WORDS MAN

This page only has twenty-six pieces of minuscule baggage on it. Twenty-six little hallelujahs and they will never change. So what is it? It’s not a list of twenty-six objects, fashion tips or cool fish. It is not a twenty-six line poem sucking the creativity back into a minimum oh no.

Letters.

There are only twenty-six letter on this page. Sure they repeat and repeat like a broken record player but each sound is just as good the thousandth time around. If they were any more letters, how awkward would your keyboard look? How many words have I made with just those twenty-six letters already? Huh? Quite a few by the looks of it. The American language man.

And how awesome are words? There is a whole book with words explaining words and sometimes you have to look up the descriptions to know what the meanings of the describers are. There are ten letters in the world Dictionary an astronomical amount more inside of the object.

But really there are some fantastic words in the world that should really be used in every day conversation. And that, young padawon, is the reason you have clicked on this little blog and begun to scrap the surface of what I think about when I am about to fall asleep at night… or when I’m supposed to be doing my homework... but whatever this is way more interesting and you are still learning so whatever.

One- Harbinger: A person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another

Two- Spong: A piece of land in the shape of a tongue.

Three- Sisyphean: a task which can never be completed

                     -Based on the Greek story Sisyphus in which there was a king by the name of Ephyra who was punished for chronic deceitfulness. The punishment he was sentenced to was to be compelled to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll down and repeat the action forever.

 
Four- Lycanthropy: The ability to change from human to wolf or vice versa.
-Werewolves man. Werewolves

Five- Borborygmus: A rumbling or gurgling noise made by the movement of fluid and gas in the intestines.

Six- Aphelion: The point in the path of a celestial body (as a planet) that is farthest from the sun.

Seven- Doodlesack: Old English word with the meaning “Bagpipe”
-Those old English people knew what they were doing

Eight- Ataraxia: A state of freedom from emotional disturbance and anxiety; tranquility.

Nine- Pulchritude: Beautiful, beauty

Ten- Quagmire: a soft boggy area that gives way underfoot

And those are just ten astronomically outstanding words. For more check out this website! Click hereeeeeeeeeee.

Later losers

Love, Ruth

Wicca and Witchcraft: What is it?

So over the years, the image of a witch has been burned into our mind one way or another. Is it the old wrinkly woman with warts and tattered hair crouched over a boiling cauldron with a black cat nearby? What about the young woman who snaps her fingers and makes mysterious things happen? Or perhaps the hardened mother crouched over her herb garden? While these are the stereotypical witches we think of, there is much more to them than meets the eye.

To begin with, Wicca is a neo-pagan natural religion that worships the God and the Goddess. Both the God and the Goddess have three incarnations. The triple God is the warrior--a brave young man, fighting to prove himself in the world, the father--a hardened man who has faced much in life and is much wiser, who now teaches others what he has learned, and the sage--the old man who spends most of his time to himself, reading and thinking. The triple Goddess is the maiden--a young girl who is just discovering herself and exploring life, the mother--a woman who cares for anyone and everyone, and the crone--an old loving woman who spends her time enjoying people live life around her.

Along with the God and the Goddess, there is the wheel of the year. In the year, there are eight holy days, or sabbaths. The first is on October 31st, then on the Winter Solstice, then February 2nd, then the Vernal Equinox, then on May 1st, then on the Summer Solstice, then on August 1st, and lastly on the Autumnal Equinox before the cycle ends and begins again with October 31st. In order, the sabbaths are Samhain (pronounced so-wen), Yule, Imbolc, Ostara or Eostre, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, and Mabon, then back to Samhain. There is the story that intertwines the Goddess and the God to the wheel of the year, but this is a whole other entry in and of itself.

The next most important thing to know is the Wiccan Rede. In truth, it is a really long poem, but it’s pretty much the Wiccan version of the Bible or the Koran. The main points that people focus on from the Rede are ‘An Ye harm none, do what Ye will.’ This is the concept of the Golden Rule and only doing to others what is good. And to make sure that you only do good, there is the Threefold Law: ‘Mind the Threefold Laws you should, three times bad and three times good.’ What this boils down to is that whatever you send out to the universe, whatever you do, it will come back to you three times as powerful. If you’re a nice person, constantly doing good deeds, then the good will return and bless your life. If you do bad, however, your life will become cursed.

Wicca, being a religion of nature, is focused around the seasons (which is apparent in the sabbaths), the weather, and the elements. The five elements are earth, fire, air, water, and spirit. The pentacle, the five-pointed star within a circle, is the symbol that shows the bond between the elements. One way to interpret the pentacle is as the human body, the head, arms, and legs, all surrounded by the person’s aura. If the person in the pentacle is facing you, their right arm is air, their left arm is water, their right leg is earth, and their left leg is fire. Obviously, their head is spirit. the circle is what combines and bonds together the elements.

Wicca also focuses greatly on the celestial bodies. The sun and the moon are also known as embodiments as the god and the goddess. As the sabbaths are focused on the sun and the earth’s movement around it, esbats (which are monthly or weekly coven meetings)  are focused on the moon. The moon phases will affect magick. If the moon is waxing, magick should be focused on gathering or getting. If the moon is waning, the magick should focus on sending away; getting rid of. The new moon and the full moon are very powerful, and most covens work magick and hold esbats on those times. A lunar eclipse is the greatest time to work magick, for the lunar energies are greatly magnified. The symbol of the triple Goddess (pictured above), is the three moons: waxing, full, and waning. Astrology is not normally focused on in Wicca, but it can be if you chose to make it.

Just as any religion has its subsects, Wicca has several different branches. Some of the sects are based off men who have changed Wicca, which is surprising for a feminine based religion. Gerald Gardner helped create Gardnerian Wicca, which is based off of covens in which you have to be initiated into. Alexandrian Wicca is based on the gender polarity of the God and the Goddess. Algard Wicca, is a (successful) blend of both Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca. In addition to these sects, there are forms of Wicca that blend in other religions and mythology. These include Christian, Egyptian, Celtic, Norse, Strega (Italian), Dianic (which focuses on feminism), Teutonic (Northern European), and many more.  Here is a list of many types of Wicca.

While most Wiccan groups have covens (the groups of wiccans), there are many solitary witches who practice by themselves. they could be solitary for a number of reasons. They might not be out of ‘the broom closet’, which means they haven’t come out to their family and/or friends as wiccan. They might not have any other witches nearby, so there isn't even a coven to join. Some people just don’t feel like practicing with others are for them. There is much that you can do by yourself that is hard to do with others. Meditation can be very difficult for people, because other witches might distract them with chants.

Every witch, no matter where they live and practice, should have a basic understanding of herbs and stones. Herbs grow all around us. Contrary to what most people think, all plants are herbs. An herb is a plant that has a use for whatever it is you’re doing. So all you really need to do is know what you’re doing, and then find herbs that complement your purpose. Protection, cooking, healing, friendship, pets, work--you just need to know what to look for. Some of the best herbs to use for your work are common weeds. Dandelion, plantain, bittersweet, and purslane all work very well to aid magick. In addition to herbs, stones are very important. While herbs are connected to earth and life, stones are strongly connected to our planet and the element earth. Metals, precious gems, and everyday stones send power to the magick, increasing it. As long as you know what your intent is, it is easy to magnify your workings with herbs and stones.

 There are so many different things to know about Wicca and witchcraft. Whether it be the deities, the holidays, or even simple ingredients, you should know it all. And even if you aren't Wiccan or a witch, you should have a basic understanding of it, just to keep from being ignorant. Wiccans and witches aren't doing anything to harm you (and if they are, they'll get their karma), so don't do anything to harm them. Most of all--remember that they are not satanists. This is the largest misconception. All that aside, at least you are now enlightened on the subject of witchcraft and the neo-pagan religion of Wicca.

Top 10 Nickelodeon TV Shows From the 1990s

Although most of them are now off the air, the society of the rebellious 90s thrived on the comedic magic these shows represented. Today, teenagers from this generation, even though they were born in the late 1990s, always say “If you were a 90s kid, you would understand”, and in a way, it’s true. Since most of the TV shows from this era ended in the early 2000s, the generation born after that will never experience the amazing comedy from back then. You could say Nickelodeon was the father of all things 90s: with their abundance of wacky cartoons, and hysterical teenage reality portrayal shows (shh, don’t tell Disney).

1. The show that started the snowball effect of sketch/comedy shows on Nickelodeon, created their own teenage version of Saturday Night Live. Yes, I’m talking about All That! With its iconic child stars and extremely catchy opening song, All That was SNL’s crazy daughter. Despite the performers’ mediocre acting, the show never ceased to entertain this era’s audience.                                                               (If you want to have a song stuck in your head all day, check out the theme song for All That here!) (1994-2005)
2. Deriving from All That, over the years, spin off shows with some of the same actors, started to form. In chronological order, Kenan and Kel was the first to air after All That. As another comedic sketch series, Kenan and Kel entertained and amused people for about four years. However, this show was different from it’s neighboring sister. Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell played two best friends, Kenan and Kel who worked at a convenience store, made corny jokes, and constantly got into mischievous trouble with their parents. Other than it’s 30 minute time frame every week, Kenan and Kel eventually starred in their own movie “Good Burger”, in 1997.    (Take a gander at one of the funniest scenes from Good Burger!)
3. I guess you could say Nickelodeon likes to make copy-cat shows, because here comes yet another derivation of All That: The Amanda Show. Amanda Bynes, the star of the 90s Nick show that ended the millenium (1999-2002), became famous from not only All That , but more so The Amanda Show. This series consisted of a live studio audience, wacky lobsters, a different Judge Judy persona played by Bynes, and the debut of none other than Drake Bell and Josh Peck. The Amanda Show had people laughing and quoting the insanity well after it’s three years of making new episodes was over.
4. Here, we break off from the copy-cat sketch comedies and move onto one of two teenage regularly funny shows from the 1990’s, an example of one is Clarissa Explains It All (1991-1994). This breaks from chronological order, because it is less popular than “All That” and its children, but the show was equally as funny. In “Clarissa Explains It All”, Clarissa Darling, who is played by Melissa Joan Hart, directly speaks to the audience while giving them advice on all things Teen. Similar to 2004’s “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide”, it was definitely a show to watch if you needed advice on school, boys, or what to wear.
5. Hey Dude, another lesser comedy series, even though it aired from 1989-1991, the show was still classified as a great 90’s Nick sitcom. It was set on a farm in Arizona and it’s main target audience was, obviously, teenagers. The series focused on a father and son from the city, trying to adjust to life in the country. With its cool title and handsome actors, Hey Dude was the show to watch!
6. Now, here is the moment you all have been waiting for. The basis and foundation of Nickelodeon… CARTOONS! We’ll start with probably the most common cartoon on the face of America: SpongeBob Squarepants. Although it first aired in 1998, it is still on TV, producing new episodes, 16 years later. The series consists of 6 main characters, some we know and love, and some we just hate. SpongeBob, the main character, is a yellow sponge who lives in the ocean (as do all of them), in a pineapple house. The whole show revolves around SpongeBob and his best buddy Patrick Star, and the wacky adventures they encounter. With thousands of merchandise relating to the show, SpongeBob is a series that has continued to make children laugh for over 16 years. (Want to sing along with the rest of the world? Listen to the corny SpongeBob theme song here!)
7. Even though most people who watch SpongeBob are elementary and middle school students, this next show is a little more inappropriate, despite it being aired on regular Nickelodeon day time showing. Ren and Stimpy was a cartoon filled with mild swears, dirty graphics, and lots and lots of innuendo. It aired from 1991-1996, and it definitely was a less-preferred cartoon to watch as a kid. More adults, and some dirty-minded teenagers loved it, however, making it a highly rated cartoon on Nick. Ren Hoek, a middle-aged wise cracking chihuahua, lives with his dimwitted friend, Stimpson J. Cat. Despite their hatred for each other, Ren and Stimpy love to spend time with each other and encounter on any fun and crazy adventure that comes their way.
8. Hey Arnold was another children-based cartoon, that not only got people laughing, but more so allowed people to think and contemplate the meaning of life. Arnold is in fourth grade and lives with his grandparents. From 1996-2004, the show focused mainly on Arnold trying to survive in the city, and at the same time, trying to solve or prevent problems with his friends and relationships. The problems Arnold faced helped children understand everyday problems, and how to solve them. You could say it was educational, or maybe even therapeutic.
9. Similar to Ren and Stimpy, CatDog was another animated series based on a cat and a dog facing life together, but in this case, the cat and dog are basically conjoined twins. Just like most twins, Cat and Dog are polar opposites. In the show, the main focus is the life of Cat and Dog in their town, Nearbug, and how their personalities continue to clash. The show aired from 1998-2005 and was portrayed to be oddly funny. (Check out this hilarious clip to see just how silly the lives of Cat and Dog are!)
10. Now here we saved one of the best 90’s Nick cartoons for last. A cartoon that consisted of a bunch of babies and their adult-like adventures. Yes, I am talking about a show none other than… RUGRATS. Airing from 1991-2004, Rugrats, in its time, was one the longest running cartoons on Nickelodeon (and now that spot belongs to Spongebob). The show mainly revolves around the five toddlers and what happens in their lives everyday. Although most of it is a figment of their imagination, the adults in the series have no idea what’s going on. As the years went on, Rugrats became very famous and the creators even made two movies, and a spin off show “All Grown Up”. If you were a kid that grew up with this Nicktoon, it was probably one of your favorite shows of all time. (Listen to the adorable Rugrats theme song here!)

Is Lipstick a Health Hazard?

It's always an old fashioned method to fast beauty- a dab of rouge to your lips. Your mother did it, your grandmother did, it's been a beauty trick for generations. Our tubes of lipstick have conquered the world and are one of the most common items found in a woman's purse, but are they truly 100% healthy for you?

It's not the common health risk that we receive with makeup- foundation can clog your pores, old mascara can irritate your eyes. Some lipsticks actually contain lead in them as well as several other toxic metals such as chromium and aluminum. Depending on the shade of lipstick you get and which colors your prefer will vary which metals go onto your lips. Scary to think that that stuff can actually get inside your mouth.  

Cadmium is one of the scariest metals that a lipstick can have in its contents. Cadmium is linked to lung cancer and respiratory issues, especially if you're exposed to it enough. Cadmium is found more frequently in lipsticks with warm tones such as bricks and corals. If you want to learn about which lipsticks are the most "toxic" click right here.

So maybe mother's morning routine wasn't always the healthiest choice on the planet. It's an innocent trick that companies will pull in order to make a profit in the market. However, not every tube of lipstick you pick up at the drugstore contains any toxic metals. If you want to find a smarter alternative to stay beautiful click here.

Despite all the angst against lipsticks not being non toxic don't let that ruin your makeup routine in the morning. There are several other things you can do to make yourself look and feel beautiful without all of the harsh metals. There's more to beauty than just a tube of lipstick, no matter what your grandma says.

The Breakfast Club: then & now

The Breakfast Club (1985) was a movie about 5 diverse people who belong to different cliques in high school. They are forced to sit in detention on Saturday, causing them to open up about their life and connect in some way.

I wanted to show what John Hughes might’ve done if he were to do The Breakfast Club now.

There is the brain, the basket case, the athlete, the princess, and the criminal.

The brain: His name is Brian Johnson, he was the need that wanted to just fit in, he had many problems of his own. Even though he is so smart, his parents bag on him to fit in and it drives him crazy.

• now: The typical "nerd" today is a guy that still gets awesome grades, dresses with pants hiked up a little too high, with glasses. Or there are some “brains” that don’t even have to dress that way, they are just really smart. Smarter people are more accepted than they were back then, they fit in and people are nice to them unlike it was portrayed back then.

The basket case: Allison Reynolds, she was the weird girl with no friends. Although she was quiet and very out there, she was the person to tell them that fitting in was basically a trap, which is why she didn't care what people thought of her.

• now: there is an abundance of weird people in this decade, there are ones that are crazy like the basket case in this movie or there are the people that dress in all black with super skinny jeans that have a mop of hair in there face. Also, there could be the girl that is super quiet but when it comes to something she's passionate about they will speak there mind. Some dye their hair all crazy colors and cut it all off. There are so many forms of “weird people” in this society.

The athlete: his name is Andrew Clark. He was apart of the wrestling team and was a bully. His dad bagged on him all the time to win and be popular, which he was. But it drove him insane having to listen to it all the time so he eventually listened and was a bully.

• now: Most popular athletes in this age play football or basketball. One type of popular athlete would be the ones decked out with all Air Jordan everything. Or there are the guys that wear shorts with weird prints and collared shirts with Nike shoes or vans. Some these guys can be concieted ass’s still but some like to open up to people just to show that not all of them are jerks.

The princess: Clare Standish, she was the girl who every girl wanted to be. She was popular, rich, and pretty (so they say). She was full of herself and it showed in this movie. But she happened to be the most innocent of them all.

• now: the rich girls now are usually just dressed really nice but most people can dress nice without being rich. The typical princess now is usually very pretty, of course but now they all go to parties, drink, do all of that. But you wouldn’t expect half the things they do.

The criminal: John Bender, everyone said he would be in jail his whole life, he wore the boots and flannels. Those gloves that didn’t cover his fingers and that one earring that made him look badass. He was a stoner. He was open to speaking his mind but clearly had many problems at home which made him this way.

• now: the criminal is usually the little trouble makers at school that think its funny to yell at teachers or cause damage to the school. They think its funny to be rude to people when they are with there friends. Also, they are usually a huge flirt.

People think that what there social status or what they wear defines them, I dont agree. People need to understand that no one knows what goes on in other peoples life out of school, so be nice to everyone. Wear what ever you want, and act the way you want to. 

Disclaimer: this was not meant to offend anyone, AT ALL

That Rock n' Roll; It Just Won't Go Away

  After Lorde’s win at the MTV’s Video Music Awards last month, I’ve realized our generation has little knowledge of what rock music is. While I have no problems with the successful teenage singer from New Zealand, her music is more commonly described as electronica, pop, or even the newly-coined term “indietronica”. (Really people? Really? Are we really going to stoop so low as to use words that sound like something a hipster college student says at Coachella when they want to sound like their musical knowledge is superior to that of their hipster friends?)

   Regardless of the new wave of music genres, I can safely say that rock is still very much alive today. Other nominees for ‘Best Rock Video’ at the VMAs include the Black Keys, Arctic Monkeys, and Imagine Dragons, all of which have produced incredibly successful rock albums. As the Arctic Monkeys’ frontman Alex Turner drunkenly declared in his band’s acceptance speech at the 2013 BRIT awards, “That rock and roll; it just won’t go away. It might hibernate from time to time and sink back into the swamp. I think the cyclical nature of the universe in which it exists demands it adheres to some of its rules. But it’s always waiting there, just around the corner, ready to make its way back through the sludge and smash through the glass ceiling, looking better than ever.” Now, I know you’re just thinking about how gosh-darn attractive Alex Turner is (and yes, I totally agree), but his slurred words make plenty of sense. Rock isn’t the same as it used to be, and it never will. Unfortunately, there can never be another band like Led Zeppelin, with long-haired guys trashing hotel rooms and taking more LSD than humanly possible, but that’s perfectly okay. The golden age of classic rock remains in the 1960’s and 70’s, but we can still worship those legendary bands without sneering at the Strokes or the Foo Fighters.

watch turner's drunk acceptance speech here

       Rock has never only been about how deep your bass guitar is or how many guitar solos you can layer in one song; it’s about loud music that will show your rebellion against social norms and anger your parents. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been true for more modern rock music. When Nirvana debuted, frontman Kurt Cobain hoped his controversial, edgy lyrics and grunge vibe would turn away the kind of people who made fun of him in high school, but the band’s rebellious attitude attracted the same conformist a-holes Cobain despised and set grunge as the norm of the nineties. Furthermore, your parents won’t get mad about rock music blaring in your room anymore since that’s the music they listened to as a kid. Then they might end up telling you of a story from when they snuck out of the house to see the Who in concert and it’ll only end up angering you. Listening to loud rock music out of spite doesn’t even work nowadays.

       Nevertheless, a number of rock bands exist today that don’t deserve to go unnoticed. Although Tame Impala refuse to call themselves a rock band, their musical style is definitely a new-age psychedelic rock. The lead singer, Kevin Parker, sounds incredibly similar to John Lennon (but not Twist and Shout John

Lennon, more like Strawberry Fields John Lennon). While we can’t say Tame Impala are the next Beatles due to their lack of a boy-band, bubblegum-pop vibe, I feel as though they could very well be the reincarnation of the Beatles’ psychedelic-rock phase. That might sound like a big of an exaggeration, but if you get a chance to listen to their Lonerism album, you will definitely understand.

       Furthermore, we can’t talk about new rock music without talking about Arctic Monkeys. The English band has been making music since early 2000’s, and their style has evolved ever since. From their first album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, we get a mass of loud rock songs perfect for

headbanging and dancing to. Their third album, Suck It and See, has a very unique sound, with Turner’s low, almost soft-spoken vocals giving an interesting contrast to the fast, energetic drum beats and guitar riffs. However, with their newest album, an entirely new sound is introduced to music; The deep bass, slow tempo, and smooth guitar riffs contribute to the overwhelming success of AM. The whole album itself makes you want to wear leather jackets and smoke cigarettes at old-timey diners and act totally badass, giving an entirely new sound to an entirely new era of rock.

Along with these newer bands, a few rockers from the turn of the century still continue their reign of success, including the Strokes, the Foo Fighters, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. All three of these have still been producing new music, carrying their legacy on to a new generation. From the release of the Foo Fighter’s eighth album set to drop in November to The Strokes’ announcement of their return to the music industry, rock is exploding in modern culture. The NFL has been giving us a helping hand too, with their Super Bowl halftime shows throughout the past decade featuring Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, the Who, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. An average of 112 million people watch the Superbowl every year, especially including younger generations, so exposing them to rock is incredibly important to a genre that nearly faded from our culture.

I Wanna Be the Very Best – a VGC Breakdown

In 1996 Nintendo released what would become one of the most well-known game franchises in video game history: Pokémon. Everyone has heard of Pokémon and most of the time when someone hears the word, the universally known electric mouse, Pikachu, comes to mind, as it is the mascot of the series. The game originally started out as a fun role playing game, where the player begins as a young inexperienced trainer and embarks on an amazing journey, capturing and raising these amazing creatures known as “Pokémon”, as they climb their way up to the ultimate arenas of the Elite Four, and become the Pokémon Champion. It’s a relatively basic game for children of all ages, but as seen later on in the franchise’s development, it would evolve into something far more complex and aggressive than stereotypically regarded. 2008 became the birth year of international Pokémon battling competitions known as VGC.

What does VGC stand for?

 VGC stands for Video Game Championships, and is the name of The Pokémon Company International and Nintendo’s official competitive Pokémon tournament circuit. Much like the League of Legends Championship Series or the Global StarCraft League, Pokémon also became an extremely popular eSport, connecting people globally. The Video Game Championships consist of tournaments across the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, this year’s rookie, South Africa, and online over the Nintendo Network. By competing in tournaments throughout the VGC season, players earn the right to play in the invitation-only Pokémon World Championships – the most prestigious tournament known to the game of Pokémon. Those who are top placing in this event walk away with thousands of dollars in scholarships, exclusive merchandise, and a free trip and invite to the next World Championships.

Tournaments and Championship Points

            As mentioned previously, tournaments are held globally, and of these, there are four types: Select Online Competitions, Premier Challenges, Regional Championships, and National Championships. Select Online Competitions consist of various miniature wifi tournaments hosted online by Nintendo, such as the Nugget Bridge Winter Invitational, or Summer Scramble. Premier Challenges are those tournaments which kick off the VGC season in each individual country. Canada’s Premier Challenge, for example, happened to occur this past Saturday, September 27^th.  Regional and National Championships are the two main events that follow throughout the season. By earning a specific amount of Championship Points throughout the season from Regional competitions, a player can earn his right to the National Championships. Depending on the country, the amount of Regional competitions may differ. For example, the United States generally has close to twenty regional competitions, while Australia may only have three, as there are less players competing there.

            Championship Points (CP) are known as the ranking system to display the top players and how they change throughout the season. The ranking chart can be found on the Official Pokémon website. Because of the thousands of VGC players internationally, the CP-system and the live competitions are separated into three separate age divisions: Juniors, Seniors, and Masters. Here are the listings for the ranking in the Masters Division as of right now in the starting VGC’15 season. As players continue to compete in more and more competitions, their CP scores will grow, earning them access to higher level competitions. Those with the highest scores by the end of the National Championships will be rewarded with a free trip to the location of the Pokémon World Championships, in addition to a hotel room for the players during the competition weekend.

It’s Just a Child’s Game Though!

            As Pokémon has evolved (get it?) over the years, it has turned into a fierce battle of prediction, wits, patience, and the ability to do math. (Yes, Pokémon requires math. It’s actually offensive how much math is involved.) In order to perform at a prestige level similar to many other players around the world, you need to create a team that can synergize well together, and be able to take a hit during the actual battles.

            Breeding at an elementary level in Pokémon is known as simply just making eggs that eventually hatch into little baby Pokémon; they’re cute and everyone likes what’s cute. But to a competitive player, it’s probably the most nerve-wreaking two weeks of his life, especially if he has to rebreed an entire Pokémon the night before the competition. If you care to read more on breeding, follow this link for a brief overview of hellish chain breeding.

            You’ve got six little baby Pokémon in your party now, but what do you do with them? You level them of course! But there’s a catch. A mathematical catch, and probably the second (next to breeding) most frustrating part of generating a competition team: EVs, or Effort Values. These are 508 of the most painful points to ever encounter, and yet they are absolutely vital to a trainer’s team. In short, these boost a few of your Pokémon’s six stats by a certain number of points, and thus make it stronger. Back before the age of online stat calculators, the equation for figuring out how many points a specific stat may grow was determined by [root(x)]/8, where x is the number of EVs being added to the stat.

            “Woah, woah, woah, how do you know how many EVs you need to put into each of your Pokémon’s stats?” The simplest answer to this is to watch for trends, and what Pokémon are most commonly used in the metagame during the time of your competition. A great competitor will always look around for what common threats there are and prepare for them. Then, plug a multitude of numbers into the formula ((2A/5+2)*B*C)/D)/50+2)*X)*Y/10)/255 to determine how many EVs you need to survive the enemy’s attacks. Of course calculators to figure out these sorts of insane equations have been developed, and are very regularly used when developing EV spreads.

Let’s Analyze a Team!

            Generally after a tournament is completed, a player who has done well may post his team to a well-known website in the VGC community known as Nugget Bridge. Aside from the occasional snobbish ding-dong that is present in every community, the VGC community is a very friendly and resourceful environment, all helping one another out with ideas and team combinations to assist in strengthening our own play styles. Nugget Bridge in essence provides a window for the community to share ideas with all other players globally.

            When making a team report, the author may include an in-depth look at his team, damage calculations and percentages, reasoning for specific EV spreads, and his experience throughout the tournament. Because I have not entered in any competitions through my career as a player, here is only a brief write up of the team I'm currently using on an online simulator, in order to give an understanding of what a team report generally looks like.

•••

Talonflame @ Life Orb
Ability: Gale Wings
Level: 50
EVs: 44 HP / 204 Atk / 12 Def / 76 SpA / 172 Spe
Naughty Nature
- Brave Bird
- Overheat
- Tailwind
- Protect

Mawile @ Mawilite
Ability: Intimidate → Huge Power
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 76 Atk / 64 SpD / 116 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Play Rough
- Protect

Venusaur @ Venusaurite
Ability: Chlorophyll → Thick Fat
Level: 50
EVs: 220 HP / 20 Def / 188 SpA / 12 SpD / 68 Spe
Modest Nature
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
- Sleep Powder
- Synthesis

Hydreigon @ Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
Level: 50
EVs: 12 HP / 52 Def / 252 SpA / 20 SpD / 172 Spe
Modest Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Dark Pulse
- Fire Blast
- Earth Power

Gothitelle @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Shadow Tag
Level: 50
EVs: 236 HP / 188 Def / 76 SpD / 8 Spe
Calm Nature
- Psyshock
- Tickle
- Thunder Wave
- Protect

Aegislash @ Leftovers
Ability: Stance Change
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 156 SpA / 76 SpD / 20 Spe
Modest Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Flash Cannon
- Substitute
- King's Shield

•••

            To pick out a quick point to talk about for some explanation from a competitive player’s perspective, let’s looks at Talonflame, Mega-Mawile, and Gothitelle. This format is played in Doubles, meaning that two Pokémon are out on the field at the same time. During the team preview, the players must select carefully what four out of their six Pokémon will do best against their opponent’s team. This is a crucial key to understanding the strategy in VGC.

            Talonflame serves as a very basic Pokémon, only there to either set up or attack, then die. It’s incredibly frail, therefore does not have a high survivability on the field. Brave Bird is its main move, which is combined with its ability “Gale Wings”, giving it priority. This means it may move first before other Pokémon. In the given metagame, Mega-Mawile and Ferrothorn have become threats to teams without a strong fire-type move, therefore Overheat was chosen. Flare Blitz is usually the move of choice; however some players, like me, prefer not to have the additional recoil, which can decrease Talonflame’s HP further.

            Mega-Mawile is a Pokémon that has become very popular in the doubles format and because of this, it’s very important to run a unique version of it to fit your own play style. As personal preference, I decided to give my Mega-Mawile speed EVs, something that is generally frowned upon due to her already incredibly low speed, and calculated to make sure my own can outspeed a number of threats under Tailwind, which doubles the speed of all Pokémon on your team for four turns. VGC is an incredibly fast-paced format, sometimes only lasting five minutes, so speed control is very important to keep an edge.

            Gothitelle, lastly, is a very unique Pokémon to this format, as it is not used frequently; however ironically helped Sejun Park, South Korean player and the 2014 World Champion, claim his well-deserved victory. Her ability, Shadow Tag, forces Pokémon to stay in the battle, rather than letting them switch out. Switching out is a very important mechanic in the VGC world, as it lets you switch a Pokémon that may be targeted for Super-Effective damage out for a Pokémon that takes Not-Very-Effective or no damage, as well as resetting stat drops. In conjunction with Mawile’s pre-mega evolution ability, Intimidate (which drops Attack stat), I can whittle down the enemy Pokémon’s stats and render them useless, and unable to switch out and fix their drops.

            Despite its seeming complexity, this is a very basic outline of what a team overview may look like, as it only shows the team itself, and doesn’t delve too much in depth in terms of explaining what everything about each Pokémon does. For a deeper and more complex example, please visit this published article about the only Canadian representative and his experience during the World Championships this year.

International Top Cut

            Based on the chart of Top 8 competitors, it wasn’t particularly surprising to see Ryosuke Kosuge of Japan (Masters Division semifinalist in the 2013 World Championships), Jeudy Azzarelli (A recognized player in the VGC community), and Sejun Park (winner of numerous Regional and National Championships, and fifth place at Worlds 2012 and 2013) at in the Top 8 this year. What was particularly interesting about this year’s top players was the diversity in countries. In past years United States and Japan have fought neck and neck for the top places; however this has been one of the only years where there was international diversity. It was exciting to see a number of different competitors from various countries because it shows that there are players everywhere who enjoy the same game and a similar interest, but have brought their own unique spin to how they play it.

Pokémon World Championship 2014

            After two long days of intense battles and easily the most nerve-wreaking thirty minutes of their lives, US competitor Jeudy Azzarelli and South Korean player Sejun Park clawed their way up the international competition ladder, ending with Sejun Park bringing a clean victory of 2-1 with his favorite Pokémon, Pachirisu. The event was held at the Walter E. Washington Conventional Center in Washington D.C. from August 15 to 17, 2014, and streamed for all viewers to watch on twitch.tv. A recording of the finals in the Masters Division can be found here. Congratulations to both players, it was a fantastic best-of-three match!

Personal Career in VGC

            In November 2013, I came across the video clippings of the 2013 Pokémon World Championships, showing the insane battles which international trainers had, and became infatuated with VGC. I played other formats for recreation on an online simulator called “Pokémon Showdown”, began communicating with people in a chatroom on the website dedicated to this format, and eventually learned how to function in the competitive scene. Although my only major accomplishment was placing first once in a 48-Player Single Elimination Online Tournament, I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting and befriending people all over the world. And as funny as it sounds, constantly chatting about a large chunk of my childhood on an academic level has been unimaginably fun.

            It’s been nearly a year since I began playing VGC, and although I have a plethora of knowledge on the subject (because that’s apparently easier to memorize than my school work), I’m still very unexperienced in the live tournament environment. Hopefully this year I’ll be able to compete, earn my own title in the VGC community, and make it to the more prestigious levels of the eSport. Until then, my mediocre leaderboard rankings and occasional chatroom tournament wins on Pokémon Showdown will have to suffice!

            The Autumn Regional Championships are the next three weekends; I better get cracking on my in-game team (-laughter-).