Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version - Rotation Battle
Rotation Battles are battles with three Pokémon in battle on each side, positioned such that one Pokémon is in front and the other two Pokémon are placed behind that Pokémon. When a Rotation Battle starts, the first Pokémon on each side is placed on the front, the second Pokémon on the left, and the third on the right.
Although up to three Pokémon can be in battle at once, only one of them, the front Pokémon, can take an action at the start of each turn.
Moves can’t target a Pokémon that isn’t placed in front.
Rotation Battles include two new actions, called "rotate left" and "rotate right", located within the Fight command and each represented by two arrows in a circle pointing counterclockwise or clockwise, respectively. Choosing either of these buttons cycles through each Pokémon on the same side. If a different Pokémon than the one in front is chosen, a move that Pokémon will use must also be chosen, and that Pokémon will be "rotated in" to the front before any Pokémon uses a move. If the Pokémon to the left of the one in front is chosen, that Pokémon will move to the front, the one previously in front will move to the right, and the one previously to the right will move to the left. If the Pokémon to the right of the one in front is chosen, that Pokémon will move to the front, the one previously in front will move to the left, and the one previously to the left will move to the right.
It’s not possible to just rotate a Pokémon in without choosing a move, or to rotate a Pokémon in and then switch it out with the Pokémon command in the same turn. A Pokémon that’s rotated out can’t be chosen to switch out with the Pokémon command, since it’s still a Pokémon in battle.
If all of a Pokémon’s moves can’t be chosen for use as commands are chosen, that Pokémon can still use the rotate left and rotate right commands. In this case, if a Pokémon has no moves it can choose for use, the choice "Struggle" is displayed over the list of moves.
Any effects on a Pokémon are retained when that Pokémon is rotated out, since a Pokémon that’s rotated out is still a Pokémon in battle. Unless noted otherwise, effects on a Pokémon that last only a certain number of turns, such as Disable, Encore, and Taunt, are "frozen" (but remain in effect) while the Pokémon is rotated out; only while the Pokémon is rotated in at the end of a particular turn does the turn counter for that effect decline. Effects that trigger "at the end of each turn" also do not trigger for a Pokémon that’s rotated out.
If a Pokémon faints or another effect causes the Pokémon to leave the battle, its controller must choose a Pokémon not in battle to replace it if possible and can’t choose either of the rotated-out Pokémon. If there is no Pokémon not in battle the controller could choose after a Pokémon faints, the next Pokémon is automatically rotated to the right.
Unless noted otherwise, effects of a Pokémon’s Ability don’t occur while that Pokémon is rotated out.
Unless noted otherwise, effects of a Pokémon’s held item don’t occur while that Pokémon is rotated out.