Rotation Battle
A rotation battle is a Pokémon battle featuring up to 6 Pokémon, with 3 battling at once. They were introduced in Pokémon Black and White, and they are the predominantly showcased in Black.
A rotation battle consists of three Pokémon, similar to a triple battle; however, only one Pokémon can attack at a time. Unlike triple battles, rotating Pokémon is a free action, meaning both players may switch and attack in the same turn.
Locations
In Pokémon Black
This type of battle can be found in the following locations:
- A Motorcyclist in Driftveil City
- An Ace Trainer on Route 7
- Two Ace Trainers in Opelucid City
- A Roughneck and a Backpacker in Black City
In Pokémon White
This type of battle can be found in the following locations:
- An Ace Trainer in the lookout station between Marvelous Bridge and Route 16
Rotating
Rotating can be done during both the player's and the opponent's turns and has a priority of +6. Rotating is different to switching in that it doesn't use up a turn, reset status ailments like confusion and bad poison, or reset ability counters like Slow Start. Rotating Pokémon are not hit by Pursuit nor are they affected by Shadow Tag or Arena Trap. Rotating does not trigger abilities that trigger upon switching such as Natural Cure.
Active Pokémon
Only the active Pokémon plays any part in the battle. Moves and abilities that affect more than one Pokémon will only affect the opponents active Pokémon, and abilities like Flower Gift will only activate if the user is active. Also status damage is not received while a Pokémon is inactive.
