While a lot of people know me because I only post some funny texts and images from time to time, it wasn't too long ago that I made my "debut" of sorts in
this very game on the Smogon tournament scene. Sure, a lot of old PO player such as Astounded, Level 56, Lacus Clyne and Lord Outrage knew who I was because I was involved in clans and the Ubers ladder a lot back then, but Smogon?! Nope.
So it's 2018 and after Reje decided to REMEMBER this year 'round to tell me to sign-up for Ubers Premier League VI, I am fortunate enough to be a 3K buy on the Alolan Mukkers, a team that is TECHNICALLY new, even though it kept retain rights from Devastating Dragceus from the prior UPL. Anyhow, I help here and there, with my BW slot mostly ignoring what I have to offer and waiting for my time to shine since I was promised I'd play sooner rather than later. Fast forward to Week 5, I'm slotted in... vs. Hack. To say it was a discouraging match-up for 2018 Lasen to wake up to would be an understatement. No one predicted me to win outside of my team mates and I can't blame them. (I even fucked up scheduling, DMing Hack instead of writing on his wall...)
Building for this wasn't easy, as I knew Hack could realistically play whatever he pleased. Me and March Fires got to work, deciding that, since Hack has had a very sub-par by his standards tournament thus far so he'd play it as safe as possible, aka Bulky Offense with Specially Defensive Ogre and maybe a dedicated lead. Finalised product is
this, a team that is role compression x6. Dragon Tail Palkia is the SpD Ogre answer, Dialga for itsb offensive set aka two phasing dragon-types, Rayquaza as a beaker and CM Ghostceus as the best possible core to cover practically everything.
I load up the game and instantly assume that Arceus has to be a bulky, Anti-Ogre typing, so Grass, Water or the uncommon Dragceus. I plan to play my Rayquaza as a bluff, since it's not obvious what its exact set is, while my Ghostceus is quite evident since I otherwise lack a spinblocker on a very hazard reliant team. Overall game-plan since I didn't run into rain: hope it's not Earth Plate on Groudon since it can absolutely destroy me and force Genesect to take spike damage as often as possible to maybe E-Speed it with Rayquaza or Judgement with Arceus.
Lead goes as expected, with both of us leading our respective Deoxys. I set-up a Spike, he Dark Pulses to bring me close to death. Rocky Helmet chip breaks his Focus Sash and now I have to find a way to pilot my way into NOT allowing hazards, as I, too, am susceptible to the pressure his Scarfer provides. Go Rayquaza and Extreme Speed, playing it safe onto a Heatran switch. I don't expect him to be Stealth Rocks as he has two other potential setters and this is his stall breaking insurance so I opt to go Dialga on whatever he wants to click. Since my Dialga MIGHT be offensive he can't stay in and I get rocks nicely on the Deo-A sack, which allows him to finally get a Spike up as I Draco and kill it.
Turn 10 requires a lot of hindsight for it to be explained properly; I decide to go Ogre on what SHOULD be an Offensive Groudon-which it of course is- as he gets Stealth Rocks up. This turn only makes sense if you realise that Rayquaza can still be Earthquake which I can double into here and then force him to take hazards on the only Pokemon that can always safely switch-in to me, his bulky Arceus whose form is still a mystery to everyone but himself. Kyogre is in, he doesn't see Leftovers and he has to decide what my item is. Is it Choice Scarf? Maybe Specs? What if it's a weird Lum Berry set? Groudon is too important, he has to switch-out, he knows a Water move is coming.
I have still yet to surpass the high of that blind Thunder connecting on the Waterceus and killing it (with a timely crit to be fair). Everything rode on me reading his mind and betting it all on the typing of a single Pokemon. The momentum this blind Thunder, from an Ogre, in front of a Ground-type broke the game in half in my favour. There was no good Kyogre answer on his team anymore, but at the same time, had he stayed in or been Grassceus, I would have been in a much different position. But in that one crucial moment, I rode the wave, quite literally and clicked what I considered my best possible option.
The following turns consist of us exchanging blows with our weather setters. He kills Palkia with an Earthquake, I go back into Kyogre and Ice Beam the Giratina-O who is now too low to properly check anything. I expect him to sack it, but he keeps it as he sees the opportunity cost of bringing it at a later point, even as a sack. I idly continue beaming the Heatran expecting a double of some sort, only to go back into Dialga as I realise I am making negative progress.
The Dialga turns aren't actually something I play well, as I Roar out his Heatran and get in the Genesect which
finally takes the chip I've been longing for. Not being scared of it, I stay in and... Thunder, for some reason. Twice, thus letting him set-up his double phasing RestTalk Giratina-O. His phasing gets my Kyogre in after an Arceus-Ghost I try to keep healthy, and I ice beam kill it. The crit certainly speeds things up but after talking with Hack after this game, we agreed it didn't actually matter that much. I sack the Dialga to the Heatran and go back into Kyogre to spam Surf. As its very low, Genesect kills it with an Iron Head and now I should be able to win from he-
wait a second. Genesect has an Attack boost and it's locked into Iron Head. Arceus-Ghost can't kill with Judgement from this range and I don't wanna rely on Focus Blast... and Rayquaza is dangerously low.
+1 248 Atk Genesect Iron Head vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Rayquaza: 202-238 (57.5 - 67.8%) -- 18.8% chance to OHKO
Everything relies on this calc right here and Iron Head's 30% flinch chance.
The game is mine, Ubers discord doesn't believe it and the Mukkers are elated. I feel like I just won the lottery. After this, I slowly crept into tournament scene and now I am the player and person you know me as. If I had lost that game, I'd not be where I am right now nor would I had met some of the wonderful people I met through this game in the last 2.5 years. I wouldn't be as cocky if I hadn't won this game. Hell, I don't think I'd have continued to attempt to be a recognisable name in this community.
Thank you for reading.