Pokemon Center Gym Challenge Report
Sunday May 16, 2004
66 Participants
by Johnny Blaze

We leave around 5:30am in the morning to drive to the Poughkeepsie Train Station to catch the train to Grand Central Station.  On our way walking to the Center we literally run into Greg Sauk and his 2 sons.  Greg tells me his youngest son already has a won a trip to Worlds by winning the Gym Challenge in Pennsylvania.  Later info on that one.  We shortly arrive at the Center and there is already a huge line starting waiting to get in.  We see a lot of familiar faces: LuMAga, FireFighter, Flare Starfire, Jimmy O., Bolt from Zeo, PokePop and his sons, BJJ and his family, Frankie and Anthony.  It was myself running Swampert/Cune, my son Nick playing his BAD deck(see below), and his friend Jacob playing Cradily EX with Sceptile EX.  There were 11 kids in the 10 and under, 14 kids in the 11-14 division, and then a whopping 41 people in the 15+ division.  There was a delay prior to the start of the tournament.  But at least John Hershberger is back running the tourney and things finally start. Here is my decklist followed by my report:

Pokemon -  21
4 - Mudkip (Target Promo)
2 - Marshtomp (Dragon - Bench damage it works)
3 - Swampert (Water Call)
1 - Swampert EX
2 - Suicune EX
4 - Dunsparce
2 - Skitty
2 - Delcatty
1 - Wobbuffet (Will regret only using 1 later)

Trainers - 24
4 - Oaks Research
3 - Oracle
3 - Rare Candy
3 - TV Reporters
2 - CopyCat
2 - Switch
2 - Fisherman (Energy Draw then Water Call)
2 - Pokemon Nurse
2 - Crystal Shards
1 - Town Volunteers

Energy - 15
13 - Water
2 - Multi

Round 1 vs. Charles with BAR
I was able to get a quick setup and pick off his Quazza on the bench with Suicune.  He then retreats his active and does 80 to Suicune with the damaged Quazza.  I shard his Quazza next turn.  I have a built up Swampert EX also.  He is able to ko Suicune.  Then my Swampert EX takes the rest of his Poke.  I win by prizes.

W: 1-0

Round 2 vs. Evan (GOROY)
I met Evan earlier with Dark T-tar and his son Anthony.  Evan is running BAR.  I get some damage and move energy around with my Suicune.  He attaches a Multi to his Quazza then Fire Starts and moves the energy.  Boom theres goes my 1st Suicune.  I strike and Run and to my biggest fear no Wobby in my deck it is in the prizes.  I could have won with the Wobby. I was holding another energy and Crystal Shard.  The same thing happens 3 turns later.  Right before I could attach the Shard and knock out Quazza BAM another 120 damage to my last Cune. 

L: 1-1

Round 3 vs. BJJ
I figure BJJ is running Sceptile tech so this is going to be a tough match up for me as Scep is resistant to Water.  I was able to administer bench damage to his 2 Treeckos to take them out.  He has all early draw power but then has an energy drought.  I get rolling and knock out his lone Wobby for the win.

W: 2-1

Round 4 vs. Daniel
Daniel is running BlazeQuazza.  I get a God start and go 1st.  Basically by Turn 2 I have my combo up with a Suicune active.  He thinks his Water resistance will help.  I Oracle for the Crystal Shard and ko his Quazza.  He sends out another Quazza I Oracle for my other Shard and ko his Quazza.  I then proceed to ko his Delcatty and Dunsparce for the win.

W: 3-1

Final Round 5 vs. Cory Ace
Cory is also running Anti-Blaze using Muk EX with Sceptile EX and Energy Trans Sceptile.  We both decide that it is in our best decision to ID as at least one of us will make Top 8 and possible both depending on the other match ups.  We do play for fun after that and he ends up winning.  Again the Water resistance was a huge hassle for me even with the Shards.

3-1-1 with 10 points

So Top 8 is called and Cory is 8 so that means he won on Tie Breakers.  I end up in 9th place.  We were hoping that both our decks would get in as the rest of the Decks in the 15+ were all Blaze variants.

On to my son's deck.  He decides to run BAD  (Blaziken, Ampharos, Delcatty.)
Pokemon - 24
4 - Torchic (Target Promos)
2 - Combusken (Flare)
3 - Blaziken (Firestarter)
2 - Blaze EX
2 - Mareep
1 - Flaffy
2 - Ampharos
2 - Skitty
2 - Delcatty
4 - Dunsparce

Trainers - 21
4 - Oracle
4 - Professors Oaks Research
3 - TV Reporter
4 - Rare Candy
2 - Warp Point
1 - Pokemon Nurse
1 - CopyCat
1 - Town Volunteers
1 - High Pressure Stadium

Energy - 15
12 - Fire
3- Electric

Nick goes undefeated until the 5th round when he plays Ben Sauk who is 11-14 division.  At this point there were screw-ups with the pairings.  As 2 other matches were out of age divisions.  FireFighter09 plays one of PokePop's son and Magnechu is also in the 15+ group.  Nick loses his last match.  The Top 8 are called and Nick is 1st seed.  Due to the lower amount of players in the 2 younger division, each were only Top 4.  Nick ends up seeded against the other Sauk kid I think Jeff is his name.  Who already won a trip to Worlds.  Luckily Nick beats him best 2 out of 3.  Ana noouncement is made that the rest of the finals will be moving upstairs to The Pokemon Center Store.  When we get up there, there is a Birthday party going on so we all squeeze over to the far side of the store across from the GameBoy stations.  Nick is now faced up against Michael who is Dark T-Tar's son. Michael is playing Gardy EX.  Michael wins the 1st match by dominating with Wobby.  Nick goes 1st the 2nd match and gets a God Setup by Turn 2.  Hw ins that match. So it is tied 1-1.  The 3rd match ended up a little longer with prizes going back and forth early.  I think Michael ends up with an energy drought or something like that and Nick is able to Volcanic Ash a Dunsparce on the bench for his last prize.  That was a great Match-up and both players were deserving the trip.  We shake Michael and Tony's hand for a great game.  Magnechu ends up winning the 11-14 division with BAR vs Gardy too.  And BAR wins the 15+ division. See everyone in Florida.

AN7710@dfa.state.ny.us