Battle Royal
- This article is about the battle format in Generation VII. For the mode in the Pokémon Rumble series, see Battle Royale.
A Battle Royal (Japanese: バトルロイヤル Battle Royal) is a type of Pokémon battle introduced in Pokémon Sun and Moon. A Battle Royal involves four Trainers all battling each other at the same time. The format is based on the battles that the four guardian deities of Alola take part in to decide who is the strongest of them all.
Battle Royals are held at the Battle Royal Dome. In a Battle Royal, each Trainer brings up to three Pokémon into the ring, using one Pokémon at a time. At the end of a turn, if a Trainer has no Pokémon left, the Battle Royal ends. All participants are scored based on the number of Pokémon they knocked out, and the number of Pokémon they have remaining.
Occasionally, the Masked Royal will appear as one of the opponents in the Master Rank.
Mechanics
During a Battle Royal, any Pokémon can target any of the other three opposing Pokémon as a target. If a Pokémon faints, any moves subsequently used that had targeted that fainted Pokémon alone will fail. Moves that hit multiple targets will hit all three opponents, but the damage of these moves is reduced by 50%.
Entry hazard moves create separate entry hazards on all three opponents' sides of the field. Flame Burst inflicts its extra damage to both opponents the user did not target, regardless of their relative positions. Imposter copies the opponent directly opposite the Pokémon.
It is impossible to forfeit in a Battle Royal.
Because the battle ends when one participant is eliminated instead of three, this prevents stalling strategies from becoming dominant where one side attempts to only defend while the other three sides attack and weaken each other.
Scoring
If a Trainer's Pokémon knocks out an opposing Pokémon, that Trainer receives a point. If a Pokémon faints due to indirect damage, such as poison or burn, the point is awarded to the Pokémon who caused the indirect damage to occur. If a Pokémon faints due to self-inflicted damage or effects, such as from recoil or Explosion, no points will be awarded to anyone.
The battle is over at the end of the turn after all of any one Trainer's Pokémon have fainted. The winner is determined based on the combined total of the KO points they earned and their remaining conscious Pokémon. If there is a tie using this method, the winner will be determined based on whose Pokémon have the most remaining HP. A Trainer who had all of their Pokémon faint cannot win, even if they have the most points, unless all three opponents also lost all of their Pokémon.
In the anime
Main series
Unlike the games, the anime depicts Battle Royals as being fought until only one Trainer has Pokémon left.
Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon
Battle Royals were first introduced in Pushing the Fiery Envelope!. Ash watched a televised match of the Masked Royal taking on three other Trainers and their Machamp, Primarina, and Decidueye at the Battle Royal Dome, easily defeating all three opposing Pokémon with his Incineroar. The Masked Royal announced an event where any volunteers would get a chance to face him in a Battle Royal, prompting Ash and his classmates to travel to the Battle Royal Dome.
Due to Ash's Litten jumping down from the stands to face its evolved form, the Masked Royal chose to invite Ash in a Battle Royal, along with Kiawe and Sophocles. However, even when holding back, the Masked Royal's Incineroar was more than a match for all of its opponents, easily defeating Kiawe's Marowak and Sophocles's Charjabug with a Darkest Lariat. Although Litten managed to endure the Darkest Lariat, it too was quickly felled when the Masked Royal, having finally decided to get serious, had Incineroar use a Bulk Up-enhanced Throat Chop on the Fire Cat Pokémon.
In A Young Royal Flame Ignites!, a group of rule-breaking Battle Royal Trainers called the Revengers challenged the Masked Royal to a match for the title of the strongest Trainer at the Battle Royal Dome. However, when the Revengers started attacking the Masked Royal's Incineroar before the battle had even begun, Ash's Torracat leaped down from the stands and stopped them. The boss of the Revengers, Viren, appeared and challenged the Masked Royal and Ash to a tag match, threatening to buy out the dome should they lose. The two accepted the challenge, and the Masked Royal gave Ash a mask of his own, giving him his own Battle Royal identity as the "Ash Royal". During the tag match, both sides kept swapping turns with their partners, with Incineroar and Torracat facing off against Mad Magmar's Magmortar and Mr. Electric's Electivire. Despite the Revengers once again trying to fight dirty, the Masked Royal and Ash were able to win the match, with Torracat even learning Revenge in the process. Although Viren tried to force his way despite the loss, the "Double Royals" easily swept him aside, securing the dome's future.
In Battle Royal 151!, the preliminary round of the Manalo Conference was a massive Battle Royal between the 151 competing Trainers. The Battle Royal was called off when 16 Trainers remained, moving said Trainers on to the actual tournament.
Pokémon Journeys: The Series
In Helping the Hometown Hero!, a Battle Royal was held at the Battle Royal Dome to celebrate the homecoming of Ash, who had become a massive celebrity in the region after earning the title of Alola League Champion. The participating Trainers and Pokémon were Ash and Pikachu, Professor Kukui and Incineroar, Kiawe and Marowak, and Gladion and Nihilego. Marowak and Nihilego were eventually defeated, but it was left unclear whether Ash or Kukui won following a clash between 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt and Malicious Moonsault.
In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon arc
Battle Royals were mentioned in Finale!! The Battle Against the Other Dimension!. After Professor Burnet found out her husband was the Masked Royal, they started participating in Battle Royals together as "Luran and Kommo".
In other languages
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