Pokemon Battles, Gyms and Training

Battles are where your team starts to feel like your own. You do not need the rarest Pokemon to begin. You need a healthy lead, useful moves and a couple of teammates you can switch to.

During a battle

• Your slot 1 Pokemon starts the fight.
• Choose one of its four moves and read the battle log to see damage, status changes and misses.
• Use Switch when another active Pokemon is a better match.
• Use Backpack when the battle allows an item.
• If the whole team is worn down, heal before taking on a harder opponent.

Training a useful team

Levels help, but team variety matters too. Keep more than one Pokemon type available and check which moves each Pokemon actually has. Put the Pokemon you want to train in slot 1, then switch when the matchup looks rough.

The Gym path

Pokemon Gyms tracks 48 badges: eight each for Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova and Kalos. Start with the first leader in a region and return after more training if a battle stops you. A loss is a hint to change levels, moves or team order, not a dead end.

Other ways to battle

Wild encounters help with catching and training. Trainer battles test the team you already own. The game also has harder routes, towers, league battles, PVP and clan competition for players who want a longer challenge.

Back to the game guide hub

Last checked against the September 2026 Rebirth update.