Difficulty

Difficulty is a game setting encountered in the game's Options menu that allows the player to alter the difficulty of certain battles found throughout the game. Note that because Normal is considered the default difficulty setting, the differences encountered on Easy and Hard will be compared with respect to Normal difficulty below.

Differences between difficulty levels

Easy difficulty

• Decreased levels during major trainer battles.
• Less Pokémon to fight on the teams of certain major trainer battles.
• Increased number of Pokémon used by partners during Multi Battles.
• Reduced number of items held by opponents' Pokémon during certain major trainer battles.
• Less competitive movesets/abilities are used by certain major trainers' Pokémon; movesets are intended to more closely resemble movesets found in the core series games.
• Individual Values will be set to default (10) in all stats, for all trainer Pokémon.
• Effort Values will be set to 0 in all stats, for all trainer Pokémon.
• Natures are randomized for all trainer Pokémon.
• Ability to set the Battle Style to Shift and use items when challenging the Pokémon League.

Hard difficulty

• Increased levels during major trainer battles.
• Level caps corresponding to the highest level of upcoming major trainer battles.
  • If the player reaches this level cap, any Pokémon that has met this limit will receive 1 EXP when defeating another Pokémon in battle until the level cap has been raised again.
• More Pokémon to fight on the teams of certain major trainer battles. Different Pokémon may also be used during a few major trainer battles. These Pokémon are intended to make battles more difficulty and may not adhere to the continuity of the story as a result.
• Reduced number of Pokémon used by partners during Multi Battles.
• Increased number of items held by opponents' Pokémon during certain major trainer battles.
• Though most but not all movesets/abilities of major trainers' Pokémon are competitive, each Pokémon's type coverage is increased significantly.
• Individual Values will be set to 31 in all stats, for nearly all major trainers' Pokémon.
• Beneficial Natures are assigned to all major trainers' Pokémon starting with the fourth gym.
• 510 non-random, beneficial Effort Values will be assigned to some major trainers' Pokémon starting at the Whirl Islands.
• Inability to set the Battle Style to Shift and use items when challenging the Pokémon League.

List of major trainer battles

• Rival Damian, Midna Town Trainer School. Level cap of 17.
• Rival Nora, Midna Town Trainer School. Level cap of 17.
• Abyssal Cultist, Ancient Ruins. Level cap of 19.
• Leader Orion, Suntouched Gym. Level cap of 25.
• Rival Nora, Metchi Town. Level cap of 30.
• Leader Xavier, Vipik Gym. Level cap of 35.
• Rival Damian, Rezzai Cavern. Level cap of 45.
• Perfection Cultist Taen, Perfection Base. Level cap of 45.
• Leader East, Jade Tower. Level cap of 49.
• Augur Jaern, Jade Tower. Level cap of 49.
• Rival Nora or Rival Damian, Utira Town. Level cap of 51.
• Ancient Oracle, Utira Library. Level cap of 53.
• Cult Leader Audrey, Whirl Islands. Level cap of 55.
• Leader Harmony, Sonata Gym. Level cap of 55.
• Cult Leader Audrey, Abyssal Base. Level cap of 59.
• Leader Anastasia, Kepler Gym. Level cap of 60.
• Perfection Cultist Taen, Kepler City. Level cap of 62.
• Cult Leader Zenith, Fiery Caverns. Level cap of 62.
• Cult Leader Persephone, Selene City. Level cap of 64.
• Leader Diana, Selene Gym. Level cap of 68.
• Perfection Cultist Taen, Dragon Ruins. Level cap of 70.
• Medium A. Williams, Oranos Town. Level cap of 79.
• Leader Calreath, Amphitrite Gym. Level cap of 79.
• Perfection Cultist Taen, Perfection Base. Level cap of 83.
• Cult Leader Zenith, Infernal Base. Level cap of 83.
• Cult Leader Persephone, Prion Town. Level cap of 85.
• Rival Damian, Cortisol Road. Level cap of 85.
• Leader Adam, Erebus Gym. Level cap of 87.
• Augur Jaern, Crystal Caves. Level cap of 98.
• Forgotten One Nyx, Throne of the Hegemon. Level cap of 98.
• Elite Four Kayla, Pokémon League. Level cap of 98.
• Elite Four Eduard, Pokémon League. Level cap of 98.
• Elite Four Yuki, Pokémon League. Level cap of 98.
• Elite Four London, Pokémon League. Level cap of 98.
• Champion Reukra, Pokémon League. Level cap of 98.

Trivia

• Despite being listed as major trainer battles, the player's battles versus Damian and Nora in the Midna Town Trainer School do not differ from their battles on Normal difficulty due to a bug.