Endless battle
An endless battle is possible using certain methods in the Pokémon games.
Techniques that can result in an endless battle are often banned in competitive play.
In the core series games
Generation I
Transform vs. Transform
In Generation I, if two Pokémon use Transform against each other, they can keep indefinitely transforming into each other, copying each other's moveset (including Transform itself) and replenishing their PP with each transformation. For example, this method works in a battle between Ditto and/or Mew with Transform in their movesets.
Alternatively, this can also be triggered if a Pokémon uses Mimic to copy the opponent's Transform before both Pokémon start using Transform against each other. This is possible due to the fact that in this generation, the player can use Mimic to freely choose any of the opponent's moves to be copied. The Mimic method can potentially work in link battles or in Pokémon Stadium as well, except in those cases Mimic randomly copies one of the opponent's moves instead of allowing the player to choose a specific move.
In Pokémon Stadium, it is not possible to use Transform if the target's current species is Ditto. However, it is still possible to trigger an endless battle if two Mew use Transform against each other. Similarly, if a Ditto and a Mew use Transform against each other, an endless battle is possible once Ditto transforms into Mew. In the earlier game Japanese Pokémon Stadium, there is no limitation concerning the use of Transform.
From Generations II onwards, it is not possible to trigger an endless battle this way. Starting in this generation, Transform fails against a transformed Pokémon (therefore, the first Transform user will be able to repeatedly use Transform and restore its own PP indefinitely but the second Transform user will not be able to transform into the first Transform user). From Generation V onwards, a transformed Pokémon is also unable to use Transform again.
Ghost-type's Struggle vs. Ghost-type's Struggle
In Generation I, if two Ghost-type Pokémon have no moves with PP remaining, they can indefinitely use Struggle against each other. Struggle is a Normal-type move in this generation, which is unable to damage Ghost-type Pokémon, and the user takes no recoil either when Struggle does not damage its target.
If two opposing Ghost-type Pokémon have no moves that can damage each other, they have no option but to use those moves and spend their PP before starting to use Struggle.
If a Porygon uses Conversion to temporarily have its type replaced by Ghost, or a Ditto or Mew uses Transform to change species into a Ghost-type Pokémon, they can participate in this kind of endless battle as well. This is also achievable by other Pokémon species that use Conversion or Transform by means of Metronome, Mimic, or Mirror Move.
Poké Flute vs. opponent with infinite PP
In Generation I, the wild Pokémon and non-player character's Pokémon have infinite PP for all their moves. For this reason, those Pokémon will never use Struggle due to lack of PP (although they can use still Struggle if they have a single move affected by Disable).
In some situations, the opposing Pokémon may not be able to damage the player's Pokémon at all, such as in a battle against a wild Magikarp with only Splash, or if the player is using a Flying-type Pokémon against a wild Pokémon that only has damaging Ground-type moves. In those cases, the player can stall the battle indefinitely by using Poké Flute to avoid consuming an item or spending a move's PP.
Generation I and remakes
Unidentified ghosts
In Generation I games and their Generation III and VII remakes, if the player does not have the Silph Scope, then a battle against any of the unidentified ghosts in the Pokémon Tower is endless because both the player's Pokémon and the ghost indefinitely skip their turns without attacking or spending any PP.
Generations II and III
Struggle + Leftovers
In Generations II and III, if two Pokémon have no usable moves other than Struggle, it may or may not be possible to indefinitely recover the HP lost by repeately using a held serving of Leftovers depending on the stats of each Pokémon. This is due to the fact that Struggle's recoil is 1/4 of the damage dealt in these generations and Leftovers restores 1/16 of the holder's HP every turn.
In these generations, if two Wobbuffet are holding Leftovers, this causes an endless battle due to Wobbuffet's low attack and high HP. Wobbuffet has no damaging moves other than countering moves, therefore two Wobbuffet battling each other have no option but to spend their entire PP until they start using Struggle. Additionally, in Generation III, their only available Ability is Shadow Tag, which would prevent each other from escaping (the player would be unable to exchange them by other Pokémon in battle). From Generation IV onwards, if two opposing Pokémon have Shadow Tag, they are able to escape the battle nonetheless.
Similarly, an endless battle is possible between a Wobbuffet and a Pokémon with Transform (such as Ditto or Mew), both holding Leftovers, once the latter Pokémon transforms into Wobbuffet as well.
Generation III onwards
Leppa Berry + Recycle or Harvest
It is possible to indefinitely restore a Pokémon's PP in the same battle by consuming a Leppa Berry and restoring this item with the Recycle move from Generation III onwards or the the Harvest Ability from Generation V onwards.
A Pokémon can repeatedly use certain moves to heal itself (such as Recover), or to heal both the allies and opponents (including Heal Pulse or Pain Split), and recover the PP of those moves by using this Leppa Berry.
Alternatively, it is possible to repeatedly recover a Leppa Berry and use Fling to throw it to an ally or opposing Pokémon for the purpose of ensuring that the target will not run out of PP.
In the TCG
In the Pokémon Trading Card Game, endless battles are possible but mostly impractical to create intentionally. A battle can proceed without an ending being possible if neither player is capable of winning the game, but players are being prevented by some combination of effects from losing the game. Doing this requires a game state in which:
- No Pokémon can be knocked out
- No Prize cards can be taken
- Both players are always able to draw a card at the start of each of their turns.
Causing this to happen to another player against their will is very impractical, as the first player would need to have Pokémon that the other player is unable to knock out and put cards on top of the second player's deck so that they do not lose at the start of the turn by being unable to draw. The former is perhaps possible by moving all of the second player's Energy cards into the discard pile or Lost Zone, so that they are unable to use any attack. The latter can be done by a rare few cards, but some examples are Lysandre's Trump Card, Unown L and Karen. (Some effects that force both players to shuffle their hands into their deck could work, but are inconsistent because the opponent can have no cards in their hand.) At which point, the first player can build a deck that is incapable of winning the game that can avoid losing the game for the same reasons, and create an endless battle. This, again, is wildly impractical.
More likely are situations in which neither player is able to win anymore but both players are capable of preventing themselves from losing the game. One way for this to occur if neither player can take any more Prize cards, but both players are able to continuously put cards into their decks to not lose from being unable to draw a card at the start of the turn. In theory, either player can lose from this state, but neither player will choose to because choosing to stay in a stalemate state is better than choosing to lose.
The Play! Pokémon Tournament Rules Handbook has guidance for judges when confronted with situations at tournaments where a game has reached this kind of state. The section is called: "Resolving a Game That Cannot Otherwise Reach a Natural End". It advises the Head Judge of that tournament, if the match timer has elapsed and +3 turns have been granted and used, to:
- Confirm the game will not end due to a loop of game actions that neither player is capable of breaking.
- Confirm that both players are preventing themselves from losing, not just playing to stall the timer.
- Confirm that without either player conceding, the game will proceed without end.
At this point, the Head Judge informs both players of this predicament and adds a new +3 turns, with the current turn as Turn 0. If this does not result in the game ending, then a Tiebreaker Game occurs between both players, with its resolution acting in lieu of that of the unfinished game. If the loop happens in that game, then the Head Judge informs both players of this predicament again and adds a new +3 turns. If this still fails to result in one player winning, then the player who has or had the highest seed in the Swiss rounds of the tournament is declared the winner of the game. The Head Judge is allowed to skip initiating the Tiebreaker Game if it is clear that a Tiebreaker Game will inevitably enter this loop.[1]
See also
References
|
This game-related article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games. |
