Standing Guard for Arena PvP

Now that January has passed, Silph Arena is getting back into the action after the break in that month. As is always the case, Pokémon species are a varied lot in terms of what they can do, not the least of which is in Pokémon Go PvP. Each themed cup, whether for the Silph Arena or otherwise, is to showcase that in different ways. For the one for the Arena this month, that seems to want to occur in a very different manner, almost making each species that participates as the "vanguards" of one's team. Thus, enter the "Guardian" themed cup.

For this themed cup, the key types are Fire, Electric, Flying, Fighting, and Psychic. But these types do not concern the species themselves; instead, they pertain to the moves they can use. Therefore, Pokémon that can learn any move of any of these types, with Hidden Power excepted, are fair game, except for those that have been specifically excluded (banned) - which is to be explained shortly. From the types, there is definitely an interplay between Electric and Flying as well as Psychic and Fighting with Fire as mediator, although as with any other themed cups, the Pokémon will determine what interactions become important. 

Then, there is that ban list. Mega Evolution is banned (by status quo), while Legendary, Mythical, and Shadow Pokémon are banned, no question because they wield too great of a power, as has been proven in other PvP occasions. Pokémon species of the Fairy type are also banned, obviously because of their tendency of dominance, as shown time and time again. To flesh out the ban list even further, 18 selected species (full list on the page) have also been banned, also because of their possibility of becoming prevalent, as with those for other themes. Altogether, these comprise one of the largest ban lists ever, but that is definitely necessary for fair play with this theme.

It has been postulated that the remaining meta can then be shoehorned into six realms, corresponding to Pokémon of Flying, Water, Fighting, Fire, Steel, and Electric types. Since a Silph Arena team is comprised of six Pokémon, it becomes well-to-do to pick one Pokémon from each of these realms and use them in a team, knowing that others will likely do the same to face against and fend off others.

As with the past few themed cups, there are also development notes. The theme was created with a "superhero" motif, where the move types are their "powers"; those same types also dictate Pokémon that harness or bend the elements for the purpose of their "power". The ban list was also created with the intent to block out recurring interaction triangles or bulk walls. The theme is an overall novel approach that additionally highlights the importance of specific Pokémon types by underscoring what moves they can use.

Many Pokémon fans indeed would consider the Pokémon that they possess and particularly to do battle with as "heroes", and this themed cup could be considered a testament to that. The themed cup, even with all its restrictions, facilitates battles where the Pokémon chosen by Trainers demonstrate the essence and strength of specific powers furnished by certain types to overcome similar adversity from opponents. There's a certain heroism in that.

One year ago: Labyrinthine Expectations

Two years ago: Editing PokéStops

Three years ago: Under a Truck

Four years ago: Formality of Ownership

Five years ago: The Sweetest Days - Ash and Pikachu