Funny, but I did just that at Nationals. And I brought it to the HJ myself, didn't wait for the player to do so. Similar reason, too. No game effect, can't be done.
OUCH! Ditto FTL. It's just my luck I'd pick a horrible example like that, lol. Either way, I'm sure you can get the point I was trying to make, however ironic it may be.
Jimmer speaks for PCL. If we have any uncertainty about how something works, we do bring the scenario up to them for clarification or a direct ruling. This is not something we have any uncertainty about.
How can you not be uncertain about it though when the card itself says you can do it? You are introducing a Metarule that is not based on any previous cards but on the intent of the creators, yet you have not even consulted the creators (as far as I know).
How about this: At Worlds, Chrisbo played against the PCL manager that designed the Lucario Lv X card. He was playing a killer Lucario Lv X deck. It has SSU and Mr Briney. Killer.
Not once did he ever play a Lucario Lv X on top of a Lucario Lv X.
Just because he didn't do it doesn't mean it isn't a legal move. While it's interesting information, it still doesn't conclude anything about whether he
could have done it if he wanted to.
How things work in computer programming has no bearing here.
Just as well, the concept of a variable does, which is what I was trying to represent. A variable is just that, variable, which means it can change. I've already shown how Torterra LV. X could be two different Levels. It's just what X is, a non-constant number so that it can be used in a general sense without being anything in specific.
X is not being used as a variable. It is being used in the sense of "extraordinary", much like EX Pokemon were, just with a different mechanic.
And how can you
know that? Did you design the LV. X cards? Again, why wouldn't they just make it LV. 100, since that's the "best"? It makes more sense to go with a variable when you need it to change, otherwise you just go with a solid number.
Level X is variable only when compared to the current level of the Pokémon. So a Ditto Level X can be played upon a Ditto that is a Level 78 or a Level 5. But when compared to the Level X, the Level X = Level X, then you cannot play it on top of itself.
Right but you aren't following your own rule. X is a variable that is compared to the current level of the Pokémon. That variable, X, has to be greater than the current level of the Pokémon since it is Leveling
Up. Therefore making the definition of the variable X equal to "some level greater than the current level." Again, as I have said before, if it is continuing to follow the video game (which it mimics in the first place) then the definition would more specifically be "1 level greater than the current level." Either way, it is
ALWAYS going to be greater than what it is played on, cause that's its definition. So assuming that it is meant to only increase by 1 like the video game, the equation for X would be X = currentLevel + 1. If we take that on Torterra LV. 45 we would get X = 45 + 1 or X = 46. Now if we take that on a Torterra LV. X we would get X = X + 1, so the new level would be one more than the previous level, even if we don't know what the previous level is. However, since you can't have a LV. X Pokémon without a non-LV. X Pokémon we actually
do know what X is, cause the first X is determined by the non-LV. X's level. Assume Torterra LV. 45 again. If we Level it Up then the X would be X = 45 + 1 or X = 46. Then if we Level it Up again, we would get X = X + 1 or X = 46 + 1 or X = 47.
(If it helps any of you math people, replace all the "=" with "is". So it's "X is 45 + 1" and "X is X + 1". That sometimes makes it easier to understand.)
So Torterra LV. X
can't equal Torterra LV. X if it is Leveled Up from itself since the meaning of Leveling Up is to increase the Pokémon's level from it's previous level, therefore meaning they can never be the same.
The problem really lies, not in the reason of why something should or shouldn't be able to be done, but the fact that the card says it can be done. So if something is going to blatantly and directly overrule the text on the card, it needs to come from PCL as a clear and direct answer.