Pokemon Showdown LA Story

makiri

My vast and supreme will shall be done!
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Pokemon Showdown LA Warstory



I woke up at 5:30, to begin my quest to be a Pokemon Master, it was going to be almost 2 hours to get to the tournament site so I had to wake up really early. I finished preparing my team the night before and was ready to battle to the death. I arrive in the general area at about 7:45 so I decide to make a quick breakfast stop and get something to eat, I asked the employee if she knew where the tournament site was and despite being just a few blocks away, she had no clue. Its fine MapQuest gave some great directions, even if it decides to make me do really unnecessary things.

I reach the area and pay $8 for parking, despite it clearly saying $6 on their sign, dicks. Its about 8 and I see a line forming for alternates so I jump in and grab a spot when I see jeps wearing his bright yellow JAA shirt along with Chalky. We talk for a bit and someone comes up to us and notices my tshirt and asks if its Smogon related I say of course and it turns out this mystery person is OmegaDonut, he joins our conversation about strategies, past tournaments, and other Pokemon related things. Then about 10 minutes later omni comes over and talks with us for a bit (turns out he was at the front of the line). Eventually at 8:45 they start handing out alternate tickets and I get mine and head off to sit down when I hear my name, its Pulse!

Again we all gather and talk Pokemon (the most Pokemon I've ever talked about irl), which then leads to a mass badge cleaning with about 9 people cleaning their badges at the same time. And then Yamipoli stops by and gives us all tournament gummies, and she is just like her online persona, REALLY nice. I think I also met Syberia and Lexite around this time, and just like everyone else they were really cool.

Finally after 2 hours of waiting they start announcing the alts, they only had room for 29 alts and there was about 80-90 people trying to get those spots. About 5 in they call Chalky's number and then 2 later mine, but sadly that was it, jeps, OmegaDonut, omni, etc didn't get in, though omni's brother did. After some complications I finally get my spot in the tournament. They make us go inside, enter boring waiting in line stuff where I troll a couple kids.

I get my table number and I'm supposed to play vs some kid named Chris, but while we set up the games my game doesn't show up on the tournament DS and they send us to another area because their setup with all the station DSes is really complicated. So before I chronicle the battling I'll give you a quick look at my team.

Dusknoir@Chesto Berry ** Sal
Sassy 252 HP/80 Atk/120 Def/56 SpD
Trick Room
Earthquake
Shadow Sneak
Protect

Weavile@Life Orb ** URL
Jolly 252 Atk/252 Spe
Fake Out
Ice Shard
Nightslash
Brick Break

Machamp@Lum Berry ** Elzar
Brave 252 HP/252 Atk/4 Def
DynamicPunch
StoneEdge
Protect
Bullet Punch

SlowKing@Expert Belt ** Zoidberg
Quiet 252 HP/4 Def/252 SPA
Flamethrower
Surf
Hidden Power Electric
Ice Beam

Nothing too crazy, it gets the job done and doesn't require any major predictions, though things never go according to plan it still gets it way around.

Round 1
zerowing: Weavile, Dusknoir, Machamp, Slowking
Chris: Blissey, Infernape, Uxie, Bronzong

He leads with Blissey and Infernape and I think to myself, "k a bunch of OU" and I Fake Out Infernape and have Dusknoir Trick Room, but wait before Dusknoir can Trick Room Blissey freezes it with Ice Beam and right here I am thinking "oh God why me, I'm going to lose to a fucking random freeze. Weavile Brick Breaks Blissey for a OHKO and Infernape Fire Blasts Weavile for the OHKO. He bring out Uxie and I call out the bumbling idiot Zoidberg. Infernape Grass Knots Slowking and Uxie uses Confusion on Dusknoir, Slowking Surfs and OHKOs Infernape, and Dusknoir remains frozen. One of the staff then makes a comment, "do you guys EV train?" and Chris says "oh yeah I ALWAYS EV train" and I reply "EV, what is?" Chris gets a bright look in his eyes and we go back to battling.

Bronzong comes in and uses Charge Beam on Slowking, Slowking lives with about 25% and Bronzong gets the boost, Uxie uses COnfusion on Dusknoir and Dusknoir remains frozen while Slowking Flamethrowers Bronzong for massive damage. Next turn Bronzong KOs Slowking and Dusknoir remains frozen. Dusknoir finally thaws and Shadow Sneaks Uxie, Uxie Psychics Machamp (uhh) and Machamp KOs Bronzong. Dusknoir and Machamp finish Uxie off next turn with Bullet Punch and Shadow Sneak.

They give us a short break and I talk to Chalky and jeps about the last round and my amazing Dusknoir.

Round 2
zerowing: Weavile, Dusknoir, Machamp, Slowking
Keith: Salamence, Smeargle, Crobat, Slaking

When I see his lead I spent a good 5 minutes deciding what to do, that was a dangerous matchup, but I decide to play it safe and Fake Out Smeargle while Dusknoir Trick Rooms and Salamence Dragon Dances. Weavile Ice Shards Mence for about 95% and Dusknoir Quakes Smeargle for maybe 65%, Smeargle Dark Voids, Chesto keeps Dusknoir awake and Mence Dragon Claws Weavile. I bring in Machamp and while I Stone Edge/Quake he switches to Slaking and Crobat. I double Protect, Slaking Giga Impacts and Crobat Hypnosis, of course neither hit, but I know who he is targeting, my Machamp. I Dynamic Punch Slaking and Crobat's Hypnosis hit Champ, but Lum cures. Enter a couple turns of stuff I don't remember, but Slowking and Dusknoir pull out the win.

Round 3
zerowing: Weavile, Dusknoir, Machamp, Slowking
Alex aka rottingpigfetus: Bronzong, Smeargle, Metagross, Snorlax

We were talking all day about not wanting to get paired up, but it ends up happening at the most important part of the tournament, the winner of this match goes to Orlando. Alex was talking to me about the Japanese tournament winner's team earlier in the day and when I saw his leads I knew what was coming, it was a really long battle and I don't recall much other than his Lax Body Slamming my Slowking to end the game. But while I was leaving he told me that he probably has hacks and will get DQed and I would move on. Surely enough during the top 8 hack check he had a couple hacks and I was advanced over him.

Since I'm final 8 now they end up interviewing me and I plug Smogon a couple times, Pokemon on the internet, making it happen.

Round 4
zerowing: Weavile, Dusknoir, Machamp, Slowking
Guy from Seattle: Azelf, Smeargle, Weavile, Latios

Now I am just messing around, while it would be cool to win the Wii I don't care much, I'm going to Orlando. Anyway on to the battle, this guy was using Showdown Obi Mode, I predicted that Obi Mode would contain these exact Pokemon, and my team is pretty much a 100% counter to it, he had no chance and I easily swept him and he even said so himself that there was almost no chance he was going to win.

Round 5
zerowing: Weavile, Dusknoir, Machamp, Slowking
Mike aka BKK: Togekiss, Bronzong, Metagross, Typhlosion

Finally I meet my Wifi nemesis, BKK and I have had quite a history and it continues here. I know Togekiss has Follow Me and that Bronzong will do something like Sleep me, but I Fake Out anyways because Togekiss may have Aura Sphere and I'd rather not lose Weavile so soon, but it didn't matter because Weavile gets OHKOed by Gyro Ball and Dusknoir does nothing with Shadow Sneak. Enter Slowking who dies right away to an Explosion and gets to do nothing. I'm down to my last two Pokemon and I get worried here, can I pull it out? Around this time there was a Trick Room set up, I think by Bronzong before it Exploded and Typhlosion replaces Zong. I protect with Machamp knowing that an Eruption is coming to hit me and I Quake with Dusknoir because it can take any Eruption thrown at it, Typhlosion drops to about 50%.

Again some more blur but its 75% HP Dusknoir 100% Machamp vs 50% Typhlosion and 100% Metagross. Machamp Protects and Dusknoir Quakes, doing maybe 30% to Metagross and bringing Typhlosion to a sliver of health, Machamp Dynamic Punches Metagross and drops it to maybe 25%. Dusknoir gets KOed by the tag team of Typhlosion and Metagross and the game hinges on these next turns. Here the Trick Room ends and I Bullet Punch Typhlosion, while Metagross does almost 80% to Machamp with Meteor Mash. I begin thinking that this final turn hinges on whether or not he hits himself in Confusion because Bullet Punch would not do enough I am forced to hope he self hits and Machamp finishes it off with Dynamic Punch. The next 30 seconds were the longest in my life, and then Machamp uses Dynamic Punch before Metagross can even move. Wait, what just happened, how was Machamp faster, this doesn't make sense but either way I take the win (turns out it was Macho Brace).

It was a fantastic finish to a fantastic match, I don't know what happened in every other game, but I knew win or lose, this was the best match of the tournament, so epically close with 2 rivals.

Around this time they make us chill out while they set up the finals and make us take pictures and all that jazz. While waiting I watched a couple battles and I saw someone using OBi Mode again (the EXACT team I predicted, AGAIN) so I ask the fellow if he went to Smogon and the following conversation ensues:

me: "Hey you go to Smogon?"
dude: "No."
me: "Oh heh, well how do you know Obi Mode then?"
dude: "Someone told me about it."
me: "Really? Mind if I ask who, I might recognize the name."
dude: "Some guy named zerowing."
me: *shocked* "huh, zerowing?"
dude: "yeah zerowing."
me: "Well I AM zerowing."

Turns out it was a guy I was talking to about the Showdown from Bulbagarden named Mukubird and he was wearing the greatest shirt (well second greatest behind mine of course) there, and hopefully I could find a picture of it.

Then they present the top 8 with some big board thing that says "you're on your way to Orlando" (similar to one of those giant fake checks), and then start the finals.

Finals
zerowing: Weavile, Dusknoir, Machamp, Slowking
Hal: Vaporeon, Ludicolo, Lapras, Kingdra

There isn't much to say here, it started out close until my Dyanmic Punch targetted something Protecting and my team just got beat down by Surf (not to mention 2 CHs on my Slowking), I actually contemplated using the Flee command as a joke since the opponent had the game well in hand.



Oh well I didn't win the Wii but I'm still going to Orlando so its all good.

Everyone I met there was really cool and supportive, it was really fun and I am glad I participated. Hopefully some other Smogonauts get a trip to Orlando to go along with omni's brother and I.


And I leave you with this parting gift:



Forget meeting Pikachu, Turtwig was the main attraction.
 

Tangerine

Where the Lights Are
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Grats zerowing, and sounds like you guys had a blast :P

Now time to theorymon for Orlando >:D
 

ΩDonut

don't glaze me bro
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I'll post my side of the warstory in a bit, but for now here are some pictures:


Here's what you get to see at 7:00 in the morning: primordial-looking lumps of vaguely Pokemon-like matter.


Giant inflatable Dialga watching over the line...


...and where there's a Dialga, there's a Palkia.


hey turtwig WHY AREN'T YOU DOWN ON ALL FOURS LIKE YOUR PICTURE. hack.


Syberia and Lexite, moments before they shove Turtwig on all fours (no, not really unfortunately)


The amazing shiny Umbreon lady.


Yours truly preparing for a REAL Pokemon battle with a giant Pokeball-colored beach ball. They had a whole fountain full of those things. Some of us tried to furtively deflate the balls and smuggle them out, until we realized the staff didn't really care at all.


I climbed up over a gate so I could get on the balcony overlooking the event. In the back row of DSs are zerowing and rottingpigfetus.


PIKA PIIII


more Turtwig.


Shot of zerowing and rottingpigfetus under pressure of battle, this time closer up.


zerowing and rottingpigfetus going head to head. Somehow my camera screwed this up.


Top 8 Junior Division winners


zerowing and Mukubird show off their shirts - the (unofficial) Smogon shirt and a Fly Rayquaza shirt that is as silly as it is awesome.


Top 8 Senior Division winners. On the far right is zerowing, and third from the right is POKEMONBATTLEBRAIN. Apparently I cut off the last guy, Hal, who ultimately won first place.
 
Congrats on doing so well Zerowing. I'm still a little confused as to how you lost in the finals to a mono water team but you're going to the finals.

I'm really disappointed about not being able to go to the NYC one now.
 

IggyBot

!battle
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Awesome. I wanted to go but unfortunatly I don't live close enough to NYC to make it happen. Congratulations, and great pictures.

Oh and OmegaDonut and Syberia pretty much match the mental pictures I had of them exactly. The same can't be said for zerowing however.
 
Congrats on making the Orlando tourney, zerowing.

Awesome pics. They must use the same inflatable Pikachu balloon every tourney lol.

Also can't believe somebody made a shirt out of that Fly Rayquaza pic. XD
 

Bologo

Have fun with birds and bees.
is a Contributor Alumnus
That was bloody amazing sir. Great job personalizing that entire thing, and awesome job with all of the matches. I'm glad that you got to go to Orlando, and it's good that you didn't care a huge amount about the Wii, otherwise you might've been too bummed out to post this awesome piece of work!

Great job. 6 stars (though I can only give 5 :[ )!
 
that must of been humiliating for rottingpigfetus. I'm only like 1 hour away but i didn't even know it was yesterday :/
 
Glad to see you and OmegaDonut there, along with the other Smogoners. I knew you'd go far the minute I heard the "YES!" when they picked your number. Excellent read and great job man.

(P.S. - Definitely hit up fatburger right after I left, fuckin' amazing.)
 
Well it sounded cool. ;) Too bad I couldn't have gone, I'm on vacation at the moment, I come back tomorrow. ;( Enjoy Orlando. =)
 

BlueCookies

April Fools 2009 Participant
VGC '10, '11, '12 Masters Champion
excellent read zerowing, and congrats for making it to Orlando. Two questions though, I thought you had to win 4 rounds to top 8, not 3? Second, did you have to give them your games for an indefinite ammount of time after the tourney?
 

Taylor

i am alien
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Seriously now, what is a 'Pikachu'? Turtwig simply outclasses this rodent in every way imaginable.

Good story, zerowing.
 

Expert Evan

every battle has a smell!
is a Forum Moderator Alumnus
Well I wish I were there, am looking forward to seeing more pictures, and congratulations to all those that are going to Orlando.
 

yamipoli

the only person more obsessive than jumpman
is an Artist Alumnus
I can't wait to get home or get somewhere with an actual FTP client so i can upload my pictures!! I flew to LA from Texas and am staying at someone's house, so I've been watching this thread from a combo of my DS and a friend's laptop. I was in #smogon trying to dictate what was going on to them for a while until my DS battery died.
 

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