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Difficulty Modes

Pokémon Unbound offers 4 difficulty settings. Difficulty can be changed at any time from the Options menu, but switching resets some battle conditions.

Casual

For new players or those who want a relaxed experience similar to official games.

AI Behavior
Basic AI, predictable moves
Level Scaling
Player stays ~10 levels ahead
Trainer Items
Trainers rarely use items
Opponent IVs / EVs
Opponents have random IVs and no EVs

Difficult

A step up with smarter trainers and closer level gaps. Recommended for experienced players.

AI Behavior
Trainers use type-effective moves and switch intelligently
Level Scaling
Level gap is tighter, within 2-3 levels
Trainer Items
Trainers use Potions and status items
Opponent IVs / EVs
Opponents have moderate IVs and some EVs

Expert

For competitive players. Trainers use held items, strategic switching, and coverage moves.

AI Behavior
Near-competitive AI. Trainers predict switches, use hazards, and set up sweeps
Level Scaling
Levels scale closely to your highest Pokémon
Trainer Items
Trainers use Full Restores and strategic items
Opponent IVs / EVs
Opponents have high IVs (20-31) and full EV spreads

Insane

The ultimate challenge. Competitive-grade AI with perfect teams and brutal restrictions.

AI Behavior
Full competitive AI. Perfect prediction, optimal switching, complex strategies
Level Scaling
Matches your highest level exactly; level caps enforced
Trainer Items
Trainers use competitive held items and Full Restores
Opponent IVs / EVs
Opponents have 31 IVs in all stats and optimal 252/252/4 EV spreads

How Level Scaling Works

For regular trainers, opponent levels are based on your lowest-level Pokémon. For Gym Leaders and bosses, they scale to your highest-level Pokémon.

This means keeping your team evenly leveled is crucial — a large gap between your strongest and weakest Pokémon will make regular trainers easy but bosses extremely hard.

Level caps prevent over-leveling before each gym. Set your Exp. Gain to "Capped Share" in Battle Options to enable the cap automatically.

Gym Level Caps → Natures Guide → Search All →