Anyone taking part in Journey Across America?

[Silv]

I'm sorry if this is old, it just took me a while to get caught up into the hype.

I've always wanted to participate in one of these tournaments, since the first years of Pokemon. Now is my chance, and I'm hoping to take full advantage of it. And hey, even if I don't get in, or lose in the first round, this will be the greatest Pokemon-type convention I'd get a chance to check out since the Pokemon Center became Nintendo World.

I'll be at the one in Roosevelt Field Mall in NY. Anyone else getting into this?

[mr_pikachu]

As much as I'd love to go (and in all seriousness, I'd really love to), driving to another state to go to a Pokemon tournament that I'd almost certainly lose while in the middle of midterm exams just doesn't sound like the wisest of ideas to me.

Oh, to live somewhere remotely near a major city... *sigh*

[Blademaster]

Oh, to live somewhere remotely near a major city... *sigh*

...Why? Where do you live, pik?

[mr_pikachu]

Oklahoma. Enough said.

[Blademaster]

Oklahoma, huh?

...

Heh, sucks for you. :p

I'm kidding, I'm kidding!!!

Oklahoma has lots of twisters, right? Boy, those would probably not be too fun... I kinda doubt a twister would affect me the same way it'd affect Super Mario... -_-''''

"Here we gooo-"

WHAM!

(is crushed and blown to bits by a gas tanker)



...Uh, never mind...

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

Hm, I first thought this could be a new Pokémon game. It could cover a map of America, while the earlier games are located in Japan. Not this time, but that's an idea for a new topic...

Luckily I am not in the USA. I would be too teased.

[Phoenixsong]

Yeah, I'm entering. In fact, I feel real special right now 'cause I actually made it in and then this past Saturday I won the 13 and up qualifier! I'm going to NYC as the Atlanta rep, baby! Good luck answering the questions when they open up in your location, good luck in the tourney and maybe I'll see you at the Nationals, Silv!

Just a note to you and to anyone else considering entering, when the tournament rules say "we recommend all Pokemon be at Level 100", they MEAN it. There were a couple people at the Atlanta Qualifier with teams under level 100 (like my brother, who unfortunately lost in the 2nd round of the 12 and under). There were also people there using the "top 20 favorite" downloadable Pokemon, as they come at Level 70 and with pretty decent moves. Long story short, though, both me and the 12 and under winner, and all of the finalists/semi-finalists, had Level 100 teams, so if you're not already there I suggest you get down to some serious work. (And one note about the downloads: you can get as many as you want. No, really. My cousin went and got six Celebis and then twelve other Pokemon on top of them. You just have to keep getting back in line... heh heh... limitless amounts of free Level 70s...)

Sorry about it being too inconvenient for you to enter, mr. pikachu. It really was a lot of fun. Kind of toasty, but fun, and that was Southlake Mall's fault, not the Pokemon people's. And Blademaster, are you going to enter?

Best of luck to you again, Silv, and good luck to anyone else who enters! Who knows... I might just be seeing someone else from TPM at Nationals! *does a little song and dance* I'm going to nationals, I'm going to nationals, I'm the best in Atlanta, I'm the best in Atlanta... good lord, you don't know how weird and cool it feels to say that.

[Blademaster]

And Blademaster, are you going to enter?

...Enter what?

(looks)

Oh, no. Not me.

[Silv]

Phoenixsong...if you are who you claim to be, you've been quite the talk on GameFAQs for a while. As is the most previous winner, who sharked his team. Now I hope HE loses. Anyway, I hope to see you at the finals as well. I've always wanted to win one of these tournaments and have semi-godly power...in my mind.

[Phoenixsong]

He'd better lose, or else Pokemon USA had better kick his @$$ out of the tourney already. That's in direct violation of the rules. Grr... cheaters like him make me want to blow something up with my Giant Super Ultra Mega Uber Exploding Roselia of Death, Doom, Destruction and Fuzzy Bunnies.

uh... not that I'd use a Roselia or anything, I hate that thing. But I would like to see one blow up... and it would be twice as gratifying if it blew that Shark junkie up as well.

[homeofmew]

I went to the Houston one just to watch one of my friends won the 12- devision.
** Houston,Texas - The Galleria

[Silv]

Yeah, and some girl entering in Minneapolis also plans on sharking for perfect IVs. Technically, it's legal becaus the stats are legit. It's just that having those perfect stats on just ONE Pokemon, which in most cases, do make all the difference are just nearly impossible to get. You basically have a better chance of winning the lottery, finding a shiny, and getting struck by lightning...twice.

[Phoenixsong]

...Bring a ginormous Van de Graaf generator to the nationals and let lightning fry the losers for a while then, that's what I say. If I'm not mistaken, I believe it doesn't matter whether legit stats are Sharked onto the Pokemon. You're not allowed to use altered Pokemon in any way... and I refuse to go check the rules for that, because I don't want to find out I'm wrong and admit that those losers are in the clear. I won't give the weasels that satisfaction.

[mr_pikachu]

Got a little announcement on the "stamping out cheaters" issue, direct from Pokemon.com.


Fair Play!

Having a fun and fair Pokémon Video Game National Championships is our highest priority. This is why Pokémon is taking certain measures to try to deter participants from using game altering devices and techniques in violation of the official Tournament Rules of Play.

Beginning with the Los Angeles (West Covina) stop, a representative from Pokémon USA, Inc. will be collecting the Pokémon Game Paks used by each finalist and runner up for off-site checking. When you leave your game pak, you will receive a receipt for your records. We expect that the game paks will be returned in about two weeks or less. Once you've given us your game pak, we'll give you a free Pokémon GBA game that you can keep, so that you can continue to enjoy Pokémon during the time that we're testing your game.

If a player does not supply the game pak, or if Pokémon USA, Inc. determines that any game pak, Pokémon character, or element of the game has been tampered with or altered, then the player may, at Pokémon USA's discretion, be disqualified from the Tournament, and will not win any prizes from that event.

We believe that these measures will help maintain a fair environment in the true spirit of Pokémon.


You can find this announcement by navigating through the main Pokemon.com page via the "Fair Play!" link.

[Phoenixsong]

I know, isn't it wonderful? *grins evilly as she cuts off the heads of Barbie dolls labeled "Cheater" with a pair of rusty Scizors* The only problem is any prior contestants who may have cheated, like a certain Barbie doll... I mean, GUY... from Houston... actually, I just wrote a little letter to the Pokemon.com Mailbag asking what would be done to check the games of the people who already won. Hopefully, the reply should be up in anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, and then I should be able to start feeling all warm and vindictive inside.

[Buffpiezan]

I garentte 1st place, only using my golduck

[Phoenixsong]

Buffpiezan, I can promise you that unless you cheated for ungodly high stats or something--and if you did, the Nintendo people will have your head---that WILL NOT HAPPEN. Anyone who has a Raikou, Kyogre, Zapdos, Jolteon or about a million other things could take you down with one well placed Thunder. The people at these tournaments play HARD, and there's no way you'd have a dream of getting through alive with one Pokemon, no matter how much you love it and how great you think it is. Sorry to burst your bubble, pal, and I don't even know if you live in the US or intend to go, but try being realistic, eh?

[Buffpiezan]

thats why my machamp is there too, see i don;t need any of those legendary pokemon, if you okay with them then you play cheap.

[Silv]

While I agree with your status on legendaries Buff, the fact of the matter is, just about everybody is going to be using legendaries. And one Mewtwo, taking on any Golduck or Machamp would grease them up, fry them, and serve them to his evil army of Poké clones for a snack.

If you're all against using non-legendaries, I'm rooting for you. But you at least need to think strategically. What can take out those legendaries, and how do you place everything? Golduck could prove very useful with proper stats and either ability, (one to prevent explosions and the other to negate the weather). I'm not one for saying any fully evolved Pokemon is useless, but Machamp may be just that. He's way too slow, and can easily be OHKO'd by most legendaries. Aside from that, you won't be going anywhere without a team of level 100 Pokemon.

[mr_pikachu]

The reason why a lot of the trainers who usually refuse to use legendaries are often able to beat teams of ubers is because the trainers with nothing but ubers often aren't skilled at strategizing. It takes a lot of talent to properly craft a team and use it to perfection when you can rely on natural power to blow your opponents away. The non-uber trainers win because they simply know how to use strategies far better than those who rely on ubers. They are able to overcome the disadvantage against inexperienced trainers

The problem here is that those skilled trainers who can win most battles without ubers are now using them. They're using the most advanced strategies in the game with the most powerful Pokemon. So the difficult reality of this tour is that, since the best trainers are using the best Pokemon for this event, any weakness at all will spell disaster. Having 30 or so less points in a stat ends up being the difference between winning and losing. The deficit is just too steep, as the trainers with the advantage this time are strong enough to keep it.

And as for Machamp, it has one real use in modern competitive battling: Cross Chopping away the Blisseys. Beyond that, it ends up being a sitting duck.

[DarkestLight]

::Looks at post above::

Man, that's exactly what I was thinking. Which is why I'm STILL lollygagging around the point of actually entering. I'd be at the Roosevelt mall one for sure...since I'm from NYC..but umm..yeah...


I just might go and get my Celebi and be done with it. Miss my precious.....;_;