Not every battle in Pokémon Stadium goes through a tournament. Two modes let you fight with nothing at stake: Free Battle, to take on friends or the computer under the rules of your choice, and Event Battle, a quick battle with preset teams. These are also the only modes where up to four can play.
Free Battle
Free Battle pits two to four human players against each other, or one player against the computer. You first choose the format:
| Format | Levels | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Pika Cup | 15 to 20 | Those of the Pika Cup |
| Petit Cup | 25 to 30 | Those of the Petit Cup |
| Poké Cup | 50 to 55 | Those of the Poké Cup |
| Prime Cup | 1 to 100 | Those of the Prime Cup |
| Anything Goes | 1 to 100 | No restrictions, and the only six-on-six format |
Each player can take their Pokémon from a Red, Blue or Yellow cartridge plugged into their controller, or from the Rental Pokémon. Against the computer, you can even choose the Pokémon it will use: a way to set up your own challenges, like replaying a Gym Leader match or testing a team against a specific threat.
Three- and four-player battles
Double battles do not exist yet in the first generation: with three or four players, Stadium therefore organizes team battles. At most two players form a team; each brings up to six Pokémon and chooses three. Only one Pokémon per side is on the field at a time, and each player controls only their own. To bring in one of your partner’s Pokémon, the partner has to trigger the switch, then choose their Pokémon with the matching C button. Two-versus-one battles are also possible.
At selection time, the order in which players choose their Pokémon determines who plays first at the start of the battle. The L button clears all selections, and the R button shows the Pokémon chosen by you and your partner.
Saving your teams
So you don’t have to redo the selection every time, you can save teams: up to ten per format, with Rental Pokémon or Pokémon from your cartridges. Saved teams are also used in the cups of the Stadium. Note: for the Surfing Pikachu challenge, the Pokémon must be chosen directly from the cartridge, not from a saved team.
Event Battle
Event Battle is available right after the title screen. It immediately starts a match against the computer with a predetermined team: you choose three Pokémon from six, all at level 50, and the battle begins. It is the ideal mode to introduce someone to the game, or for a five-minute session.
The teams change depending on the round.
Round 1
First team
#0025PikachuElectric
#0001BulbasaurGrassPoison
#0004CharmanderFire
#0007SquirtleWater
#0027SandshrewGround
#0035ClefairyFairy
Second team
#0081MagnemiteSteelElectric
#0043OddishGrassPoison
#0037VulpixFire
#0054PsyduckWater
#0104CuboneGround
#0052MeowthNormal
A nod to the early days of the Game Boy games: the three starter Pokémon, Pikachu and Pokémon met on the first routes of Kanto.
Round 2
First team
#0026RaichuElectric
#0085DodrioNormalFlying
#0028SandslashGround
#0038NinetalesFire- #0043OddishGrassPoison
#0117SeadraWater
Second team
#0125ElectabuzzElectric
#0018PidgeotNormalFlying
#0071VictreebelGrassPoison
#0078RapidashFire
#0087DewgongWaterIce
#0112RhydonRockGround
In Round 2, the teams are made up of evolved Pokémon, still at level 50: the match is faster and more brutal.
Our tips
- Among friends, use rentals to balance the games: everyone has the same Pokémon, at the same level, with fixed moves. Pokémon trained in the Game Boy games have effort points that give them a clear advantage.
- The Anything Goes format is the most spectacular, but it favors the most powerful Pokémon: a Mewtwo from a cartridge crushes most games there.
- Test before a tournament: set the computer with the team of an opponent you dread, taken from our Stadium pages or the Gym Leader Castle, and practice.
For the rules specific to Stadium (sleep, critical hits, modified moves), see the battle rules.
