The Well #72 - SuperEpicAmpharos

SEA

show me what to be
is a Pre-Contributor
NUPL Champion
"A stranger is being shown around a village that he has just become part of. He is shown a well and his guide says "On any day except Tuesday, you can shout any question down that well and you'll be told the answer." The man seems pretty impressed, and so he shouts down, "Why not on Tuesday?" A voice from in the well shouts back, "Because on Tuesday, it's your day in the well."

Hey, my name is SuperEpicAmpharos, but everybody calls me SEA. I'm a 20 year old dude from Texas, and I've been playing Pokemon competitively since around late 2011. Although I am now an aspiring ADV player, I have floated around a lot on this site and PS for the past 8 years. I started out playing NU way back when, then picked up DOU, then back to NU, then to OU, then back to DOU, before finding myself knee-deep in old gens. Outside of Smogon though, I'm a math major with autism who enjoys good food, playing Tennis, and hanging out with friends. I'm also a euphonium player, but I'm not the best at it.

My start with Pokemon began at a very young age. My brothers both had GBAs and owned of Silver, Sapphire, Ruby, Sapphire, and Leaf Green. One of my earliest memories in life is sitting in a bunk bed in Minnesota erasing my brother's Leaf Green save file. Eventually, around the age of 6, I got my own Purple GBA with a copy of Pokemon Emerald, which I played to death. I basically played hand-me-downs for the next 5-6 years before somehow winding up on PS, and by then I was the only one in my family with even a passing interest in Pokemon. I remember eagerly awaiting the releases of both BW1, BW2, and XY, even saving up my allowance to buy BW2 on its launch date.

My earliest games on PS were about what you would expect from an 11-12 year old, the same stuff you find at 1000 on ladder nowadays. Mono bug, Eeveelutions, etc. You can feel free to look those up as they are public for some "quality" entertainment in battle chat. It wasn't until 2015 that I really began to think about the idea of starting to improve at the game.

Shortly after the release of SM, I took a long break from Pokemon that lasted a year or two. I suppose I was just feeling like I was "too old" for it or something, but nobody can really ever quit Pokemon. I came back and played some draft leagues for a while before coming back to try Smogon formats in around 2019. I made no splash in anything during that time, and just kinda floated around. It was until 2020 when the pandemic hit that I really began to get anywhere. I joined my first tour, BW DOU Cup, which ended with a R1 finish at the hands of MetalGro$$. Shortly after, I took a complete left turn and signed up for Retro Cup of Pokemon, which was really the turning point in my "career".

I don't really know what compelled me to sign up; I had been messing around with old gens for a little while but never played them with much proficiency. I got slotted into ADV by the virtue of US South only having 10 people to choose from, the bare minimum. I still remember all 3 of the games I played vividly: my 2-0 victory against Prinz, 5-0 win against Boat, and my 3-0 loss to Kevin Garrett because I didn't click Rock Slide on Turn 22. I had exceptional team support from fellow US South member Hclat, which is the only reason those games were even remotely close.

Soon after that tour came the Lanturn craze, which you can read up about on the RMT I have in my signature! Something that I suppose I never got rid of from my old days of playing Pokemon is always trying to make niche Pokemon work. I am a very uncreative person, but Pokemon is my one true creative outlet. It's something that isn't great for winning, truthfully, as a lot of my experiments have crashed and burned. I grew tired of the Lanturn Gang thing very quickly, as I received a lot of attention that I really didn't want, but getting Lanturn ranked on the ADV OU VR is still a massive accomplishment of mine.

Around this time, I also got a bit more involved in DOU. With the help of emma, I somehow managed to place top 16 in a DOU seasonal! While it isn't much, it's still something that I held with great pride. But current gen doubles wasn't the only thing I was getting involved in. I began to grow a very real interest for ADV DOU thanks to xzern, which is now my favorite tier to play. Speaking of which, zeefable, xzern, and I all wrote an article on said metagame, which you should all check out and read!

The time following the Summer of Lanturn is all kind of a blur to me. I felt as though people saw me as nothing more than a joke of a player, and I tried my best to use that as motivation to keep improving. It didn't seem to matter how well I performed, that thought was always in the back of my mind. Even after playing some of my best Pokemon in RoAPL and making finals of ADV Ubers Cup (I wrote an RMT with a team from this tour, it's also in my signature!), I never could get that thought out of my mind. I took each of my losses in every tour incredibly hard. Every inch of progress I seemed to make didn't matter when I looked at those, despite the circumstances of the games. I have said before that I am maybe too competitive, and this is what I mean by that. Was it good motivation? Yeah, absolutely. Was it good for my mental health? Absolutely not. At the end of the day, this is a hobby we do for fun, and I was getting consistently depressed over it.

Even now, I still feel a bit like I am working to prove myself as something more than a "meme" player. It is probably the fault of my own for always seeming to use unorthodox sets, Pokemon, or saying some of my more outlandish takes. Perhaps people already see me as a good and proven player, and I am just in my own head with my undying self-consciousness and lack of self-confidence.

Taking a small break from tours recently helped me bolster my control over the mental part of this game, and I'm starting to have more fun with this game again! It let me take a step back and really start to enjoy myself playing Pokemon again instead of dreading each game that comes up. I owe a lot of this due to the help of my friends, which there are WAY too many to credit and list here, but I have a fantastic support group here on this site. You all know who you are, much love :heart:

Sorry for talking about myself too much, feel free to ask me any questions though! :D
s/o Holly for helping me write i guess >_>
 

antemortem

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SuperEpicAmpharos said:
Soon after that tour came the Lanturn craze, which you can read up about on the RMT I have in my signature! Something that I suppose I never got rid of from my old days of playing Pokemon is always trying to make niche Pokemon work. I am a very uncreative person, but Pokemon is my one true creative outlet. It's something that isn't great for winning, truthfully, as a lot of my experiments have crashed and burned. I grew tired of the Lanturn Gang thing very quickly, as I received a lot of attention that I really didn't want, but getting Lanturn ranked on the ADV OU VR is still a massive accomplishment of mine.
if given the chance would you supplant your identity with the SuperEpicLanturn moniker? cuz i think thats just epic…
 
do you watch any anime / shows / media etc, never heard you mention much of it one way or the other

what do i have to do to get you to go to a vgc event with me

why havent we unbanned latias in adv doubles

has your pretty solid adv 2021 inspired you to aim for spl

rank all ubers gens

love ya sea
 

byulharang

formerly Holy Ghost
is a Tiering Contributor
do you have a game you consider your favorite? this can be your best played game or just one you really liked (mons)
besides water what is your drink of choice?
since you're from Texas what is your favorite southern soulfood dish?
kmf - me, Dnnp, Nora
I think when I was helping you learn adv ubers I tried passing on my ideology, have you branched off from what I originally said to you? My takes aren't always the most popular ones as I find myself pretty different than most.
when you gonna listen to some kpop with me
biggest pet peeve?
 

SEA

show me what to be
is a Pre-Contributor
NUPL Champion
how are you so amazing '-'
Hard work, and a lot of it.
rate old gen ous by how much you enjoy them
ADV, DPP, BW, GSC, ORAS, SM, RBY
opinion on gsc nu
I have played it a handful of times, but it's been fun when I have!
why have u never changed from your default avi
I'm lazy '-'
Would you have sex with a ghost? What about a super epic ghost?
Is this even possible? The answer is no, either way.
if given the chance would you supplant your identity with the SuperEpicLanturn moniker? cuz i think thats just epic…
I do own that alt on PS, however, SEL is not quite as good as SEA, so I will have to pass.
if you had to use either lanturn or ampharos (in humane conditions im thinking a glitter lighthouse sort of thing here) as a power source for your town which would you choose
Definitely Ampharos.
why is your pfp empoleon?
I haven't found something I like enough to change my pfp at this point, but I am also lazy.
how do you like your steak
Medium well.
 

SEA

show me what to be
is a Pre-Contributor
NUPL Champion
do you watch any anime / shows / media etc, never heard you mention much of it one way or the other
I don't consume much media in any medium. I'm not necessarily opposed to it, I have just never picked up anything.
what do i have to do to get you to go to a vgc event with me
Name a time, date, and a place.
why havent we unbanned latias in adv doubles
Good question! I don't know.
has your pretty solid adv 2021 inspired you to aim for spl
Absolutely! Team tours are the most fun thing about playing mons for me, and being good team support is a big part of what I pride myself on. Of course, playing a game or two wouldn't be bad either :P
rank all ubers gens
ADV, BW, DPP, GSC, SM, ORAS, SS, RBY
What was your first in-game starter?
Swampert.
do you have a game you consider your favorite? this can be your best played game or just one you really liked (mons)
Yeah, this one. Eden is a guy I have a ton of respect for, and I played this game as an emergency sub. My favorite game to watch though was this one.
besides water what is your drink of choice?
Lemonade, pink when I can have it.
since you're from Texas what is your favorite southern soulfood dish?
Anything BBQ.
kmf - me, Dnnp, Nora
K DNN, M U, F Nora
I think when I was helping you learn adv ubers I tried passing on my ideology, have you branched off from what I originally said to you? My takes aren't always the most popular ones as I find myself pretty different than most.
I definitely think I've branched off a bit, but the foundation is absolutely still there. Godquaza.
when you gonna listen to some kpop with me
Dunno, seems like a pretty spur of the moment thing to me.
biggest pet peeve?
People who smack their gum.
 

SEA

show me what to be
is a Pre-Contributor
NUPL Champion
What is your favorite color
Any slightly dark blue. I don't love some of the lighter blues, especially once they start getting into stuff like Cyan, but I still like them.
Also in regards to steak, why do you get it medium well? Do you hate steak? What cut do you enjoy ruining the most?
That's just how I've always had it since I was growing up. Medium Rare is also very good. Steak is seriously fantastic. Probably T-Bone.
Are you left or right handed
Right handed.
If you could have one food drink and dessert for the rest of your life what would it be
I hate these questions, because eventually even your favorite foods will begin to get nauseating after a while. But, ham sandwiches, water, and probably brownies.
whens the adv doubles tour bro I want a reason to play it
whenever i get a job lol
What is your favorite Pokémon to use competitively that you rarely get a chance to use
Really tough question, probably Moltres though.
 
NGL I read that you played Tetris and got excited but instead it's just unviable Tennis.

Favourite Arctic Monkeys song?
Road trip when?
What are the best fruits and why are they strawberries and/or pomegranates?
 

Plague von Karma

Banned deucer.
Is your name's abbreviation deliberate or a cool side effect? Is the "Epic" part ironic or was it to get the SEA thing? How did you come to realise that Ampharos is the best Pokemon ever designed?
 

DNNP

There is always next year
is a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnus
K DNN, M U, F Nora
This alone has angered me, so I will only ask the important questions:
1. What are your thoughts on pineapples on pizza and why is it unviable except with Canadian bacon?
2. What will it take for Nora to move out of his parent's house and get a job?
3. Why does HG actually win every game he plays then get haxed?
4. Have you ever considered the implications of higher taxes on our national economy?
5. Would you willingly Fortnite dance on the grave of your most hated enemy?
6. When was the last time you renounced sin and prayed to our lord and savior, Jesus Christ?
7. If I were to show up at your doorstep at 2 am and offer you a bag of magic bean sprouts that could lead to a treasure in the clouds, what would you do?
8. Follow up to above: How much weed would you have to smoke for this scenario to occur in your mind?
9. What is Nora's DJ name?
10. What should Nora's first mixtape be called?
 

Colteor

Free old gens in WCOP
is a Pre-Contributor
RoAPL Champion
Favorite genre of music?
How does one become 'super' and 'epic'?
Best emote?
Why is Super Celebi so good?
 
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SEA

show me what to be
is a Pre-Contributor
NUPL Champion
Favourite Arctic Monkeys song?
Any of Teddy Picker, Stop The World I Wanna Get Off With You, or My Propeller would be my answers. It's hard for me to pick one.
Road trip when?
Whatcha up to this summer?
What are the best fruits and why are they strawberries and/or pomegranates?
Strawberries make my autism go crazy, me and the texture do not get along. I have never had pomegranates! Favorite fruit is oranges.
Does eden need to l2p?
Duh.
Is your name's abbreviation deliberate or a cool side effect?
It's a cool side effect! For a long time, I wanted to be called S E A, but sea has definitely grown on me over time.
Is the "Epic" part ironic or was it to get the SEA thing?
I was 10/11 when I came up with this name. It was genuine.
How did you come to realise that Ampharos is the best Pokemon ever designed?
I realized how huggable it is :3
1. What are your thoughts on pineapples on pizza and why is it unviable except with Canadian bacon?
Don't like pineapples as a whole, so that's a no from me.
2. What will it take for Nora to move out of his parent's house and get a job?
Maybe him getting rnged for the 4th week in a row will get it done.
3. Why does HG actually win every game he plays then get haxed?
The world is a cruel, cruel place.
4. Have you ever considered the implications of higher taxes on our national economy?
I haven't, but there's a first time for everything.
5. Would you willingly Fortnite dance on the grave of your most hated enemy?
No.
6. When was the last time you renounced sin and prayed to our lord and savior, Jesus Christ?
I don't know the answer to this question and this is a bad thing.
7. If I were to show up at your doorstep at 2 am and offer you a bag of magic bean sprouts that could lead to a treasure in the clouds, what would you do?
You would never lie to me, take them, duh
8. Follow up to above: How much weed would you have to smoke for this scenario to occur in your mind?
15 pounds, give or take
9. What is Nora's DJ name?
Screenshot 2021-10-18 184921.png

10. What should Nora's first mixtape be called?
"How I Lost To Billy"
what pokemon would you have irl
Phanpy.
Favorite genre of music?
Alt Rock.
How does one become 'super' and 'epic'?
A trip to the mountains.
Best emote?
:cwl:
Why is Super Celebi so good?
It's great at either chipping and trading with steels, or eliciting passive responses such as Blissey. It furthers gameplans of many other offensive Pokemon, and creates very exploitable lines for the user.
 

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