Pokemon Sword and Shield

Ranked Battle Series 9 | Rules and Legal Pokemon

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This guide explains all the rules of the current series of Ranked Battle, including the Pokemon that can be legally used in Ranked Battle, all legal Gigantamax Pokemon, as well as all legal Pokemon available via Pokemon HOME.

Series 9 Information

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Duration June 1, 2021 (Tue.) 9:00 PM PDT - June 30, 2021 (Wed.) 4:59 PM PDT
Available Pokemon Galar Pokedex No. 1 - 397
Isle of Armor Pokedex No. 1 - 210
Crown of Tundra Pokedex No. 1- 210
National Pokedex No. 150 - 806
Gigantamax Pokemon All current Gigantamax Pokemon

Starting May 1, the Series 8 ruleset will be reversed. Legendary Pokemon are once again excluded from competitive play!

Additionally, the returning Pokemon reintroduced in The Crown of Tundra will be useable. This excludes Mythical Pokemon.

All information in this article is courtesy of Play! Pokemon's official ruleset.

Series 9 Legal Pokemon

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All Legal Pokemon
・All non-Legendary Pokemon in the Galar Pokedex
・All Kanto and Alola starter Pokemon
・All Isle of Armor Pokemon
・All Crown of Tundra Pokemon (Excluding certain Mythicals)
・All regional variants of other legal Pokemon

Complete Galar Pokedex

Majority of the Pokemon reintroduced in the Crown Tundra Pokedex have been made legal for Ranked Battle. Consult the full list later on the page for details of which Legendary Pokemon are allowed.

All regional variations of Pokemon included in the above list of Pokemon are also legal.

Details of Legal Teams & Pokemon

  • A player’s team cannot contain two Pokémon with the same Galar Pokédex number.
  • Two Pokémon cannot hold the same item.
  • Pokémon must have the black Galar symbol on their summary screen to signify that they originated in the Galar region, or the battle-ready symbol.
  • Hidden Abilities are legal.
  • Moves and Abilities passed via the Pokémon Nursery by a Pokémon brought in using Pokémon HOME are legal.
  • Moves and Abilities made available through an official Pokémon event or promotion are legal.

Legal Gigantamax Pokemon

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All currently available Gigantamax Pokemon are available for Ranked Battle.

Legendary Pokemon are Excluded

Series 9 once again excludes Legendary Pokemon from competitive play. These include the following:

Mythical Pokemon are Excluded

Mythical Pokemon cannot be used in Series 9. These include the following:

How to Use Transferred Pokemon

Get a Battle-Ready Mark at the Battle Tower

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Although Pokemon caught or hatched outside the Galar Region were previously disallowed for play, these Pokemon can now be used in Ranked Battle once they receive a battle-ready mark. In the Battle Tower, talk to the man standing next to the far door, and you'll be able to receive the mark on a transferred Pokemon – however, it will need to forget any moves not appearing in Pokemon Sword and Shield before it can be marked legal for Ranked Battle.

Series 9 Rules

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  1. Rankings for Single and Doubles are separate.
  2. You cannot go down a rank once your tier has been raised. No matter how many times you lose, your Tier will stay the same.
  3. An Internet connection is required in playing Ranked Battles. You will need an Nintendo Switch Online Subscription to participate in all online activities in Pokemon including Ranked Battles.

Single Battle

Game Pokemon Sword and Shield
Battle Format Single
Pokemon in your current team or registered to your Battle Team From 3 to 6 Pokemon
All Pokemon will have their level automatically set to Lv. 50 during battles.
Battle Times Your Time: Max 7 minutes
Selection Time: Each Trainer gets 90 seconds to select their Pokemon.
Trainer gets 60 seconds to select an action each turn.

Double Battle

Game Pokemon Sword and Shield
Battle Format Double
Pokemon in your current team or registered to your Battle Team From 4 to 6 Pokemon
All Pokemon will have their level automatically set to Lv. 50 during battles.
Battle Times Your Time: Max 7 minutes
Selection Time: Each Trainer gets 90 seconds to select Pokemon.
Turn Time: Each Trainer gets 60 seconds to select an action each turn.

Related Links

Getting a Good Start
Things to Know Before Starting Pokemon How to Adjust Screen Size
Galar Starters
Which Starter Pokemon Should You Choose? How to Get All 3 Starters
Changing Appearance
How to Change Your Appearance How to Change Your Uniform
Pokemon Battles
Type Effectiveness and Damage Output Fishing for Pokemon
How to Run Away -
Building the Best Team
How to Build the Best Team Train Pokemon Like a Pro
Catching Legendary Pokemon -
Your Pokemon
How to Stop Evolutions How to Release Pokemon
How to Get More PC Boxes -
Online Features
How to Add Friends How to Get and Use the Y-Comm
How to Battle and Trade with Friends How to Max Raid with Friends
Pokemon Camp
How to Pokemon Camp with Friends How to Get Toys
How to Make Best Curry -
Useful Information
How to Get Money (Poke Dollars) Fast Things to Do Every Day
Useful Characters and Their Locations List of Unrepeatable One-time Events
List of All Mystery Gift Codes How to Get BP
New in Sword and Shield
Differences Between Dynamax and Gigantamax Access Pokemon Boxes on the Road
How to Get Sweets Removed Features

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