The major distinguishing factor between pokemon showdown and normal pokemon games is that showdown focuses more on battle than the classic adventure of pokemon. While in normal pokemon games, there is an element of catching the pokemon, exploring the regions, gaining experience and leveling up in order to compete in a battle, this is not the case with pokemon showdown where the players can have their battle-ready team created at once. This is because pokemon showdown uses a format that is based on rules and strategies for pokemon competitions.