Picture this. Ok, it's Saturday morning. 5:30 AM. The past two days you have been trying to decipher which deck you're trying to use. You're excited as you get to meet some of your online friends. Ok, I get ready, and we are on the road by 7:00. I drive most of the way, mom finishes as I decide I need to change my Dark Feraligatr deck into something else. More onto that later. Ok I get there around 9:20. I get lost and NO-ONE will help me find where to go...Eventually I can register for the event and the Tourney. By the time I am done registering it's about 11:05. I grab a decklist from the judging table and meet my fellow York-ites and fill out my decklist. I go around and meet the friends online that I had said earlier, people such as Mega Murkrow, GoldMaster, Someguy (I think), Moss, Ness, Dark Duck, TTar666, all of the people from York, Seena, Rain Dansaur, and several others. I met Lugia909, Psychodad, FireFigher09, and plenty others (you know who you are, I was just too tired to remember). Anyways, I finally decide on a deck I had been working on, and turn it in. I play some sample matches, and then it's time for the Draft to begin. We are called into pods, and I am the FIRST name called off. Booyah!

Ok, it's now about 12:30ish and we are told the Drafting Procedures. We are giving 3 packs of Neo Genesis and 2 packs of Team Rocket. First up is Genesis, then Rocket, Genesis, Rocket, Genesis. Ok, now, I went for the Dark Muk Line (novel idea, eh?) But I couldn't grab any Grimers after getting 2 Dark Muks. However, I was drafting for another deck at the same time, cause I was afraid of what would happen to me (not getting Grimers). So I ended up trying out this crazy Dark Dragonair variant deck. It worked surprising well, despite my 1-2 Draft results. Anyways, here was my Draft deck:

Burning Failure
Gen/Rocket Draft

Pokemon: 16
3 Dratini (Rocket)
3 Dark Dragonair
3 Cyndaquil (Fireworks)
3 Quilava (2 Ember/1 Char)
2 Squirtle (Rocket)
1 Wooper (Genesis)
1 Pikachu (Genesis)

Energy: 18
18 Fire

Trainers: 6
2 Bill's Teleporter
1 Double Gust
1 Gold Berry
1 Berry
1 Nightly Garbage Run

The Draft is compiled into 3 Rounds (THANK GOD!)
Round 1: Me Vs. Lugia909
Lugia909 was packing a Dark Electrode/Lanturn (Genesis) with support such as Mantine and Hoothoot. Ok, things start rolling, I take the early advantage. However, as the game runs on, he gets some crucial flips. He confuses my Magmar with Chinchou, gets Focus Band flips, and several consecutive Undulate flips with Mantine. The game runs on, and he catches up to me in Prizes 1-1. I try to deck him. I retreat my damaged Dark Dragonair, for a Cyndaquil against his Lanturn with 2 Electric/2 Water. He draws his LAST card, and plays a Water energy, giving me my first loss of the day. It was a great game, we were one of the last sets of players battling. I have to take my hat off to Lugia for taking me to one of the best games I've played. 0-1

Round 2: Me vs. I forget (Sorry)
Ok, this was no contest. He butchers me with his Mantines and Piloswines, I can't get anything going, he was just too setup. He plays very well, and after not being able to do anything, I just was overpowered. I am upset now, knowing that my chance to T8 is already shattered. (It wasn't at this point, I have Ness to thank for that  ) 0-2

Round 3: Me vs. Aelfaed
Ok, it was so funny before this match. Pokenaut, Aelfaed and I were all congratulating ourselves on going 0-2. High fives were exchanged, and then we went to play. At LEAST one of us wouldn't go 0-3. Sorry Don  . Ok, so he's playing a Dark Raticate/Slowking/Dark Slowbro thing. We each get going, and DGs are used early. I power up Dratinis, and attack his Slowpokes. I grab the first Dragonair, and Evolutionary Light for the second. He gets heads with Hyper Fang, and my Dragonair goes down. My second is placed active, and I play Cyndaquil, attach, and Evolutionary Light for the Char Quilava. I KO his Rat, and he sends up Dark Slowbro, and Reels in his dead Rats. I KO the Slowbro, and he plays Ratatta. He attacks me. I retreat my damaged Dragonair knowing he has the Raticate. I send up my Quilava, and Char his Ratatta, heads for the Char, tails for him, game. It was a flippy game, I just got more flips. Good game dude. 1-2

Ok, so now I am thanking God that this punishment is over. And am licking my chops for some MORE WINS! Grrrr...I prepare myself, grab my deck, and battle Mega Murkrow. I end up losing -_- after a close game (1-1 Prize Count). It was indeed a Battle of the Steelixes that game. It was also a foreshadowing of what would come in another loss to Steelix...

Arctic Chill
Modified Format²

Pokemon: 19
3 Onix (SI)
3 Steelix
3 Seel (LC)
3 Dewgong
3 Cleffa
2 Pichu
2 Tyrogue

Energy: 16
12 Water
4 Metal

Trainers: 25
4 Elm
4 Trader
4 Bill
4 Gold Berry
4 Double Gust
2 Focus Band
2 Pokemon Tower
1 Time Capsule

Round 1: Me vs. CFXC131 (I think)
Ok, he's play Dark Blastoise, and my Steelix is no where in sight. I am getting worried. I use Dewgong, and DG his Dark Tortle for 10, and discarding of his Gold Berry. I get Onix, play a Metal, and finish his Dark Blastoise while building a small army of threats. I end up with two charged Dewgongs, and a 3-Metaled Steelix. I just overpowered him that game. Tough loss, dude.
1-0

Round 2: Me vs. Ness
Ok, I finally get another game with my former fellow Pojo Deck Mech, and friend. He's playing Kabutops/Steelix, and plays the Onix, and attempts to Eeeeek, tails. I bench the Seel after DGing up his Steelix as I NEED to Eeeeeek. I get a decent hand. He Tail Crushes, heads. I build a Dewgong, after he kills another Baby. I deal his Steelix 30, then he hits me for 30. I am frantic now. He is building his army of Kabutops and I am still flailing for something else to cling to. I run through my deck (the downfall of my game), and get a Steelix going, eventually two. Anyways, to make LONG game short, it was me decking with a 3-Metaled Steelix vs his 4-Metaled Steelix. It was close, but I still lose. Great game Jason, it was great to see and play you again. 1-1

Round 3: Me vs. Someguy (?)(Hung out with Mega)
Ok, I get a GOD AWFUL start. Onix and Pichu vs his Vulpix (OH NO) and Cleffa. He sends up and Eeeeeeeks. I draw, nothing. Meanwhile, when I am still scrambling for ANYTHING, he is building up his Ninetales after Howling. Things looked awful for me at this point. He starts DGing and killing my Seels, and some babies. He got down to 1 or 2 Prizes, and I am still struggling. But then, I get an idea. I had a Seel Benched. I Elmed, and got a Dewgong and Metal Energy. So I attach the Metal Energy, and Evolve into Dewgong. Doing this ensures that he cannot Fire Blast me for the OHKO. I also play a Focus Band. Next turn, I play another Energy, and Dewgong is ready. I DG up one of this TWO Fully charged Ninetales for the KO. I KO his another Ninetales. And I am building another Metal Dewgong on the Bench. I just slowly and steadily come back for the win. He couldn't believe it, and neither could I. Even closer game than Lugia909 and I's previous match. 2-1

Round 4: Me vs. Lord_Ninetales
It was great to battle the "Professor that traveled the longest distance to Origins." I couldn't believe it, ANOTHER Entei deck. This time it was with Magcargo. Another game without using Steelix...Anyways, I AGAIN have a terrible setup, and he kills my Dewgong that was partially powered (two Energy). So, I am left with nothing but Cleffa. I draw and get some Pichu. I just start Zzzaping everything. He KOs the first Pichu. I send up another, and Zzzap again. He KOs that one too. =/ So I play a Tyrogue, and switch it with Cleffa. I then Time Capsule Seel, Dewgong, both Pichus, and an Energy. Ok, next turn I play Traders and get Pichus again >=D. This time, it's my luck that holds up, as I KO his Entei and Magcargo with Pichu. He starts powering up again, as I too get a Dewgong going with a Metal Energy attached. He has a Slugma (Destiny) with 4 Fire and a Focus Band, and FINALLY KOs my Tyrogue. Next turn, I send up and hit his Slugma, KO. He tries playing Enteis, but I just Double Gust and KO them every time he plays one. I AGAIN pull a comeback out of nowhere and finish the game on top. Man...you sure made me earn that win dude. It was a real privilege. And I am glad you visited the States and enjoyed yourself. 3-1

Round 5: Me vs FireFighter09
Ok...it's me against ANOTHER Entei/Cargo deck. This time however, it's me that has the great setup after two of his mulligans. He goes first and starts powering up a lone Slugma (Destiny). I get my Seel, and attach a Water and Band. He attaches again, and fails on the baby flip. I evolve into Dewgong, and play a Metal Energy. He still can't hit my Tyrogue, and I send up my fully charged Dewgong. He flips heads on Focus Band. He plays another Band, and hits me for 20. My turn, I attack again, he flips heads again on Band. He draws, and plays Tyrogue to the Bench. He then hits me for 20 more. I KO him next turn. He sends up Tyrogue, plays a Focus Band, and hits me for 20 with Smash Punch. My turn, I draw and hit him with Aurora Beam, successful Baby Flip, he fails on his Focus Band. I win again. 4-1

Draft Record: 1-2
Constructed Record: 4-1
Overall Record: 5-3

Ok, I end up getting 25th/79. Nowhere near as good as I'd like to have done. But it was my best, and I have no regrets, making few if any playing mistakes. I am not an awesome draft player, and I assembled a deck to the best of my abilities. I had a blast, met a lot of people. Got my cards autographed by people, and got to hang out with my fellow 0o Agent, Mega. It was a heck of a lot of fun. Congratulations to those of you who T8ed.

~Jim~


~GymbØ~
*Acclaimed Strategist and Deck Creator*
*Former Top 80 Global Player*
*Rogue Deck Specialist*
*Former Pojo.com Deck Mechanic*
*Proud Member of Team Dead Sneasel*