By request, I'm going to make this thread myself...

Okay, well, let's start off with the rules people are going to be using in most competitive settings, Neoseeker or non.

The following fall under the category of "Standard Rules", so you should be following all of these when you agree to that pretense.


Sleep Clause

You may only afflict one enemy pokemon with sleep at a time. You may sleep another only after the first wakes up or gets knocked out. This rule exists to prevent every game from turning into a "who can sleep everyone on the other team first" fest. Mass sleep is just stupid, because you'd have to use crappy Insomniacs or Sleep Talk on everything. When Sleep Talk allows you to choose the move used by it, then this rule will be lifted.

Note: Even if a move, such as Yawn, would not immediately put something to sleep, it still violates sleep clause if something was already asleep through means of the Yawn caster's team.

Note: Self-inflicted sleep (Rest) does not apply towards sleep clause, because the player willingly used it.

Note: Ability-inflicted sleep (Effect Spore) does technically apply towards sleep clause, so don't sleep another if this occurs, but don't freak out about it if it goes off after sleeping someone first, as this doesn't happen enough to matter.


Evasion Clause

Don't use Double Team and Minimize. The game becomes dreadfully dull when every game is DT x6 followed by Baton Pass to a sweeper. DTing walls will never die either. Some may say "carry haze", but the fact is, Hazers, Vaporeon aside, are very easy to kill, and you won't have pure hazers, which is what Double Team demands you to have. No need to say this would take all the fun and skill out of the game.

Note: Abilities such as Sand Veil and Snow Cloak are fine, as those are conditional.


One-hit KO Clause

Fissure, Guillotine, Horn Drill, and Sheer Cold don't belong in competitive play. Bogus random kills are just luck and don't reflect player skill in any way.


Species Clause

No having two pokemon of the same species. Try to be original, k?

Note: You can feel free to have a pokemon and a lower evolution, such as a Porygon2 and a Porygon-Z, as they are different pokemon.


Hax Item Clause

Bright Powder
Focus Band
King's Rock
Lax Incense
Lucky Punch (Yeah, like this matters, amirite?)
Quick Claw
Razor Claw
Razor Fang
Scope Lens
Stick (lol Farfetch'd)

The above items don't belong in a competitive atmosphere, as they are luck-based and don't reflect player ability.

Note: Just because I know someone is going to ask: No, Focus SASH is not one of these. Keep your items straight.


Self-KO Clause

Moves that KO the user or rely on the user being KOd (Destiny Bond, Explosion, Memento, etc.) are not allowed to be used if the would-be user is the last pokemon remaining.


Ubers

The following pokemon cannot be used without the consent of both players:

Arceus
Darkrai
Deoxys (All forms except Speed)
Dialga
Giratina
Groudon
Ho-oh
Kyogre
Latias
Latios
Lugia
Manaphy
Mew
Mewtwo
Palkia
Rayquaza
Wobbuffet
Wynaut

These rules aside, you may see a few others, but they are not omnipresent like the above, and are thus optional and NOT "Standard Rules":

Duplicate Item Clause

Some choose to play under the circumstance that no two pokemon should carry the same hold item. Many reject this on account that Leftovers is often the best item for each of their pokemon.

________

Alright, so those things addressed, let's go to a few of the things you should and shouldn't do on wifi:

Play with Voice Chat OFF if it is a serious game. It can invade privacy and play into unnecessary mindgames (which nicknames and pokeball seals already do anyway).

You should thank your opponent for playing.

Don't disconnect. If it's unintentional, fine, but if it happens every time and/or just so happens to be when your last pokemon faints, people will know something is up. There is never any reason to disconnect, as you can select RUN if there is actually a legitimate reason for you to leave and do something else. Learn to use this forfeit function.

In other words, be a good sport. You agree to the terms of play before battling, and if you lose, it's usually your own doing. Don't try to pass off someone else's smart play as "cheap" to justify your loss. A loss is a loss, and we should learn and grow from those. Though, it's courteous to give someone a rematch if they ask for it, particularly in the rare case of critical hits all over the place (without high-crit moves).

To bring a little hint of the SSB environment into this, if someone is making excuses, meet them with a stern "No Johns".

This message was edited by WiseLugia on Mar 13 2008.