The June International Challenge is Upon Us!

Since I was talking about online tournaments, I thought that I might mention that the June International Challenge has registration open until the 19th of June! I signed up on the 11th, and locked my Battle Box in on the 12th. As is tradition, I've made a Trainer Card for this online tournament showcasing the team I'll be using. My "player" image always comes from the "Cosplay" tab on PokéCharm's "Characters" section, and I always choose an image that I find interesting, funny, or odd.

Pokémon, from left to right:

- Morial (Level 60 Hydreigon)

- Tybalt (Level 50 Rhyperior)

- Gardevoir (Level 50 Gardevoir [she came from Ireland])

- Sorrow (Level 58 Tyranitar)

- Gengar (Level 50 Gengar [trade])

- Avain (Level 50 Aegislash)

My two Mega-Evolvers are the two traded Pokémon on my team (excluding Tybalt, who I traded with myself in a complex process involving my copies of both X and Y and the GTS; I wrote out the instructions for how I did it, and will probably upload it at some point), that being my Japanese Gengar and Irish Gardevoir.

What Are Tournaments Like? Online VS Offline

Using the Battle Spot is perfectly good and fine to test your teams, and improve your skills, but perhaps you want to go and participate in a tournament. Good for you! With modern technology, it's very possible to participate in Pokémon tournaments with players all around the world...even if you don't live near a place where tournaments are common. I'll also be talking about offline tournaments, and how they compare to the online experience.

Section 1: Online Tournaments
Through the technological magic of the Internet, players can now participate in fully-online tournaments. I'll quickly go over the pros and cons of participation in online tourneys:

PROS
- It's free!
- You have more time to participate in your battles (~4-5 days), and can take breaks if/when necessary.
- You can participate in an online tournament from anywhere, so long as you have an Internet connection.
- Everything in the Uber tier is automatically banned. (If you don't know what that means, don't worry; tier explanation is coming soon.)
- You are placed into either the Junior, Senior, or Masters division based upon age. Theoretically, this helps level the playing field somewhat.

CONS
- Your battles are affected dramatically by your Internet connection. If you disconnect (either through a loss of Internet connection, loss of battery power, or rage-quitting), it counts as a loss.
- There is a major skill discrepancy. I've already voiced my concerns about how players are divided by age, and not by skill; you could have a Masters player just be starting out, and hypothetically get trampled by more experienced players, or a Juniors player who has been playing for years, and might have an advantage over other Juniors players.
- Sportspersonship (which is the term I'll be using in place of "sportsmanship," if you haven't noticed) is decreased; if you beat someone, they could very well disconnect. It still counts as a loss for them, but you don't get any credit for beating them.
- Everything in the Uber tier is banned, but other creatures-- like Mega Kangaskhan-- that could be classed as Uber in certain situations, are not always banned. Blaziken? Banned by default because it can be considered Uber. Mega Blaziken? It doesn't matter; Blaziken is automatically banned. Kangaskhan? Sure, let it in...it's weak, right? It goes Mega...run, children. Run awa-a-a-ay! (In Mega Kangaskhan's defense, I find it adorable and great for the species; I just feel horrible using it since it's just a bit too strong.)
- As of X & Y, Pokémon from previous generations are banned. I understand that this is to prevent hacked Pokémon from getting into tournaments and messing things up, but when you have a Pokémon that's very precious to you (like Vincere, my [Shiny] Garchomp I received as an Egg from Benga after beating him on the Battle Tower), it's just sad to not be able to use him/her in a tournament.

Section 2: Physical/Offline Tournaments
Like the online tournaments, I'll be breaking this down into pros and cons.

PROS
- You get to interact with other Pokémon fans who are just as excited about the tournament as you are!
- Sportspersonship tends to be great, especially if it's a more informal tournament; few to none of the participants are dead-set on winning, rather just hoping for a good time.
- There can be very specific and unusual rewards for winning, or even just for participating! (In my first physical tournament, the organizers distributed a shiny, albeit cloned, Dragonite to all participants just for entering.)
-  There might be special rules, disallowing the use of certain other Pokémon, such as Mega Kangaskhan or Mega Gengar, which can help your odds of surviving longer and/or winning.
- In more informal tournaments (and perhaps some larger ones; I'm not sure), there is no age division. (I also listed this as a con.)

CONS
- These tournaments usually only last for 1-2 days, and are only in a specific location.
- Tournament entry may not be free (but is usually very cheap).
- Pokémon eugenics is arguably more common in physical tournaments.
- There is no age division in some smaller, less formal tournaments, meaning that new players could hypothetically get paired against the near-mythical "Masters Player Who's Been Playing Since '94" trope.
- There may be specific rules as to what is and is not banned. This could mean majorly restructuring your team at the last minute.

I've participated in both online and offline tournaments...online is easier, yes, but more potentially volatile. My 3DS typically does not leave the house (though it does come with me when I go to Sac-Anime) due to personal reasons, making online tournaments and battles much more accessible for me. The satisfaction a player gets when their opponent looks at your team for the first time and says, "Wow, your team looks really great," is just amazing, though.

Type Matchups: A Review, and Abilities of Immunity

You may ask: "What is this bizarre bingo-board-like chart on my computer screen?" Well, this is a chart showing all possible type match-ups (as of Generation VI). The Pokémon attacking is on the y (vertical, up-and-down) axis, and the Pokémon defending is on the x (horizontal, left-and-right) axis.

All of the white squares symbolize normal damage (hence the x1), which yields no message. The red squares symbolize half-damage (hence the x.5) created by the fact that the type of the move used against the Pokémon contradicts its type. This yields the message "It's not very effective..." as to warn off the use of said move against the Pokémon. The green squares represent double damage (hence the x2), which yields the message "It's super effective!" This is due to the fact that the move used against the opposing Pokémon is rather effective against the Pokémon's type. The case of a Pokémon being totally immune to a move is represented by the x0. This will yield the message "It doesn't affect the opposing/wild [species]..."

There are also some interesting exceptions to how Pokémon are immune to moves. Traditionally, this is because of their type and the type of the move used against them. However, some Pokémon are immune to specific types of moves, secondary effects of moves, specific moves, or even all types of move except for a certain type, due to the following abilities:
-  Levitate: Arguably the most famous, Levitate grants immunity to all Ground-type moves. This is especially useful for Pokémon like Eelektross (an Electric-type), which only has a weakness to Ground. With Levitate, Eelektross was saved from moves like Earthquake, which would otherwise end its reign of eel-y terror rather quickly.
- Clear Body/Big Pecks/White Smoke/Hyper Cutter: A Pokémon's stats cannot be lowered through moves like Leer, Growl, Screech, etc. (In the case of Big Pecks, it is only the Defense stat that cannot be lowered, and in the case of Hyper Cutter, it is only the Attack stat that cannot be lowered.)
- Damp: Selfdestruct and Explosion can't be used.
- Dry Skin: If this Pokémon is hit by a Water-type move, it recovers HP. (This effect also happens in rain.)
-  Flash Fire: Pokémon with this Ability are given more firepower for their Fire-type moves when hit by a Fire-type attack. They also don't receive damage from Fire-type moves.
- Justified: This one seems a bit weird to me, as an ability. When a Pokémon is hit by a Dark-type move, its attack increases. If you think of Dark as "evil," then I suppose it could make slightly more sense.
- Lightning Rod/Storm Drain: Just as the name suggests, Pokémon with Lightning Rod attract all Electric-type attacks. They don't take damage from these attacks, and also are given a boost to their Special Attack. Storm Drain works exactly the same way, except that it applies to Water-type attacks instead.
- Motor Drive: Essentially Lightning Rod, but boosts the Speed stat instead of Special Attack.
- Sap Sipper: A Grass-type equivalent to Motor Drive that boosts the Attack stat.
- Soundproof: An Ability I wish that I had myself (due to my auditory sensitivity), Soundproof lets Pokémon battle on without being affected by moves having to do with loud noises. This is sort of a specific list of moves that fall into this category, so I won't list them.
- Sturdy: A Pokémon cannot be one-hit KO'd by typical OHKO moves like Sheer Cold.
- Volt Absorb/Water Absorb: For Electric- and Water-type moves respectively, these Abilities allow a Pokémon to restore 25% (1/4) of its HP when hit by an attack of the corresponding type.
- Wonder Guard: A Pokémon can only be hit by moves that are super-effective against it. This is what makes Shedinja a bit of a pain at times...well, for some folks. (I always have my Hydreigon at the ready, and she always has Crunch.)

Whew, that was a lot of typing! (None of that was copy-pasted, though I did use a webpage as a reference guide to make sure that I didn't miss any Abilities.) Anyway, that's the review this site offers on type matchups.

Why Should You Battle Pokémon Competitively? And - Common Myths About Competitive Battling

You may be wondering, at this point, why you should even get into the world of competitively battling your Pokémon. When looked at for the first time, the competitive world can seem frankly overwhelming. "What is STAB?" "Does this mean that I have to give up my favorite Pokémon for the sake of 'competitive viability?'" "There's no place for a/an [insert age here]-year-old player here..."

First of all, don't panic. I ended up panicking more than a bit when I first explored the competitive sub-section, and it slowed my learning progress down. Take a deep breath, exhale, and realize that this isn't something that you have to do if you don't want to. But, you're on this blog, so you probably have some interest in taking your Pocket Monsters out into the world to fight against Trainers who aren't controlled by the game. Good for you!

Competitive Pokémon battling is good for a whole number of things. First and foremost, it allows you to see a side of the community that you might not get to normally experience. You get to see what others players like - not only in terms of Pokémon, but in terms of strategy. You can battle people from all over the world (especially if you're using Wi-Fi), and despite your differences, you still have something in common! (For example, I fought against a fellow from Argentina this morning; it was rather enjoyable! Unfortunately, he did not seem to realize or remember that Gardevoir is now a Fairy/Psychic-type, and henceforth has Moonblast.) It also allows for bettering one's sportsperson skills, and knowing how to interact with others in a friendly, but still competitive, environment.

Let's address a few myths about competitively battling your creatures:

1. You have to go through major EV and IV training, not to mention breeding for a Pokémon's "best" Natures, if you want to do well in competitive.
I promise that you don't! Please, don't think that you have to get involved in Pokémon eugenics to be able to do well in competitive! For personal and practical reasons-- that I would like to consider the bits and bytes of data we call Pokémon as individuals, and because I frankly don't want or need to spend time doing all of these things-- I do not practice Poké-eugenics. Sure, having better-than-average stats is always a good bonus for your beast, but it's not necessary. With the advent of Super Training, training for Effort Values (EVs) is easier than ever, and I do use it rarely (like training for Special Defense with Tybalt, my Rhyperior, because his species has really low Sp. Def), but it's totally optional. You don't need to do these things to do well. Eugenicists may arguably have a slightly easier time, but if you have a great type match-up and happen to have priority, you're just as strong-- or even stronger-- than they are.

2. Only kids can participate in competitive. It isn't acceptable for adults to. OR: Only adults can participate in competitive. It isn't acceptable for kids to.
Since when does Pokémon have only one demographic? It doesn't matter whether you're the youngest in the Junior division, or the oldest in the Masters division - Pokémon is for everyone, and so is competitive battling!

3. I don't have enough time to dedicate to competitive battles.
You've got to have a bit of free time here and there, and if you're dedicating it to Pokémon, you can probably spend a bit of time compiling your competitive team and taking it out for a spin. The shortest Wi-Fi battle I've had in Generation 6 was 2.5 minutes; the longest was 26 minutes. It is based solely on your, and your opponent's, actions. And, if you really need to go, don't be afraid to tap your stylus on the "RUN" button. Forfeiting is a lot better than just turning off your system and essentially rage-quitting, not only for your opponent, but for you as well.

4. I can't use this Pokémon in competitive...
Did someone tell you that the Pokémon is too weak? Did Smogon put in a low tier? Does it not learn the moves you want it to learn? If you really love a Pokémon, you can use it in competitive; no one is stopping you from doing so. One of my favorite things to do in Free Battle is take my Jumpluff from Japan (that I got as a Hoppip) out into the Wi-Fi battling world. Jumpluff is considered incredibly weak, but I've won a surprising amount of battles from its Sleep Powder/Leech Seed/Dazzling Gleam/a fourth move that I can't recall off of the top of my head combination. If you use a Pokémon like my Japanese Jumpluff, you have to be prepared that you might have a bit of a harder time...but it doesn't matter, because you're using a Pokémon that you really like.

5. I don't live in a place that has tournaments.
In a nutshell, this is why Wi-Fi tournaments exist. All that you need is an Internet connection.

6. I'm not good enough with Pokémon to play competitively.
Practice makes perfect, and how are you to practice if you don't even give it a shot?

So, the question is not "Why should I battle competitively?" Rather, it is, "Why should I not battle competitively?"

My Issue With Tournament Age Divisions in Online Tournaments

This is a bit of an odd place to start, but since the entry period for the 2014 June International Challenge started yesterday, I feel that it is relevant enough to talk about. Online tournament registration for Pokémon works sort of like this:

1. Go onto the Pokémon Global Link (PGL). If there is a tournament running, and the entry period has started, you can sign up.
2. Navigate through the pages until you find the master page that allows you to sign up. Make sure that you've signed into your account by this point.
3. Make sure to accept the Terms & Conditions, press the "Enter" button, and you're into the tournament.

It sounds simple enough, except when you consider age division. Tournament participants are ranked into the Junior, Senior, or Master category based upon their age...upon the year they have entered as a part of their birth-date when they sign up for the service that connects to the PGL (the Trainer Club). This presents a few issues:
- Someone could lie about their birth-year. That's sort of unlikely, but still possible.
- Ranking people based upon birth-year isn't exactly fair. There could be Juniors players who have been battling for years, and Masters players who are just starting out. As such, they will either be completely destroyed in the online competitive battle, or have an unfair advantage.
- Seniors may unexpectedly be moved into Masters (as I have yet to find evidence as to on which date the tiers change, though by a hunch I would say on December 31st/January 1st of each year), and Juniors to Seniors. Again, they may not be ready.
- Pokémon eugenics (which I'll talk about later; it sounds frightening, and it is), which is still legal, can very easily happen in all three tiers; not just Masters. (Masters may be most well-known for practicing it, but that is only because of the demographic of Masters; those in Masters are at least 15 years of age, and can better understand eugenics than someone just starting out, simply because they are more likely to have had more experience with Pokémon in the past.)
- Rage-quitting. Playing in Seniors in 2013 was...hard, simply because of the number of harsh exits from the battle. The organizers have set up many different policies in terms of these exits, trying to keep them from happening, but it just isn't (or wasn't) enough. Please, go and click on "Run" and forfeit the match! You're actually doing yourself more good by not attracting the attention of the organizers (particularly if you do it over and over again), and you're benefiting your opponent. Your opponent may have worked hard to defeat you; give them the credit that they deserve, please.

Anyway, it seems odd for me to start with an opinion piece, but that's what I think of age division in online tourneys. I understand why the system exists, but I feel that it still needs to be improved upon.

Startup and Frequently Asked Questions

Ah, hello! It appears that you've stumbled upon my little project: my blog on competitive battling for Pokémon. I think that's about all that needs to be said as to what the blog is about, unless you want to go into specifics about it. And, that is why the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section has been attached.

Q: Who is this blog for?
A: The blog is aimed at all Pokémon fans who want to get into competitive battling. It will mostly focus on how to get into the competitive side of the franchise, things you should know, strategy, different sorts of teams, et cetera. It's not entirely for the beginner, however; especially since I do talk about my experiences in competitive battling, both online and offline.

Q: Is this blog child-friendly?
A: I aim to maintain an environment for as much of the Pokémon-playing demographic as is possible. As such, it is my goal to maintain a child-friendly space.

Q: Who are you? Is your name actually Dusk?
A: My name isn't Dusk; that's the name I give to all of my Trainers.

Q: What was your first experience with Pokémon?
A: One of my earlier memories is finding a Totodile pencil-topper in a box of cereal. I had no idea what it was (as I was about 3 or 4 years of age at the time), but I found it adorable.

Q: How long have you been playing the games?
A: I have been playing Pokémon games for the past 7-- almost 8-- years (or possibly more, if I don't update this, which I think may be likely). I started playing the core Pokémon games at the release of Pearl and Diamond.

Q: How long have you been playing competitively?
A: I would approximate that it was sometime in 2013.

Q: How do you make the accented "é" in Pokémon?
A: On Windows computers, it's an ALT code. Hold down the ALT key and type "0233." You get a lovély result.

Q: Do you live in the United States?
A: That I do! I operate on Pacific Standard Time. I may use British lingo from time to time, due to my dad being from Yorkshire (England).

Q: Fire, Water, or Grass?
A: It's really very situational. My starter in Pokemon Y was Froakie, though that was because of creature design and because I sort of pitied Froakie (because I thought the species was really neat, though everyone was so fond of Fennekin)!

Q: Do you own both Pokémon X and Pokémon Y?
A: I do, but I'm much more active in the latter.

Q: Can I have your friend code?
A: It's in my "About Me." Please contact me if you're going to add me so that I can see what lives in your Friend Safari. ^_^ (I know from a friend that I have an Ice-type Safari, with Snover and Sneasel, though I still don't know what the third beast is.)