GP - NC Format Doc

//Tables and headers are omitted to make the process easier, this article is LONG.

//Introduction
<p>A well-known quirk of Nintendo Formats is the very odd "Level Range Rule". This rule gives players a "minimum" level, and an upper limit. For example, in Nintendo Cup '97, players can use Pokemon from Levels 50 to 55. When going into battle however, the "Bring 6 Pick 3" comes into play with a "Level Sum Limit", meaning players cannot go above 155, at least in this context. To put this into perspective, you essentially have a minimum level of 50, but 5 "free" levels to invest in your party to optimize each member. Due to Flat Battle rules not existing at the time, you could say this was Nintendo's way of working around it to maintain an even playing field without forcing grinds to L100.</p>


<p>In Generation I, there is no move relearner, breeding, or move tutors. As a result, it is impossible for a Pokemon to learn a move via Level-Up earlier without using a TM, or through exploiting learnset differences in RGB and Yellow. As a result of these level-based restrictions, they effectively "softban" moves on Pokemon. For example, while Dugtrio may be in Nintendo Cup '98, it cannot learn Slash. This is because it's learned at L31 by Diglett, a level above what the format asks for. At the same time, in Level Range Rule formats, a Pokemon's level could give you an implication that it was invested in for a specific move; eg. L52 Golduck could be using Hydro Pump, as it learns this at that exact level. This is a widespread, complex rule that affects every level-restricted format in some way. So, this resource puts it all in one place to assist with teambuilding.</p>

<p>To make the following information easier to understand, here's a table showing the differences between each format.</p>

//Lost Moves explanation
<p>Due to the level restrictions, some Pokemon will lose moves as a result of the Level Range Rule. As a result, learnsets become slightly more constrained. It's quite rare for a Pokemon to be affected by this at all in higher-levelled formats, due to a concept I'll go over in a bit. This mostly affects Pika Cup and Petit Cup due to their much lower level requirements, but it can affect the Nintendo Cups as well. Funnily enough, the level restriction in Nintendo Cup '98 "softbanned" the fully evolved Kanto Starters and Legendary Birds. Some are these are really significant, such as Alakazam and Starmie losing Recover in Pika Cup Nintendo Cup '98.</p>


<p>Here is a list of moves that cannot be learned in each Nintendo Format. The lowest possible evolutionary stage is considered (with minor exceptions made for those with heavily restricted learnsets at first) due to being strictly optimal for learning moves quickly. If the Pokemon evolves (eg. Spearow to Fearow), it will affect that one by association. This does not consider banned Yellow moves unless it produces a level-based restriction, so be sure to check that sheet if playing Nintendo Cup '97 or '98.</p>

//Level Saving
<p>You may have gone into a fully evolved Pokemon's movelist and gone "Hey Plague, you missed a few!", without looking at the pre-evolutions. While many Pokemon will lose moves, this isn't much of a problem for Pokemon that evolve in stages. An unevolved Pokemon will learn moves faster, usually stopping at around Level 50. This is designed to give players bonuses for cancelling evolution, and usually can save you around 3-5 levels per move. However, there are significant variations, but let's not get into that. There are many, many ways to save levels outside of this, though. I call this broad concept "Level Saving".</p>

<p>For example, while Blastoise only learns Hydro Pump at L52, giving it a level restriction in a vacuum, Squirtle will learn it at L42. This bypasses the restriction completely with a whole 10 levels saved, all thanks to cancelling evolution every time it levels up. As such, in the context of Nintendo Cup '97, it is legal to have a Blastoise with Hydro Pump at L50. As a result, a player's Blastoise can be made more ambiguous through just having this fact in play. On a side note, this also makes the entirety of Blastoise's level-up learnset completely legal without spending any levels. This concept can be applied to many Pokemon, with most not learning moves from around L45 onwards.</p>

<p>Pokemon Yellow also made various learnset changes, which can allow for players to trade between games to get moves earlier. For example, it's possible to utilize Yellow to get an Eevee with Quick Attack without investing levels, as its learnset was changed to learn it at L23. As a result, obtaining the Eevee in Celadon City in Yellow will have it come with the move, rather than having to level it up to L27. It's also possible to get new moves entirely, such as Scyther with Wing Attack, which is also its only STAB, for what it's worth. Trading Nidoran between Yellow and its predecessors can also allow for unique moveset combinations as well, such as having Double Kick and Fury Attack at L29. This is essentially a form of GSC Tradebacks, only it's Generation I-specific. Unfortunately, Yellow content isn't legal in standard Nintendo Cup '97 or '98 play due to only using Red and Green at the time. However, the Stadium iterations, like present-day formats, allow the content and even have them on Rentals, so they're usable there. For more details on Yellow legality, I wrote an article on this the topic that you can view <a href="https://rby2k20.com/read.php?article=Guides/YellowMoveGuide">here</a>.</p>

<p>TMs are also an excellent way to learn moves earlier than usual, bypassing level restrictions completely; Bulbapedia has a good TM list with locations <a href="https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/List_of_TM_and_HM_locations_in_Generation_I">here</a>. This can allow Pokemon such as Raichu to have Thunderbolt at any level, meaning it becomes a universal move no matter the format. TM08 (Body Slam) actually solves a minor learnset incompatibility between Nidoqueen, Body Slam and Bite, though it isn't competitively relevant.</p>

<p>Saving levels can allow for improved team flexibility, especially in Pika Cup, where learnsets are extremely restricted. This can also be used with teams that pump all their levels into their ace, while not losing out on important moves, such as Thunder Wave. Almost every Pokemon profits from Level Saving, with only specific Pokemon (such as the Legendary Birds) not being able to make use of it. This can also make movesets more ambiguous, making it slightly harder to utilize learnset knowledge to predict what sets an opponent is using. Overall, it's a very helpful mechanic to make use of.</p>

//Level Investment
<p>Unfortunately, Level Saving won't always free a move from the Level Range Rule's restrictions. Some Pokemon require level investment to use certain moves. While this does create some interesting dynamics and priorities when using these Pokemon, it is, naturally, a restriction. Some of these levels can be quite awkward from a level conservation perspective, such as Seaking getting Agility at L54 through level saving with Goldeen. Very few teams would run a combination that allows for a conserved Seaking to use this, it would likely end up being L55. Players with good learnset knowledge can also exploit an opponent's level investment to collect knowledge on the set that is being used, which in turn can make it a risky endeavor. So considering this Seaking example, a high-level one in Nintendo Cup '97 will likely use Agility; there is otherwise little reason to utilize so much level investment, let alone use it in the first place.</p>

<p>Many Pokemon are noticeably affected by the restrictions. For example, Paras requires 2 levels to be invested in it to use Spore in Petit Cup, which is its standout trait. As a result, many players often go to Oddish or Bellsprout instead should they need a sleeper. The most notable instance of this affecting a Pokemon, however, would be the Legendary Birds in Nintendo Cup '97. They each get Agility at L55, and use it a good bit in standard formats. This makes it far harder to fit Agility on a set, as many players prefer investing levels in Tauros or Lapras. In addition, the level will likely give away the moveset, "revealing" something like AgiliSpin Moltres. This, in turn, can allow the opponent to counterplay it a lot earlier than usual.</p>

<p>On the flip side, some of these restrictions essentially don't matter. For example, while Krabby has ViceGrip and Stomp restricted, it would use Body Slam instead anyway, as it's a better move in most situations. This kind of replacement can be applied to many restrictions, which can aid in conserving levels with restrictions in mind. Should a player look to invest levels to get better moves, the move should actually be worth it. For example, Bulbasaur really wants Razor Leaf in Petit Cup, so going to L27 is likely worth it. On the other hand, do you really need an L30 Shellder in Petit Cup specifically for Aurora Beam when Blizzard is around? Is the effect worth it?</p>

<p>Here is a list of moves that require a specific level to be learned in a given format. Once again, pre-evolutions are used for optimally learning attacks. Any move that isn't noted while falling into the level boundaries can be learned early via TM.</p>

//Conclusion
<p>And there you have it, everything you could possibly want to know about Levels and Moves in Nintendo Formats. This was a pretty extensive article to make with a ton of legality questions, and I wouldn't be shocked if I missed something. If this is the case, don't be afraid to contact me on the forums!</p>