Trading and Battling: Communications

Learn how to trade and battle with friends in Pokemon Sword and Shield using the Y-Comm. Discover Link Trade, Link Battle, and setting up Link Codes for seamless online play.

Alright, let's get you hooked up with other players in Pokémon Sword and Shield! The main way you'll be doing this is through something called the Y-Comm. Think of it as your direct line to trading and battling with folks, whether they're right next to you or across the globe.

You'll unlock the Y-Comm pretty early on, after you reach Professor Magnolia's place on Route 2. It's usually about an hour into the game. To open it up, just hit the Y Button when you're out and about in the world – hence the name!

By default, your game is set to Local Wireless. This is perfect if the person you want to trade or battle with is physically nearby. But if they're far away, you'll need to make sure both of your Nintendo Switch consoles are connected to the internet. You can switch to internet mode by pressing the + or - Button.

Getting a Request Going

So, you want to trade? Easy peasy. Just tap on the Link Trade button at the top of the Y-Comm menu. If you're feeling adventurous and want to trade with a random person online, go ahead and choose “Start trading.” This is usually fine if you're trading with someone nearby and don't think anyone else is around. But if you want to make sure you're trading with a specific friend, you'll want to pick “Set Link Code.” This lets you enter a private 8-digit code that only you and your friend know.

Battling is a bit different from taking on the computer-controlled trainers. To initiate a battle, hit the Link Battle button, which is usually right in the middle. You've got a few options here:

• Single Battle: Just like the regular story battles, it's one Pokémon against one.
• Double Battle: This is where things get interesting, with two Pokémon on each side.
• Multi Battle: This is a Double Battle, but with two teams of two players each. Team up with a friend and take on another pair!

Just like with trading, you can set a link code for battles by pressing the + or - Button. Once you've set up your trade or battle, you'll issue a request as a 'stamp'. Other players can see this stamp on their Y-Comm menu and click it to accept. The same goes for you – you can click on someone else's stamp to try and connect. If you're looking to speed things up, you can hit “Search” to filter through the available stamps.

Pro Tip: If you've both set a link code, the game will try its best to pair you two up if you choose the same code. It's a slicker way to get connected!

Request Accepted!

Once your trade or battle request is accepted, things usually fall into place pretty smoothly. For trades, you'll both need to confirm. You can check out the Pokémon being offered, look at your own Pokémon's summary, or just agree to the trade. For battles, the game will randomly decide who gets to set the rules. This includes things like the level cap for your Pokémon and whether any super-powerful Legendary or Mythical Pokémon (like Zacian, Zamazenta, Eternatus, or Mew) are allowed. After the rules are set, you'll pick your team and even get to choose your battle music!