With the end of the year dawning upon us, I thought it would be interesting for us to review our years and go over the highs and lows. I made the same exact thread last year, and to me it's interesting how differently this year went for me.
Things started off on the right foot. I was burned out from everything that happened to me in season 10, and thought about not playing in the Vermilion Cup, but decided to at the last second because I didn't want to go out on a lousy note. I ended up finishing in 1st place in my bracket, finishing ahead of old rivals and new ones, and found myself in the semi finals against another familiar foe, Alexander. Game 1 came down to tense mindgames between my Persian and his Alakazam that he won, and then he won game 2 as well. I was able to rally back and force a fifth game, which I feel that I threw due to a VERY questionable team choice and feeling gassed after playing for over two hours. Nonetheless, I was content with my performance overall.
I lost passion for the master tournaments and focused on the ladder, where I developed a successful Persian team. I used Persian quite often in my tournaments from January to April as well, gaining good results overall. My Persian team got me into the top 4 of the ladder with a 1600+ score; however, due to Gengar's domineering presence, I felt I needed to abandon it in order to go even higher, which is what I ended up doing. In March or April I reached 3rd place of the ladder with a 1643 score and a 93% GXE. I stopped playing once I lost 40 points for losing one game, as there was no difference between 1st and 3rd.
I signed up for the first 2U World Championship, a metagame that I helped design a couple of years prior. Marco and I did a considerable amount of testing for it, and now it was time to see the masterminds in action. I feel that I mastered this metagame quickly and easily, as it's very limited compared to 1U and even more offensive. I only needed two teams to win the whole tournament, but the teams I made are about as good as one is going to get in what the tier used to be. I went an astonishing 14-1 in the tournament, beating a loaded roster in the process. Yeah, it's not the real deal, but I definitely view this as an accomplishment regardless, and consider it the first tournament I won that began and ended on the same calendar year since 2013. I played marco in the finals, which was a fitting way to end the tournament considering the testing that we did back when we were still conceptualizing what the tiers should look like.
I signed up for PPL 2 and was bought by team poison for a decent amount of money (13,000). Shortly before the tournament, CALLOUS reached out to me and apologized for the way he treated me previously, which was very refreshing to witness on the internet. Going into the tournament my spirits were up from when I lost interest in 1U, as I wanted to play well and enjoyed the environment, which was something I had never experienced before. It was also great to team with Peasounay, who is very competitive and helped me prepare for my games. To be honest, I still think this tournament has issues, most notably the way its perceived. Even most of my teammates were complaining that it was just "an inferior Smogon tournament," which is something you don't want to put up with when you're trying to win games. As for my run, in week 1 I had maybe my greatest bo3 ever against Diegolh, which took two hours to finish and was an incredible effort from both of us. In addition, it truly felt like a spectacle--it's a crime that the set was never narrated. I followed up my loss in week 1 to losses against leru and Finchinator. Of course you never want to lose, but people were openly acknowledging that I was losing to bad luck, so I didn't mind that much, actually. I, at least, was able to finish on somewhat a high note with victories over Golden Gyarados and linek in the final two weeks. Overall, PPL was an important tournament for me as it reignited my fire.
I signed up for season 12 and got off to a great start, making my first finals in two years. There I met my teammate and rival, Peasounay, and I'm very pleased with the quality of our set, which went the full five. This was the set in which I started taking replays more seriously, realizing how useful they can be when preparing for games. However, while my team matchups were good, Peasounay used quite the unorthodox strategy in his own right, which definitely surprised me. In the fifth game I needed Alakazam to stay asleep, but it woke up on the second turn and then landed a crit Psychic. I was happy overall, nonetheless, since I actually don't care about winning tournaments as long as my level of play is nearly optimal and I achieve consistency.
I qualified for the Indigo Cup again, and did better than last year. I ended up with a winning record, but marco advanced over me because he won our set. I was able to beat Golden Gyarados and got revenge on teal6 for a loss last year, and then lost to Peasounay in a set where nothing really went my way. I was happy to be just one of two players to have a winning record in both this one and in Vermilion, though. Back to the master tournaments I was on the receiving end of an upset loss to EvanRBY, who played religiously on the ladder and reached a high level incredibly quickly. Though I lost, this set was vital to making me better because I liked his ideas and the way he played. I learned a lot from the set and incorporated what I learned as soon as the next tournament started. Because Peasounay and Troller were also running into tough opponents, I was able to win the season after winning the second game of my semi-finals match against Disaster Area. What really made winning the season special was that it occurred basically a year after the very-political ending to season 9, which resulted in my elimination while I was in the final four. Not only that, but to win the season by beating Disaster Area--the person who ultimately eliminated me last year--made it fitting. I lost the set, but didn't care after I won the second game. I was happy for him that he got his first shot in the finals.
I appreciated all the congratulatory remarks I received upon winning the season. It felt like a grand culmination for me, never giving up despite two incredibly frustrating setbacks in my previous two seasons. I'd say it also boosted my reputation, since I was no longer seen in the same light that I was for the last two years. In 2015 and 2016 I had the role of the "worn-down veteran," but this year was a renaissance for me. I always had the ability, but now I had some concrete results that proved I was still among the best. Thanks to winning the season I qualified for the Fuchsia Cup, which gave me the chance to keep my momentum going by playing amongst the best from yesteryear and this year. I ended up slaying old demons in Bedschibaer, Alexander, and marcoasd, and beat the new kid on the block, The Idiot Ninja, to end up in the finals against Lusch. Lusch's level of play was incredible--our set was one of the only I had all year in which I felt I lost to optimal plays instead of bad luck or 50/50 scenarios. Hats off to him for that, dare I say, legendary performance.
I signed up for the first WCOPP and joined team North America, which would end up becoming one of my most memorable experiences ever. I was the assistant manager of someone named Skeptics, who would quickly establish himself as one of Pokemon Perfect's hated villains. In week 3 his tactics were scrutinized by players from other teams, and I, the verbal defender of our team, exchanged seething remarks with various people. I did this mostly because I wanted to take heat off our teammates even though I wasn't even privy to what Skeptics did. However, I would prefer people hating me and blaming me over somebody like Golden Gyarados or even Skeptics, who I was loyal to strictly because he was my manager. Now the hated team, we were constantly a spectacle and my games were often watched by many people. From a performance standpoint it was amazing to go up against the best RBY had to offer (Peasounay, Troller, Metalgross, Lusch, Disaster Area) and either barely win or lose in really close sets in such a competitive environment. By the time the semi finals started, we were so despised that the Russians, who got caught cheating earlier, became sympathetic figures. I helped formulate this perception, as I irritated the majority of the spectators when I embarked on my infamous "last stand" as one of the final players remaining in the semi finals. It was part insanity, part anger, part delusion, but full heart. It was the final stronghold and I was willing to fight to the death. I felt like a central antagonist in a great play or epic. I felt like Aguirre when his he was all alone on the boat, like Hagen when all of his men were killed in the burning palace. Even though I didn't play, it was so cool to have played a significant role in helping Golden Gyarados prepare for the game. He did a great job and I was happy to see how far he has come since our days as rivals on the PO ladder.
In regard to individual achievements, my goals for the last three months of the year were to go deep in the WC, make the top 4 of the Fuchsia Cup, go deep in another master tournament, and have a winning record in the WCOPP. I'm happy to say that I was able to do all four things: I finished in the top 4 of the WC, losing to Peasounay in an incredible bo5 that came down to whether or not Sing would hit. It was such a well-played set that I was less disappointed to lose that than I was to see Golden Gyarados lose to Troller. I ended up making it all the way to the finals of the Fuchsia Cup, which was an awesome experience especially given that I qualified for the tournament at the last second. I went deep in master tournament 38, beating a very tough bracket to do so, so tough that I didn't really mind losing in the semi finals as I usually do. I ended up with a 5-3 record in the WCOPP, which I'll take considering how stacked the roster was. The games I lost came down to RNG, anyway (freezes, Hyper Beam misses, crucial fps, etc).
Unfortunately, despite playing very well in the final tournament of the year, the next Vermilion Cup, I have been on the receiving end of losses. This month has actually been the worst I've had in a long time in regard to being unlucky. I lost to brutal luck in my last master tournament, the Saffron Cup, and will probably not advance past the group phase of the Vermilion Cup. However, considering what I was able to accomplish this year and the level I've reached in this "no-para" metagame, I don't think there's much left for me to prove. It was great to have so many people tell me that I'm one of the top 3 RBY players today, especially since I never won a big tournament yet receive that level of praise.
Finally, after everything that transpired from my "last stand," I actually made amends with Lutra, putting an end to our four-year feud. He apologized for the way he treated me in the past, and I forgave him. It felt good to finally put this monster to bed.
I don't know what 2018 holds in store. I was very disappointed by how 2016 ended, and didn't expect how quickly things would turn around for me. I feel that, as a player, I can't possibly go any higher. There are still many tournaments I've never won; however, as somebody who values consistency over medals and trophies, I don't desire them like other people do. Some people want to win all the cups, others want to win the big team tournaments. I just wanted to be relevant and consistent for so long that it would be impossible for someone to replicate my level of success.
I think I'll play next year, but I will definitely be more relaxed, and a break is definitely in my future. My plan is to sign up for the next season but have zero interest in my results, play in PPL, and then take a break.
Things started off on the right foot. I was burned out from everything that happened to me in season 10, and thought about not playing in the Vermilion Cup, but decided to at the last second because I didn't want to go out on a lousy note. I ended up finishing in 1st place in my bracket, finishing ahead of old rivals and new ones, and found myself in the semi finals against another familiar foe, Alexander. Game 1 came down to tense mindgames between my Persian and his Alakazam that he won, and then he won game 2 as well. I was able to rally back and force a fifth game, which I feel that I threw due to a VERY questionable team choice and feeling gassed after playing for over two hours. Nonetheless, I was content with my performance overall.
I lost passion for the master tournaments and focused on the ladder, where I developed a successful Persian team. I used Persian quite often in my tournaments from January to April as well, gaining good results overall. My Persian team got me into the top 4 of the ladder with a 1600+ score; however, due to Gengar's domineering presence, I felt I needed to abandon it in order to go even higher, which is what I ended up doing. In March or April I reached 3rd place of the ladder with a 1643 score and a 93% GXE. I stopped playing once I lost 40 points for losing one game, as there was no difference between 1st and 3rd.
I signed up for the first 2U World Championship, a metagame that I helped design a couple of years prior. Marco and I did a considerable amount of testing for it, and now it was time to see the masterminds in action. I feel that I mastered this metagame quickly and easily, as it's very limited compared to 1U and even more offensive. I only needed two teams to win the whole tournament, but the teams I made are about as good as one is going to get in what the tier used to be. I went an astonishing 14-1 in the tournament, beating a loaded roster in the process. Yeah, it's not the real deal, but I definitely view this as an accomplishment regardless, and consider it the first tournament I won that began and ended on the same calendar year since 2013. I played marco in the finals, which was a fitting way to end the tournament considering the testing that we did back when we were still conceptualizing what the tiers should look like.
I signed up for PPL 2 and was bought by team poison for a decent amount of money (13,000). Shortly before the tournament, CALLOUS reached out to me and apologized for the way he treated me previously, which was very refreshing to witness on the internet. Going into the tournament my spirits were up from when I lost interest in 1U, as I wanted to play well and enjoyed the environment, which was something I had never experienced before. It was also great to team with Peasounay, who is very competitive and helped me prepare for my games. To be honest, I still think this tournament has issues, most notably the way its perceived. Even most of my teammates were complaining that it was just "an inferior Smogon tournament," which is something you don't want to put up with when you're trying to win games. As for my run, in week 1 I had maybe my greatest bo3 ever against Diegolh, which took two hours to finish and was an incredible effort from both of us. In addition, it truly felt like a spectacle--it's a crime that the set was never narrated. I followed up my loss in week 1 to losses against leru and Finchinator. Of course you never want to lose, but people were openly acknowledging that I was losing to bad luck, so I didn't mind that much, actually. I, at least, was able to finish on somewhat a high note with victories over Golden Gyarados and linek in the final two weeks. Overall, PPL was an important tournament for me as it reignited my fire.
I signed up for season 12 and got off to a great start, making my first finals in two years. There I met my teammate and rival, Peasounay, and I'm very pleased with the quality of our set, which went the full five. This was the set in which I started taking replays more seriously, realizing how useful they can be when preparing for games. However, while my team matchups were good, Peasounay used quite the unorthodox strategy in his own right, which definitely surprised me. In the fifth game I needed Alakazam to stay asleep, but it woke up on the second turn and then landed a crit Psychic. I was happy overall, nonetheless, since I actually don't care about winning tournaments as long as my level of play is nearly optimal and I achieve consistency.
I qualified for the Indigo Cup again, and did better than last year. I ended up with a winning record, but marco advanced over me because he won our set. I was able to beat Golden Gyarados and got revenge on teal6 for a loss last year, and then lost to Peasounay in a set where nothing really went my way. I was happy to be just one of two players to have a winning record in both this one and in Vermilion, though. Back to the master tournaments I was on the receiving end of an upset loss to EvanRBY, who played religiously on the ladder and reached a high level incredibly quickly. Though I lost, this set was vital to making me better because I liked his ideas and the way he played. I learned a lot from the set and incorporated what I learned as soon as the next tournament started. Because Peasounay and Troller were also running into tough opponents, I was able to win the season after winning the second game of my semi-finals match against Disaster Area. What really made winning the season special was that it occurred basically a year after the very-political ending to season 9, which resulted in my elimination while I was in the final four. Not only that, but to win the season by beating Disaster Area--the person who ultimately eliminated me last year--made it fitting. I lost the set, but didn't care after I won the second game. I was happy for him that he got his first shot in the finals.
I appreciated all the congratulatory remarks I received upon winning the season. It felt like a grand culmination for me, never giving up despite two incredibly frustrating setbacks in my previous two seasons. I'd say it also boosted my reputation, since I was no longer seen in the same light that I was for the last two years. In 2015 and 2016 I had the role of the "worn-down veteran," but this year was a renaissance for me. I always had the ability, but now I had some concrete results that proved I was still among the best. Thanks to winning the season I qualified for the Fuchsia Cup, which gave me the chance to keep my momentum going by playing amongst the best from yesteryear and this year. I ended up slaying old demons in Bedschibaer, Alexander, and marcoasd, and beat the new kid on the block, The Idiot Ninja, to end up in the finals against Lusch. Lusch's level of play was incredible--our set was one of the only I had all year in which I felt I lost to optimal plays instead of bad luck or 50/50 scenarios. Hats off to him for that, dare I say, legendary performance.
I signed up for the first WCOPP and joined team North America, which would end up becoming one of my most memorable experiences ever. I was the assistant manager of someone named Skeptics, who would quickly establish himself as one of Pokemon Perfect's hated villains. In week 3 his tactics were scrutinized by players from other teams, and I, the verbal defender of our team, exchanged seething remarks with various people. I did this mostly because I wanted to take heat off our teammates even though I wasn't even privy to what Skeptics did. However, I would prefer people hating me and blaming me over somebody like Golden Gyarados or even Skeptics, who I was loyal to strictly because he was my manager. Now the hated team, we were constantly a spectacle and my games were often watched by many people. From a performance standpoint it was amazing to go up against the best RBY had to offer (Peasounay, Troller, Metalgross, Lusch, Disaster Area) and either barely win or lose in really close sets in such a competitive environment. By the time the semi finals started, we were so despised that the Russians, who got caught cheating earlier, became sympathetic figures. I helped formulate this perception, as I irritated the majority of the spectators when I embarked on my infamous "last stand" as one of the final players remaining in the semi finals. It was part insanity, part anger, part delusion, but full heart. It was the final stronghold and I was willing to fight to the death. I felt like a central antagonist in a great play or epic. I felt like Aguirre when his he was all alone on the boat, like Hagen when all of his men were killed in the burning palace. Even though I didn't play, it was so cool to have played a significant role in helping Golden Gyarados prepare for the game. He did a great job and I was happy to see how far he has come since our days as rivals on the PO ladder.
In regard to individual achievements, my goals for the last three months of the year were to go deep in the WC, make the top 4 of the Fuchsia Cup, go deep in another master tournament, and have a winning record in the WCOPP. I'm happy to say that I was able to do all four things: I finished in the top 4 of the WC, losing to Peasounay in an incredible bo5 that came down to whether or not Sing would hit. It was such a well-played set that I was less disappointed to lose that than I was to see Golden Gyarados lose to Troller. I ended up making it all the way to the finals of the Fuchsia Cup, which was an awesome experience especially given that I qualified for the tournament at the last second. I went deep in master tournament 38, beating a very tough bracket to do so, so tough that I didn't really mind losing in the semi finals as I usually do. I ended up with a 5-3 record in the WCOPP, which I'll take considering how stacked the roster was. The games I lost came down to RNG, anyway (freezes, Hyper Beam misses, crucial fps, etc).
Unfortunately, despite playing very well in the final tournament of the year, the next Vermilion Cup, I have been on the receiving end of losses. This month has actually been the worst I've had in a long time in regard to being unlucky. I lost to brutal luck in my last master tournament, the Saffron Cup, and will probably not advance past the group phase of the Vermilion Cup. However, considering what I was able to accomplish this year and the level I've reached in this "no-para" metagame, I don't think there's much left for me to prove. It was great to have so many people tell me that I'm one of the top 3 RBY players today, especially since I never won a big tournament yet receive that level of praise.
Finally, after everything that transpired from my "last stand," I actually made amends with Lutra, putting an end to our four-year feud. He apologized for the way he treated me in the past, and I forgave him. It felt good to finally put this monster to bed.
I don't know what 2018 holds in store. I was very disappointed by how 2016 ended, and didn't expect how quickly things would turn around for me. I feel that, as a player, I can't possibly go any higher. There are still many tournaments I've never won; however, as somebody who values consistency over medals and trophies, I don't desire them like other people do. Some people want to win all the cups, others want to win the big team tournaments. I just wanted to be relevant and consistent for so long that it would be impossible for someone to replicate my level of success.
I think I'll play next year, but I will definitely be more relaxed, and a break is definitely in my future. My plan is to sign up for the next season but have zero interest in my results, play in PPL, and then take a break.
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