The Well #70 - emma

[emma]

Hi Averardo

emma how does one manage to play against two mons on the field at the same time, I can never quite get it myself

I was feeling a bit lost in Doubles recently (I am not particularly good at the game) so I tried playing some Singles with a clear win conditions (been spamming this team on the DPP Ladder with SD Lucario) which helped a lot.

With Doubles, since there are four different Pokemon at the field at the same time, there's a lot more possibilities of what you can do / what can happen which can be too much to handle for my tiny brain. Here's me timing out of a seasonal match which I would have won if I could think quicker (which I can't because I'm bad).

What is your favorite Pokemon game?

I think I'd have to go with HGSS since it was my first. Common praises such as going through two regions, having your Pokemon follow you, and battle against Red I all really enjoyed and I'm glad they ended up letting your lead Pokemon follow you in the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra. My only real gripe is splitting the story in two after the fourth gym (you can either get Cianwood's and Olivine City's badges and then Mahogany Town's or vice versa) which, while a pretty neat idea, it really messed up the levels of Gym Leaders (since you had to be able to theoretically go in any order and not be underpowered) Elite 4, and eventually Champion. I remember using this guide as a kid while playing.

Some minor annoyances is the Ampharos-line as a ridiculously bad movepool early on (you're stuck with Thunder Shock until you get Thunder Punch on evolution at level 30 and then Discharge at level 34) and the fact that Lance and his three Dragonites were way too hard for Middle School me

I generally enjoy all the Pokemon games, but XY is definitely my least favorite. I like only using Pokemon that originate in the reason I'm playing (so only Kalos Pokemon in XY) but if I want to use Mega Evolution, I'm forced to look elsewhere. The pacing between the 1st and 2nd gym is incredibly bad, and the game is way too easy overall.

Okay I guess the term i used was bad.

Okay so lemme retry. First off thanks for liking my mediocre posts in Smogoff. Secondly, what made you decide to venture into smogoff in the first place?

You're welcome uwu

Firebot was pretty fun to read so naturally I transitioned to its successor. I like to think my posts are a lot better than the bad old days where I think I only had one post with more than 20 likes.

Smogoff is pretty funny. Some of the threads and posts are pretty bad but that's to be expected. Overall, I'm a big fan and I'm glad they brought back an off-topic forum.

What do you think about teddiursa

The original Teddiursa thread is absolutely hilarious. It's also a pretty cute Pokemon in general; I remember catching one in Pokemon Go at my Grandparent's house. I'm definitely a fan.

Did you discover the wonders of Thunder Punch Typhlosion?

Nope! My original Typhlosion had a movepool of Blast Burn / Flamethrower / Lava Plume / Cut. 10 year old me was clearly not a typing chart expert.

Any interesting doubles combinations that you enjoy using? Any heat to share with the audience?

Raichu + Kyurem-Black in XY DOU.

sets

Raichu @ Air Balloon
Ability: Lightning Rod
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 0 SpA
- Fake Out
- Volt Switch
- Encore
- Nuzzle

Kyurem-Black @ Leftovers
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 108 HP / 188 SpA / 212 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
- Substitute
- Protect

The combination does really well against genius which is (rightfully) everywhere in XY. Raichu invalidates Thundurus (which if often the only form of Speed Control, especially on THALK builds) and bulky KyuB is good in every Doubles format. I brought the combination against Frania whose replays were majority THALK spam and it worked out quite nicely.

Thoughts on the current RBY meta trends that you've pointed out in the SPL thread?

These competitive Pokemon questions are definitely the hardest since I'm not very good at the game haha.

I think I'd have to go with Slowbro though. It's easy to boost up to +6 on Chanseys lacking Seismic Toss and the only thing that really stops you is non-paralyzed Starmie, which is usually sacked for Sleep Turn 1 anyway. Fire Blast Tauros is also funny, and made even more hilarious by the fact that its worked almost every time it's been used.

Running the RBY thread has honestly been super fun. Going through all the replays to find highlight sets & team + doing usage stats lets me really see how the meta develops and I'm excited to see how SPL finishes

View attachment 313248

Do you think this a cute Vday gift for the girl im seeing? Our favorite color is blue and I already bought them but im nervous she won't like it so I just need some further encouragement. Thoughts?

These are legitimately super cute and I wish someone would buy one for me :pleading_face:

The blue color in particular is really pretty and I'm a big fan. Good work

how can i "turn my swag on"

When I'm nervous, I simply stop being nervous which generally works out pretty well. I would suggest a similar strategy when you're looking to turn your swag on.

Great questions! I promise I will get around to all of these since I had a lot of fun answering, so feel free to ask more! Unfortunately, my mother is making the entire family watch another Hallmark Christmas Movie together so this is all I have for now ><

 

[Celticpride]

Unfortunately, my mother is making the entire family watch another Hallmark Christmas Movie together so this is all I have for now ><

Is this a post-Christmas backlog or a year round thing?

Do you enjoy hallmark movies?

 

[az]

best horse?

 

[Heavyweapons Mann]

Is your CT a song lyric?

 

[emma]

What’s your favourite ‘mon to use in DOU, regardless of whether it’s actually good or not, and why? Any gen.

I answered the question here (spoiler: It's Lando-T, the greatest DOU Pokemon of all time) but since you asked again I will provide another answer.

Zarude @ Leftovers
Ability: Leaf Guard
EVs: 232 HP / 60 Atk / 216 Spe
Jolly Nature
IVs: 0 SpA
- Power Whip
- Darkest Lariat
- Taunt
- Jungle Healing

+2 252 SpA Life Orb Spectrier Shadow Ball vs. 232 HP / 0 SpD Zarude: 192-226 (46.9 - 55.2%) -- 17.6% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
60 Atk Zarude Darkest Lariat vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Spectrier: 342-404 (100.2 - 118.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO
60 Atk Zarude Power Whip vs. 252 HP / 136+ Def Blastoise: 254-300 (70.1 - 82.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
60 Atk Zarude Darkest Lariat vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Mew: 228-270 (56.4 - 66.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

You can also move EVs from Speed (which outspeed Mew) to HP and then SpD to better take on Spectrier. AV is also an option with U-Turn and Close Combat. What a versatile Pokemon! click the mons for a fun team

Out of the teams you used throughout the 2v2 Classic, which do you find the most fun and why?

Ah yes the extremely esteemed 2v2 Classic. Here's every team I used in case anyone cares. I also went over all my games in case anyone really cares.


This is probably my favorite. I remember looking at usage statistics and viability rankings that Mega Tyranitar unironically beats almost everything. Amoonguss helps against Rain / waters, Talonflame beats grasses / steels, Keldeo beats steels. Talonflame is one of my favorite mons and I like Tyranitar and Keldeo so I'm glad I got to use some fun Pokemon.

Favourite iteration of DOU? Including formats that were phased out mid-generation such as XY, dmax DOU, IoA etc.

Current SS and XY (and by this I mean Gen 6; if you think its ORAS l2p) are both really fun. Seeing the meta develop from Doubles World Cup into Invitationals has been really cool and I'm excited to see what Doubles Premier League brings. We saw rise of Nihilego, then to Spectrier + Blastoise, and now Porygon2 as examples. There's a lot of fun and viable Pokemon to use and I don't think anything is broken at the moment.

I can tell you I DID NOT enjoy the DLC 1 meta when Urshifu Single Strike was still legal. It twisted the meta around it and forced every game to be Tailwind Offensive which was not fun for me because I like using a lot bulkier playstyle. I tried running Togekiss + Weezing-Galar to defensively check it but that didn't really work out.

On XY, I really enjoy it despite the generally limited amount of viable Pokemon and diversity. Even though Landorus-T is a mandatory Pokemon, it's still really balanced and healthy post-Jirachi ban. Comparing the meta to when I first joined in 2016 to now is absolutely incredible. I remember when we all thought Mega Diancie was top tier :yuck:

Post your anime 3x3

I still haven't finished Madoka so if you spoil it I WILL CRY

Favourite sport?

Probably Basketball. I was actually not into basketball at all until the Sophmore Year of High School. My friends were all in into it and I felt left out so I became a huge basketball tryhard and now I'm a bigger fan than all of them. I'm still upset the Sixers didn't trade for James Harden.

Do you consider chess to be a sport?

Nah. I respect all the Chess wizards out there but I feel like a sport has to have some physical activity to it?? I definitely respect it and it's in the same category as ESports for me.

Which users do you view as your main role models, and who’s your SmogMum/SmogDad?

I will say MajorBowman. He's the sole DOU TL at the moment and I think they're doing a great job uwu

TPP is also a super hard worker and never gets the respect he deserves

There are a lot of women I look up to as inspirations like Chloe Lilburr kjdaas and some others

I said it in my interview but I look up to umbry most as a player. Seeing her go from an elite DOU player to going for 15k in SPL (without doubles!) was extremely impressive and really blows my mind.

Oh also would you fuck a ghost?

deep logical answer

If Ghosts can consent, sure. I don't discriminate

who is the GOAT jeopardy player?

I was rooting hard for James Holzhauer during the Tournament of Champions but I think it's impossible to not answer Ken Jennings at this point. James is really enjoyable on The Chase though and easily my favorite of the three chasers. He's hilarious.

if you could be trained in martial arts by hitmonlee, hitmonchan, or hitmontop who would you want to be your mentor?

Hitmontop! Easily my favorite of the three. I remember using it in XY DOU with Fake Out, Intimidate, Wide Guard, and Fighting STAB. It was pretty bad but it's sprite is so goofy looking I liked using. Hitmonlee is second, Hitmonchan is a distant third.

tell us a warstory of the most icy double switch in your pokemon career

RoA Standard Tournament - Round 3 - Game 4 - Turn 10
☆Vileman: . . .
☆Vileman: yo
Easily the greatest moment of my competitive Pokemon career. I think I was down 0-3 in the Bo7 at that point (because I am bad at Pokemon) so I knew I had to play aggressively if I wanted any chance (I lost in 5 instead of 4). I really thought he was going to switch into Roserade, but Heatran was even better!

what is your favorite potato-based dish

T.G.I Friday’s Loaded Bacon & Cheddar Potato Skins - I had some the other day and they were really good

My basic bitch answer would just be French Fries

what do you think of these people and their questions?

People have asked a lot of questions and I've had fun answering them

War Incarnate's questions seem like a lot of work and my brain is tiny so I'll do more tomorrow uwu

 

[LordThemberchaud]

Thanks for answering my question! I have another now. What is the worst anime you have ever watched and why?

 

[emma]

Averardo if you see this l2p

If you met a newcomer to the DOU format, what team would you recommend for the current iteration of DOU?

What is your favorite team archetype in DOU and why?

I'm grouping these two together because my answer is the same: Porygon2 Semiroom

- spammed in Invitationals and LTPL

Porygon2 rose in usage to check the ever-present combination of Spectrier and Blastoise. Trick Room as a whole does really well against the aforementioned HorseToise builds as well general Set-Up offense which are both going around right now so it's a strong choice in the current metagame. I've been using those six and another similar build so far in DOU seasonal and it's been really effective.

What is your least favorite team archetype in DOU and why?

I haven't been liking CB Zygarde (especially with Mew) builds lately. They struggle switching in against Genesect (even if you're running Incineroar because the lack of protest), killing Kyurem-Black, and are a bit too passive for me. I know there have been some successful versions with Coaching Zeraora and I still think it's a good framework; I just haven't been liking it lately.

Have you tried out any Singles formats yet? If so, what metagames did you try out, and what was the experience like? If not, what would you say prevents you from doing so?

I have played all of Gens 1-5 OU and they're all fun in their own right, even thought I don't really know what I'm doing except maybe in RBY. I found myself joining way too many tournaments for all five metagames and not really learning / improving in any of them which was a problem. I instead just want to focus on RBY (along with DOU) since it's the most fun and a lot of my friends play it,

What is your opinion on Mega Banette as a whole (from design to stat spread)?

I actually really like the design! Regular Banette is pretty lame but I think they did a good job with it's Mega Evolution. I know nothing about it competitively but it seems Gamefreak gave it a 170 Attack but only 75 speed and pretty meh bulk. It also gains Prankster which seems to not help the case of using its massive attack stat. Good design, but good competitive execution.

If you had to play a past gen format, which gen would you go to, which format from that gen would you play, and why?

XY DOU. The first tier I ever got involved in and still fun to this day. I also like playing XY Battle Factory a ton but I'm not sure if that counts as a format >_<

When did you start playing DOU (and BSS)?

I already answered the former part so I guess I'll talk about the latter. Back in Summer 2016 I found out about the first Battle Spot Premier League (which iirc including Battle Spot Doubles which was super similar to VGC which I played at the time) so I signed up. I saw a lot of other DOU players joining so I wanted to sign up as well. I got drafted to the Rustboro Rocky Helmets for 3k, went 0-0, and our team missed the playoffs. I played in BSPL II for the Rustboro Rocky Helmets and went 0-1 as a 3k pick. Hopefully I can make my grand return this year and get drafted on a team for fun despite not actually playing the tier!

How do you manage to put up with my crap on a nearly daily basis?

Thoughts on ghost horse in DOU?

It's definitely fine. I would look into suspecting Blastoise, Kyurem-Black, or even Shadow Tag before it (but none deserve a suspect at the moment). When it came out of nowhere dominating in Invitationals it was borderline unstoppable but as the meta developed and Porygon2 & Semiroom rose, it's shown not to be broken (at least in my opinion) in the current metagame.

What is the best condiment?

I am not a big condiment girl, but if I had to choose it would be Mayo on sandwiches, but I generally only like a little.

Red Robin seasoning is also absolutely incredible but I only have it when I go to Red Robin ><

Why do you play RBY?

A lot of my friends play it (and are really good), the community is pretty strong for an old gen, and it's interesting to me. I actually like the weird quirks such as 1/256 miss, Hyper Beam not recharging on OHKOs, etc which I think give it a niche. It's also very different playing in a metagame where limited Pokemon are usable. I've found you can script common lead matchups (i.e. Starmie against Jynx) which is really cool and not something you can do in current generations.

Thoughts on ADV DOU?

It's pretty interesting based on my limit experience. No team preview combined with pre-nerf Explosion, make it really fun. Unfortunately, the Doubles playerbase is pretty small as it, so it's hard to develop the metagame.

please i still dont get mish what the hell does it mean

DaWoblefet actually wrote a really long post explaining it so if you really care you can find it here.

also pfp source? o_o

I get most of my pfps from this twitter account. If you're willing to scroll really far back, you could fine the original artist but I am not really up to that myself ><

Text hard, more answers tomorrow

 

[zxgzxg]

great explanation recommended read for all

 

[shadowpea]

I love you

Dewgong da goat

 

[BIG ASHLEY]

Dewgong da goat

no silly it's a dugong

 

[greenandgrey77]

What's your least favourite pokemon and why do you hate it?

 

[emma]

favorite doubles gen?

XY > SS > BW > SM
Haven't played SM since 2017 when it was current generation (and before USUM came out) so I don't know much about it D:

thoughts on adv dou? (2) (there is a right answer)

I already answered this and I have nothing witty to say so sorry ><

part 1: are you going to win dpl?

Maybe if Yoda2798 drafts me

I am a girl of confidence so I am going to answer yes uwu

part 2: if yes, would you still win dpl if instead of pokemon it was a no restrictions fistfight.

If I'm paired with Yoda than definitely not!

I think n10sit is like 7 feet tall and DaAwesomeDude1 can unleash the dad1 fists of furry so if I'm paired with them I think I'd fare quite well.

Should the Sixers trade Ben Simmons and, if so, what’s your ideal package?

I would have easily done Ben Simmons, Matisse Thybulle, one of Shake Milton or Tyrese Maxey, and some 1st round picks in exchange for James Harden. I am extremely disappointed Morey didn't get it done and I think the Sixer's chances of winning a championship would have increased substantively with an Embiid-Harden pairing. I would probably trade Simmons for Beal but he isn't in the same stratosphere of Harden so overall I would feel pretty disappointed. Simmons has been not good this year but he's been better recently so hopefully he can keep it up.

Hurts or Wentz?

Easily Hurts. Wentz was borderline the worst Quarterback in the league this year. Lately rumors have it the Eagles might be able to get multiple firsts (???) for him which I would do in a heartbeat. Wentz is also probably MAGA which is a huge woozy.

Thoughts on Gritty?

Gritty is absolutely hilarious. I was part of a TV class at my High School when he was revealed. The day after he was announced, I took the Sports segment and told the entire school about my new big orange friend. I'm sure a majority of people have no idea what I was talking about but I'm still proud of it.

Should Ken Jennings be the new full-time Jeopardy! host?

Sure. He's done a good job and is a Jeopardy legend. I would like to see some more guest hosts first though because it's fun.

What's your most memorable moment in your time playing competitive Pokémon?

I'll respond to this again when I think of a real answer ><

emma can you give me an autograph? :)

o-of course lyd :pleading_face:

how’s the weather in Massachusetts this time of year? do you like it?

I'm not actually in Massachusetts right now (doing college from home) but I've heard it's quite bad. I've gotten like 12 emails about to close our residential windows at night and it've been quite annoying.

I'm not a fan of the cold because I do not own a cute Winter Coat to wear :(

Popeyes or chick fil a chicken sandwich

Chick-Fil-A has donated to numerous anti-LGBTQ+ organizations AND has extremely long lines so I'm gonna go with Popeyes

you are a noted wittybot champ, still #5 in the all time rankings - could we convince you to come out of retirement?

Hearing I'm still #5 has been the unironic highlight of my day so I guess I'm coming back

Do you have any more sad stories of you simping for girls? I remember you told us the one about the slam poetry and said you were gonna share more but it never happened

For reference, here is my original sad girl story :(

My current crush has a boyfriend so that's pretty sad :c

To be more specific, the summer before I started high school I went to see Ghostbusters with a girl. Her mom came too, sat right next to us in the theaters, and completely ruined the entire thing. How was I supposed to put my 13 year old moves on this girl if her mother was within arms length distance?? The 'date' (it's a stretch to call it that) was pretty awful overall. After the moves her mom asked if we wanted to get pizza together but the girl said no because it was such a rough time :(

And when are you going to GAME with the epic GAMERS again?

Truthfully, I'm not a big fan of Among Us at all and voice chatting with people is a little scary >< Maybe if we ever play Jackbox again I will join. Wittybot is pretty fun so I'll try to play more uwu

Is this a post-Christmas backlog or a year round thing?

My mom loves having "electronic free family time" by watching movies together, but it rarely works out. By the climax, half my siblings have left, I'm chatting away on Discord, and the dog is barking.

Do you enjoy hallmark movies?

They are all pretty bad movies but I do enjoy them ironically if that counts

best horse?

Of the big 4, probably :icehorse:. It's the original and it's so goofy looking it's good

Is your CT a song lyric?

Good bop!

Thanks for answering my question! I have another now. What is the worst anime you have ever watched and why?

Masamune-kun no Revenge
I watched this back in 2017, and I don't remember much of it, but it's my lowest rated on MAL. IIRC both main characters are annoying and the main girl isn't even that cute. Would not recommend. The Ace Attorney Animes are also bad but I still enjoy them because I like Ace Attorney.

cute user in the well uwu

You're very cute and sweet :pleading_face:

w-what's your favourite colour?

Probably pink, specifically #fb92ff which I try to use everywhere on Discord

also I have no other questions because I'm going to be busy watching all the anime in the anime bingo. I've only watched Toradora, Your Name, and Yuri on Ice, so I have a lot of work to do uwu-

You should! The other 5 are super good. Tsuki Ga Kirei is definitely my all time favorite so I would start that one first uwu

great explanation recommended read for all

Glad to hear, that really makes me smile

What's your least favourite pokemon and why do you hate it?

it's dragonite

oh, what's your favourite outfit in a Pokemon game?

this may be coming after I spent an hour and way too much money trying to find a good look for my character-

Too lazy now but tomorrow I'll take pictures of my super cute girl in XY / SM / SS and share

happy 1001 messages, i can't believe i have this many oml ><

 

[Heavyweapons Mann]

Have you ever binge watched an anime/movie/TV show series?