alteritynuzlocke:

So in Alterity, one quirk in the system is that unconscious Pokémon can’t be recalled. The Pokéball will act like the Pokémon isn’t in range. This can obviously be a huge freaking problem when bodies start piling up during League battles, or when they might die without recall, so to combat this problem, League refs have Psychic Pokémon who possess a Heal-Bell-like psychic move.

The move releases a shock of psychic energy that jolts the recipient into consciousness at least long enough for a trainer to recall them. It’s an incredibly potent move; if it can’t wake up a Pokémon, that probably means the Pokémon will never wake up again anyway.

A Revive, basically, is that same psychic energy, sealed inside a crystalline lattice. To use it, the trainer simply shatters the crystal, which releases the psychic burst and wakes anyone nearby. Revives allow trainers to recall badly injured Pokémon while out in the field, and although they’re expensive, they’re considered essential equipment for any trainer.

(A common prank is to set these things off in hotels/Pokémon Centers at night. Seriously frowned upon but seriously funny.)