The Pokémon Battlefields

Anyone who is a fan of Pokémon will surely know about the battles that take place among the eponymous species, whether or not they belong to specific Trainers. What may be rarely considered about them is the venues where they take place - in other words, the battlefields. This might seem like a trivial thing, but it's one that merits some consideration at the least regarding the possible situations that the battlefields may be in as well as their appearance in those cases.

In many cases, particularly when one is removed from settlements on a journey, the battlefield may just be the bare ground, with no markings at all. But that's understandable - the battles themselves, such as with wild Pokémon, may happen in a sudden or impromptu manner, and that being the case, one can't exactly seek out or establish a battlefield, and one has to battle at and with whatever is there. This would be a normal and expected manner of battling for many Trainers.

For Trainers seeking success in Gyms or against those in the know, the battlefield might look quite different. It might have specially crafted terrain, and more importantly, it might have markings. Pokémon Go indicates an example of such a battlefield, where the markings might resemble those of a sumo arena. It might also resemble a soccer field with an inner circle that looks like a Poké Ball, as indicated by the anime. These battlefields on the whole look more organized.

Trainers whose successes are continued or at a high level may find themselves in some battlefields that are found in large arenas. These may be even more intricate than those in Gyms or ones belonging to Trainers of good standing. The Poké Ball in the circle may be decorated or even colored as one, especially during special occasions. There might be extra terrain such as pools of water or chunks of ice to accommodate certain Pokémon. Other markings might also be present for different kinds of battles. All these indicate a higher degree of organization.

Pokémon battles are the norm in the world of Pokémon, particularly for those who specialize in bringing up Pokémon for this purpose. It's also the norm for them to be conducted on some sort of a battlefield, and it's expected they'll vary depending on the settings and environments. What hopefully won't vary is the tenacity of Trainers and Pokémon to do battle on them, whether they're just starting out on the path of glory on rudimentary battlefields or at the apex of their journey on the best possible ones.

One year ago: Holding Hands

Two years ago: Raid Preferences

Three years ago: Sympathy for Villains