The Pokémon Global Link has been updated with several new features and events for players of Pokémon Sun & Moon.
QR Rental Teams
The feature allowing for rental teams to be tested using QR codes has now gone live. These can be assembled and tried by anyone, but are not allowed in official tournaments. Quick and easy way to try new strategies!
Friendly Competitions
Players can now set up custom competitions for friends to participate in online. This allows for different rules and criteria. These can be set to public or private based on player preference. Sounds fun!
Global Mission
A new global mission is active which challenges trainers across the world to trade 1,000,000 Pokémon. Participants will be awarded Festival Coins with the amount dependent on the success or failure of the mission and whether the game is tied to a Global Link account. In addition, players that make 5 trades will be given a Rare Candy. If 2,000,000 cumulative trades are reached everyone will be given a bonus Friend Ball.
2017 International Challenge
A new competition, the 2017 International Challenge, has been announced which will take place next month.
Registration for the 2017 International Challenge February begins February 16, 2017, at 0:00 UTC. The competition goes from Friday, February 24, at 00:00 UTC, until Sunday, February 26, 2017, at 23:59 UTC. Trainers will be limited to 15 battles per day.
Most importantly the participation prize will award players with Mega Stones for Mawile and Beedrill, two items that are not found during regular gameplay in Sun & Moon. The only Pokémon allowed in battle will be ones found in the Alola Pokédex.