Donato

Hello, this is Trainer Takeshi. I usually play a modified Hot Jalepeneo Potpourri that was created by the wonderful Scott Gerhardt. I had my own opinions about this deck before I started to use it. I never really liked Electabuzz because of his second attack. I saw that it might do damage to himself and released him as dangerous. Now he's my favorite basic! I'm working on a Moltres stall deck, but I'm using Hot Jalepeneo Potpourri today. Today I faced of almost every kind of deck and I got more experience on how to face them.

I don't like being paired up against a friend in the first round. I could tell by the look on his face he wanted to forfeit, but I told him I would go a bit easier this time. I start out with a horrible draw. A Mr. Mime, Mewtwo Promo, 2 Fire Energy, Super Energy Removal, a Double Colorless Energy, and a Mr. Fuji. He gets even worse by getting 3 mulligans (giving me 6 free cards). I open with a Mime and Bench the Mewtwo. He stars with an Eevee (with resistance to Psychic) and he starts. He attempts to Tail Wag with a fail. I draw a Scyther! I bench it and slap on an Energy. He gusts my Mewtwo and does Quick Attack for 10. I draw another Double Colorless and slap it on Scyther. He evolves into Vaporeon and Benches a Polywag (with weakness to grass!) and Quick Attacks for 10. Next turn I Oak for nothing good and bench a Kangaskhan. Then he Water Guns Mewtwo for 30 and I use the DCE to retreat and Fuji him back to promote Kangaskhan to Fetch me another DCE. He Water Guns me for 30, breeds to a Polywrath and I Fetch a Scoop Up (perfect). I go Comet Punching with some Gusting to KO Vaporeon, a Magikarp, and three Squirtles. He sends Polywrath to Water Gun me. I SER his Polywrath turning him into a really big punching bag, Scoop up a Kangaskhan and Slash with Scyther for 60 (weakness). He removals my DC but I have another in my hand. I beat him badly and he never drew a single prize. Right now I fell confident so and shake his hand and say "Goodbye."

I don't know how he made it this far. He was just too easy to beat. I get a great opening hand: a Ditto, Fossil Gastly, 2 Psychic Energies, 2 Bill, and an Oak. I open with a Fossil Gastly (Bench a Ditto) and him a Base Gastly (chuckle) with a Zapdos on the bench. I start by playing 2 Bills for a Plus Power, a Mewtwo, a Computer Search, and an Electric Energy. This draw is sooo PERFECT!! I retreat Gastly in favor of Mewtwo, Computer Search discarding a Psychic and an Electric Energy (to search for a Energy Removal), then attach another energy on Mewtwo to use Energy Absorption. On his turn he tries to evolve into Fossil Haunter until I remind him of the rule of evolution (no evolving on the players first turn) he then benches a Jigglypuff and retreats makes the Puff his active he tries to stall by putting me to sleep which fails. On my turn I draw a Gust of Wind making this game almost perfect. I KO base Gastly with a nice gust (because I hate Fossil Haunters) and Removal his Jigglypuff. He tries to put me to sleep again and succeeds. By now I have used up everything in my hand so I Oak. I then bench a Buzz and a Mime, slap an electric on the Buzz and let him go. I wake up and he Pounds for 20. On my turn I retreat Mewtwo to T-Punch with Electabuzz for 40. He Attaches a DC to evolve and Does the Wave for 40. I removal his DC because I feel insecure and T-Punch for the KO (good). He has some energy problems because of my removaling so I KO a bunch of Zapdos. He manages to Curse with Gengar a bit getting him 1 KO, but I burn through some Scythers with Magmar for the win.

This is another "popular" deck in this area because Haymaker or "Gaymaker" as Mike calls it is one of the most popular deck styles floating around. The colors of Haybreakers usually are Fire/Fighting/Psychic. This gives me an early advantage. I draw a Fossil Gastly, Fossil Magmar 3 Energys and 2 Plus Powers. I open with Gastly and he starts with a Mime. Great for me because the only reason I put Gastly in was energy problems and KOing Mr. Mime. Anyway he starts by benching and charging a Charmander and leaves his Mime for dead (big mistake if you ask me). I Lick with Paralyze, and he charges his Charmander a bit more. I KO the Mime and he (benches a Hitmonchan and) evolves to Charmeleon to Flamethrower me (mistake number two if you ask me). I SER him leaving him with no energy and I Smog with no poison. He charges up his Chan while his Charmeleon takes a beating. At the last minute he Scoops Up his Charmeleon and Special Punches my Magmar. I Removal him twice and Smoged him with poison. Then he Jabbed one last time before I Fujied him back into the deck. Then I sent Mewtwo to Absorb. He then SERed me, Scoops Up Hitmonchan, and sends Jynx to Double Slap me for 40. I can afford to let him KO Mewtwo because prizes are now 3-5 in my favor so I just absorbed again. He slaps me for 20 and I KO him next turn. He then Pokéflutes my Scyther I discarded earlier and KOs him with a gust his Charmeleon and a Plus Power. Then I send out Mr. Mime and KOed him in the next few turns and he has no more basics. This was probably my toughest match yet.

Yes, believe it or not the Gym Leaders son is also named Donato. He also is one of my best friends. They say the best way to master a game is to beat your teacher. If thats true I'm about to master the game (again). We shake hands and wish each other good luck before the match begins. I believe Donato's deck offered me the most challenge. At the start of the game I offer my deck to be cut and he agrees. Some people form a circle around us to see the match. After the game I gave him tips to put intho the deck. I told fim to put a Lapras in to ward of Mr Mime.

I start, my hand is made of Magmar, Scyther, 2 Double Colorless, Computer Search, Plus Power and Energy Retrieval. I open with Scyther and he opens with Kangaskhan and benches a Articuno (I know, he always opens with a "Fetch til Death" routine). I draw a Kanghaskhan and retreat Scyther to promote my Kangaskhan with a Double Colorless to Fetch. He then attaches a water energy to Fetch. I draw a energy and attach it to Scyther and fetch (I need the card advantage). He lays down a energy on Articuno and fetches. Seeing the threat, I attach a DC to Kangaskhan and Comet Punch for a whooping 80! He lays another energy to the Icebird and fetches one last time. I removaI the bird and I have about 4 cards left in my hand. I feel lucky so I play Gambler, but this time I get a tails (I feel bad now). I draw a Scoop Up and KO his Kangaskhan to draw a prize (a Magmar). He then benches a Squirtle, Oaks, then plays some Bills, peels of a DC from my Kangaskhan and finally lays a Water on Articuno. By now I think I'm gonna lose until I draw a.........ITEM FINDER!! I use it to get my gambler back and......HEADS! Now I play some Bills and I'm back in the game! I bench an Electabuzz slap an electric on him and fetch. Then he KOs my Kangaskhan and I SER him to promote Scyther to Slash. (During his draw his drops it showing me its a Mr. Fuji) He evolves into Wartortle and benches a Electabuzz and lets me go. I slash with a Plus Power incase he retreats and uses Fuji on Articuno (from the expression on his face I think he was). He gets out his Blastoise, powers him up and sends me a Buzz to T-shock without Paralyze. I Slash and he T-Punches me for 40 and I KO him with another Plus Power. His Blastoise then KOs my Scyther and I do 80 to the Blastoise with a T-Punch from Electabuzz. Then he KOs me with a Plus Power. I sent out a Ditto I pumped up earlier and KO his Blastoise. By now his Deck is kinda low after 2 Oaks, Fetching, and 4 Bills. I put up a Mime, and simply gust out stuff with high retreat that can't damage the Mime. Eventually he decks himself and I win.

Wow! I won the tourney (again). I get $17 in store credit. By now I've built up +$40 and I "buy" Tomb Raider 4 from the store. Thats basically what I've been building up for. I also buy some Base and Jungle Set Boosters and decided to have some fun. I offered 2 of them to the person who could defeat me. I played about 4 more games and still no one beat me (though Donato came pretty close). I got a Blastoise, a Wigglytuff (Holo), and a Devolution Spray(uhhhgggg). I Donato asked me if he could borrow the Blastoise.