Project Player Of The Week Revived: Week 9 - gum

[TJ]

gum
Favorite Pokemon: Bulbasaur
Most used Pokemon: Lanturn
Most known for: PU Voice and PU QC
​

TJ: Hey gum, how are you doing tonight?
gum: Hey TJ! I'm doing fine, how about you?
TJ: Im doing well, just a bit tired. Thanks for asking!

TJ: Can you tell us a little about yourself outside of Smogon?
gum: I'm a 14 year old (yes) High school student. Outside of school I practice Taekwondo and I like to spend time with my friends, and that's pretty much it.

TJ: How and when did you get into competitive Pokemon? What drew you to PU?
gum: I was watching videos on youtube and then I clicked on a video talking about competitive and it looked fairly interesting, so I decided to give it a try. It took me a while to try PU, as I only tried it out in September during the Pyrorar suspect test. I stuck to the PU because it looked like a fairly fun tier and the community was, and is, extremely welcoming, and I don't regret making this decision.

TJ: How does it feel being drafted in PUPL? Can you give us unbiased powerrankings of the teams?
gum: It feels kinda great, especially since I wasn't excepting it. This is a though question but I'd say that, in order from the best to worst, the Voracious Victreebels are first, the Magnanimous Misdreavus are second, Hearthome Haunters are third, Destructive Dedennes are fourth, Kind-Hearted Kinglers are fifth, and Olivine Octilleries are sixth.

TJ: We recently banned Lilligant. Do you think it was the right decision?
gum: Yes, and I'm looking forward to see how the metagame is going to develop without Lilligant.

TJ: If you could free something from PUBL what would it be?
gum: This is a really hard question, and I'm tempted to just answer "no" but I'd say Archeops. It doesn't look as overbearing as it was when it was first banned, as the meta is faster, although that might change with Lilligant banned. It'd also be forced to use Stone Edge form Oricorio-Pom-Pom, and there's also stuff like Mudsdale and Regirock being extremely good and common right now. Also, it also offensively checks stuff like Simisear and Victreebel, which are pretty dangerous threats.

TJ: Anything you think is underrated in PU rn?
gum: I've been enjoying Toxic Hitmonchan a lot recently, a set I decided to use after yogi made a VR post about it. It just Toxics switchins like Mesprit and Froslass and outlasts them. I think Hitmonchan as a whole is a rather underexplored and underrated mon, with sets like Band also being really solid. It's an underexplored threat and people need to stop using AV, that set is bad.

TJ: Who are some of your favorite people in the PU community?
gum: I'll try to make this short lol. There's KellyKafka, Scizorphobic, PhantomHurious, SeelofApproval, j0gurt, TJ, UberSkitty, BackAtYouBro, ShuckleDeath, Specs, Oathkeepre, tondas, and Jmash324. Very cute and nice users. I always enjoy talking or working on stuff with them.

TJ: Who do u fuckin hate in smogon
gum: I hate user KellyKafka.

TJ: Whos the shittiest player uve played
gum: you.
TJ: Was expecting you to say Specs tbh

TJ: Favorite Food / TV Show?
gum: I'd say that my favourite food is lasagna, and that my favourite TV show is Stranger Things.

TJ: Finally, could you give us a cool team and briefly explain it?
gum:

importable

Lycanroc @ Lycanium Z
Ability: Steadfast
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Stone Edge
- Drill Run
- Accelerock

musicology (Ludicolo) @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 29 HP
- Rain Dance
- Hydro Pump
- Giga Drain
- Ice Beam

Mesprit @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Psychic
- U-turn
- Healing Wish

Sandslash-Alola @ Leftovers
Ability: Slush Rush
EVs: 252 HP / 208 SpD / 48 Spe
Careful Nature
- Rapid Spin
- Toxic
- Icicle Crash
- Earthquake

Gurdurr @ Eviolite
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 HP / 44 Atk / 212 Def
Adamant Nature
- Drain Punch
- Mach Punch
- Knock Off
- Toxic

Lanturn @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Ice Beam

This is a team I built a while ago and used to get reqs for the Lilli suspect. It started around the Lycanroc + Ludicolo core, which looked like a really solid core. Mesprit is Mesprit and provides my team with Stealth Rocks, a slow U-turn, a Fighting-type check, and Healing Wish. Alolan Sandslash gave me an answer to Psychic-, Ice-, and Grass-types and removal. Gurdurr gave me priority for stuff like Omastar and it's also extremely important as it gives me an answer to Stoutland and Kangaskhan. Finally, Choice Scarf Lanturn, which was Dodrio before Lilligant got banned, gave me a Fire-type switchin and a way to deal with Hydro Pump Costa, which is really hard for this team to deal with otherwise. This team struggles against Guzzlord, especially Z-Draco, but this team was made before it dropped and I find it pretty easy to pressure offensively with Lycanroc.

TJ: Thanks for your time, gum! As always, if you guys have your own questions, feel free to ask them below! ​

 

[SeelofApproval]

um haha lol

omg is tHAT GUM ON POTW??????????????? sksksksksk we STAN!!! YASSSSSSSSS QUEENNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

1. Why is Bulbasaur your favorite mon?
2. What is with that edgy CT
3. Hide

   please free
   nyoom
4. UwU or OwO?

also thanks for the shoutout, we stan!!

 

[Specs]

TJ: Was expecting you to say Specs tbh

 

[Oathkeeper]

1: Why do you hate KellyKafka so much? lol (i know you're joking)
2: Favorite restaurant?
3: Favorite playstyle?
4: Favorite breaker in the tier?

 

[gum]

um haha lol

omg is tHAT GUM ON POTW??????????????? sksksksksk we STAN!!! YASSSSSSSSS QUEENNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

1. Why is Bulbasaur your favorite mon?
2. What is with that edgy CT
3. Hide

   please free
   nyoom
4. UwU or OwO?

also thanks for the shoutout, we stan!!

first of all, j.

1. Bulbasaur is an incredibly cute mon and it was also my first ever starter.
2. My CT is just some lyrics from "Dear Society", good song. (not anymore though!!!)
3. free nyoom :pensive:
4. uwu

also np uwu

1: Why do you hate KellyKafka so much? lol (i know you're joking)
2: Favorite restaurant?
3: Favorite playstyle?
4: Favorite breaker in the tier?

1. kelly sucks.
2. Uhhh idk lmao
3. I like bulky offense and balance a lot
4. My favourite breaker is Victreebel, stupidly good mon

 

[Sickist]

Besides sample teams and looking at resources and stuff, where would you suggest a beginner to start to learn PU, just from personal experience yourself?

 

[PH]

pineapple on pizza n/n?

who is the biggest unuser in PU and why is it Scizorphobic?

grats on PUPL and POTW nerd

 

[gum]

Besides sample teams and looking at resources and stuff, where would you suggest a beginner to start to learn PU, just from personal experience yourself?

I'd recommend watching replays from tours. Entering tours yourself also helps obviously, but you can also ladder and enter roomtours. Lastly, there's the PS! room and Discord, where people often talk about the metagame and stuff.

pineapple on pizza n/n?

who is the biggest unuser in PU and why is it Scizorphobic?

grats on PUPL and POTW nerd

1. :3
2. nwn

thanks, u nerd

 

[Rubicon]

14, huh? How early did you start Pokemon overall?

 

[j0gurt]

1. What do love about Writing the most?

2. Why Scarf Lanturn?

3. thoughts on Bulky Vic.

 

[gum]

14, huh? How early did you start Pokemon overall?

I first played leaf green at the age of 6, and I started competitive around one year ago

1. What do love about Writing the most?

2. Why Scarf Lanturn?

3. thoughts on Bulky Vic.

1. I think that my favourite thing about writing for this website is helping others and contribute. I also like to share my ideas and stuff.

2. Scarf Lanturn is a good set I swear. I already explained it but basically it gave me a Fire-type switchin able to pivot and revenge kill stuff like Lycanroc, Simisear, Alolan Persian, and boosted Carracosta.

3. :yum:

 

[avarice]

favorite ari song? (yes you have to only pick one)

if you had a dollar for every angry react PhantomHurious has used, what you would you do with the money?

if you were to ban something in PU, what would it be?

 

[gum]

favorite ari song? (yes you have to only pick one)

oh fuck lmao this is a really hard question and i hate you for asking this lmao. I don't really know as it really just depends on my mood, but I'd say True Love, Dangerous Woman, Better Off, Fake Smile, and Sometimes. Yes that's 5 songs but idc, although ig that since True Love is a song I listen to like, 24/7, I could consider it as my favorite ari song lol.

if you had a dollar for every angry react PhantomHurious has used, what you would you do with the money?

end world hunger.

if you were to ban something in PU, what would it be?

uhh I really like this meta but if I had to ban something, it would be Froslass or Stoutland. Froslass is extremely annoying and there's usually no opportunity cost to just slap it on a team lol. Also idk Stout bc u kind just have to use at least one of Regi / Gurdurr / Metang / Tangela / Carbink if you don't want it to kill / 2HKO something everytime it comes in lol. But yeah idt anything is really problematic rn.

 

[Ktütverde]

Any idea as to why skuntank

spoiler

and scyther

is almost not used anymore in tournaments?
Parles-tu français mieux que moi? A) Non B) Non plus C) I parle pas french
Bellossom or shiinotic?
A piece of weed or a piece of gum?
Name a taekwondo move and a Pokémon attack that resembles it.
Is god a nyoomcat?

By the way:
Reply to my post with "I, Gum, trademark the Nyoom concept" imo. Or your name will be forgotten forever after you are gone. Think about it.

Thanks for answering!

 

[gum]

Any idea as to why is skuntank

spoiler

and scyther

almost not used anymore in tournaments?

It might be because people prep for mons that have very similar answers, such as Stoutland and Kangaskhan, which means that it kinda just... sits there in some mu. I think that it's actually a pretty underrated mon though. I've been enjoying Scarf w/ Toxic and Band a lot recently, pretty good sets. Very similar reasoning for Scyther, although this one needs way more support.

Parles-tu français mieux que moi? A) Non B) Non plus C) I parle pas french

I'm sorry I don't speak baguette and vin rouge.

A piece of weed or a piece of gum?

gum is good

Name a taekwondo move and a Pokémon attack that resembles it.

uhh there's like front kick lol, so Hitmonlee ig?

Is god a nyoomcat?

yes.

By the way:
Reply to my post with "I, Gum, trademark the Nyoom concept" imo. Or your name will be forgotten forever after you are gone. Think about it.

Thanks for answering!

nyooming is outlawed :(

also np uwu

e: oops i forgot to answer to the shiinotic or bello question mb, but shiinotic is a good mon. also it has a better design

 

[Katy]

1. Burger King or McDonalds if you really have to chose between these two?
2. Favorite season of the year?
3. Expectations for the year 2020?

 

[Sir Pin]

1. Favourite Mega?
2. Best Amurican candy bar?

Glad to see you support the bulky vic revolution

 

[Jmash]

1. Explain your nicknaming process
2. Question 1
3. Also question 1

 

[gum]

1. Burger King or McDonalds if you really have to chose between these two?

McDonalds

2. Favorite season of the year?

I'd say autumn and summer

3. Expectations for the year 2020?

This is a pretty vague question but if you're talking abt Smogon I'd say that I just want to continue doing what I'm doing.

1. Favourite Mega?

Mega Altaria, cute mon

2. Best Amurican candy bar?

Uhh idk, probably like Hershey's also im canadian smh

Glad to see you support the bulky vic revolution

Bulky Vic is bad
:3

1. Explain your nicknaming process

Uh so I wanted an username I could use for Smogon and PS and I ran out of inspiration but then I saw my little brother sticking his gum under the couch (don't ask) and yeah. I then went StickingGum -> gum because it's shorter, sounds better, and also because everyone called me gum, so I decided to change it.

2. Question 1

Read my answer to the question 1

3. Also question 1

Read my answer to the question 2

 

[Chloe]

best hitmonchan set in your opinion
what belt are you in taekwondo?
rate the 5 ariana studio albums from best to worst iyo
thoughts on metang?
zangoose or ursaring?
what mons do you want to drop to pu?
mayo or mustard on a hotdog?
do you wear your seatbelt when you take the bus?
do you think boneless wings are just chicken nuggets?

 

[gum]

best hitmonchan set in your opinion

I think the best set is Toxic + Pinch Berry Chan. Being able to cripple checks like Sableye and Froslass allows it to potentially outlast them in the long run. I also like band a lot, which, unlike band ape, as Mach Punch, allowing to revenge kill threats like Lycanroc, Omastar, Jynx, and even Simisear

what belt are you in taekwondo?

Red

rate the 5 ariana studio albums from best to worst iyo

I like them all a lot and there's not really a "worst" album, just an album I don't like as much as the other ones. But anyway, I'd say Dangerous Woman > Sweetener > thank u, next > Yours Truly > My Everything

thoughts on metang?

It's a pretty underrated mon honestly, and I've been slapping it on more and more teams recently due to the role compression it provides. Also Pursuit Metang is good

zangoose or ursaring?

I think both are pretty meh, but I like Zangoose more. Its Speed and prio mean that it isn't rked by like, any fast mon lol

mayo or mustard on a hotdog?

Mayo is better, I just don't like mustard lol

do you wear your seatbelt when you take the bus?

There's no seatbelts in the busses here, so no

do you think boneless wings are just chicken nuggets?

No