Philly Pokémon League
Registration
We allow a one hour window at the beginning of every tournament event to register your team and pay your entry fee — writing out your entire team, their moves, and items to ensure no changes happen during the event.
You may pre-register your team ahead of time by email to Contact@PhillyPokemon.com. Deadline is 12pm on the day of the event — put the tournament name (e.g. SPRING FLING) in the subject line. You'll still need to pay the entry fee to finalize your spot. All tournament fees go to prize support and future league events.
Tournament Points
Each tournament awards Season Points. These are cumulative and viewable on the Rankings page along with your win/loss record. At the end of each season, the Champion is crowned to whomever has the highest point total.
Standard Clauses
These apply to all tournaments unless otherwise stated under an individual tournament's rules.
- Endless Battle Clause: There are some combos that can cause endless loops such as Leppa Berry + Recycle + Heal Pulse. ALL FORMS OF ENDLESS LOOPS ARE BANNED.
- Species Clause: You may not have two of the same Pokémon on your team. Pokémon such as Rotom have several variants — although they share the same National Dex number you may use more than one if they are not the same variant. This variant exception also applies to Alola Forms in Sun and Moon.
- Item Clause: You may not have two or more Pokémon with the same item on your team.
- Evasion Clause: A player cannot increase their Pokémon's evasion stat with a move that specifically increases evasion. Items or indirect boosts do not break this clause.
- One Hit KO Clause: You may not use any move that may result in a one hit KO such as: Fissure, Horn Drill, Sheer Cold, and Guillotine.
- Sleep Clause: You may only willingly put two enemy Pokémon to sleep at any one time. This amount is not affected by secondary effects such as certain Gmax moves.
- Legendary Pokémon Clause: You may not use any Legendary Pokémon or Mythics such as: Arceus, Articuno, Azelf, Calyrex, Chien-Po, Chi-Yu, Cresselia, Darkrai, Dialga, Diancie, Enamorus, Eternatus, Fezandipiti, Giratina, Glastrier, Groudon, Heatran, Hoopa, Iron Leaves, Koraidon, Kyogre, Lunala, Landorus, Magearna, Manaphy, Meloetta, Mespirit, Mew, Mewtwo, Miraidon, Moltres, Munkidori, Ogerpon, Okidogi, Palkia, Phione, Pecharunt, Rayquaza, Regidrago, Regieleki, Regice, Regirock, Registeel, Shaymin, Spectrier, Solgaleo, Suicune, Entei, Raikou, Terapagos, Thundurus, Ting-Lu, Tornadus, Uxie, Urshifu, Volcanion, Walking Wake, Wo-Chien, Zacian, Zamezenta, Zapdos, Zarude, and Zeraroa. Palafin, all Paradox Pokémon, and the move Last Respects are also considered “Legendary” for this clause.
- Fair Fight Clause: You may not use the internet or receive aid from another player during or before any match, however you may use a blank sheet of paper and a writing utensil. It is polite to not have your phone out during matches.
- Timer Clause: Due to the restrictive 20 minute time in link battles all battles will be hosted as local tournaments by a member of the league. Our official settings for Tournament matches are a 7 minute personal or chess timer coupled with an unlimited match timer. Note — there is currently no way to remove the timer in Scarlet/Violet, although we hope this functionality is added later.
2026 Tournament Season Events
Tournament One: Prism Battle Factory
Team Construction: Choose one Pokémon type (Grass, Fire, Water, etc.) — all of your team members must be a Pokémon of that type. Dual-type Pokémon are allowed as long as one of their types matches your selected type. After each battle, the player who loses MUST select one of their Pokémon and one of their opponent's Pokémon to trade — you proceed to the next battle with your new team member.
Bring a team of Pokémon you're alright with permanently trading away! Getting a traded Pokémon back after the tournament is up to you to sort out with your opponent.
Clauses: All Standard Clauses apply. Species Clause and Item Clause apply during initial team construction only — duplicates are allowed as a result of in-tournament trading. Terastallization is allowed. Entry fee is $5, payable via cash or PayPal.
Season points: 1st: 10 pts · 2nd: 8 pts · Top 4: 6 pts · Top 8: 4 pts · Any wins: 2 pts · No wins: 1 pt · Best Sportsman: +3 pts
Tournament Two: Tween Takedown
Team Construction: All Pokémon on your team must be the middle evolution of a three-stage evolution line.
Clauses: All Standard Clauses apply, plus the Eviolite Clause — no Pokémon on your team may hold Eviolite. Terastallization is allowed. Entry fee is $5, payable via cash or PayPal the day of the event.
Season points: 1st: 15 pts · 2nd: 12 pts · Top 4: 9 pts · Top 8: 6 pts · Any wins: 2 pts · No wins: 1 pt · Best Sportsman: +3 pts
Tournament Three: Halloween Season Finale!
Rules: Singles Normal Battle. All Standard Clauses apply (see top of page).
Banned: All Legendary and Mythic Pokémon per the Legendary Clause, plus the Paradox Pokémon — Iron Treads, Iron Bundle, Iron Hands, Iron Jugulis, Iron Moth, Iron Thorns, Iron Valiant, Great Tusk, Scream Tail, Brute Bonnet, Flutter Mane, Silther Wing, Roaring Moon, Walking Wake, Iron Leaves, and Sandy Shocks. Palafin is also not allowed. Banned move: Last Respects.
Terastallization is allowed. Entry fee is $10, payable by cash or Venmo.
Season points: 1st: 20 pts · 2nd: 16 pts · Top 4: 12 pts · Top 8: 8 pts · Top 12: 6 pts · Below 12th: 3 pts · Best Sportsman: +3 pts
At the end of this tournament we announce the Tournament Champion of the season to whomever has the highest point total. Ties are decided by win/loss ratio.