The Player Search System, PSS for short, is one of the three subscreens that can be accessed on the bottom screen in X and Y, or as part of the PlayNav in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. It condenses most of the online and communication features found in previous games into one convenient screen, letting you battle, trade or interact with friends and other players no matter where in Kalos or Hoenn you are.
Main interface[edit]
The PSS's main screen features three groups of people: Friends, Acquaintances and Passersby. Passersby are the largest group, and they represent random strangers connected to the Internet. Acquaintances are Passersby that you have battled or traded with, and can be battled or traded with further to potentially add them as a friend. Friends are people you have added to your friend list from your Acquaintances, as well as anyone on your 3DS system's friend list who has played Pokémon X or Y at the same time as you. Selecting a player lets you either request to battle them, request to trade with them, watch their Trainer PR Video and give them O-Powers. For friends, you can also use Game Chat to talk to them using the microphone, but this depends on whether your friend has enabled Game Chat in their settings.
Other than the list of players, there are two buttons on the top screen. The middle one lets you access the menu of the PSS, where many of its features are available to you. The one to the right of the menu button lets you connect to the Internet using the 3DS's Wi-Fi connection, which is required for many of the features in the PSS. Generally, anything in the menu with a blue ring around its button requires an Internet connection.
Features[edit]
Battle[edit]
One of the classic multiplayer features of Pokemon, this option lets you battle with any nearby players or people across the Internet. You can choose from every battle format available, singles, doubles, triples, rotation battles and even multi battles that let you invite friends to fight on your side. You can also choose from some preset restrictions used in battle, whether to limit every Pokemon's level to 50 or to ban the use of certain Pokemon like mascot legendaries. You can choose between using Pokemon in your party or in your Battle Box, and you have a chance to make some final adjustments before the battle begins.
Note that when an Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire player battles an X or Y player, the former cannot use any moves or abilities introduced in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.
Trade[edit]
Another iconic feature of the series, this option lets you trade Pokemon with nearby players or people across the Internet. You'll have a view of both your current party and your entire Pokemon collection in the PC to choose from, as well as a summary of the Pokemon your trade partner is offering. Pokemon with HM moves cannot be traded, as well as Pokemon with an Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire exclusive move, ability, or item when trading with an X and Y player.
Battle Spot[edit]
The Battle Spot is for serious battlers searching for competition. One can also choose from every battle format except for multi battles. There are also two types of battles to choose from, Free Battles and Ranked Battles, the latter only available to players who have done a Game Sync with Pokemon Global Link. In Ranked Battles, each player is assigned a rank that rises and falls based on their performance, and they'll be matched to competitors of similar ranks. The Battle Spot has a set of restrictions which includes banned usage of certain legendaries and no duplicate items, which is enforced in Ranked Battles but optional in Free Battles. There is also a Special option that has unique rulesets that change by season, which can have themed rules like allowing only Electric-types, or which follow the ruleset of the annual Video Game Championship.
The Battle Spot is segregated for players of X and Y, and players of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, so it is impossible for battlers of different pairs of games to get matched up. In Ranked Battles, competitors of X and Y can use any Pokemon legitimately caught or hatched in Kalos or transferred from Unova, while battlers of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire can only use Pokemon caught or hatched in the current generation, as in any Pokemon with a blue pentagon on their summary screen.
Wonder Trade[edit]
Wonder Trade is a new feature that lets you trade Pokemon with a random stranger on the Internet, with neither of you knowing what either party is offering until the trade is completed. You could occasionally get rare Pokemon from Wonder Trade, but it is far more likely for you to receive common low-leveled Pokemon. Nevertheless, Wonder Trade is a good outlet for breeders to dump imperfectly bred Pokemon, and consequently a decently good way to get Pokemon with high IVs or egg moves.
Shout-Out[edit]
Send a completely custom message to everyone on your friend list. It can be useful for announcing your in-game status, requesting O-Powers, demanding battles or offering trades.
Holo Caster[edit]
The Holo Caster displays information obtained through SpotPass or StreetPass in Augmented Reality, so you will see a hologram of the news broadcaster with a backdrop of your real life surroundings. It is mostly used to stay informed about special rating battles on the Battle Spot, competitions in your region and rare Pokemon distributions.
GTS[edit]
The Global Trade Station is offers the same services as in previous games, an international network for trading almost any Pokemon with players all over the world. You can seek out Pokemon offered by other players for potential trades, or deposit your own Pokemon for another requested Pokemon. Unlike in past games, you now have the option to search for Pokemon you've never encountered in the Pokedex, as long as you know its name, though it is important not to misspell them. When seeking Pokemon, you can also filter out players making unreasonably rare requests for mascot legendaries.
Note that Pokemon with special items like Mega Stones, as well as all mythical Pokemon, cannot be traded on the GTS. Pokemon with moves or abilities exclusive to Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire cannot be traded if the recipient's game is X or Y.
Game Sync[edit]
If you've registered a Pokemon Global Link account online, this feature lets you sync your game with your online account. It will update your status, obtained Medals and most recent photo to the PGL website, while downloading items received from the PokeMileage Club into your game, where it can be collected by talking to the saleswoman at any Pokemon Center. By default, Game Sync will be performed every time you save the game while connected to the Internet, but you have the option to turn Auto Sync off, so that it will only sync when you manually choose to do so.
Much of the features related to Game Sync uses Poke Miles, an in-game currency earned by walking around, battling other players, trading and StreetPassing. Poke Miles sent to the PGL website during a Game Sync cannot be returned, though you can stop Poke Miles from transferring altogether during a Game Sync. Poke Miles can be used to buy healing items in-game, but they are available for a cheaper price on the PokeMileage Club, a part of the PGL website. Poke Miles can also be spent on attractions in the Pokemileage Club, small minigames that give rare items as prices, which can then be transferred back on to the game.
O-Power[edit]
O-Powers temporarily grant boosts to a particular aspect of gameplay, from boosting a stat of your lead Pokemon to increasing your catch rate or egg hatching speed. You start off with a small selection of O-Powers, and you can collect more by seeking out Mr. Bonding in Kalos's hotels, or by talking to the colorful men in Mauville City's Pokemon Center in Hoenn. O-Powers require energy to activate, and the rate your energy replenishes depends on how many steps you've made on that day, regardless of whether the cartridge was in the 3DS while the steps were logged. You can use O-Powers on yourself or give them to friends, with the more generous option costing less energy. Using O-Powers repeatedly will upgrade them to a higher level, increasing their effect at the cost of more energy.
Favorites List[edit]
On the main screen, when viewing the profiles of other players, you will have the ability to mark them as a favorite. These players will then appear in your favorites list, where you'll have quick access to their profiles.
Profile[edit]
Your profile displays your history, your current Pokemon-Amie Pokemon and some miscellaneous statistics. You can also set your profile picture and greeting message here. There are also several personality questions you can answer to give your profile more flavor.
PSS Settings[edit]
A selection of communication options that don't belong anywhere else. You can choose who can request battles or trades with you, who to display your PR video to, whether Game Chat should be enabled, or disable the PSS altogether.