Recall

Recalling (Japanese: ポケモンチェンジ Pokémon change) a is taking it out of. It is also referred to as withdrawing, switching out (Japanese: れえる replace), returning, retreating, and shifting.

In the games
There are several reasons for recalling Pokémon in the. The most basic can be a simple strategic decision to battle using another Pokémon in lieu of using a move, recalling the active one to switch in another; the new Pokémon switches in at the start of the turn but cannot be commanded until the next turn. Any Pokémon that faints must also be recalled, and the can switch in another Pokémon to continue the battle if possible. In a wild Pokémon battle, after a Pokémon faints, its Trainer may attempt to flee instead of continuing the battle, but if it fails, they must switch in a new Pokémon instead. A handful of moves also include switching as part of their effect:, , , and return the user to the party and allow the Trainer to send in a different Pokémon. The held item Eject Button also makes the holder switch out when hit by an attack.

In some cases, Pokémon may be forced to withdraw from a battle. The moves, , , and force their target to be recalled and randomly replaced by another Pokémon. Pokémon with the Abilities and  switch out in Trainer battles when their HP falls below half, forcing their Trainers to select another Pokémon to send out. The held item Red Card causes a Pokémon that hits the item's holder to switch out and be replaced by a random Pokémon from its party. However, Pokémon with the Ability are immune to these effects.

There are also a variety of circumstances that may trap a Pokémon, preventing it from being recalled from battle. The moves, , , , , , and prevent opposing Pokémon from leaving battle, and  does the same for the next turn only. The, , and  also prevent opposing Pokémon from leaving battle. A trapped Pokémon can bypass these restrictions with a Shed Shell, by using Baton Pass, U-turn, or Volt Switch, or if it is hit by Circle Throw, Dragon Tail, Roar, or Whirlwind. Starting in Generation VI, Pokémon are also immune to these trapping effects. A Pokémon that has used is similarly prevented from leaving the battle under most circumstances and can only be recalled after an opponent is defeated or by using Baton Pass, U-turn, or Volt Switch.

Manually withdrawing a Pokémon happens before all moves, except if it is targeting the Pokémon that is switching out.

When a Pokémon is withdrawn, all of its stat changes, type changes, Ability changes, moves learned via, and volatile status conditions are removed. Additionally, Pokémon with heal their non-volatile status conditions, and Pokémon with  heal their HP by up to 1/3 of its maximum.

Experience is fundamentally evenly divided among Pokémon that participated in a battle (and are not fainted) against an opponent that has not switched out, but many factors can affect this.

In Single Battles against NPC Trainers (excluding Battle Tower Trainers), if the Battle Style is set as "Shift" ("Switch" in Generation VI), then after defeating one of the opponent's Pokémon, the player is notified what the opponent's next Pokémon will be and given the option to recall their own Pokémon before the next turn.

In the anime
In the, if the Trainer does not send out a replacement Pokémon, he or she must forfeit the match. If the Trainer makes a substitution when it is not allowed, the Trainer automatically loses the battle. This was seen in White—Victini and Zekrom and Black—Victini and Reshiram, when Iris's Emolga forced a switch by using during the tournament battle.

It appears as though a Pokémon can actually refuse, or even dodge a Trainer's recall command. While this usually is a result of, it can sometimes be a sign that the Pokémon is concerned for its Trainer, such as in Snow Way Out!, or another person or Pokémon, as seen in Cottonee in Love!. In some cases, a third party such as another Trainer's Pokémon or a wild Pokémon can interfere with the recall command towards a Trainer's Pokémon. This was demonstrated in Challenge of the Samurai where a wild Beedrill that abducted Ash's Metapod managed to dodge Ash's recall command while holding Metapod; and in Showdown at Pewter City where Brock's Onix was constricting Ash's Pikachu and blocked out Ash's recall command. If a human is hit with the recall beam, it will temporarily stun the person, as demonstrated in All that Glitters is Not Golden.

Likewise, Pokémon can return to their Poké Ball of their own accord, as demonstrated in Dig Those Diglett!, when the Pokémon belonging to and various other Trainers refused to come out of their Poké Balls to deal with the, due to not wanting to contribute to the ecological disaster that the construction of the Gaiva Dam would cause.

Usually during Gym s, there are rules preventing Gym Leaders from switching their Pokémon, but challengers are allowed to make substitutions if needed. It is not uncommon for s to recall their Pokémon to cure.

During Contest Battles, s are never allowed to recall their Pokémon. When a Pokémon is unable to continue battling, the panel of judges—usually consisting of Raoul Contesta, Mr. Sukizo, and Nurse Joy—will rule, putting an end to the battle and declaring the Coordinator with the remaining Pokémon as the winner of the match.

In the TCG
This is a list of cards in the related to switching.

Trivia

 * In the Generation I and games, if the player chooses to switch their Pokémon when the opponent is about to send out a new Pokémon, the opponent is shown sending out their Pokémon before the player switches their Pokémon (even though the player's withdrawn Pokémon does not gain experience). This was changed in all later Generations, instead showing the player's switch before the opponent sends out their next Pokémon.

In other languages
Switch

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 * Pokémon Change

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