Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: How To Auto-Battle

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet uses the auto-battling feature similar to Pokémon Legends: Arceus which released early this year. The system allows you to send Pokémon out into the field to auto-battle wild Pokémon and can be a fast way to get your entire team levelled up quickly. The name for the mechanic is Let’s Go.

Before the system is even explained in-game, pressing the right bumper (R) will send out the Pokémon in the first position in your party. Tapping the right bumper can direct your Pokémon to specific targets. Your Pokémon will automatically battle other Pokémon it encounters or it will collect items it discovers.

If there are Pokémon nearby, sometimes yours will choose to continue towards them. Gatherings of Pokémon could all be battled by yours, making XP gains huge and increasing levels quickly.

There’s only one round in auto-battling which your Pokémon will either win or lose. Yours and the opposing Pokémon’s type and level determine who wins the battle. The battle interface never comes up and no user input is required at all.

Your Pokémon will get XP and the rest of the party will get half of that. Pokémon can lose health in these battles. They won’t faint but a message will pop up reading “[Your Pokémon] wore itself out and came back to you…” When this message is shown, that Pokémon won’t be able to auto-battle again until it’s been healed.

During auto-battles, Pokémon cannot be caught, but materials from victories will be awarded which can be used in the TM Machine at Pokémon Centres to build new TMs.

You can also press the right bumper to send out your Pokémon but not enter auto-battling by directing them anywhere. This is called Walk With Pokémon. As long as you don’t stray too far from them, they’ll walk alongside you.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are out now for Switch.

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