The PSS: Communications

Unlock the full potential of the Player Search System (PSS) in Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire! Learn about Passersby, Acquaintances, Friends, Trading, Battling, and more.

Alright, let's dive into the Player Search System, or PSS, in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. It's your main gateway to interacting with other players, both online and locally. Don't worry, it looks a bit busy at first, but it's pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it!

At the very top of the PSS screen, you'll see a blue circular button. Tapping this lets you connect to the internet or disconnect if you're already online. Easy peasy!

Over to the left of that internet button, right in the middle, is another button. This one opens up a whole bunch of options, split across two pages. We'll break down what each one does.

Understanding Player Types

When you're connected, you'll see different types of players pop up:

• Passersby: These are players from Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, X, or Y that the system detects either through Local Wireless or the internet. If you're online, expect to see a ton of these from all over the world. If you're playing offline, you'll only see players who are physically near you. If no one's around, this list will be empty.
• Acquaintances: Once you've battled or traded with a Passerby, they get upgraded to an Acquaintance. This just makes them easier to find later, unlike Passersby who disappear from your list pretty quickly.
• Friends: These are players you've exchanged Friend Codes with (those 12-digit numbers on your 3DS). They're automatically added to your list when you're both playing Pokémon OR, AS, X, or Y online at the same time.

Once you've selected a player (and they're not busy with something else), you can usually do a few things:

• Check Profile: Tap their profile icon or name to see their trainer card.
• Battle: Challenge them to a Pokémon battle!
• Trade: Swap Pokémon with them.
• Send O-Power: Give them a helpful boost.
• Game Chat: This is only available if they're a Friend.

PSS Options - Page 1

The first page of options has some really popular features:

• Battle: This lets you battle players locally (using Infrared or Local Wireless) or online.
• Trade: Similar to Battle, but for trading Pokémon, again either locally or online.
• Battle Spot: This throws you into a battle with a random trainer, which is great for keeping things exciting and unpredictable.
• Wonder Trade: This is a super fun one! You trade away one of your Pokémon for a completely random one from another trainer somewhere in the world. You never know what you'll get!
• Shout-Out: You can display a short text message that other players connected locally or online can see on their main PSS screen. It's a good way to get attention, hopefully the good kind!
• Holo Caster: This is where you can receive Poké Miles from StreetPass tags (if you've tagged with anyone using Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire) and any promotional news sent online via SpotPass.

PSS Options - Page 2

Flipping over to the second page, you'll find these options:

• GTS (Global Trade Station): This is fantastic for trading Pokémon when you don't know anyone personally or don't want to deal with random Passersby. You can offer one of your Pokémon for a specific Pokémon you want, or request a Pokémon from others. Just be prepared to see some wild trade requests sometimes, like someone asking for an Arceus in exchange for a Rattata!
• Game Sync: Use this to sync your game progress with the Pokémon Global Link website. It's a separate online hub with more features.
• O-Powers: These are temporary buffs that can help you out. They might boost your stats, lower shop prices, or make catching Pokémon easier. Most O-Powers last for about 3 minutes. You can use them on yourself or give them to other players if you're feeling generous.
• Favourites List: If there are certain players you interact with a lot, you can add them to your Favourites List to find them more easily.
• Profile: This is your personal space to customize how other trainers see you. You can change your trainer icon, write a short message, and even answer a few questions about yourself.
• PSS Settings: Here you can tweak various settings, like turning off Passersby if you find them a bit overwhelming or distracting.

That's the PSS in a nutshell! It might seem like a lot, but just jump in and try out the different options. You'll get the hang of it quickly, and it really opens up the game to interacting with a huge community.