Fantastic Beasts (and How to Battle with Them)

Let's forget for now about a certain magical series with something that has a similar title to the above and discuss something related to Pokémon. Now, some readers might recall the Sinister Cup tournament I participated in late last month. The organization of that tournament follows the format of the Silph League Arena, and the Sinister theme actually opens the second season of competitions under this banner. As usual, the theme rotates each month, and November has its own theme already determined as well, being a "wild" one as previously noted.

The theme for November is "Ferocious", and true to its name, the theme has some wild stipulations to it. The reason is because some of the requirements of this theme are rather abstract. The inclusion criteria (contents of the "approval list") are Pokémon with four legs, or Pokémon with two legs and tails, which may be seen as quite abstract - "beasts" of some sort. The exclusion criteria (contents of the "ban list") are Flying-, Bug-, and Grass-types along with Bastiodon and starter Pokémon, which are clear, but then there are the exclusion criteria of humanoids and monkeys, which could also be construed to be abstract. As a result of some of the abstract criteria, there exists an actual or concrete "approval list" consisting of the allowed species, which number to 130 in all. The playing field is therefore somewhat restricted.

Even with that restriction, some Pokémon have been noted for possibly becoming viable contenders. Among them are Eevee and its evolutions, particularly if they have the Charged Move of Last Resort from last year's Community Day. Some overlooked Pokémon such as Linoone, Bibarel, and Skuntank may also take the stage. Overall, the field seems to have its share of Normal-, Dark-, and Electric-type Pokémon with a handful of the other types (save those in the ban list) represented. Still, picking Pokémon and creating teams from the setlist of species may still prove to be quite a chore, and the same may be true for preparing them to be battle-ready.

This theme is definitely something new; with all the abstract restrictions, it may sound rather challenging to anyone who has only heard about it for the first time. But when one looks into it deeper, a host of possibilities make themselves present, with some appearing to be quite strange yet quite viable. As the second theme of the second season of the Silph League Arena, it does seem like it would be useful to try something somewhat different while still friendly and yet challenging. The challenge is definitely not to get magical with the "fantastic beasts" of the theme, but to show one's might.

One year ago: A Raid Dream
Two years ago: Too Much Information, Too Much Excitement?