How to play Poke Derby
A career is one racer, 78 turns, and a field of twelve. This page is the beginner loop. Stat definitions live on the stats page so this one can stay on decisions.
One career, counted
| Piece | Count | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Turns | 78 | 1 source · official data and copy |
| Years | Rookie, Classic, Senior — 24 turns each, then 6 Finals turns | 1 source · official data |
| Final turn | Indigo Finals | 1 source · official data |
| Racers in a race | 12 (you and eleven others) | 1 source · official site |
| Partners | Up to 5; one per evolution line | 1 source · official copy and data |
| Goal races | 13 | 1 source · official data |
| Badges | 146, one cup per racer | 1 source · official data |
| Finals stages | Qualifier, semi-final, final | 1 source · official data |
Setup before turn 1
Pick one racer, a nature, an ability, a look, goals, and a difficulty. The partner deck holds at most five. Legendary and mythical Pokémon are not partners. Carries can include an egg, a lure, or items you already own. Challenging is the default and lists +18% rewards. Hard lists +45% rewards, one extra lure, and it unlocks after the first career. I am not calling either difficulty better.
What a turn can be
| Choice | What it does |
|---|---|
| Train | One of five facilities. Each visit also gives skill points. Every 4 visits raise that facility one level, up to 5. |
| Rest | Energy +30, +50, or +70. |
| Picnic | Energy +10 and a mood step up. |
| Event | Story beats that can change stats, items, or mood. |
| Race | A scheduled race. Set four moves, one style, one held item. |
| Catch | A chase for a wild Pokémon that can join the partner deck. |
| Shop | Kecleon sells skills for skill points. |
Facilities, mapped once
Dash Track trains Speed. Long Trail trains Stamina. The Dojo trains Power. The Waterfall trains Guts. The Shrine trains Focus and adds 5 energy instead of spending it. At facility level 1, the four energy-spending trainings cost 19–22 energy; their level-5 costs are 25–28. The Shrine restores 5 at every level. Energy caps at 100. A failed training gives no gain, removes 5 points from that facility’s stat, and drops mood one step. Low energy makes failure more likely. The public career file stores base failure tuning; the value shown for a particular session can also reflect partner and other modifiers.
Race day
Styles are Front, Pace, Late, and End. The race moves through the gate, early, mid, late, and the final straight. Weather, terrain, hazards, and skills fire along the way. You will see spurts, duels, bumps, status, and a signature cutaway when that skill triggers. Speed counts double late. What is left of Stamina becomes the spurt. The full stat sentences are on the stats page.
After the career
Win a cup and that racer’s badge fills in. 146 badges is the Kanto Champion mark in the data. The Hall of Fame keeps the racer. A coach can teach the next one. An egg can pass nature and stars. The collection stays. Online, four finished racers can form a Team Trials squad, one per distance, and race overnight. That mode has its own page.
- Rest before a goal race if energy is already near the floor. The shrine is the only facility that gives energy.
- Do not stack two partners from one evolution line. The deck rule rejects it.
- Four moves is the race loadout, not the whole skill list.
- The Indigo Finals is three races, not one.
Questions
How many turns are in Poke Derby?
78. Three years of 24 turns plus six Finals turns. The qualifier, semi-final and final are on turns 74, 76 and 78, with a training turn before each.
How many Pokémon race at once?
Twelve. The official line is you against eleven others.
What are the Poke Derby game rules for partners?
At most five partner cards, one per evolution line. Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Mewtwo, and Mew are not in the partner or racer lists.
Keep reading
Sources
- Official site — checked 12 Nov 2026
- Game data v1.7.0 — checked 12 Nov 2026
- Remakit — checked 12 Nov 2026
- Dexerto — checked 12 Nov 2026