Grand Trial

The Grand Trial (Japanese: 'グランド'クエストGrand Quest) introduced in Generation Vi, exists in regions where a Victory Road isn't present. The Grand Trial takes the place of Victory Road, ultimiately serving as the final test for trainers before challenging the Elite Four of the particular region. The Grand Trial is normally held on a vast island, known as that particular region's Grand Trial Island.

In the games
In the games, the Grand Trial appears as the final test for trainers, first featured in the Mars and Venus versions. After collecting all eight badges the player must then travel to the region's Grand Trial Isle. On the isle one hundred trainers gather for the ultimate test. The trainer who comes out victorious in the Grand Trial is solely allowed to challenge the Elite Four of the particular region. The objective of the Grand Trial is to usually collect a whole set of key items and then report to a specfic location. The quest itself is however not as easy as it sounds as along the way players will be forced to battle strong trainers, strong wild Pokemon, and the harsh climates of the Grand Trial Isle.

The levels of Pokemon on the Grand Trial Isle are based on the level of the strongest Pokemon in the player's party. The levels of the wild Pokemon and the trainer's Pokemon within the contest range from the level of the player's strongest Pokemon to ten levels above that. For example if a player has a level seventy Pokemon the levels of any foe Pokemon on the Grand Trial Isle can range from 70-80, no higher or no lower. There are also ninety nine random NPC trainers that can be encountered on Grand Trial Isle, they themselves and there teams are randomly generated therefore there is no set strategy to combat them. The player may not subsitute any Pokemon through the course of the competition, this also means the player may not catch Pokemon while on the island. Healing items are scattered throughout the island and the player must find them to be able to use them. There are also rest locations scattered throughout the island, however they are hidden and must be uncovered by the player.

In the anime
In the Mastering Victory series, the Grand Trial takes the place of the Pokemon League Conference in the region of Coryna. In the anime however the seriousness of the competition is severly downplayed. Although there is the threat of danger while partaking in the competition, the participants are promised that they will be rescued before anything proves fatal. The objective is to be the first to collect a set of key items and travel to the center of the island. The first to accomplish this task becomes the champion of the Pokemon League in their respective. There are at least one hundred participating trainers in the competition yearly.

In the manga
In the Mars & Venus chapter of Pokemon Adventures, the Grand Trial takes the place of the Pokemon League Conference in the region of Coryna. After collecting eight badges trainers travel to the Grand Trial Isle. A minimum of one hundred trainers are known to partake in the competition. The seriousness of the competition is however not downplayed in the Pokemon Adventures manga. Themes such as death and suffering during the course of the competition are pointed out upon the competition's mentioning. Before the competition begins, trainers are even forced to sign a waiver releasing the Pokemon League from any responsibility for anything that may happen while on the island. The first trainer who collects a set of key items and travels to the center of the Grand Trial Isle is declared victorious and becomes the champion of the Pokemon League.