Frequently Asked Questions

What is PMD Beyond the Sea about?
PMD Beyond the Sea is an ARPG (art roleplaying game) group that takes inspiration from the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. The group began in 2019.

In this group, you can make a solo team, a team with two leaders, or even team up with a friend and tackle missions, mystery dungeons, and explore the Great Ocean to find new islands and rebuild communications with the outside world.

Your team signs up at the Ethovalon Guild Office and becomes members of the Global Communication Setup Foundation, what is effectively an exploration or adventurers guild. There are 3 main branches you can choose from: Wayfarers, Bounty Hunters, and Rescuers; each of whom serve a different function within the guild. After signing up, how you handle your team is up to you! Check out our Activities & Events page for more information on what sort of things you can get up to!

Is this a gijinka group or a feral group?
Both, actually!

A gijinka refers to a humanoid with Pokemon characteristics (similar to kemonomimi or other humanoid designs inspired by Pokemon). While outside of a mystery dungeon, your character is in their gijinka/humanoid form.

Once that character passes through the threshold of a mystery dungeon, the chaotic energy that create the dungeon springs into action and transforms your character into their feral form (i.e. their Pokemon form). Feral forms are only used while in dungeons, so keep that in mind!

For information on designing both forms of your character, check out the Character Creation page!

Are bases allowed for submitted artwork or applications?
Bases and tracing are not allowed in this group in both general artwork and for application art. Similarly, we do not allow AI to be used.

If you are looking for an alternative, you may ask around the community for artists who would be willing to draw a character for you in the proper channels of our discord. If you do use artwork created by somebody else, remember to properly credit the artist!

Pieces found to be using a base or traced over somebody else's work (especially without permission) will be removed from the group and no earnings will be awarded for it. You will also receive a warning.

When do activity checks take place?
Every April and October there will be a bi-annual activity check! This is to help keep the group active and to make room for potential members whenever we have an opening! No matter if you're an old member or a new member, you'll have to submit something during the quarter to stay within the group!

For more information on what counts and does not count for an activity check and how to submit for one, see the Activity Checks page!

What is a "hiatus status"?
A "hiatus" can be taken from the group if you are sure you are unable to submit for an activity check on time. Essentially, it means you will be exempt from the current check if there is one running or the next one if there is no check currently running.

Once you submit something however, you will be taken off of hiatus status and will no longer be exempt from the upcoming check.

There are limits to how often you can take a hiatus however. For more information, see the Activity Checks page!

How do I request an extension for jobs/missions/monthly items?
Each user can request up to 3 extensions per month. Extensions will typically last only 1 week, ending on the 7th of the following month.

>Extensions can be requested in the #questions channel of our discord and can request the following:

• Collabs between multiple group members

• Uses for Monthly Items (i.e. Lost Loot, Wonder Chest, Golden Mask, etc.), allowing the item to be used past the end of the month and not consume a charge upon use

• Certain event submissions such as for Holiday Hills

Note that if you request extensions for collabs however, you are still beholden to the 3 extensions maximum. If you request 3 extensions with Person A, you cannot then request an additional extension with Person B.

Do I need to get my design checked for approval every time?
Members and tourists are able to post designs to be checked in the #design-check channel. This channel is mostly used for people who are applying potions or cosmetics to their characters! Regular, non-potioned Pokemon don't need to be checked unless packs are applied or you're uncertain about something!

When posting, please use the following form:

• Species: Which Pokemon is your character?

• Variant(s): List all the variants the design uses (i.e. Wild, Artisan, Dread, Fantastical, Celestial) and/or any cosmetic items that may have been applied (i.e. Splash Berry, Cosmetic Pack, Transformation Scarf, etc.)

• Notes: Any additional information or context you would like to provide and/or any questions you may want answered during approval. Please mention if it is a resubmission of a previous check!

Each user may submit a maximum of 3 completed designs in one go. Once they've been checked, you can do another three!

Are any Pokemon species off-limits?
All Legendary and Sub-Legendary Pokemon as well as Ultra Beasts are completely disallowed as regular group characters. Often, these species are are reserved for important group NPCs.

All other Legendary/Sub-Legendary Pokemon and Ultra Beasts are also not allowed to be included in any character backstories at this time.

Can I include a Legendary/Sub-Legendary/Ultra Beast in my backstory?
We recommend straying away from including Legendary or Sub-Legendary Pokemon in your backstories as some of them may already be NPCs created and owned by mods that regularly interact with the GCSF!

However, if you have a character who is from the distant past or future, you are free to include that Tempo the Dialga had somehow brought them to the current time period.

Most Legendary/Sub-Legendary Pokemon and Ultra Beasts are not allowed to be included in any character backstories at this time.

If you want to use one of the group's Legendary NPCs in your backstory, be sure to consult a mod and feel free to ask questions about their involvement if needed!

One of my rolled leaders in a Pokemon with a Regional Variant! Can I choose which one I want to use?
Yes!

If a Pokemon rolled in #Pokemon-Rolls on the discordd for the purposes of creating a new team has a Regional Variant, you are allowed to choose any of the official regional variants. Usually, mods will specify "any" or "any region" after Pokemon with variants. If they don't, then they likely just forgot to! You are still free to do so!

Can my character be royalty?
Characters of royal descent are allowed, but they may run into potential critiques that other characters wouldn't normally be subjected to. Princes, princesses, monarchs, and other rulers with active duties to their kingdom shouldn't be shirking their duties after all! That said, runaway royalty is a perfectly valid route to take as well! Another alternative is to create a noble, lord, or lady with less responsibility to a nation.

Additionally, royal characters should not be royals on any canon islands to avoid overlap with group lore -- it is best to create an entirely new island/nation for them in that case!

For a list of the official islands and cities across the Great Ocean, see the List of Islands & Cities page!

Are Pokemon gender restricted in this group?
No, gender restrictions do not exist in this world.

Any species that can only be one sex/gender in the games or any evolutionary line that requires a specific gender do not exist. You can have a cisgender male Salazzle, a cisgender female Tauros, etc.

Additionally, there are no restrictions on gender identity or expression in this world! Feel free to do as you see fit with your characters!

Can my Pokemon switch between being bipedal and being all fours in their Pokemon form?
In most cases, Pokemon cannot swap freely between being on all-fours and being bipdeal. However, Pokemon like Pikachu, Meowth, and Purrloin have been depicted in the official series as being able to stand on their hind legs or walk around on all-fours and are allowed to be bipedal in the group. It is mostly going to be case by case with different Pokemon.

In general, if switching a Pokemon that uses all four legs to bipedal would break the silhouette of the species significantly, it will be disallowed.

Can I start with an evolved Pokemon?
If you are creating your first team using Pokemon rolled for you in #pokemon-rolls, then no. You cannot start with an evolved Pokemon as you'll be lacking the items necessary to do so!

Recruits and team leaders for your second, third, or fourth team can start as evolved Pokemon as long as you have the right amount of Evolution Crystals in your inventory and you submit a Luminous Spring piece to go with the application. Once accepted, you will have to submit your Luminous Spring piece via the Guild Life Grader to confirm the evolution.

Can I start with an Shiny/Variant Pokemon?
If you are creating your first team using Pokemon rolled for you in #pokemon-rolls, then no. You cannot start with a shiny or Variant Pokemon as you'll be lacking the items necessary to do so!

Recruits and team leaders for your second, third, or fourth team can start as a shiny or Variant Pokemon as long as you have the necessary items to use on them. Before submitting their application for approval, let a mod know in the #inventory channel that you'd like to apply a Potion/Juice to the character. Their species will be updated in the team inventory to reflect the updates.

Can my character be a time traveler?
Characters can be originally from the ancient past or the distant future! In most cases, this will need to include Tempo the Dialga bringing them to the present in some way. There may be case-by-case scenarios where Tempo isn't needed (wormholes/space time rifts/etc.).

There are no additional requirements other than explaining in your character's backstory how they wound up in the present. Characters from the future may need Modern Accessory Packs or a potion if their clothing is deemed too modern for the group setting!

Can my character be cursed/vampiric/a werewolf/monster?
Characters are allowed to be any form of cursed or have monstrous takes! So long as it is addressed in their history how they became such creatures (or if they were born with it) then they should be good to go.

Keep in mind that some designs involving monsters or cursed individuals may need potions or transformation scarves applied to them!

Can my character be living doll/construct/android?
Similarly to the above questions, yes! So long as it is addressed in their history how they were created and came to be, then they should be good to go! 

Keep in mind that some designs involving living dolls, constructs, and androids may need potions applied to them!

Can my Cosplay Mimikyu cosplay as a Legendary/Sub-Legendary/Mythical/Paradox/Ultra Beast?
Yes! Cosplay Mimikyu can cosplay as any Pokemon available! Just remember that this isn't a substitute for using these off-limits Pokemon and it will still have to resemble a Mimikyu through it's silhouette!

When do my earnings get added to my inventory?
Inventory management is all handled by the staff, unlike the grading itself! When your earnings have been added to your team, the corresponding post in our Image Gallery will be updated with a ✅ next to it!

How do I use my Potion/Cosmetic Pack/Recruit Token?
To use a character customization item, roll a Recruit Token, or recruit a character to your team, simply post into the #inventory channel with your request.

To use an item on a character, mention the name of the character and the team name (if your team's name isn't in your Discord nickname).

To roll a Recruit Token, mention which team's inventory the token is coming from! If the token was received in a dungeon, or you wish to re-roll a token rolled while submitting a token, be sure to link the correct post from Image Gallery.

I have change my username/would like to change my username within the group.
Please let a mod know in the #questions channel or via a ticket if you ever decide to change your username so that we can keep track of all our members! It is preferred that your Discord nickname or username is similar enough to the name you decide to go by in the inventories so that it's easy to find you if needed!