Double Battle

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).

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A double battle

A double battle, also known as a 2-on-2 battle, is a Pokémon battle featuring up to four Pokémon actively participating at once. Debuting in the games in Generation III, and featuring occasionally in the anime prior to this, they may feature anywhere between two and four Pokémon Trainers. A battle in which either side has more than one Trainer is a tag battle.

In the games

A wild double battle

In a double battle, each Pokémon is part of a duo, meaning that the battle takes place between two teams of two. The number of Trainers participating can be two, in which case each would use two Pokémon; three, in which case a pair of Trainers each sends out one Pokémon each against a single Trainer using two; or four, in which each Trainer sends out one Pokémon. At first, only specific Trainer classes, such as Sis and Bro and Sr. and Jr., would engage the player in double battles; however, from Pokémon Emerald onwards, two Trainers who see the player at the same time will be engaged in a tag 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 walking up to and battling the player right after the first one.

File:Col Battle.png

A Pokémon battle against a Trainer in Pokémon Colosseum

In Pokémon Colosseum all battles 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. In Pokémon XD, however, the first two battles to be had in the game, as well as one optional battle at the entrance to the Pokémon HQ Lab, are single battles, as are all wild battles.

Trainer double battle

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 also changes around the order of events slightly. Moves that target multiple Pokémon now resolve in order of the Pokémon's respective Speed stats. Pokémon are also now switched in to replace KO'd Pokémon at the end of a round of combat rather than immediately after a Pokémon is knocked out. While this affects single battles, the effect is more noticeable in double battles where 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 the attacking Pokémon's turn comes.

In Generation V, many routes contain grass that is darker or longer than usual. In this dark grass or long grass, 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 hit multiple Pokémon have their power reduced to 75% of their normal base power, unless all other Pokémon have fainted at that point.

The moves After You, Quash, Helping Hand, Ally Switch, Follow Me, and Rage Powder will have no effect if not used in a double or triple battle.

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.

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	Bulldoze	Gravity	Ally Switch	Acupressure	Helping Hand	Aromatherapy
Outrage	Air Cutter	Discharge	Hail	Follow Me			Heal Bell
Petal Dance	Blizzard	Earthquake	Haze	Rage Powder			Light Screen
Thrash	Bubble	Explosion	Magic Room				Lucky Chant
Uproar	Dark Void	Lava Plume	Mud Sport				Mist
	Electroweb	Magnitude	Perish Song				Quick Guard
	Eruption	Searing Shot	Rain Dance				Reflect
	Glaciate	Selfdestruct	Sandstorm				Safeguard
	Growl	Sludge Wave	Sunny Day				Tailwind
	Heal Block	Surf *	Trick Room				Wide Guard
	Heat Wave	Synchronoise	Water Sport
	Hyper Voice	Teeter Dance	Wonder Room
	Icy Wind
	Imprison
	Incinerate
	Leer
	Muddy Water
	Poison Gas *
	Powder Snow
	Razor Leaf
	Razor Wind
	Relic Song
	Rock Slide
	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.
• Lightningrod - If a single-target Template:Type2 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 Template:Type2.
• Storm Drain - If a single-target Template:Type2 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. The Double Battle style has been used in contests; more specifically, all four battle rounds of the Grand Festival. 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.

The Bicker the Better, Grating Spaces, The Champ Twins!, and Bagged Then Tagged! all featured tag battles; double battles with two Trainers on each side, using one Pokémon each trainer.

Tag! We're It...! , Glory Blaze! and Smells Like Team Spirit! featured a tag battle tournament in which two Trainers group up to participate. Each Trainer could only use one Pokémon in a battle.

In Battling the Bully!, there was a pretend double battle between Nick and Glenn, both using borrowed Pokèmon.

While not counting as official battles, battles with Team Rocket are usually two-on-two, as has been the case since Ash Catches a Pokémon. In that episode, Ash complained that it was against the rules. Perhaps to account for this, Forrester stated that double battles are accepted under Hoenn's official Pokémon league rules.

In the manga

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

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.

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 PS198, when Ruby challenges a Plusle and a Minun. They later appear in PS207 when Ruby and the Swimmer are spotted by a Seviper and a Zangoose. In PS233 to PS252, Kyogre and Groudon are fought in a double battle by several people as they try to calm down the storm that they created.

In the FireRed & LeafGreen arc, two of the three returning lead characters fight between themselves in a double battle for the first time in the Battle Path of Kimberly, and eventually result in a tie when they reach the destination at the same time (the platforms they fight on may push them forward or back depending on whether they're attacking or taking one).

Double battles also make a few appearances in the Diamond & Pearl arc. In PS364, the two male main characters battle using a Torterra and an Infernape, while in PS374 and PS375, they battle against Cyrus's Probopass and Magnezone in Mt. Coronet, but constantly lose the upper hand.

The Electric Tale of Pikachu

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

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