A Pokémon battle, often just battle for short, is a fight between Pokémon.

There are two kinds of battles. One is for fighting against Wild Pokémon, the other is for battling against other Pokémon trainers. When a battle starts, a trainer sends out their chosen Pokémon to do battle with that of another trainer's, or a wild Pokémon. The winning side of the battle gains Experience Points for all the Pokémon who participated in the battle and did not faint.

In the Pokémon games, if all of a trainer's Pokémon faint, they lose the battle and are returned to the last Pokémon Center they used, as well as losing half of their money.

Fighting wild Pokémon

Pokémon live in many places such as caves and forests, so when a trainer passes through such places, Wild Pokémon may attack them. When they do, they can use a Poké Ball to catch them. A trainer can also have their Pokémon fight wild ones to become stronger.

If a trainer causes the wild Pokémon to faint, it cannot be captured.

The Pokémon anime, trainers don't generally seek out battles against wild Pokémon unless they want to capture one or are defending themselves against an aggressive attack from a wild Pokémon.

Battling a wild Pokémon

A Pokémon battle between trainers is different. In the Pokémon games, when eye contact is made between trainers - they will battle. Trainers cannot run from battles against other Pokémon Trainers. The battle will continue until a winner is decided. The victor is awarded with prize money.

Battles in video games

In Pokémon video games battles are conducted in a strictly turn-based manner. Before a turn starts, trainers select their action, be it an attack, utilising an item or switching another Pokémon to battle. Once both trainers have chosen their actions the turn begins, the actions are carried out depending on the kind of action and/or the speed of the Pokémon. There are many situations that can contribute to the order actions go in in a turn, or if the action happens at all.

Battles in anime

In the Pokémon anime battles are conducted in a sort of pesudo-turn-based manner. Trainers bark orders to their Pokémon one after the other, there are no concerns about waiting for Pokémon to finish their attacks (allowing for trainers to request immediate defence against attacks), however most, if not all trainers wait for the other to finish talking before telling their Pokémon what to do next.