Rainbowgym
Active Member
After weeks of testing I am sure I want to use Empoleon, but I can’t find anything I would use with it. I tried almost everything and didn’t like it.
One week before Nationals I think I got it and went on testing it.
2 Days before Nationals I am done, I don’t want to play anymore this is not funny. Nothing works the way I want it to work.
Of course I can play Arco’s list, but that list simply doesn’t fit my way of playing.
I went on MSN and lots of people were asking what I would play and I told them I was thinking about NOT playing.
Good for me they all try to convince me I should play, no matter what.
This made me feel better but still I had no deck I liked.
During the night I went through all my deck lists of this season and found one I only used once. I liked that one very much and it looks a lot like the list I am using right now, I adjust my deck in the way of the old list and went to sleep.
Friday the day before Nationals, Arco and Jeanette are staying with us, so I have a last evening to test my final deck. It works and I like it, so I am going to use it. However they all tell me it’s a weird deck and should not work, it does for me so let’s play.
Saturday Nationals
Before we leave I chance 1 card in the deck, I added an Absol and took out Chatot, Absol is a card I hate, but if anybody would play it, I would pay them back by using it myself.
We arrive on time after getting lost with “never lost”.
Always good to see a lot of people showing up.
149 players is a very good turn out for our country.
I see a lot players who didn’t play for a few years, man they did grow up.
After the announcement and just a little delay the first round starts.
I have a bye because I won a States (I won 2 but can only use 1 bye).
I go downstairs with Jeanette who also has a States bye, nervous waiting for the first result of my kids.
One be one they come down, WIN, WIN, and WIN.
Oke, now I feel better, this give hope.
But the downside I feel a terrible headache coming up, I know what this means. If it will turn into a bad “attack” I will have to drop out of the tournament.
Round 2 Mathijs G with GG (lots of Pluspowers in it)
Like most of my games I don’t remember much afterwards.
I know I took a lead and he wanted to scoop. I told him never give up and he got back in the game. However it was to late and I won.
2-0
Round 3 Marcel O – Kabutops/Aerodactyl/Omastar
We tried Kabutops, but it’s to flippy for me. He doesn’t get his energy in time so I take a lead. Taking some damage counters on my Claydol because I really need to use it, but that doesn’t matter to much.
Even an Omastar Wager doesn’t bring him back in the game.
I played Marcel several times during the season and most games it’s one of us getting nothing. This time I simply got my cards and won.
He mentioned I don’t look happy and I tell him I feel terrible having a bad headache.
3-0
Time for painkillers, they are strong but have the downside I get sleepy.
No choice if I want to play all Swiss rounds and with a 3-0 record I don’t want to drop.
Round 4 Maurice v.d. B GG/Dusknoir
Another GG, and we go up in prizes. When it’s called time we both have 3 prizes left and both 1 pokemon with 10 HP left on the bench.
He uses Bring Down on mine and wins.
3-1
Round 5 Dennis K – Delta based deck
We both start oke, but he finds out his flygon EX d is prized.
I tell him find another one, but he says he only plays one.
Somehow he doesn’t attach a Holon nrg to his benched Pidgeot, so my powers keep on working.
He has a Cloyster d benched and I can’t do any bench damage, let’s take the active one.
This is as far I remember the only game I did drop my Absol on the bench. I needed to use Empoleon’s second attack more than ever.
After I took 2-3 prizes he tried to hit me with Rayquaza Ex d, but also his only Lake Boundary is prized and he cannot KO my Empoleon in 1 turn.
4-1
Round 6 Sven S – Magmortar/Togekiss
Normally Empoleon should win against fire, but not this time.
I make 2 stupid mistakes, 1 putting my Stadium at the bottom of my deck after using Claydol and something else I don’t remember but I know that was the breaking point to make me loose.
4-2
My headache has turned into a real “attack” and if I place for T16 I need to have less pain. This way I really can’t play any longer, more painkillers.
I drop down on a chair with my head against the wall and ask my kids to please leave me alone. I feel so sick.
Arnoud didn’t make it into top8, but Jasper and Jeanette did.
Arnoud will get a ranking invite so not really something to be sad about.
They were excited and I only wanted to be left alone, poor kids, but at least others are taking care of them.
Arnoud goes to play a side event and I hope it will take a while before the top cut will start and thanks I got some ‘rest’.
Why am I telling this? Because the whole season I had one goal, to get that Worlds invite. And now when I am close, I feel so sick I doubt I even could play an event like Worlds if this happens there. If I have problems to play 6 rounds without getting such headache attacks, I don’t even have to try to play the 7 rounds Swiss at Worlds.
But the painkillers finally do what they are supposed to do and when they call us for top16 I feel a little better.
Top16 Benjamin P – GG/Dusknoir.
Always good games against Benjamin and he is one of the few GG players who is not eating up time, he keeps on playing without stalling props for this.
Again I don’t remember much of my games, he won the first I won the second and we have only a few minutes left for the 3rd.
He let me start because he didn’t had an energy. I have a piplup active and a call nrg in hand. I attach search for a ralts and baltoy. He topdecks an energy and regrets he didn’t go first. Time is called and he can only use pachi for call for family.
I know I have to pay attention it’s now or never. Candy Gardevoir, Prinplup nrg, 30 on pachi. He attaches nrg to his benched ralts retreats the damaged pachi and asked me if I have the DRE and Celio to win.
He already used his supporter so I can show him both cards, but I really don’t know if the Lv X was in my deck, which I tell him.
He ends his turn I play celio to see if Gardy is there and yes it is, Bring down on pachi makes me go into top8.
5-2
Top 8 Matijs – Empoleon/Dusknoir
Always a pleasure to play him, he always has original decks. He is undefeated (7-0) so I expect a good game. Now my headache is less (thx painkillers) and we start to have fun.
I surprise him with my deck, because of all Pokemon I have in it.
He surprises me with not playing any supporters the first game.
I win the first one.
The second game he finally gets the only supporter he plays, WAGER duhhhhhhhh.
He knows me, and he knows I hate that card. But against his deck I have no problems with wagers. So after he used 2 or 3 of them I get my revenge (we really had so much fun while playing) I get my Gardevoir and telepass his wager each turn. I loose almost all of them, but with Claydol I can pick up enough cards, so it really doesn’t matter.
I pull cards out of his hand with Empoleon Lv X, which also didn’t hurt him, he just used his Chatot to get new ones if needed.
Anyway I won, Matijs will perhaps get a ranking invite, so up to top4.
Top4 Jonathan A. – GG/Machamp or Machamp/GG (with Dusknoir)
A new player who ends in top4, wow amazing.
Not much to tell except I made one mistake to put down 4 bench pokemon, which was punished directly, Gardy went back into the deck.
However the damage spread takes down a lot of his pokemon and I win both games.
I walk out the room to find Arco, who also won his Top4 matches, but was finished already. Shake his hand telling him he was the new Champion, went on to the Head judge to ask for the paper to sign and I am done. I have my invite, we all have our invites, My son won Seniors, my foster daughter ended second. Arco (who is called my “adopted” son) won Masters and I came in second, what more to do???
Pictures are taken, prizes are handed out and we can go home.
Great day, I expected my kids to end high, but ME getting into finals! That was only wishfull thinking.
Around midnight I am home, and I really hope next year Nationals will take 2 days.
My goal is reached I have the invite for Worlds, even if I go 0-7 there I don’t mind. I just want to join that tournament.
Li@
One week before Nationals I think I got it and went on testing it.
2 Days before Nationals I am done, I don’t want to play anymore this is not funny. Nothing works the way I want it to work.
Of course I can play Arco’s list, but that list simply doesn’t fit my way of playing.
I went on MSN and lots of people were asking what I would play and I told them I was thinking about NOT playing.
Good for me they all try to convince me I should play, no matter what.
This made me feel better but still I had no deck I liked.
During the night I went through all my deck lists of this season and found one I only used once. I liked that one very much and it looks a lot like the list I am using right now, I adjust my deck in the way of the old list and went to sleep.
Friday the day before Nationals, Arco and Jeanette are staying with us, so I have a last evening to test my final deck. It works and I like it, so I am going to use it. However they all tell me it’s a weird deck and should not work, it does for me so let’s play.
Saturday Nationals
Before we leave I chance 1 card in the deck, I added an Absol and took out Chatot, Absol is a card I hate, but if anybody would play it, I would pay them back by using it myself.
We arrive on time after getting lost with “never lost”.
Always good to see a lot of people showing up.
149 players is a very good turn out for our country.
I see a lot players who didn’t play for a few years, man they did grow up.
After the announcement and just a little delay the first round starts.
I have a bye because I won a States (I won 2 but can only use 1 bye).
I go downstairs with Jeanette who also has a States bye, nervous waiting for the first result of my kids.
One be one they come down, WIN, WIN, and WIN.
Oke, now I feel better, this give hope.
But the downside I feel a terrible headache coming up, I know what this means. If it will turn into a bad “attack” I will have to drop out of the tournament.
Round 2 Mathijs G with GG (lots of Pluspowers in it)
Like most of my games I don’t remember much afterwards.
I know I took a lead and he wanted to scoop. I told him never give up and he got back in the game. However it was to late and I won.
2-0
Round 3 Marcel O – Kabutops/Aerodactyl/Omastar
We tried Kabutops, but it’s to flippy for me. He doesn’t get his energy in time so I take a lead. Taking some damage counters on my Claydol because I really need to use it, but that doesn’t matter to much.
Even an Omastar Wager doesn’t bring him back in the game.
I played Marcel several times during the season and most games it’s one of us getting nothing. This time I simply got my cards and won.
He mentioned I don’t look happy and I tell him I feel terrible having a bad headache.
3-0
Time for painkillers, they are strong but have the downside I get sleepy.
No choice if I want to play all Swiss rounds and with a 3-0 record I don’t want to drop.
Round 4 Maurice v.d. B GG/Dusknoir
Another GG, and we go up in prizes. When it’s called time we both have 3 prizes left and both 1 pokemon with 10 HP left on the bench.
He uses Bring Down on mine and wins.
3-1
Round 5 Dennis K – Delta based deck
We both start oke, but he finds out his flygon EX d is prized.
I tell him find another one, but he says he only plays one.
Somehow he doesn’t attach a Holon nrg to his benched Pidgeot, so my powers keep on working.
He has a Cloyster d benched and I can’t do any bench damage, let’s take the active one.
This is as far I remember the only game I did drop my Absol on the bench. I needed to use Empoleon’s second attack more than ever.
After I took 2-3 prizes he tried to hit me with Rayquaza Ex d, but also his only Lake Boundary is prized and he cannot KO my Empoleon in 1 turn.
4-1
Round 6 Sven S – Magmortar/Togekiss
Normally Empoleon should win against fire, but not this time.
I make 2 stupid mistakes, 1 putting my Stadium at the bottom of my deck after using Claydol and something else I don’t remember but I know that was the breaking point to make me loose.
4-2
My headache has turned into a real “attack” and if I place for T16 I need to have less pain. This way I really can’t play any longer, more painkillers.
I drop down on a chair with my head against the wall and ask my kids to please leave me alone. I feel so sick.
Arnoud didn’t make it into top8, but Jasper and Jeanette did.
Arnoud will get a ranking invite so not really something to be sad about.
They were excited and I only wanted to be left alone, poor kids, but at least others are taking care of them.
Arnoud goes to play a side event and I hope it will take a while before the top cut will start and thanks I got some ‘rest’.
Why am I telling this? Because the whole season I had one goal, to get that Worlds invite. And now when I am close, I feel so sick I doubt I even could play an event like Worlds if this happens there. If I have problems to play 6 rounds without getting such headache attacks, I don’t even have to try to play the 7 rounds Swiss at Worlds.
But the painkillers finally do what they are supposed to do and when they call us for top16 I feel a little better.
Top16 Benjamin P – GG/Dusknoir.
Always good games against Benjamin and he is one of the few GG players who is not eating up time, he keeps on playing without stalling props for this.
Again I don’t remember much of my games, he won the first I won the second and we have only a few minutes left for the 3rd.
He let me start because he didn’t had an energy. I have a piplup active and a call nrg in hand. I attach search for a ralts and baltoy. He topdecks an energy and regrets he didn’t go first. Time is called and he can only use pachi for call for family.
I know I have to pay attention it’s now or never. Candy Gardevoir, Prinplup nrg, 30 on pachi. He attaches nrg to his benched ralts retreats the damaged pachi and asked me if I have the DRE and Celio to win.
He already used his supporter so I can show him both cards, but I really don’t know if the Lv X was in my deck, which I tell him.
He ends his turn I play celio to see if Gardy is there and yes it is, Bring down on pachi makes me go into top8.
5-2
Top 8 Matijs – Empoleon/Dusknoir
Always a pleasure to play him, he always has original decks. He is undefeated (7-0) so I expect a good game. Now my headache is less (thx painkillers) and we start to have fun.
I surprise him with my deck, because of all Pokemon I have in it.
He surprises me with not playing any supporters the first game.
I win the first one.
The second game he finally gets the only supporter he plays, WAGER duhhhhhhhh.
He knows me, and he knows I hate that card. But against his deck I have no problems with wagers. So after he used 2 or 3 of them I get my revenge (we really had so much fun while playing) I get my Gardevoir and telepass his wager each turn. I loose almost all of them, but with Claydol I can pick up enough cards, so it really doesn’t matter.
I pull cards out of his hand with Empoleon Lv X, which also didn’t hurt him, he just used his Chatot to get new ones if needed.
Anyway I won, Matijs will perhaps get a ranking invite, so up to top4.
Top4 Jonathan A. – GG/Machamp or Machamp/GG (with Dusknoir)
A new player who ends in top4, wow amazing.
Not much to tell except I made one mistake to put down 4 bench pokemon, which was punished directly, Gardy went back into the deck.
However the damage spread takes down a lot of his pokemon and I win both games.
I walk out the room to find Arco, who also won his Top4 matches, but was finished already. Shake his hand telling him he was the new Champion, went on to the Head judge to ask for the paper to sign and I am done. I have my invite, we all have our invites, My son won Seniors, my foster daughter ended second. Arco (who is called my “adopted” son) won Masters and I came in second, what more to do???
Pictures are taken, prizes are handed out and we can go home.
Great day, I expected my kids to end high, but ME getting into finals! That was only wishfull thinking.
Around midnight I am home, and I really hope next year Nationals will take 2 days.
My goal is reached I have the invite for Worlds, even if I go 0-7 there I don’t mind. I just want to join that tournament.
Li@
