The Grand Melee is the culmination of the UPN PASBL calendar. An annual event battle, with almost all the trainers of the league (Excepting of course the referees who officiate over this battle) sent into a massive arena together with one of their Pokémon and a few items of equipment (A "Radar" and a Walkie Talkie) in a battle for supremacy and the League Championship.
Rules
The rules for the Grand Melee are
anything but standard, so please make sure you pay very close attention. They're
also very long, but you're going to have to read it all through thoroughly if you
want to stand a chance of winning.
Technically, there is no upper maximum number of trainers for a
Grand Melee, nor is there an upper maximum number of referees. However, it is
advised that the numbers be kept to around 50 trainers and 5 referees
maximum.
The Battle is held on a specially designed arena. One is held
annually at November 1 each year, however they may be called at any time (As
long as one is not currently running) by the League Officials or by a person
paying a full 50 service points.
For Trainers & Referees
Each trainer is permitted
only one Pokémon in the Grand Melee. ONLY 1. It is recommended that trainers
choose only their highest level Pokémon for this duty, as level can and will
have a major impact. In choosing your Pokémon, take into account how frequently
you have used this Pokémon recently, what sort of strategies you plan to use in
the Grand Melee, and what trainer profile you intend on choosing (More on that
below). If you do not choose a Pokémon by the first day of the battle and you
have been expressed interest to be in it, you will automatically be assigned a
random Pokémon from your squad who is at their maximum potential level for your
trainer level and gym badges.
Trainers accompany their Pokémon into the
arena. To represent this, each trainer must choose a trainer profile to represent
them. The profiles are named after Pokémon who would have the same approximate
physical characteristics. No profile is better or worse than any others
(Even though some have slightly higher or lower total scores), however some may
not suit your trainer style. Have a look at the battles you've recently
completed and see what sort of strategies you've taken with the Pokémon you
choose to bring in, and try and choose a profile to compliment, while also not
hindering, your Pokémon. If you do not choose a profile by the first day of the
battle and you have been expressed interest to be in it, you will automatically
be assigned the "All-rounder" profile, Hitmontop.
Each trainer will be given a kit consisting of a "radar" and a
"walkie talkie". While the current radars will be posted on the forums with each
ref result, the walkie talkie is to represent the fact that trainers can and
will talk to each other outside of the actual match. These pieces of equipment
cannot be lost, stolen or broken, however there may be in some arenas the opportunity
to "modify" your radar so it no longer sends out the tracking
beacon, and so subsequently you do not appear on radar readouts.
Points will be scored for trainers inside the Grand Melee, so it
is entirely possible to boost your level (And your Pokémon's level) inside the
battle. (Make sure you have enough gym badges and wins though to reach those
next levels.). You will get a full point for each Pokémon you knock out, and a
half point when your Pokémon is knocked out. You will ONLY score these points
while both you are your Pokémon are not knocked out, and while you are not separated.
Everyone, trainers and Pokémon, are fair game for attacks, however
there are limits.
Pokémon may NOT use damaging attacks against trainers when
that trainers Pokémon is still with them and not yet knocked out, excepting
situations where the trainer would be in the blast area of the attack. Attacks
may NOT be targeted between the two targets so that they hit both, they must be
directly aimed at the Pokémon.
Trainers may attack anyone, at any time. Their
"attacks" will be limited to punches, kicks, and other various "martial arts"
moves (WITHIN REASON ! By no means will anyone be allowed to use a Steel Cloth
(or variation) technique for instance. If you aren't sure, clear it with a ref
!), and will be heavily influenced by the trainers chosen profile.
Pokémon come under the control of the referees if their Trainer is
put asleep, or somehow unable to order attacks. If or when the trainer is
subsequently revived and their Pokémon is not yet knocked out, their Pokémon may
no longer be with them due to this referee control, and the trainer will then
have to find their Pokémon first to have a shot at winning.
Trainers are limited in the number of attacks they may order per
round per week to 4 1-move-combos, 2 2-move-combos and 1 3-move-combo. These
limits are seperate for the trainer and the Pokémon, and there is nothing
stopping you from having yourself (the trainer) do a 3 move combo and the
Pokémon do a 2 move combo in the same round, just so long as in the week you do
not use more than the limits each.
You send your moves for the round as an EMAIL to the mailing list
which will have been specifically been set up for this. The result for the
round, from the perspective of an announcer sitting up in a commentary box, will
be posted on the forums in the Grand Melee Main Thread. This commentary box
perspective will usually be all that is required for each trainer, however on
occasion you might be PM'ed with special information. Remember, the commentator
can see everything, and everyone will hear everything he says. Your opponents
will have advance warning of you sneaking up on them (Not just from the
commentator, but also from the radar), so be careful.
One cannot stress this point more strongly then it is
here.
MAKE SURE YOU FORMAT YOUR EMAIL TO THE REFEREES PROPERLY OR
YOUR ACTIONS FOR THIS ROUND MAY BE IGNORED.
Battle "ends" for a trainer when either they, or their Pokémon,
are knocked out. Once this has happened, you may not win in the Grand Melee.
However, you aren't necessarily completely out of the action, as explained
below.
Where the trainer is knocked out before their Pokémon, their Pokémon
will from then on be under the control of the referees for the rest of the
battle. These Pokémon will have two priorities. Protecting their fallen trainers
body, and avenging their loss.
Where the Pokémon falls before the trainer,
the trainer, while no longer able to win, may still act to prevent others
winning if they so choose. How exactly they can do this will be up to the
trainers.
If a trainer can somehow revive their Pokémon, the battle will
continue as if the Pokémon had not been knocked out in the first place.
The Grand Melee is over when only 1 team of trainer and Pokémon
remains "attached". Trainers without their Pokémon and Pokémon without their
trainers do not count, even if both halves of the team are not yet knocked
out.
Trainer Profiles
The following are the 10 profiles
you will have to choose from. There are no limits for how many people can have
each profile, however if all your rivals are taking a
particular profile, it might be wise to choose one with an advantage over
it. Of course, since profile decisions are not public (They go to the referees
via the mailing list.), you'll have to find out what they are picking first.
Sneasel
Speed: 10
Strength: 4
Body: 4
Reflex:
8
Defense: 7
Jump: 7
Fist: 7
Foot: 4
Order: 6
Total: 57
Machamp
Speed: 5
Strength: 10
Body: 6
Reflex:
5
Defense: 7
Jump: 5
Fist: 8
Foot: 4
Order: 4
Total: 54
Golem
Speed: 4
Strength: 8
Body: 10
Reflex:
6
Defense: 7
Jump: 3
Fist: 7
Foot: 4
Order:
7
Total: 56
Alakazam
Speed: 8
Strength: 4
Body: 4
Reflex:
10
Defense: 2
Jump: 8
Fist: 6
Foot: 5
Order: 8
Total:
55
Scizor
Speed: 6
Strength: 4
Body: 7
Reflex:
7
Defense: 10
Jump: 6
Fist: 6
Foot: 4
Order: 4
Total:
54
Gengar
Speed: 8
Strength: 3
Body: 5
Reflex:
6
Defense: 5
Jump: 10
Fist: 6
Foot: 6
Order: 7
Total: 56
Hitmonchan
Speed: 7
Strength: 5
Body: 6
Reflex:
6
Defense: 6
Jump: 5
Fist: 10
Foot: 4
Order: 6
Total: 55
Hitmonlee
Speed: 8
Strength: 4
Body: 4
Reflex:
7
Defense: 4
Jump: 8
Fist: 4
Foot: 10
Order: 6
Total: 55
Lapras
Speed: 4
Strength:
8
Body: 8
Reflex: 8
Defense: 8
Jump: 2
Fist: 4
Foot:
4
Order: 10
Total: 56
Hitmontop
Speed: 6
Strength: 6
Body:
6
Reflex: 6
Defense: 6
Jump: 6
Fist:
6
Foot: 6
Order: 6
Total: 54
Grand Arenas
While the Grand Arenas are primarily intended for use in
Grand Melee's, they are also open for use in regular battles, though it is
STRONGLY recommended that none below Trainer Level 4 use them, and that even
then, only the most experienced of trainers think about using them.
Star Park (League Grand Arena. Site of the 2001 UPN PASBL Grand
Melee). Coming Soon.