Shadow Link Battle

are a game mode in . It allows players to trade A.I.-controlled versions of their via the feature of the Nintendo 3DS for the purpose of battling one another.
==Overview==
===Setup===
 become available once has obtained a and proceeds to speak to in , who oversees the . excitedly describes the mode as a way to interact with the people we pass by in our daily lives, adding that there's nothing to lose and everything to gain by playing the mode, and goes on to explain how it works.
To begin, is tasked with creating a profile for a version of himself that will be transmitted to other players via . The is given the same equipment, quest , and number of as ; essentially only needs to select up to two from his current inventory that the will take into battle. The profile for this also displays 's chosen name, the number of challenges he has completed, the bounty, which is the amount of awarded for defeating the and a measure of its abilities and difficulty, and the Player name, which is the nickname of the Nintendo 3DS console from which the originates.
This profile does not automatically update itself when acquires new equipment or , so must speak to and perform the setup again in order to update the .
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Once the setup is completed, will be activated for and will continue to function even after the game is closed. will commemorate the occasion by planting the near . occur when two or more Nintendo 3DS systems, with wireless communications enabled, pass nearby and electronically "tag" one another. A successful tag is indicated by the system's status light flashing bright green, along with a notice in the Notifications menu.
In order to import these tags from the system's memory into , simply needs to visit , where signposts signifying each newly-arrived will appear at the . Each signpost displays the corresponding 's name, bounty, number of challenges completed, Player name, and a description of the randomly-selected location where the awaits. Its equipment, and chosen are left a secret until the begins.
Once functionality for has been enabled, it can only be disabled through the Nintendo 3DS System Settings app. Alternatively, one could choose to avoid by turning off wireless communications. Up to three per copy of can be transmitted in a single —one for each saved game, provided that none of the saves are copies of another. The can hold up to 20 signs at a time, while the Nintendo 3DS can store another 20 for in its queue. can choose to banish any from the game by pressing the Y button while reading its corresponding signpost.
===Battle===
When encounters a in the overworld, he must speak to it and then choose to review the rules of the battle, view the list of challenges, or begin the battle. can only bring the two set to the Y and X buttons into the battle, and cannot change mid-battle. The competitors will be transported to one of five arenas, roughly based on the 's location, and the battle begins instantly. The is controlled by A.I. and will utilize his , , and in a tactical manner. The first fighter to deplete his opponent's will win the battle, though either can be revived if they are carrying a . Battles are fought under a 3-minute time limit; if neither has defeated the other by this time, then the one who dealt the most damage to his opponent is declared the winner.
If wins the battle, he will be awarded the 's bounty in . Any that has lost or expended during the battle will be replenished afterward, regardless of who wins. If is defeated, any rented won't be reclaimed by , and the loss will not count toward 's "Times defeated" counter.
===Bounty===
The bounty for each is scored based on the quality of that 's equipment, the quest he possesses, and the efficiency of the chosen he brings into battle. In addition, each full beyond the starting three adds 10 points to the bounty; having all 20 therefore adds 170 points.
The minimum bounty for a is 50, with the maximum being 999. The size and color of each signpost in the reflects its bounty. that have no bearing on , such as the , , and , do not count toward the bounty.
The bounty value of each is as follows:
Equipment / Quest	Bounty		's	Bounty		Other	Bounty
 	0 		 	50 		 	10
 	100 		 	50 		 	80
 	150 		 	50 		 	10
 	200 		 	50 		 	80
 	0 		 	50 		 	1
 	50 		 	50 		 	1
 	100 		 	50 		 	40
 	50 		 	50 		 	80
 	100 		 	50 		 	80
 	0 		 	100 		 	80
 	50 		 	100 		 	40
 	30 		 	100 		 	40
 	50 		 	100 		 	10
 	100 		 	100 		 	10
 	 		 	100 		 	30
 	 		 	100 		 	40
 	 		 	100 		 	20
 	 		 	100 		 	60
 	 		 	 		 	1
 	 		 	 		 	20
 	 		 	 		 	1
===Challenges===
Challenges, also known as records and medals, are a series of 50 achievements can earn by fulfilling certain conditions while competing in . They range from winning set numbers of battles, to using specific in battle, to other challenges such as winning within a time limit or without pressing certain buttons. Newly-achieved challenges are tallied after each successful battle, and it is possible to achieve multiple challenges in a single battle.
Completing a challenge involving a Nice will also complete the challenge for the regular version of that weapon, therefore no challenges are permanently missable. In order for the challenge to count as completed, the must damage or otherwise make contact with the . Likewise, a must deflect at least one of the 's attacks for its challenge to count as completed. The challenge "Win after using !" requires to during the battle, which can only be achieved in certain arenas.
After all 50 challenges have been completed, can speak to to find out that he is only the second competitor to achieve the feat—the first being himself. He will then be given the opportunity to battle , who possesses all the strongest equipment, 20 , and two random Nice , despite carrying a bounty of only 5 .
==Arenas==
===Sky Arena===
An arena that is held in the sky and features the Royal Crest in the middle of the stage. While there are no traps, and can fall off the edge. 
===Forest Arena===
A clearing in a forest, featuring grass that can be cut for , , and . There is also an tree in the center, where and can eat to regain health.
===Fire Arena===
The arena is a grated metal platform over a lake of lava, where jets of lava will burst up and through the floor at random. can use to freeze the lava and use to into the resulting column, making the Fire Arena one of the two possible arenas to complete the "Win after using !" Challenge.
===Ice Arena===
The arena is a platform made of ice, with breakable ice tiles in the center and several near the edges. Both and the are capable of breaking the tiles, which can be used as a trap.
===Desert Arena===
The arena is covered in sand, making it possible to use the to create sand pillars which can be into using . will emerge from the sand, creating sinkholes that the competitors can fall into.
The Desert Arena is the rarest of the arenas; fights usually occur here only if the is encountered in the .
==Pre-Generated ==
Occasionally, a signpost will appear in the without having met another player by . This occurs once every five cumulative hours of gameplay, as long as is enabled. These signposts represent that come from a supposed Player named Shade and are selected at random from the following list of 20 pre-generated characters, coming in a variety of bounties and selections.
Bounty	Name	Medals	Hearts	Sword	Tunic	Shield	Quest		
50 	 	0/50 	3 	 	 	– 	– 		–
120 	 	5/50 	7 	 	 	– 	– 		
160 	 	2/50 	5 	 	 	 	– 		
170 	 	3/50 	5 	 	 	 	– 		
180 	 	10/50 	10 	 	 	– 	 		
230 	 	3/50 	8 	 	 	 	 		
280 	 	20/50 	10 	 	 	 	 		
340 	 	20/50 	8 	 	 	 	– 		
350 	 	15/50 	10 	 	 	 	 		
360 	 	15/50 	8 	 	 	 	– 		
390 	 	15/50 	9 	 	 	 	 		
410 	 	20/50 	10 	 	 	 	 		
490 	 	25/50 	11 	 	 	 	– 		
520 	 	25/50 	14 	 	 	 	 		
661 	 	35/50 	16 	 	 	 	 		
670 	 	40/50 	3 	 	 	 	 		
680 	 	25/50 	15 	 	 	 	 		
702 	 	45/50 	20 	 	 	 	 		
720 	 	35/50 	17 	 	 	– 	 		
999 	 	49/50 	20 	 	 	 	 		
==Trivia==
*The music that plays during a is an orchestrated remix of the Palace theme from .
==Gallery==
File:ALBW ShadowLink.jpg|The setup screen for Shadow Link Battle with the maximum bounty of 999 Rupees
File:ALBW StreetPass Sign Model.png|Sign for a Shadow Link with a bounty of less than 400
File:ALBW StreetPass Sign Model 2.png|Sign for a Shadow Link with a bounty of at least 400, but less than 700
File:ALBW StreetPass Sign Model 3.png|Sign for a Shadow Link with a bounty of at least 700, but less than 999
File:ALBW StreetPass Sign Model 4.png|Sign for a Shadow Link with a bounty of 999
==See Also==
* Multiplayer
* Battle Mode
* Tag Mode
* Shadow Battle