Posted

May 28th 2009

Mood

I study animal adaptations. Evolution and adaptations on both the genetic and epigenetic level. When I graduate and then finish grad school, hopefully, someone will pay me to understand why and how animals look and behave the way they do. It's my dream to be considered an expert on how species adapt, or how they have failed to. That being said, I'd like to think I have a mind for such details.

I have noticed from week to week across the Pokéforum world that people are chewing up and spitting out the strategies that have taken home gold in these regional tournaments occurring every weekend, and those who take top 16 the following week have either expanded on the previous winner's strategy, or countered it. Those who win it all always seem to think completely outside the box and counter both of those types of teams.

Some of these people post their teams to be rated on forums, some of them request battles and expose their teams that way, but many more keep their parties a complete secret, or simply don't even post on online forums discussing the tournament. It's hard to predict what you're going to see the following week based on what you read on the internet, that's for sure. You can't rely on outside sources in this kind of situation, you need to rely on your own ingenuity.

That's what I've been trying to do. Taking what's being discussed, what's being shown, but also considering what's being hidden. In that sense, you need to think of everything that is possible, or has a remote chance to succeed especially in relation to what has won in the past and what the online talking heads are thinking up out loud on the forums. Even if it is a seemingly desperate or unorthodox move, strategy, or Pokémon choice, you have to consider that someone might use it on the slim chance it will push them through.

I had a hard time deciding my team for the upcoming Philadelphia regional. There is so much you need to try and prepare for, and you're limited to 6 Pokémon for the entire event. The way the tournament structure is, you need to win 5 matches to advance to the Nationals. 5 battles in which you have no idea what you're going to see, or how the opponent is going to behave and all you have are 6 Pokémon, only 4 of which you can use in each battle. That's right, you bring in 6 and pick 4. Almost Stadium Style, except you don't see the opponent's team first.

Based on what's been popular, what's succeeded, and what can knock those teams down... I'm ready to say I've got a good chance to win those 5 battles, at least.

Of course, all of this preparing and thought will be for nothing if I'm not one of the 128 people selected to battle. I don't even know what I'll do if that happens. I'm more nervous about that than I am about battling.