Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
For the record, this game does have a filter for offensive words and phrases for Pokémon nicknames, but it does NOT have a restriction against naming a Pokémon a different species (like, for instance, taking a Watchog and naming it “Mewtwo”). I don’t know if it was an oversight or not, but this practice is not allowed at official competitions (and some fan-run ones) due to it being confusing. It is more work for the people who run these competitions, and they may update Pokémon Champions in the future to disallow it.
Naturally, due to my own conventions for naming my Pokémon, I do not do this sort of thing, and very few people actually would (I sometimes see people boasting they have a Zoroark of some sort on their team and naming all of the Pokémon on the team as “Zoroark”). I have not found an opponent who does so yet, and I am not sure if I would include such a battle if it turned up.
00:00 - Battle #1
Type: Double Battle
Opponent: Solan
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Team MZ
My Pokémon: Kane (Mr. Rime), Bjorn (Lycanroc) (Midday), Vincenzo (Sceptile), Ferdinand (Tauros) (Kantonian)
Opponent’s Pokémon: Incineroar, Houndoon, Blaziken, Aj (Charizard)
This team is an all-Fire team. It’s easy to spot type-based themes in teams, but a bit harder to spot some other themes (I’ve had a number of these themes and am waiting for the right Pokémon to be made available). A type-based theme makes it feel like I’m fighting a Gym Leader or Elite Four member.
My opponent, however, nearly maxed out the timer to send out Charizard, and the same went for move selection. My guess is that Aj, their Charizard, did not know Protect and might have been stuck figuring out what to do. (It’s also kind of interesting to note that I sent out a Pokémon weak to Fire at the start, Kane (Mr. Rime), who managed to remain standing at the end of the battle.)
02:55 - Battle #2
Type: Double Battle
Opponent: FrogAdjacent
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Battle Arena
My Pokémon: Bjorn (Lycanroc) (Midday), Poindexter (Overqwil), Ferdinand (Tauros) (Kantonian), Vincenzo (Sceptile)
Opponent’s Pokémon: Incineroar, Snorlax, Hawlucha, Sinistcha
I am aware of the strategy involving Snorlax and Hawlucha, and this team was built to be able to handle it: Hawlucha Mega Evolves and uses Entrainment on Snorlax, giving it No Guard and allowing it to hit 100% accuracy Fissures. What I didn’t count on was them starting with only one half of it and switching to the other afterwards. (It also seems that, in addition to the Attack drops and Defense boosts, their Pokémon were also defensively trained, designed to savrifice attack power to get Fissure going every turn at all costs.
That being said, I had forgotten about the direct counter to that strategy: Mabel (Clefable) Mega Evolving and using Follow Me, which would redirect both Entrainment to a different Pokémon and Fissure to a Flying-type, requiring them to do something different.
I should remember the sort of things people can get up to with a pair like that in case it happens again—namely to spot it on their lineup in Team Preview.
08:00 - Battle #3
Type: Double Battle
Opponent: Carlos
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Trainer (Ruby, Sapphire, & Emerald)
My Pokémon: Ferdinand (Tauros) (Kantonian), Vincenzo (Sceptile), Kane (Mr. Rime), Mabel (Clefable)
Opponent’s Pokémon: Tyranitar, Excadrill, Incineroar, Primarina
Here is another example of a start with Tyranitar and Excadrill with them switching out Incineroar. I’m guessing the expectation is that I’d target Tyranitar, and targeting Excadrill is likely not what they planned for.
Sceptile is one of those unlikely special attackers who can learn good Ground-type moves, like Earth Power. Conbined with the expected Grass-type moves, this gives it a useful advantage against all four of the Pokémon on the opposing side.
12:00 - Battle #4
Type: Double Battle
Opponent: Black
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Trainer (Scarlet & Violet)
My Pokémon: Kane (Mr. Rime), Poindexter (Overqwil), Mabel (Clefable), Vincenzo (Sceptile)
Opponent’s Pokémon: Oranguru, Torkoal, Sylveon, Kingambit
After messing up in a battle where I did not expect Protect on Torkoal on the first turn with the Torkoal-Oranguru start, now I know better: I use Fake Out to prevent Oranguru from using Trick Room, then finish off Oranguru on the second (or the opponent switches out, which still holds off on Trick Room for a turn).
For the record, this game does have a filter for offensive words and phrases for Pokémon nicknames, but it does NOT have a restriction against naming a Pokémon a different species (like, for instance, taking a Watchog and naming it “Mewtwo”). I don’t know if it was an oversight or not, but this practice is not allowed at official competitions (and some fan-run ones) due to it being confusing. It is more work for the people who run these competitions, and they may update Pokémon Champions in the future to disallow it.
Naturally, due to my own conventions for naming my Pokémon, I do not do this sort of thing, and very few people actually would (I sometimes see people boasting they have a Zoroark of some sort on their team and naming all of the Pokémon on the team as “Zoroark”). I have not found an opponent who does so yet, and I am not sure if I would include such a battle if it turned up.
00:00 - Battle #1
Type: Double Battle
Opponent: Solan
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Team MZ
My Pokémon: Kane (Mr. Rime), Bjorn (Lycanroc) (Midday), Vincenzo (Sceptile), Ferdinand (Tauros) (Kantonian)
Opponent’s Pokémon: Incineroar, Houndoon, Blaziken, Aj (Charizard)
This team is an all-Fire team. It’s easy to spot type-based themes in teams, but a bit harder to spot some other themes (I’ve had a number of these themes and am waiting for the right Pokémon to be made available). A type-based theme makes it feel like I’m fighting a Gym Leader or Elite Four member.
My opponent, however, nearly maxed out the timer to send out Charizard, and the same went for move selection. My guess is that Aj, their Charizard, did not know Protect and might have been stuck figuring out what to do. (It’s also kind of interesting to note that I sent out a Pokémon weak to Fire at the start, Kane (Mr. Rime), who managed to remain standing at the end of the battle.)
02:55 - Battle #2
Type: Double Battle
Opponent: FrogAdjacent
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Battle Arena
My Pokémon: Bjorn (Lycanroc) (Midday), Poindexter (Overqwil), Ferdinand (Tauros) (Kantonian), Vincenzo (Sceptile)
Opponent’s Pokémon: Incineroar, Snorlax, Hawlucha, Sinistcha
I am aware of the strategy involving Snorlax and Hawlucha, and this team was built to be able to handle it: Hawlucha Mega Evolves and uses Entrainment on Snorlax, giving it No Guard and allowing it to hit 100% accuracy Fissures. What I didn’t count on was them starting with only one half of it and switching to the other afterwards. (It also seems that, in addition to the Attack drops and Defense boosts, their Pokémon were also defensively trained, designed to savrifice attack power to get Fissure going every turn at all costs.
That being said, I had forgotten about the direct counter to that strategy: Mabel (Clefable) Mega Evolving and using Follow Me, which would redirect both Entrainment to a different Pokémon and Fissure to a Flying-type, requiring them to do something different.
I should remember the sort of things people can get up to with a pair like that in case it happens again—namely to spot it on their lineup in Team Preview.
08:00 - Battle #3
Type: Double Battle
Opponent: Carlos
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Trainer (Ruby, Sapphire, & Emerald)
My Pokémon: Ferdinand (Tauros) (Kantonian), Vincenzo (Sceptile), Kane (Mr. Rime), Mabel (Clefable)
Opponent’s Pokémon: Tyranitar, Excadrill, Incineroar, Primarina
Here is another example of a start with Tyranitar and Excadrill with them switching out Incineroar. I’m guessing the expectation is that I’d target Tyranitar, and targeting Excadrill is likely not what they planned for.
Sceptile is one of those unlikely special attackers who can learn good Ground-type moves, like Earth Power. Conbined with the expected Grass-type moves, this gives it a useful advantage against all four of the Pokémon on the opposing side.
12:00 - Battle #4
Type: Double Battle
Opponent: Black
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Trainer (Scarlet & Violet)
My Pokémon: Kane (Mr. Rime), Poindexter (Overqwil), Mabel (Clefable), Vincenzo (Sceptile)
Opponent’s Pokémon: Oranguru, Torkoal, Sylveon, Kingambit
After messing up in a battle where I did not expect Protect on Torkoal on the first turn with the Torkoal-Oranguru start, now I know better: I use Fake Out to prevent Oranguru from using Trick Room, then finish off Oranguru on the second (or the opponent switches out, which still holds off on Trick Room for a turn).
