Tournament: Raid Group Sinister Cup

It's been some time since I've participated in a Pokémon Go tournament, so I figured that when the opportunity came, I would take part in it so that I could support it and have something to write for my blog. Today, that opportunity came, and it was for my raid group, so it's a noble support. Of course, within the time I've been off competing, there have been some changes to how tournaments in Pokémon Go proceed, so there is that to consider and discuss as well.

This tournament is organized by way of the Silph League Arena, so it follows the theme of the month. This month's is "Sinister", which is quite apropos to Halloween and the bewitching things that go along with it. The type restrictions are Ghost, Psychic, Fighting, and Steel types, while the ban list is composed of Dark types and Mythical Pokémon, as well as the specific species Hypno and Skarmory. It makes for a neat mix of strong Pokémon that may be accessible to those who are "getting back in the game" or even getting into it for the first time. The intent is wonderful in that sense.

As for the actual tournament itself, the procedures are by and large the same, with one exception and a significant change: instead of a match being best-of-3, all three battles of a match are played out to completion, though of course at least the first two is necessary to determine an overall winner. The reason for this is because the number of matches won can now serve as an additional tiebreaker, which means one gets credited for a win no matter what. The last battle may still be forfeited after someone has won twice, but seeing how important a win is now, it may be undesirable; it also means longer matches, but that should also pay off.

And my results for this tournament are... still quite dismal. Even with the new procedures, I still didn't manage to win any battles until I got to my fifth and final opponent, with whom I won two battles and the match overall. Based on the rankings, I was fourth from the bottom, but the best among those who only won one match as well. There were a lot of things to keep in mind with each opponent, and sometimes my judgment got the better of me. Some of my fellows didn't do as well either, and at the end of the day, we grouped and let off some steam for the rest of the day. Everything was OK regardless.

Since this is nearing the end of the month, this is conceivably the first and last Sinister Cup I participated in, and the theme for the next month is wild - really wild, deserving a discussion in another post. To be able to participate once should still be OK and appreciable, even if the results are not so great. What seems to still be great, however, is the spirit of those who participate regardless of the state they are in. That seems to make this tournament a pleasant (re)introduction for anyone, including me.

One year ago: Two-Sided Stories
Two years ago: Pronouncing Pokémon