Rule variants

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A rule variant refers to a Pokémon battle that follows certain regulations. While the main series Pokémon games have no restriction on the Pokémon that a player may use, rule variants often restrict the levels, species, items, and moves of Pokémon, or place time limits on battles.

Pokémon players have also created their own rule variants. These rules are frequently used in unofficial competitive play in order to minimize the luck involved in battles and to maintain balance.

Rules

While normally banning unreleased and/or illegitimate Pokémon, moves, items, and Abilities, there are other sets of rules set to be followed by players under tournaments or individual battles, may they be official or otherwise.

Clauses

Almost all of the rule variations in Pokémon have a certain set of rules, which are called clauses by the fanon. Clauses are put into play in order to prevent degenerate strategies, to prevent the game from becoming stagnant, or to eliminate ties, among other reasons. The following clauses are often used in official tournaments, console Pokémon games, and unofficial battles:

• Species Clause: All of the Pokémon on a player's team must be of different species or National Pokédex number.
• Item Clause: Each Pokémon on a player's team must be holding different items.
• Self-KO Clause (also known as Kamikaze Clause): The player automatically loses if his last Pokémon uses Selfdestruct or Explosion. Destiny Bond and Perish Song also fail when used by the last Pokémon.
• Event Clause: Pokémon and items that have only been released through events, such as Mew, are ineligible. This is often unheard of due to the Pokémon (and sometimes items) banned being specified.
• Sleep Clause: Each player can only have one Pokémon asleep at a time (Pokémon that are put to sleep due to Rest do not count).
• Freeze Clause: Each player can only have one Pokémon frozen at a time.
• Evasion Clause: Double Team, Minimize, BrightPowder, and Lax Incense are banned. In some tournaments, the Abilities Sand Veil and Snow Cloak cannot be used with sandstorm or hail, respectively. Also, sometimes Acupressure and Moody are prohibted by this clause due to the possibility of raising evasiveness.
• One-hit KO Clause (simplified as the OHKO Clause): One-hit KO moves, Fissure, Horn Drill, Guillotine, and Sheer Cold, are banned.
• Hax Item Clause: Items that rely on chance, such as Focus Band and Quick Claw are banned. This clause is a "soft ban", and is usually ignored.
• Hidden Power Clause: The move Hidden Power is banned, as the chances of legitimately obtaining a Pokémon with high Individual Values and an ideal type are extremely low. Alternatively, the move Hidden Power may only be banned on legendary Pokémon. Like the hax item clause, this clause is rarely enforced.
• Sleep Trapping Clause: Followed mainly in Generation II competitive play, sleep-inducing moves cannot be used in conjunction with moves that trap the opposing Pokémon, such as Mean Look.

Other rules

There are other rules normally followed only by official tournaments, such as:

• No two or more Pokémon can have the same nickname.
• Pokémon cannot be nicknamed with the name of another Pokémon (i.e. An Unfezant named "Pidove" or "Arbok").

In addition, official Generation V tournaments have required the use of the Battle Box feature introduced by Pokémon Black and White.

Tiers

Main article: Tiers

In competitive play, Pokémon are divided into tiers. A Pokémon's tier placing depends on several factors, including its base stats, type, movepool, and usage.

Tiers also serve as banlists. Battles take place according to tier, with all Pokémon in a higher tier banned. In the most common metagame, the Standard or Overused metagame, all Pokémon in the Uber tier are banned. In the Underused metagame, all Pokémon in the Borderline or higher tiers are banned.

In certain countries, such as France and Mexico, players are only allowed to use a maximum of one Pokémon out of a select group of Pokémon. This group of Pokémon is usually limited to legendary and pseudo-legendary Pokémon.

Generation I

Tournaments

Japanese tournaments

A series of annual tournaments sponsored by Nintendo began in 1997, taking place in various locations across Japan. These tournaments, which would later be referred to as Nintendo Cups in the Japanese version of the Pokémon Stadium series, established the first set of rule variants that would pave the way for all future tournaments and Pokémon games.

The Nintendo Cup '97 established the following rules:

Nintendo Cup '97 Rules Level Limit? 50-55 Total Level? 155 Sleep Clause? Yes Freeze Clause? No Species Clause? Yes Item Clause? No Self-KO Clause? Yes Event Clause? Yes Banned Pokémon 0150 Mewtwo Psychic 0151 Mew Psychic

Due to time constraints, full battles did not take place. Instead, each player selected three Pokémon to battle after showing their team to their opponent.

The finalists in the tournament appeared as opponents in the Japan-only Pokémon Stadium and in the Japanese version of the following Pokémon Stadium. In addition, most of the Pokémon that appeared in Pokémon Stadium were selected due to their tournament performance. ^[1]

The next tournament, Nintendo Cup '98, featured a drastically different set of rules:

Nintendo Cup '98 Level Limit? 1-30 Total Level? None Sleep Clause? Yes Freeze Clause? Yes Species Clause? Yes Item Clause? No Self-KO Clause? Yes Event Clause? Yes

In addition, only Pokémon that appeared in the first Stadium were allowed to participate, limiting the selection to only 33 Pokémon.

Eligible Pokémon for Nintendo Cup '98 0015 Beedrill Bug Poison 0022 Fearow Normal Flying 0025 Pikachu Electric 0031 Nidoqueen Poison Ground 0034 Nidoking Poison Ground 0051 Dugtrio Ground 0057 Primeape Fighting 0059 Arcanine Fire 0065 Alakazam Psychic 0068 Machamp Fighting 0076 Golem Rock Ground 0082 Magneton Electric 0091 Cloyster Water Ice 0094 Gengar Ghost Poison 0095 Onix Rock Ground 0097 Hypno Psychic 0101 Electrode Electric 0103 Exeggutor Grass Psychic 0113 Chansey Normal 0115 Kangaskhan Normal 0121 Starmie Water Psychic 0123 Scyther Bug Flying 0124 Jynx Ice Psychic 0127 Pinsir Bug 0128 Tauros Normal 0130 Gyarados Water Flying 0131 Lapras Water Ice 0132 Ditto Normal 0134 Vaporeon Water 0135 Jolteon Electric 0136 Flareon Fire 0142 Aerodactyl Rock Flying 0143 Snorlax Normal 0150 Mewtwo Psychic 0151 Mew Psychic

The finals took place using the newly-released Pokémon Stadium.

The third tournament, the Nintendo Cup '99, combined aspects from the previous two tournaments.

Nintendo Cup '99 Rules Level Limit? 1-50 Total Level? None Sleep Clause? Yes Freeze Clause? Yes Species Clause? Yes Item Clause? No Self-KO Clause? Yes Event Clause? Yes Banned Pokémon 0003 Venusaur Grass Poison 0051 Dugtrio Ground 0065 Alakazam Psychic 0076 Golem Rock Ground 0082 Magneton Electric 0094 Gengar Ghost Poison 0097 Hypno Psychic 0101 Electrode Electric 0103 Exeggutor Grass Psychic 0113 Chansey Normal 0115 Kangaskhan Normal 0121 Starmie Water Psychic 0124 Jynx Ice Psychic 0128 Tauros Normal 0130 Gyarados Water Flying 0131 Lapras Water Ice 0132 Ditto Normal 0134 Vaporeon Water 0135 Jolteon Electric 0143 Snorlax Normal 0144 Articuno Ice Flying 0145 Zapdos Electric Flying 0149 Dragonite Dragon Flying 0150 Mewtwo Psychic 0151 Mew Psychic

In addition to the legendary Pokémon Mewtwo and Mew, the Pokémon used by the finalists in Nintendo Cup '98 were banned from the tournament.

International tournaments

The first North American tournament, the Pokémon 2000 Stadium Tour, took place to promote the upcoming Pokémon Stadium. Competitors were separated into three skill groups: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. Each skill group featured three divisions from Pokémon Stadium: the Pika Cup, Poké Cup, and the Prime Cup.

Pokémon 2000 Stadium Tour Level Limit? Varies Total Level? Varies Sleep Clause? Yes Freeze Clause? Yes Species Clause? Yes Item Clause? No Self-KO Clause? Yes Event Clause? No

Each Cup division only lasted for two rounds. Each participant received a Pokémon Stadium Tour Competition Badge; in addition, players who won one match would receive a Boulder Badge while players who won both matches would receive the Cascade Badge.

A worldwide tournament took place later the same year, called the Thunder for Down Under in North America. In this tournament, players from Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States all competed in regional championships, with the winners heading for the Pokémon 2000 World Championship in Sydney, Australia. In North America, the qualifying events took place at four Wizards of the Coast stores, with 32 entrants for each store.

Thunder for Down Under Mascots Level Limit? 1-100 Total Level? None Sleep Clause? Yes Freeze Clause? Yes Species Clause? Yes Item Clause? No Self-KO Clause? Yes Event Clause? Yes Banned Pokémon 0150 Mewtwo Psychic 0151 Mew Psychic

In the games

Pokémon Stadium (Japanese)

Main article: Pokémon Stadium (Japanese)

The first Pokémon Stadium game, which was only released in Japan in 1998, was heavily based upon the first two Japanese tournaments. The finalists from the Nintendo Cup '97 appeared as opponents in the L50-55 Division.

The game featured a tournament mode with two divisions: the L1-30 division, based upon the Nintendo Cup '98, and the L50-55 division, based upon the prior tournament.

L50-55 Division L1-30 Division Level Limit? 50-55 1-30 Total Level? 155 No Sleep Clause? Yes Yes Freeze Clause? Yes Yes Species Clause? Yes Yes Item Clause? No No Self-KO Clause? Yes Yes Event Clause? Yes Yes

Each division also featured a set of rules that would become standard for all console games:

• The sleep, freeze, species, and Self-KO clauses are in effect.
• Both teams are shown before the battle, and each player must select three Pokémon to battle.
• The player has to defeat eight Trainers in a row to win the tournament. If he loses, he must start over from the beginning. Unlike future console games, however, there are no Continues.
  • Certain tournaments have four divisions: the Poké, Great, Ultra, and Master Ball divisions. After a player clears a division, the next division is unlocked. If all four divisions are beaten, the player wins the Cup. In this game, the L1-30 Division had four divisions.

The game also featured a Free Battle mode where players could customize their rules.

Pokémon Yellow

Main article: Pokémon Yellow Version#Connectivity

The Cable Club in Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue featured no rule regulations. However, Pokémon Yellow featured an exclusive battle arena, Colosseum 2, with three Cups:

Pika Cup Petit Cup Poké Cup Level Limit? 15-20 25-30 50-55 Total Level? 50 80 155 Sleep Clause? No No No Freeze Clause? No No No Species Clause? No No No Item Clause? No No No Self-KO Clause? No No No Event Clause? No No No

Each player could only use three Pokémon, and no additional rules were in effect. These Cups would later be used in the international Pokémon Stadium and future international tournaments.

Pokémon Stadium

Main article: Pokémon Stadium (English)

A second Pokémon Stadium game, which would be released internationally as Pokémon Stadium, came out later in the year. In this game, the tournaments were called Stadium Cups.

The following rule was added:

• In the Stadium Cups, a Continue is earned when a player wins a battle without losing any Pokémon. If a player loses a battle, a Continue can be used to re-try the previous battle.

All versions of Pokémon Stadium featured the had the Pika and Petit Cups from Colosseum 2, along with the Prime Cup, a no-holds barred tournament based upon the normal Cable Club battles. The Japanese version also features three Nintendo Cups based upon the first three Japanese tournaments.

Nintendo Cup '97 Nintendo Cup '98 Nintendo Cup '99 Mascots Level Limit? 50-55 1-30 1-50 Total Level? 155 No No Sleep Clause? Yes Yes Yes Freeze Clause? Yes Yes Yes Species Clause? Yes Yes Yes Item Clause? No No No Self-KO Clause? Yes Yes Yes Event Clause? Yes Yes Yes

Real-life representatives appeared as opponents in the Nintendo Cup '98.

The Nintendo Cup '99 and the Prime Cup each had four divisions. When both Cups were cleared, the player would earn an upgrade in the Game Boy Tower.

In the international versions, the Nintendo Cups were replaced with the Poké Cup from Colosseum 2. The Poké Cup featured the four divisions and the arena of Nintendo Cup '99, and had to be cleared in tandem with the Prime Cup to unlock the Game Boy Tower upgrade. Due to its similarity to the Nintendo Cups, it is referred to as the "official Pokémon tournament".

Pika Cup Petit Cup Poké Cup Prime Cup Mascots Level Limit? 15-20 25-30 50-55 No Total Level? 50 80 155 No Sleep Clause? Yes Yes Yes Yes Freeze Clause? Yes Yes Yes Yes Species Clause? Yes Yes Yes Yes Item Clause? No No No No Self-KO Clause? Yes Yes Yes Yes Event Clause? Yes No Yes No

Pokémon Stadium also introduced a Gym Leader Castle, where the player had to defeat the eight Gym Leaders and the Elite Four of the Generation I games. While the Castle featured no level restrictions, all of the opposing Pokémon would be at level 50 by default. If the player used a higher leveled Pokémon, all of the opponents' Pokémon would be at the same level as the player's highest-leveled Pokémon. A similar auto-leveling feature would appear in the Generation III Battle Frontier and future battling facilities. The Castle also featured the same overall clauses as the Stadium Cups.

Pokémon Stadium was also the first Pokémon game that allowed more than two players to battle at a time. Up to four players could compete in the Free Battle mode; if two players were on a team, each player could only select and control three Pokémon. A similar mode of play, Multi Battle, was introduced in the Generation III main series games.

Generation II

In the games

Pokémon Stadium 2

The final Pokémon Stadium game, Pokémon Stadium 2, featured four Stadium Cups in all versions. The Poké and Prime Cups returned from the original; however, the Prime Cup only had one division. The Little Cup and the Challenge Cup were added, with the latter featuring four divisions. On the other hand, the moves Dragon Rage and SonicBoom were banned in the Little Cup, making it the first rule variant to prohibit certain attacks. In the game, players could customize and save various sets of rules. Still, all cups follow the species, item, self-KO, sleep, and freeze clauses; only the Prime Cup follows the event clause. With a total limit of 155, only the Poké Cup has a total level limit.

	Little Cup	Challenge Cup	Poké Cup	Prime Cup
Level Limit	5	Varies	50-55	N/A

Pokémon Crystal

Pokémon Crystal introduced the first Battle Tower, a special battling facility. The Battle Tower's rules were similar to Pokémon Stadium's, and this was later followed by future Battle Towers:

• Players must select three different Pokémon to battle.
• All Pokémon must be holding different items.
• The player must defeat seven opponents in a row. The challenge can only be interrupted by saving between battles; otherwise, the Trainer will be disqualified.

A change from the Pokémon Stadium games, a draw would end the player's streak, even if the opponent's Pokémon caused the draw with a move such as Explosion. Also, items could not be used from the Bag.

In the Japanese version, players could access a ranking system by connecting with the Pokémon Mobile System GB. Each player would be ranked based on their streak, and the computers would use the teams of various Trainers. A similar feature would be used in the Generation IV Battle Tower.

Unlike future Battle Towers, powerful legendary and event Pokémon could be used in the level 70 and higher divisions.

In tournaments

Nintendo Cup 2000

In Japan, a fourth tournament for a Pokémon game, Nintendo Cup 2000, was held using Pokémon Gold and Silver. Similar to Nintendo Cup '97, the tournament took place using Pokémon from levels 50-55, with a total limit of 155.

JP Nintendo Cup 2000       R G B Y St St G S C St2 R S E FR LG Colo XD D P Pt HG SS PBR B W B2 W2 Duration ??? Registration ??? Release of Rankings N/A Maximum Entries ???   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause Additional rule: Perish Song and Destiny Bond fail when used by the final Pokémon.	Banned Pokémon   Pokémon from the following Generations: I II III IV V   Banned Items   ALL NONE N/A   Banned Moves     Sky Drop     Dark Void     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam   NONE	Rules   Format Single Battle Party 3 per battle 6 per entry Format Party Single Battle 3 per battle 3-6 per entry Double Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Triple Battle 6 per battle 6 per entry Rotation Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Battle Time ??? Command Time ??? Total Level None Level Range 50-55   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause
All Pokémon, items, moves, and Abilities unreleased or unobtainable legitimately during the duration of the battles under Nintendo Cup 2000 are also banned, but they are not specifically listed.

Mobile Cup 2001

The second Generation II tournament, Mobile Cup 2001, was a not-so-well-known tournament with 1000 players that used the Japan-only Pokémon Mobile System GB, a feature exclusive only to Japanese Pokémon Crystal games.

Each battle had a ten-minute time limit; if a decision was not made by that time, tournament officials would decide the outcome. Unlike previous tournaments, there were no limits on the number of Pokémon that could be asleep or frozen or moves that the last Pokémon could use.

JP Mobile Cup 2001       R G B Y St St G S C St2 R S E FR LG Colo XD D P Pt HG SS PBR B W B2 W2 Duration ??? Registration ??? Release of Rankings N/A Maximum Entries ???   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause Info	Banned Pokémon   Pokémon from the following Generations: I II III IV V   Banned Items   ALL NONE N/A   Banned Moves     Sky Drop     Dark Void     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam   NONE	Rules   Format Single Battle Party 3 per battle 6 per entry Format Party Single Battle 3 per battle 3-6 per entry Double Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Triple Battle 6 per battle 6 per entry Rotation Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Battle Time 10 minutes Command Time ??? Total Level None Level Cap 30   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause
All Pokémon, items, moves, and Abilities unreleased or unobtainable legitimately during the duration of the battles under Mobile Cup 2001 are also banned, but they are not specifically listed.

Generation III

In the games

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire introduced Double Battles, where each player battled with two Pokémon at a time. In Double Battles, certain attacks affect multiple Pokémon and certain abilities, such as Plus and Minus, only take effect in double battles. While double battles were rarely touched upon in the storyline, the format has been used in almost every tournament since the one held in Pokémon Festa 2004 and is the main format in the story modes of Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness.

In the Cable Club, four players could play a double battle variant called the Multi Battle. Similar to Pokémon Stadium, each player could only select and control three Pokémon at a time.

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire featured a Battle Tower extremely similar to Pokémon Crystal's. However, only two divisions were available: the Level 50 and the Level 100 division. Also, double battles could not be conducted.

Pokémon Colosseum

In Pokémon Colosseum, the Stadium Cups were replaced with Colosseums. While the general clauses remained from the Pokémon Stadium series, the Colosseums had no special rules in place, with the exception of level divisions. Each Colosseum could be challenged in a single or double battle format.

Pokémon Colosseum also introduced Poké Coupons, which were rewarded to the player upon completing portions of Mt. Battle. Poké Coupons could be traded in for various TMs or items; however, the player received a 15% penalty for each legendary Pokémon used.

Division	Phenac	Pyrite	Under	Orre	Tower
Level 50	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Level 100	No	No	No	Yes	Yes

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen

In the remakes of the first Generation I games, a Battle Tower was not present; instead, Trainer Tower took its place.

While the Battle Tower valued winning streaks, the Trainer Tower prioritized speed. In the Japanese version, players could scan e-Cards to change the floor layouts; in international versions, the e-Reader support was removed, and many of the card layouts were incorporated into the Tower.

The Trainer Tower featured four modes of play: Singles, Doubles, Knockout, and Mixed. In a Knockout Battle, the player had to defeat three Trainers in a single battle consecutively. The Mixed mode incorporated battles from the other three layouts.

Unlike the Battle Tower, no clauses were in effect, items could be used from the Bag, and the player could interrupt their challenge to use the Pokémon Center in the lobby at any time.

In addition, a special battle format was present in the Union Room. Each Trainer could select two Pokémon up to Level 30 in a Single Battle format.

Pokémon Emerald

Pokémon Emerald introduced the first Battle Frontier. In addition to the Battle Tower, it featured six other facilities with special rules, similar to the Stadium Cups.

Each facility could be challenged in a Single Battle or a Double Battle format. In addition, two players could team up in a Multi Battle format, where each player could control two Pokémon at a time. Players could battle in a Level 50 division or an Open Level division where all of the opponent's Pokémon would be at the same level as the player's highest-leveled Pokémon.

Unlike the previous Battle Tower, players would not receive items after winning a streak. Instead, players received Battle Points. Like Poké Coupons, Battle Points could be saved and traded in for certain items or attacks; however, there was no penalty for using legendary Pokémon.

In addition, Trainer Hill was added, which is similar to Trainer Tower.

Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness

Unlike Pokémon Colosseum, Pokémon XD does not feature a Battle Mode. However, after completing the game, the player may challenge the Orre Colosseum, which has similar regulations to the Colosseums in Battle Mode.

Like almost all of the battles in the game, the Colosseum uses the double battle format.

no KO Orre Colosseum       R G B Y St St G S C St2 R S E FR LG Colo XD D P Pt HG SS PBR B W B2 W2 Duration N/A Registration N/A Release of Rankings N/A Maximum Entries N/A   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause Info	Banned Pokémon   Pokémon from the following Generations: I II III IV V   Banned Items   ALL NONE N/A   Banned Moves     Sky Drop     Dark Void     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam   NONE	Rules   Format Double Battle Party 4 per battle 6 per entry Format Party Single Battle 3 per battle 3-6 per entry Double Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Triple Battle 6 per battle 6 per entry Rotation Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Battle Time ??? Command Time ??? Total Level None Level Cap 60   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause
All Pokémon, items, moves, and Abilities unreleased or unobtainable legitimately during the duration of the battles under Orre Colosseum are also banned, but they are not specifically listed.

In tournaments

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Misc. official/Nintendo-supported tournaments worldwide

???

The first tournament of Generation III took place during Pokémon Festa 2003. Unlike previous Japanese tournaments, two divisions were available: a Level 50 and a Level 100 Division. The tournament used the Single Battle format, and only Pokémon from the Hoenn Pokédex could be used. Players that won three consecutive rounds won a Jirachi.

JP ???       R G B Y St St G S C St2 R S E FR LG Colo XD D P Pt HG SS PBR B W B2 W2 Duration ??? Registration ??? Release of Rankings N/A Maximum Entries ???   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause Info	Banned Pokémon   Pokémon from the following Generations: I II III IV V   Banned Items   ALL NONE N/A   Banned Moves     Sky Drop     Dark Void     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam   NONE	Rules   Format Double Battle Party ??? per battle 6 per entry Format Party Single Battle 3 per battle 3-6 per entry Double Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Triple Battle 6 per battle 6 per entry Rotation Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Battle Time ??? Command Time ??? Total Level None Level Cap 50 or 100   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause
All Pokémon, items, moves, and Abilities unreleased or unobtainable legitimately during the duration of the battles under ??? are also banned, but they are not specifically listed.

???

The following tournament took place at Pokémon Festa 2004. This tournament used the Double Battle format, which would be the official format for all future tournaments. Unlike single battles, each player selected four Pokémon for battle. In addition to the previous rules, new restrictions were placed on nicknames: no vulgarities are to be used nor any Pokémon could be named after another Pokémon (e.g. a Smeargle nicknamed "KYOGRE").

As Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen were released earlier that year, almost all of the Pokémon in the National Pokédex were available for use.

JP ???       R G B Y St St G S C St2 R S E FR LG Colo XD D P Pt HG SS PBR B W B2 W2 Duration ??? Registration ??? Release of Rankings N/A Maximum Entries ???   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause Info	Banned Pokémon   Pokémon from the following Generations: I II III IV V   Banned Items   ALL NONE N/A   Banned Moves     Sky Drop     Dark Void     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam   NONE	Rules   Format Double Battle Party 4 per battle 6 per entry Format Party Single Battle 3 per battle 3-6 per entry Double Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Triple Battle 6 per battle 6 per entry Rotation Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Battle Time ??? Command Time ??? Total Level None Level Cap 50   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause
All Pokémon, items, moves, and Abilities unreleased or unobtainable legitimately during the duration of the battles under ??? are also banned, but they are not specifically listed.

???

The tournament of Pokémon Festa 2005 featured nearly identical restrictions; however, Kyogre and Groudon were also banned.

JP ???       R G B Y St St G S C St2 R S E FR LG Colo XD D P Pt HG SS PBR B W B2 W2 Duration ??? Registration ??? Release of Rankings N/A Maximum Entries ???   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause Info	Banned Pokémon   Pokémon from the following Generations: I II III IV V   Banned Items   ALL NONE N/A   Banned Moves     Sky Drop     Dark Void     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam   NONE	Rules   Format Double Battle Party 4 per battle 6 per entry Format Party Single Battle 3 per battle 3-6 per entry Double Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Triple Battle 6 per battle 6 per entry Rotation Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Battle Time ??? Command Time ??? Total Level None Level Cap 50   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause
All Pokémon, items, moves, and Abilities unreleased or unobtainable legitimately during the duration of the battles under ??? are also banned, but they are not specifically listed.

Pokémon Masters 2005

A tournament held September 17 to 18, 2005 in Paris, France, Pokémon Masters 2005 was organized by French fansites and sponsored by the likes of Nintendo and Bandai.

FR Pokémon Masters 2005       R G B Y St St G S C St2 R S E FR LG Colo XD D P Pt HG SS PBR B W B2 W2 Duration September 17 to 18, 2005 Registration ??? Release of Rankings N/A Maximum Entries ???   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause Info	Banned Pokémon   Pokémon from the following Generations: I II III IV V   Banned Items   ALL NONE N/A   Banned Moves     Sky Drop     Dark Void     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam   NONE	Rules   Format ??? Party ??? Format Party Single Battle 3 per battle 3-6 per entry Double Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Triple Battle 6 per battle 6 per entry Rotation Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Battle Time ??? Command Time ??? Total Level None Level Cap ??   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause
All Pokémon, items, moves, and Abilities unreleased or unobtainable legitimately during the duration of the battles under Pokémon Masters 2005 are also banned, but they are not specifically listed.

Pokémon Emerald Ultimate Frontier Brain Battle

A small competition called the Pokémon Emerald Ultimate Frontier Brain Battle took place in 2005 to commemorate the international release of Pokémon Emerald. Fourteen competitors were selected after a series of online quizzes, with a trip to PokéPark on the line.

The tournament used the Single Battle format. Unlike other Generation III tournaments, all items were banned.

NA Pokémon Emerald Ultimate Frontier Brain Battle       R G B Y St St G S C St2 R S E FR LG Colo XD D P Pt HG SS PBR B W B2 W2 Duration ??? Registration ??? Release of Rankings N/A Maximum Entries ???   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause Info	Banned Pokémon   Pokémon from the following Generations: I II III IV V   Banned Items   ALL NONE N/A   Banned Moves     Sky Drop     Dark Void     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam   NONE	Rules   Format Single Battle Party 3 per battle 6 per entry Format Party Single Battle 3 per battle 3-6 per entry Double Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Triple Battle 6 per battle 6 per entry Rotation Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Battle Time 30 minutes Command Time 20 seconds Total Level None Level Cap 100   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause
All Pokémon, items, moves, and Abilities unreleased or unobtainable legitimately during the duration of the battles under Pokémon Emerald Ultimate Frontier Brain Battle are also banned, but they are not specifically listed.

???

Another North American tournament took place during the Journey Across America tour in 2006. The rules were similar to the Pokémon Festa 2004 rules; however, only event Pokémon were banned.

NA ???       R G B Y St St G S C St2 R S E FR LG Colo XD D P Pt HG SS PBR B W B2 W2 Duration ??? Registration ??? Release of Rankings N/A Maximum Entries ???   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause Only Wobbuffet is prohibited from holding Leftovers.	Banned Pokémon   Pokémon from the following Generations: I II III IV V   Banned Items   ALL NONE N/A   Banned Moves     Sky Drop     Dark Void     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam   NONE	Rules   Format Double Battle Party 4 per battle 6 per entry Format Party Single Battle 3 per battle 3-6 per entry Double Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Triple Battle 6 per battle 6 per entry Rotation Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Battle Time ??? Command Time ??? Total Level None Level Cap 50   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause
All Pokémon, items, moves, and Abilities unreleased or unobtainable legitimately during the duration of the battles under ??? are also banned, but they are not specifically listed.

Generation IV

In the games

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl

In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, six Cups were introduced for wireless battles in the Pokémon Colosseum Club Colosseum, many of which are similar to those in the Pokémon Stadium series. In addition, players could set the levels of all Pokémon to 50 or 100 during Wi-Fi battles.

Mix Battles were also introduced, wherein players swap one Pokémon with each other from a team of three, then battle.

Unlike Pokémon Emerald, Diamond and Pearl does not have a Battle Frontier, only a Battle Tower. In addition, a level cap of 50 is established.

Pokémon Battle Revolution

Colosseums made their return in Pokémon Battle Revolution; however, like the Stadium Cups, each Colosseum features a special rule. Each battle takes place in a Level 30 or a Level 50 mode, and can eventually be challenged in a Single or a Double Battle format. Players may use Rental Passes or Custom Passes in any Colosseum except for the Gateway Colosseum, which restricts the player to Rental Passes.

Under Colosseum battles, the sleep, freeze, species, item, and self-KO clauses are followed.

In addition, Pokémon Battle Revolution features a mode of online play against random players, a system that eventually carried on to Pokémon Black and White. Battles could be conducted in a single or double battle format, with each player selecting three or four Pokémon before battle. All Pokémon are set to level 50, Pokémon nicknames are not used, and Trainer quotes are set to default. Other than that, there are no further restrictions.

Pokémon Platinum

As with Pokémon Emerald, a new Battle Frontier incorporated the Battle Tower and added four other battle facilities: the Battle Factory, Battle Arcade, Battle Castle, and Battle Hall. Each facility has a set of rules to be followed, all depending on the format of battle selected.

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

Flat Battle mode was introduced in HeartGold and SoulSilver at the Pokémon Communication Club Colosseum. Regardless of rule set, all Pokémon are set to level 50 for the duration of the battle. The exact same Battle Frontier from Pokémon Platinum also made a return.

In tournaments

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The first tournament for Generation IV took place in Pokémon Festa 2006, wherein Pokémon only found in the original Sinnoh Pokédex were eligible. No Pokémon are allowed to hold Soul Dew, which remained a banned item throughout all Generation IV competitions from 2006 to 2010.

JP ???       R G B Y St St G S C St2 R S E FR LG Colo XD D P Pt HG SS PBR B W B2 W2 Duration ??? Registration ??? Release of Rankings N/A Maximum Entries ???   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause Info	Banned Pokémon   Pokémon from the following Generations: I II III IV V   Banned Items   ALL NONE N/A   Banned Moves     Sky Drop     Dark Void     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam   NONE	Rules   Format Double Battle Party 4 per battle 6 per entry Format Party Single Battle 3 per battle 3-6 per entry Double Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Triple Battle 6 per battle 6 per entry Rotation Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Battle Time ??? Command Time ??? Total Level None Level Cap 50   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause
All Pokémon, items, moves, and Abilities unreleased or unobtainable legitimately during the duration of the battles under ??? are also banned, but they are not specifically listed.

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The Pokémon Festa 2007 tournament featured similar rules; however, Pokémon outside of the Sinnoh Pokédex were eligible.

JP ???       R G B Y St St G S C St2 R S E FR LG Colo XD D P Pt HG SS PBR B W B2 W2 Duration ??? Registration ??? Release of Rankings N/A Maximum Entries ???   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause Info	Banned Pokémon   Pokémon from the following Generations: I II III IV V   Banned Items   ALL NONE N/A   Banned Moves     Sky Drop     Dark Void     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam   NONE	Rules   Format Double Battle Party 4 per battle 6 per entry Format Party Single Battle 3 per battle 3-6 per entry Double Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Triple Battle 6 per battle 6 per entry Rotation Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Battle Time ??? Command Time ??? Total Level None Level Cap 50   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause
All Pokémon, items, moves, and Abilities unreleased or unobtainable legitimately during the duration of the battles under ??? are also banned, but they are not specifically listed.

Pokémon Video Game Showdown 2008

In 2008, players from Japan and the United States competed against one another for the first time in the Pokémon Video Game Showdown 2008. The tournament took place in the in-game Double Cup.

JP NA Pokémon Video Game Showdown 2008       R G B Y St St G S C St2 R S E FR LG Colo XD D P Pt HG SS PBR B W B2 W2 Duration ??? Registration ??? Release of Rankings N/A Maximum Entries 128   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause	Banned Pokémon   Pokémon from the following Generations: I II III IV V   Banned Items   ALL NONE N/A   Banned Moves     Sky Drop     Dark Void     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam   NONE	Rules   Format Double Battle Party 4 per battle 6 per entry Format Party Single Battle 3 per battle 3-6 per entry Double Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Triple Battle 6 per battle 6 per entry Rotation Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Battle Time ??? Command Time ??? Total Level None Level Cap 50   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause
All Pokémon, items, moves, and Abilities unreleased or unobtainable legitimately during the duration of the battles under Pokémon Video Game Showdown 2008 are also banned, but they are not specifically listed.

Pokémon Video Game Championships 2009

In 2009, the Pokémon Video Game Championships were included in the yearly Pokémon World Championships, which previously only featured the TCG. In the Video Game World Championships for 2009, players could only use Pokémon Platinum, and the alternate forms introduced in Platinum were ineligible. The Double Cup rules were reinstated.

no KO Pokémon VGC 2009       R G B Y St St G S C St2 R S E FR LG Colo XD D P Pt HG SS PBR B W B2 W2 Duration ??? Registration ??? Release of Rankings N/A Maximum Entries ???   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause	Banned Pokémon   Pokémon from the following Generations: I II III IV V   Banned Items   ALL NONE N/A   Banned Moves     Sky Drop     Dark Void     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam   NONE	Rules   Format Double Battle Party 4 per battle 6 per entry Format Party Single Battle 3 per battle 3-6 per entry Double Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Triple Battle 6 per battle 6 per entry Rotation Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Battle Time ??? Command Time ??? Total Level None Level Cap 50   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause
All Pokémon, items, moves, and Abilities unreleased or unobtainable legitimately during the duration of the battles under Pokémon VGC 2009 are also banned, but they are not specifically listed.

Pokémon Video Game Championships 2010

In 2010, powerful legendary Pokémon such as Mewtwo were allowed once again in the 2010 World Championships. These Pokémon, referred to as special Pokémon, were limited to two per team. Event-only Pokémon such as Mew were still banned.

The tournament used only Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, and the rules followed the GS Cup rule set found in Flat Battle mode. All Pokémon above level 50 were leveled down to 50, while Pokémon below level 50 will retain their levels. Also, Pokémon that evolve at levels above 50 like Dragonite and Tyranitar could compete.

no KO Pokémon VGC 2010       R G B Y St St G S C St2 R S E FR LG Colo XD D P Pt HG SS PBR B W B2 W2 Duration ??? Registration ??? Release of Rankings N/A Maximum Entries ???   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause A maximum of two "special Pokémon" are allowed in a party.	Banned Pokémon   Pokémon from the following Generations: I II III IV V Special Pokémon   Banned Items   ALL NONE N/A   Banned Moves     Sky Drop     Dark Void     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam   NONE	Rules   Format Double Battle Party 4 per battle 6 per entry Format Party Single Battle 3 per battle 3-6 per entry Double Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Triple Battle 6 per battle 6 per entry Rotation Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Battle Time ??? Command Time ??? Total Level None Level Cap 50   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause
All Pokémon, items, moves, and Abilities unreleased or unobtainable legitimately during the duration of the battles under Pokémon VGC 2010 are also banned, but they are not specifically listed.

Generation V

In the games

Pokémon Black and White

Pokémon Black and White introduced triple battles, rotation battles, and the Wonder Launcher were introduced, the last of which is only available on multiplayer. As with the introduction of double battles, these introduced a new set of rules to be followed when battling under these formats.

Black and White also brought about the Pokémon Global Link, with the Global Battle Union alongside it. Accessible in Pokémon Centers is the new Random Matchup mode wherein players may face random opponents over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection without Friend Codes. Any type of battle may be selected. Random Matchup follows its own set of rules for every format available, which updates at times. It also presents a ranking system, with worldwide ranks available on the Global Battle Union section of the Global Link.

The Global Battle Union also hosts its own tournaments via Random Matchup. Each tournament can be joined by anyone with the appropriate region set on their accounts on the Global Link, and they also have their own set of rules.

In tournaments

Pokémon Video Game Championships 2011

The 2011 Video Game Championships became the venue for the first Generation V tournament. As with the first tournaments of Generation III and Generation IV, only Pokémon in the Unova Pokédex may be used. The tournament continued to use the double battle format, and due to a glitch Sky Drop was banned in this format.

no KO Pokémon VGC 2011       R G B Y St St G S C St2 R S E FR LG Colo XD D P Pt HG SS PBR B W B2 W2 Duration ??? Registration ??? Release of Rankings N/A Maximum Entries ???   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause	Banned Pokémon   Pokémon from the following Generations: I II III IV V   Banned Items   ALL NONE N/A   Banned Moves     Sky Drop     Dark Void     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam   NONE	Rules   Format Double Battle Party 4 per battle 6 per entry Format Party Single Battle 3 per battle 3-6 per entry Double Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Triple Battle 6 per battle 6 per entry Rotation Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Battle Time ??? Command Time ??? Total Level None Level Cap 50   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause
All Pokémon, items, moves, and Abilities unreleased or unobtainable legitimately during the duration of the battles under Pokémon VGC 2011 are also banned, but they are not specifically listed.

Pokémon Video Game Championships 2012

For the Pokémon Video Game Championships 2012, all Pokémon from the National Pokédex may be used, with the exception of some. Most of the rules remain unchanged from the previous year, with the only difference with Dark Void being banned.

no KO Pokémon VGC 2012       R G B Y St St G S C St2 R S E FR LG Colo XD D P Pt HG SS PBR B W B2 W2 Duration August 10 to 12, 2012 Registration ??? Release of Rankings N/A Maximum Entries ???   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause Additional rules: No two or more Pokémon can have the same nickname. Pokémon cannot be nicknamed with the name of another Pokémon. Pokémon must be placed in the Battle Box.	Banned Pokémon   Pokémon from the following Generations: I II III IV V   Banned Items   ALL NONE N/A   Banned Moves     Sky Drop     Dark Void     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam     Hyper Beam   NONE	Rules   Format Double Battle Party 4 per battle 6 per entry Format Party Single Battle 3 per battle 3-6 per entry Double Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Triple Battle 6 per battle 6 per entry Rotation Battle 4 per battle 4-6 per entry Battle Time ??? Command Time ??? Total Level None Level Cap 50   Clauses   Evasion Clause Sleep Clause Freeze Clause Self-KO Clause Item Clause Species Clause
All Pokémon, items, moves, and Abilities unreleased or unobtainable legitimately during the duration of the battles under Pokémon VGC 2012 are also banned, but they are not specifically listed.

References

Links

• List of official battle rules (Japanese)
• Another list and analysis of official battle rules (Japanese)
• List of Nintendo Cup 2000 finalists
• Pokémon Festa 2004 Finals
• Pokémon Festa 2005 Finals
• Pokémon Festa 2006 Finals
• Video Game Championship 2010 Finals
• International Video Game Championships website
• An Introduction to Competitive Play
• Rules for foreign metagames
• Rules for unofficial Spanish tournaments

See also

• Pokémon Stadium
• Pokémon battle
• Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
• Battle Tower
• Battle Frontier

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