After teasing last week that trainer battles are coming to Pokémon Go, developer Niantic today spilled more details on how the feature will work.
Trainer battles will begin rolling out in Pokémon Go this month. You can challenge another trainer at any time using a Battle Code, and while players will typically have to be near each other to battle, Ultra Friends and Best Friends can fight each other from any distance.
When you engage in a trainer battle, you'll select a team of three Pokémon to take into the fray. Players must complete in the same Trainer Battle League that will determine the CP limit for the participating Pokémon, which will help ensure that the battle isn't completely one-sided. Battles happen in real-time, and your Pokémon can execute both Fast Attack and Charged Attack moves. You can also deploy a Protect Shield to save your Pokémon from critical damage, but you'll only have a limited number of these in a battle.
When a trainer battle is done, both players will receive rewards, including a chance at getting rate Evolution items. And to help you prepare for your next battle, you can practice with team leaders Spark, Candela, and Blanche and earn rewards once per day.
Battling your friends with the Pokémon you've worked to train has always been a huge feature of the Pokémon games, so it's good to see it finally coming to Pokémon Go. It's also great to see Niantic enable the ability to battle your close friends no matter where they are. While it makes sense for most battles to require your opponent to be nearby, as Pokémon Go is all about getting outside and exploring, being able to battle your good friends no matter where you are should help to make trainer battles more fun.