[quote=@Birdboy]
I like the idea of these people being scouted. Perhaps the actual 'Valkyrie league' is more like a goal for the players. When they finish training, that's where they will go. In the meantime, they're all in some smaller 'league' for people showing a lot of potential. Still doing professional matches and entering tournaments, but on a smaller scale. A lot more focus on training and friendly rivalries, like you stated. That does feel a lot more like the genre we are going for.

Could the first arc be leading up to like a freshman tournament?
[/quote]

That sounds great to me! 

As for PvP, that makes sense too. I imagine it would be part of training, and possibly like rankings within this pre-league program (if that's what you're going with). I guess it would be slice of life (life on the road or in dorms or whatever), practical training with each other (PvP), and then professional matches with NPCs until tourney brackets pit the characters against each other for real?

I have a few other RP obligations at the moment, but I'll see about submitting a sheet after that. I can say right now my concept is a Pokéathlete that swapped from competing in Pokéathlon to professional battling.