Rare Announcement: Travis' RU Spectacular!

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There's been a specific tier of competitive play that has taken my free time by storm. That tier is the Rarely Used (RU) tier. Inside RU are a bunch of the Pokémon that I enjoy but aren't quite "good" enough to be played in normal competitive outlets. 

Because of this, I decided that I wanted to host an RU tournament. And you're all invited! Here's how you get in on it:

1. Send me (@thetravisw) a message on twitter saying that you are interested. I'll reply to confirm your spot. Registration ends July 27th. Don't have a twitter account? Get into the 21st century and make one.

2. Make an RU (single battle) team on Pokemon Showdown (www.pokemonshowdown.com.) I know some of you aren't big fans of battle simulators, but there are a few reasons why I'm doing it this way. First, it's easier to record your matches so that I can post the final matches on the site. Second, I want this tournament to happen soon, and I don't want to have people not participate because they don't have time to make a team on the cartridge. To figure out what Pokemon are allowed in RU, see http://www.smogon.com/bw/tiers/ru as well as http://www.smogon.com/bw/banlist/. It's not my fault if you hate Smogon.

3. Check pkmncast.com on the 28th, as I'll have made a bracket for you all to check to see who your opponent is. You'll receive more instructions as to what to do when you win/lose and rules for battling.

4. Have fun!

Time for all of you to start bucking up on your RU strategy! Tangrowth FTW!

How Serious is Nintendo?

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We are all super excited for this years Pokémon VGC to happen. It takes place worldwide at various locations usually starting in May. Now since the rules and restrictions maybe be different this year. Let's do a little preparation before we get to far into training our teams. 

I'm so nerdy I read the entire regulation guide. Here is some stuff to consider:

The use of external devices to alter the Pokémon in a player's party is expressly forbidden. Random checks will be performed throughout the tournament to determine whether or not an external device has been used to modify a player's party. Players found to have Pokémon that have been tampered with will be disqualified from the event, regardless of whether the player tampered with his or her game or received a Pokémon or item that was tampered with by someone other than the player. It is the player's responsibility to have legal Pokémon. Event officials have the final...

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