From Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia.
The team Red used in his Full Battle against Blue
A Full Battle (Japanese: フルバトル Full Battle), also known as a six-on-six battle, is a Pokémon battle in which both Trainers use a full party of six Pokémon. The first Trainer to completely knock out all of the opposing Trainer's Pokémon wins the battle.
These battles are rare, both in the anime and the games. Typically, Trainers will use fewer than the full six, usually one to three.
In the anime
Most Trainers declare a specific number of Pokémon to be used in a battle. This number is very rarely the full six. Battles in the final rounds of each region's League Conference are usually Full Battles.
Main series
Original series
Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire
Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl
Pokémon the Series: Black & White
Pokémon the Series: XY
Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon
Pokémon Journeys: The Series
Pokémon Origins
I Choose You!
Bidoof's Big Stand
Pokémon: Paldean Winds
In the manga
Full Battle are relatively rare in various mangas, although some Full Battles from the anime have appeared in its manga adaptations.
Ash & Pikachu
The Electric Tale of Pikachu
Pokémon Adventures
FireRed & LeafGreen arc
In the games
Unlike the anime, the games allow two Trainers to use different numbers of Pokémon. While the player can have six Pokémon in the party at a time, many NPCs faced will not. Generally only rivals and Champions have a full team during the main storyline, while Gym Leaders and members of the Elite Four may also have a full team in rematches. Red also has a full team on the player's first match against him in Generations II, IV, and VII. Some Pokémon Breeders maintain a full team, although their Pokémon usually have lower levels than other Trainers' Pokémon in the area. Several core series games have a Fisher with a party of six Magikarp. The non-experience earning battles in battle facilities also are Full Battles. Only on rare occasions do other Trainers have a full team.
Trivia
- If movies are not counted, Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl is the only series in which Full Battles took place outside of an official tournament.
- Pokémon the Series: Black & White is the only series which did not feature a proper Full Battle, as only bits of Cameron versus Virgil and Virgil versus Dino were shown. Though Ash's battle against Cameron was supposed to be a Full Battle and was shown in its entirety, it wasn't a proper Full Battle, as Cameron accidentally handicapped himself by only bringing five Pokémon to the match.
- This also makes it the only series where Ash is a main character and does not participate in a proper Full Battle of six-on-six.
- Ash's battle against Gary in the Silver Conference is his only known Full Battle in the anime where he doesn't use Pikachu.
- Ash's battle against Cynthia marks the first time Ash has participated in a Full Battle without using a traditional regional first partner Pokémon.
- Paul is the only character in the anime that Ash has had more than one Full Battle against.
- Paul has also participated in more on-screen Full Battles than any character other than Ash, with a total of four.
- Pokémon Journeys: The Series is the only series in which Ash partakes in more than one Full Battle and doesn't lose any of them.
