Thank 深殤 Inu @rikkai2038 for the amazing commissioned artwork!
How do I miss my invite, again? What did I do and learn from this season?
Hi, I’m Yan Chak Li (or goes by Richard), a VGC player who started in 2020, which means I’ve played VGC for five years. My most notable result since 2024 might be Top 64 in Hartford 2023, and some decent and consistent results in my tristate local. I recently finished with a 9-3 record, ranking #46 out of 1129 players in NAIC 2025, wrapping up my 2025 season. With a #204 ranking in North America and 593 CP, which fell short of the top 75 in North America, this marks the end of my season. However, I still want to share my season here as one of my VGC milestones.
After barely missing my world invite last year by 20 CP, I missed it again this time. Okay, no jokes. Not pushing for a strong finish this season, I only attended three majors: Baltimore, Louisville, and NAIC. Fortunately, I earned CP from all these events and made day 2 in two of them. In this report, I’ll discuss how I, a mid-bro, made it to day 2 of NAIC 2025 (the second-largest event, apparently). I’ll also cover two unofficial team leagues, USPL and VTL, as part of this year’s VGC. Let’s break down this report by the order of Regulation H, G, and I.
Regulation H
Baltimore Regional: ‘LorenDozo’
At the beginning of the format, all players knew it was a Rain + Archaludon (RainArch)
format, which persisted throughout with various adaptations. My friend Blake strongly disliked the early meta being dominated by RainArch, so he started with Final Gambit + Coaching Annihilape + Dragapult
. Final Gambit could threaten an instant KO for most Pokémon, forcing opponents to double-protect their mons. This would set up Coaching to punish the opponent for free, boosting its partner mon, Dragapult, one of the fastest mons immune to Fake Out and Intimidate as a Ghost-type. Dragapult’s signature move, Dragon Darts, could also punish a protected mon, as the second dart would target the same Pokémon.
When Blake shared this concept with Lorenzo, who had just returned from Worlds ’24 with a Day 2 finish, Lorenzo suggested adding Dondozo and Tatsugiri to the mix
. Blake, as a Dondozo hater, didn’t rule out using it, as we said, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend" or, as Joe Kwan put it, “a temporary business partnership." Blake and Lorenzo then invited Mezie, Joe, and me to teambuild together, using Annihilape, Dragapult, Dondozo, and Tatsugiri as the core. After some iterations, the final six are:
Unfortunately, Dragapult’s lack of bulk proved to be a limitation, even with a Coaching boost. We opted for Dragonite 
instead, which is also immune to Fake Out and Intimidate. Although it’s a mid-speed Pokémon, Dragonite is bulkier and knows Extreme Speed, the strongest priority move. The team’s setup provides omni-boosts on both defensive sides, with physical defense from Coaching and special defense from its Assault Vest item.
The next Pokémon, Kingambit
, serves a similar role to Dragonite, offering bulk and a strong priority attack in Sucker Punch. We chose Kingambit primarily for its ability to KO Clefable 
with Iron Head, a top answer to Dondozo at the time. We also included Clefable on our team, which allowed us to play out the typical Dondozo mirror and redirect attacks to protect our setup with Dragonite and Kingambit. Clefable also punishes opposing double Dark-type Sword Dance Kingambit teams.
After finalizing our six Pokémon, we practiced on the mid-Showdown ladder to avoid drawing attention and having our team stolen. The grinding paid off, and we reached around 1400 Elo. With the team looking promising, we tested it against other teams in private match-ups before the Regional. Our final test was against a Weezing team
, led by my friend Ryan from Taiwan, who had made it to Day 2 at VR. The first best-of-three set was one-sided, resulting in our loss. We played again and found that while it was still playable, it required careful strategy. Thankfully, we figured out a way to beat it, which gave us better peace of mind before heading to Baltimore.
My tournament run wasn’t ideal, starting with a 2-3 record. However, Mezie’s streamed gameplay showcased the power of Coaching + Dragonite, with a clean sweep of the opponent’s team. I rebounded with a 5-3 record after beating local friend Jon Duran and finished in the top 256 (+60 CP). Considering I had missed out on CP from majors last season, it wasn’t the worst start.
On Day 1, Sneasler 
saw extremely high usage. Having fallen victim to Sneasler in my previous run, I decided to incorporate it into my team for the Baltimore Cup on Day 2, becoming part of the problem rather than the victim. Knowing Coaching was powerful, we considered replacing Dondozo with Porygon2
, a bulky Pokémon with a self-healing move. Garchomp and Tyranitar 
were also strong options, serving as viable Coaching targets. Gholdengo
paired well with Sand, and Sinistcha 
could heal Garchomp or Tyranitar. I finished 5-2, top 16 in the Cup.
Lorenzo was the only one to make Day 2, despite starting 0-2. He then won 11 consecutive sets, including a win against Justin Tang that propelled him to the Top 8. Unfortunately, his run ended in the Top 8 match, with RNG deciding he would lose to the eventual winner of the Baltimore Regional. We named the team “LorenDozo" after Lorenzo’s impressive finish. This was my first experience team-building with a group of five, and while not all of us had deep runs, it was a lot of fun, and I was happy to see one of us make it so far.
Louisville Regional: Right meta call/My favorite Pokémon?
Although LorenDozo is a strong team, I didn’t pilot it to its full potential. Before the Louisville tournament, Donghun sent me some of his teams to test and see how far the other teams could go. For Louisville, I initially considered using my favorite Pokémon, Typhlosion-Hisui
, which was part of a team I had tested for Donghun and had won a local tournament with. However, I struggled on the Showdown ladder in the early week of Louisville and couldn’t figure out what was missing. So, I decided to rebuild a team on Wednesday.
I browsed Top-Cut Explorer, looking at recent regionals, and found Mattie used Sneasler, Porygon2, Garchomp, Gholdengo, and Amoonguss made the final of the most recent Regional in Europe. The core concept of Sneasler and Porygon2 seemed promising, so I based my decision on my experience in the Baltimore Cup and Mattie’s results. After having KFC for dinner on Friday, I finalized my EV spreads and trained my Pokémon.
My Day 1 run was unusual. After winning Round 4 with a 3-1 record, I noticed an error in my table number and record, which showed 2-2. I rushed to the match report table, where I met my last opponent, who also came to correct the record. Although we couldn’t stop the pairing, judges eventually helped us. I had to play an unnecessary pair-down, facing a team that had beaten Mattie in the finals. I played my best to win, and my record was finally fixed at 4-1.
I won the next round when my Porygon2’s Trace copied my opponent’s Archaludon’s Stamina. I set up Porygon2 with Earthquake in Grassy Terrain, Incineroar side U-turn, and used Sinistcha’s healing. I also froze my opponent’s Annihilape for several turns. In Round 7, I had a game advantage due to my opponent’s team sheet errors, but it was the same team as in Round 5. I executed the same game plan to win, resulting in a 6-1 record, which secured my Day 2 spot.
However, I suffered a game loss in the last round due to a stat error on my Garchomp. The match-up was challenging, as my standard Dondozo counters: Intimidate Cycle, Matcha Gotcha burnt, Breaking Swipe Atk drop, Porygon2’s Trace weren’t effective against Covert Cloak + Oblivious Dondozo.
My Day 2 didn’t start well. I initially thought the Safety Goggles Incineroar was Terastalized as Ghost-type, but it revealed itself to be Grass-type instead. My Tera Steel Garchomp also got frozen for over 10 turns. In hindsight, I think setting up with Incineroar might have been a better strategy than Garchomp.
In Round 10, I managed to get rid of their speed control and KO on my opponent’s Primarina in game 1, but they adapted and exploited my weakness to Primarina in rain and Tailwind. Round 11 showcased the power of Coaching Garchomp, which proved unbreakable despite being fully paralyzed for multiple turns. Overall, it was still a good run, with my second Day 2.
After Louisville, I knew I couldn’t attend Toronto, so Regulation H came to an end for me. I still played some local tournaments for fun and to troll my friends. Here are the rest of the teams I gained points with in locals and GC:
Regulation G
In 2025, I signed up to play in the USPL for Team New York, while I didn’t plan on attending any Reg G major events. Instead, I focused on locals, GC, and USPL as a way to practice and play with restricted formats, assuming that future formats would be double-restricted. I also wanted to branch out, as I had been a Miraidon one-trick in Reg G 1.0.
Local + Global Challenge:
Despite not attending majors, I still participated in many local tournaments this season. Due to the current season structure, the weight of CP gain from locals has decreased, and many players didn’t attend as frequently as last year. With fewer CP payouts, some players kept their teams secret for majors. However, I continued to support the local scene and play for fun, as it’s essential for the community.
In Reg G 1.0 (before September 2024), I ran some unconventional teams, like Helping Hand Koraidon
+ Eruption Typhlosion-Hisui and Choice Scarf Final Gambit Annihilape + Choice Specs CSR
.
After three months of Reg H without legendary or restricted Pokémon, we returned to Reg G 2.0, a single-restricted format. I initially chose Miraidon 
in Reg G 1.0 because it was underappreciated at the time. However, Arubega’s dominant Miraidon team won the World Championship, and the Pokémon’s usage skyrocketed. As a player who often runs non-standard teams, I wanted to explore different teams and restricted Pokémon in this regulation, preparing for the upcoming double-restricted format.
At the San Antonio Regional, Dawei showcased the power of Ting-Lu + Solo Dondozo + CSR
, which looked like a team I could excel with. For the first Reg G GC, I used a similar core with Ting-Lu + Solo Dondozo + CSR + Ogerpon Hearthflame
and added Chien-Pao + Dragonite
. Choice Band Tera Normal Dragonite could force opponents to Terastalize as Ghost-type, making them vulnerable to CSR’s Astral Barrage. The Ting-Lu + Hearthflame combination was a hidden gem, with bulky Hearthflame dealing decent damage with Tera and Ability boosts.
One morning, I recalled my first Reg G team: Cresselia + Zamazenta + Ting-Lu
, before I started using Miraidon. On a whim, I decided to revive the team with Skill Swap Cresselia + Zamazenta + Ting-Lu and Dondozo. Although I lost to Regidrago + Hearthflame / Substitute Dondozo, the TingDozo archetype felt promising. I later saw that TingDozo players formed the Fishbowl server and decided to see how far they’d go in EUIC.
Meanwhile, I experimented with adding Iron Bundle
to the Miraidon team, which Yuma (PCJS 2025 Winner, Top 8 in NAIC 2025) used in the first Reg G GC. I tried it with Choice Scarf Miraidon used by Lorenzo in EUIC Day 2, which worked decently in my GC2 run. My main issue was adjusting to the damage output of non-Specs Miraidon. In GC #3, I switched to Toxic Stall + Leech Seed Calyrex-Ice with TingDozo. Unfortunately, I ended up being eliminated from the bubble at #259 after parking at 1635. I thought the rating required to top 256 would only drop, but it wasn’t meant to be.
USPL – Team New York
I didn’t make into the New York team last year, and I joined as a support. This year, thanks to my manager Tommy, I was able to join as a player. Tommy helped a lot in our preparation every week, even though he wasn’t playing himself. I used a variety of restricted Pokémon, including Zamazenta, Kyogre
, Calyrex-Shadow, and even Terapagos
. We had a strong start with a 5-0 record, but lost our last two games as the second seed. Unfortunately, we also lost in the first round of the playoffs. My overall record was 5-1, with an additional win in the playoffs. My only loss was to Junxi, one of the strongest players in North America. I’d like to thank my team and especially my manager, Tommy, for giving me the opportunity to play most of the week. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of RNG not being on our side.
Personally, I felt a bit bored with the repetition of Reg G, although innovative strategies continued to emerge. My main goal was getting more exposure to different restricted Pokémon and archetypes, which will likely be helpful in Regulation I.
Regulation I
Double restricted is the real competitive format for me, starting in Sword and Shield. However, my experience in 2022 wasn’t great, with major tournament records of 2-4, 2-4, and 0-3 drops. The prospect of playing double restricted again made me nervous, as I felt I performed better in brand-new mon formats, like my Hartford 2023 Day 2 run. I was also a bit disappointed that concepts I had explored in 2023, like Zamazenta + CSR and Bolt Beam Miraidon + Calyrex-Ice, were no longer novel.
My early Showdown ladder performance wasn’t ideal, but I was inspired by Lorenzo, Matin, and Dillon’s success with Ho-oh
in the Rutgers Reg I grassroots. We analyzed their team and tried to improve the 
, Lorenzo struggled to fix the issue. We decided to bench the Ho-oh team even though the other Ho-oh teams had decent results in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Regional (Eric)
Meanwhile, I came across a Japanese team featuring Miraidon, Calyrex-Ice, and Electric Seed Glimmora
. The team looked promising, so I mixed it with Leech Seed Calyrex-Ice and Ting-Lu over Urshifu-Dark. However, I found Glimmora to be a bit slow, and it struggled to survive hits or deal sufficient damage. I wondered if there was a better Poison-type to pair with Miraidon. That’s when I thought of Sneasler, a Pokémon I hadn’t liked much in Reg H, but it fit well in this team. With its fast Fake Out, Sneasler could complement Miraidon nicely, especially since Farigiraf was dropped a bit from Arubega Miraidon teams with Calyrex-Ice.
Eric, who was going through a team-building crisis during the week of the Milwaukee Regional. I asked if he wanted to test my team. Since Sneasler was one of his favorite Pokémon before Reg H, he agreed to give it a try. We tested the team further, but the CSR Zamazenta match-up proved challenging, even with the right plays and the Leech Seed tech before it became popular. Eric was confident in playing Ditto
, so he decided to replace Sinistcha with it. The team felt decent in testing, and since it was an early format, there were no certain right or wrong answers. I also asked Dawei for their opinion, and they thought the team looked good, suggesting some adjustments.
Eric made his first Day 2 with the menacing team (by Andrew Ding, the winner of the Milwaukee Regional). I’m very proud of his run, especially considering his losses were to top players like Andrew Ding, James Evans, and Collin Heier. The team concept felt solid, and it proved that AV Miraidon and Leech Seed Calyrex-Ice
The Last Grand Challenge
In Milwaukee, the Tang’s building group showcased Grimmsnarl’s strength in Reg I. I decided to replace Ting-Lu with Grimmsnarl
and bring back Sinistcha. The run was decent, and I made it to the top 512. However, I felt like the team’s damage output relied too heavily on the two restricted Pokémon.
After this GC, I checked Twitter and saw that top players Arubega and Zeen were running the Milwaukee-winning team, but with Leech Seed Calyrex-Ice instead of Lunala. Ursaluna and Urshifu were the better options in terms of damage output.
Portland Regional (Mezie)
Mezie was interested in the team used by Arubega after watching my replay. He liked the bolt-beam and ground coverage, which is what he was looking for. I helped him fine-tune the team for the Portland Regional. While watching my friend Ryan’s stream, I noticed he was playing against David with a similar core but Sneasler instead of Urshifu. I texted Mezie to confirm, and we quickly formed a group to work on the team. We ran the same six Pokémon in a local tournament the weekend before Portland. Although my run wasn’t great, it was mainly due to my own mistakes. Mezie, however, made it to the top 4, which validated the team’s potential.
MDB won Utrecht with a similar core – Miraidon, Calyrex-Ice, Incineroar
/Landorus-I
), and a Fighting-type (Sneasler/Urshifu
). It felt a bit odd as people would always counter the winning team composition.
I was thrilled that Mezie still chose to use the team and made it to Day 2. It was great to see the team I helped build perform well again. Additionally, Lorenzo, whom I also cheered for, made it to Day 2. Mezie and I even analyzed some Day 2 teams, including Lorenzo’s, and discussed potential game plans. As it turned out, Mezie faced Lorenzo in Round 9, and Lorenzo won in a close set… Lorenzo then proceeded to the top cut. I’m proud of both of my friends for their run.
VTL – UMF
VTL is a Taiwanese team league that I’ve participated in as a player for the past three years. Unlike USPA/NPA, VTL’s format ensures every player gets a chance to play every week.
This time, my friend Ryan nominated me to be the manager, and I accepted the invitation. I might be the first manager in a completely different timezone, which added an extra layer of challenge. The draft stage was both fun and stressful, especially when someone drafted the player I wanted just before I got a chance.
My team, Unexpected Mega Flygon (UMF), performed exceptionally well and went undefeated in the group stage. We won our top 4 playoff match and made it to the final. We faced the first-seed team, GXE, in the final – a team we had beaten in a regular friendly match.
Unfortunately, this was my third time playing in a playoff final, and my team couldn’t break the curse. Despite the loss, I’m happy with our overall performance, especially since it was my first time managing a team league.
I’d like to give a shoutout to my teammates, particularly Pon, Nightwind, and YuWei, who played incredibly well over the two months. Their help in reviewing replays was invaluable, and I’m grateful for their support.
NAIC – Beyond the time
In Portland, despite Miraidon + Calyrex-Ice being the most popular duo in both Day 1 and Day 2, none of the teams featuring this combination made it to the top 16. I still believed in this team’s potential, or perhaps I had no other choice. Before Portland, I also had considered Miraidon+ Calyrex-Ice + Incineroar + Amoonguss 
, but I was not confident in it, since lack of experience in running balanced team in major. I was also considering some other team, including the May VR winning team (CSR + Miraidon + Ruination Chi-yu), 2-2-2 made by Blake (CSR Zam, PaoNite, Flutter Chi-yu), Koraidon + CIR. I also experimented with a team consisting of Choice Scarf Miraidon, Calyrex-Ice, Chien-Pao, and Iron Hands
, utilizing the two bolt-beam speed sandwich strategy. This team performed well in the CTS ladder, but I struggled to win games in OTS, especially felt tilted with Icicle Crash’s missing.
Lorenzo brought up Choice Scarf Miraidon + Sneasler + Calyrex-Ice + Iron Hands can be the play with the speed sandwiches. Later on, Jun came up with the last two mons: our ‘favourite’ fish Dondozo & Tatsugiri
。.
We formed a teambuilding group of seven people, including Joe, Jun, Lorenzo, Matt Marcial, Matt So, Mezie, and me, who were willing to be the ‘evil’. This experience reminded me of our team-building process for Baltimore, where we also had a large group and a strong team. We eventually dropped Iron Hands due to the team’s vulnerability in Miraidon mirror matches and against CSR. Joe suggested Ting-Lu, which is our final solution.
This time, I felt more optimistic than Baltimore since Dondozo wasn’t on many players’ radars. However, one of our group members encountered an exact mirror match on the SD ladder, despite not climbing high on the ladder. We decided to stop laddering and focus on internal testing and group ladder sessions instead. I concentrated on EV spreads, while the others worked on drafting game plans for popular teams.
I would like to apologize to our teambuilding group. I always change the EVs the week of the event, as I am very picky about EVs. However, I finalized the EVs by Tuesday this time. I didn’t plan to play extensively, as I wasn’t aiming for an invite this year. My goal was to bring the team to the tournament, win some games, and help my friends secure their invites. Jun and I studied the match-up document together the night before the tournament, like the night before a final exam, LOL, feeling nervous and uncertain. I was still haunted by the memory of missing the invite last year by a single win. I even spent time building a reg H team on the Saturday side event to distract myself from my anxiety.
The six I locked with the Mecha theme nickname:
Meteor (Miraidon) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Hadron Engine
Level: 50
Tera Type: Electric
– Snarl
– Volt Switch
– Electro Drift
– Draco Meteor
Very standard Choice Scarf Miraidon set. Tera Electric can reach similar blasting damage like Choice Specs while outspeeding most of the mon in the current meta.
Jinba Ittai (Calyrex-Ice) @ Clear Amulet
Ability: As One (Glastrier)
Level: 50
Tera Type: Water
– Glacial Lance
– Leech Seed
– Trick Room
– Protect
Another ‘standard’ Calyrex-Ice set, the leftovers have to be on Dondozo, so we ran Clear Amulet, which also blocks Incineroar’s parting shot for pivoting.
Rex (Sneasler) @ Electric Seed
Ability: Unburden
Level: 50
Tera Type: Dark
– Dire Claw
– Close Combat
– Fake Out
– Toxic Spikes
The fastest Fake Out in the current format. We decided to run CC + Dire Claw instead of Low Sweep/Dire Claw. As long as Sneasler + Miraidon can threaten fast KO, either Calyrex-Ice + Ting-Lu / Combined Dozo can easily beat the rest with headcount difference.
Granzo (Ting-Lu) @ Binding Band
Ability: Vessel of Ruin
Level: 50
Tera Type: Fairy
– Sand Tomb
– Ruination
– Throat Chop
– Protect
We found our team was not good into Calm Mind Lunala, the only set up can ignore Dondozo’s Unaware and Tera Fairy is very good into Dragon + Fighting coverage. So Lorenzo proposed Binding Band, so that the Sand Tomb chip damage can outpace the damage healed from Leftovers + Grassy terrain (1/8). No one made objection lol. I need to google where to buy this item rofl
Gurren (Dondozo) @ Leftovers
Ability: Unaware
Level: 50
Tera Type: Grass
– Order Up
– Body Press
– Substitute
– Protect
Lagann (Tatsugiri-Droopy) @ Ability Shield
Ability: Commander
Level: 50
Tera Type: Normal
– Draco Meteor
– Muddy Water
– Helping Hand
– Protect
While Miraidon + Calyrex-Ice struggled with CSR + Zam, Dondozo can just ignore Zam very well and spam order up CSR. Of course, it’s not always the case, and it checks that the Swordfish duo just won the last VR before NAIC. いいかシモン、自分を信じるな。 オレを信じろ！お前を信じる、オレを信じろ。
My tournament start wasn’t ideal, with a loss in Round 3 to Kazuki Kobayashi, who went 8-0 on Day 1 and 11-1 on Day 2, which I was not aware NAIC was his last chance qualifier, and he really made it through. Thankfully, Mezie’s help in refining the game plan for similar match-ups proved invaluable. I was running non-Dondozo mode for the first 4 rounds, which was like fine, I was 3-1 at least. In the next 3 rounds, Dondozo clinched the way out, beating top players like Andrew Figueras (San Antonio top 4), Kian Campbell (the VR winner right before NAIC)…I made 6-1 again. My last round of day 1 was James Evans (Koraidon + CSR + Weezing Galar + Raging Bolt), another top player I had met in a local tournament, but not in a major. I attempted the Dondozo mode in Game 1, but I cannot do much to his Tera Fairy Raging Bolt. Although Game 2 was closer, with him double-missed two Poison Gas, I still didn’t feel confident in the endgame. I finished Day 1 with a 6-2 record, facing strong opponents, four of whom made it to Day 2. Lorenzo, another member of our teambuilding group, also advanced to Day 2, making the 2 out of 7 success rate notable.
In Day 2, I faced Gavin Michaels, the Portland Regional Champion 2025, two weeks before NAIC. Jun played against Nails, who ran the same team as Gavin on Day 1, so both Gavin and I had similar information. I narrowly won Game 1 due to his unnecessary Origin Pulse. In Game 2, I double-missed Leech Seed on their Calyrex-Ice, making it difficult to come back. In Game 3, I anticipated Gavin’s play style based on his team report and previous tournaments. However, I forgot to Tera Water my Calyrex-Ice, which took excessive damage from his Kyogre’s attack. Despite getting a knockout on Kyogre, the mistake cost me the game.
In Round 10, I faced the same team I lost to in the last round of Day 1, but this time with a Will-O-Wisp Weezing, making the matchup even more challenging. Mezie’s game plan worked well in Game 1, but Game 2 presented a complex situation. With Calyrex-Ice and Ting-Lu on the field and Koraidon Weezing + CSR on the bench, I recalled EVing Ting-Lu to survive a Tera-boosted Urshifu’s attack. Ting-Lu took a Collision Course, surviving with 3 HP, and landed Sand Tomb, which ultimately took down Koraidon.
Rounds 11 and 12 were relatively easy match-ups for Dondozo, with Miraidon + Sneasler leading and Dondozo + Tatsugiri supporting from the back. In my last game, I didn’t combine Dondozo’s efforts, instead using Tatsugiri to sacrifice and apply poison chip damage. Dondozo ultimately won the 1v1 against Chien-Pao.
I finished the tournament with a 9-3 record, ranking #46, while Lorenzo achieved an 8-4 record, ranking #105. I was surprised by our team’s deep run in NAIC, a tournament with over 1000 competitors. This team, named “Beyond the Time" after one of my favorite Gundam songs, showcases my signature Pokémon and playing style. Although this is my current best result, I’m confident that I’ll eventually make the top cut and win a major tournament. After some weeks of NAIC, I felt the team carried me, more than I carried the team. The team had a clearer line of when to run without one of the restricted, given Dondozo has a very good match-up against certain restricted mons. This saved my weakness in the double restricted format, i.e., whether I should bring both restricted into the game.
What did I learn?
In VGC, many aspects can be quantified, such as damage calculation, EVs and stats, usage rates, conversion rates, and CP gain. My mathematical inclination has helped me excel in the game. However, VGC is not solely about numbers; understanding ourselves as players is crucial for improvement.
Although there is recent research on applying AI in VGC and the last AI used in the last and upcoming PJCS, we as players still need to know more about ourselves to get better in the tournament. It’s essential to leverage our experiences, recognizing our strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what we’re capable of playing and what we don’t want to play for eight rounds is vital. For instance, while I can play Incineroar + Rillaboom, I’m not confident in using that core in a high-stakes tournament.
Playing with a team that feels comfortable is crucial, especially in Reg I, where a single turn can make a significant difference. I started with a solid foundation, Leech Seed Calyrex-Ice and a bulky team, which has been beneficial. Exploring various options and archetypes before a tournament is also important, as it helps in team crises and informs innovation.
Collaborative teambuilding has been invaluable to me. Working with others can lead to better outcomes than solo efforts. By sharing knowledge and ideas, we can create stronger teams and improve our gameplay. Also, thanks Eric and Mezie here again, teambuilding with them felt joyful, and I recalled it is part of the fun in VGC, even though I could not attend that many majors.
In preparation for NAIC/past tournaments, I’ve made some adjustments, such as putting only one plushie on my table (I used to put 3 lol) and relying on memory rather than note-taking. These changes have helped me stay focused and prepared. Also, SD ladder grind helps, but the elo does not essentially reflect your results, in my opinion. The 8 rounds of swiss in day 1 benefits me more, leaving at 5ish, having a good dinner, and calling it for the day.
I would like to thank all the Tristate TO and local, as well as other players I met again. Special thanks to the following:
NA: PDonz, Lorenzo, Blake, Joe Kwan, Jun, Mezie, Donghun, Matt Marcial, Matt So, Eric Luong, Maine, Dakota, Jon, Dillon, Noah, Alfonse, Tommy, Dawei, Paul, the rest from HIVE, Ditto’s Den, and Team NY
APAC: Ryan, Pon, Nightwind, YuWei, Fung, Deceive, Max, Wayne, the rest from team UMF this year
Play Pokemon Hong Kong 