Monday, April 4, 2022

All the Trainers Are Nemesis

There's a certain song out there that proclaims that the years that pass by can be considered to be an opposing force, or in other words a "nemesis". That may have a certain truth, especially for Pokémon Trainers who are getting on in years - that is, age. But then, the same might apply to other Trainers who might currently pose a challenge. That might be the spirit that the Silph Arena is trying to encapsulate in this month's themed cup, which is rightfully called "Nemesis".

It may be said that the themed cup for this month is a blend of the sensibilities of the "Fusion" theme and the "Commander" theme. The reason for the latter is that teams require some setting up. The first slot is what's called the "Fighter" slot and is composed of 10 specific "active" species (three of which are Blaziken, Lucario, and Obstagoon), while the second slot is what's called the "Anti-Fighter" slot and is composed of 10 "countering" species (three of which are Charizard, Noctowl, and Dedenne). The remaining slots are called the "Bodyguards" and are to be filled by species that satisfy a number of criteria - and everything is as usual available on the themed cup page.

As expected by the former above, the focus on this themed cup is Pokémon of two types, and thus those of one types are automatically out. The focus types for this themed cup are Grass, Fire, Water, Bug, Psychic, Ice, and Dark, while the banned types are Normal, Flying, Ground, Fighting, Ghost, and Fairy. Mega Evolution is of course banned as a current standard, but so is the species of Escavalier, which has quirks of its own besides its Bug/Steel type.

For the "Fighters" and "Anti-Fighters", the ones I've listed above are some of the most affordable yet damage-dealing picks. Still, they'll have to contend with all the possible Bodyguards of the other possible types, including the possibility of Electric- and Steel-type counters. It's still expected that the "Fighters" and "Anti-Fighters" will duke it out with each other and the Bodyguards, but some Bodyguards can realign with and provide backup to the other two groups.

More insights are gleaned from the development notes. The focus on two types means more possible weaknesses to strike at and deal with. Initially, only the "Fighter" slot was conceived, but then the "Anti-Fighter" slot was also conceived, both having selected Pokémon free from the Bodyguard restrictions. It is also those Pokémon that are intended to be highlighted in those two slots, and the ban on Escavalier is because it was just too dominant in the previous theme. As with most other themed cups, the intent is to make things different... even if it doesn't preclude that some things will be the same.

How one deals with the passing of years might depend on the individual person, but how a Trainer deals with other competing Trainers, especially under stringent standards such as the ones for this themed cup, might be a different matter. It would have to do with how they can make their lights - their Pokémon - shine brighter than that of others. And as the same song proclaims about that, it's just going to have to be what it's going to be.

Four years ago: Gambling Not Permitted
Five years ago: One Thing

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