Attention, Pokémon Trainers! Pokémon Champions, the official game for the Pokémon World Championships (Worlds), is now on iPhone and iPad. There are Pokémon to train, teams to build and battles to win. Here’s how to get started.

Ranked Battles here are divided into 1v1 Single Battles and 2v2 Double Battles. In the latter, you’ll be sending out two Pokémon at a time, so team synergy is paramount.

Single Battles is a good place to start if you’re new to the arena. But if the Worlds is what you’re aiming for, you’ll want to train in Double Battles, the official game format for the tournament.

From your team of six, you’ll need to choose three Pokémon to head up a Single Battle or four for a Double. Some Pokémon types give you a strong advantage against specific opponents, or you might want to start with a tanky pick. Defeat all of your opponents’ Pokémon or force them to a forfeit for victory!

In Pokémon Champions, the Pokémon you can use in a battle will vary depending on the current rules and season. You can only have one of each Pokémon on your team, and Pokémon cannot have the same held item either.

Once you complete the game’s tutorial, you’ll receive six Pokémon – a starting line-up to set you up for success.

After getting used to the gameplay, it’s time to recruit new Pokémon or have your Pokémon HOME residents pay a visit.

Recruits cost Victory Points (VP) earned by winning battles or completing missions, or you can also get a free recruit once every 22 hours. Then it’s up to you to select one Pokémon from a randomised selection.

Recruitment takes two forms: trial recruitment lets you test out a Pokémon’s potential for seven days, and permanent recruitment gives you unlimited access to a Pokémon for the cost of VP or a Teammate Ticket. When a Pokémon reaches the end of its trial recruitment period, you will also get the option to switch it to a permanent recruit as long as that Pokémon remains in your Box.

The other way to battle with new Pokémon is to have them visit from your Pokémon HOME, which can be used to store Pokémon you’ve caught in other Pokémon games or in Pokémon GO. Stat points are carried over as well, which means you can potentially build a powerful team without spending a lot of VP.

In Pokémon Champions, all Pokémon have Level 50 capabilities, and every Pokémon within the same species is created equal. That means you can easily take on battles even if you don’t have in-depth knowledge of Pokémon training.

Which Ability-holding Pokémon works best with which move? What strategies can you use to counter popular Pokémon? There’s no single right answer in Pokémon battles, but you can write your own in Pokémon Champions.

©Pokémon/Nintendo/Creatures/GAME FREAK
TM, ®, and character names are trademarks of Nintendo.