Multi Battle

Fighting Matt and Tabitha in a Multi Battle in the Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire Special Demo Version.

A Multi Battle (Japanese: マルチバトル Multi Battle), referred to as a Tag Battle (Japanese: タッグバトル Tag Battle) in the anime, is a type of Double Battle in which two Pokémon Trainers team up against one or two others. Unlike regular Double Battles, there are no specific Trainer classes encountered for Multi Battles. Instead, two different Trainers must both see the player at the same time, starting from Emerald onward. For battles in the games' storylines, the player's opponents will usually only have three Pokémon each. However, Multi Battles occurring by being spotted by a pair of unrelated Trainers will occasionally lead to battles against more than six Pokémon. The player and their partner are only subject to such limitations in Battle Towers, allowing both to potentially send out six Pokémon.

In the games

Multi Battle mode

In Generation III, up to four players can battle with each other in a Multi Battle via link cable by choosing the "Multi Battle" mode in the Pokémon Cable Club Colosseum. Players decide which side to battle. This was the only way to have a Multi Battle in Ruby and Sapphire.

In Generation IV, the Pokémon Cable Club Colosseum was renamed to the Pokémon Communication Club Colosseum, but Multi Battles can still be conducted by selecting "Multi Battle".

In Generation VI, the player accesses Multi Battles with the Player Search System's Battle option. After selecting a connection type, the player must then change the number of players to four, and select three other players on the touch screen.

Quotes

Pokémon Center Receptionist

"Multi Battle is for four Trainers with one or more Pokémon each."

"Each Trainer can have one Pokémon in battle at a time."

In-game events

Since Ruby and Sapphire, Multi Battles have been possible at various points throughout the games. Other such battles happen at specific points in the game.

• In Emerald, Steven Stone battles two members of Team Magma alongside the player in the Mossdeep Space Center. This is the only battle when a partner Trainer receives experience points from defeating a Pokémon. It's also the only Multi Battle in which the player can use items on or knock out the partner Trainer's Pokémon and get experience points.
  • In Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, this event instead occurs during the Delta Episode against Team Magma^OR/Team Aqua^AS where the player and Steven must deal with both a Team Grunt and Courtney^OR/Matt^AS.
• Multi Battles are also conducted in Hoenn's Battle Tower. Players have the option of teaming up with either a NPC or a friend via link cable. All Battle Towers in subsequent games feature the opportunity to enter Multi Battles.
• In Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, the player teams up with:
  • five unique Trainers: Cheryl, Mira, Riley, Marley, and Buck; the same Trainers can later be selected to act as the player's partner in Sinnoh's Battle Tower
  • Professor Rowan's assistant (the NPC player character—Lucas or Dawn) twice, in Jubilife City and Veilstone City.
  • the rival at Spear Pillar against Mars and Jupiter, and (in Platinum only) in the Fight Area against Flint and Volkner upon entering the Battle Zone for the first time
• Battles at the Seven Stars Restaurant are all two-on-one Multi Battles
• In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, the player teams up with:
  • Lance against Ariana and one of the Team Rocket Grunts in the Team Rocket HQ
  • Silver against Clair and Lance in the Dragon's Den
• In Pokémon Black and White, the player teams with:
  • Cheren twice, once against two Team Plasma Grunts, and the other against two Preschoolers at Alder's request
  • the NPC player character—Hilbert or Hilda—or with a friend via local wireless in the Battle Subway
• In Black 2 and White 2, the player teams up with:
  • Hugh in the Castelia Sewers, on the Plasma Frigate (when at the Pokémon World Tournament and at the Seaside Cave), and in Lacunosa Town
  • the NPC player character—Nate or Rosa—against Subway Bosses Ingo and Emmet outside of Gear Station; the player also battles with him or her in the Multi Train if they do not choose to battle with a friend
  • a friend via local wireless in the Battle Subway
  • Bianca at Reversal Mountain
  • Cheren on the Plasma Frigate and in Pinwheel Forest
  • Cilan, Chili, or Cress and battles the two not chosen
• In X and Y, the player teams up with:
  • the NPC player character—Calem or Serena—against Tierno and Trevor on Route 7, Bryony and Celosia in Poké Ball Factory, and a series of Team Flare Grunts and Admins inside Team Flare's Secret HQ.
  • Tierno, Trevor, Shauna, characters representing "friends" of the player's registered friends on the 3DS (taken from the Friend List), or a friend via local wireless, at the Battle Maison in Multi Battles

In the anime

Ash and Dawn with Turtwig and Piplup, preparing for a Tag Battle

Tag Battles have been featured in the anime since the second episode, with Jessie and James initiating the first Tag Battle. At this time, Misty stated that Tag Battles were against the official league rules. Team Rocket continues to challenge the main protagonists in Tag Battles regularly.

Tag Battles have become more common in the anime as of the Advanced Generation series. Notably, on two occasions, Ash has paired up with two of his female companions. The first time was in The Bicker the Better, with May and The Champ Twins!, with Dawn. In both situations, Ash had gotten into an argument with his partner and ended up making up with them and becoming in sync with them during battle.

Ash and Brock have also been shown to work well together as a team, with Pikachu and Sudowoodo easily taking down a Snorlax/Munchlax husband/wife combination in A Full Course Tag Battle. In the same episode, May and Dawn teamed up and were also victorious in their Tag Battle. Bagged Then Tagged! also featured a Tag Battle, with Ash and Dawn defeating Lyra and Khoury.

Hearthome City has its own special competition known as the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition. Trainer pairs are chosen randomly, with each Trainer receiving a card with a number on it and partnering with the Trainer whose number is paired with their number. Ash won this tournament paired with Paul, despite the two working very poorly together.

In Lost at the Stamp Rally!, Ash and Cilan fought in a Tag Battle against Ingo and Emmet, which Ash and Cilan lost despite fighting excellently. In Evolution Exchange Excitement!, Ash and Cilan battled and won against Bianca and Professor Juniper. Ash and Cilan also fought together in a Tag Battle against two brothers named Soren and Rocko in A Surface to Air Tag Battle Team! and managed to win here as well. In New Places... Familiar Faces!, Ash and Nanette battled against Iris and Cilan, though the battle was interrupted by Team Rocket in their attempt to capture Pikachu.

A special type of Tag Battle was introduced in Battling Into the Hall of Fame! known as a Team Battle, which consists of 3, 5 or 7 Trainers battling as a team using various types of formations. These battles usually occur when many Trainers get together, and are often accompanied with a strategy meeting which involve comparing personalities and skills of Pokémon while deciding on battle formations and battle-combo moves. In this episode, Ash, Serena, and Clemont were victorious against Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor in a Triple Tag Battle with Pikachu, Fennekin, and Chespin facing Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander.

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Tag Battles were uncommon prior to Generation III and IV due to the fact that they hadn't been formally introduced yet, although multiple Trainers battling a single opponent (such as Sabrina vs. Red, Blue, and Green or Bill and Lt. Surge vs. Bruno) were common. The first true Tag Battle occurs when Gold and Crystal fought against Sham and Carl's two Pokémon together.

Much later, as with the then recently-released Emerald version which fully introduced this feature, the two protagonists of the Ruby & Sapphire arc, named appropriately after the two games, would fight together against Archie and Maxie in both the Seafloor Cavern and after Groudon and Kyogre's return to their slumber. Silver and Yellow also fought against two opponents, but as Yellow didn't begin to attack until after the former was losing, it is dubious as to whether it can be called a true Tag Battle.

Several Tag Battles also occur during the Diamond & Pearl arc, including those of two pairs fighting many opponents.

Trivia

• When battling alongside Steven in Emerald, his Pokémon are shown to gain experience after the defeat of an opponent Pokémon. This does not happen to a partner's Pokémon in the Multi Battles of Generation IV.
  • Having the player's party be defeated in the Multi Battle with Steven will cause the player to white out. This was also changed in Generation IV, where a white out will not occur until both the player's and the partner's Pokémon are all knocked out.
• The Multi Battle against Mars and Jupiter in the Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum games has the potential to be a twelve-on-six fight, due to Barry's full party. All other Multi Battles in the game have numbers that are more even.
• There are no battles in which the player character and a partner Trainer battle against a single opponent.
• In Pokemon Omega Ruby and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire, when the player chooses either the Multi Battle or Super Multi Battle format in the Battle Maison, they can team with Maxie in Pokemon Omega Ruby or Archie in Pokemon Alpha Sapphire.

Battle Modes at Pokémon Communication Club Colosseum Battles for Two Single Battle • Double Battle • Mix Battle • Flat Battle Battles for Four Multi Battle Specific Rule sets Standard Cup • Double Cup Fancy Cup • GS Cup • Light Cup • Little Cup

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