QueBien
Nomad, vagabond, call me what you will
Hey Mei Lin!Hi! I'm Rachel and I'm 24. My very first video game ever way back in the day was pokemon blue on gameboy, and like the inner child I am, I have never stopped playing.
For years now I have bred pokemon for people who battled competitively or people who just wanted something in specific. No one big or anything but around random forums or reddit and such. I have a pretty sizeable dex and an almost fully complete national dex of pokemon across several games.
So, recently I've been watching a lot of youtube battlers as well as the replay list on showdown and I thought to myself that since breeding has become a little boring, I wanted to learn how to get into competitive battling. With the amount of different pokemon I have, literally nothing is out of my grasp in terms of finding something (At least I think!) , so why not teach myself how to actually use these pokemon.
I was thinking of getting into either Battle Spot, VGC, NU or RU. If I get confident enough maybe OU, but I'm mostly interested in the others to start.
What intimidates me most is prediction. I mean, I'm good at it in things I know like MtG, but with Pokemon I just have so little experience and don't really know where to start learning or how. I need the whole package, like: Team building and synergy, knowing the meta, learning how to predict, and all of that.
I like to think I'm a quick study and once I feel like I have a foot in the door, I can take off from there. I've lurked here for many years just reading all the fascinating things, and I'm hoping I can actually become a part of this community.
For a start, try this guide for some of the basics (i.e. team-building and predicting) of competitive battling. In addition, I would recommend visiting the respective rooms of the tiers you are interested in have you not done so already. Also, PM some of the mentors of these tiers. For example, for Battle Spot, PM Hulavuta. For VGC, PM Ace Emerald. There are many mentors for NU and RU, so just go by your preference. Mentors can help you improve your skills in the tiers you are seeking improvement in. Good luck with your battling and have fun!
Hi miniroo!Hello, my name is miniroo. I am new to the Pokemon scene, but I've been a lurker here since 2009 (mainly for the Strategydex and The Smog magazine). I mainly enjoy fighting games, but every since ORAS came out, I've suddenly become interested in Pokemon again. Knowing that there's a lot of skilled players here, I hope to learn all I can to get good at this game!
Welcome! If you would like an introduction to competitive battling, use this guide. In addition, don't be afraid to ask questions if you have any. Have a great time, and I'll see you around!
Hello TyrionTheMaster!Yo! I'm Matt, from Hawaii. I tried to "retire" from Pokemon because of time constraints and sold my 3DS before I could get addicted to ORAS; however, kicking the habit completely was impossible. Showdown kept me in the game. I'd like to improve, and even get in on the mentoring program. It would be great if someone could help me out! Peace.
Here is an introduction to the Smogon Mentorship Program! In addition, here is a list of mentors that can help you improve your competitive battling skills and/or help you with any questions you may have. Try out the "Competitive Tutoring" room in Showdown for further help with battling, and visit the RMT section of the forums to get some team-building help. In addition, visit this link for a guide to competitive battling. Have a great time in both Smogon and in Showdown, and good luck battling!