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Feb 14th, 2013, 4:33:53 PM
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is a competitor
         
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,237
Passaic County, NJ
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Summer Fornever
Summer Fornever
Featuring art by the incredible Cartoons!        Table of ContentsPreface I never got the chance to make a milestone thread. What would be a more suitable way for me to do this than by showcasing a team? This thread is about so much more than a team. It's an outlet to share a part of my past with everyone, as well as thank a bunch of extraordinary people I have had the pleasure of getting to know in one way or another throughout my time spent here. My time on this site wouldn't have been the same without them. This thread is not a final farewell. I can foresee myself keeping in touch with some friends and joining a special tournament if I am available, but for the most part, this thread marks the end of an era for me on this site. I have spent a long time putting this together. There is a lot of closure to be had for the years I have spent on here every day. Feel free to use the handy table of contents at the top to jump to a section for convenience of if you wish to skip a section. I'm not a stranger when it comes to posting teams. While I was never a steady contributor to the RMT forum, I always valued RMT as a platform to share ideas. For me personally, I would always tinker with teams and inquire for opinions while working on them. When I would post a thread, it was meant to showcase the final product. Each team was meant to share my views of the game or bring awareness to a specific style. Those goals remain the same for me with this thread. Most importantly, though, I would like to honor the people I have had the pleasure of getting to know well. I like to take an outgoing approach with my faith. If it can affect just one person in a positive way, it would be well worth the effort. At the center of my faith is gratitude for God and the people around me. Without the grace of God and the support of others, my experience on this site and life in general would be much different. About Me It's strange how we all come here just to have a good time, but things happen along the way that changes us for the better. I started playing this game back in 1998, but I didn't start looking to play competitively until 2007. The first site I got involved in was PokeBeach. Their site was limited in terms of gaming capacity, but the environment was friendly. I got to know a group of players on there who preferred to play Doubles. I got my first taste of competition by playing in small tournaments with them on NetBattle. It was a humble beginning for me on PokeBeach; I started a league, which would eventually take off in popularity. In no time at all I found myself as a staff member on their site, working to expand their competitive sphere. Eventually I was given administrative permissions to oversee everything involving its gaming content. Around that time, I first developed ties with some members here, but I was hesitant to become involved on Smogon because its reputation of being incredibly elitist. Meanwhile, I became a prolific player on the ladder. It was a way of sharpening my skills in the game. The ladder was an addiction for me because there was no limit to how much I could play. The more I played, the better I got as a player, which only led to me wanting to play more. I was able to develop my game in a short time largely due to the volume of games I would play on ladder. By the end of Shoddy's existence, my volatility was down in the Mariana Trench at around 0.014. When the official server merged with Smogon, I became increasingly involved with the site. With the help of a few useful references from ladder, I was admitted into Battling 101. Tutoring was the best place for me to start contributing because I was still timid around the forums despite my increasing stature on the server. Once I became a familiar face in the community, I branched out to get involved in Tournaments. Tournaments were at the heart of my interest going back to my days at PokeBeach, where I handled almost every major event they hosted. Tournaments on Smogon were more intimidating and exclusive than they are now in terms of the competition. There was a greater sense of honor among players back then. The players in that culture received more respect. After I carved a niche as a reliable tournament host, I became heavily involved with Smogon Tour. Having seen the idols of yesteryear such as Veteran In Love place high value on the tournament, it was something I wanted to be apart of. At first, I only played in it purely for fun; it was probably the most fun I ever had playing the game at that point. After having early success, I placed high expectations on myself. The game was never quite the same for me after that, and not as much fun either. It developed into something of an obsession to try to conquer the tournament. There was more than just Tournaments on this site for me, though. I was the kind of person who liked to keep to myself and interact with friends. Some of the things I have done could be interpreted as having an air of egotism attached to them, including this thread. That was never the driving force behind my actions. It was just a label some people might spread based on their expectations of the motivations of someone they had never spoken to before. My viewpoint on it is that everyone has different courses of action they can take. It is the choice of each individual if they want to sow a seed of encouragement or destruction. I try my best to do the former and surround myself with people who do the same. I do have to thank people who disrespected me in the past because I feel like they motivated me in ways I could not on my own. When I eventually did make it to the top of the mountain in Smogon Tour, the entire run was marked by sharp comments. Facing that level of opposition made me grow as a person and in faith. Nothing stays the same way forever. I'm a different person than I was when I made my first C&C post and got up in the middle of the night to fix a spelling error out of fear of being discredited. While the opportunities are more readily available for members nowadays, I feel like the staff lacks the same continuity and harmony it once had. Perhaps that is just a side effect of how much Smogon has grown in size since I first came here. While I am not an original Smogoner, the values I hold in this community stem from the foundation that existed back then. As I move into a new phase in my life, I do so with the experience and memories from this place. At some level, it will always be apart of my past and myself. I hope Smogon continues to prosper so that others can share a similar experience as I have had here. It's been special. Team Summary The featured team is the team I used during Smogon Tour Season 12 Finals for ADV OU. Prior to the playoffs of Season 12, I was working with M Dragon on a team. He suggested the core from which he found success during that season. I tailored the moves to fit my preferences. DracoMalfoy worked with me to maximize the efficiency of the EV spreads. Through practicing with ]V[ajinTupac, he recommended I use CM Blissey alongside Celebi. All the credit in the world goes to those guys for helping me put this team together. I wouldn't have reached the final product without their assistance. Just don't let this add fuel to the fire the next time you guys are arguing over who invented what set. We all had a hand in this as far as I'm concerned. I appreciate that you guys freely brought me into your group. This is a generation that I didn't get a chance to play competitively when it was current and I value the effort you guys put in to keep it around and pass down your knowledge. The final product performed well on the Pokemon Online ladder. The most difficult challenge still awaited the team, though. While some of the players on ladder were good, it would not be the same type of environment as Smogon Tour. In hindsight it was probably risky to openly ladder with the team, but the players on ladder did not seem to be affiliated with anyone in the tournament. My game plan going into the playoffs was to be more unpredictable. As much as I could point to a few misplays or bad luck, my predictability was a detriment in the past. I always like to focus on the things you can control in this game, but that can be a challenge given how unforgiving this game can be. In an ironic twist, I would eventually come to lean on my familiarity with this team to promote comfortable play in some of the most intense games I have ever played. Comfortability did not always guarantee quality decision-making, but it did become a factor during key moments of some games.  Tyranitar @ Leftovers Trait: Sand Stream EVs: 252 HP / 188 SpA / 68 Spe Quiet Nature (+SpA, -Spe) - Fire Blast - Hidden Power Grass - Pursuit - Rock Slide Lead Tyranitar is a tough cover for other teams with its abundant coverage. Its main objective is to summon Sand and remove Gengar, which it can do in 2 hits if they decide to stay in with its SpA EVs. If Dusclops were more common in the metagame, it would be worthwhile to use Crunch over Rock Slide. With the mixed set, you have added pressure against Flying-types. If you prefer to go with all special moves, you can run Crunch over Rock Slide and switch to a Modest nature. That would allow you to put some additional Spe EVs into SpA. The HP EVs are for surviving CB Dugtrio at full health, but it also helps for tanking hits in general. It comes in handy for scouting when it's too risky to send in one of its teammates. 68 Spe EVs ensures that Tyranitar will be faster than Swampert. Besides Pursuit, the other moves are for coverage. It is good against stall, which is useful because this team is defensive. The team can vary in style depending upon what the situation calls for in a particular game. Sometimes you can get more out of playing Tyranitar aggressively if the long-term benefits outweigh the immediate risks. Part of this is dictated on what your opponent is using and how much you have seen from their team. If Tyranitar has the opportunity to take out a serious threat for a key team member, it would be more fruitful to follow through with it even if it means losing the ability to trap and remove Gengar. It comes down to playing to the advantages the team has against your opponent and creating the best scenario for you to win at the end of the game. Against offensive teams, Tyranitar's strategy shifts to reinforcing the defensive core. Rarely will Tyranitar be be the focal point of your path to victory. Instead, its role is to be the ultimate team player.  Celebi @ Leftovers Trait: Natural Cure EVs: 252 HP / 220 Def / 36 Spe Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk) - Calm Mind - Leech Seed - Psychic - Recover CM Celebi with plenty of bulk is the glue of the team. It takes hits from a number of things and helps form the defensive core with Forretress and Milotic. Snorlax is the top threat Celebi is responsible to take down. While Celebi is not the only thing the team has to deal with Snorlax, it is the most practical and reliable measure against Snorlax. Leech Seed forces switches to help rack up Spikes damage and helps alleviate the need to use Recover while using CM. In a last Pokemon situation, it can whittle their health down until they are in striking distance for Psychic to kill. Psychic is the best move to have since this team is well armed against most Tyranitar. A well-played DD Tyranitar can be cause for concern, but there are a few choice options you can take to lessen the threat. Celebi can run Hidden Power Grass over Psychic. The biggest downside is being unable to hit Flying-types for quality damage, most notably Zapdos. Another possibility is putting Hidden Power Grass over Calm Mind to provide maximum coverage. Celebi is truly the lifeblood of the team because its style reflects that of the entire team. Its biggest asset is the defensive coverage it provides, but it has an alternate threat of being offensive. For that reason Celebi is easily the most valuable member of the party. Moreover, the approach you can take with Celebi will vary depending upon the team matchup. Against an offensive team it would be prudent to maximize its potential as a defender, whereas it will be looking to spot an opening to sweep against defensive teams. Depending upon the type of offensive team, Celebi's role varies between being a key piece to withstand hits from physical attacks or support in aiding Blissey against special sweepers. The result is that the only truly bad team matchup the team will find itself in is against a team with a certain combination of threats. It's a fun way to play in ADV because the importance of every decision being made is as great as any other generation.  Blissey @ Leftovers Trait: Natural Cure EVs: 36 HP / 252 Def / 220 SpA Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk) - Calm Mind - Ice Beam - Thunderbolt - Softboiled Blissey is necessary to reinforce my defenses against bulky Waters. With the influx of special hyper offense teams, CM Blissey does an excellent job of standing in the way of their onslaught. The only thing you are giving up on to arm yourself against those teams are support moves for the most part. Max Def allows it to take a physical hit and the SpA EVs are to KO Dugtrio using Ice Beam without a boost. Thunderbolt gives me more power against Suicune and can be used as a last ditch measure against Gyarados. Since this is not a dedicated stall team, it's more practical to have coverage moves for threats Blissey can potentially take a hit from as part of a contingency plan. Flamethrower may give Blissey a little bit more of an advantage going up against Jirachi, but that's part of the reason for using Dugtrio. Blissey is a complementary piece to assist its teammates in accomplishing their goals, most notably Celebi and Dugtrio. Unless a safe opportunity presents itself for Celebi to sweep, Blissey will almost always be sent into the fray to lighten the load. The most common instance where Blissey is more important to the team's success than Celebi is against special sweeping team. Against those kinds of teams, its important to keep Blissey in good health and also make the best use you can out of the rest of the team. They almost always have a complementary physical sweeper, so sticking to a tight game plan should bring you success. Blissey also meshes well with Dugtrio as they can take out almost every threat to each other. Keep in mind that it isn't solely a two-man game, though, since Dugtrio can't reliably switch into a lot of things.  Forretress @ Leftovers Trait: Sturdy EVs: 252 HP / 64 Def / 192 SpD Sassy Nature (+SpD, -Spe) - Spikes - Hidden Power Bug - Rapid Spin - Explosion Forretress is the pawn on this team. It can come in to scout move sets and lay Spikes. Rapid Spin should not be difficult if you play Tyranitar effectively. Hidden Power Bug is effective against Celebi and Tyranitar. Celebi is not a problem on paper, but it can be a nuisance during a game. DD Tyranitar can pose a threat, so the fewer openings it has to set up the better off you are. Milotic is grateful to have some additional support against Tyranitar because it's vulnerable defending by itself. Explosion is nice to have after Forretress has done its job and you need to take out a threat. Since this isn't a dedicated stall team, Rest doesn't serve much of a purpose. If you feel its inadequate at doing the job without recovery, you could always change it. Explosion will be missed as it can swing momentum in your favor or get out of a jam if a game doesn't go as planned. Forretress doesn't play the same as it would if it had Rest. In most situations, you'll want to play more reserved with Forretress to get the most out of it. In theory, I always prefer to extend the game anyway because it gives the opponent a higher chance of breaking down. You won't want to stand in the way of a damaging move for the sake of getting a layer of Spikes up unless there isn't an opportunity to get them up at any other time. Depending upon what kind of team you're up against, your play with Forretress will vary. Against teams with an all out attack, you will need to find the best opportunity to get the layer out while also using Forretress to scout for the opponent's sets. Against an offensive team, out of everyone on this team, you generally need Forretress the least to be able to win.  Milotic @ Leftovers Trait: Marvel Scale EVs: 252 HP / 224 Def / 16 SpA / 16 Spe Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk) - Ice Beam - Surf - Recover - Toxic Milotic is the bulky Water on the team responsible for keeping Dragons in check. It sacrifices a Rock resist for a reliable method of recovery compared to Swampert. The lack of resistance is amended by the synergy of its teammates and the added bonus is that it doesn't shy away from Grass-type moves as easily as Swampert. It is harder to overwhelm than Swampert because Recover ensures that I can continually come back in on physical sweepers in good condition. In combination with Spikes and Toxic doing residual damage, Milotic is able to slowly drain the life out of many threats. If you are unable to play around DD Tyranitar, Milotic may be the best place to fix the problem. By removing Toxic, you can run a RestTalk set to make use of Marvel Scale in a pinch. I try to rely on my play to beat it instead of altering the set because Toxic stalling is a perfect compliment to what the team already does. Milotic's resilience means it can linger in games for a long time to bother the opposition. In games where you can manage to put up a full complement of Spikes, Milotic is particularly useful as there aren't many things that can easily take it down. It has great synergy with Celebi because they are the driving forces behind causing switches with Toxic and Leech Seed. They also compliment each other against Flying-types rather well, as Milotic can repeatedly switch into Salamence and Aerodactyl, while it defer to Celebi for disposing of Zapdos. Milotic can get Toxic on Gyarados, but the subsequent boosts Gyarados will be able to acquire make it strong enough to take down Milotic unless you manage to get it on the switch. Otherwise, Blissey does a cleaner job dealing with Gyarados. Beware of a possible Dugtrio revenge kill on Blissey if you are using it to check Gyarados.  Dugtrio @ Choice Band Trait: Arena Trap EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpA) - Earthquake - Hidden Power Bug - Aerial Ace - Rock Slide CB Dugtrio is the failsafe on this team to stand in the way of several things that could pose a serious threat. It just waits in the wings until there is a safe opportunity to come in and eliminate something. Most of the time you will be looking to get this in against the likes of weakened Tyranitar, Metagross, Snorlax, Celebi, etc. on a free turn or prediction. Since this team is well guarded against Raikou, I opted for 252 Atk EVs. Ordinarily, I prefer the EV spread of 208 Atk / 48 SpD / 252 Spe for Dugtrio as it provides it with the bulk necessary to live a Hidden Power Ice or Grass from Raikou. It is for this reason it works well with Blissey because they each have a part in finishing off the threats the other one doesn't like. With the added damage from Spikes, the CM sweepers are able to force out special threats and bulky Waters until they are in range to be taken out by Dugtrio. There's a reason why Dugtrio is on almost every team: Its usefulness extends beyond a mere revenge killer. Arena Trap complicates the game by pushing a player into an undesirable circumstance because the alternative of losing a key party member is more severe. It is a double-edged sword, though, as you'll need to take into account Dugtrio's frailty when using it. Poor timing with Dugtrio can cost you the game. That doesn't mean playing conservatively with it is better, though. It's a Pokemon that defines ADV because it all comes down to prediction. Simply using it as a revenge killer would mean you're losing out on part of its potential. Powerful Fighting-type Pokemon such as Heracross and Medicham can be difficult to defend against and require delicate prediction. If Dugtrio's value isn't signified by being able to finish off apex threats, it should be by its trapping of those Pokemon. Tournament Logs The team saw plenty of action in Smogon Tour. Whereas in other tiers I made adjustments to my teams every round, this team was the one constant from start to finish. I was not as worried about being at a team disadvantage since my comfort with it could possibly tip the scales in my favor. There is more information to absorb in ADV than newer generations. Being able to make reliable predictions over a long stretch of a match is required to win. Since all of these matches are long, I will stick to making a general analysis for each of them. I will be focusing mostly on what I was thinking at the time in certain situations and what both players could have done differently. There was one round that I skipped using this team, but there is still a total of four games since Golden Sun and I actually tied in our first game. I'd like to thank him and Aqualouis for permission to include them in here, as they were previously private logs. Round 1 vs. Golden Sun: Game 1    
Battle Log: 60 Turns
The hidden chapter in our rivalry would ultimately end in a tie. It's important to read this game before the rematch because we agreed to use the same teams for both games and played the rematch immediately after. As a result, we both played more conservatively in this battle, especially in the beginning. I had the advantage for the first few turns with the mixed Tyranitar set. Each turn I used the obvious coverage move should he decide to stay in to attack. It would have made the game easier had I been more reserved with Tyranitar, but at this early stage of the game I valued collecting information over speculating future need. After taking a big chunk out of Swampert, he switched to Dugtrio to finish me off. I was satisfied since he revealed almost his whole team right out of the gate; information that would help me form a plan of attack earlier than usual. The game slowed down once we tried getting Spikes into play. He managed to keep a layer up after switching to Gengar following an untimely Hidden Power Bug. Shortly thereafter, we reach a double switch pitting my Blissey against his Forretress. I tried to go for an early sweep, but he proved to have the uncommon Toxic move on Forretress. Once I got a boost, I was committed to attack for at least one turn. It had some special bulk, so I switched out to Dugtrio to finish it off. I realized it may be hard to get his Spikes off the field with his Gengar, but I could save face with the knowledge that he could no longer Rapid Spin my Spikes. Getting Spikes up proved to be more difficult than I assumed when his Gengar revealed it had Taunt, limiting me to just one layer until later on in the game. At this point, I realized my keys to victory will be through Celebi and Blissey since his team relied heavily on Roar to check them. Turn 43 is the most intriguing of the entire battle as it has important ramifications in the rematch. After having his Jirachi boost against my Celebi while I Leech Seed, he decides to switch out. It should be pretty clear what happens in the next game just by pointing it out. Meanwhile, I find an opening with Blissey to get in a few Calm Mind boosts. This is my chance to break apart his team. Fortunately, the threat of his Gengar being killed forced him to prioritize getting a burn on Blissey instead of Taunt. This would allow Blissey to acquire the strength necessary to finish Jirachi off as well. At this point I am beginning to taste the victory being up 2-1. My moves become carefree as I attempt to get Leech Seed on Zapdos when the worst possible outcome happens; Hidden Power Ice lands a critical hit. As I began to show my frustration, I hastily send Forretress in to level the match at a draw. My bitterness at the end of the game was unwarranted. It is sometimes difficult to make sense of events as they are happening. In this case, I didn't see my obvious mistake in not using Calm Mind from the start. That would have made any single critical hit impossible to finish off Celebi after Recover stalling. Maximizing your chances to win is part of the strategy in this game, and I failed that here. Round 1 vs. Golden Sun: Game 1 Rematch   
Battle Log: 42 Turns
Now that we know each other's teams, this game emphasizes execution and prediction more than ever. Golden Sun doesn't switch around a lot against Tyranitar this time since he knows he can withstand a Hidden Power Grass, but he gets unlucky when my Fire Blast gets a critical hit. This allows me to make use of my bulk to tank an Earthquake from Dugtrio for a hefty sum of damage in return. When it our Forretress lock horns, he doesn't drag it out for long to stall for PP. Instead, he goes right to Gengar fairly early, which puts me in better position than the first game because I now have a layer in play. The match heats up on Turn 15, where I predict his double switch to Forretress. Unlike in the last game where I had to sacrifice contending with an extra layer of Spikes for the rest of the game, I come in without consequence. The match continues to take an unfortunate dive for him as he is taken out by a critical hit. Suffice to say this is not what I wanted in a rematch. At this point in the game, I have to start looking at the finish line. The keys to victory are the same as last game; it will need to be through Celebi or Blissey. With this in mind, I sacrifice Milotic to get jockey for position. On Turn 22, I am confronted with a similar situation that I highlighted in the first game. Once again, he switches out after I get the Leech Seed on his Jirachi. The set seems more like Wish CM by the second. I play it close to the vest with Blissey against Gengar. I was closely monitoring its health and the layers of Spikes it would have to switch into the next time. My objective there was met by trying to get the most damage on him while still remaining at a safe enough health. The match turns on a dime at Turn 34, where after confronting his Jirachi several times, I feel it is safe enough to use Leech Seed CM Celebi as a counter for what I believe to be Wish CM Jirachi. He reveals he is in fact Superachi, which puts Celebi in a dire position. I give him all the credit in the world for holding back on Jirachi for a game and a half to save it for the most opportune moment. Now that we're in a dogfight, Leech Seed and the fact that I played conservatively with Blissey earlier in the match give me an advantage. After coming up short on a critical hit for a kill, he switches out to give me a free boost. Once I take out the Gengar, it gives my Dugtrio an opening to finish off Jirachi should he defeat my Blissey. Once I got the first attack in I felt more comfortable, and after a few more turns I would finish it off without needing to go to Dugtrio. Between the early bit of good luck and maximizing my team advantage, I was able to get off to a 1-0 lead in the set. With how our teams matched up, he would need some luck to win if we both played perfectly. As it stands, I thought he played well given the circumstances. Out of all the CM sweepers in the game, the two I had give him the most trouble. They both have reliable recovery, making Roar and Spikes much less effective than it would be if I only had Rest. These two games highlight CM Blissey's utility as both a sponge and sweeper. Quarterfinals vs. Aqualouis: Game 1   
Battle Log: 166 Turns
This is the worst game I have ever played in terms of strategy. I did only enough things right to make the game a total bore. In fact, I was so embarrassed about how I played that I asked my friends not to disown me when I showed them the log. The game actually started off swimmingly for me, as his Hypnosis didn't hit Tyranitar until his Gengar was heavily damaged. Moreover, I showed a rare flash of insight for my own team's strategy on Turn 6 where I avoid the Houndoom trap by switching Celebi out against Metagross, preferring to save it for a more important point in the match. That play gave me a leg up on Aqualouis for the rest of the game, as I knew I could never leave Celebi unguarded. I would do enough other things poorly to have that information be useless in the long run. The game starts to get away from me when I feel it is safe to leave Forretress in against Metagross, but he is packing Hidden Power Fire. It would have been much wiser to go to Milotic to scout for its move set. This mistake, while it will not seem as boneheaded as others I make later in the match, was probably the most costly considering all of the missed damage I could have had over the course of a 166 turn battle. On Turn 21, I commit the cardinal sin of Dugtrio play by switching it into an attack when the opposing Pokemon is not even in KO range. By this time in the match I knew that (1) Blissey had Wish, meaning Metagross can recover its health outside of Leftovers, and (2) Dugtrio was necessary to check his Houndoom and Blissey. Aqualouis catches a lucky break by freezing my Blissey. Despite being immobilized, he doesn't send his Wish to Gengar. It would later be sacrificed on Turn 113. Now that I am without crucial pieces in Forretress and Dugtrio, as well as Celebi being out of commission as long as Houndoom is around, I am forced to extend the game to have any chance of winning. The result would be a short loop that would perpetually repeat itself. There is still a glimmer of hope for me as I manage to catch Suicune on the switch of Turn 102 with Toxic. Since it revealed Hidden Power Electric, it is most likely an offensive variant. That shut down the possibility of it doing any harm. At this point in the game, I am not in terrible shape considering the mistakes I've made. I still have the all-important Celebi and Blissey combination. Aqualouis has also shown that Blissey does not have Toxic, making the chance of a sweep very likely if I can play my cards right. That doesn't happen, though. My nerves got the better of me in this game. I leave Blissey in against Metagross. At this point I know I have only seen three moves. Even in my fearless defiance of common sense, I manage to avoid Explosion to put him in KO range. He later told me he used the bluff GG to lull me into a false sense of security. I can't say it didn't work because I don't switch to Milotic like I should have, seeing as though it has little remaining value. Instead, I have Blissey take Explosion. There is one final chance for victory through Celebi, but I squander that by switching it back into Houndoom following a Pursuit. This was a choke for the ages with the great team advantage I possessed. I had a lot of tension during the first game of each set, having a tie and three losses overall. The sense of urgency brought about the necessary focus I needed to clinch each round. That being said, he deserves credit for doing everything he needed to in order to be victorious. Finals vs. Bluewind: Game 3   
Battle Log: 49 Turns
The winner takes all game of the finals. Despite having used the team in previous rounds, I knew it would be best to use a team I was absolutely familiar with in the event of an intense match. The decision proved to be beneficial. The first few turns went by routinely, with obvious moves. We were both playing it tight to the vest. One of the key turns of the game didn't appear to be important when it happened, when on turn 6, Celebi switches out to Salamence giving Forretress a free layer of Spikes. That layer proved to be useful throughout the match. I was shocked to see Celebi Baton Pass to Magneton on turn 9 when he could have done it earlier. After having seen the majority of his team at this point, I recognized it from my practice games with Bloo. We had played this same matchup several times and I never won. Bloo knew my team and played tactically perfect each time. While I knew the team matchup was grim, I held the belief things could be different in this game. After all, I did get one layer of Spikes. They key to the battle is to keep Celebi alive. As long as Celebi is alive and I can keep Salamence covered, I have the advantage. That's easier said than done because of how well the other team is constructed. The most indecisive period of the battle for me was when I had Milotic in against Celebi. It's quite a dilemma to decide: Do I exchange Dugtrio for Celebi? If I do, I lose to his Dugtrio. That would require me to keep Celebi well guarded. If I don't, I am at risk for having my entire team trapped. It was a huge blow that I didn't get the OHKO on Celebi. That would give him a free switch at any point later in the match. Turn 32 would prove to be pivotal, as I recklessly sent in Celebi after my Dugtrio went down. He switched directly to Milotic, giving me the desperate Recover I needed. Had he switched to his Celebi, I would have been unable to move as his Celebi fell. The result would have been a free switch to Dugtrio to eliminate my Celebi. Now that my Celebi was in good health and I had my coverage against Salamence intact, I was feeling much better about the game. Shortly thereafter, Bluewind would force his Snorlax into battle. Knowing that he did not have Earthquake at this point, I went to Tyranitar. Since he didn't use Curse, I was presented with two options: (1) I could Rock Slide for maximum damage or (2) I could Pursuit in the event that he does not want to risk my Tyranitar's set, which I had kept hidden until this point. By Pursuiting, I could ensure that almost anything on my team could finish it off at a later point. I was fortunate that he switched most of all, since a Curse there would put me into a situation where I would need to risk Celebi. The critical hit was an added bonus to guessing correctly. At this point the only thing left standing was Milotic, where he was unlucky in missing Toxic while getting hit by my own Toxic. It's a shame something like that change the perception of a battle well fought. It ultimately came down to a few key turns throughout where I was able to pull through. Special Mentions If I knew how my time here would be when I was first starting out on Smogon, I don't think I would do anything differently. Some people I got to know very well, while others helped me grow as a player, staff member, or person in general. It's not realistically possible for me to share my gratitude with every member that has crossed my path, but there are a bunch of you that deserve a special mention. Some of you have moved on from Smogon already, but I hope that each of you gets a chance to read this someday. For those of you I was unable to include, don't think I have forgotten you or didn't value the time we shared. For everyone that has gotten to know me throughout the years, I'm happy to have gotten the chance to know you, even if it was only on casual terms. Aeolus: There isn't anyone on Smogon I respected more than you. Back when the community was split on my TD nomination from the prestige of the position, you went ahead and gave me the opportunity. In time you became something of a big brother to me. You were for all of the TDs. I learned a lot about Smogon and things in general by following the example you set. When it became my turn to lead parts of the site, I did my best to pass along what I learned. The times change on this site. My only regret on here is that I didn't start on this site sooner. I feel like I missed my calling from the old times in the community. august: You have come and gone a lot throughout the years. I doubtfully would have gotten in as a tutor back when I had 5 posts without your praise. Collaborating on teams with you back in the day was a lot of fun. Your style definitely rubbed off on me. It's a shame we didn't get to work on more stuff. I remember back when you would show us your engineering drawings and we all thought you were some kind of Leonardo Da Vinci. Back in ST5, you said you didn't care about the tournament and would give one of us the win if you played us. It was fitting that, out of all of us, you would win and by playing the toughest competition. Bloo: You are really something else. As a player you were the most methodical player this side of Earthworm. You got me into the competitive shape I needed to be in to get over the hump in a big tournament. If only we had worked together sooner who knows how successful we could have been. I'm glad I could share what I know of Smogon's history with you seeing as though you are the leader of practically half the site now. I feel like I've gotten to know the real Bloo well in the last few months. Behind the impartiality you display on the site you have a lot of determination for the road ahead. We should keep in touch from time to time after you move on as well. Seeing as though we're interested in the same things, I think we can be a mutual source of information for the latest developments in the field. Cartoons!: Your talent doesn't seem to waver no matter what style you are creating. I'm grateful you have brought my requests to life throughout the years without asking for anything in return. My posts have looked better as a direct result of the avatars or pictures you made for them. Undoubtedly, some of the lasting images members will have of me will be of your artistic creations. We didn't get the chance to talk much, but I feel like I have gotten to know you through your art. More than any artist here you do a masterful job of capturing the mood of a particular piece. I view art as moving the senses and you're particularly gifted in that quality. I hope you keep making art for a long time so people can continue to share in the experience. DittoCrow: I have to admit I was a little surprised when you took an interest in the motivational speaking I was doing in SPL last year. Before then I only recognized you from PokeBeach. It was cool that you helped us extend our winning streaks in their version of Team Trials for another year. It looks like you'll be apart of the next generation of big shots around here now that you're a tiering big shot. Just make sure they don't make 3 new tiers next generation. I always thought there were too many tiers added for BW. If I haven't already given you the source material on positive thinking, you know where to find me to ask for it. The inspiration for doing it should come from your own experiences, though. DracoMalfoy: When I asked Tupac whom to talk to about playing stall in ADV, he told me to look for dookie on NetBattle. He wasn't exaggerating how good you were. I learned a lot from you about the game, making this my favorite generation to play. Watching you and Tupac argue during games was like watching an old married couple. You've got some kind of love-hate relationship that I can't seem to figure out. I won't soon forget how you had to be leaving for a business meeting, but you departed late to see the results from my games. If anything that will be my lasting impression of how great you are. Good times chatting at night when we both had insomnia. Your fix for that is classic. Earthworm: The fearless werps. The only downside to this is that I will no longer be able to contend for that space of real estate on your wall that is probably 20 pages old by now. That was a contest I was not likely to win anyway with how meticulous you are. There was nothing quite like bringing up an extraneous point before you had to make a decision that would result in your legendary analysis from every angle before making a move. The only thing better than watching Bloo troll you is watching you troll Bloo now when he needs your opinion and you pretend not to be there until he's done sweating out the decision. imperfectluck: You're the one person I was most afraid to play against. Every time we played, no matter how it would end, you had a way of what would make seemingly quality short term moves of mine play right into your late game plans. No match was comfortable. When I was first coming up, I took parts of your game and adapted them to my liking. In the end I'd say they strayed from your qualities. When we were discussing strategy during your ST7 run in KovinCorp, I kept your approach in the back of my mind for my own future use. While that isn't really obvious here, it was in other ideas I used. I'm thankful for that because it opened my eyes up to parts of the game I wasn't always focused on. Jackal: I played against you in my first tournament here. It's amazing that I still remember my Gyarados got a critical hit that may or may not have mattered. I don't remember what you said your spread was. I appreciate what you did by helping me get in as Smogon Frontier host. Tournaments meant a lot to me and you helped punch my ticket to having a hand in its future. It's a good thing you won't relinquish your TD badge because I hear grumblings from time to time about people wanting to replace World Cup with another SPL. I never would have let it happen on my watch, but who knows if Bloose will be persuaded from his stance of impartiality! Jimbo: You have grown more than anyone since we first knew each other. You were part of the reason why I joined here in the first place since you had some of the best Pokemon in Wi-Fi. You were a funny guy and said some off the wall stuff. Everyone complains about how bad Leaves of Absence is and part of the reason why I agree is because there are no off the wall posts about going on a weekend retreat with your sex gym class. Suffice to say you're not the kid we used to make jokes about in your IRC channel anymore. I don't think anything was quite as fun for any of the old #jimbo group after you moved on. It was only a matter of time until we followed. I never did give you that birthday gift from 2009, so here it is: Shoddy Battle Username: JIMBO TEACHES SEX Shoddy Battle Password: sandbox jumpluff: You would never pass judgment on anyone. You would give everyone a fair shake and looked out for everyone else's best interest. I don't think the nicest users of today could hold a candle to you. I wonder if that's where Earthworm acquired his fairness gene. Even if it were true, you wouldn't be the type to take credit for it. You haven't been dealt the best hand, but I believe things happen for a reason. You are the extraordinary person you are as a result. I have no doubt things will be looking up for you just as you look after people here. It's just a matter of perception and I hope your future will reflect the nice things you do for other people. P.S. Please don't take down the Jimbokins page on your website. Thanks! Limitless: We've had our fair share of arguments, but that is only because of our similarity. We both value the same things, but our methods for reaching them vary. I road your coattails for a good portion of BW. The one thing we differ on is our appreciation for BW, which you clearly hold a lot more of than I do. I'm thankful for the teams you built for me and testing out ideas I ran by you. You once said you would keep in touch with us forever. While I personally don't think it will happen, I won't be the one to close the door on it. You'll have to come on IRC at the end of one of your 13 hour days when you're making millions so we can reminisce about the old days when your username was SHADOW SWORD playing in clan wars. Back in those days all we wanted to do was to be apart of something special. It's bittersweet to think that we achieved our goal, but also discovered its insignificance in the process. M Dragon: I remember when we were rivals on Shoddy Battle ladder. For someone who has been around for so long, it's great that you are starting to get involved here. It's up to you to maintain the importance of Smogon's past generations. The newer players don't know what they are missing. I am grateful for your help with this team and playing ADV in general. You will still be my pick to win Smogon Tour each season until you finally do it. Every time I was in it I was thankful you were always on the other side of the bracket because you are the one guy everyone has to fear. You played every generation when it was the current generation. That knowledge goes a long way. Don't be casual with your choices the next opportunity you get. Take it from someone who has experience there. Mekkah: My fellow Monk-o-phile. Remember the days how we used to remember how good that show was. Earthworm can keep all the top rated shows on his ratings website, he's missing out on the best. The first three seasons are still my favorite, but the later episodes did provide us with more Harold Krenshaw. Looking back, it was funny how you would play the life card if I was mad about a Pokemon game even if it was annoying at the time. You never seemed to have a response when I asked about you raging from a game back in the day. Yet another reason why I miss not being a member here sooner: I missed Mekkah, the serious Pokemon player. Nachos: I knew you simply as twash's friend for the longest time. We got to know each other well once you joined the Battling 101 staff. Your initiative in the program was tremendous. I know Bloo still misses you. By the time you had to go you were probably stricter than us when it came to evaluations. We did a good thing for the next lot by getting rid of those. That was one thing I could have never left in place before leaving the program. Don't forget you're subject to evaluation at your university. The last thing I want to get wind of is that you had to finish your studies at Anglia Ruskin. Philip7086: We followed a similar track online. I think we even competed against each other in one of the old forum wars between GameFAQs and PokeBeach. You went a step further than I ever did by running Pokemon, where we had some long standoffs on how to approach policy. I still think it is better if the leaders of the process hold more subjective influence than the voters because they are seasoned in policy and accountable for all decisions. The most heated interactions we have now are where I troll you into telling me PlayStation secrets, but you've become wise since the Pokemon days and just don't respond. It's safe if you want to tell me some hardware specs and release dates... reachzero: We've had some great political discussions. I was impressed by how well you have expressed your views. I was intrigued by some of our similarities when you showed me the document with them. Most of the similarities stem from our beliefs. The best part was when you bursted symphony's bubble like no one else could when it came to Mitt Romney. We all had slightly different views of the election, but I think everyone agreed he was obsessed more than anyone. What made it even funnier was that you weren't intentionally trying to ruffle his feathers. You are a respected voice and he took your answers to heart more than others. I always admired the way you conducted yourself. I think everyone could benefit to learn something from you. Reverb: Where've you been man? I remember when I was first assigned to tutor you and the first thing I noticed was you had alternating capital letters in your name. That didn't reflect your personality at all, luckily. We had a good time back then talking about World Series of Poker. You were the guy who popularized the slogan "I take risks and it pays off" for KovinCorp after Stallion steamrolled me with RNG. At least if I never hear from you again there is always a chance we'll meet up at the main event in Vegas when we're in our forties. Setsuna: I appreciate you looking out for me on staff. We had a good thing going there for a while if you know what I mean. Some time ago I came to the realization that all the reconfiguration of staff did was create more red tape. So I guess in the end we both got what we wanted. It was nice when you were on IRC more and we could reminisce about how awesome the Shoddy Battle days were. Just don't go signing up to host Smogon Tours, man. You know how I think highly of you, but that was pretty bad. Stick to programming! Solace: We got to know each other through unlikely circumstances. I'm glad you never let the events of the past bother you. The experience made me a better person as a result. I hope you don't leave too soon because then I would have one less reason to go on IRC. You and Harsha made my twilight days as a Battling 101 staff member some of the most memorable I've had since I first got involved in the program. I don't even need to tell you how successful you will be since Bloo already said you can take the seat in the dean's office. Harsha has his work cut out for him to be able to match the red carpet pulled out for you there. symphonyx64: You are one of the few Smogoners I knew before I joined here. Those were the glory days of YouTube before the influx of people who focus more on the ad money they generate from viewers than their playing ability. Not much has changed from those times, except back then you were harassing people for subscriptions instead of Republican votes. I guess you fell short of the mark on both! I'm sorry for never creating a Team Doppler Effect 2.0. You will have to accept this as an alternative. It is at least 1/6 similar. Just make sure to change to DP generation to make it a proper successor. twash: We were probably brothers in another life. I really can't put it any other way. The time we would chat on IRC was mind-boggling. It's hard to determine what was more productive: Plastering Tropius and Wailord pictures on Jimbo's user notes or making 40 graphs that all said the same thing. I never would have played Smogon Tour all of those seasons if you weren't also playing. No season was as fun as Season 8 when the entire channel was participating. My games with Zak91 in Season 9 Quarterfinals were probably the most intense out of any I have ever played. I can't imagine how intense of a situation that was for you. Now that I know why, I value your reason for continuing to work with me probably after you lost interest yourself. You are a true friend for that. I don't view any of it as wasted time. If nothing else, at least we can laugh every time we entertain the thought of lead Expert Belt Azelf with Hidden Power Ground. Zak91: I didn't like you at all initially. You were that guy with the Gliscor hax for the longest time to me. I never raged quite as much playing against anyone else. Over time, I realized how wrong and petty it was to judge you on the past. I think twash told you about what happened during our Tour games. If not, he could always fill you in the next time you're around. I'm pretty sure you were just as bewildered as I was. It was cool that we got to clear the air on everything last year. Looking back now, that rivalry marked some of the best times I had on this site. Zracknel: The first thing that comes to mind was thinking about how devastated you must've been when Articuno announced his sudden departure after all the time and effort you spent. I was at a loss for what to say to try to cheer you up. I hope your vision for this site is realized some day. I appreciated you going out of your way to chat with me recently. That meant a lot. You'll have to keep me up to date with some of the cool stuff you are working on. I'll never forget how surprised I was when I found out you were part of the team that designed my school's athletics logo. It looks like something you would have your hand in, even if only in its concept. ]V[ajinTupacZ: You're one of the few people I shared stories about my German heritage with on here. I wasn't really surprised when you said you were an engineer. It shows up in how well you construct your teams and give sound advice on others. I valued the advice you gave and all of the practice games we had. I think I managed to do a little better than Malfoy against you at least. You seem to have his number. If I see you down the road we should have a few games for old times' sake. Just don't blow up on me if I get lucky, it would only be for fun! Bottle it up for when you play Malfoy. Final Thoughts Well, I guess that's the end of it. When one chapter ends, a new one begins. My involvement on Smogon has felt in a lot of ways like a summer vacation. It's been a long stretch of time where I've spent it doing whatever I pleased. That kind of situation isn't permanent and I never expected it to be. One thing I truly believe in is to leave a place better than you came. When I first came here, not many people knew me and I didn't immediately have anything special to offer to the community. Now that I am on my way, I can only hope I had the kind of positive impact that so many people had on me. There's a lot disrespectful comments made in the community, and I haven't been an angel more than the next guy. At the end of the day, you have to think about what you personally want to get out of this site. If nothing else, the one thing you can take out of this thread is to treasure the time you are here. That's the last point of this thread for me: It's to look back and enjoy all of the memories.
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Feb 14th, 2013, 6:59:05 PM
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1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1
 
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x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1 x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1 x1x1x1x1 |
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Feb 14th, 2013, 7:07:39 PM
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My appearance, ability, and awesomeness strike fear into the hearts of any sane battler and my thorny vines drop the opposing forces just an iron ball plowing into a man's genitals.
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 2,302
Bloo's fancy mansion
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lol, from your battle comments i can now tell for sure you really didn't know what was going on. congratulations again though (but god it's pokemon cut down on the drama a little bro)
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Feb 14th, 2013, 7:24:35 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 206
Sasha uses Smashpass
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Quote:
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Feb 14th, 2013, 10:23:50 PM
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it's a revolution, i suppose
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,573
New Jersey
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aww how sweet kev, thanks for the birthday present. I'll always be lil jimbo \o\
Ps what jimbokins webpage |
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Feb 15th, 2013, 7:19:54 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 46
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I like how the Pokémon are portrayed as chess pieces.
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Feb 15th, 2013, 4:16:16 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,337
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thanks, kevin. i now know advance
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I don't play cute; I play drop dead gorgeous. <3 |
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Feb 16th, 2013, 9:06:16 AM
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just came to say hello
     
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Hey, Kevin~ I'm genuinely sorry to see you go, but you've been around a long time and I guess there comes a time when it's better for everyone to move on with their lives -- and in that way, I'm also happy for you. I'm glad to know you'll still be sticking around in some capacity! Thanks a lot for the mention. Your words touched me deeply and I'm really glad you feel that way, thank you very much. ^__^ We've had some great times over the years (the Jimbokins page is a fantastic reminder of that, haha :3). It's a little hard for me to a remember a time when you weren't a fifty-million-badgeholder super-contributor (even being able to remember those things xd), but I feel like the person you are behind that hasn't really changed that much on a grand scale over the years, and you've always been a really nice and fun person no matter what people say, so thanks for all those times~ I'm also glad that, now you're posting this thread, even if it's not a farewell, you have a pink trophy under your name -- it's nice to see all that effort and determination invested over the years finally yield something. :)
Also, dw, I haven't taken the page down, and I won't. I still have the URL. I don't know if you do, but I PMed it to Jimbo on FB~
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Feb 16th, 2013, 2:26:22 PM
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A kiki is a party, for calming all your nerves. ♥
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,310
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I think you know me so well by now that you probably could have guessed what I would write here anyway!
Yeah, it's pretty impossible to even sum things up shortly because I think there is just too much. It has been incredible getting to know you over the past five years, you are one of very few people here who I have always talked to as I basically grew up, as well as one of the few who realises that enjoying yourself is the best part to this. I'm sure we will keep in touch one way or another, but I do thank you for the funny and genuine times (and above all the time we spent dedicated to winning - you know, those thirty rushed minutes). Lonely HPG EB Azelf will forever be my favourite lead. Shame we never quite clicked in terms of how we play in other tiers away from DP, but I think if we had we would have perhaps wasted a ridiculous amount of time! As for S8QF, I'm very glad you appreciate that I did not plan it and continued as I did after that season. Thank you, bud. |
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Feb 16th, 2013, 3:33:57 PM
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Success is the best revenge.
 
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,353
Michigan
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The legend of KG.
It seems that most of our conversations are outside of the realm of Pokemon now, which I suspect is a good thing. Here's to a new beginning.
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YouTube Account: http://www.youtube.com/user/Arrow2you?feature=mhum#p/u |
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Feb 17th, 2013, 12:16:24 AM
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indulges in unsavory behavior
Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,744
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</3 |
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