Pokemon Masters remains one of the most intriguing mobile releases of the year thanks, and Sync Pairs are one of the most critical elements of the game, making up the bulk of its innovation within the Pokemon franchise. While fans of the series may be already well acquainted with Pokemon GO, the mobile killer app that has dominated sales charts and concurrent players figures for the bulk of its multi-year lifespan, they’d do well to pay attention to Pokemon Masters as well, a game that reinvents some fundamentals of the franchise.
Pokemon Masters Sync Pairs are based around the relationships between a trainer and their Pokemon, closely mimicking the way that Ash and Pikachu’s close bond has developed in the anime series. Part of what makes Pokemon Masters Sync Pairs so interesting, however, is that they don’t just focus on Pokemon typing, but also the trainer’s preferences as well. While many Pokemon games make good use of typing, especially with mobile titles that require a bit of a more basic approach, not all of them lean so heavily into the notion the way that Pokemon Masters does.
Because it’s the crux of what makes Pokemon Masters a special game in the franchise, Sync Pairs is also a little more complex than some of the game’s other mechanics. That’s a good thing, even if it’s intimidating to start. For those looking to dive in to what could be the Pokemon franchise’s second giant mobile title, Screen Rant has pieced together a complete and comprehensive Pokemon Masters Sync Pair guide to explain the system, recommend how to increase potential, and how these two elements play off each other.
Pokemon Masters Sync Pairs Explained
Pokemon Masters Sync Pairs is how the game refers to the partnerships between trainers and Pokemon. For instance, a common early sync pair might be something like Brock and Onix. The purpose of Sync Pairs is to help players achieve super effective moves in battle, which have the same function they’ve had over the franchise’s history, dealing increased damage to opponents. Pokemon Masters Synergy also increases effectiveness, but ultimately, Sync Pairs are crucial in developing out a strong Pokemon Masters team.
Sync Pairs work in an intuitive way. Brock is a Rock-type gym leader, so he’ll form Sync Pairs with Rock-type Pokemon - assigning him a Fire-type won’t allow Sync Pairing to happen. Sync Pairs feature three different specializations in battle roles: strike, tech, and support. Strike roles will serve as attackers, tech works more defensively, and support roles buff strike roles move power. Pokemon Masters Sync Pairs are, at their core, what enables super effective moves to be performed, and that’s their major role - but it’s a crucial one, and one that players will need to get familiar with quickly to maximize their effectiveness in navigating through the game.
Pokemon Masters: Getting More Sync Pairs
Pokemon Masters Sync Pairs are pretty easy to acquire. Developer DeNA obviously didn’t want to bury what is the game’s most interesting element, and just progressing through the story chapters of Pokemon Masters’ main campaign mode will give players a decent stable of trainers who come tailor-made for Sync Pairs. Of those, Barry and Piplup are an early choice that’s worth using, while Rosa and Snivy help pad out Pokemon types.
The most exciting way to get more Sync Pairs in Pokemon Masters is also the least reliable, however. There’s an in-game currency called gems that allows players to “scout” Sync Pairs by using the option available in the shop run by Tricia, who can be found on the left-hand side of the Pokemon Center that acts as the player’s main screen in Pokemon Masters. The option is called “Sync Pair Scout” and there are three options: Daily Discount, Sync Pair Scout, and Sync Pair Scout x10. The Daily Discount is the best deal, offering 100 gems for one scout; otherwise, Sync Pair Scout costs 300 gems for one scout regularly, and Sync Pair Scout x10 costs 3000 gems for 10 scouts, offering no actual benefit to the individual purchase option. Sync Pair Scouts are also completely randomized, and there’s no “double” protection. If a player rolls a Pokemon Masters Sync Pair they already own, they’ll get an upgrade for one of that Sync Pairs attacks.
Those interested in knowing what they’re signing up for with Pokemon Masters Sync Pair Scouts can also see the chances they have of getting any specific pair by selecting Offering Rate.
Pokemon Masters Sync Pair Potential: What It Is & How To Increase It
Sync Pair Potential is an easy way to determine the long-term viability of a Pokemon Masters trainer and Pokemon pairing. Sync Pair Potential is indicated by the number of stars shown next to a trainer’s picture - the more stars, the higher the likelihood of the Sync Pair being effective. Sync Pair Potential isn’t locked in, however, and can actually be modified even after it’s determined by a pairing.
Sync Pair Potential can be increased through the use of Power Ups, special items that raise the overall rank of a trainer and thus also raise the strength they’re able to generate through level ups and Sync Attacks. Power Ups are obtained by getting duplicates of a Sync Pair via the Sync Pair Scout mechanic; a Power Up doesn’t get generated until the sixth instance of a duplicate trainer, though. Five-star Power Ups are obtained through event tickets during the Reach for the Top event exchange, as well, although the lower level ones, which are just as important, will need grinding to get.
Using a Power Up is easy. Simply navigate Pokemon Masters to the Increase Potential button at the bottom of the team menu, select the Sync Pair the player wants to boost up, and use the corresponding Power Up; characters can only use boost at their level or below, so a four-star character can’t use a five-star Power Up, but a five-star character can use a four-star Power Up without trouble. The Power Up menu will show what kind of boosts characters will receive, too - keep in mind that five-star Power Ups give a two-point boost to each stat and a five-point boost to HP, by far the most effective Power Up method and a great way to grow a team.
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