Is there a multiplayer Pokémon game you can play online?
Yes. Pokémon Fight is a free, unofficial 3D Pokémon fan game that runs in your browser, and its Battle Mode has online multiplayer. You invite a friend with a link and battle one-on-one in real time, each steering your own Pokémon instead of taking turns. It isn’t an MMO: there’s no shared world and no random matchmaking, only battles between people who know each other.
Online battles at a glance
| Battle Mode multiplayer | Details |
|---|---|
| Players | 2, by invite link (no random matchmaking) |
| Format | One-on-one, real time; one Pokémon on each side at a time |
| Team size | 1 to 6 Pokémon each, chosen by the player who invites |
| Team building | Draft in turns, 30 seconds a pick; a coin flip decides who starts |
| Levels and items | Every Pokémon at level 50 with standard stats; no items |
| Stage | Each player nominates one; one is drawn at random |
| If a connection drops | The battle pauses for up to 60 seconds, once per battle |
| Record | Wins, losses and draws, overall and against each friend |
| Devices | Desktop browser, or a phone or tablet in landscape |
| Account and price | Free; both players sign in with Google |
How a match works
- Invite: in Battle Mode, choose Human Trainer. The game makes an invite link to copy and send however you like, and you choose how many Pokémon each player brings, from one to six. An invite nobody accepts ends after 24 hours.
- Accept: your friend opens the link and signs in with Google if needed. Opening the link accepts nothing: the invitation shows who is challenging, the rules, your head-to-head record and your last five battles together, and your friend presses Accept.
- Draft: a coin flip decides who picks first, then you take turns. Each turn gives you 30 seconds to choose a Pokémon and up to four of its moves; run out of time and a random Pokémon is picked for you.
- Stage: each player secretly nominates a stage within 30 seconds, and one of the two is drawn at random.
- Battle: once both screens have loaded, a three-second countdown starts the fight.
The rules
- Every Pokémon is level 50 with the same standard stats, whatever happened in anyone’s Story journey.
- No items: no Bag, no held items and no Revives.
- No pauses. Tab opens the switch panel while the fight carries on, and Esc offers to surrender, which counts as a loss.
- Switching follows the usual rule: the first switch is free, then 60 seconds of fighting between switches. After a faint you have 15 seconds to send out the next Pokémon.
- A side with no Pokémon left loses. If both last Pokémon fall at the same moment, the match is a draw.
- The game’s server runs the battle for both players, so both screens show the same fight and the same result.
If a connection drops
If a player’s connection is gone for more than three seconds, the battle pauses for both players for up to 60 seconds, once per battle, and both screens show who is away. Back in time, the battle carries on exactly where it stood. Not back in time, or gone a second time, counts as a forfeit. If both players drop at the same moment and neither returns, the match ends with no result for anyone.
Your record
Every finished match counts toward your overall record of wins, losses and draws, and toward your record against that friend. Open your profile picture on the title screen to see your totals and your match history.
Multiplayer battles use the same real-time controls as the rest of the game: see the real-time battle guide. To practise against the game’s trainers first, try Battle Mode.
Questions and answers
Does my friend need an account?
Yes. Both players sign in with Google. If your friend isn’t signed in when they open the link, the invitation is still waiting for them after they sign in.
Is there random matchmaking?
No. Multiplayer works by invite link between people who know each other.
Can I bring my Story Mode team?
No. Teams are drafted fresh for each match, and every Pokémon fights at level 50 with standard stats.
Can we play multiplayer on phones?
Yes. Multiplayer works with the touch controls on phones and tablets in landscape, and the battle keeps running on the server’s clock either way.
Is online battling in Pokémon Fight free?
Yes. Pokémon Fight is free to play, including multiplayer battles. Both players need a Google account to sign in.
Can I battle the computer instead of a friend?
Yes. In Battle Mode, choose AI Trainers to fight the game’s trainers, among them the Kanto and Orange Islands Gym Leaders, the Elite Four and the Champion, on Easy, Normal or Hard. See the Pokémon battle simulator guide.
Are the battles turn-based?
No. Both Pokémon act at the same time: you move, attack, dodge and use moves whenever their cooldowns and your SP allow. See real-time Pokémon battles.
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