Super Trainer Showdown Qualifier- Tournament

Mall Of America

Bloomington, MN

July 1, 2000

About 35-40 Participants

This all started out when I read about the tournament at the wizards pokemon website. I have never played in any real tournament before but had confidence in my skills. Since my hometown was in Chicago, I first had to get to Bloomington. After a 7 hour drive I arrived in Bloomington at 3:00 a.m. on the day of the tournament, found a hotel and slept, not even knowing if I could even wake up in time for the tournament now. Luckily I did wake up at 9:00 and made it to the mall by 10:00 with my wigglytuff deck. Sad thing is I only had 3 wigglytuff because I didn’t want to pay 8 bucks for a one. But 3 will do.

Pokemon (14)

4 Jigglypuff

3 Wigglytuff

4 Scyther

3 Hitmonchan

Energy (17)

4 DCE

4 Grass

9 Fighting

Trainer (29)

4 Bill

4 Plus Power

4 Rocket Sneak Attack

4 Professor Oak

4 CPU Search

3 Gust of Wind

3 Item Finder

2 Energy Retrieval

1 Scoop Up

After waiting in line for an HOUR AND A HALF I finally got the signup card and luckily made it just in time for the last tournament in the 15 and up division at 2:00 p.m.

I was so nervous cause I didn’t want to lose in the first round and come this far for nothing. But luckily I played against a mono-physic deck. It started really slow and I remember I had a jiggly out against his abra. I pounded every chance I got but he eventually evolved to bad alakazam. I had a pumped up wigglytuff and started to do the wave. Eventually I collected all my prizes.

Win 1-0, opponent had 5 prizes left.

I remember this match because it was a good match. He played a haymaker with mags, buzzes, scyther and wiggly, but I don’t think he got a good starting hand. It was scyther and hitmonchan doing the damage early. Since he had buzzes, I took advantage of the weakness. I sneaked attack him a few times so he couldn’t oak and I just let my active do the damage. It was a tug of war that lasted a long time. Eventually time was called and I had 2 prizes left, he had 5.

Win 2-0, opponent had 5 prizes left.

I only had a scyther in my opening draw and was pretty worried until I saw he only had 2 squirtles. It was pretty good because I had a plus power and began to pump up my scyther. He eventually got an articuno and a Poliwhirl. He stalled with amnesia on scyther’s slash and got really lucky coin tosses for the double slap and plus power to knock out scyther. After I sneak attacked away his breeder and killed his squirtles he was left holding 2 blastoise. I finished the game when he flipped tails on amnesia and I slashed for 60 on poliwhirl.

Win 3-0, opponent has 3 prizes left.

At this point I'm happy because I already got my invitation. And since every opponent won at least one prize from me I didn’t have much a chance to win the trip. Still the 7 hour drive paid off.

He was the only person in the semi-finals not playing a wiggly. I either started out with a hitmonchan or a scyther but all I remember was that he spent his first turn oaking 3 times, filling his bench, and ended up thundershocking me for 30 with plus powers. And by then end of his turn, half of his deck was gone. He decked out in the end.

Win 4-0, opponent had 3 prizes left.

After the fourth round I opened my boosters and to my surprise I pulled a holo wiggly. But I decided not to put in because I wasn’t sure if I could and I didn’t want to ask.

I remember this very well. I won the toss and we both started out with scyther. I retreated scyther for hitmon but forgot that scyther resist fighting. So I ended up playing a plus power on him and passing. But this worked out because later I used item finder to get it back and slashed with sword danced to win a prize.

He had pumped wiggly and I had a pumped jiggly and an oak and a wiggly in my hand. He then lassed my oak away and that’s when I knew it was over. He then knocked the rest of my pokemon out. I wonder what would have happened if he didn’t lass me? Oh well.

Loss 4-1, I had 5 prizes left.

All in all this tournament was fun and gave me a chance to compete with more experienced players. I hope the TCG tour swings east next time so I don’t have drive so far.

Props:

Wizard of the Coast for hosting the tournament.

My friends for coming along with me on this road trip.

Slops:

Tournament being held so far.

And the line for being soooo long.

Thanks for reading!

Steven Lam