UU Player of the Week #21: YABO


YABO
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Well lets see, I am 19 years old, almost 20 and going into my third year as a business management major at George Mason University next to DC. During the summers I work as a teachers aide in a special needs classroom and hope to be landing an internship working for Autism Speaks in the fall. I played several sports in High School and try to stay as active as I can nowadays. Other than that, I just do my best to be a chill dude who can get along with everyone.
Most Known For:
I don't think I'm particularly well known to be honest. I haven't had much tournament success aside from fun forum tournaments and I never really hang around with any of the more recognizable names. The only things I've really contributed would be just randomly scattered posts in the viability threads. Other than that I guess you could say being a moderator in the Underused PS! room and formerly having a flood of /me YABO appear whenever I signed on.
Favorite Pokemon:
My favorite pokemon is Meowth. Call me oldschool, call me lame, call me plain, you're probably right on all of those accounts. I'm not sure why but I just think Meowth's character in the show was just so funny and I love his design with the little coin on his forehead. Other pokemon that I really like are Snorlax, Staraptor, and Teddiursa (I like normal types i know).
Favorite non Pokemon game?
I don't really play video games aside from pokemon anymore. Despite that, my favorite games would probably include the Mass Effect series, particularly ME3 multiplayer, I played the shit out of that. Other games I enjoy are League of Legends (haven't played in months), and Halo. I play a fair amount of sports in my spare time like Basketball, Frisbee, and Baseball.
Most used UU Pokemon:
Definitely Lucario. I fucking love Lucario. Pretty much all of my teams that I look back on fondly had a Lucario on them. It is just such a versatile threat that can win a game with one free turn. Nasty Plot and Swords Dance are equally viable and both incredibly threatening. In particular, I enjoy using Earthquake Lucario which lures a lot of the common switch ins to Lucario.
Where did you get your name from?
My original name on here was Meowiekins mostly because i didn't plan on getting super involved or anything. After I started getting more into mons and after some conversations with gobosox and Waiv I decided on having a name change. I didn't know what to choose at first but I knew I wanted something fun and short. I eventually decided on this name since it was a fun phrase from a sports blog I read. It's basically an exclamation for when somebody goes yard in baseball.
How and when did you get into competitive battling?
I initially got into competitive battling at the beginning of BW when my friend from school introduced me to it. He noticed me playing my cartridge on a long bus ride for a field trip and he told me how he played competitively. I was really interested but never got a chance to use my computer until I got back and we were on winter vacation. The first time I hopped on PO I stayed up all night building, playing, tweaking, playing, and building some more. From there I found smogon and then competitive battlers on youtube and watched pretty much anything I could find about it. The only real thing I accomplished back then was peaking #1 on the RU ladder pre Yanmega and Cresselia ban. CB Punishment Sneasel was antimeta af. I then quit once some dude started using poliwrath and beat my whole team. I got back into 'mons a couple years ago when a friend I made at college told me he played competitive pokemon casually.
Opinions on ORAS compared to XY?
I really like ORAS but I also really liked the end of XY. It is sort of a strange question to ask me because I was still learning about everything again. Despite this, I would still give the nod to ORAS. The diversification of mega pokemon is really enjoyable to me as there is always something powerful on both teams. There is always that tension in a game where if one turn goes unfavorably you could be scrounging to stay alive. The fast megas also give you an opportunity to check more things offensively rather than defensively which is something I enjoy.

What is your favorite playstyle and why?
Hyper Offense, no question about it. There is just something so fun about playing your games on a razor's edge like I described before. If one prediction goes awry you could be up shit creek, but this is doubly true for your opponent. When you're playing Hyper Offense, a single double switch can lead to a clean sweep, even in a close game.

Do you think any mon is suspect worthy at the moment? If yes, which mon and why.
Nope, I think UU is pretty solid at the moment and I really don't think gatr is that much of an issue which is the only hot ticket item for suspecting. If I had to pick something from BL to drop for a test I would probably say Zygarde since I really didn't think it was an issue before and I feel like the meta could adapt to it easily.

How do you feel about the new drops to the tier? Those being Venemoth, Smeargle, and Goth.
Venomoth is really good, gothitelle not so much. I haven't tried Smeargle but like I've said before, I think its hazard set could be really good on the right team.

Favorite to win UU Open?
I would say either Kotori, Dodmen, or Omfuga. I think all three are really solid players with good teambuilding. I would say Sam but he is too busy monitoring IRC to build teams these days.

What is some advice you can give to new players who want to get noticed?
If you consider me noticed then I guess just be sociable and polite while posting well thought out, tested opinions. Don't start beef with anybody because it is completely pointless and leads to a stupid grudge match that is literally the dumbest thing ever. It's better to coexist than to start drama.

How do you go about preparing for tournament matches?
Well lets see, the only tournaments I've really played in and prepared for are an ORAS RU tournament and the Undergames. I would've prepared for UU Open but I was really busy at the time and didn't really know my opponent regardless. When I do prepare I just look at my opponents building style and try to pick up little tendencies like "Does he often bring resists to 'x' type?", "Does he normally play offense or balance or whatever?". From there I find out how I can exploit that while still appealing to my own strengths. My logic is that I made it to wherever I am in the tournament because I played my own style, no reason to alter that so far into a tournament. So basically what I am saying is I figure out the best way to approach that game while not stepping outside my comfort zone.

Who are some of your favorite people in the Smogon community?
Well first of all I have to mention dingbat since he is the Martin Lawrence to my Will Smith. Other than that, I want to shout out gobosox and Waiv since they are both cool dudes I've met irl. Other people include my friend @Joltagewho is the reason I got back into mons. Aside from that, everyone should know who they are. NV, LTTM, TBMA, Wanka, kingtnumbers, hogg, dodmen, todd, and a million other people. Like I said earlier, I try to be friendly with pretty much everyone so this list would be long af if I actually filled it all the way out. And a special goodbye to my buddy DrReuniclus who just quit mons. Have fun at school dude :]

Finally can you provide for us a team that you think reflects you as a player with a brief explanation of how it works?
Empoleon @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Agility
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Grass Knot

Lucario @ Life Orb
Ability: Inner Focus
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Flash Cannon
- Dark Pulse
- Vacuum Wave

Swampert @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Scald
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
- Roar

Crobat @ Sky Plate
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 72 HP / 252 Atk / 184 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
- Taunt
- Roost

Whimsicott @ Leftovers
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 232 HP / 164 Def / 112 Spe
Bold Nature
- Moonblast
- Leech Seed
- U-turn
- Encore

Chesnaught @ Salac Berry
Ability: Bulletproof
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 30 HP
- Substitute
- Belly Drum
- Drain Punch
- Rock Slide


This is my favorite team to use right now. It seems like it would be really gimmicky and it kinda is, but that is the beauty of it. It's gimmicky but at the same time it isn't. The basic idea of the team was to have NP Lucario lure and KO all the stuff that beats BD Chesnaught. For example, Doublade comes in on Dark Pulse and dies, Florges gets knocked out by +2 Flash Cannon, Reuniclus/Cresselia take huge damage from +2 Dark Pulse. At the same time, I noticed an extreme weakness to Crobat but wanted to maintain offensive presence in the next slot of the team. I danced with the idea of Tyrantrum but ultimately wanted something that was more of a surprise factor. Empoleon didn't disappoint and has swept many a team (honestly it's really underrated try it out). After that I threw on a little defensive core that I have liked for awhile now, Pert, Bat, Whimsi and shuffled around the sets a couple of times. I eventually landed on this team and it hasn't disappointed so far, despite the lack of mega. I have used this team versus a ton of good players including but not limited to Tennis, Sam, Psychotic, and others. Those games were mostly testing games so no replays but I assure you I had a very good record in all of those. Unfortunately, all of the replays that have been saved were either poorly played by me or tainted by hax so there isn't much to include in terms of that.

---------------

Hope you enjoyed this last UU POTW, it's been a pleasure doing this for the past few months. Anyways, if you have any questions for YABO leave them down below!
 

Ununhexium

I closed my eyes and I slipped away...
is a Community Contributoris a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Contributor to Smogonis a Smogon Media Contributoris a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnus
You like HO, frisbee, and using Lucario and Swampert on your teams

Can we be better friends?
 
would you like me to permenately give you teams for all of your tourney battles, given their past success :p?

have you ever watched The Office? if so, favorite character?

sweet or unsweet tea?

favorite color?

will you be participating in the next PUPL?
 
Yabo, it's time to ask the real question that everyone has on their mind but won't admit to.

Can we see a educational culinary show in the near future?
 

rs

STANDING ON BUSINESS
is a Top Tutor Alumnusis a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Team Rater Alumnusis a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Staff Alumnusis a Past WCoP Championis a Former Smogon Metagame Tournament Circuit Champion
Got snubbed on the shoutouts smh :[ But grats on POTW buddy, well deserved! :]

Here are some Q's.

Do you plan on pulling it off somehow for Auth in Auth v Non-auth?

Thoughts on T-wave in UU Open?

Real talk when are you going back to Meowiekins?
 

nv

The Lost Age
is a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Staff Alumnus
I am so glad one of my good friends YABO got POTW. Nice to see such a good friend get the representation he deserves. Anyways, onto questions...

1. Favorite Sport?

2. Favorite non-Normal type Pokemon?

3. We need to hang out irl so I can join the irl club.

4. You and I need to get our Team Rater badges soon.

5. These are no longer questions, just statements so I am done.

Congratulations again on POTW :)
 

YABO

King Turt
is a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnus
You like HO, frisbee, and using Lucario and Swampert on your teams

Can we be better friends?
sure
would you like me to permenately give you teams for all of your tourney battles, given their past success :p?
...
have you ever watched The Office? if so, favorite character?
not all of it but Michael was far and away my favorite in the episodes I've seen.
sweet or unsweet tea?
not a big tea guy
favorite color?
yellow
will you be participating in the next PUPL?
if someone messages me when signups go up, sure.
Got snubbed on the shoutouts smh :[ But grats on POTW buddy, well deserved! :]

Here are some Q's.
thx
Do you plan on pulling it off somehow for Auth in Auth v Non-auth?
obviously
Thoughts on T-wave in UU Open?
"25%"
Real talk when are you going back to Meowiekins?
never
I am so glad one of my good friends YABO got POTW. Nice to see such a good friend get the representation he deserves. Anyways, onto questions...
thanks bud
1. Favorite Sport?
Favorite sport to compete in during High School was wrestling. Nowadays, I like to play football and throw around a frisbee. I also play basketball occasionally. Favorite sports to watch are football, hockey, and baseball except not this year for baseball since the Red Sox are dog shit this year.
2. Favorite non-Normal type Pokemon?
ursaring
3. We need to hang out irl so I can join the irl club.
if you go to DC during the school year lemme know
4. You and I need to get our Team Rater badges soon.
I think a prerequisite for that is to make teams better when you rate them, so I'm pretty much fucked.
5. These are no longer questions, just statements so I am done.
I noticed...
 
can you give me UU teams in return for ghosting =D
meowiekins is a cute user i rlly dont have much to say but opinons on stall i guess?
 

YABO

King Turt
is a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnus
Yabo, it's time to ask the real question that everyone has on their mind but won't admit to.

Can we see a educational culinary show in the near future?
If only I knew how to cook...
How did /me YABO start?
I used the alt YABO for suspect tests and I was joking around for the most part. Shit User used to follow me around on an alt called YUH BOI and we would just talk to each other saying ITS YUH BOI and ITS YABO. From there it kinda just morphed into what it became when I switched to this name.
can you give me UU teams in return for ghosting =D
meowiekins is a cute user i rlly dont have much to say but opinons on stall i guess?
ghosting is banned you goof
if your team loses to stall then it is a bad team and you can't complain. Stall is a fundamentally different approach to the game and one that is perfectly legitimate just as offense and balance are. By focusing purely on defense, the stall user can more or less remove the random factor from their game. As such, it is imperative that any good team have a method to break stall since if you don't, you just lose at team preview. That being said, I hate facing stall played by good players since most of the time my teams are shit and rely heavily on double switching to break stall and one turn can remove my win con and make me really sad.
 
Hey bud, congrats on POTW and you're welcome for getting you back into mons ;P

Anyway, so of your 3 "Signature Teams" (Referring to your XY Tailwind w/ Exploud, Sheddy Stall, and Baking with YABO) which did you have the most fun with and which do you think was the "best" in its day?

What are some of your favorite non-UU mons to use?

What are your opinions on the separate tiering of mega-pokemon?

And what are some of your favorite non-standard sets to use and why?
 

toshimelonhead

Honey Badger don't care.
is a Tiering Contributor
Thanks for revealing your Empoleon set (might build a team off of that soon or just steal yours to try it out).

Thoughts on testing Scolipede for UU now that it can no longer Baton Pass with boosts other than Speed?

Why Swampert over Mega-Swampert?
 

YABO

King Turt
is a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnus
Hey bud, congrats on POTW and you're welcome for getting you back into mons ;P

Anyway, so of your 3 "Signature Teams" (Referring to your XY Tailwind w/ Exploud, Sheddy Stall, and Baking with YABO) which did you have the most fun with and which do you think was the "best" in its day?

What are some of your favorite non-UU mons to use?

What are your opinions on the separate tiering of mega-pokemon?

And what are some of your favorite non-standard sets to use and why?
I'd say Shedinja stall was the best in its time because of how ridiculous the metagame was at the time. The fact that Shedinja hardcountered zygarde, lopunny, nidos, suicune, etc really let you have a good matchup versus tons of teams. However, I would say that Baking with YABO definitely had the greater impact in terms of meta game shift. That team was made before a bunch if the stuff i used was common (jolly luc, EQ luc, Rd pert, LO azelf). Granted, not all of this was my idea, but I still like to think that my team contributed a fair amount to the rise of all of those monsters.

My favorite non-uu mons would have to be Tyrantrum, Bronzong, and Hitmonlee. All three hit hard and provide a neat set of skills for a team. My favorite Bronzong set is LO Trick Room which with Gyro Ball can ohko certain variants of Hydreigon while providing offense a really reliable answer to Mega Aerodactyl. I think everyone knows what Tyrantrum does at this point so I don't really need to explain why 2hkoing everything is fun. Hitmonlee has a cool role as a spinner that can still pressure Snorlax and keep enough offensive pressure to deter ghosts most times.

I don't really have an opinion on the separate tiering of megas although I do agree with the philosophy of not banning mega stones since it has the potential to really shake things up if something becomes flavor of the month.

For underrated sets, I have been trying out Taunt Will o Wisp Chandelure recently and I've found it to be amazing to cripple common counters like Roost Hydreigon. Furthermore, Taunting things like Empoleon and preventing them from removing hazards when you have something like Toxicroak, deterring Scald can be really clutch. That set also conveniently counters P2, Snorlax, Blissey (kinda), and others. Other underrated sets would be the aforementioned OTR Bronzong, Sub Sharpedo, HP Fire Sceptile, NP Lucario, LO Galv, Agility Empoleon, and TSpikes Beedrill. These are all situational but can be super clutch in the right team.
 
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YABO

King Turt
is a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnus
Gime top 5 Pokemon of UU in your opinion, could be totally biased like 1. Meowth.
no particular order but Beedrill, Suicune, Hydreigon, Coba, and Azelf. The first 4 are never useless and Azelf has the potential to absolutely dismantle teams if played perfectly.
Thanks for revealing your Empoleon set (might build a team off of that soon or just steal yours to try it out).
np dood
Thoughts on testing Scolipede for UU now that it can no longer Baton Pass with boosts other than Speed?
I think it would still be too overwhelming with the possibility of spikes or SD although I can see why people would want to at least try it out.[/quote]
Why Swampert over Mega-Swampert?
Idk, I have never done the math and I used to have a different mega while I had defensive pert so I just never bothered changing it.
When are we battling for Auth v No Auth?
soon tm
 
<3 YABO

What do you want to see from a new pokemon game? New megas, new pokemon, new mechanics, new gameplay components etc.

Most underrated set/ pokemon/ both in UU

Can we bake sometime?
 

YABO

King Turt
is a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnus
<3 YABO

What do you want to see from a new pokemon game? New megas, new pokemon, new mechanics, new gameplay components etc.

Most underrated set/ pokemon/ both in UU

Can we bake sometime?
uhh idk i dont play the cartridges anymore so doesnt really matter to me

Some stuff I've been messing around with is offensive Florges, hp fire Whimsicott, and hp fire Sceptile. They are all pretty cool in the right team matchups.

I don't cook sry
What would you rank Bellyroom Slowking on the viability rankings?
I'd say somewhere around the A- range. It's typing is fantastic and gives it a lot of freedom to come in safely against a lot of the metagame. However, it does take a long time to set up so you need to be very careful about how you play it since once you tip your hand, it is much more difficult to pull off. I wouldn't be opposed to a drop in viability since a couple of the major players right now (Doublade, Whimsicott, Hydreigon) are real issues.
 

Shadestep

volition immanent
is a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnus
what do you do when you're not playing pokemon or busy with stydying? (if thats too private i can totally understand that)

what is your favorite tier outside of UU?

what is some sick life advice you've learned/experienced that you'd want to share?

what is your favorite music style?
 

YABO

King Turt
is a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnus
what do you do when you're not playing pokemon or busy with stydying? (if thats too private i can totally understand that)

what is your favorite tier outside of UU?

what is some sick life advice you've learned/experienced that you'd want to share?

what is your favorite music style?
Like I said, I'm usually either working, playing sports, or hanging out with people. Other than that, I play the drums occasionally, watch tv, read sometimes, and various other casual hobbies.

My favorite tier outside UU is a tie between RU and LC. They're both radically different from what I'm used to and it's a lot of fun to experience something fresh and new.

I like all types of music from classic rock to oldies to old school rap to some country to pretty much anything you can think of aside from heavy metal.

edit: good advice I have is to always smile. It helps me to maintain a positive outlook on life no matter what happens.
 
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