Battle Spot: Difference between revisions

Rating battle rules

Battle Spot is a feature of the PSS that allows players to battle online in the Generation VI games. It has the same functions that the Global Battle Union's Random Matchup has in the Generation V games. If a player disconnects on battle spot the battle will be registered as a loss for the player that disconnected and as a win for their oponent, remedying a common complaint about gen V's battle union. With the release of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire battle spot has been split up into the ΩR/αS League and the X/Y League. This prevents the games from battling each other, as the new mega Pokémon, formes and signature moves released in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are incompatible with X and Y (mega Latias and mega Latios are allowed in XY due to their data being in those games). When battle spot is selected from the PSS the player gets the options for Random Matchup, Online Competition, and Quit. In all battle spot modes nature Power will become Tri Attack, Secret Power will have a 30% chance of afflicting an opposing Pokémon with paralysis and Camouflage will change the user's type to Normal.

Random Matchup

Random Matchup offers the options of Free Battle and Rated Battle. In random matchup players are given the option to choose between Single Battle, Double Battle, Triple Battle or Rotation Battle. Teams can be selected from either the party or the battle box. Players have to bring a full team of 6 pokemon, but only get to pick three pokémon to bring into battle for single battles and four for double and rotation battles. For triple battles all pokémon must be brought into battle. While pokémon over level 50 get their level scaled down, pokémon under level 50 do not get their level scaled up. Each battle can take no more than 30 minutes, once the timer goes down either the player with the most pokemon alive or the pokémon with the healthiest pokémon alive wins. Each Trainer gets 120 seconds to select Pokémon, if a player fails to select their pokémon in this time their remaining unselected pokémon get picked at random. Lastly each Trainer gets 60 seconds to select an action each turn, if a player doesn't select a move in time the same move as in the previous turn is repeated. If a pokemon was just switched in the move and target will be selected at random. The player can choose their battle music before each battle.

Free Battle

For free battle no account on the Global Link is neccesary, and the only rules are that a player may not use duplicate Pokémon, duplicate held items, or the Soul Dew on their team. This noticably means players are allowed to use both Restricted Pokémon and Special Pokémon in their team. Pokémon do not need a pentagon to be used in free battle. Special rulesets are not available in free battle.

Rated Battle

A Pokémon Global Link account is neccesary for a player to participate in rated battles. In rated battles Restricted Pokémon and Special Pokémon are not allowed. In the ΩR/αS League pokémon had to have a pentagon until season 12, from season 12 onwards this restriction is removed. Rated battles allow the player to get a rating, starting at 1500 points and going up or down after each battle depending on whether the battle was won or lost and the rating of the opponent. This rating is saved to a specific 3ds, and playing the registered game on a different system results in loss of rating. Rated Battles are divided into seasons, which last approximately two months. At the start of a new season everyone's rating resets to 1500, and new special rulesets are put into place.

Special Battle

Special battles are a unique format within rated battles, and the specifics of this format change every battle season. A common theme is for special battles to use the current VGC ruleset, but they also often have completely different rules.

Online Competition

Online competitions require the player to own a Pokémon Global Link account, a Trainer Club account, and to register for the competition beforehand. The player must put an eligible team for the competition in their Battle Box before starting their first battle, and can't remove the pokemon until the competition is over. The player must use the 3ds the battle box was registered on to battle in the competition. Battle competitions last typically three days, though some competitions last four or five. Players are only allowed a set amount of battles every day during the competition, usually ten. Battle competitions offer a reward for players that participate in at least three battles. This is most commonly 1000 Poké Miles, but occasionally an event pokémon or item will be given out. Another important aspect to battle competition are that the International Challenges are one of the ways to earn championship points for the videogame championships.