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 Pokemon 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!
