How important is switching in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet VGC battles?

With the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet VGC season in progress, many players may feel inspired to make their grand debut in the competitive scene. However, they will engage in making NPC battles in the main story feel like a tutorial mode, considering how difficult many PvP encounters are. As such, many trainers should research before jumping into the fray.

One of the toughest mechanics to get down is the art of proper switching. Despite what some players may think, there is a certain timing and strategy that goes into exchanging the creatures a trainer has on the battlefield.

Unlike the main story's battles, players do not receive a prompt giving them a free switch-in upon taking down another trainer's Pokemon.

So, what should players know about effective switching in competitive battles in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet? Is it even necessary to do so since it does not give players a direct advantage like it would in offline story battles? This article provides an explanation.

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How to effectively switch creatures in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet PvP

An official screenshot from Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (Image via The Pokemon Company)

To understand when players should switch in and out of certain creatures in their battle party, players will need a solid grasp of the franchise's elemental typing chart. This shows what elements are strong and weak against each other, setting competitive battles as a live-strategy game of virtual chess.

If someone has a Fire-type creature on the field, and the opponent has a Water-type on the field, that former player would be better off switching from a Fire-type to an Electric or Grass-type Pokemon. However, type match-ups only make up most of the situations where players would have to switch out their Pokemon.

The different weather conditions in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet can indirectly steer trainers towards using creatures of a certain type while punishing those who do not. Sandstorms are a perfect example of this design philosophy as the condition increases the stats of Rock, Steel, and Ground-types while dealing damage to creatures of any other element.

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How to effectively switch in Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet PvP

Scizor using U-Turn in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Most times, a simple switch-out like one would do in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's main story is seen as a waste of a turn if not absolutely necessary. Thankfully, there are certain moves a Pokemon can learn that deal damage or have a certain effect while switching out the user if the attack lands.

Here is a list of every move in the franchise that switches out the user when used:

• U-Turn
• Chilly Reception
• Volt Switch
• Flip Turn
• Parting Shot
• Shed Tail
• Teleport
• Baton Pass

Each of these moves has its own effects, although not all deal damage. Baton Pass, for example, passes the stat boosts from the user to the new ally, while U-Turn and Volt Switch deal a large burst of elemental damage. There are many ways to incorporate effective switching into the tempo of a trainer's turn.