Who: Sandman
What: Pre-Release Tournament
When: Oct. 7, 2000
Where: WoTC Santa Monica, California
Why: 12 1st edition Gym Challenge Boosters
How (many): 14 players


This was the Pre-Release Gym Challenge tournament. I just went thinking it
was going to be another league day but when me and my little sister entered
the store employees told us there would be no league only a 2 hour
tournament. So my sister and me paid the $1 fee and decided to give it a
shot. Good thing I had my "Me Too" deck handy. She of course went with her
infamous Eevee deck. Here is my Me Too deck.

Me Too Deck v.2
4 Ditto
4 Clefairy
3 Clefable
4 Hitmonchan

3 oak
4 bill
2 SER
2 ER
2 CPU
2 Item finder
2 scoop up
2 gow
2 switch
3 NGR
4 plus power

4 DCE
4 full heal
2 potion
7 fighting


Round 1 vs. Zapdos deck
This guy got a gym2 zapdos so he decided there and then to trade for another
one and also added a couple of the base and fossil kind. Well you know what
that means. Easy pickings for me. He brings out gym2 zapdos against my little
clefairy. I go first and put him to sleep. Next turn I evolve and the rest
involves me taking him out in 4 turns 2-0 prizes benched out.
Winner 1-0

Round 2 vs. Pinsir Deck
Man did this kid suck or what?? He kept saying how he was going to kill me
and how if I knock out one of his pokemon out he would punch me. Funny kid. I
start off with Ditto to his pinsir. He had a team of scythers and pinsirs on
his bench. I attached a DCE and iron grip for 20 and paralyses. He attached
an energy to his active pinsir. I then attached another DCE for the KO. He
then kept energizing his active even after I would hit them first. Wow this
kid was pretty messed up. Well it took me a while but I mowed down his line
6-0 prizes
Winner 2-0

Round 3 vs. Eggplosion Deck
This guy used an Exeggutor type deck. I got out clefairy to his chansey. He
stalled for a while until he got around 12 energy on his exeggutor. He then
began to power up his mewtwo seeing that I had a hitmonchan ready to come in
and take out chansey. At this time I also took the liberty to add 10 energy
on my clefable. I bring in clefable and gust out mewtwo. 2 hits and hes gone.
Then he brings in chansey back in. I get chan out and take chansey out. He
then brings in exeggutor and takes out chan. I bring in clefable and take out
his exeggutor. Then he starts bringing in his psychic pokemon who dont stand
a chance against clefable. The rest is history 6-1 prizes
Winner 3-0

Round 4 vs. Water deck
He brought out magikarp and had articuno and mistys poliwag on his bench. He
sacrifices karp and brings in a 3 energy articuno. I have ditto out fully
pumped and proceeded to take his articuno out and damage his bench twice for
20 each. He then gets a good run with misty Poliwhirl but cant take out my
chan. The end is near for me as I only have 4 cards in my deck and need to
take 2 prizes. I have chan out against his Dark Gyrados. I decided to remove
his energy that way he cant retreat him. Then I retreat chan and bring in
clefable. His Dark Gyrados with 10hp left. I hit him for the KO. Next turn I
draw a card and cant attack because of his misty poliwag paralyzing me. His
turn and he puts me to sleep. My turn, only 2 cards left I wake up and flip
but get tails for only 10 damage to his misty poliwag. His turn and he puts
me to sleep. I draw a plus power but cant attack because I dont wake up. I
flip again...oh no Im still asleep! He hits me for 30. I flip and dont wake
up! I draw my last card and its an ite


m finder. I find a switch and bring in a fully powered chan for the KO. Wow
now thats what I call a close one. 6-3 prizes
Winner 4-0

Round 5 vs. Sponge deck
My me too deck always has an easy time against sponge just as long as my
starter isnt hitmonchan. Well wouldnt you know it I start off with Hitmonchan
and thats it. He starts with mewtwo and thats it. I go first and jab. He goes
next and attaches an energy but has no way of putting energy in his discard
pile. I go and jab again. His turn and oaks then absorbs plus energy removes
me. So hes fully powered and its my turn. Guess what I have. I jab with a
plus power for the win. 1-0 benched out
Winner 5-0

Round 6 vs. Eevee deck
Well we had to face sooner or later seeing as we both are undefeated at this
point. My little sister and her curiously good eevee deck which consists of
jungle eevee, dark flareon,dark jolteon,fossil magmar and base electabuzz. I
tried to get her to use gym electabuzz but she wont change it. I start off
with chan and she starts with eevee and another eevee on her bench. I take
out the first eevee but by this time she has flareon on her benched fully
pumped with a magmar next to it. I gust out magmar in attempts to stall while
I got clefable out. After a while I KO magmar. Then she brings in flareon and
playing with fire takes out my already damaged chan. I bring in clefairy and
CPU search for clefable. I evolve and play with fire for 50 and the win. 3-1
benched out
Winner 6-0

Round 7 vs. Wigglytuff
Ha, Ha. Was this fun or what. He challenges me early so he can load his
bench. I accept and he brings out wiggly for 60 damage to my active
hitmonchan. I SER him and bring in clefable. He cant believe his eyes as I
wave his wiggly and then proceed to demolish his scythers and mewtwos. 6-0
Winner 7-0


Time ran out and to my disappointment I never got to play my final match. I
went 7-0 and got second to some guy who had an 8-0 record. I wanted to play
him but he refused and said he would beat me anyways. OK, so I have to settle
for second. I get 8 boosters and my sister got 2. We pulled out a holo
venusaur, nidoking, Blaine, gyrados, and machamp.

Props to: Me Too Deck, Plus Powers, WoTC, Gym challenge cards for making them
1st edition and Pojo for having some of the best writers.
Slops to: The kid I played second, the guy who refused to play me, myself for
beating my sister and to Archetypes.


Thanks Pojo,
SANDMAN
sabumike@aol.com