Link
- This article is about the game mechanic in Pokémon Conquest. For the game known as Pokémon Link! in European releases, see Pokémon Trozei!. For the data transferal feature in the Generation VI games, see Pokémon Link.
A link (Japanese: リンク link) refers to the emotional bond between a Warrior and a Pokémon, featured in Pokémon Conquest. Affecting the strength of a Pokémon, and being measured in percentages with an upper limit of 100%, it is an analogue to the main series concept of levels.
The strength of a link, i.e. its percentage value, can be increased by fighting battles or visiting kingdom locations.
Perfect Link
Depending on how well-matched a pair of Warrior and Pokémon is, the maximum value of the link between the two varies. A Perfect Link (Japanese: ベストリンク Best Link) is a maximum link value of 100%. Each Warrior has specific Pokémon (sometimes more than one, generally in the same evolutionary line) with which they share a Perfect Link.
Most Pokémon have a single sprite that is used during conversation scenes. However, when a Pokémon is paired with a Warlord with whom it shares a Perfect Link, the Pokémon will also have sprites showing different emotions alongside their Warlord - generally with a similar expression.
Forming links
A Warrior can form new links with wild Pokémon, by moving their current Pokémon adjacent to it and starting a mini-game.
For the mini-game, the player is tasked with pressing the A button as golden orbs fly past, with each press incrementing a link progress bar, and more-accurate presses granting more bar progress. If the bar is not filled within a single play of the mini-game, the bar progress will be saved, and the warrior may continue where they left off by approaching the wild Pokémon again. However, the bar must be finished before the end of the battle, or else the wild Pokémon will be lost. Once the progress bar has been completely filled, the Pokémon is added to the Warrior's stock of Pokémon, and that Pokémon disappears from the field until the end of the battle. Each Warrior may link with up to one wild Pokémon per battle.
Wild Pokémon may display a medal above them when approached. The appearance of the medal indicates the maximum link percentage that the warrior can reach with that Pokémon.
| Medal | Max link % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Gold |
90 - 100% | |||
 Silver |
70 - 89% | |||
 Bronze |
50 - 69% | |||
| (No medal) | 1 - 49% | |||
 X-out |
0% (cannot link) | |||
The number of Pokémon with which a Warrior can share links at any time is dictated by their Capacity stat. Regardless of the number of Pokémon with which a Warrior has linked, only one can be used per battle.
Legendary or Mythical Pokémon are only capable of linking with one specific Warlord, which varies depending on the Pokémon.
Move rank
The move rank of a Pokémon's single move will strengthen as the link increases, signified by a plus sign followed by a number or letter after the move's name:
Upon reaching rank S, some moves take on completely new effects; e.g. Leaf Storm or Outrage.
| Move rank | Link % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20% | |||
| 2 | 40% | |||
| 3 | 60% | |||
| 4 | 80% | |||
| S | 100% | |||
Evolution and transformation
Because levels, experience, and friendship do not exist in Pokémon Conquest, evolution of Pokémon that depend on these is determined—directly in some cases and indirectly in others—by the link they share with their Warrior. Pokémon that normally evolve via high friendship in the main series games, such as Golbat, instead evolve after reaching a certain link percentage, usually between 60 and 70 percent. Pokémon that normally evolve at a set level instead evolve when a certain statistic reaches a specific value. For example, Spheal evolves when its HP has reached a value of 138, which is partially determined by the link with its Warrior.
A Warlord transforming to another rank is also determined by the link they share with their Perfect Link Pokémon, with the only exceptions being the Hero/Heroine's transformation to Rank II, which happens automatically in The Legend of Ransei. In some cases, the transformation can only happen in a specific story, such as Masamune only being able to transform in his own episode, The Dragon's Dream, with a 60% link with either Rufflet or Braviary.
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This article is part of Project Sidegames, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon Sidegames. |