When you step into the world of Pokémon, odds are you’re going to find yourself in a Pokémon battle sooner or later. These tests of strength and skill are an exciting way to see who’s the best Trainer around. Primarily, you’ll engage in two types of battles: those against wild Pokémon and those against other Pokémon Trainers.
While traversing the Paldea region, you’ll see plenty of wild Pokémon roaming the countryside. Making contact with one will initiate a turn-based battle that should be immediately familiar to Pokémon fans. Try to knock out the wild Pokémon or attempt to catch it—either way, the Pokémon in your party will earn Exp. Points, and you might collect some materials that can be used to make TMs. As mentioned previously, you can gain an advantage against a wild Pokémon by sneaking up and tossing the Poké Ball containing your lead Pokémon at it.
Tera Raid Battles are a variation on wild Pokémon battles where you and a group of other Trainers take on an exceptionally powerful Terastallized Pokémon.
If you want to focus more on exploration than battling, you can use the “Let’s Go!” command to send a Pokémon out to battle wild Pokémon without needing any input from you. These Auto Battles, which function much like the battles you’ll face within Team Star’s bases, won’t give your party the full amount of Exp. Points they’d get from a standard battle. You also won’t have the opportunity to catch any of the wild Pokémon that your team takes on in Auto Battles. That said, your Pokémon will still earn some Exp. Points and collect useful items for you. Auto Battles can affect your Pokémon’s HP, so keep an eye on their HP meter to make sure they don’t get too worn out to battle.
It was once a longstanding tradition of the Pokémon series that two Trainers whose eyes meet must battle. But in the Paldea region, battling the many Trainers you’ll see along your journey requires you to chat with them first. That means you no longer need to worry about being forced into a battle when you’re simply trying to reach a destination. Don’t just ignore Trainer battles, though! They’re essential to earning more Exp. Points for your Pokémon, money for yourself, and entries for your Pokédex.