After much designing, deliberation, and debate, the League is proud to present the final designs for the PAX Pokemon League Rival Challenge at PAX East 2012!
The design has been improved and streamlined since our earlier prototype, thanks to the tireless work of Morganstern and the annoying nitpicking of Propriety, combined with the glorious gym leader portraits made by Nyankokimi, Coco (a.k.a Leaf), and Gingerstik. Aren’t they beautiful?
A reminder on how the Rival Challenge system works:
After you battle against your first gym leader (no matter which one you challenge), that leader will bestow upon you a Rival Card. This card will act as your trainer card at PAX (be sure to sign in the box where it says “Your Name!”); it contains information such as official League Rules, meetup times, contact information for the League, and a set of gym leaders recommended for your skill level. Wise use of this information will help maximize your PAX Pokemon League enjoyment!
Also, notice the “Match Item” in the upper left hand corner of the card. If you find another challenger with the same match item on their card, you may both visit a Gym Leader to be declared Rivals! (You should sign each other’s cards in the box where it says “Rival’s Name!”)
Rival Points:
Once per day of PAX (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday), you can visit a Gym Leader with your Rival to declare a Rival Challenge. The Gym Leader will offer you special rules for your challenge match to follow. (If either your or your Rival can’t fulfill the requirements of the challenge, just let the leader know and they’ll come up with a different set of rules.) Once your match is over, report the results to the Gym Leader and you’ll both be rewarded a Rival Point on your card!
Rival Badge:
Those who are steadfast in the pursuit of their Rivals and earn three Rival Points by challenging them all three days of PAX will receive a special Rival Challenge badge!
This badge counts toward the eight badges you need to challenge the Elite Four! The gym leader who gives you your third Rival Point will award you the badge. Remember, you don’t have to defeat your rival all three days to earn the badge; you just have to challenge them all three days, and/or jump out and surprise them whenever they come out of the bathrooms. (Please do not jump out and surprise them when they’re coming out of the bathrooms.)
Rivals and the Champion:
While Rivals may be at odds with each other during their league journey, there comes a time to put grudges aside in the face of a greater challenge. If you or your Rival can defeat the Champion, you’ll both be rewarded… so even if you were bitter enemies, be sure to cheer them on in the end!
Reminder about Suggested Gym Leaders:
The gym leader who issues you your Rival Card will do her or his best to match you up with the appropriate level card. Blue cards are for Casual-level players, Green are for Intermediate-level, and Red are for Veteran-level players. Each level card will match you up not only with a Rival of your approximate skill level, but will also suggest gym leaders who would likely be at a good level for you. However, these are only suggestions! Challengers can, and are in fact encouraged to, challenge any and all gym leaders! If you see a leader wandering around, we suggest you go ahead and challenge them, even if they’re not on your card, because ultimately the PPL isn’t about winning or losing. It’s about having fun!