Forbidden Planet Gamestore

Saturday, Febrary 19th, 2000

Yes, you've read it right!!!! 9 players!!! Pokémon TCG is very expensive in Brazil, South America!!! However, I've been able to put together a nice deck I call "Pikaflare". Pikaflare is based in the weakness of my favourite color, Fire. Who's the worst nightmare of Fire? Water. Who's the worst nightmare of Water? Lightning. So, here's the deck...

3 Double Colorless Energy

Round 1 vs Yuri (Psy/Fight)

I started with a Pikachu, Raichu, Oak, Computer Search, 2 Energy and a Potion. He had a Onix. I put energy in Pikachu and used Recharge. He put energy in Onix and Rock Throw. I used Potion, evolved to Raichu, put another energy, Computer Search for Energy Removal, Oak, then I simply used Agility and Thunder on his Pokémon until he lost. I really got lucky in the Coin Toss!!!

Round 2 vs Thomas (Grass)

I had to mulligan twice and all I got was a Pikachu!!!! He had a Male Nidoran. I went first and used Recharge. He used two Bills, and started cursing. I asked him what's the matter and he says NO BASICS!!!! Really, he got some 8 extra cards and a single Nidoran!!! He missed the Horn Hazard, and I used a Thunderbolt next turn... it's really a shame to win that way...

Round 3 vs William (Fire)

Well, the whole match can be defined as: he had little energy, I had many Energy Removals and S. Energy Removals... I just built up Raichu and Arcanine and killed his energyless Pokémon... another pitiful game...

Semi-finals vs Giuliano (Fire/Lightning)

WHOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOO!!!! Mirror Match!!!! Just kidding, his deck was built around Electrode Buzzap power together with Arcanine, a really cool deck!!!! I was very scared, because this guy really have a good deck. We both had a good start (me with Pikachu, he with Growlithe), and traded Pokémon over time... I got the edge when I S. Energy Removed his Electrode and a Fire Energy from his Arcanine, leaving him with a little energy problem. Backed up with my other Energy Removals, and some well-timed Oaks, I was in a good situation, but his deck was resisting my attacks. Our decks were running low, so he decided to count our cards. There were 9 cards in my deck and 16 in his. He used Oak and bring the card count to 9-9, and passes (no energy). I kept killing his Pokémon, and he managed to kill my Raichu, so I sent Arcanine to the front. Them, I made a critical mistake: I evolved my other Growlithe and used take down with my Arcanine. He smiled and used Gust of Wind in my energyless Arcenine, them passed. At this point, card count was 4-5, and he had a Growlithe with one energy in the front and a Electrode in the bench. I used Energy Search to see what was left in my deck: two fire energy and random stuff. So I had two fire energy in my hand and a Double Colorless. Put the fire energy in Arcanine and passed. He Energy Removal my fire energy and pass. Card count 3-4, I played the second fire energy, and pass. He played another energy in Growlithe, and attacked for 20, them passed. Card Count 2-3. I played the Double Colorless Energy in Arcanine, and retreated. I used Take Down, and he had only a Electrode. He prayed to get the last Energy Removal in his deck (hey, come on, he had a 50% chance!!!), but he didn't. I used Take Down and won the game with a single card in my deck!!! WOW!!! Great game!!! That should have been the Finals!!!

Finals vs Vinicius (Water)

See why Pikaflare works good? I started with a Pikachu, he had a Squirtle and a Magikarp in the bench. He put energy, used Bubble and paralyzed me. I put lightning energy in Pikachu, used Energy Removal and pass. He used Bubble and paralyzed again. I evolved to Raichu, used Potion and used Oak, them passed. He missed the Bubble, them I used Agility in both Squirtle and Magikarp!!! Another sissy game...

We had agreed to share the prize before starting... I got a Basic booster and he got a Fossil booster. He got a Kabutops (non-foil) and I got a Magneton (oh well)

Well, this was my first championship with this deck and I think it was pretty good!!! Pikaflare rules!!!!

Props to Willian and Giuliano, for lending me two Pikachus and one Double Colorless Energy!!! Thanks guys!!!

Props to Forbidden Planet, for being a nice gamestore!!!

Slops to everybody who hates Pokémon!!! You suck!!!

Thanks for reading!!!