The Silph Arena Continentals Meta

The Silph Arena has one more "cup" or "theme" that I've yet to cover, and I ought to do so now. After the series of themed cups in each month ends, the season then ends with invitationals and the championships from the continental to the global stages. For this season, the Continental Championships have a format of its own, which it calls its meta, and it's a fascinating one due to its comprehensive quality.

This meta acting as a theme has two primary restrictions: Pokémon in teams of 6 cannot exceed a set number of points much like the Venture Cup or the related Cliffhanger format, and the teams of 6 must be "pan-generational" like the Voyager Cup or the preceding Timeless Cup - that is, to have one of each generation currently represented in Pokémon Go - with Kalos (sixth), Alola (seventh), and Galar (eighth) lumped as one. In fact, the meta format is billed as a combination of the former themed cups, though it is much more than that.

For each of these generations, certain Pokémon are valued at 10 points, 6 points, and 4 points, with all others at 1 point, likewise as with Venture Cup. The maximum a team can have for this format is 20 points, and the point restrictions that apply as with the Venture Cup likewise apply here as well, with all the consequences of the points structure. The pan-generational structure has another consequence: with all the team slots uniquely assigned a generation - three for the last slot - it is also not possible for more than one Pokémon of each generation to appear in a team, unlike previous formats.

Two Pokémon are also notably and outright banned. Pidgeot, which has had issues with PvP battles in various venues, is banned for that reason. Chansey is also banned to make sure that it cannot become dominant due to the way that it is present in Pokémon Go. Otherwise, there are no further specific restrictions, and Legendary or Mythical Pokémon may be utilized as they are assigned point values, though not all of them are fit for the Great League (at least immediately), which remains the standard league for general affairs of the Silph Arena and includes these championships.

The Pokémon assigned greater point values are certainly desirable and necessary to fill out the point limit, but a great number of Pokémon that are only assigned 1 point can make for good picks for inclusion in and completion of teams. Some of them are readily available (like Kanto Raichu) while others require the spending of resources and perfect timing (like Shadow Ho-Oh), not necessarily something achievable for this tournament. The selection remains plentiful as much as the teams.

It should be noted that by now, the Continental Championships have passed - having been conducted over a span of the past two months - and the championships are progressing to the final stages. Still, the meta or format remains something of interest, as it highlights how good one has to be if they made it to the championships... and how good they have to be in order to make it through, comprehensively of others.

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Four years ago: Personalities