User:Trey Arclight/Pokemon Project

Contains guidelines if you want to help out with the project, as well as a setting that goes with most of these cards. Feel free to take creative liberties with these.

Pokemon Project: Card-making guidelines

 * Pokemon released in later sets have different artwork and effects and should be labeled "Pokémon - Species #[number]" (they are always treated as "Pokémon - Species").
 * A Basic Pokémon's "first" card ("Pokémon - Species") is always a Normal Monster.
 * Generally, certain types in the Pokémon TCG are always mapped to certain Attributes in YGO, with a few exceptions.
 * Fire → FIRE
 * Water → WATER
 * Grass → WIND
 * Fighting → EARTH
 * Psychic → DARK
 * Lightning → LIGHT
 * Colorless → Depends on the type of the Pokemon in the base series. If they're Flying-type, they become WIND. If they're pure Normal-types, they become either LIGHT or EARTH, depending on their relation to the Fairy-type. If they're Dragon-type, they become LIGHT if they're pure and WIND if they're Dragon/Flying, or another Attribute if they're associated with that element.
 * Darkness → DARK
 * Metal → EARTH (Machine-type)

Original Series

 * Pokémon evolve into their higher forms via Nomi Evolution (having the evolved form in hand, and Special Summoning it by Tributing the base form).
 * This includes Dark Pokémon, which are always DARK versions of their base form, usually with more ATK or a more powerful effect.
 * Normal Nomis can be Special Summoned from anywhere after they are summoned properly ("Must first be Special Summoned..."). To counteract their superior power and searchability, Dark Pokémon cannot be Special Summoned except by their own effects ("Must be Special Summoned...") or by cards that ignore their Summoning conditions, mostly "The Rocket's" support cards.

Neo Series

 * Pokemon evolve by Tribute Summoning instead of Special Summoning a Nomi monster. Base forms of Pokemon are almost always Tuners.
 * Light Pokémon are always LIGHT Fusion Monsters with 1 strict requirement and 1 generic requirement, and usually give back LP to the controller upon destruction, based on their Level.
 * Shining Pokémon, on the other hand, are always Synchro Monsters. If they are evolved forms of lower-stage Pokémon, they will usually have a strict requirement of the previous form (e.g. Pokémon - Shining Charizard will require a "Charmeleon" Tuner). Their effects vary.
 * Crystal Pokémon are the last type of special Pokémon introduced in the Neo Series. They are Fusion Monsters that are Fusion Summoned by using its previous form and face-up Energy Cards with different names as Fusion Material. They gain very powerful effects based on which Energy Cards are in the Graveyard.

EX Series

 * Delta Species Pokémon "evolve" via Xyz Summoning rather than Nomi Evolution or Tribute Summoning. Their lower forms are Main Deck monsters, while their fully evolved form, and sometimes their second form, are Xyz Monsters. They are mutated forms of Pokémon whose Attributes are different than their normal versions', and often do not line up with their Types.
 * Pokemon-ex are always Fusion Monsters with 0-1 strict requirements (usually the previous evolution of the ex in question; there are none if the Pokémon is basic) and 2-3 lax requirements (usually monsters of that Attribute). If the Pokémon is basic and non-legendary, they may only require two Fusion Materials. They all share similar effects: They cannot be targeted or destroyed by any card effects. Due to their overwhelming power, they give 1000 LP and a free draw if the opponent can destroy them by battle.
 * Pokemon-☆ are always Xyz Monsters. They have generic summoning conditions, and a majority of them have comeback mechanics. That means that they either gain effects while the controller has less LP or fewer cards on field/in hand, or they have some kind of drawback if those conditions are not fulfilled.

Generation IV Series

 * Pokemon-EX are always Synchro Monsters. They usually require any 1 Tuner + 1 non-Tuner monster of their Attribute, and have Level sums that match up to their pre-evolutions' Levels. There are a few exceptions for stronger Pokemon-EX. Like Pokemon ex, they cannot be targeted or destroyed by card effects, and they give 1000 LP if the opponent can destroy them by battle, but not the free draw since most of them are easier to summon.
 * Pokemon LEGEND are always Synchro Monsters, usually based off legendaries. They have strict summoning conditions, are always based on two Pokémon per card, and gain effects based on their components in the Graveyard.
 * Pokemon Lv.X are always Ritual Monsters. Many have an alternative summoning condition that is treated as a Ritual Summon, used when the controller has a Graveyard set up already.