Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
We’re nearing the end of Season M-A, and the mobile version will be out on Wednesday. I’ve already pre-ordered the mobile version, and everyone playing will get a Raichu because they’ll also be making Raichunite X and Raichunite Y available. Poor Alolan Raichu, not getting much and Kantonian Raichu leaves it in the dust…though I did do unusually well in the “I Choose ‘Chu!” Online Competition using Alolan Raichu over Kantonian Raichu, so in formats without Mega Evolution, it might be different.
00:00 - Battle #1
Type: Double Battle
Opponent: buffhmstr
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Trainer (X & Y)
My Pokémon: Mac (Mudsdale), Rigel (Manectric), Lamar (Aurorus), Paolo (Quaquaval)
Opponent’s Pokémon:Tyranitar, Sinistcha, Excadrill, Hydreigon
Hey, remember this scheme where Tyranitar kicks up a Sandstorm, and Excadrill gets to enjoy doubled Speed thanks to Sand Rush? It was real popular in Ranked Pokémon Sword and Shield, and it comes back in Pokémon Champions right from the start as Tyranitar and Excadrill are both here. Excadrill does not get to keep Sand Rush when it Mega Evolves, so you can xpect Tyranitar to do the Mega Evolving here (namely to keep Sandstorm in play should the weather get canceled). They Mega Evolved Tyranitar immediately though, presumably to withstand attacks, which works for me.
04:01 - Battle #2
Type: Double Battle
Opponent: Zarck
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Strong Trainer (Legends: Z-A)
My Pokémon: Rigel (Manectric), Lamar (Aurorus), Mac (Mudsdale), Paolo (Quaquaval)
Opponent’s Pokémon: Zoroark (Hisuian), Oranguru, Drampa, ?
Here is someone using an all-Normal team. I had an all-Normal team in Pokémon Sword and Shield as well, and it, too, had Oranguru with Trick Room and Instruct.
This time though, while I was able to see through Zoroark’s presence at the start (which must have been a surprise to my opponent), nothing I did was quite able to fully deplete Drampa’s HP, and it is a beast under Trick Room when it Mega Evolves due to its low Speed of 36. Mudsdale edges it out at a Speed of 35 but doesn’t mean much when it seemingly can withstand anything.
08:31 - Battle #3
Type: Double Battle
Opponent: Johnnie
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Trainer (Scarlet & Violet)
My Pokémon: Rigel (Manectric), Paolo (Quawquaval), Rosalyn (Roserade), Lamar (Aurorus)
Opponent’s Pokémon: Gracie (Glaceon), Vanilluxe, Pidgeot, Chesnaught
Glaceon can be real trouble when there’s snow out (more on that later), so I thought it best to get rid of it as quickly as possible. Not sure if there is any synergy with Pidgeot and Chesnaught though, but having used Mega Pidgeot in the past, those 100% accuracy Hurricanes can be difficult to deal with.
7 out of 8 Glaceon are male, so Gracie was an unexpected choice of a nickname for this Glaceon.
11:22 - Battle #4
Type: Double Battle
Opponent: Dresden
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Trainer (Sword & Shield)
My Pokémon: Rigel (Manectric), Paolo (Quaquaval), Lamar (Aurorus), Rosalyn (Roserade)
Opponent’s Pokémon: Sinistcha, Slowking (Galarian), Steelix, Politoed
Mega Steelix had been a Mega Evolution who had not seen much use until Wolfe Glick turned up with one and went nearly undefeated with it at the Indianapolis Regionals. (He had since moved on to Toxapex, a Pokémon whose legimitacy has been proven in the past.) What resulted was a lot more Mega Steelix during the days in between, both taing advantage of its Sand Force Ability to hit harder in Sandstorm or, in this case, Trick Room to put its 30 Speed to its best possible use, especially when combined with its sky-high 230 Defense.
What a moment for Slowking to get Frozen though…but an interesting move from my opponent, using Earthquake to knock out their own Slowking so Politoed can appear without losing a turn, albeit at the cost of Trick Room ending that turn. That might have happened regardless of Freeze or not, but I did get lucky that Blizzard in the rain hit Steelix. I flipped a coin, and it landed on heads this time.
We’re nearing the end of Season M-A, and the mobile version will be out on Wednesday. I’ve already pre-ordered the mobile version, and everyone playing will get a Raichu because they’ll also be making Raichunite X and Raichunite Y available. Poor Alolan Raichu, not getting much and Kantonian Raichu leaves it in the dust…though I did do unusually well in the “I Choose ‘Chu!” Online Competition using Alolan Raichu over Kantonian Raichu, so in formats without Mega Evolution, it might be different.
00:00 - Battle #1
Type: Double Battle
Opponent: buffhmstr
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Trainer (X & Y)
My Pokémon: Mac (Mudsdale), Rigel (Manectric), Lamar (Aurorus), Paolo (Quaquaval)
Opponent’s Pokémon:Tyranitar, Sinistcha, Excadrill, Hydreigon
Hey, remember this scheme where Tyranitar kicks up a Sandstorm, and Excadrill gets to enjoy doubled Speed thanks to Sand Rush? It was real popular in Ranked Pokémon Sword and Shield, and it comes back in Pokémon Champions right from the start as Tyranitar and Excadrill are both here. Excadrill does not get to keep Sand Rush when it Mega Evolves, so you can xpect Tyranitar to do the Mega Evolving here (namely to keep Sandstorm in play should the weather get canceled). They Mega Evolved Tyranitar immediately though, presumably to withstand attacks, which works for me.
04:01 - Battle #2
Type: Double Battle
Opponent: Zarck
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Strong Trainer (Legends: Z-A)
My Pokémon: Rigel (Manectric), Lamar (Aurorus), Mac (Mudsdale), Paolo (Quaquaval)
Opponent’s Pokémon: Zoroark (Hisuian), Oranguru, Drampa, ?
Here is someone using an all-Normal team. I had an all-Normal team in Pokémon Sword and Shield as well, and it, too, had Oranguru with Trick Room and Instruct.
This time though, while I was able to see through Zoroark’s presence at the start (which must have been a surprise to my opponent), nothing I did was quite able to fully deplete Drampa’s HP, and it is a beast under Trick Room when it Mega Evolves due to its low Speed of 36. Mudsdale edges it out at a Speed of 35 but doesn’t mean much when it seemingly can withstand anything.
08:31 - Battle #3
Type: Double Battle
Opponent: Johnnie
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Trainer (Scarlet & Violet)
My Pokémon: Rigel (Manectric), Paolo (Quawquaval), Rosalyn (Roserade), Lamar (Aurorus)
Opponent’s Pokémon: Gracie (Glaceon), Vanilluxe, Pidgeot, Chesnaught
Glaceon can be real trouble when there’s snow out (more on that later), so I thought it best to get rid of it as quickly as possible. Not sure if there is any synergy with Pidgeot and Chesnaught though, but having used Mega Pidgeot in the past, those 100% accuracy Hurricanes can be difficult to deal with.
7 out of 8 Glaceon are male, so Gracie was an unexpected choice of a nickname for this Glaceon.
11:22 - Battle #4
Type: Double Battle
Opponent: Dresden
Battle Court: Battle Arena
Music: Trainer (Sword & Shield)
My Pokémon: Rigel (Manectric), Paolo (Quaquaval), Lamar (Aurorus), Rosalyn (Roserade)
Opponent’s Pokémon: Sinistcha, Slowking (Galarian), Steelix, Politoed
Mega Steelix had been a Mega Evolution who had not seen much use until Wolfe Glick turned up with one and went nearly undefeated with it at the Indianapolis Regionals. (He had since moved on to Toxapex, a Pokémon whose legimitacy has been proven in the past.) What resulted was a lot more Mega Steelix during the days in between, both taing advantage of its Sand Force Ability to hit harder in Sandstorm or, in this case, Trick Room to put its 30 Speed to its best possible use, especially when combined with its sky-high 230 Defense.
What a moment for Slowking to get Frozen though…but an interesting move from my opponent, using Earthquake to knock out their own Slowking so Politoed can appear without losing a turn, albeit at the cost of Trick Room ending that turn. That might have happened regardless of Freeze or not, but I did get lucky that Blizzard in the rain hit Steelix. I flipped a coin, and it landed on heads this time.
