Pokémon Sun and Moon - Festival Plaza, how to trade, use GTS, and battle online explained in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon too

The Festival Plaza in Pokémon Sun and Moon and Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon can, at times, seem like a bit of an impenetrable mess, particularly when it comes to the relatively simple features of trading and battling online.

Things are made a little more complicated than they need be at times, and so with that in mind we've put together this quick and dirty guide for getting you up and running with the Festival Plaza's online and communications features as easily as possible. Expect simple walkthroughs here for Link Trading online with friends, trading using the GTS, Wonder Trade, plus tips for setting up Link Battles and visiting the Battle Spot.

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How to Trade in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Moon - Festival Plaza Link Trades, GTS, and Wonder Trade explained

There are three ways to trade in Pokémon Sun and Moon: Link Trades, the GTS, and Wonder Trade. All three are accessed through the bottom screen after entering the Festival Plaza. Here's the difference between each:

• Link Trade - This is a direct trade between you and a specific other person over the internet. You can choose to trade with any of your Nintendo Frendlist friends that are online, anyone online on your VIP list, and anyone online out of 50 random people brought in by the game as guests (you can make one of those randomers more likely to appear again by talking to them and adding them as a VIP from there).
• GTS - This is a kind of open trade on the Global Trade System. You can either upload a Pokémon you're willing to trade away, and state what you'd like in return, or you can look for what' available and see if you have what they want in return for it instead.
• Wonder Trade - This is a random trade. Upload a Pokémon you're willing to give away and you'll receive a random Pokémon someone else is giving away too. You could get anything from a level 1 Rattata to a level 100 Zygarde, depending on how kind the other trainers are, and how much luck you happen to have!

With those explained, let's go through step-by-step how to take part in a trade online.

How to Link Trade:

1. Head to the Festival Plaza - located on the bottom screen in-game.
2. Connect to the internet - in the bottom right of the bottom screen is a wireless symbol. Select that, and then 'Yes' when asked if you want to connect to the internet. Note that this is different to being connected to the 'local wireless communication', which you will be as standard when entering the Plaza.
3. Select Trade - again on the bottom screen, once inside the Festival Plaza, it's the big blue button.
4. Select Link Trade and choose who to trade with - if you have a specific person in mind who isn't on the random list of 50 guests, you'll need to add them as a Nintendo Friend from the 3DS' home screen first, using their Nintendo Friend Code. Once you're both in the Festival Plaza and connected to the internet, they'll appear as a guest and on your Friends list as an option.
5. Finish the trade - select the Pokémon you'd like to trade, make sure you're happy with the deal, and confirm it. You're all set!

How to Trade on the GTS:

1. Follow steps 1-3 above - this time selecting the GTS option once you have done.
2. Look for the Pokémon you want - rather than waiting for someone to trade your Pokémon, if you have a specific one in mind it's always faster to search the GTS for people trading it away first, before you resort to offering up one of your own Pokémon and waiting. Head to the GTS and select 'Seek Pokémon' on the bottom screen when prompted.
3. Enter the details of the Pokémon you want - you can filter this by Pokémon, Gender, Level, and whether or not the trainer is looking for a Mythical or Legendary Pokémon in return.
4. If the Pokémon you want isn't available, place one of yours up for trade - if you either can't find it or don't have the Pokémon required for trade, then you can put one of your own up for offer in return, and wait for someone to trade with you. Head back to the GTS menu and select 'Deposit Pokémon', choose the Pokémon you want to offer for trade, set the requirements for the Pokémon you want (Pokémon, Gender, Level) and hit 'Deposit Pokémon' again, then wait! Note that if you haven't seen that Pokémon yet, you can type their name in manually, but won't be able to specify their gender.

How to Wonder Trade:

1. Again, follow steps 1-3 for trading, above - This time selecting Wonder Trade.
2. Select the Pokémon you'd like to offer up - They'll be placed up for trade right away, so make sure you get it right!
3. Once it's found a trainer, the trade will automatically start - cross your fingers for something good!

For more on Pokémon Ultra Sun and Moon, head to our main Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon walkthrough and guide hub, which includes guides to new Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon Pokémon and Pokédex changes, the Festival Plaza, a list of Global Missions and rewards, an explainer on Pokémon Bank, a dedicated page on Pokémon Competitive Training, including IV Training, EVs and hidden stats, Breeding 6IV Pokémon explained and how to farm Bottle Caps fast for Hyper Training. What's more, we have pages on the Rockruff event for getting Dusk Form Lycanroc and, last but not least, a full Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon QR codes list for adding all Pokémon to your Pokédex.

How to battle online in Pokémon Sun and Moon - Festival Plaza Link Battles and Battle Spot explained for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon

• Link Battles - These are battles against a specific trainer, be they on your Friends List, VIP list, or just random Guests List. The options are the same as those in the Battle Tree, which you can check for more details!
• Battle Spot - These are battles online, much like the trades above.

Both the Link Battles and Battle Spot work in a largely similar way to the trades above. You'll need to connect to the internet, select Battle from the bottom screen, and then choose the type of battle you'd like to hold, with Link Battles the go-to option for battling a specific person on your Friends, VIP, or Guest Lists.

That's it for our quick rundown of the Festival Plaza's online communication features, but be sure to check out our detailed guide to the Battle Tree, plus Mega Stone locations, and where to find all of the Z Crystals for further competitive, postgame content - plus, if you're still working your way through the main story, our main Pokémon Sun and Moon Walkthrough and Guide has absolutley everything you need to know.