All across the Great Ocean are wellsprings of power -- places where Pokemon can attune to the nascent energy in the area and physically enhance themselves. Often times, these changes involve growing larger. More importantly though, the ritual allows one to unlock their potential and become capable of feats they may not have previously been capable of.
This process is known as evolution.
✦ Evolving your characters is optional! Evolution provides no mechanical advantage, and you could keep your character unevolved if you prefer!
✦ Evolution is permanent, and so a character cannot return to an earlier stage once evolved!
✦ Be sure that your character has met the requirements for evolution! The group uses the mainline Pokemon games as a reference, and each method is treated a little differently. You can read about them below in Evolution Requirements.
✦ To evolve a character, you need to submit a Luminous Spring piece; a work of art or writing that depicts your character visiting a Luminous Spring to evolve. These pieces should be completed in feral form and must depict the stage(s) that your character is evolving into. Some examples can be viewed here on the DeviantART gallery!
➤ Artwork needs to be at least flat-colored with a background identifying the location as the springs.
➤ Writing needs to be at least 500 words minimum
➤ If the character is evolving twice in a single submission, at least two of the stages must be depicted in the submission
✦ Once completed, you may submit it via the Daily Life Grader by filling out the Luminous Spring section. Only one character can be submitted for evolving at a time. If the piece was a collab or if it features multiple characters, each person needs to submit it individually for each character! Rewards will not be multiplied if you submit the same piece multiple times for different characters!
➤ For existing characters: submit your Luminous Spring piece this way and wait for it to be marked as processed. If there is an issue with your submission (i.e. not enough Evolution Crystals, wrong prerequisites listed, incorrect level, etc.), a staff member will reach out to you.
➤ For new characters: attach your Luminous Spring piece to your character submission ticket. At the same time the character is approved, a staff member will confirm your Lumious Spring piece as well. After this, you are free to submit it to the grader to be processed.
✦ Once your evolution has been confirmed, a staff member will reply to your message stating that your inventory has been updated to reflect the changes. Be sure to update your application ASAP as well!
A Luminous Spring is a location out in nature that is rich in the energies needed to activate evolution in any Pokemon capable of doing so. Once one arrives at a Luminous Spring, a ritual is performed to accomplish two things: readying oneself for the change they're about to undergo, and to determine if they are "worthy" of evolution.
The Luminous Spring closest to Ethovalon is outside of the city in the woods, surrounded by gently flowing waterfalls and streams that flow into a small pond whose surface seems impossibly still at times. A large pillar of light shines out of the middle of the pond, granting the area an ethereal sort of atmosphere. Not all Luminous Springs look like this though most of them may appear quite similar! In the past, some Pokemon have traveled to caves filled with shining crystals to evolve. Out in the Sea of Wonders, Pokemon have even managed to evolve at the Tree of Life.
The requirements for evolution can be unclear and nebulous at best. Some find themselves able to evolve after they've spent enough time adventuring and gathering experience out in the world. Others require the use of particular items and treasures that can be discovered throughout the land. There are even a few who may find themselves having to complete strange tasks before they are able to evolve. Whatever the case may be, whenever a Pokemon is truly prepared, they may go to one of these sites of power and initiate the ritual.
Most Pokemon only need to reach a certain level to evolve. Once a character who only requires level to evolve has reached the correct level, they can evolve at any time. Characters can wait as long as they'd like before evolving -- even if a character is Level 100, they can evolve whenever they'd like!
Pokemon who are able to evolve after learning a specific move do not need to learn the move itself. However, they will need to reach the level they would be learning the needed move.
For example, Aipom needs to know the move Double Hit to evolve. Because it learns that move at Level 32, your Aipom character would need to be that level to evolve!
Some Pokemon require a specific item to evolve, a trade, a specific time of day, Friendship Level, and other similar things. For these cases, you'll need to purchase an Evolution Crystal (5,000p) or potentially earn one on a mission or through a treasure box to evolve your character. The Evolution Crystal is essentially a catch-all for non-level requirements that involve a quantity of something (such as Friendship Level) or that require a physical object (such as a Fire Stone).
Pokemon that evolve by leveling up or that require a learned move to level do not need to use Evolution Crystals when evolving!
For Pokemon whose evolutions have bizarre or abstract prerequisites, the only requirement for evolution is to reach Level 30.
This includes cases such as a Mantyke requiring a Remoraid in the party to evolve into Mantine, Nincada requiring an empty party slot and Pokeball to evolve into Shedinja, Galarian Yamask needing to take damage in a specific spot in the Galar Region, and anything else that is particularly strange in similar ways!
For Pokemon that have branching evolutions (such as Tyrogue or Wurmple), you can choose which Pokemon your character evolves into! For example, if you had a Wurmple, when they evolve, they can choose between evolving into Silcoon or Cascoon.
For characters who can evolve into a Pokemon with multiple regional variants, you may choose which regional variant to evolve into. For example, a Cubone character could choose to evolve into either Kanto Marowak or Alola Marowak.
For Pokemon who traditionally need to be of a certain gender to evolve (such as Combee or Salandit), or whom have evolutionary paths that differ depending on gender (such as Burmy's evolution into Wormadam and/or Mothim), the group considers gender a non-factor. In fact, Pokemon gender rules do not exist in the group at all!
For example, you could create a cisgender male Salazzle, a cisgender female Grimmsnarl, a male Pikachu with a heart-tipped tail, and so on.
When evolving a Nincada, you may choose between evolving them into a Ninjask or a Shedinja -- you do not receive both upon evolving a Nincada!
✦ Recruits and team leaders for future teams (i.e. not your very first team) maybe submitted to the group already evolved! To do so, you must have a number of Evolution Crystals (5,000p each) needed to evolve to the stage you want and you must attach a Luminous Spring piece alongside your application.
✦ Once the application has been approved, a staff member will also approve your Luminous Spring piece. After this, you may submit it via the Daily Life Grader.
✦ The Evolution Crystals are needed regardless of whether or not the Pokemon evolves via level-up, items, or any other method.
✦ For example:
Want to start with a Nidoking at Level 1? You will need 2 Evolution Crystals and a Luminous Spring piece!
Want to start with a Persian at Level 1? You will need 1 Evolution Crystal and a Luminous Spring piece!
If you're unsure how to evolve a Pokemon, feel free to ask and we'll be happy to help!
