Battle Spot

The Battle Spot is a feature in Generation VI and VII that allows players to participate in Link Battles over the internet. It can be accessed from the Player Search System in the Generation VI games or from Festival Plaza in the Generation VII games. It is the successor to the Global Battle Union in the Generation V games and was replaced by the Battle Stadium in Generation VIII.

Random Matchup
Pokémon over level 50 are lowered to level 50, while Pokémon under level 50 remain at their current level. Players can select to use a team from either the current party or the Battle Box. Before battle, each player has 120 seconds to select their Pokémon, with the number depending on the format (three for Single Battles and Battle Royals, four for Double and Rotation Battles, and six for Triple Battles). Players who fail to select their Pokémon in time will have their remaining Pokémon selected at random. Battles are limited to a total of 30 minutes, with each player receiving 60 seconds to select an action each turn. If a player fails to select an action, the same action as in the previous turn is repeated; if a Pokémon was switched in the previous turn, the game will select a move and target at random.

The player can choose their battle music before each battle as long as the song has been heard before. However, in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Wally's theme cannot be selected, and due to being game-exclusive, Ho-Oh and Lugia's theme can only be unlocked in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, respectively.

Free Battle
Free Battles allow players to freely battle other players online. No duplicate Pokémon or held items are allowed. The Soul Dew is also prohibited in the Generation VI games. In Generation VII, players can choose whether or not to allow special Pokémon. There is no restriction on origin markings.

Rating Battle
Rating Battles determine the player's ranking. To participate in Rating Battles, players must create a Pokémon Global Link account. Players begin at 1500 points, which increases or decreases after each battle depending on whether the battle was won or lost and the rating of the opponent. Ratings reset to 1500 at the beginning of each season, each of which lasts approximately two months. Ratings are registered to a particular Nintendo 3DS console and are reset if a game is played on a different console than the one it was registered on. In addition to no duplicate Pokémon or held items being allowed, special Pokémon are also prohibited. The Soul Dew is also prohibited in the Generation VI games.

In addition to the standard battle formats, Special Battles are also available, which have different regulations with a unique

Online Competitions
Online Competitions are competitions held by the Pokémon Global Link. They replace the Wi-Fi Competition feature from Generation V. Players must register for an Online Competition in advance. Upon selecting a team and placing it in the Battle Box, it is locked and cannot be changed for the duration of the tournament.

Competitions typically last three days, though some competitions have lasted four or five days. Players can only battles a set number of times each day during the competition, usually ten. Players who participate in a sufficient number of battles can receive a reward, typically 1000 Poké Miles or 50 Battle Points, but occasionally an event Pokémon or item will be distributed instead. International Challenges allow players to receive Championship Points to qualify for VGC tournaments.

Friendly Competitions
Players can participate in online format Friendly Competitions through the Battle Spot in Generation VII. A Friendly Competition can be created on the Pokémon Global Link website.