Skills

Skills represent what a trainer knows and what they can do besides throw a pokeball and command pokemon around. Pokemon might be able to do amazing things but they can't solve every problem, the trainers have to pull their weight too. Mechanically a Trainer's skills serve as the main way for them to qualify for Features and Edges .

Categories
Skills are divided into 3 categories: Body, Mind, and Spirit according to what attribute modifier they are adjusted by when used. For example all body skills will have a trainer's Body Attribute modifier applied; penalties for trainers who don't lift more than a pokedex on average or benefits for those who may want to defeat Bruno in a contest of sheer strength instead of pokemon prowess.

Ranks
Skills come in 6 levels of ranks, each one representing a higher level of proficiency which translates to more dice to be rolled when using the skill.

By default, any skill a trainer has will start at Untrained unless their Background affords them otherwise.

To "Rank Up" a skill just means to move down the table one row. ''However, trainers can't just Rank Up whenever they want. Certain Skill Ranks are only available when a trainer has reached a certain level of experience (see the last column in the table).''

Skill Rank numbers aren't important on their own but Features and Edges will often use this number as a measurement of the limits of that Feature or Edge. For example, the Edge 'Group Trainer' grants the Trainer the capability to train multiple pokemon at once, up to the Trainer's Command Rank #. If the Trainer's Command is only Novice rank, that would limit them to 3 pokemon at once, but if they had Adept Command they could train as many as 4 at once!

Skill Checks
We talked above the relation between a Trainer's Attributes and their Skill Ranks when it comes to skill checks, but now we bring it all together. It is almost a given that trainers will need to do some kind of skill check on their adventure; anything from making a campfire or convincing a pokemon to let them come closer to throwing a punch or knowing whether a Gloom knows solarbeam and if they are aiming one at you.

Regardless of what the skill is, all skill checks are done by rolling [Rank dice] + Attribute modifier. In the case of a Trainer with a Great Body score (+3) and Expert Athletics (5d6) then, they would get to roll 5d6+3 and total the result. This total is then compared to a Difficulty Check (DC for short) that is usually outlined in the Edge's/Feature's description if you are attempting a use; or by the GM for general skill checks. A Skill Check must match or exceed the DC to succeed.

For most situations:

DC  5  | is an easy challenge

DC 10 | somewhat a challenge

DC 15 | hard challenge that requires an actual measure of skill (or luck)

DC 25 | almost impossible to overcome except by masters of a skill

Attribute Checks
There is a skill for everything, but that is not to say that Trainers will always have that skill. If somehow Trainers come across a challenge that they cannot apply any skill to, GMs may allow Trainers to make just an Attribute Check by rolling 3d6 + Attribute Mod (even if negative). It is probably better that there not be too many of these kinds of checks unless absolutely necessary. Winging it or applying brute force can only take Trainers so far.