How did you find Smogon?

[Aggril]

How I first got into Pokemon?

Back when Ruby/Sapphire came out, a friend of mine got into Sapphire.. and I happened to have just bought my very first Gameboy, so I ended up being nagged into getting Ruby so that he'd be able to get the Ruby-exclusives on his cart.


When I entered Competetive Battling?

Well, I still wouldn't consider myself *that* good at it.. but the above friend back then began beating me constantly using his legends, and eventually I heard about these things called 'IVs' and 'breeding'.. and one day finally defeated him using a bred Zangoose and Wobbuffet among others. Naturally, that was also the last time he'd fight me lol.

I did end up putting Ruby away til Pearl/Diamond came out, and now I'm back to spending hours hatching eggs and plotting out moves once again.

How I heard about Smogon?
I found my way here after being referred to here to check movesets and good team ideas at another forum.

 

[Deleted member 14825]

How I first got into Pokemon?

I've been playing since RBY, introduced first by emulation, then by getting both Red and Blue versions.

When I entered Competitive Battling?

I'm not really a competitive battler, yet. I tried to get into it but Netbattle intimidated me at first. Now, I think I can pour some time into developing teams and learning stuff, though.

How I heard about Smogon?

Been browsing random sites, and found this along with them. My friend then lead me back here when telling me where to look for good movesets and boatloads of Pokeinfo.

 

[Nasty Plot]

How I first got into Pokemon?
The show and all of the other pokemon stuff during the RBY generation is probably what got me into pokemon.

How I heard about Smogon?
I heard about Smogon from other pokemon forums.

 

[LoRDaCe]

How I first got into Pokemon?
Its been an addiction since the very beggining

How I heard about Smogon?
Zero.EXE, :D

When I entered Competitive Battling?
Last year, Zero.EXE taught me all about EV training etc.

 

[Kingdrom]

I first got into pokemon at the age of 7. My friends were crazy over this game, so I decided to get Pokemon Red. I wasn't disappointed.

I entered competitive battling just last year, when i started to pay attention to ev's and iv's and such.

 

[Demonz]

I was introduced to this place by Chasethebase, a.k.a. Chase. He's a friend of mine from another forum.

 

[Zero.EXE]

How I first got into Pokemon?
Its been an addiction since the very beggining

How I heard about Smogon?
Zero.EXE, :D

When I entered Competitive Battling?
Last year, Zero.EXE taught me all about EV training etc.

LOL, thanks LordAce. Hmm, I never posted here...

How I first got into Pokemon?

First started in around 1999 or so, when EVERYONE was playing it.

When I entered Competetive Battling?

In R/S/E really, since that's when I started understanding IVs, EVs, and whatever (or were there no such things before RSE?).

How I heard about Smogon?

I found my way here somehow, don't remember the details. I lurked here for around 2 years before I decided to make a real account. (I felt a bit left out from all those Wifi trade threads. xD)

 

[KoD]

How I first got into Pokemon?

Back when the show started. I liked it a lot back then and I heard about the games, so I got a guide. After reading through it, I got interested in playing the games a lot (I had never played an RPG before), so I bought Blue version, even when Yellow was already out, I guess since my favourite Pokémon at the time was Blastoise.

When I entered Competitive Battling?

Well, I've never played any Competitive matches so far (no Wi-Fi yet, haven't got around downloading Shoddy, was waiting for Competitor instead), but I've been reading a lot through Smogon this past year and have gathered a good amount of knowledge on Competitive Pokémon. This started when R/S/E was still going strong (I remember the Evergrande section still being the most visited and having most discussions), although D/P was already out in Japan at the time. Which was good, since by the time all the talk about D/P's new Pokes started emerging, I already had a good base from the past gen in terms of knowledge.
As for EV's, IV's, etc, I had known about them for longer, but I had no idea what I was doing back then anyways lol

How I heard about Smogon?

I found about Smogon around this time a year ago from Serebii.net. I had been visiting the place more often than usuall since D/P's release in Japan and I found the link to Smogon at their forums. I've been visiting Smogon ever since.

 

[ncsbert]

How I first got into Pokemon?

First read about it back when Nintendo Power did a small piece on the Japanese version. Bought Blue the day it came out and proceeded to fill up the pokedex with the help of my younger brother and Red. Never got into battling much though. Played way too much Silver/Gold when they came out, and refused to look at Crystal, as I thought Game Boy Color was a ripoff. Completely skipped the Advance Generation (probably why I'm so out of date on a lot of stuff) until D/P was nearing release. Picked up Emerald a month before April 22 and proceeded to really get back into collecting these little things we call pokemon. Obligatory thanks here to my younger brother who did keep playing during the Advance Generation, which, if nothing else, did get a Colosseum Bonus disc (read: Jirachi) out of it.

When I entered Competitive Battling?

As of yet, I guess I haven't, haha. I played through Diamond with Set battle type (game doesn't ask you if you want to switch out after you faint a foe.) and it became a bit more challenging, but I still found it way to predictable. Once I realized how competitive the Metagame was proving to be, I started to research getting into it. Been meaning to put together a team, but life seems to get in the way these days. (perhaps if I had Internet at home it would help too. haha.)

How I heard about Smogon?

Various other sites sometimes mention Smogon in their forums / comments. (GameFaqs, Serebii, Youtube, etc.) I'm quite pleased to have found such a serious site on D/P in general.

 

[NoMercy]

How I first started playing pokemon

In the year 1999, i watched a Pokemon Yellow commercial on TV.
All other kids played with pokemon, both with the trading cards and R/B/Y on the Game Boy. So i got Yellow for my birthday. I had no idea what to do. I didn't understand any English, so i just tried out everything. I got some help from my cousins to get me trough the game.
For a long time, i didn't play much pokemon until last year; I bought Ruby, and started playing. Early this year i bought Emerald. On October 1 this year, I bought Diamond.

How I started battling online/How I found out about Smogon

I downloaded and started playing with Shoddy Battle one month ago.
I heard of Smogon there. So yeah... that's how i got here.

 

[neojazex]

1st post - what better place for it

How I first started playing pokemon
waay back, i assume around '97-'98, got it given to my brothers and i to share, with red n blue, then i got yellow and that kinda became my cart game, and who wouldn't want all 3 starters? wish that were possible today :( anyway, the game stuck with me through the years and has been the main reason i keep getting the Nintendo handhelds

How I started battling online/How I found out about Smogon
actually, looking at a 'competitive' FR/LG walkthrough on gamefaqs, talked about netbattle and smogon, so i got netbattle, wasn't too sharp at it, but didnt actually get into smogon 'til now with the new gen of games, especailly the D/P analysis caught my eye, i have a word doc which saved each pokemon's movesets and comments - so every1 who worked on that thanks :D and it took forever to open them all and save them to the one file :(

 

[Taylor]

How I first started playing pokemon

In the year 1999, i watched a Pokemon Yellow commercial on TV.
All other kids played with pokemon, both with the trading cards and R/B/Y on the Game Boy. So i got Yellow for my birthday. I had no idea what to do. I didn't understand any English, so i just tried out everything. I got some help from my cousins to get me trough the game.
For a long time, i didn't play much pokemon until last year; I bought Ruby, and started playing. Early this year i bought Emerald. On October 1 this year, I bought Diamond.

How I started battling online/How I found out about Smogon

I downloaded and started playing with Shoddy Battle one month ago.
I heard of Smogon there. So yeah... that's how i got here.

Thanks for using my avytar you bastard....

sorry for this spam, but yeah...

 

[Tyrano]

How I first started playing pokemon:

I mainly got into pokemon in 7th grade, when I started going online and finding out about EV training and Breeding and Stuff. I totally got addicted and ended up playing it ALL THE TIME. My parents would always yell at me cuz i would always be up in my room EV training and stuff. It was a way for me to get away from it all and just strategize with all kinds of pokemon. Over the years I have collected pokemon gold, silver, crystal, blue, red, firered, leafgreen, 2 sapphires, 3 rubys, and emerald.

How I started battling online/ How I found out about Smogon

I also found Smogon from the website, Serebii.net. I was so happy when i found out about smogon cuz I was sick of thinking of movesets all on my own, and smogon's movesets gave so much more info and were a lot better. So I started going on the forums and found out about netbattle. I had found a new way to "train" pokemon without having to spend countless hours EV training them on the gameboy games. I have been a devoted and addicted smogoner/netbattler ever since.

 

[Hulkkis]

Started playing with pokemon red back when it first came out in EU. still remember my first "fully trained" pokemon when everyone who could learn it had body slam when i learned how to copy TMs with the legendary oldman/cinnabar beach missigno glitch. Then came Silver, Ruby and now Pearl.
also both stadium games and Colosseum 1. never owned the third games in any generation, didnt think it would be worth the money (that i dont have that much)

And online.. well to tell the truth i havent played a single match online. only earlier this year discovered shoddybattle and got online stuff for DS but havent had the time or interest to properly train a team. Have been reading these forums and some other ones a lot so i think i would do ok in the pro games. just gotta grab myself from the neck and start training :)

Found this lovely site when people in gamefaqs talked about it a lot.

 

[IStillHaveALife]

How I first got into Pokemon?

When Diamond and Pearl first came out in America I regained intrest and got addicted.

When I entered Competetive Battling?

I Entered competitive battling around june 20, 2007

How I heard about Smogon?
I was told to go here back when I was a noob , although i recently decided to post here.

p.s My first post at smogon.

 

[zZSaitoZz]

How I first got into Pokemon?
I started playing pokemon since RBY,when my parent bought a gameboy and pokemon for me...Addicted to D/p since it can battle/trade thru wifi


When I entered Competetive Battling?
I never been into competetive battling

How I found out about Smogon
Someone give a smogon link about smogon strategy pokedex and another guy told me about this is a vry good forum,hybrid

 

[Calciphoce]

How I first got into Pokemon?

The year was 1996. I was at Costco with my mother, and, as usual, begging her for whatever seemed colorful on the shelves (mind you, I was 3). After passing some random crap, I saw a pink Gameboy Color packaged with Pokemon Red on the next column. I begged and begged, for some reason that I'm still not sure of, for that package. Eventually, my mom caved and bought it for me. I beat the game before I could read. ?-?

When I entered Competetive Battling?

Um...I guess it was when one of my friends (known here as klusps) was talking to me on another forum about Pokemon a couple months ago. I knew nothing of the metagame or anything competitive, and he recently posted a beginners guide on the subject. I was intrigued, and he taught me the basis of what I know today. I thank him for this, but I don't think I've ever even mentioned it to him. I should.

How I heard about Smogon?

Again, klusps helped me out here. When I was making my first team, I had wanted to use a Gengar, as it was one of my favorite Pokemon. I asked him what moves it should have, and he gave my the moveset from the analysis, and the quote about Gengar being unpredictable. I was curious as to what this "smogon" thing was, so I typed in the URL and boom, a couple months later, here I am now.

 

[EconBiscuit]

How I first got into Pokemon?

I first got into pokemon with the introduction of pokemon to UK tv screens, watching this I become obsessed with the pokemon world, how cool pikachu was and would Ash ever become the master he dreamed he would become. With the Pokemon gripping everything around my school, trading cards came and then my mate told me how he found a pokemon game. I borrowed his GB and off I played til my hearts content. I finally got a GBA and ahold of red, Alas I got bored of the pokemon goodness and focused on other games. T'wasn't until Ruby/Sapphire came out that I was back into Pokemon. then he eventually showed me Smogon when D/P was released and then I joined without posting just looking at trade threads realising i wanted to create my own :D

When I entered Competetive Battling?

Eventually my R/l Alien Jesus pointed me to Netbattle .I've competetively battled twice, No more no less, Both times I had my hand handed to me on a plate (With a Mono Type Elec vs. Mono Type Flying) Since then I haven't really battled until I learned more

How I heard about Smogon?

Once D/P came out Alien Jesus also pointed me to this in which I haven't posted on, just looked at people's trade threads until I made my own. Alas got myself a Ninty Wifi USB connector, alas I got one of those and can't use it on my PC ;)

 

[Moveset Master]

I was here when the site was created.

 

[darkjjak]

How I first got into Pokemon?

I first saw the anime in 1998 one day when I came home from school. The game had just come out in America, so I bought a copy of Blue. Loved it!


When I entered Competetive Battling?

I never really got into competitive battling. I'm not very good with Internet stuff that isn't on IE, so things like mIRC (I've dabbled with that when I found out how to "do stuff with it that I don't know if I can mention on this site" with it) are pretty foreign to me.

With D/P and WiFi, I'd like to get into it more though.


How I heard about Smogon?

It was either from pojo or serebiiforums. Someone was talking about it, and I decided to check it out. I was amazed to find out how great this site is in regards to the movesets and analyses and such.

 

[Adrian]

I found Smogon in the yellow pages lol :P JK

for those people who don't know what yellow pages are its a giant yellow paged book in England with phone numbers for just about anything. :D

 

[Mekkah]

...

 

[gorm]

2nd best 1st post ever

 

[cornflake]

what was the first?

 

[Lee]

Obviously not one of yours, cornflake.

If I was to put myself in Gorms shoes, I'd guess that he is thinking of Trashy's first post. I'd also guess that he wants to do something about that dandruff.