Ever felt like having 3 or 4 Pokémon on a team in official battles (singles and doubles, respectively) felt too crowded? Wanted things a little more… personal? Well Season 4’s Special Battle ruleset may be just up your alley. Although both trainers will register teams of 6 Pokémon, only one will be brought into battle for a head-to-head fight against the opposing trainer.
In this Rating Battle season’s Special format, Trainers will create a team of six Pokémon from the National Pokédex, excluding Mythical Pokémon and some Legendary Pokémon. You can use Poké Transporter to bring Pokémon into Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon from previous games. Then, when the battle starts, each Trainer will select only one Pokémon to battle with. You’ll be allowed to use items, but Mega Stones, Z-Crystals, Focus Sashes, and Eviolite will not be allowed. The battles will have a five-minute match time, a 60-second Pokémon preview, and 15-second turn times. Expect speedy battles and plenty of surprises when each Trainer’s Pokémon hits the battlefield! See the Special Format Regulations for details.
This may be a great time to bring in your favorite Pokémon and fight as one a la Ash & Pikachu. Season 4 will run from May 16 at 00:00 UTC until July 17, 2017, at 23:59 UTC.
I also have to say I’m loving these Special Battles, they add a fun new dynamic to online play 🙂