Double Battle

From Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia.
Jump to navigationJump to search
This article is about the battle variation. For the battle mode found in the Pokémon Cable Club in Generation III or the Pokémon Communication Club Colosseum in Generation IV, see Double Battle (Battle Mode).

A Double Battle in Generation VI

A Double Battle (Japanese: ダブルバトル Double Battle), also known as a two-on-two battle, is a Pokémon battle with each side featuring two Pokémon at once. Debuting in the games in Generation III, and featuring occasionally in the anime prior to this, they may feature up to four Pokémon Trainers. A Double Battle with two Trainers per side who each control one Pokémon is called a Multi Battle.

In the games

A Double Battle in Black and White

In a Double Battle, two teams of two Pokémon face each other in battle. One Trainer may control both Pokémon on either side of the battle, or two Trainers may cooperate on one or both sides of the battle, each controlling their own Pokémon (meaning that anywhere from two to four Trainers may take part in a Double Battle). Some specific Trainer classes, such as Sis and Bro and Sr. and Jr., automatically engage the player in Double Battles. Addtionally, from Pokémon Emerald to Generation V, two independent Trainers who see the player at the same time will also trigger a Double Battle. If the player has only one conscious Pokémon, Trainer classes who will only engage the player in Double Battles will ignore the player and comment that the player should bring two Pokémon to battle them with; two Trainers who see the player at the same time will take turns battling the player in two Single Battles, with the second Trainer approaching and battling the player immediately after the first Trainer is defeated.

A Double Battle in Pokémon Colosseum
A Double Battle in Pokémon XD

In Pokémon Colosseum all battles that the player participates in are battled as Double Battles, without exception. The only way to engage in a Single Battle in this game is to do so in battle mode. The player does, however, watch a Single Battle between Eagun and Skrub. In Pokémon XD, however, the first two battles in the game — against Chobin and Naps — are Single Battles, as are all wild battles and one optional battle at the entrance to the Pokémon HQ Lab. The player also watches two Single Battles involving Zook — one with Ardos and one with Biden.

In Generation IV, there are five situations where the player is accompanied by an NPC. In these situations, all wild Pokémon encounters will be Double Battles against two Pokémon. In such situations, it is impossible to use a Poké Ball to capture a Pokémon unless the other is knocked out first. The NPC Trainer will heal the player's team after every battle.

Generation IV changes around the order of events slightly. Moves that target multiple Pokémon will now resolve in order of the Pokémon's respective Speed stats. Pokémon are also switched in to replace KO'd Pokémon at the end of a round of combat rather than immediately after a Pokémon is knocked out. It is now possible for a Pokémon's move to fail due to a lack of target if both of the opposing Pokémon are knocked out before it attacks.

In Generation V, many routes contain dark grass, in which the player has the ability to encounter two wild Pokémon at a time, initiating a wild Double Battle. Similar to the wild Double Battles of Generation IV, it is impossible to use a Poké Ball to catch a Pokémon unless the other Pokémon is knocked out first.

The HP of Pokémon will not be displayed numerically on the player's side in Generation III and Generation IV—only the bar will be shown to save screen space. The numeric amount of HP can be toggled with the Start button.

Effects on moves

Several different moves are made specifically for Double Battles, such as Helping Hand. Some others, such as Surf, can have noticeably different effects. Moves that can hit multiple Pokémon have their damage reduced by 25%, unless there is only one target at the time the move is executed.

The moves After You, Quash, Helping Hand, Ally Switch, Follow Me, Rage Powder, Aromatic Mist, Hold Hands, and Spotlight have no effect in Single Battles, but do in Double Battles.

The move Flame Burst takes away 1/16th of the maximum HP of the other Pokémon on the same team as the target Pokémon. This damage is not treated as an attack.

The move Acupressure, while in a Double Battle, can target the ally instead of the user.

The moves Outrage, Petal Dance, Thrash, Uproar target the user when selected, but are used against one random foe when executed.

This chart displays all moves that work differently in Double Battles.

Move targets
   
   

Any foe

   
   

All foes

   
   

All other Pokémon

   
   

All Pokémon

   
   

Self

   
   

Self or ally

   
   

Ally

   
   

Team

Me First Acid Boomburst Electric Terrain Ally Switch Acupressure Aromatic Mist Aromatherapy
Struggle Air Cutter Bulldoze Fairy Lock Follow Me Helping Hand Crafty Shield
Blizzard Brutal Swing Flower Shield Rage Powder Hold Hands Gear Up
Bubble Earthquake Grassy Terrain Heal Bell
Captivate Discharge Gravity Happy Hour
Clanging Scales Explosion Hail Light Screen
Core Enforcer Lava Plume Haze Lucky Chant
Cotton Spore * Magnitude Ion Deluge Magnetic Flux
Dark Void Parabolic Charge Magic Room Mat Block
Dazzling Gleam Petal Blizzard Misty Terrain Mist
Disarming Voice Searing Shot Mud Sport Quick Guard
Electroweb Self-Destruct Perish Song Reflect
Eruption Sludge Wave Rain Dance Safeguard
Glaciate Sparkling Aria Rototiller Tailwind
Growl Surf * Sandstorm Wide Guard
Heal Block Synchronoise Shadow Half
Heat Wave Teeter Dance Shadow Shed
Hyper Voice Shadow Sky
Icy Wind Sunny Day
Incinerate Trick Room
Land's Wrath Water Sport
Leer Wonder Room
Muddy Water
Origin Pulse
Poison Gas *
Powder Snow
Precipice Blades
Razor Leaf
Razor Wind
Relic Song
Rock Slide
Shadow Down
Shadow Hold
Shadow Mist
Shadow Panic
Shadow Rave
Shadow Storm
Shadow Wave
Shell Trap
Snarl
Spikes
Stealth Rock
String Shot
Struggle Bug
Surf *
Sweet Scent
Swift
Tail Whip
Toxic Spikes
Twister
Water Spout
Aside from moves which only affect the user, all other attacks only target one other Pokémon.

Effects on Abilities

Five Abilities are also adapted especially for Double Battles. These Abilities are:

  • Plus - If a Pokémon with Plus is in battle on the same side of the field as a Pokémon with Minus, its Special Attack will be boosted by 50%. In Generation V and beyond, the effect is also present if another Pokémon on the same side has Plus.
  • Minus - If a Pokémon with Minus is in battle on the same side of the field as a Pokémon with Plus, its Special Attack will be boosted by 50%. In Generation V and beyond, the effect is also present if another Pokémon on the same side has Minus.
  • Lightning Rod - If a single-target Electric-type move is used, it will be forced to strike the Pokémon with this Ability, regardless of the Pokémon originally selected as the target and regardless of the move's accuracy. Moves which target multiple Pokémon cannot be redirected. In Generation V and beyond, the move will raise the Special Attack of the Pokémon and deal no damage to it, unless the Pokémon is immune to the attack by nature of being a Ground-type.
  • Storm Drain - If a single-target Water-type move is used, it will be forced to strike the Pokémon with this Ability, regardless of the Pokémon originally selected as the target and regardless of the move's accuracy. Moves which target multiple Pokémon cannot be redirected. In Generation V and beyond, the move will raise the Special Attack of the Pokémon and deal no damage to it.
  • Telepathy - A Pokémon with this Ability will avoid damage from any moves used by its allies, whether they directly target it or target it as well as opponents.

In the anime

A Double Battle in the anime

While Team Rocket had conducted "illegal" Double Battles since the third episode, the first official Double Battle occurred in Pokémon Double Trouble. In order to win the Jade Star Badge, Ash had to defeat Luana's Marowak and Alakazam in a Double Battle. While Ash's Pikachu and Charizard were initially unwilling to cooperate, they eventually overcame it to win the battle.

After the release of Ruby and Sapphire, Double Battles were seen in the anime more often. The first took place in All in a Day's Wurmple. Forrester Franklin introduced the concept to Ash, and they had a battle that Ash won. As in the games, Ash's Gym Battle against Tate and Liza was a Double Battle. Additionally, in order to qualify for the finals of the Ever Grande Conference, competitors must win three Double Battles in the preliminaries. Double Battles also appeared in the seventh movie, Destiny Deoxys.

From The Bicker the Better onwards, Ash teamed up with other Trainers to conduct Tag Battles.

A Double Battle can also be conducted under Contest Battle rules; more specifically, the battling stage of every Grand Festival uses the Double Battle style. Additionally, with the introduction of Double Performances in the Diamond & Pearl series, Coordinators have to use two Pokémon in both the Performance Stage and the Battle Stage of Pokémon Contests following the format.

In Battling the Bully!, there was a pretend Double Battle between Mick and Glenn, both using borrowed Pokémon.

Ash battled Shamus, Tepig's former Trainer, in a Double Battle in Evolution by Fire!. During the battle, Tepig evolved, giving him enough power to earn victory for his new Trainer.

Serena battled Aria in a Double Battle in Battling with Elegance and a Big Smile!. During the battle, Serena's Fennekin evolved into Braixen, allowing her and Pancham to even the playing field. However, Aria had to cancel the battle because of an urgent phone call.

Ash battled Olympia in a Double Battle at the Anistar Gym in All Eyes on the Future!. The battle ended in Ash's victory, earning him the Psychic Badge.

In the manga

050Diglett.png This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: The Electric Tale of Pikachu, images, other manga

Doubles battles have been present in the manga long before the games. They have appeared several times in The Electric Tale of Pikachu and in the Pokémon Adventures' later arcs.

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

A Double Battle in Pokémon Adventures

Double Battles were formally introduced into Pokémon Adventures in the Ruby & Sapphire arc, though multiple Trainers or Pokémon teaming up were common before. They first appeared in Adding It Up with Plusle & Minun I, when Ruby challenges a Plusle and a Minun. They later appear in On the Loose and Hyper With Zangoose and Seviper I when Ruby and a Swimmer are spotted by a Seviper and a Zangoose. In You Can Fight Day or Night With Lunatone & Solrock Tate and Liza explicitly state Double Battle tactics during their battle with Blaise, but are overwhelmed by their opponent's illusions.

In the FireRed & LeafGreen arc, during the challenge set by Ultima, Red and Blue fight a Double Battle against each other in the Path of Battling. Here, the trainers are separated by a fence, and the floor they stand on may slide in either direction during the battle, depending on their performance. However, Red and Blue step out from the other end of the path at the exact same time, meaning that the battle is tied.

Double Battles also make a few appearances in the Diamond & Pearl arc. In Dramatic Drapion & Crafty Kricketune I, Diamond and Platinum battle two Scientists. In Vexing Vespiquen & Unmanageable Mothim, Diamond and Riley battle two Roughnecks.

Since then, the only Double Battle officially called as such is the battle between Alder and N in the Black & White arc.

In The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga

Double Battles appeared in The Electric Tale of Pikachu before they were formally introduced in the games.

In other languages

Language Title
Chinese Cantonese 雙打對戰 Sēungdá Deuijin *
雙手對戰 Sēungsáu Deuijin *
雙人對戰 Sēungyàhn Deuijin *
二對二對戰 Yih-deui-Yih Deuijin *
雙打比賽 Sēungdá Béichoi *
Mandarin 雙打對戰 Shuāngdǎ Duìzhàn *
二對二對戰 Èr-duì-Èr Duìzhàn *
雙人對戰 Shuāngrén Duìzhàn *
雙打比賽 Shuāngdǎ Bǐsài *
雙重戰鬥 Shuāngchóng Zhàndòu *
Denmark Flag.png Danish Dobbeltkamp
Multikamp*
The Netherlands Flag.png Dutch Dubbelgevecht
Finland Flag.png Finnish Tag-ottelu
Tuplaottelu
French Canada Flag.png Canada Combat double*
France Flag.png Europe Combat Double
Germany Flag.png German Doppelkampf
Italy Flag.png Italian Lotta in Doppio
South Korea Flag.png Korean 더블배틀 Double Battle
Norway Flag.png Norwegian Tag-kamp
Doppeltkamp*
Poland Flag.png Polish Podwójna Walka
Portuguese Brazil Flag.png Brazil Batalha em Dupla (anime)
Batalha Dupla (manga)
Portugal Flag.png Portugal Combate Duplo
Russia Flag.png Russian Двойную битву Dvoinuyu Bitvu
Spain Flag.png Spanish Combate Doble
Sweden Flag.png Swedish Dubbelstrid
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Thi đấu đôi (Manga)
Thi đấu cặp (Anime)


Pokémon battle variations
Double BattleMulti BattleTriple BattleRotation BattleHorde EncounterSOS BattleSupport PlayMax Raid BattleFull Battle
Contest BattleLauncher BattleSky BattleInverse BattleBattle RoyalDynamax AdventureAuto BattleTera Raid Battle
Battle modes


Project Games logo.png This game mechanic article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.