Gone are the days of grinding to level up Pokemon! Pokemon Scarlet & Violet introduces auto-battling, which certainly makes life easier for trainers. Auto-Battling can be accessed almost straight away in the game, even before players are introduced to the concept. It's also super easy to do.

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Auto-battling has a range of benefits: it can help individual Pokemon gain HP and Materials, and it can save the player from having to click through endless battle screens. Here's how to take advantage of auto-battling in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.

How To Auto-Battle

Players can auto-battle almost straight away by pressing the 'R' button. The top Pokemon in the party will be sent out to battle any wild Pokemon lingering nearby. Who wins the battle is decided by a number of factors - the type of each Pokemon, their level, and so on.

If the players' Pokemon wins, they will gain some XP (and give a tiny amount of XP to the rest of the Pokemon in the party). If the player's Pokemon loses, they won't faint but will return to the player. To call a Pokemon back, players can press the 'ZR' button, and they will come straight back again.

The Benefits Of Auto-Battling

There are a few benefits to auto-battling. Firstly, it saves time: older Pokemon players will remember how it felt to grind until their weakest Pokemon grew stronger, but auto-battling makes it much easier. Players can wander around nearby without having to actually get involved in the battle itself.

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Plus, auto-battling brings some rewards. As well as HP for the whole party, the Pokemon will return some Materials (which can be used to craft TMs using the TM machine).

Can You Catch Pokemon In Auto-Battles?

Nope! In fact, that is one of the main drawbacks of auto-battling. If players are in a new area, they'll want to hold off from auto-battling in case they accidentally defeat undiscovered Pokemon without catching them (which is super annoying if players are trying to complete their Pokedex).

Shiny Pokemon hunters don't need to worry though: their Pokemon will refuse to fight Shiny Pokemon, which actually makes it easier to spot some of the smaller ones (which can be hard to detect at first glance).

When Is The Best Time To Auto-Battle?

Any Pokemon that requires leveling up will benefit from auto-battling. When a player reaches an area with wild Pokemon, they can send their Pokemon out to battle. Ideally, players should try to be near a Pokemon Center - that way they can quickly heal their Pokemon when necessary.

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Other than that, there are plenty of opportunities to auto-battle. Players can spend some time exploring and collecting items, rather than having to go through the battle process themselves. If players need a boost before a big Gym battle, auto-battling can work well.

How To Win Auto-Battles

Consider the type of wild Pokemon in a certain area. Pokemon tend to hang around in clusters of the same species, so choosing the right type can make a huge difference. Sending a Fletchinder (Fire and Flying type) into a cluster of Nymbles (Bug-type) is going to be a good call. The easier it is for players' Pokemon to win, the more likely it is that they'll be able to defeat several of the same Pokemon in a row, which is a quick way to gain EXP.

If players are exploring in an area far from a Pokemon Center, and their Pokemon are weakened, they can either fly to the nearest town to heal their Pokemon or use the auto-heal button. Hit 'X' to bring up the main menu, hover over the injured Pokemon, and click the '-' button to automatically heal them using Potions or other healing items.

What Is Let's Go! Mode?

Let's Go! Mode allows players to explore Paldea with their favorite Pokemon. Hitting ZR will bring out the top Pokemon in their party. The Pokemon will follow the player as they explore, collecting items. Pressing R near wild Pokemon will send them off into battle.

Let's Go mode is a nice touch, particularly for players who loved the ability to interact with their Pokemon in Legends: Arceus. Plus, some Pokemon (like Pawmi) have to walk a certain number of steps before they can evolve, so it's worth experimenting with different Pokemon to see what happens. Plus, it's super cute to watch, which is an obvious bonus.

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are available now for Nintendo Switch.

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