on a our Competition Page!

Excellent.  I'll devote every working hour to it - although how is it judged?

I'm very glad you asked me this.  The admins's decision will be based on three things:

Looks: How well does it look by your drawing/writing? We won't judge it on the quality, rather the content.  Does it look great? Does it fit in the concept?
Moves and Stats:  We'll decide if the stats you have given it fit the Pokémon, and if the movepool is appropriate this doesn't necessary mean about size (but if you're decided a Pokémon Margikap-esque, we might put that as a factor).
Consistency with the Pokémon world. You might have read we're designing a Pokémon.  Not a toaster for ASDA to showcase! So we;'d have to consider the factors such as above, as if this was released next year with a bunch of new Pokémon, would we consider it to be part of them? It would it feel the odd one out..? does its Lore fit in the Pokémon world? does it 'glue' together, we'd be thinking about this.

You'll receive a score out of 10 per admin, which will factor your over all score of 50.

How do I send it in?
Easy, just email your writing, images whatever to  seniorstaff <at> pkmn{dot}net.

[Shaymin]

fsafsafsafsa

i am so doing this

i was also unaware there was a pokemon called Magical =P

[Ledyba]

well there is if you're extraordinary bad with nick naming mons.

[sylar]

yes. hell yes.

casually opens sai even though i feel like this is an april fools thing oh well

[Richard and Blaziken]

I will begin right away, good sir! Quite an exciting competition!

[Liam]

This is exciting. O:

* Liam gets notepad

[Specstile]

Oooh this sounds fun! Any specific dates?

[Ledyba]

we're still discussing the end date, but it'll be at least a month from the current day!

[zezemanoob]

ooh ima try :3 this shall be fun xD

[Kona]

As suspicious as I am of this date, I'm gonna try. I can do it during Art club and scan it at school.

[MonsterMon64]

Not sure if I'll enter yet, but I'm coming up with some ideas nonetheless!

Question, though: for the moves, are we just going by what they can learn leveling up, or is it mandatory that we also include egg moves and TMs/HMs? For that matter, are we limited to existing moves/abilities or can we make up our own, too? I'm barely halfway through ONE learnset, and my brain is throbbing from overthinking. XD

[Alphochio]

WHAT DO I WIN. WHATDOIWINWHATDOIWIN

Woah, calm down there. As much as we'd like to send you on a cruise around Europe we couldn't do that.  (And if we could I'd by typing this on the deck of the SS SUPERcow) The Prizes are nearly as good! In First Place will win a Full Year's Donation account aaaaand best of all.. a copy of either black or black!

Wut?

I'm not entering cause I don't know how to draw or am a good writer. But it will be nice to see what people come up with.  ^^

[Ledyba]

Not sure if I'll enter yet, but I'm coming up with some ideas nonetheless!

Question, though: for the moves, are we just going by what they can learn leveling up, or is it mandatory that we also include egg moves and TMs/HMs? For that matter, are we limited to existing moves/abilities or can we make up our own, too? I'm barely halfway through ONE learnset, and my brain is throbbing from overthinking. XD

probably for the best we keep to known movesets.

Wut?

Note to self: Black => White white  => Black in the word censor for the purpose of April Fools seemed like a good idea at the time..

[The Librarian]

Just a few of questions:

Do we have to put at what level the Pokémon can learn a move, or just put some moves it can learn?

Should an explanation of the name be included in the submission?

Do we include our user names or something in the e-mail so you know who sent what in?

[Mulholland]

My questions are...

- When is the start date and closing date for the competition?
- Is the winner going to be announced publicly on the forums at the end?
- Is the competition 1st prize for UK and US residents only?
- Apart from Rex, who else will be judging what is entered?

I'll step in here

- It starts today and closes on May 1st
- Yes they will be
- We need to look into that
- Rex, Myself, Rob, Mike and Joeno