Full battle
From Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia.
A full battle (Japanese: フルバトル full battle), also known as a six-on-six battle, is a Pokémon battle in which both Trainers use a full party of six Pokémon. The first Trainer to completely knock out all of the opposing Trainer's Pokémon wins the battle.
These battles are rare, both in the anime and the games. Typically, Trainers will use fewer than the full six, usually one or two.
In the anime
Most Trainers declare a specific number of Pokémon to be used in a battle. This number is very rarely the full six. The most notable Trainer to do so is Drake, the Head Leader in the Orange League. Battles in the final rounds of each region's League Conference are usually full battles as well.
In the games
Unlike the anime, the games allow two Trainers to use different numbers of Pokémon. While the player will usually have six Pokémon with them at a time, many NPCs he or she faces, including Gym Leaders and members of the Elite Four, will not. Generally, only rivals and Champions have a full team. Some Breeders also mantain a full team but it is much weaker than other Trainers in their area.
