Pokémon Ruby Version, Sapphire Version, and Emerald Version - Switching Out

Tags: pokemon-ruby-sapphire-and-emerald, battle-system, in-depth-guides, switching-out

Before Pokémon switch out at the switching-out phase of the turn, a message is shown for each Pokémon that chose Focus Punch for use in the order of leader-first, nonleader-first, leader-second, nonleader-second.

Section A: All steps below resolve as soon as the Pokémon enters the battle.

1. Pokémon loses HP if Spikes are on its side (If Pokémon faints, the next Pokémon is chosen and enters the battle immediately)
2. Drizzle/Drought/Sand Stream (no order between them) (At the beginning of the battle, this step instead resolves in turn order, including the Quick Claw effect)

Section B: Each step below resolves after all Pokémon enter the battle, in the order of leader-first, opposing-first, leader-second, opposing-second.

1. Intimidate, if not already applied
2. Trace, if not already applied
3. Forecast, if not already applied

If more than one Pokémon was chosen to be switched out, the above steps (in both sections) are resolved for each Pokémon when it enters the battle, before the next Pokémon switches out.

If more than one Pokémon is switched in from fainted ones at the same time, new ones are switched in in the order of leader-first, nonleader-first, leader-second, nonleader-second. Each Pokémon switched in this way enters the battle before the next Pokémon is chosen.