Like a Fierce Double Battle

I'm in the middle of a run of errands - many errands, in fact, and they go on one after another, like a chain. It feels like I'm handling two Pokémon in a double battle, and it really is. Double battles, however realized, are not particularly easy affairs. They require finesse and strategy to deal with multiple Pokémon and the chain of attacks that goes on. No wonder double battles have become the preferred format for the VGC competitions; how the finesse and strategy becomes actually realized also becomes something worthy of being watched.

With four Pokémon on the field, two Pokémon on one side and two on the other, there's a certain way in how things must be done. Moves must be coordinated so that they hit their intended targets, giving beneficial effects to one side and less so to the other. It's all a part of ensuring that a chosen strategy is able to be realized. One mistake or unexpected turn of events, and a strategy can break down in an instant. I have sensed this happening in quite a few double battles that I've been a part of as a contender as well as ones I've watched or know the history of, and it's not a pleasant experience.

Preparations for double battles are just as intricate as the battle itself. Stats have to be precise to support the desired strategy, in addition to moves, which realize that strategy. In my early days of double battling with the VGC format in particular, I was told that my moves were off and that I needed to change them to stand a chance of winning. Even though I've done so, I still find it somewhat tough to get an edge over my opponent. Plus, making sure that stats and moves can and does take a bit of time. It's definitely a bit like soul-searching, which I'm sometimes uncertain about.

There's something to be said for the spectacle and experience that is the double battle. A Trainer needs to stay on top on the battlefield to make sure things go according to plan, and off the battlefield to set the plan in the first place. It takes skill to make sure that these things are carried out in the best way possible, not to mention the practice and time that goes along with it. It makes it reminiscent of certain tasks that people need to do in real life.

And right now I've got a few of those of my own. So it's back to work I go.