Introducing the Participants
Amaranth (ITA)
14-8 Invitational | 6th Invitational
24-25 SPL RBY
1x OTT Champion
#20 Pokemon Perfect Rankings
Invitational I Champion | Invitational V Semifinalist | Global Championship 2020 Champion | RBY Circuit 2020 Semifinalist | Global Championship 2021 Semifinalist
Guest written by marcoasd!
Amaranth cemented his position as one of the all-time greats with a run that started a couple years ago. This is the story: he won Invitational I, RBY Global Championship in 2020 and then entered a tunnel where it looked like he couldn't win a game. He saw the light again in RBYWC I, by using teams that were winning games within the turn-30 mark. Then Amaranth's games became longer, but the outcome was still the same. Finished on the podium in Invitational V. SPL XVI was a triumph disguised as a disappointment: the final score, 5-4, doesn't tell the truth as Amaranth deserved 6 if not even 7 wins. When things were looking brighter than ever, RBYWC III was filled up with RNG mishaps bringing back dissatisfaction and bad memories.
Some RBY players switch quickly between good and bad streaks, this isn't the case here. If Amaranth feels like going on a good streak, that will last years. Unfortunately, there is a risk that the bad streak will be just as long.
Invitational VI is giving Amaranth the chance to remain on the right track.
Horoscope section and superstition aside, there's no reason why he shouldn't. Amaranth has detailed knowledge of the game and opponents as well. An uncommon trait among players considered to be from the old wave.
Excal (USA)
10-5 Invitational | 5th Invitational
0-0 SPL RBY | 10-6 OTT Overall
2x OTT Champion
Invitational II Champion | RBY Cup 2024 Champion
As much as I talk about Excal's legendary Invitational II run, his Invitational V slate was a gauntlet:
23 total trophies (2nd, 6th, 15th, and 22nd in the
Hall of Fame) &
367!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! official team tournament wins (4th, 5th, 8th, and 24th on
The Sheet) [ABR (L) - 8, 87; BIHI (W) - 5, 71; Conflict (W) - 4, 95; McMeghan (L) - 6, 114] {as of 5.25.25}. That’s a Mount Rushmore of tournament pedigree.
And he went 2-2. Absolutely absurd. While not coming off a RBYWC Victory, he
is coming off a dominant RBY Cup 2024 Championship, with victories over Isza and the 3rd (oligen1), 17th (Eeveeto), 25th (elodin) and 31st (Texas Cloverleaf) ranked Play Ins participants. One of the most talented RBYers ever at their peak, Excal enters Invitational VI with momentum, pedigree, and that rare mix of technical precision and competitive fire. He’s no longer the underdog from Invitational II — but a Tier 1 (spoiler!) titan with nothing left to prove, but still everything to win.
SaDiSTiCNarwhal (USA)
7-8 Invitational | 5th Invitational
2-6 RBY SPL
29-14 RBYPL/RBYWC
#20 Pokemon Perfect Rankings
Winter Seasonal 2023 Champion | Global Championship 2022 Champion | Summer Seasonal 2020 Finalist
I fear the often-referenced, never-ending cycle of "great win, no reward" will continue this Winter, but at least the introduction narrative won’t! History tells us that SaDiSTiCNarwhal is due for a Top 6 finish, after alternating between good (Top 12 in II, Top 8 in IV) and not-so-good performances (Top 32 in III, Top 24 in V), but both steadily climbing one bucket at a time, on two parallel timelines. While the circuit warrior days may be over,
having embraced his US Northeast teammates' shared hatred of scheduling, he
is coming off a RBYPL V victory (tying for most wins on the team, second-most overall) and a 9-3 year in RBYPL/RBYWC (6-2 Ubers RBYPL V, 3-1 OU RBYWC III), maintaining his pace as the second-winningest player in the history of those tournaments and securing #3 in the
RBY Hall of Champions. SaDiSTiCNarwhal's never been the loudest name in the dance, but with no narratives to carry and the weight of expectations lifted, he enters the (bull) arena unburdened — and perhaps more dangerous than ever.
ABR (USA)
6-4 Invitational | 3rd Invitational
4-2 RBY SPL | 87-44 OTT Overall (8th)
Official Smogon Tournament XIII, Smogon Tour XXIIX, Smogon Tour XXIX, Smogon Classic VII, & 4x OTT Champion
RBY Circuit 2023 Champion | RBY Cup 2023 Champion | Ladder Tournament 2024 Semifinalist | RBY Cup 2021 Finalist
We've spent the last two years witnessing brilliance — but now, the story shifts. ABR, long heralded as the undisputed greatest Smogon player of all time, once again returns to Invitational, but this time, no longer holding the #1 spot in the
Hall of Fame and his official team tournament placement, win percentage and differential dropping (-1, -1.03%, and -2, respectively) on
The Sheet. While the legacy of having the most individual trophies has changed, the gameplay hasn't and ABR is still ABR, regardless of how much I dramatize his downfall in hopes of ego-baiting him into tryharding. His
still boasts the highest differential in team tournaments, achieving an absolutely ridiculous 87-44 (66%, +43!!!!) on the sheet and wins in seven of nine generations (but couldn't save the BIGs), has four individual trophies (although two fewer trophy points than I), is #4 in the much more prestigious
RBY Hall of Champions (nestled between US Northeast stalwarts #3 SaDiSTiCNarwhal and #10 Excal), with a RBY Circuit, RBY Cup, and RBY World Cup to his name, has won $1,311.50 (only $56.83 less than last edition's
entire prizepool) in Invitationals, and is, at worst, the second greatest Smogon player of all time. Red Breeze Yellow may have won Official Smogon Tour, Smogon Tour (2x), Smogon Classic (and a cup), Smogon Premier League (2x), World Cup of Pokemon (2x), CALLOUS Invitational, and a Ribbon, but he's yet to win any of
my money. Back-to-back Top 8s and a 4-2 SPL XV has proven he's among the apex predators of RBY’s most cutthroat fields — but not yet its final boss. Is this the year ABR culminates his RBY journey by finally going the distance?
marcoasd (ITA)
14-8 Invitational | 6th Invitational
14-10 RBY SPL | 10-4 RBY WCoP
13-1 RBYPL/RBYWC
#1 Pokemon Perfect Rankings
Invitational V Champion | Invitational III Semifinalist | 6x PP Top Player Ranking | 6x PP Season Winner | 11x PP Master Tour Winner | 10x PP Cup Winner | RBY Cup 2016 Finalist
marcoasd, the greatest RBY OU player of all time. The man with (quite literally)
too many accomplishments to list, whose performance in a singular tier at the peak of the generation's competitiveness
and present day stands as the most impressive in competitive Pokémon history, and with a seemingly endless array of triumphs that defy logic, marcoasd is the definition of a living legend. And after all this time, he stands head and shoulders above the rest, an unparalleled phenomenon, and the undisputed best after an Invitational V victory (yes, now I'm ego-baiting you, Heroic Troller). His résumé speaks for itself: winner of over a third of all Player Rankings, almost a third of all Pokemon Perfect Seasons, almost a third of all Pokemon Perfect Cups, and almost a quarter of all Pokemon Perfect Master Tournaments, 13-1 (including Invitational-quality wins over Kaz, Lusch, and BlazingDark) and one trophy across three editions of RBYWC and a record-breaking $795.17 in winnings as one of three players with multiple money finishes. Go back and read previous years' introductions, comb through the
Pokemon Perfect RBY Hall of Fame and
Tournament Archives, and see for yourself what an awe-inspiring spectacle he is. At this point, the title is his. The legacy is written. But even now, marcoasd returns — because greatness doesn’t pause. It endures.
Serpi (GER)
11-8 Invitational | 5th Invitational
30-17 SPL RBY | 33-18 OTT Overall
42-14 RBYPL/RBYWC
1x OTT Champion
Ladder Tournament 2025 Champion | Winter Seasonal 2024 Champion | Ladder Tournament 2024 Champion | Summer Seasonal 2024 Champion | Global Championship 2023 Champion | Winter Seasonal 2021 Champion | RBY Circuit 2023 Finalist | RBY Cup 2023 Finalist | Global Championship 2022 Finalist | Summer Seasonal 2022 Semifinalist | Invitational II Semifinalist | RBY Cup 2021 Semifinalist | Summer Seasonal 2021 Semifinalist
Serpi is
transcendent and immortal — combining towering peaks with a level of consistency few have ever matched. Since 2021, his résumé has redefined what modern RBY dominance looks like: three straight SPLs with 6+ wins (tying for second-best differential, behind only Heroic Troller & standing alongside Heroic Troller and Nails as the only players to win 20+ RBY sets across three SPLs),
six (!) circuit tournament victories (twice as many as second place & tied for third-most trophies in a singular tier across
Ubers /
UU /
NU /
PU /
LC /
DOU /
Monotype /
National Dex /
Anything Goes /
ZU /
Draft) and towering atop the
RBY Hall of Champions, a 42-14 (+28, 75%!!!!) record in RBYPL/RBYWC (13 more wins and 13 better differential than anyone else & a 2.59% better winning percentage than anyone else who's played at least 25 sets) and is among just nine players with double-digit Invitational wins. Coming off a strong Top 12 finish, with an opening round Best-of-9 victory over chuva de perereca and losses only to marcoasd and ABR, Serpi once again proved he belongs among the game’s greatest of all time. In fact, I'll say it: Serpi has surpassed Nails as the second greatest RBY OU player in the Smogon era. He’s done everything but win it all — and when that moment ultimately comes, it won’t feel like a breakthrough. It’ll feel like destiny finally catching up.
Sceptross (PRT)
14-8 Invitational | 6th Invitational
10-10 SPL RBY
#17 Pokemon Perfect Rankings
Invitational IV Semifinalist | Invitational II Semifinalist | Winter Seasonal 2024 Finalist | Ladder Tournament 2024 Semifinalist | Global Championship 2024 Semifinalist
Guest written by marcoasd!
Sceptross got the best record in SPL XVI some weeks ago. That was just the cherry on top, after years of aggressive plays on the ladder and in Invitational tournaments where he proved to be the most consistent player. At least in terms of avoiding bad exits year after year.
This breakout was clearly about to happen, even though nobody could tell exactly when. Well, things lined up correctly and Sceptross finally got his time in the sunshine. Getting the top record in SPL is one of the major milestones for RBY players and you never know what's next. It definitely makes you go into the next tournament in a better mood! Well, there's a chance for more and this is a tournament where Sceptross usually performs well...
SoulWind (ESP)
4-4 Invitational | 3rd Invitational
0-0 SPL RBY | 146-119 OTT Overall (1st)
Smogon Classic VI, Smogon Tour XXXII, Official Ladder Tournament IX, & 5x OTT Champion
RBY Cup 2019 Champion | RBY Cup 2018 Finalist
SoulWind. With the most official team tournament wins of all time at 146, three individual trophies, and one of the most decorated careers in competitive Pokémon history, few names carry more (quiet) gravity. He has
31 (!) more official team tournament wins than anyone else, is tied for eighth-best differential at +27, is one of just three players with three or more individual trophies, and currently sits third in the
Hall of Fame. And while RBY has never been his primary (bull) are(n)a, even here, his results demand respect: back-to-back RBY Cup finals (
one of nine players to ever reach back-to-back finals in a singular Cup, with a redemption victory in 2019) and a Top 12 finish in last year’s Invitational (including a win over his RBY mentor Peasounay) — a résumé most specialists envy. He may not say much, but every time SoulWind enters the bracket, greatness follows. There’s nothing left for SoulWind to prove — only more pages to add to one of the most extraordinary careers the game has ever seen.
spies (PER)
7-6 Invitational | 4th Invitational
16-19 SPL RBY | 25-24 OTT Overall
RBY Cup 2021 Champion | Summer Seasonal 2021 Finalist
RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983). The second-most surprising SPL XVI signup, spies
remembered his Smogon password and returned to the big leagues for the first time since SPL XIII in 2021. In true fashion, the Dragonspiral Tyrants once again drafted spies after a long hiatus, and, unfortunately, once again watched him struggle after a long hiatus. After returning in Week 7 from the bench, he put on a respectable 2-2 performance with wins over Gefährlicher Random and shiloh and continued his grind in the circuit, earning the #1 seed in Ladder Tournament (don't ask about Round 1) and is currently entering Top 16 in Global Championship. While not back from the dead to participate à la editions
V in 2024 or
III in 2022, spies is, naturally, the most polarizing and mysterious player in this tournament.
Fifteen years after going 6-3 in SPL I and four years after winning RBY Cup VII, can spies reach a third peak in one of the most long-standing and illustrious RBY OU careers with an Invitational VI victory?
nicole7735 (NZL)
7-4 Invitational | 3rd Invitational
4-5 SPL RBY
18-14 RBYPL/RBYWC
Invitational V Finalist | Summer Seasonal 2023 Champion
For #ThoseWhoKnow, nicole7735's Invitational V 2nd Place finish into starting in SPL XVI was inevitable. Ever since
2024, actually
2023,
actually 2022, she’s been one of RBY OU’s most hyped prospects — and now, she’s delivering. After going 0-2 in her Invitational debut following a Play Ins victory, she came back with a vengeance last year, winning
seven sets en route to $410.50 — the second-most all-time in a single edition, trailing only FriendOfMrGolem120's nine in Invitational II. Along the way, she took down Kaz, defending champion Gefährlicher Random, 4th Place Isza, 3rd Place Amaranth (in a rematch), and even won Grand Finals Set 1 against marcoasd (her first ever Invitational opponent!) before finally falling in Round 10, Set 2, Game 5. With an SPL start now under her belt and a proven ability to go toe-to-toe with the game’s very best, her arrival is no longer a question. She’s no longer knocking on the door — she’s in the room, and she’s not leaving.
shiloh (USA)
6-8 Invitational | 5th Invitational
9-15 SPL RBY | 39-42 OTT Overall
1x OTT Champion
RBY Cup 2022 Champion | Winter Seasonal 2020 Semifinalist
rozes are red
violets are blue
and for the third time in four years
RBY Invitational — shiloh went 2-2
SPL XIV started out strong, with a 3-1 spark
But when the lights shined brightest, the path grew dark
Four losses straight, the streak came fast
Another hot start that just couldn’t last
But he found his form on the RBYWC III stage
Went 4-2 strong and quieted rage
With pressure high, he broke through the fray
Semifinals Tiebreaker win to send Germany away
He’s tasted the highs, endured the lows
But where he lands? Nobody knows!
This tour, this chance — the script’s not set
Will shiloh rise, or break even yet?
Peasounay (FRA)
6-6 Invitational | 4th Invitational
12-5 SPL RBY
#10 Pokemon Perfect Standings
Global Championship 2025 Champion | 1x PP Top Player Rankings | 3x PP Master Tournament Winner | 2x PP Cup Winner | Global Championship 2017 Champion
Guest written by marcoasd!
Peasounay is one of the all time-greats. One of the few players who know what they're doing at all times, no matter the amount of rust. Once great, forever great. Clearly, when you read the player list there are names that make you stop for a while and think: "this is a contender so if I want to win I'm going to clash with this guy sooner or later, or at least I need someone else to do this job for me". Yeah, he's still part of this group.
Point is, does he feel the same? Peasounay is fully aware of his place on the food chain. That's the price of understanding the game. Yes, there are guys who are more active and that's why they're widely considered to be favoured. If that's enough to stop him from believing he can win this tournament regardless, that would be a self-inflicted wound. Nobody is likely to win this tournament anyway, so why not?
Larry (GER)
3-2 Invitational | 2nd Invitational
0-3 SPL RBY | 36-27 OTT Overall
3x OTT Champion
Larry's first ever Invitational game, after winning Play Ins by beating kjdaas, Torchic, NotVeryCake, and UltiNooba, began with Lead Tauros and a game win, but ultimately a set loss. He then tore through the Losers' Bracket, albeit with extensions in all four games, with three kills, featuring Lead Rhydon with Zapdos, Moltres + Dragonite, Lead Articuno, Lead Zapdos with Rhydon
and Golem, and Lead Lapras before bowing out to the player whose Discord tag he stole and finished Top 12, tying for third highest finish after winning Play Ins. That level of innovation didn’t come from nowhere — it’s the product of countless hours tryharding RBY SU, building across every tier in Pet Mods Premier League, managing (or more recently, hosting) so many team tours that he’s practically seen it all, and playing more tournament games in a week, sometimes literally at the same time, than most players would attempt in a month. And behind all the chaos is real pedigree: Larry is coming off his second SCL win, where he went 5-4 across three different tiers (sound familiar?), and third career trophy with a 36-27 overall official team tours record. If you think RBY OU is boring, especially when the Gemans are playing, just watch; in a tier often defined by convention, Larry reminds us how much room there still is to surprise.
Laroxyl (ITA)
4-4 Invitational | 3rd Invitational
0-1 SPL RBY | 17-15 OTT Overall
Invitational IV Semifinalist | RBY Circuit 2024 Champion | Global Championship 2024 Finalist
If not having too many chances to impress in RBY before last Invitational factored into Laroxyl's disappointing Top 32 exit after finishing 3rd, boy do I have good news for you! He’s fresh off a 10-2 tear across RoAPL and RBYWC (including a perfect 7-0 RoAPL and Custom Avatar prize), Global Championship Finals appearance, and an RBY Circuit title (with the Little Cup Community cheering him on) — racking up wins over Green on fire, Don Eduardo, emma, Isza, UltiNooba (twice), Enigami, Serpi (twice), Sceptross (twice), Peasounay, and Genesis7. Simply put, Laroxyl is cooking. The legacy of Italian excellence in RBY runs deep — from marcoasd's and Amaranth's Invitational Crowns to Heroic Troller's unprecedented SPL dominance — and Laroxyl has already etched his name into that lineage. Now, with momentum on his side and his skill undeniable, he returns to the big stage with one goal: keep the crown in Italy.
BlazingDark (DZA)
5-4 Invitational | 3rd Invitational
0-0 SPL RBY | 8-12 OTT Overall
15-9 RBYPL/RBYWC
2x OTT Champion
Guest written by Peasounay!
There are aggressive players, and then there’s BlazingDark — a one-man storm system whose only rule is there are no rules. His goal? To load the most degenerate nonsense possible — and make you shake when you see you’ve been paired against him.
Fearless and unhinged, BlazingDark doesn't just play to win — he plays to obliterate, to dismantle, to leave his opponents gasping for air. His reads are fast, brutal, and sometimes downright terrifying. When he's on, no one is safe: he reached Round 7 last year, notably taking a win over ABR along the way. In this year’s RBY World Cup, he delivered a strong performance, including a crucial tiebreaker victory against Felix, even though it wasn’t enough for France to qualify in the end.
Of course, living on instinct comes with its risks. He doesn’t always click the best button — but he always clicks something. Sometimes it's genius, sometimes it's madness — often both at once. But don’t be fooled: beneath the button-mashing exterior lies a player capable of toppling titans. If he goes full turbo mode, there’s no doubt he can make another deep run this year.
Lusch (GER)
9-6 Invitational | 4th Invitational
9-7 SPL RBY | 15-10 OTT Overall
16-9 RBYPL/RBYWC
#7 Pokemon Perfect Rankings
1x PP Top Player Ranking | 3x PP Season Winner | 7x PP Master Tour Winner | 6x PP Cup Winner | Ladder Tournament 2025 Semifinalist
Guest written by marcoasd!
Lusch is having one of the best post-peak evolutions out of all the players who are considered to be from the old wave. RBY World Cup Champion can still hit that 75+% win rate with ease, every time he takes part, making him one of the 3 go to men in the most stacked team in RBY history.
Playing in 3 of the first 5 Invitational tournaments, Lusch always made sure he would take out some players before being taken out himself. Whether it's the same good old Rhydon team, or that team with a different lead or just something new, that's not a problem. Is this time for a deep run? It really should.
Isza (USA)
5-4 Invitational | 3rd Invitational
5-5 SPL RBY
Invitational V Semifinalist | RBY Cup 2024 Finalist
Isza, when locked in, can beat anyone. For my money — which he nearly won last year — he’s the most underrated player in Invitational VI. Last edition, he ended what may have been the most dominant streak in RBY OU history by taking down what was likely the best RBY OU player on the planet at that moment — defending Invitational champion Gefährlicher Random, who had gone 6-0 to win Invitational IV, posted a six-win SPL XV, and extended his Invitational win streak to eight sets (tied for the longest ever across multiple editions) before running into Isza. It was his first-ever Invitational loss — and a defining victory for one of the tournament’s most underappreciated names. Since then, he finished ultimately 4th in Invitational V (wins over 12 trophies and 259 official team tournament wins worth of Smogon talent!), was an RBY Cup X Finalist, and went 3-1 in SPL XVI. For my money, that's (probably) the best singular year performance in RBY's two most prestigious individual tournaments ever! Isza doesn’t come in with the same spotlight as some of the titans of this field — but he’s earned every right to be seen as a threat. His résumé keeps getting stronger. His game keeps getting sharper. Just please, lock in!
Ctown6 (USA)
5-6 Invitational | 4th Invitational
0-0 SPL RBY
RBY Rising Stars 2023 Champion | Summer Seasonal 2023 Finalist | Winter Seasonal 2022 Finalist | Winter Seasonal 2023 Semifinalist | Summer Seasonal 2022 Semifinalist
For two years, Ctown6 was one of RBY’s most consistent and impressive circuit performers, finishing 2nd, 4th, 4th, and 2nd across four seasonals. Every loss that ended his runs — and every eventual champion who stood above him — came at the hands of Invitational-level players: chuva de perereca, Serpi, Gefährlicher Random, oakdeon, SaDiSTiCNarwhal, and nicole7735. He capped it all off with back-to-back RBY Circuit Championships appearances (2022-2023), a Top 16 RBY Invitational IV (2023), and a win in the inaugural RBY Rising Stars Championship (2023). But since then? Almost nothing. 2024 saw a disappointing 1-4 RBYPL/RBYWC record and
more attention on his
pookie (?) than playing, while 2025 has seen one (1) forum post while Team Rest of the US made RBYWC III Finals without him. And yet, he quietly held firm with a Top 16 RBY Invitational V (2024), including eliminating chuva de perereca. So what has Ctown6 been up to? Is he washed? Content with making it here in the first place? Secretly grinding? Just busy? We don't know. But if this is the return of RBY’s lost zoomer prince — it’s time to make it known.
M Dragon (ESP)
4-6 Invitational | 4th Invitational
1-1 SPL RBY | 89-75 OTT Overall (7th)
Smogon Classic X, Smogon Tour XVII, & 2x OTT Champion
#35 Pokemon Perfect Rankings
1x PP Season Winner | 1x PP Master Tour Winner
M Dragon. A titan of competitive Pokémon and one of the greatest players in Smogon history, his legacy stretches across more than a decade of dominance — with deep runs, major trophies, and metagame-shaping influence in nearly every generation, from eras most of his opponents know only through replays. And yet, even now, he’s not done. After five playoff appearances across ten editions, M Dragon
finally seized the Smogon Classic crown — a long-awaited triumph that saw him go 3-0 in RBY during playoffs, including a win-or-go-home Game 5 against Isza and a critical, tied at 1-1, do-or-die Game 3 against mind gaming in Finals. Perhaps even
more impressive still: in SPL XV Semifinals Tiebreaker, with his team down 0-1 and the season hanging in the balance, he stepped into RBY and defeated reigning Invitational champion Gefährlicher Random, fresh off a dominant six-win campaign, in his home court. The north wind has already (literally) written chapters of
Smogon history. Here, in RBY, M Dragon has the chance to write one more.
Don Eduardo (ESP)
0-0 Invitational | 1st Invitational
6-3 SPL RBY | 29-12 OTT Overall
1x OTT Champion
Summer Seasonal 2021 Champion | Global Championship 2023 Semifinalist | Global Championship 2020 Semifinalist
Every Invitational winner, until marcoasd's championship last year, was a first-time participant. Don Eduardo, formerly Kenix, was the clear favorite to continue the trend last year, coming off a 8-0 RoAPL IX & 6-3 SPL XV (reminder: SPL XV was the strongest RBY OU pool of all time), with notable wins over Laroxyl, shiloh, nicole7735, emma (twice), Serpi, Nails, Kaz, and Khaetis (come back, goat). Had he gone all the way, it would’ve marked five different champions from five different countries in five years — and given powerhouse Iberia its long-awaited first title. Unfortunately, he could not play one (1) set of RBY OU in ten (10) days and was substituted out before the curtains even rose. While he hasn't impressed in RBY recently (4-8 across the last editions of RBYPL/RBYWC/RoAPL), he's coming off a brilliant 5-1 SCL IV playing SV UU and a dominant 9-3 SPL XVI playing GSC OU, including clutch Semifinals Tiebreaker and Finals wins. Don Eduardo remains one of the most talented and dangerous players on the entire site, regardless of tier. If he takes this tournament seriously — and, crucially, learns
how to schedule — there’s no reason he can’t win the whole thing. Maybe the prophecy just needed one more year.
chuva de perereca (ESP)
7-6 Invitational | 4th Invitational
23-16 SPL RBY
Invitational IV Finalist | Winter Seasonal 2022 Champion | Ladder Tournament 2025 Finalist | RBY Circuit 2022 Finalist | RBY Circuit 2021 Semifinalist | Summer Seasonal 2021 Semifinalist | Winter Seasonal 2021 Semifinalist
Guest written by PKMN Master™!
Emerging from the 1500 + Random Battle server in 2020, this trainer swiftly dominated the competitive scene, carving their legacy with victories in its Tour 1, Tour 3, Cerulean Cup, Fuchsia Cup, Saffron Cup II, and Master Tournament 14.
While they occasionally explored the Lower Tier format, their true passion and focus soon centered on OU in 2022, where they secured triumphs in prestigious Smogon tournaments.
Notable victories include: RBY Premier League III and RBY Winter Seasonal IV.
Since their emergence, they have been consistently drafted for the Smogon Premier League, representing teams such as Team Raiders, Alpha Ruiners, The Cryonicles, and Ever Grande.
Furthermore, they have numerous victories in the Discord server RBY Fight Club.
They are proud winners of Saffron Cup, Lavender Cup, Vermillion Cup, and Virdian Cup 2; furthermore, they hold trophies in Master Tournaments 6, 7, and 12
Their unwavering presence on the Pokémon Showdown ladder is nothing short of legendary.
Throughout the years they have consistently ascended to the summit, maintaining a dominant position among the highest Elo.
Always battle-ready, this trainer isn’t afraid to push the limits—expect them to challenge opponents to a grueling best-of-nine showdown, eager to test every ounce of skill and resilience.
Kaz (FRA)
12-8 Invitational | 5th Invitational
16-19 SPL RBY
21-9 RBYPL/RBYWC
#23 Pokemon Perfect Rankings
Invitational III Finalist | Invitational I Finalist | Ladder Tournament 2024 Finalist | Ladder Tournament 2025 Semifinalist | RBY Circuit 2023 Semifinalist | RBY Cup 2023 Semifinalist | 2x PP Master Tour Winner
Guest written by marcoasd!
Kaz is a specific case. Only player to ever reach the finals twice. One of the very few who can deviate from standard stuff comfortably. Well, talking about results SPL XVI felt far from the glory days even though you can easily tell Kaz is still in good shape. Some matches and some plays made that clear. In SPL he didn't show his collection of unconventional teams and in World Cup III his most recent Chanseyless creations lacked the consistency of the previous ones. "Go through your saved teams and thin them out carefully" is easily the best advice that any player without any skill or experience whatsoever could give out to anyone. Sometimes that's because you need to get rid of something, other times that's because you need to put good old stuff in plain sight.
Nails (USA)
9-9 Invitational | 6th Invitational
36-27 SPL RBY | 86-71 OTT Overall (11th)
4x OTT Champion
RBY Cup 2020 Finalist | RBY Cup 2019 Finalist | Invitational I Semifinalist | Global Championship 2018 Semifinalist
I hope the RBY community didn't take Nails for granted. Before the Circuit Three ushered in a new era of aggression and a willingness to roll the dice for high reward, there was the man who spammed minimally punishable, low-reward plays to minimize the opponent's room for counterplay. For the zoomers: second-most RBY SPL wins of all time, one of three to win at least 20 RBY sets over the course of three SPLs, one of four to take down Heroic Troller multiple times in SPL, back-to-back RBY Cup finals, and an Invitational I bronze trophy to boot. His dominance was so sustained, so routine, that it stopped feeling surprising, despite being almost entirely unprecedented outside of Heroic Troller himself. For years, he dominated the competition with his ice-cold suffocating playstyle, with the infamous "Nails Team" at the very center, but the playerbase has adapted, and the days of rotating the same few cores has come to a bitter end. After going 20-8 in SPLs X, XI, and XII, his usage stats changed drastically, and he posted a mere human 11-14 (which is still more RBY SPL wins than all but nineteen people ever!) in SPLs XIII, XIV, and XV before not signing up for SPL XVI for the first time in nine years. Simply put, Nails is past his prime. He's not going to reinvent himself as an RBY OU player — and he doesn't owe it to anyone to. He has already forever cemented his legacy one of the most successful Pokémon players of all time, combining both his Smogon and VGC accomplishments. And, at the end of the day, Pokémon is Pokémon and Nails is Nails. All it takes is a spark — one Ice Beam Freeze, one masterful midground, one real shot at $1,200 for it all to come rushing back.
mind gaming (GER)
0-0 Invitational | 1st Invitational
0-0 SPL RBY | 59-30 OTT Overall (35th)
5-1 RBYPL/RBYWC
2x OTT Champion
The Germans have done it again. Invitational’s most dominant nation continues to produce elite RBY talent — this time in the form of mind gaming. One of the best all-around players on the site today, he enters with the 6th-highest official team tournament differential at +29, trailing only juggernauts ABR (+43), bro fist (+34), McMeghan (+33), our very own Heroic Troller (+32), and Punny (+31). He also holds the 5th-best official team tournament win rate (min. 45 wins) at 66.29%, behind just our very own Heroic Troller (72.86%), [redacted] (72.58%), xavgb (69.12%), and ABR (66.41%). He led all players in official team tournament wins in 2023 with a staggering 23-7 record, powered by a 9-3 SPL XIV, a perfect 5-0 WCoP run, and a 9-4 showing in SCL III — including clutch victories in both Semifinals and Finals Tiebreakers. In 2024, he was the Smogon Classic X runner-up (3-1 in RBY OU, only loss to M Dragon) and in 2025, he went 5-1 in RBYWC III (tied for second-most wins), including victories over emma and Genesis7 in pools and BIHI in Quarterfinals Tiebreaker (yes, Team Germany with Serpi, Gefährlicher Random, Lusch, and FriendOfMrGolem120 trusted mind gaming in tiebreaker) vs. France and is about to qualify for Smogon Grand Slam XIV Playoffs. So, you're wondering if mind gaming, another tournament player with minimal RBY OU experience, deserves the invitation? Well, if I've learned anything in the last half-decade of my time in this community, it's to trust Team Germany — especially when they're sending in someone
this sharp,
this seasoned, and
this red-hot.
Genesis7 (CAN)
1-4 Invitational | 3rd Invitational
4-8 SPL RBY
#15 Pokemon Perfect Rankings
Winter Seasonal 2025 Semifinalist | RBY Circuit 2024 Finalist | Global Championship 2024 Finalist | Global Championship 2023 Finalist | RBY Circuit 2022 Semifinalist | Summer Seasonal 2022 Finalist | Winter Seasonal 2022 Semifinalist | 1x PP Cup Winner
He's back, baby! After navigating the treacherous waters of being RBY’s most successful circuit player without an individual trophy (I mean, probably — just look at those results!), Genesis7 has made his long-awaited return to both SPL and Invitational in 2025, his first appearances since 2020 and 2021, respectively. What first put him on the (treasure) map? 15th in the Pokemon Perfect Rankings from 2013-2019 — the
number one criterion for RBY prestige before the Smogon era. And since the sailor got stranded in the seven seas? He's been on an under-the-radar and underappreciated heater: three-straight Circuit Championship qualifications, back-to-back Global Championship finals, and four seasonal podium finishes. In fact, since the Smogon circuit was formalized in 2018, he is one of three players (alongside SaDiSTiCNarwhal and Serpi) to qualify for four Circuit Championships (2019, 2022-2024), including being the latest runner-up. And while 2025 SPL XVI didn't strike gold, 2025 RBYWC III did, where he hoisted the flag for Team Canada en route to their first championship, and finally claimed his first (team) trophy. Now, with the wind at his back, Genesis7 sails into Invitational harbor once more — older, wiser, and maybe, just maybe, ready to claim the treasure that’s eluded him for over a decade.
BeeOrSomething (USA)
0-0 Invitational | 1st Invitational
0-0 SPL RBY
15-9 RBYPL/RBYWC
RBY Cup 2024 Semifinalist
Guest written by NotVeryCake!
A newer face to RBY and Smogon as a whole, BeeOrSomething has made significant progress over the past year, steadily improving and refining his game. He went from being a mediocre player with middling results—exiting in Round 1 of last year’s Invitational Play-ins and finishing with an abashed 1-4 record in RBYPL IV—to a respectable competitor who can hold his own against anyone on his day. His strong 6-2 performances in both RoAPL X and RBYPL V over the past year are a testament to his growth. Unfortunately, he narrowly missed being drafted for SPL XVI, despite being one of the most promising new draft prospects for the tournament. With his unique, newgen thinking and a willingness to experiment—most notably dropping Snorlax on bold teams like CloyDon—he’s sure to bring and exciting flair to every game he plays this Invitational. Can he continue to prove the doubters wrong, or will he slip back into mediocrity?
Vileman (CHL)
0-0 Invitational | 1st Invitational
1-1 SPL RBY
Winter Seasonal 2025 Champion
Well, someone had to fill up the (third-to) last slot. After declining an invitation four years ago and spending the next three stuck in Play Ins, Vileman makes his long-awaited Invitational debut. He joins the rare club of players (four total, three this year) to make it (back) to The Show after previously being in, but never winning, the minor leagues. So, what changed? Turns out, winning Winter Seasonal comes with perks — like skipping the line and playing for $1,200 — and, with that win, all champions of RBY Circuit Tournaments have earned an Invitational bid. On his run, he defeated Genesis7 and the 1st (NotVeryCake), 3rd (oligen1), 37th (Ale Duncan), and 38th (Cow) ranked Play Ins participants. So, if you really think about it, he basically won his four rounds of Play Ins in advance, defeating the equivalent of two #1 and two #13 seeds — numerically right in line with Albi (13, 5, 1, 7), oakdeon (5, 13, 1, 3), and King Billu (14, 11, 2, 4). And beyond the fun facts and parallels lies real pedigree: a prior direct invite to this tournament by the godfather CALLOUS and Christos, a win in SPL RBY (again, getting the opportunity to play the tier, let alone win, is extraordinarily rare and challenging!), and legitimate prowess in both GSC and ORAS — with multiple SPL wins and a Seasonal title (+ ribbon in ORAS!) to his name in each tier. Perhaps most impressive — and most important — is his role as the heart of Team Chile, leading them to their first-ever Main Event appearances in World Cup of Pokémon history — and turning both into back-to-back Quarterfinal runs. It’s been a long road — one paved with patience, persistence, and a lot of near-misses. But in Pokémon, especially RBY, the game rewards those who stay ready. Vileman finally has his shot.
Diegolh (FRA)
4-2 Invitational | 2nd Invitational
3-6 SPL RBY
Invitational V Semifinalist | 1x PP Master Tour Winner
Guest written by Peasounay!
Back from the dead. No one really knows why. No one really knows what to expect. But one thing’s for sure: Diegolh has returned — and that alone is enough to turn heads.
A well-known figure from the PokemonPerfect days, Diegolh made his mark around 2017, during one of the most competitive eras RBY has ever seen. He was one of the few brave souls to win a Master Tournament in 2016, a feat that required navigating a minefield of Italians and other German crushers — not something you stumble into by accident. His last major appearance? The infamous SPL IX, a historic season stacked with old-school titans.
And then… silence.
Now, unexpectedly, he’s back. Why? We don’t know. Is he here to make a run? Is he just vibing? Also unclear. But what we do know is that he's French, and when it comes to French RBY, there's always a gang — and he's in it. Even if we don’t know the level he’ll play at, or how hard he’s prepping, one thing’s for sure: the skills are there, and if you sleep on him, you might wake up in a very dark place.
In a metagame where everyone preps ten hours to be the one to click Sing first, Diegolh might just take the cowards into uncharted waters — and leave them wondering what just hit them.
Enigami (USA)
8-10 Invitational | 6th Invitational
0-0 SPL RBY
#12 Pokemon Perfect Rankings
Five for five. No matter how many times I (try to) send him to Play Ins, Enigami finds a way to the Main Event. While many greats have come and gone, he's been there for every single Invitational — a testament not just to his creativity, but his staying power. While he may not have a singular standout individual result or SPL experience, Enigami was notably #12 on the Pokemon Perfect Rankings, ahead of boomer-era juggernauts MetalGro$$, Alexander, and The Idiot Ninja, and has won against Nails, McMeghan, and Kaz in this very tournament. No twently-one page prep document can truly account for Enigami. One of RBY’s true freethinkers, he doesn’t just look at chuva de perereca's latest replays and blindly load the six he sees — he asks what the meta hasn’t thought of yet. And with the RBY OU metagame seeing more innovation than ever lately, it's truly time for Enigami to shine. We all know Wrap is coming — but what else? Victreebel may be NU; is it time for the newly-ranked Weepinbell? Will we see Tauros-less stall again? Kingler????????? He’s never been the favorite, and that’s just how he likes it. Enigami doesn’t play for legacy — he plays because he loves it. And when that spark catches fire, watch out.
