Battle Formats

PokeDexter supports all standard Pokémon Showdown formats. This page explains what's available and why certain formats work better for wagered battles.

What is Pokémon Showdown?

Pokémon Showdown is the most popular competitive Pokémon battle simulator. It's:

• Free and browser-based
• Accurate to the official games
• Fast - no waiting for animations (optional)
• Complete - all generations, all Pokémon, all moves

PokeDexter is built on Pokémon Showdown's battle engine, so everything that works there works here.

Generations Supported

Each generation has its own mechanics, Pokémon, and metagame.

Format Types

Random Battle (Recommended for Wagering)

/wager opponent, 10, gen9randombattle

How it works:

• Both players receive randomly generated teams
• Teams are balanced for competitive viability
• No team preparation required

Why it's best for wagering:

Recommended for: All wagered battles, especially between strangers.

Smogon Tiers

Smogon is the competitive Pokémon community. They organize Pokémon into tiers based on usage:

Usage for wagering:

/wager opponent, 10, gen9ou
/wager opponent, 5, gen9ubers

Consideration: Requires both players to have teams prepared. Good for experienced players who want to showcase team-building skill.

Doubles Formats

2v2 battles where each player has two Pokémon out at once.

/wager opponent, 10, gen9randomdoubles
/wager opponent, 10, gen9vgc2024

For wagering: Random Doubles works well. VGC requires specific team knowledge.

Other Formats

Why Random Battle for Wagering?

The "Throwing" Problem

In formats where you bring your own team, a bad actor could intentionally lose:

❌ Player A: "I'll wager $100 and bring 6 Magikarps"
   → Intentional loss, potential fraud scheme

Random Battle solves this:

✅ Both players get competitive teams
✅ Can't control what you receive
✅ Must play to win with what you're given

Skill Expression

Random Battle still rewards skill:

Top players win more often in Random Battle, even with "worse" teams.

Speed

Faster games = more wagers per session = better for the platform.

Format Codes

When using /wager, use these format codes:

Gen 9 (Current)

gen9randombattle      - Random Battle (recommended)
gen9ou                - Overused
gen9uu                - Underused
gen9ru                - Rarely Used
gen9nu                - Never Used
gen9ubers             - Ubers
gen9lc                - Little Cup
gen9monotype          - Monotype
gen9nationaldex       - National Dex
gen9randomdoubles     - Random Doubles
gen9vgc2024           - VGC 2024
gen9doublesou         - Doubles OU
gen91v1               - 1v1

Previous Gens

gen8randombattle      - Gen 8 Random
gen8ou                - Gen 8 OU
gen7randombattle      - Gen 7 Random
gen7ou                - Gen 7 OU
gen4ou                - Gen 4 OU (classic)
gen3ou                - Gen 3 OU (classic)
gen1ou                - Gen 1 OU (RBY)

Fun Formats

gen9randombattlemayhem    - Random + gimmicks
gen9almostanyability      - Pokémon can have almost any ability
gen9balancedhackmons      - Custom moves/abilities

Team Building (Non-Random Formats)

For formats like OU where you bring your own team:

Option 1: Use the Team Builder

1. Click "Teambuilder" in the menu
2. Select format (e.g., Gen 9 OU)
3. Add 6 Pokémon with moves, items, EVs
4. Save team

Option 2: Import a Team

1. Find a team online (Smogon, YouTube, etc.)
2. Click "Teambuilder" → "New Team"
3. Click "Import" and paste the team text
4. Save

Option 3: Use Sample Teams

Many formats have built-in sample teams you can use as a starting point.

Recommended Formats for Wagering

Format Rules

Each format has rules that are enforced:

These are handled automatically - you can't break them even if you try.

Next Steps