Starry, I'm the same. I think you have to be honest in those fights, and I don't like the idea of move limiting or dodge limiting if both people are having fun in a thread. Gym leaders and their challengers can be based on either or, I think. Stats & technique or a free-for-all battle. x3

For our battle system, we shouldn't need to use any specific numbers at all, if they turn people off. After all, all we really need is something that keeps tournaments fair. We might even go as far as to only apply the battle system to tournaments (and, maybe gym/elite battles). I say that we start out with something really loose, maybe only one step up from no battle system at all, and if things get confusing we take suggestions to make something that works for everyone. I wouldn't mind a level system simply because it would allow much more experienced pokemon to be realistically stronger than inexperienced ones. For example, a higher level pokemon would be able to dodge more in a battle than a lower level one. Also, we might allow faster pokemon to dodge more than slower ones, but I don't want to involve specific stat numbers in the game. That would probably be a bit much. Maybe we could go by base stats? I dunno.

However, it might be best to just leave the battle system out for a few weeks and see how everything goes. Once we're aware of how the tournaments will play out, we will be able to address any problems that we might have more easily.

i'm a fan of a set number of actions per post. let's say three actions- one can be a dodge, the other two attacks. somethin' like that to prevent godmodders. (it doesn't have to be 3 actions, it could be any number.) and what about status? what determines when status ends/when you hit yourself in confusion?

I think that's where I might differ. I /hate/ having actions I have to use up per post. You have three moves per post- but there are millions of different things that can happen in a post and reaction wise. For example, what if a pokemon runs at you- not tackle, not anything else- and it's not considered a move. Would /dodging/ that non-move be considered a move? I had a really big issue with that for a friend's site and eventually left since I was just hired as a mod for fighting battles. The stricter you are, the less fun you have battle wise. Mila is right, either you have a system or you don't have one. I'm for the non-system, since I think it's much more logical and fun. As long as you're not godmodding the whole thing, I think most are responsible enough- 

As for status effects, I would say flip a coin, that way you have a fifty fifty chance of getting the effect. Confusion especially. As for how long it lasts, unless you use a item, it could last the whole battle- unless it has a shed skin ability, which is a fifty-fifty each turn or two turns after that to lose the effect or not. That's rather simple, and it's how I always done it, so it's up to a person I guess. I think it's going to be something that's a bit debatable since some like system and some don't. To the above, it's a simple system, but it -trusts- people not to godmod. However I really think it should be up to the /person/ per battle. So I'm still a fan of no system at all.

well, the problem with 'running at the opponent' is that, who says what type that "move" is? or if it will even deal damage? there have to be some specifics, or else it all gets jumbled. and unfortunately, you can't trust people not to godmod. heck, people godmod even where there are rules. they'd go CRAZY if there weren't any rules at all.

basically, there needs to be a few rules or things fall apart. if people have to use items to get rid of status, what happens if they don't have items? where can they get items? how much money do items cost? all of those questions make the item system even MORE complicated than just having a status system. just roll a dice, if the number is even, the status ends. if it's odd, the status continues. if you suffer burn/poison status for seven or so turns, you faint. if you suffer toxic for five turns, you faint. paralysis limits you to two actions per post, instead of three. when you're asleep, you can do nothing. 

as for causing status, you could either use confuse ray, spore, etc. or you could use a move like scald. scald has a 30% chance to burn the opponent. so i would roll a dice, and if the outcome is under thirty, then the move burns the enemy.

people will fight over who wins a battle if they isn't a system. pokemon would just never faint, honestly. because it's roleplaying, sure, players should have creative liberty, but if you give them too much, battles will be a gigantic mess of cheating and fighting.

That sounds great. xD I never would have come up with that, so we can go with something like that or something else similar.

The V5 plugin is here.

There are a whole lot of modifications you can make, but the most basic one would probably be the most useful anyway (unless you want to make custom images for each outcome, but have fun with that). It's pretty edit-proof, and really nifty.