Smogon: Why you came here and why you stayed

[marc.z]

How I got into Pokemon:I got a gba and my friend let me borrow his blue and silver version and I really enjoyed it.

How I found Smogon:I decided to come back to pokemon when i heard about platinum and two of my good friends told me they would help me start of with a few poke and here i am now lol.

Why I stayed:Only been here a while and just starting to use it but Trying to give it a shot.

 

[RainDance]

I came here because I heard they got a good RMT section =]

I stayed because it's mad G here.

 

[VashTheStampede]

How I found Smogon: Well, I played in a local card/comic store, and when I started finding about EVs and thing's like that on GFAQs, one of my buddies pointed me out to this site, so I checked it out.

What Smogon did for me: (when I first joined) The information I found was quite useful, even though I didn't quite grasp IV's at the time. Movesets were nice to see and things like that, gave me an idea on what to use against people. I played -a lot- of Shoddy then, as well.

My Impressions from Smogon Forums: Pissed me off a lot. I made two topics, both of which got locked, none of my "simple questions" really got answered, even though I answered quite a few myself, and the Mod Staff in general had it out to get me (or so it felt like) both on the Forums and IRC. Got infractured twice, and from what I remember, only 1 was really excusable. Even now, two years later, when I make a new topic, it get's locked.

The people now though, not -most- of the mods, are quite friendly and kind. The mods still seem to hit that "Lock" button pretty quick (Which is understandable, but discourages newcomers), and most still seem to be pompus, but there are plenty here that are down-to-earth and treat others like equals.

 

[JC Colossus]

I came to Smogon because all the other pokemon sites with fourms I went to were jokes.

I'm staying because people here know what EV's, IV's, and Natures are.

Also, people here play competitively.

-JC

 

[VashTheStampede]

How I got into Pokemon:I got a gba and my friend let me borrow his blue and silver version and I really enjoyed it.

How I found Smogon:I decided to come back to pokemon when i heard about platinum and two of my good friends told me they would help me start of with a few poke and here i am now lol.

Why I stayed:Only been here a while and just starting to use it but Trying to give it a shot.

And I hope I am one of the reasons your staying. xD

 

[bearsfan092]

How I Got Into Pokemon:
Well, I was six at the time, when this girl put on this show on TV. These weird kids were on a boat. Of course, the boat sank, but who gives two shits about that? THEY HAD A YELLOW RAT WITH CLOWN CHEEKS! I thought it was so cute. Then I found out that yellow rat kicked some serious ass.

So after about a month of watching the show, I found out there was a video game for it. Needless to say, I really wanted it. I mean, how cool would it be to be like Ash? (Ask me that question now, and I'll answer differently) So I got all my pokemon together and it took me about 6 months to beat the game and capture Mewtwo.

About a year before Gold and Silver came out, some guy who was 14 at the time taught me about competitive pokemon. And thus, my team became the way overused Starmie-Alakazam-Tauros-Snorlax type thing. With some Missingno. help, I managed to secure enough TM's to make their movesets as well. So that details my entrance into Pokemon in general, and competitive Pokemon as well.

How I Found Smogon:
After beating Fire Red and assembling a competitive team there, I got tired of Pokemon. I put the game down for 2 years and went to other games like Halo, Madden, Rock Band, things like that. It wasn't like I was ashamed of Pokemon, it's just that I got tired of it and went to play other games.

So last year, I found a cheap copy of Diamond at a yard sale. It was in near perfect condition (seriously, there was a scratch on the game case and that's about it). So I picked it up and played through the ingame (which has to be one of the worst ingames I've played). I then went to Gamefaqs for my competitive battling fix. I stayed for a while, but the place was full of hacks/scammers/cheaters/whores. Then there was a rant about Smogon on gamefaqs. I had remembered hearing Smogon when I played ADV generation and read the whole rant. That sealed my fate, and I registered here sometime soon afterward.

Why I stayed:
The thinking level here is unmatched throughout the rest of the pokemon community. Pretty much every other place sucks. (I should probably remove that Pokecommunity reference from my sig now that I think about it). I can handle casual pokemon gamers or complete noobs, but I can't handle the massive amount of hacks there. That's not to say that Smogon isn't without its hacks, but it's a lot better here.

Seriously, the discussion here is good enough that all I do is lurk. Look at my join date. Now look at my post count. Point made.

Anyways, love Smogon, and probably will so long as I play competitive Pokemon.

 

[A2ZOMG]

I got into Pokemon waaaaaay back in the R/B age yeah. And Pokemon Cards and the TV show were like the hype way back then. Or something. Yeah. I was one of those kids that got suckered into the entire craze.

I thought Gold/Silver series was teh awesomeness when it came out due to Psychic types like Alakazam finally being weak against something lol.

I've been totally disconnected to the entire Pokemon scene during the R/S/E age except through various tidbits brought up by Nintendo Power when they were a better magazine and actually covered gameplay in addition to previews and interviews (the latter two which are the only thing they do now. <_<).

More recently, I got heavily interested in Diamond and Pearl, probably not long after Super Smash Bros Brawl came to the USA. Only within the last few months did the competitive battling metagame interest me and start making sense.

I've lurked at here and at Serebii for some months soaking up all the wonderful knowledge available. Although I still am a n00b at damage calculations, IV breeding, and practical experience battling people outside of the Battle Tower. =/

Anyhow, I join here I guess because I want to talk more about this great game series (the TV show sucks), and hopefully acquire more practical experience battling ppls. =)

 

[McIntyre]

How I got into Pokemon:
I was probably three or four and I had enough curiosity to wonder what games my cousins were playing. I borrowed one of their games and got hooked. By the next day, I was bugging my mom to buy me the game and read me the instruction manual. I have not looked back since.

How I found Smogon:
I was only getting into competitive training and battling a few months ago, and a good friend of mine recommended Smogon as a wonderful place to go for competitive advice and strategy. Have not regretted it yet.

Why I stayed:
I only technically joined today, but I still looked through the forums when I did not have an account and I was perfectly content to lurk on the forums anyways. I still am, but it makes me feel a bit more involved now. I can happily say that I will not be leaving any time soon.

 

[Aether Nexus]

How I got into Pokemon:
I use to play the TCG Pokemon card game when it was very popular out here in California about a decade ago. It was still during when WOTC (Wizards of the Coast) still owned it until later down the line when Nintendo finally took it over. I remember getting my first two Pokemon cards (Ponyta & Kakuna) from a school friend when I was in the 2nd grade. After that me and my brother got into it and our parents bought us booster packs and we soon became collectors. We had a decent run and had all the expensive "Lucky" cards such as 1st edition holo/foil Charizards and what not.

As the years rolled by, other friends of mine would have Pokemon episodes from the first Season on VHS. Then soon after when Red and Blue version came out in the U.S (before Yellow version came out that is) and when GameStop was still "Funcoland", I remember asking my Mom to let me buy it instead of a N64 game, (since the difference between a new, $69.99 cartridge N64 game and a new, $19.99 GB cartrdige game was the outcome of a smaller burn hole in my Dad's wallet) they let me buy the Pokemon game instead. It's really all the same when it comes down to video games to my parents, even until today, (and until today no matter what system it is, they seem to call it a "Nintendo", even when it's not a Wii and clearly a Microsoft product).

After the Pokemon card game died out a few years after, and when we all lost our money difference by spending all that money on cards and not being able to sell them for more than $10.00 when you bought a card for like $30.00, (after that point, I got into Magic: The Gathering and me, my brother, friends, and everyone else I knew in my city seemed to be into MTG now rather Pokemon, and it basically consumed half my teenage years from age 12 until 17) so me and my friends stuck to the Pokemon games and grew up from there. I did skip the G/S/C generation until around the 6th grade, then got back into Pokemon during R/S/E.

How I found Smogon:
How I found Smogon is quite funny. I was on the Serebii IRC Wi-Fi chat (hope this doesn't get deleted if I mention them or any other site) about two years ago I'd say around when the Pokemon games came out and every team required a Weavile and E-Vire support. After I had a battle using a very weird team of mine PP'd from previous games, (since everything changed in the 4th gen, I hadn't noticed since I wasn't that knowledgeable then as I am now about the Pokemon games) the conversation led to a PM, then we talked about movesets, and came across Infernape movesets. I asked my opponent if s/he knows any good movesets for an Infenrape, and s/he posted the moveset link page to Infernape on here and told me to use you guys for novice moveset aid.

So as I clicked the link I saw more and more Pokemon movesets, roamed around the whole site, the forums, and I basically liked it. It wasn't one of those "Welcome to our Pokemon forums! If you wish to battle, ask here but do read the rules so we don't ban you!" kind of Pokemon forums, and I soon after found out it was a place for competitive battling rather just about the Pokemon video games in general. I liked the idea of the place, and it was something new and interesting. I never did sign up until recently today, as I never really have too much time on my hands to be on the computer anymore like in my younger teenage years. But since I know this place, have been coming around here since I think 2005, it was time to finally register and become a part of the community.

Why I stayed:

So as I clicked the link I saw more and more Pokemon movesets, roamed around the whole site, the forums, and I basically liked it. It wasn't one of those "Welcome to our Pokemon forums! If you wish to battle, ask here but do read the rules so we don't ban you!" kind of Pokemon forums, and I soon after found out it was a place for competitive battling rather just about the Pokemon video games in general. I liked the idea of the place, and it was something new and interesting. I never did sign up until recently today, as I never really have too much time on my hands to be on the computer anymore like in my younger teenage years. But since I know this place, have been coming around here since I think 2005, it was time to finally register and become a part of the community.

 

[Blaesiken]

I belive a friend told me about this place on a
other forums.... Altough I've just registered here,
I've actually been coming here for a while.
This is the place I always (just about, if not always...)
go to look up moveset for my Pokemons.
Because of this, I've decided to FINALLY
register.

 

[Reaver12]

Why I joined Smogon- Couldn't afford a DS

Why I stayed- Still can't afford a DS

Being poor blows

 

[RCrayons]

I got into pokemon when my sister got a Pikachu themed Game Boy Color. It was the first modern video game thing we had to ourselves. It came with pokemon yellow and I begged her to let me play it. I battled a Pidgey and then frantically tossed the game boy to my sister and shouted for instructions.

She hates pokemon now.

Anyways, I got addicted and now own every classic style game except for green (cuz its jap) and Diamond. I liked it better when I didn't have a clue what the heck EVing was and that Electric was ineffective against ground and perhaps that was why I couldn't seem to kill the occasional onix on Pokemon Stadium with my Raichu. Or that the Red Gyrados was really just a shiny gyrados, or that a shiny pokemon existed on its own accord without being "Cheated" into the game by some idiot with a crazy program that changes the color of pokemon.

I was told about this site by a friend with a killer t-tar who was only beaten by a freakish 11 year old kid who destroyed her team. She asked me to get her an arceus cause she didn't have an AR and EV it like the "First on Smogon plz". Never really got around to it though.

I stayed because I deperately wanted to beat the living daylights out of her team. I was able to destroy her T-tar by a lucky crit with my rhyperior, but since have lost contact with her. I honestly don't have a clue why I'm still here.

 

[0urher0nik0]

Marriland was down for like four months and so i decided to check out smogon. A while later after marriland went back up i went back to talk and such, and found out it had become over-run, by jerks, of which i want to use a stronger word, but wont.
So i decided to stay here because everyone seems a lot nicer.

 

[The.Lost.Hylian]

I came to Smogon when it first opened in 2004, when Glaglaglaglag (Glalie lol) sent me the link. I think TVsIan's website was dying, and so chaos and a few others left to make Smogon. I don't remember the whole story, for I wasn't in the inner circle of members at the time (and still am not). I was one of the first people to join, and I'm glad to say I've spent almost 5 years here, for better or worse, with or without Pokemon. I've learned a lot about myself and about other people, like cultures and music tastes.

Thanks, Smogon :)

 

[Ketamine]

Came cause I thought the trading and competitive battling on this site is the best you can get, and stayed because my theory was proved right!

 

[Dark Sage]

You guys remember those ol' Pokemon toys? Around when I was 8-9, that was all me and my friends played with until one of them let me come over to his house and I saw he had a game and I'm like WTF and he's like DUDE YOU SHOULD PLAY IT so I'm like LOLOK.

So anyway, I played his Blue version for a while, got Gold, and then Ruby, ect. Then finally I got D/P and for the first frickin' time ever I learned about EVs and IVs and I'm like WTF so I was a noob for a while.

Then I found here and I saw that it didn't suck so I decided to stay. These many Pokemon sites run by 13 year old girls are the epitomy of /wristz. But this site is not.

Wow this post is meme-heavy.

 

[xDoNuTx]

I started visiting this website when I found out Garchomp was an Uber. I looked over the Net and found Smogon.

 

[ungulateman]

[lurk mode off]

How I got into Pokemon:
One of my friends had the TCG back at my school. I was vaguely interested at the time, became attached to the whole thing. My first game was actually Ruby. -_-

How I found Smogon:
Occasionaly on serebii people would mention Smogon (and ShoddyBattle as well in conjunction, but that's irrelevant), so I visited here.

Why I stayed:
Because the people are nice, the discussion is mature and I don't need x number of posts to be respected.

[/lurk mode on]

 

[Voltron]

How I got into Pokemon: One faithful day I was riding the bus to school and some kid either had the Pokemon game or the cards that was the first I had seen or heard of Pokemon. Of course the craze took over my school and I like almost everyone else had the game and the cards and even some toys. By the time Gold/Silver came out Pokemon wasn't cool anymore. Of course I still liked it so I got it anyway. I secretly played it all the time. Before Crystal came out though my interest faded.

How I got back into Pokemon: Well a friend and I would bring our Game Boys into English class in 10th grade and play the old Pokemons while we were supposed to be reading. We eventually decided to get Emerald, at the time the latest game, and then got back into Pokemon.

How I found Smogon: Some time before I bought Emerald I heard about the tournament that Nintendo was holding when it first came out. Thats the tournament where skarm got beat by the flyquaza. I for some reason entered the qualifier where you had to name pokemon and their types as fast as you could or something. I of course didn't know any new ones so I had to look them up. I think I did this on smogon or serebii. Either way that lead my to NetBattle which led my to Smogon.

Why I stayed: I like Shoddy battling occasionally and Smogon is the best place for competative pokemoning info and really like the discussions and warstories here as and the people are cool. As long as I enjoy Pokemon I'll come here.

 

[Rhydonphan]

How I got into Pokemon:
A few yearsago back in the red and blue days, I think it was 2000. I was like 5 then (Yes I am only 13 now) and my brother got Pokemon Blue and Red. I was never allowed to touch it as I could start a new game. Eventually he let me after I broke my arm and was at home all day. I then often played Pokemon Yellow and Gold/Crystal without much intrest. I can barely remember Gold and Crystal that is why the second generation and Silver has become my favourite generation. I avidly played Pokemon Ruby along side with my brother who had Sapphire. I never played competitively then with my main goal being obtaining every pokemon and getting level 100s. After finishing the games pokedex with lvl 100s I traded the pokemon onto sapphire and started a new game. I never got to complete the dex again because of a lack of Gameboy and fell down crestfallen with my Lvl 100s and curiosity of why the Battle Tower was so hard. I also did the same with Fire Red until my sister started a new game and I lost all my Lvl 100s. Now I gave up Pokemon, For Now...
How I got back into Pokemon:
After knowing that diamond and Pearl was coming I anticipated the release and picked it up on my birthday just less than a month after release. I continued with the goal of Lvl 100s and a full Pokedex. I completed the game (Pokemon League and SideQuests after completion) within 20 days and left Pokemon as it was not "cool" or "fun" in Year 8 (7th Grade). I picked it up a year later as I was having a boring Holiday. I then carried on with the Pokedex eventually completing it apart from event pokemon and johto starters and dogs and Scyther. My action Replay Friend let me borrow his cheat system and I got the johto starters and Syther and the dogs. I also took a HO-Oh when he wasn't looking. Now the Dex was done, the focus was battling and Lvl 100s.

How I found Smogon:
My Action replay friend also gave me Rare Candys and Master Balls so I got my lvl 100s. I had no experience of Natures or Evs apart from when I was bribed to give someone a Quiet Natured Beldum for me using their Gameboys. 15000 steps was very boring so I left wondering why he didnt want Calm when they're the same. I found Serebii and used mainly that for info and any movesets. I wanted to make a new team but couldn't find a set on Serebii. My Action Replay friend gave me one. While searching about Tiers I found a forum called Smogon. I then decided to check out the site
Why I stayed:
It gives good advice

 

[Sephirona]

How I got into Pokemon: I was seven years old when Pokemon came out. Instant obsession! 'Course, not everyone agreed with me - lots of kids felt like they needed to boost their egos by seeming different and would deny their love for Pokemon. But we all know you can't do that. It eats you from inside. :V And I've been playing each generation since. With the exception of Gold, I have every single other Pokemon RPG from the second generation up D: Yikes.

How I found Smogon: I think I'd randomly heard of Smogon before, but being that I didn't frequent any Pokemon forums much, I had no idea it was so spiffitastic. That, and one of my friends recently began popping out shiny pokemon and claimed he wasn't hacking, so I was investigating throughout the Internets. *_*

Why I stayed:
Why not? `-`

 

[charlatan charm]

How I started Pokemon: I saw the first movie during a summer at YMCA Camp. I then began to watch the television shows. I was about 7. My mother told me as soon as I read a "big girl book" she would buy me a video game. I begged her to buy me a used GBA. I then found a Silver gamepack a few months later. I played it on a long road trip, and have been in love ever since. I always despised the other children who collected the cards just to have them.

How I found Smogon: I was probably about 12 or 13 when I first heard of Smogon. I was using NetBattle and often chatted in the server. I never actually joined the forums or anything until very recently. I now use Smogon as a wonderful guide to all of my pokequestions.

Why I stayed/am deciding to stay: I downloaded Shoddy Battle and realized it's been years since I have battled Pokemon competitively and upon graduating this summer, I shall have a great deal of free time available. I registered about an hour ago to sign up for tutoring. Of course with my luck the post was closed already. OH WELL

 

[Huntofthelion]

How I got into Pokemon:

Been playing since red, but since I was like 6 when I started I really wasn't interested in competitive. After a while I went to GameFaqs to do some trading, and eventually found my way over to the battle boards.

How I found Smogon:

Well after battling on faqs for a while some friends there got me interested in shoddy. Since this place had a big server, and since I had heard good things about it, I signed up for the site and have been here ever since.

Why I stayed:

Well at first it was just to post RMTs and join the Tournaments, but after a while I started making friends here, and once that happened I haven't had a reason to leave.

 

[imnohero]

I just recently got back into pokemon right before platinum came out. I tried to replay my silver, but it would no longer save my game :( I managed to pop the cart open and replace the battery, but after that I just decided to pick up a copy of leaf green to enjoy on the new advance sp I got from my brother. I sailed through that game in about two weeks, right before platinum came out. When it did I bought a DS of course haha. Since then I've been obsessed. I've been posting on bulbagarden for while, but I felt like I needed more substance. I've been using Smogon since I started playing again for looking up movesets and strategies, and just recently discovered that there is a forum here haha. So here I am! I'm looking forward to my stay here.

 

[Incarnate]

I came here looking to get better at competitive battling, and I'll be staying to lurk more than to post, and look at the intelligent discussions you all have. The kind of influence I need, I guess.