Tournament: Dusk & Dawn Raid Group Open Great League

Me: OK, so this is a tournament, and there are no characters involved - but I'm covering it through a "Let's Talk" because...

Goh: You sent Ash, and you have your reasons.

Me: Indeed I do.

Ash: That's fine. It's not like the faraway tournament, but I'd be glad to battle for you.

Pikachu: Pika pika chu! ["I'm in support!"]

Me: OK, great. So this would be the first time since a bit of a long time ago that my raid group held a PvP tournament - in person, no less. And there was an incentive for me to participate... as well as sending you, due to certain things I can't explain just yet. 

Goh: I'll bet a lot of things had changed since then.

Me: Sure. The method of organizing them has, for one thing, and that's what made an earlier tournament.

Ash: And there's lots of new Pokémon! 

Me: That too, so it's never much the same over time. I've chosen six that could work for that purpose, with this regular all-purpose format

Goh: Let me take a look... it seems varied enough, even if that's the best you can bring out.

Ash: I'll try to make them work!

Pikachu: Chu pika. ["They could work."]

Me: That's always the thing. Now, the place is a little distant, but getting there shouldn't be too hard.

Ash: I did change plans just like you told me to if I needed.

Me: Yeah, sometimes getting to places can be dicey.

Goh: So how many people (Trainers) were in it? 

Ash: When it started, there were 14... but one person - I think? - didn't have a team and got taken out. And then two others didn't show up when they should, so they got taken out too.

Goh: I guess 11 was not bad - the important thing is how you did.

Ash: I thought I'd get a "bye" in the first round since the other Trainer didn't show up, but then that happened, and I got shut out.

Goh: Ouch.

Ash: In the second one, the Trainer really didn't show up - and it was already two rounds now, so the Trainer also got booted out. I got a free win.

Me: In my opinion, that should've happened much earlier.

Ash: Then I shut out someone else in the third. The fourth one was really exciting because I got to meet one of our friend's seniors!

Goh: Wow! How did that turn out?

Ash: I lost, but barely - it was on the last Pokémon, and...

Goh: I see. Say no more.

Pikachu: Pika... ["I'll say..."]

Me: So two wins (one from a "bye") and two losses. I looked it up, and we ended up seventh overall.

Ash: But the first-place Trainer was, um... an "associate" of all of us?

Me: Oh! I know what you mean. In that case, we could consider ourselves to be "sixth".

Goh: OK, I'm looking also, and... you'd have ended up fourth (or a virtual "third") had you won that battle.

Me: In any case, either of us barely missed on the top three. But yeah, this is an OK turnout. We can try to do better next time.

Goh: What did you do after that?

Ash: We just hung out - but we also got into a Shadow Entei raid. The one I caught wasn't too good.

Goh: Interesting! But I guess not much else.

Ash: No, but then our friend suggested me to go somewhere and check out...

Me: ...the original intention of why I sent you instead of just being myself. I'm still trying to figure out how I (we) would address this - and obviously not yet. In the meantime...

Ash: I'm game for another tournament!

Pikachu: Pika chu pi! ["And for the support!"]

Goh: I'm sure there'll be another chance in the future. 

Me: With the way things keep changing even in the most prime of formats, the question is always not "if" but "when".

One year ago: Showcasing Pokémon at PokéStops

Two years ago: Making Sense of Field Research Tasks

Three years ago: Go Fest Gets Musical

Four years ago: Everyone's Go Fest

Five years ago: Cosplay: Konbini Anime

Six years ago: ...However Things Turn Out

Seven years ago: Shiny Stories