Xiri

Redemption Weekly - Week Seventeen One more challenger has successfully reached the Hall of Fame, and hence 5 Hall of Famers are now intact for Season 2. 2 more weeks are remaining before the finale, and many challengers are now in Bracket 6 - where they must face the final gauntlet before facing Oliver. Best of luck to those that will be challenging this week, as always! The win-rates are as follows: The following promotions/demotions were agreed upon by the Staff - based on the Leaders' performances for the last 3 weeks! Featured Battles Bracket 1: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-89283 (Haley vs Intsys) Haley returns to her S1 Singles Tactics! Bracket 2: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-89285 (Ariel vs RBRN Azery) Choice Scarf Bracket 3: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-89257 (HELEN vs DashingStorm) The Butter Lord never dies Bracket 4: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-89244 (Lucifer vs Trevore) Just keep trying~ just keep trying Bracket 5: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-89117 (Emilia vs Cyanna Cyril) Emilia stepping things up again Bracket 6: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7xleaguesingles-89241 (Oliver vs Quinn) Gliscor is a troll The HOT Seat Since we are currently short on time, it was decided that I'll be hosting dual interviews for the remaining interviews (New interviews will be released even though Season 2 finishes!). This week, I have invited the two powerful Bracket 6 Leaders, Elliot and Oliver to the seat! X: ...I thought Elliot was practicing for a concert, not a- Magician Missy the Blissey suddenly appears in front of Xiri! X: *cough cough* HOLY SH- *cough* uh what? What is th- Missy suddenly hands Xiri a card, which suddenly bursts in flames! X: AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! E: Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold it there, Missy. That's no way to treat our guest here! Clean it up! Missy calms the flames down, and takes the card away from Xiri, looking disappointed E: Sorry, Xiri. Little Missy here probably just wanted to show you a magic trick. X: Well... *cough cough* I hope she doesn't do that again without warning... that scared the living crap out of me... E: Ehehe... well she is the magician of the show, after all! She always likes to show off new tricks to strangers! Please forgive her. X: Oh about that, I thought you were preparing for a concert, not a circus, Elliot E: It started off as a concert! But some of my Pokemon had talents in circus acts instead of performing music. I couldn't just let them sit in the sidelines and observe the band members perform every single time! They also wanted to perform on stage too! So I thought, why not just make a circus where everyone can have a chance to perform? Isn't it a brilliant idea? X: Uh... I gu- E: Oh, I almost forgot. I should call him down too. Hey Oliver! Xiri is here for our interview, so we can take a little break! Could you come down? X: Huh? Oliver is here too? Why- Oliver gently swoops down from above on his Staraptor O: About time you got here. X: I was only one minute late- O: Time is money. Can't you see we're a bit busy here? E: Hey hey Oli, come on man! Don't be like that! Chill a little! O: Whatever. I still don't like how I don't get an interview by myself when my sister got one. X: ...I explained this before on the phone. We're short on- O: (shrugs) I still don't like it X: ...... E: Hehe... well, Xiri! Should we get started?? I can't wait to be asked questions! O: You can, surely E: Oli, please...! Let's not create any fights here... X: Alright, alright. We can start then. Could both of you please give your opening words to the Readers? E: Hello friends! It's Elliot, and I'm really excited to be here! It almost feels like I'm famous! I hope all of you reading can also enjoy this interview as much as I do! O: Sup. The name is Oliver. Favorite pastime is beating up scrubs. X: Okay. So, Season 2 is unfortunately coming to a close. How did both of you find this season so far? E: It's been really great! I had a lot of fun battles, and although I had a couple of moments when things got a little uh.. out of hand? but overall, it was a great experience! O: Having the Champ position was pretty cool. Beating up regular scrubs are boring, but this season, only having to battle 'tougher' scrubs was fun. X: (Arrogant much) Do you both have any memorable challengers? E: It would definitely have to be TheMoltenGuy! He tried so hard but my Tony just dodged Focus Blasts left and right... I actually felt pretty bad after the battles I had with him. O: Eh, I delete memories of battles after I'm done with them, but I guess Anstane is memorable since he haxed his way to win. Sigh~ X: Isn't hax part of the game though? O: You try getting flinched every single game then, and tell me how you feel about it E: I'll have to agree... no offense to Anstane of course, but flinches are annoying! But nevertheless he fought well in my battles! A brave, young challenger indeed! X: (I wish I can just smash those cheap sunglasses right now. Who the hell wears them indoors anyway) Fair enough then. Any tips for the challengers that are awaiting to face you both? E: Expect a lot of walls! Bella (Miltank), Tony (Snorlax), L.J (Porygon2) are usually my primary walls of defense, so a strong Fighting type attack - preferably a STAB will do a huge chunk of damage! But I do have Doris (Dodrio), Deandre (Staraptor) and Irene (Pidgeot) around to handle some Fighting type Pokemon, so don't think you'll get an auto-win with a Fighting type Pokemon alone! O: Copy and paste from what Elliot just said. Except Fighting types won't save you against me. Tips? Just outplay me. It's hard but thats the only way. X: Well, 5 people did manage to beat you so you're not impossible to defeat! But I have to admit, you both are demonstrating some nice battles - so good job on that E: Thank you! O: You expect something different? X: (Ignores Oliver) That's enough about battles I think. Elliot, could you explain this circus a little more? E: It was always my dream to have some sort of performance with my Pokemon! Originally, as I said before, I was planning a band! But some of my Pokemon didn't have the musical talent they deserved! So to make things fair, I decided that holding a circus with some live music performance would be a splendid idea! Both visual and auditory entertainment! Isn't that just thrilling? X: (A little dramatic, more like) Well, where does Oliver fit into this? O: I give acrobatic lessons. I'm not the Flying type Leader for nothing y'know. X: Wait, you used to be an acrobat? O: Sorta. My birds also help Elliot's Pokemon with some aerial acts too. I don't do much, so its pretty worth it X: In...teresting... when is the opening night? E: I would say, in about 3 months or so! We need everything to be in a perfect state, after all, and I think 3 months will be a decent amount of time to polish up everything! X: Are you going to invite any other Leaders to the circus? O: Duh. Isn't it obvious who he is going to invite? E: H-hey! W-what are you thinking? I'm going to invite everyone, y'know! It'll be a mini Redemption gathering! O: Uh-huh suuuure. She'll probably get the first invite. How are things going between you and her, anyway? E: Huh? F-fine. W-wait! Nothing! We're only getting to know each other now... nothing special about it! O: You're acting suspicious. C'mon, I'm sure the readers would like to know more about you two. She already had her interview, so this is your only chance to talk about it. X: (I thought I was the interviewer here) E: There really isn't... o-oh! U-u-uh by the w-way Oliver! How are things between you and Olivia going? Have you heard she got promoted to Bracket 2? X: (Okay. Just ignore me) O: Good for her. I don't want to admit it, but she does have potential. She just needs to step it up a bit. If only she gained some confidence... E: So you do care for her after all! O: Eh, I kinda have to. She is my sister, after all. X: Do you want to say a few words to a sister then? Can you make it as emotional as possible? Oliver glares at Xiri X: (Yeah, they are siblings. They glare the exact same way). Well I guess we can wrap it up for the day. Thank you for your time, both of you! O: That was short X: I think it was long enough E: I'm a little bit sad that it's over... but I had fun. It's okay! O: Whatever. I'll be going back up. X: You will invite me too to the opening night, right? E: Of course! O: No X: What? Why? O: Because you're a loser X: ...

Redemption Weekly - Week Sixteen Things have been proceeding rather smoothly in Redemption! We now have 2 challengers that are aiming for the fifth Hall of Fame position - and we have about 5 challengers that only have one or two badges to obtain before they receive the opportunity to fight Oliver. With 3 weeks remaining before the finale, will they all be able to record their names on the Hall of Fame? Now accepting bets The win-rates are as follows: Featured Battles Bracket 1: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-88633 (Olivia vs Siddhanta) Mini-Ditto in Action! Bracket 2: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-88561 (Ariel vs TheMosmero) Literally the only Bracket 2 battle this week Bracket 3: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-88719 (Duncan vs DemIce) Duncan vs Triple Weather Team! Bracket 4: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-88524 (Leonidas vs RBRN Azery) Who could have thought Triples Trick Room Fighting can be so menacing Bracket 5: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-88682 (Erwin vs Champion CoolGirl) Shedinja Hype! Bracket 6: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-88536 (Elliot vs TheMoltenGuy) Elliot, stop dodging Focus Blasts 2 The HOT Seat Our fourth Leader to appear on the Hot Seat, is none other than the tranquil, carefree girl herself, the Grass Gym Leader, Olivia! Olivia has recently been put in the spotlight, for her 'crush' towards the new Psychic Leader, Jasper, and she seems to have gone through quite a bit lately. Originally, she wasn't the next Leader to be interviewed but... X: Good lord. Those demons will do ANYTHING to get their hands on this CD urgh. Now that I lost track of Jasper's annoying fans, I can go back ho- oof! O: Ouch! Excuse me! Please look at where you're going! I don't want to break another leg, you know! X: Oww... sorry. Oh hey, Olivia. Fancy meeting you here. O: Oh, hello. Didn't expect to see you here. How are you? X: I'm alright I guess. Where are you off to? O: Hehe... I'm on my way to Jasper's fan-sign event! I can't wait to see him up close again! Maybe if he sees me eye-to-eye, he'll realize that I'm a charming girl too (giggles) X: Err... didn't the fan-sign event happen 2 hours ago? O: Nope! It says it's at 2- OH MY GOD! (suddenly grabs Xiri by the collar) I CAN'T BELIEVE I MISSED THE 1 IN FRONT OF THE 2!! I MISSED IT!! I MISSED HIM!! I... I.. HOW CAN I BE SO STUPID??? X: (!#@$!$@%#!) C..could you - cough cough cough - at least let g- HELP!! O: (Drops Xiri suddenly, and he falls with a thud) Oh! I... I'm sorry. I got a little carried away... but I can't help feeling sad... s-stupid tears, why are they appearing... sobs X: (I would rather feel sad than getting nearly choked to death) Err... cough cough tell you what, Olivia. Why don't I interview you then, if that helps you feel better? O: (snivels) Oh, is it my turn already? X: Well... no, but wouldn't it make you feel a little bit better if you talked about what is going on inside your head? cough cough O: Oh... (sob) I suppose. I guess we can go to my garden and have the interview there. By the way (snivel), are you alright? You seem to be coughing a lot X: ... In Olivia's Garden X: Wow... this is amazing! Pretty impressive garden, Olivia! Did you plant all these flowers yourself? O: Of course! Seeing these lovely flowers bloom makes my confidence boost up a little, and.. I quite need that self-confidence at times like these.. X: We'll.. talk more about that a bit later. For now though, could you give your opening words to our readers? Let's get started O: Opening words? Um... hello Redemption Weekly readers! I hope that all of you can learn a lot about me and have learned a lot about others, and are having a good time participating in the league, whether they're challenging or not! Good luck to everyone out there, and don't forget to appreciate the plants and Grass-types in your life~ X: Thank you! Now, Season 2 is coming to a close sadly. How are you finding Season 2 overall, and do you think its a bit different to Season 1? O: There's definitely a lot more happening than last season... which isn't really a good thing, considering what has happened. Edgar taking Helen under his wing, the murders, and... I can't really call my current situation great. Jasper being here is really nice though! Even though that has brought its own troubles... X: So, you're saying it has been quite dramatic? O: I guess you can say it like that. But battling challengers was still fun - possibly even better than last season. X: Speaking of challengers, who would be your most memorable challenger? O: I can't really point one sole challenger out, but there was a challenger that kind of disappeared who had an Arcanine and an Alolan Marowak... It feels good to get past your weaknesses, you know? X: Yes of course. You are performing the best out of the three Bracket 1 Leaders, after all. Do you mind sharing some of your battle tactics? O: I did get to Bracket 2 at one point too! Although... it didn't last too long. Anyway, currently my favorite strategies are hazard stack singles and doubles sun, so watch out if you don't have hazard removal or weather control~ I still use Trick Room Triples from time to time, but a certain item can render that strategy moot. X: Ah yes, that black ball thing. Every Leader who uses Trick Room seems to despise that item, although it could backfire since it makes Flying types and Levitate users lose their immunity to Ground type attacks. O: I'm well aware... now if only he could drop like those birds with Iron Balls X: Y'know... I always wondered about that. Why are you and Oliver so hostile to each other? O: He started it first!! He has everything he could ever want! He has great battling skills, fame, heck he was even Champion once!! Everyone thinks he's some super cool chill guy but he's so lazy!! Have you ever tried to make dinner only for your brother to not help you at all??? X: Oh, uhm- O: I even asked nicely AND HE STILL JUST SAT THERE, PLAYING SOME DUMB GAME WHILE I WORKED TO MAKE *HIS* FOOD. AND HE CONSTANTLY TELLS ME I'M A DISGRACE AND POKES FUN AT MY BRACKET!! OH HE RESCUED ONE BIRD? THAT DOESN'T MAKE UP FOR EVERYTHING HE'S DONE TO ME, THE DICKHEAD!! *seething rage* X: Err... calm down a bit, Olivia. But I'm sure there will be at least one good memo- O: WHAT GOOD MEMORIES? HOW COULD YOU EVEN HAVE A GOOD SECOND AROUND HIM?? X: Err.. I don't live with him so I wouldn't know... O: ... Who am I kidding? There... there is one memory, and it's kind of recent, too. On our birthday, he decided to take me out on a plane ride. I... was a little confused at first. I thought it was some kind of trick, but, we ended up going anyway. Honestly, I kind of enjoyed it... the scenery was beautiful and... we weren't fighting each other for once. *sighs* I wish things could be like that again... X: Perhaps you guys are finally warming up to each other? O: Maybe... but I doubt it. He made fun of my broken leg yesterday too. He told me I deserved having a broken leg since I couldn't handle myself well! What sort of person can be this inhumane?? X: (Quickly tries to change the topic since Olivia was about to grab Xiri's collar again) Ahem- how is your leg by the way? I heard you had quite an accident O: It's um, getting better, just a little slowly... It hurts less to walk on anyway. I'm not sure if that's because of Jasper's Gardevoir's Heal Pulse, which was incredibly nice of him, but ever since then there's been a little less pain! X: Oh, that was pretty sweet of him. O: I know right! But... I just don't want to have to rely on my crutches or other people anymore, especially since it was my stupid self that caused this... Sorry, I didn't mean to make this depressing. X: Let's... try and talk about a cheerful topic then! Jasper- O: Eek! X: ...yeah. I'll be direct - why did you fall for our popular superstar? O: He's really cute and really nice to me and offer's so many opportunities for me to be with him~! His voice is fantastic, and I absolutely LOVE his song "Pick Me Up"!! He once even removed his shirt at one point and that was super hot!! X: ...wow. I wouldn't have known that O: W-wait, did I just say that? Heehee... X: (This is awkward) Unfortunately though... you know about his feelings to... Oliver right? O: Yes... I know.. I'm... honestly mostly confused... and angry... and depressed... it's hard to even parse. How could he even have this over me... at least if it was any other boy I could- a-actually, let's not go there... X: (This turned depressing again) Are there any other Leaders you want to get more friendly with, then? O: Well, lately I've been on good terms with Erwin. He's been helping me, um, deal with my feelings... feelings about many things... And we went berry picking together! We even found some super rare Eggant berries. He seems to really be in tune with nature too, so maybe... maybe I could teach him about gardening, and we can work together... Oh in fact, he should be here any minute now. I forgot we were going to meet today. Uhm sorry Xiri, but do you mind if we finish here for today? I think I answered quite well... X: Oh, of course! I was about to finish soon too. Thank you for your time! O: It's nothing. Oh, and thank you for trying to cheer me up. I really appreciate it. Be careful on the way out. My Tangrowth might be taking a nap there. X: You mean Mr. Vine Bon-? Olivia glares at Xiri X: S-sorry. See you around Olivia! Xiri notices the next day that his gift CD from Jasper is missing!

Ayy happy birthday Kam, my man!

Redemption Weekly - Week Fifteen Welcome back to another edition of Redemption Weekly! You all must have heard that Season 2 must be closing soon... but do not worry! Season 3 will be approaching (hopefully) in the future, and Redemption will return with a furnished look (and new rules and guidelines etc.). We encourage you to keep trying your best until the very end! Win Rates are as follows: Featured Battles Bracket 1: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-88127 (Olivia vs GoldenChimchar) When a dancing pineapple meets an Assault Vest Bracket 2: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-88158 (Ariel vs DeeEmZee) Bullet Punch Awayyy~ Bracket 3: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-88121 (Helen vs Tommy Wiseau) Mountain Man was jealous that Butter Lord stole his original spotlight! Bracket 4: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-88144 (Lucifer vs Champion CoolGirl) A-N-C-H-O-R S-H-O-T (feat. Erwin) Bracket 5: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-88051 (Emilia vs Intsys) Countering the horror that is Triples Tailwind Sun Bracket 6: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-88125 (Elliot vs TheMoltenGuy) Elliot, stop dodging Focus Blasts The HOT Seat In this week's HOT Seat, we have the freshman Leader himself, Jasper! A lot of challengers, and most Leaders seem to be very interested in the new guy, so let us discover more about the popular idol! X: Hmm... so Jasper should be here any min- oh there he is. Hey Jasp- Fans: OHHHH MYYY GODDDD!!! JASPERRR JASPERRR JASPERR!!! EEEEEK!! OHHH MYY GODDD HE LOOOKS SO GORGEOUS OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!!! Eww, move out of the way, potato-head!! You're blocking the view!!! X: Huh?? W-wait, I'm just trying to- argh! Fans: EEEEEEEEK!! HE IS SMILING!! I NEED TO SEE IT UP CLOSE!!! EEEEKK!! The fans purposefully accidentally knock over Xiri, and stampede over him! Moments later J: Hey! Are you okay? X: ...mrgrgrgr... oww my head. Oh, hey Jasper. am I glad to see you. J: Hello! And err sorry about what happened... My fans can be a little err... energetic at times. I didn't expect them to follow me to the interview place though! X: Well, I hope they aren't here anymore J: I held a mini fan-sign event, and they all went home quite happily! They promised they wouldn't disturb us! I usually hold 2 hour fan-signing events, but this one was only on for about an hour or so, so that was fine with me! X: (I passed out for an hour? Wow...) Anyway, let's get started. Could you say your opening words to our readers? J: Hello, readers of Redemption Weekly! It's Jasper, and I'm really excited to be here! I hope all of you enjoy reading my interview, and I really appreciate all of your support! X: Thank you. It's been almost a month since you joined us. How are you finding the Redemption League so far? J: It's a very fun experience! The idol life can be very stressful so battling is a nice way to unwind and meet people I might not have met through my performances. ^^ X: I see. Who would you say is the most memorable challenger? J: Hmm... Honestly I'd have to pick Azery for my most memorable challenger~ I believe him and Rise have become very good friends ^.^! As for a particular battle... probably the one where Azery's Icicle Crash missed Rise allowing it to recover its HP! xD X: Rise, if I'm not mistaken, is your Solrock, right? J: Yes! I'm really happy that a lower tier Pokemon has a chance to shine in Redemption! It's been a star in my battle with Azery! xD X: I agree! Lower tier mons definitely can shine in Redemption! Do you have any tips for the challengers that are facing difficulty with you? J: Honestly I'm not too different from the previous Psychic leader, Edgar xD. Powerful dark types are very difficult to deal with, haha. I try to focus on a more offensive playstyle so the best way to defeat me would be to outplay and overpower me! ^^ X: Outplaying and overpowering you, huh. You're a pretty potent battler, so that might be a little difficult for some challengers J: I'm not really xD! There are Leaders who are way better at battling than me, for example Oliver! X: Ooh, speaking of Oliver, I heard that you announced that you had a crush on Oliver? What's up with that, if you don't mind me asking? J: I figured this would come up eventually xD! Right now it's nothing more than a crush! I definitely feel there's more to Oliver than he shows publicly. X: What do you mean by that? J: I once spotted him caring for an injured bird. It was the sweetest thing! My partner Carly is also very adept in judging character, as most Gardevoir are. She definitely feels as though he's a good person! Plus, Oliver is just really cute! ^^ X: I didn't know Oliver had such a caring heart. Guess you learn something new every day. J: You should get close to him! ^^ Oh, but please don't date him or anything like that xD X: ...I won't haha. Anyway, I think that wraps about everything up. Thank you for your time, Jasper! J: It was nothing! Oh, and here is a gift - its my debut album CD! xD X: Oh neat! I was actually wondering what your music sounded like, since it didn't seem to be available online for some reason. J: You'll like it, I'm sure! Oh, but make sure you avoid the fans that are waiting outside! They might steal that CD off you if you're not careful xD X: ...

Redemption Weekly - Week Fourteen WE'RE BACK~~ (please don't hurt me Q_Q) Sorry for my absence last week. I was extremely busy, and I had no time to write-up a new issue... my sincere apologies for that. Anyways, we have hit Week 14 of Redemption. During the last 2 weeks, another brave challenger managed to unlock his opportunity to challenge Oliver. Will he be able to be claim the fifth position in the Hall of Fame, or will Oliver continue to wall him? The rest of the challengers are progressing rather smoothly too - with 9 challengers at Bracket 6! In the X-League department, Noble Kakyoin has been having a successful time - defeating Leaders with their overpowered teams pretty decently. Can he be crowned the first X-League Champion? Here are the win-rates for Week 14: The following promotions/demotions were agreed upon by the Staff - based on the Leaders' performances for the last 3 weeks! Featured Battles Bracket 1: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-87478 (Nick vs Aurora K_H) Guess I shouldn't tease Nick about him only being able to do Triples now Bracket 2: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-87518 (Jasper vs RBRN Azery) Welcome to Redemption - where Solrock can be fierce Bracket 3: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-87458 (Duncan vs RBRN Alex) Duncan joins the Triples Train Bracket 4: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-87044 (Festus vs Anstane) STRUGGLE Bracket 5: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-87456 (Venus vs HuEnd) A very close game... until that thing showed up Bracket 6: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-87321 (Lilly vs Cobalt996) So... accuracy drops X-League: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7xleaguesingles-87469 (Mira vs Noble Kakyoin) Mira has fun as she debuts in X-League! The HOT Seat The second Leader to be featured in the Hot Seat is none other than the graceful, elegant spa therapist, herself, Lilly! Lilly has been demonstrating a spectacular performance this season - with a current record of 27 wins and 5 losses! She also seems to be involved in a problem(?) with another Leader these days... so let us attempt to uncover her secrets! X: Hi Lilly! L: Welcome to- oh, hello there. It's been a while. X: Indeed! Thanks for lending your time for this interview! L: Well... its nothing. Besides, I would've had to do it eventually anyway, right? X: Uh... yeah I guess haha. Anyway, do you mind saying your opening words to our friendly readers? L: We are just diving right into it, are we? Very well. Greetings, readers of the Redemption Weekly. I'm not a hugely entertaining person, but I'll try to make this interview enjoyable for you people to read as much as I can. X: I'm sure they will enjoy knowing more about you! So uh... first question, how is your business going these days? L: You mean my spa? Excellently. I opened up my spa about 7 months ago, and business has been blooming! We are extremely busy in the weekends, since many people want to relax a bit after going through a tough week. X: Wow.. if you also work in the weekends, there must be no free time for you L: Oh no, I do take Mondays and Tuesdays off. We aren't really busy on those days, and my employees can manage without my support. X: I see. Say... do you have any recommendations for me? I've been having a sore back lately... L: You'll have to give me a bit more detail, but there are myriads of ways to deal with sore backs. Swiss showers, mud baths, aroma massages... and the list goes on. I suggest you arrange a meeting with myself or one of our staff, and we can help you decide what treatment would be the best for you. And this applies to all the readers and challengers too. Feel free to approach me any time. X: I don't know about the challengers, but I definitely will! So, how are you finding Season 2 so far? L: Pretty good. I've been having fun teaching the arts of aquatic combat. A lot of challengers have unlocked Bracket 6, so I've been pretty busy lately. X: Some of your battles seem to be very brutal... what was the most memorable battle for you this season? L: It will probably have to be the battle with Shinyrio. He came up with a pretty smart strategy in our third battle in Triples, and defeated me. Even though I lost, it was a great match. X: Speaking of battle formats, you seem to specialize in 2 different types of battle formats L: Correct. One being 'Water Defense', or more commonly known as 'Water Stall Singles' and the other being 'Rain Triples'. I like to utilize both of these styles in my battles. X: Many challengers seem to be stomped and frustrated by your stall teams. L: Well... I can't blame them to be very honest. I don't think anybody likes to play against Stall teams - even myself. However, it is a style that is effective for my type, and some challengers did manage to break past my stall teams, so it should not be impossible for others to do so too. X: Do you have any tips for those challengers that are stuck on you? L: Hmm... usually I build my teams so that I have an answer for every Pokemon on my opponent's team. Try to predict my switches well, and try to chip down my Pokemon bit by bit. Hasty decisions will cost you, so beware. As for my Rain teams... rely on Hydro Pump misses and Assault Vests. Usually, my Swift Swimmers are special attackers, so having Assault Vests might help - although I sometimes like to put physical attackers such as Bruxish, Mega Swampert and Kabutops into my teams, so don't think Assault Vests will safeguard you completely. X: Thanks Lilly. Hopefully that will make things a tad bit easier for our challengers. (looks down at the remaining questions) Oh... well Lilly, I do have some rather sensitive questions left to ask you, is that alright? L: Hmm? Well... of course. Fire away. X: Ironic how you mentioned 'fire' since the next question is related to it. It looks like you finally overcame your fear of fire. L: Ah, that is not a sensitive question at all. You had me worried for a bit. But yes, I was eventually able to overcome it. X: May I ask how? L: It wasn't easy. I think the most important part is having the willpower to overcome your fears. I became tired of becoming paralyzed whenever a Fire type Pokemon appeared or screaming when a candle is lit. I didn't want to be acknowledged as weak, so I decided to change myself. I won't go into details, but I received a lot of external help too. However, there is still one Fire Pokemon which still makes me tremble every so slightly X: Oh? Do you mind telling the readers what Pokemon it is? L: I... I'm sorry. It's quite difficult to say. Please forgive me. But, you will definitely know what Pokemon it is when it appears during my battles. My stance will change quite dramatically. X: Alright, it's okay to not answer if you feel uncomfortable. Final question for tonight, Lilly. Readers are incredibly curious about your relationship with the Normal Lea- %RLDR Lilly left X: ...wait. NOOOO THAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION! WAIT!

Slowly getting back into Showdown. Never say gg until it really is over: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7randombattle-567210155

Redemption Weekly - Week Twelve We have hit Week 12 on Redemption, and 3 new Hall of Famers were born! Congratulations to Hycrox, Noble Kakyoin and Personthing for finally defeating Oliver, and clearing the League. Hycrox has also started his X-League challenge - and Noble Kakyoin also seems like he will follow suit, and will apparently begin his challenges this week! ...oh and apparently there was some talk about rain forests and Helen playing Hackmons... uhm... Oh yes, have some win rates: Featured Battles Bracket 1: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-86051 (Olivia vs Jinan Peach Palm can be scary when angered Bracket 2: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-86062 (Mira vs Quinn) Mira continues to slay challengers with her brutal Trick Room strats Bracket 3: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-85929 (HELEN vs Azery) Helix can also be scary when angered Bracket 4: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-86055 (Leonidas vs Epic C) A very close game - played excellently by both sides Bracket 5: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-85728 (Emilia vs Cobalt996) How to beat Sun Triples (Emilia also needs more challengers) Bracket 6: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-85827 (Elliot vs Anstane) Perseverance is key for juicy victories X-League: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7xleaguetrip-85957 (Penelope vs Mahogany Board) That... looks scary to face The Hot Seat will be returning next week! Sorry for the delay!

:]

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7hackmonscup-565357504 GLACEON IS LOVE <3

Redemption Weekly - Week Eleven What a week it has been on Redemption. We welcomed our new face Jasper to our Leader Team - who seems to be getting a lot of popularity among both the challengers and the Leaders! For those of you that already have the Psychic Badge but want to face him again, you're always welcome to restart... I mean, try catching him on non-prize tours which will be held more frequently! Oliver has been also busy this week, defeating challengers - and as a result, nobody has joined Shinyrio up in the Hall of Fame. Generally, Leaders have been very fierce this week - with not many challengers claiming Badges. Anyway, time for some win rates! The following promotions/demotions were agreed upon by the Staff - based on the Leaders' performances for the last 3 weeks! Featured Battles: Bracket 1 - http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-85395 (Nick vs King Wynaut) How to block Explosions Bracket 2 - http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-85463 (Ariel vs RBRN Azery) Azery's Pokemon might need some glasses Bracket 3 - http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiondoubles-85249 (Jasper vs HuEnd) Jasper's Redemption debut match! Bracket 4 - http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-85456 (Leonidas vs Cyanna Cyril) Seems like turning things around is Leo's specialty Bracket 5 - http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-85503 (Erwin vs Mr. Divergent) Erwin found a new dangerous friend to fight in battle with... Bracket 6 - http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-85370 (Lilly vs Epic C) ...what on earth is that Primarina The HOT Seat Unfortunately, the HOT Seat will be taking a break (I know its only started last week), due to real-life schedules on my part. I apologize for the readers that were looking forward to this section, but I'm really short on time these days. The HOT Seat will be back in 2 weeks time, so please stay tuned!

Redemption Weekly - Week Ten Yet, another week of Redemption has successfully concluded. This week did not give birth to any new Hall of Famers, but 2 challengers are trying their hardest to overcome their final obstacle before they receive the glory of being enrolled into the Hall of Fame. Will they be successful in the upcoming week or will Oliver continue to devour their hopes and dreams? We also bring some unfortunate news of saying farewell to Edgar, our Psychic Leader - who apparently decided to just abruptly leave after losing a battle to Haley: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-84869 As you can see, nobody was really upset that he left We are busily seeking a replacement, so bear with us! Anyway, time for some win rates! Promotions and Demotions are still being discussed by the Staff, so watch this space for more news regarding them! Featured Battles: Bracket 1 - http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-84857 (Haley vs Lupus Fluvium) Haley demonstrates that the power of Hail damage can decide the victor Bracket 2 - http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-84714 (Penelope vs Cool Girl) Penelope was on a roll last week - this being one of her best battles so far! Bracket 3 - http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-84861 (Edgar vs HuEnd) Edgar's final battle... or is it? Bracket 4 - http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-84863 (Venus vs YinYang9705) Apparently, Venus also decided to join the triples train Bracket 5 - http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-84762 (Festus vs Anstane) Festus offers a variety of tactics - including the ever-so Redemption-common Triples TR! Bracket 6 - http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-84451 (Elliot vs Mahogany Board) Elliot finally loses! The HOT Seat Since Bracket Oversights are now done, its time for something new to replace that! The HOT Seat (corny name I know... deal with it!) features interviews done by Xiri the Xerneas myself - where I interview our Redemption Leaders! For our first guest, we have the one and only, the cheery and optimistic comedian himself, the Bug Master Erwin! X: Hi Erwin, long time no see! E: Heyo Xiri! ...or should I say Champion of Season 1? (Chuckles) How have you bee-n? X: Oh c'mon Erwin. That title is old now. But I've been fine. E: I know, I know. But say, why aren't you challenging this season? I heard the X-League is open now, so I had my Genesect and Pheromosa ready just for you! X: Er... well... uhm... perhaps in the future, perhaps! Anyway, this interview is all about you, so that's enough about me. Your opening words to the readers of Redemption Weekly, please! E: Welcome readers, it's me, Erwin here answering some questions for you guys! Sit back, relax, and let's beegin! Oh! I probably should give the names of my I'll likely bee mentioning in this interview beefore we beegin just to minimize confusion. Scolipede: Vanessa Scizor: Vinny Heracross: Joel Golisopod: Roy Forretress: Daryl Galvantula: Charlotte Araquanid: Arnold Pinsir: Lenny Yanmega: Tony Volcarona: Maria Beedrill: Barry X: So Erwin, you never told me that your ambition in life was to become a comedian! Why did you want to become a comedian? E: I've always been happiest when I've gotten people to lighten up, relax, smile, and most importantly, laugh. I've been a jokester as long as I can remember, so pursuing comedy just felt natural. While as of recent I've had to move into Redemption HQ beecause it hasn't panned out that well, I'll never give up on my passion! X: How are you finding Season 2 so far? E: Season 2 has been great for me so far! It was a little lonely at first due to beeing way up in Bracket 5, but now that I'm getting a healthy flow of challengers it's been a blast! X: Yeah, I was quite surprised - no offense to you or your bugs of course - that you started off in Bracket 5 this season since you were in Bracket 3 in Season 1 if my memory serves correct. Why do you think this was the case? E: Introducing Mega Evolutions into our league has made an even bigger impact on how potent I can bee, and I think that is why I was promoted to Bracket 5 before league even beegan! Joel, Lenny, and Barry's Mega Evolutions have all been great for me, with Joel standing out the most. Under Sticky Webs, Mega Joel goes from a powerful wall breaker into a force capable of breaking entire teams should the opportunity arise. The only Mega I haven't been utilizing often is Vinny, but even in his base form he's been a valuable companion. X: Ah, I see. Mega Heracross with Sticky Webs sound like a deadly strategy indeed. Do you have any tips for those challengers that are having trouble with you? E: I will have to bee honest here, you're already at a big disadvantage if you don't have hazard removal at your disposal. Not only will Daryl's usual Stealth Rock and Spikes combo quickly wear away at your team, but Charlotte's Sticky Web will make it a lot easier for Joel and friends to tear right through your team. X: Come to think of it... you used Sticky Webs against me in Season 1 too... (shivers). And I heard you utilize a lot of priority moves now. Roy seems to be getting a lot of fame for that. Roy and Arnold has been a great help for me this season - and I'm really impressed at how Roy has been performing beeautifully. Yes, so you should try to keep your fast attackers healthy! I run quiet a lot of priority moves in First Impression, Aqua Jet, Bullet Punch, and even Quick attack so I will pick off any Pokemon in poor health with relative ease and little risk to my team. Not to mention I have two powerful speed boosters in my ace Vanessa, and Tony who have the tendency to wipe out whole teams once there's been enough wear and tear. X: Any suggestions in terms of held items on the challengers' Pokemon? E: Defensively, a rather popular item to use against me has been the Rocky Helmet, as it chips away at my contact attackers. They chip away at my contact attackers such as Vinny, Roy, Lenny, and regular Joel, but bee aware I do have quite a few powerful non contact attacks at my disposal! X: Thank you Erwin. Hopefully that will help a lot of challengers earn your badge! I do have to wonder though, what are the reasons behind your nicknames for your bugs? E: Most people look at bugs and call them disgusting creatures. My buddies are living things with feelings, just like you and I, so I give them normal names that I feel fit their personalities. X: I see. I do want to question you further, but I think that is all the time we have for today. Any last words for our readers? E: I hope I could keep you guys entertained, and I look forward to seeing you all in the league! Oh, and by the way Xiri - who would bee the next guest for the interview? X: You'll have to wait for the next issue to find out I'm afraid... although I don't really know if she will respond to my request by then. E: Oh! I think I know who it is! It's- X: (covers Erwin's mouth quickly) No no no, don't bee a spoilsport Erwin. Let our viewers have their chance to guess. If you're curious, and want to know who our next Leader to be interviewed is, stay tuned for the next issue!

Thanks for all the birthday wishes everyone! I really appreciate it. I had a wonderful day, and hope all of you had a great day too

Redemption Weekly - Week Nine DID YOU KNOW THAT SOMEONE ACTUALLY BEAT THE CHAMPION?? ...wait everybody knows that now? Aww... But yes, for the tiny margin of you who weren't aware already, @Shinyrio has successfully defeated Oliver on his second try, and was enrolled into the Hall of Fame for Season 2. Currently, 2 challengers have 16 badges, and they must both beat the Normal Demon to be eligible to battle Oliver. Will they be able to break through Elliot this week, or will Oliver remain on vacation this week? Let's take a look at this week's win rates! Elliot needs to calm down Overall, most Leaders' win rates increased this week. Nick is very close to the 50.0% win rate mark while Venus and Festus had their win rates boosted quite dramatically after their demotion. Deeper Insights (CHAMPION): The current final boss of Redemption is Oliver, the Swag Master. Because he is the Champion, he gets the Insight section all to himself for this week! Because of his status as Champion, he is allowed to freely use 2 types - them being Flying and Normal - matching the type of his ace Pokemon, Staraptor. Having access to Normal and Flying gives Oliver a variety of tactics to use against challengers. However, since the rules state that only one team maybe used against each challenger, Oliver says he has decided to from now on, focus on using Stall teams (to make life more miserable for challengers). He seems to like using Zapdos, as his legendary of choice - as it can be very bulky and has wide coverage. Battle of the Week (vs Shinyrio): http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7xleaguesingles-83625 Featured SPECIAL Battles: This week, 'normal' battles are not going to be featured but instead, April Fools Battles will be posted instead (Bonus points for those that guessed all the reversed roles correctly!). Enjoy! http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7xleaguesingles-84095 http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7xleaguetrip-84046 http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7xleaguesingles-84066 http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7xleaguetrip-83964 http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7xleaguetrip-84064 http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7xleaguesingles-83980 http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7customgame-83998 http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7customgame-84120 http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7xleaguesingles-84060 http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7customgame-83973 http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7xleaguetrip-84096 http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7xleaguetrip-83970 http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7xleaguetrip-84094 http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7xleaguesingles-83950 http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7customgame-83984 http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7xleaguetrip-84026 http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-84014 http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7xleaguedoubles-84049 Stay tuned for the next edition, where an interview with a certain Leader might be featured!

Redemption Weekly - Week Eight Time seems to be flying these days. It's been 2 months since Season 2 of the Redemption League has launched once again - and a brave challenger was able to defeat all the 17 Leaders, and was granted permission to challenge Oliver. Also, many challengers have now unlocked Bracket 6 - so our higher ranked Leaders will have a busy time during the next few weeks! Let's take a look at this week's win rates! Performances of leaders over the last 2 weeks were judged, and promotion/demotions have been awarded according to the results! Deeper Insights (Bracket 6): Ah... so this man or sword or thing or whatever returns. I've been wondering about Festus ever since the beginning of S1, and... I still don't know him at all. So an Aegislash... has somehow possessed a body... and is controlling him like a puppet? This kinda sounds like Yu-Gi-Oh. Anyhow, Festus hit a downfall as he did have to be demoted down to Bracket 5 - but he is apparently looking forward to destroying facing new challengers as he hasn't battled in a while. Strategy-wise... I really don't know >>. Festus has only been in 3 battles so far, and it was very difficult to determine what tactics he likes to show off (I tried asking him myself but all I got was a menacing look from that sword and I swore he threatened to kill me or something). But I did notice that he likes to use Mega Metagross as his Mega a lot - so make sure your mons are able to tank a few Meteor Mashes and Zen Headbutts from this powerful creature. Battle of the Week (vs Noble Kakyoin): http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-82580 Everyone's favorite spa therapist returned to Redemption with a more fierce(?) look and deadly battling strategies. Her performance is excellent so far - as she only lost 2 out of her 10 battles. Rumor has it that she is secretly trying to snatch Oliver's throne as the Champion... but who knows really. In terms of strategies, Lilly has 2 strategies she likes to utilize: Water Stall Singles and Rain Offense Triples. Rain Offense can be very deadly - as she tends to bring hard-hitting Swift Swim mons such as Ludicolo, Mega Swampert and Gorebyss. Pelipper is her choice for a mon that brings automatic rain, since it also gets access to Wide Guard. The classic Follow Me Blastoise - Shell Smash strategy also makes a return, so utilizing Red Cards and Power reducing Berries might not be a bad idea for Lilly when she challenges you to Triples. Battle of the Week (vs RBRN Alex): http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-83428 Featured Battles: Bracket 1: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-83025 (Haley vs Idsliva) Extreme Weather Wars! Bracket 2: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-83383 (Helen vs DashingStorm) Butter Lord just doesn't go down easily Bracket 3: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiondoubles-83384 (Edgar vs Juu-Zourei) Mono-Psychic vs Mono-Ghost! Bracket 4: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-83416 (Elliot vs Quinn) Apparently, this was an important match that decided the fate of a certain individual Bracket 5: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-83399 (Erwin vs Jmanultrax) Keep trying, and a sweet victory will be waiting for you in the end.

These are really fun to read! I should check up on other releases too And I nominate... mde and Inno cuz why not

Redemption Weekly - Week Seven Week 7 has concluded, and a lot of people have made significant progress this week! 24 people have successfully unlocked Bracket 4, 12 people have unlocked Bracket 5 and 3 have unlocked Bracket 6. The 2 frontrunners both have 15 badges, and are inches away from facing the Champion! Will they be able to defeat their 2 remaining Gym Leaders in the upcoming week? Stay tuned! Let's take a look at this week's win rates! Bracket 6 Insights will be posted next week, since not much information could be gathered from their very few battles. Featured Battles: Bracket 1: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-82709 (Ariel vs Bazaro) Ariel invites Bazaro into xyr new world full of Rounds... Bracket 2: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-82669 (Mira vs LeonVermillion) One of Mira's very close games... but who emerged victorious? Bracket 3: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-82582 (Duncan vs Quinn) The importance of retry tokens! Bracket 4: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-82665 (Leo vs Sparky) Never say gg until the very end Bracket 5: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-82726 (Erwin vs Jmanultrax) Erwin and his happy attitude will always keep challengers motivated! Bracket 6: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-82724 (Lilly vs Shinyrio) Rain teams... can be very scary, it seems Oh, and since Bracket Insights will be concluded next week, so I'm looking for your suggestions on what to put in the upcoming issues of the Redemption Weekly! I already have a few ideas in mind, but any more ideas wouldn't hurt, right? So feel free to leave your ideas down below or alternatively you can PM me with some ideas if that is more comfortable.

Redemption Weekly - Week Six Sorry I'm late Week 6 was another exciting week here in Redemption! Bracket 6 has finally been unlocked by 3 brave challengers - but our B6 leaders (excluding Oliver) have both demonstrated their strength and walked away with their respective victories. Will the Champion, Oliver, be available for combat at the end of this week? Stay tuned to find out! Let's take a look at this week's win rates! Current Leader Win Rates are as follows: Deeper Insights (Bracket 5): Emilia has warmed up (ha.ha.ha) to Redemption by reflecting a positive vibe and a good impression on the crowd despite her inability to speak vocally. Unfortunately, she did kick off with the lowest win rate out of all the Bracket 5 leaders, but she seems to be quite determined to retain her reputation as a Bracket 5 Leader. Sun Triples is Emilia's most preferred style of combat - as battles tend to end quite swiftly and brutally if she emerges victorious. With a couple of neat Sun setters and mons such as Mega Houndoom that can fully take advantage of the Sun with Solar Power, your Pokemon will be taking a lot of damage if you're not prepared. Countering weather with weather is always a nice strategy, but if your team lacks any weather setters, try to use Assault Vests to reduce the damage output from her specially offensive mons. Battle of the Week (vs Shinyrio): http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-81697 Every time I look at Erwin, it makes me so happy. Might be just me, but I prefer his new looks rather than his old ones. With access to powerful Bug Mega Evolutions, Erwin was able to move up from Bracket 3 in Season 1 to Bracket 5 in Season 2. It's a bit early to tell if his performance is satisfactory enough, but he really doesn't mind losing as long as he has fun in his battles. Strategy-wise, Erwin specializes in Singles - and utilizes hazards very well from Forretress and occasionally Galvantula. Having a Rapid Spinner or Defogger might be crucial when facing him. Ironically, most of his Bugs are also very weak to Stealth Rocks, so make sure to get those up as soon as possible. He also tends to carry a lot of priority moves - in Scizor and Golisopod, so that he can weaken your mons for his main sweeper, Scolipede to clean up. Play around with EVs so that you won't be swept by this murderous bug, or make sure to keep a priority user in tact on your team until the end. Battle of the Week (vs Costa): http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-81094 Give me a S! Give me an E! Give me a X! Give me a Y! What does that spell???? ...now that I've done what she forcefully told me to do *ahem* Venus, known as the counter-teaming goddess has returned, and was positioned in Bracket 5 - higher than what she used to be in Season 1. With the new counterteaming regulations in place, Venus's teams and movesets has been less diverse, and somewhat more easy to predict, but that doesn't mean she is a walk in the park. She will almost certainly challenge you to Singles - and her team will be usually balanced, consisting of a mixture of offensive mons (e.g Toxicroak, Scolipede) and defensive mons (e.g Weezing, Toxapex). Mega Venusaur is a Pokemon that she loves to use a lot, since it gets access to a lot of annoying recovery moves such as Leech Seed and Synthesis, as well as being able to wall a lot of different mons such as Serperior and Porygon2 - which are both relatively common among challengers' teams. Bringing a Choice Band or a Choice Specs mon to deal heavy damage to Mega Venusaur might be a good idea. Battle of the Week (vs Jmanultrax): http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-82036 Other Featured Battles: Bracket 1: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-81911 (Nick vs FlyingGoomy) Possibly the longest Triples match in Redemption history Bracket 2: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiondoubles-81975 (Olivia vs Juu-Zourei) Olivia's Doubles Rain Team in action! Bracket 3: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-81982 (Edgar vs Quinn) Facing Slowbro with Thunder Wave Bracket 4: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-81996 (Lucifer vs Epic C) Lucifer is too powerful unless you hax him at the most crucial moment Bracket 6: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiondoubles-81932 (Festus vs Shinyrio) Festus's first battle in Season 2, and a sneak-peek at one of his deadly strategies...

Happy Birthday Pyrr! Have a good one mate

BOP

Redemption Weekly - Week Five Another week has finished, and that means another edition of Redemption Weekly! With Bracket 5 unlocked, more Leaders have been appearing and giving challengers a lot of fun with exciting battles. One challenger is particularly close to unlocking the final bracket with 12 badges, while 2 others are closely behind him with 11. Will Bracket 6 be unlocked in the upcoming week? Join us during League hours to find out! Let's take a look at this week's win rates! Current Leader Win Rates are as follows: Deeper Insights (Bracket 4): I KNOW Duncan is not in Bracket 4 anymore, but since he didn't receive a summary before - he will get one now! Duncan says he has actually been enjoying his new position as a Bracket 3 leader - as he is able to participate in more battles. His performance on Saturday was especially impressive - with a solid record of 8 wins and 2 losses. Gastrodon is a key mon Duncan likes to utilize - since the sea slug provides an answer to Water types with Storm Drain. It seems to be usually specially defensive, so unless you have a strong special Grass attack, it might be a little bit difficult to take down with other special attacks. Try to hit it with strong physical attacks (although you'll have to watch out for Hippowdon, a common switch-in for physical attacks) and defeat it before it gets a chance to use Recover. Battle of the Week (vs Anstane): http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-81242 Elliot kicked off Season 2 with some controversy as he was accused of 'extensive c-teaming' in one of his early battles, so he was feeling quite down back then - but being the cheery person he is, he has recovered quite well and is performing very well with a pretty impressive record of 10 wins and 2 losses. He specialized in Normal stall singles with a devilish core of Chansey + Porygon2, but he changed things up a bit and is using a range of diverse Normal mons - such as Komala, Miltank and Snorlax (But its still stall). He uses all his Megas (Lopunny, Pidgeot and even Audino) quite decently - but he seems to like using Mega Lopunny the most. With a high speed and extremely powerful attacks such as High Jump Kick and Return, Mega Lopunny is able to clean up late game... or even sweep teams from the get-go! Perhaps it would be wise to bring some Choice Scarfed mons for this bunny - hit it hard before it can attack since its defenses aren't too great. Battle of the Week (vs Personthing): http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-80975 Leo returned to Season 2 as exuberant as ever - maintaining an optimistic attitude with that laugh of his (I admit that WAHAHAHA laugh was really annoying at the beginning but its grown on me... its even kinda addictive too really WAHAHAHAHA!!... anyway). Apparently, he is pretty eager to earn a promotion to Bracket 5 - and after his outstanding performance yesterday of 7 wins and 0 losses, that might just be possible. Leo uses a variety of tactics (Balanced Singles, Trick Room Triples etc) depending on his challengers, so its not quite easy to determine what format he will challenge you for your battle beforehand. But if he does challenge you to Singles, chances are that he will bring an Infernape on his team. Infernape usually performs as Leo's Stealth Rock user and is usually Sashed. Infernape can either be a physical variant or a special variant (however it is usually physical) - so watch out for hard-hitting moves such as Close Combat and Flare Blitz (and don't forget about Iron Fist boosted Mach Punch!)! Things like defensive Garchomp and Rotom-Wash act as a good counter for physical variants. Battle of the Week (vs Costa): http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-80498 Other Featured Battles: Bracket 1: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-81428 (Ariel vs ICSW) Meme battles are always fun to watch. Bracket 2: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-81244 (HELEN vs Ragnor123) Possibly the longest battle so far in Season 2. Bracket 3: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-81376 (Edgar vs Kiri-kun) WOBB-A-FET! Bracket 5: http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-81335 (Venus vs Shinyrio) The current front-runner demonstrates his ability for Round 3 against the toxic mistress!

Redemption Weekly - Week Four Week 4 of Redemption came to a finale, and boy, some challengers are making a LOT of good progress. 3 powerful challengers - Shinyrio, Costa, Sarunae V are in the lead with 10 badges, which means they will have the opportunity to fight the Bracket 5 leaders should they wish! Venus, Erwin and Emilia are itching for some tough battles, so hopefully the challengers can satisfy their expectations! Remember, that Bracket 5 Leaders are allowed to use more diverse teams, so don't think they will be too easy to defeat! Let's take a look at this week's win rates! Current Leader Win Rates are as follows: It's an even week, which means Bracket Shifts will occur this week! Based on only the results of the last two weeks, the following shifts have been decided! Deeper insights of Bracket 4 will be revealed in the next edition of Redemption Weekly!

Redemption Weekly - Week Three Time certainly seems to be flying these days. The third week of the Redemption League has ended, and many challengers are beginning to make a nice collection of shiny badges rewarded for their excellent battling skills. Bracket 5 was finally unlocked by one brave challenger - but unfortunately, after facing 2 heavy losses, he decided to restart his challenge from the very beginning and forfeiting all his badges - which means the fifth bracket became locked once again. Will the 3 leading challengers with 8 badges be able to unlock the fifth bracket once again? Let's take a look at this week's win rates! Current Leader Win Rates are as follows: Deeper Insights (Bracket 3): Helen was off to a very rough start once Bracket 3 was unlocked - but her win rate has been constantly improving. She has stated (very loudly) that the reason behind her improvement was all thanks to her new powerhouse that she was recently given access to - Mega Aggron. Unless you have a Mega Heracross, good luck trying to take this thing down with physical attacks. Her most common Aggron set seems to be the really annoying Resttalk Curse set - which means you really have to rely on critical hits to inflict heavy damage on this monster. Make sure to leave a powerful special attacker intact to handle this thing before it sets up and walls you to death! With an impressive 17.0% increase in win rate compared to last week, we can definitely conclude that Helen is stepping up her game. We'll have to see if she can increase her win rate further in the upcoming week, and if she can finally join the other leaders with the positive record! Battle of the Week (vs RBRN Alex): http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-79933 Did you know there is a rumor among challengers that you have to rely on hax to defeat Lucifer? Apparently, Brightpowders are getting popular Lucifer certainly proved that he improved drastically from the previous season, and an impressive 78.1% win rate (the highest win rate in Bracket 1~3) might suggest that a tasty promotion is waiting for him if he keeps this outstanding performance up this week. Lucifer prefers to combat challengers in Singles, and utilizes an extremely defensive core of Mandibuzz and Mega Sableye. Mandibuzz, in particular, seems to stimulate groans from challengers since it is extremely difficult to take this evil bird down and you might have to rely on Toxic misses and flinch hax. He likes to use very offensive mons such as Band Tyranitar and Specs Hydreigon, so some degree of preparation might be required to obtain his badge. Battle of the Week (vs Milk and Oreon): http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptionsingles-79939 Surprisingly, not many challengers have attempted to fight Penelope yet. She has had the least number of battles, being 10, out of the Bracket 3 leaders, but is doing relatively well so far with a 60% win rate. Perhaps challengers are intimidated about her typing? Penelope likes to face challengers in triples (although she doesn't always do this). Her main strategy involves setting up Tailwind, and using Focus Energy on her Ace, Kingdra to let all the Draco Meteors and Hydro Pumps score critical hits. Kingdra itself isn't too fast so it might be wise to get rid of the Tailwind mons (e.g Hydreigon, Dragonite etc.) first before focusing on the Kingdra. Remember, spamming spread attacks might not be smart too since her Turtonator has Wide Guard. Battle of the Week (vs Toon Ojama): http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/reborn-gen7redemptiontrip-79404

Happy Birthday Sparky my boy