[@LuckyBlackCat] I think it's best if we adopt everything from the site since differences between the site and the may serve to confuse users that are thinking about the hop. So yes, we will be going with the site's rules on ranking up. To make this easier, I will -- sometime in the near future -- set up a new thread so that my post will be the first post OOC (thus making the doc unnecessary). [@Balthazar007] and I have discussed this a few times, and now that the site is becoming functional I think it may be proper to start living up to my roles here on the Guild. 

As for the battle system, here is the official explanation:
[url]http://pokemon-new-world.proboards.com/post/9[/url]

[hider=Excerpt from Site:]Battles: Friendly VS. Competitive VS. League: Friendly battles are done just for fun; there is nothing to loose, and you can even opt out of using Pokemon Showdown. Competitive battles happen when two trainers want to put their own trainer points and/or items on the line if they loose, and these must be done with Pokemon Showdown. League battles are sponsored by a certain type of Functional Organization called a Battle League; the leagues themselves determine what sort of prizes will be handed out, and you must also use Pokemon Showdown.

Pokemon Showdown: If you have never used Pokemon Showdown, be sure to familiarize yourself with the site before using it for this RP. For all Friendly and Competitive battles, we will be using the "Anything Goes" format. When building your Pokemon, be sure to use the following guidelines:

One, use the same level, gender, and shiny status as listed here in this RP. 
Two, refer to bulbapedia when choosing your move sets; only use moves that the Pokemon can learn through leveling up (unless you have bought and used a TM within this RP). 
Three, only use hold items that you have purchased within this RP. 
Four, there are no restrictions on setting a Pokemon's happiness levels, ability, or stats spread. 

Once you have recreated your team on Showdown, simply click find a user and search for your opponent (let your opponent know if your Showdown name differs from your user name on this RP). From there, everything works just like the handheld games; battle back and forth until you have a winner. 

Dramatizing the Battle: After your battle concludes and all awards are dealt out accordingly, you are encouraged to reenact your battle. This serves three purposes. One, it makes things more interesting for readers that haven't seen the outcome yet. Two, you still rack up one CP per post you spend reenacting the battle. Three, all Pokemon that participated in the Showdown battle and reenactment battle will earn two extra bonus levels. Finally, when the reenactment is over, provide a link so that people can re-watch the showdown battle if they would like. As we said before, you may skip using Showdown all together and only use post-by-post battling to Dramatize the battle, IF your battle is only a "friendly". If you choose to not use Pokemon Showdown, we encourage the participants to kindly talk through the outcome of their battle via PMs (this way the illusion isn't ruined for observers).

League Battles: League Battles can vary from League to League. They can use different formats on Showdown besides the "Anything Goes" format. They can have further limitations such as typing, tier, or level restrictions. Be sure to read the Battle League section of the "Create an Organization" thread.[/hider]

So Showdown is optional (as it is in Spiral) but mandatory for Gym battles. And contests are totally a thing now, and the end results can either be settled beforehand (since our "crowd" is so small) or by vote -- either or.

Hope that helped!