Sync pair

Mina and Granbull, a 3★ sync pair

A sync pair (Japanese: バディーズ Buddies) is a pair consisting of one Pokémon Trainer and one Pokémon in Pokémon Masters EX. Each sync pair has one of three roles: strike sync pairs, which are focused on attacking; support sync pairs, which are focused on defending, healing HP, and increasing stats of the whole team; and tech sync pairs, which are focused on different tactics, such as inflicting status alterations.

A list of all sync pairs can be found here.

Mechanics

Moves and skills

Main article: List of moves in Pokémon Masters EX

Moves and Skills menu prior to version 1.12.0

Sync pairs have access to two different types of moves:

• Pokémon moves - these require a specific amount of move gauge slots to be used. An exception are quick moves which, similar to trainer moves, do not use move gauge slots but have a set number of times they can be used
• Trainer moves - these are unique to Pokémon Masters EX. They do not require the use of move gauge slots, but can only be used a set number of times in a battle

Prior to version 1.12.0, each sync pair knew two moves when recruited, and could know up to four moves. Sync pairs can also unleash sync moves, which are powerful moves that can be used once a certain amount of moves have been used in battle. Sync pairs can also learn passive skills, which are similar to Abilities in the core series. Certain sync pairs can learn up to three passive skills. Beginning in version 1.12.0, sync pairs will know all available moves and passive skills by default.

Sync pairs rewarded from Legendary Events instead use "custom" items exclusive to their respective event. The amount of each item needed also varies between these Sync pairs.

• As of Giovanni and Mewtwo's rerun, the pair was updated to no longer use Custom Super Training Machines. The item actually became unobtainable for any players who did not get them during the event's initial run, although it no longer served a purpose.

Legendary Sync Pair(s)	Unlock	Items required
		Great Drinks //	Ultra Drinks //	Training Machine	Super Training Machine	Custom Training Machine	Custom Super Training Machine
Giovanni & Mewtwo	Third move	×	×	30	×	100	×
	Fourth move	×	×	70	50	150	50
	Passive skill	150	100	×	×	200	×
Scottie/Bettie & Solgaleo	Third move	×	×	30	×	100	×
	Fourth move	×	×	70	50	120	100
	Passive skill	150	100	×	×	150	×
Zinnia & Rayquaza	Third move	×	×	30	×	100	×
	Fourth move	×	×	70	50	220	×
	Passive skill	150	100	×	×	150	×
Giovanni & Mewtwo (Re-run)*	Third move	×	×	30	×	100	×
	Fourth move	×	×	70	50	200	×
	Passive skill	150	100	×	×	200	×
Silver & Ho-Oh	Third move	×	×	×	×	100	×
	Fourth move	×	×	×	×	220	×
	Passive skill	×	×	×	×	150	×

The pair given as a log-in gift, Professor Oak & Mew, uses only Custom Training Machines:

The power of Pokémon moves can be increased. When the player scouts a sync pair that they already have, the power of the moves is increased by one level. The level of the moves starts at level one and can be boosted to level 5. At level 5, the power of the moves is increased by 20% with respect to level 1.

Level

Sync pairs gain experience and level up by winning battles or by using Level-Up Manuals. Leveling up increases a sync pair's stats, with them being identical in their role to the stats of the main games except for Speed, which instead affects the rate at which the move gauge fills.

Sync pairs have level caps, initially starting with a level cap of 100. The player can use items to increase the level cap to 110, 120, 125, 130 and 135. Pokémon hatched from Eggs do not have level caps, and are thus immediately eligible for level 135.

Raise in level cap	Items Required
	Great Drinks //	Ultra Drinks //	Drink+'s //	Great Drink+'s //	Ultra Drink+'s //	Drink++'s File:Masters Ultra Buff Blend ++.png/File:Masters Ultra Tech Tonic ++.png/File:Masters Ulra Aid Ade ++.png	Gym Leader Notes	Elite Four Notes	Type-specific Tome, Vol. 1	Type-specific Codex, Vol. 1
100 → 110	225	113	×	×	×	×	3	×	×	×
110 → 120	×	375	200	×	×	×	7	2	×	×
120 → 125	×	×	300	150	×	×	×	5	50	×
125 → 130	×	×	×	400	200	×	×	×	150	×
130 → 135	×	×	×	×	400	200	×	×	×	50

Sync pairs rewarded from Legendary Events instead use "custom" items exclusive to their respective event. The amount of each item needed also varies between these Sync pairs.

• Starting with Zinnia & Rayquaza, and for any legendary pairs re-run afterwards, Custom Drinks are used instead of Custom Training Machines to increase level cap.

Legendary Sync Pair(s)	Raise in level cap	Items Required
		Drinks //	Great Drinks //	Ultra Drinks //	Drink+'s //	Custom Drinks / Custom Training Machines*	Custom Super Drinks / Custom Super Training Machines*	Gym Leader Notes	Elite Four Notes
Giovanni & Mewtwo (5★)	45 → 60	25	×	×	×	100	×	×	×
	60 → 75	75	25	×	×	150	×	×	×
	75 → 90	×	75	50	×	250	100	×	×
	90 → 105	×	×	250	×	350	150	3	×
	105 → 120	×	×	×	250	500	300	×	5
Scottie/Bettie & Solgaleo (5★), Zinnia & Rayquaza (5★)	45 → 60	25	×	×	×	100	×	×	×
	60 → 75	75	25	×	×	120	×	×	×
	75 → 90	×	75	50	×	150	150	×	×
	90 → 105	×	×	250	×	170	170	3	×
	105 → 120	×	×	×	250	200	200	×	5
Silver & Ho-Oh (5★)	45 → 60	×	×	×	×	100	×	×	×
	60 → 75	×	×	×	×	120	×	×	×
	75 → 90	×	×	×	×	150	150	×	×
	90 → 105	×	×	×	×	170	170	×	×
	105 → 120	×	×	×	×	200	200	×	×
Cyrus & Palkia (5★)	100 → 110	×	×	×	×	100	100	×	×
	110 → 120	×	×	×	×	200	200	×	×

The pair given as a log-in gift, Professor Oak & Mew, uses unique unlock costs that consist entirely of Custom items:

Reaching certain levels can allow the Pokémon to evolve; for example, at level 30, Barry's Piplup can evolve into Prinplup, at level 45 it can evolve into Empoleon, which then causes it to learn the sync move Late Fee Bubble Beam.

Increasing potential

The player can also increase the stats of sync pairs by using power-ups. Each power-up provides a +2 boost to HP, and a +1 boost to each other stat. The only exception is when a 5★ power-up is used on a sync pair with a base potential of 5★, which boosts their HP stat by 5 and all other stats by 2. Only the power-up corresponding to the number of sync pair stars can be used. For example, a 3★ power-up can only increase the potential of a 3★ sync pair. Once 20 power-ups are used, the number of stars for that sync pair increases by one.

Morty's EX Style

Certain 5★ pairs can be given 20 5★ power-ups to increase their potential to 6★ EX. This allows the Trainer to change their pose and switch to their EX Style, with the color scheme of the EX Style based on the Pokémon's colors. Upgrading to 6★ EX also upgrades the pair's sync move.

• Strike: sync moves attack all opponents
• Tech: power of sync moves increases by 50%
• Support: stat increases applied after the sync move is performed are doubled for one time only

If a 5★ pair does not have a 6★ EX, 5★ power-ups can still be given to increase the pair's stats without increasing the number of stars.

Type and resistance

Even though each pair has a single type, the resistances and defensive properties of the pair do not depend on it. Each sync pair has only a single weakness to a specific type and the resistances to status alterations, when available, are exclusively gained through passive skills.

List of sync pairs

Main article: List of sync pairs

Sync pair scout

Players can recruit sync pairs that are not available through the main story through sync pair scout at the shop. It costs 300 gems (or 100 paid gems daily (Up to 3 times if the Spotlight Scout features more than one Sync pair starting with Ethan and Hilda Spotlight Scout or a Sync Pair that has already been featured previously (excluding Poké Fair Scout) starting with Guzma Spotlight scout)) to scout one sync pair (or 3000 gems to scout 11 (10 prior to Sygna Suit Blue Poké Fair Scout) at once), which is chosen randomly from a pool of sync pairs. There is a 73% chance of obtaining a 3★ sync pair (70% in Poké Fair scouts and 68% in Master Fair Scout), 20% chance of a 4★ sync pair, and 7% chance of a 5★ sync pair (10% in Poké Fair scouts and 12% in Master Fair scouts). While the door opening animation ultimately reveals the number of stars of the pairs, sometimes the Poryphone animation will reveal the lower bound for the number of stars: if an antenna comes out of the Poryphone, a sync pair with no less than 4★ is being recruited, if the Poryphone sparks upon being inserted and the background turns rainbow during the scouting process which causes a parabolic antenna to come out, a 5★ pair is being recruited. In addition starting from version 1.5.0, a background preview animation of the 5★ pair will play.

As previously mentioned, if the player scouts a sync pair they have already recruited, then the sync pair receives an increase in level to their moves. Once the sync pair's move level is maxed out to level 5, if the player again scouts that sync pair, the player will instead receive a power-up item corresponding to the sync pair's original number of stars.

A scout point will be awarded for every one hundred gems spent through sync pair scouts. 3 bonus scout point will also be awarded every time the player scouts 11 sync pair at once starting from Synga Suit Blue Poké Fair Scout. If a player manages to achieve 400 scout points, the player will be able to scout for a sync pair of their choice. However, scout points gained during a specific spotlight scout will expire once the spotlight scout expires, and they will not carry over to another spotlight scout.

The available sync pairs change as the game introduces more Trainers, with specific spotlight scouts giving a higher chance of obtaining the sync pair that the event is focused on. Starting with Leaf Spotlight scout, any recently added sync pair who's spotlight scout is still active will not appear on this spotlight scout but will appear on the next spotlight scout once their spotlight scout ends.

Starting with Lusamine Spotlight Scout, when the player scouts 11 sync pairs at once for the first time, they will receive a move candy coin corresponding to the featured Sync pair's role. This was later changed to up to 3 times starting with Lance Seasonal Scout and Lillie Seasonal Scout. The player can also get the afromentioned move candy coin after recruiting 6 Sync pairs for 1500 paid gems up to 3 times starting with May Spotlight Scout.

Starting with Clemont and Elesa Spotlight Scout, when the player successfuly recruit the featured sync pair that has already been featured previously in that spotlight scout, they will receive 3 Custom 5★ Power-Up corresponding to to the sync pair that was featured on the spotlight scout (maximum 5 times).

In other languages

Language Title Chinese Cantonese 拍檔組合 Paakdong Jóuhahp 拍組 Paak-Jóu Mandarin 拍檔組合 Pāidǎng Zǔhé 拍組 Pāi-Zǔ French Duo German Gefährte Italian Unità Korean 버디즈 Buddies Spanish Pareja de Compis

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