TJ
Banned deucer.
allstarapology
Favorite Pokemon: Landorus
Most used Pokemon: Skuntank
Most known for: Winning room tours or losing r1, being salty, Room Voice
allstar: I'm doing fine, TJ, how are you doing?
TJ: Im doing well, thanks for asking
TJ: Could you tell us more about yourself outside of Smogon? What are your hobbies and things you enjoy?
allstar: I'm a sophomore in an aerospace high school and currently reside in Maryland. Outside of learning, the only thing I do at school is attend one club, so I have a lot of spare time on my hands. Aside from Pokemon, I really enjoy drawing and writing, as well as other games such as Persona, and trying to keep up with all the work I have. It isn't a lot admittedly, but I still have fun doing it all.
TJ: How and when did you get involed with the PU community?
allstar: I got interested in PU right around the release of SM PU Alpha. I had been on Showdown for a few months in advance, but I didn't really pay attention to many tiers outside of OU and NU until I saw some threads about ORAS PU. The tier seemed like fun, so I wanted to be there for SM PU and it not only lived up to my expectations, but went above and beyond at it. Admittedly the room and the people in it were intimidating, but eventually, I felt welcome.
TJ: Who do you look up to / admire most as a player and as a person in the PU scene?
allstar: Pretty much every voice, driver, moderator, room owner, and person in the PU room has my respect for being as knowledgeable, helpful, entertaining, and insightful they are, but in particular, I highly respect jklioe for being able to build teams so well around almost anything from what I've seen, and for also being an easy-to-talk-to person. There's also Teddeh, whose teams are consistently among the most well-built I've seen throughout my entire experience on Showdown, and what I aspire to be in regard to talent. Finally, there's rwby and Dibs The Dreamer, who are both perfect examples of what makes the PU room as great as it is to me. They're a perfect combination of all the traits I've previously mentioned, innovative, and never awful or unbearable to be around.
TJ: You are an example of an "exemplary" new user. What advice would you give to people trying to get involved in PU?
allstar: As funny as it is coming from someone who's nervous as hell all the time, don't be afraid to ask for help. Whether it be a voice, driver, or anybody. There's always someone that can help you get better at learning and playing. There are easily accessible resources on the forums, too, so checking those out would be ideal, as well. We all had to start somewhere, so don't feel as if you're awful or too bad to learn or anything else along those lines. Participating in room tours, though not necessary, can help you learn the tier if you don't like laddering, but don't let a loss or two get you down. Two L's make a W, after all.
TJ: Can you name any up and coming players showing good potential?
allstar: There are many players that I think show potential, but in particular, LordST (free him on draft btw), Stan Soojung jklioe, GenZeon, pinktidal, HJAD, rwby, and Sixes_ are definitely really solid players who you should definitely be on the look for in the future.
TJ: What are your thoughts on the Smogon Exhibition tournament?
allstar: Personally, I'm not too big a fan of the tournament due to a bunch of stuff that's going on in the thread and with players, but I do wish the best for Megazard and galbia, as well as everyone participating in the tournament. They deserve to put the W in Untier (W)University.
TJ: What type of music do you enjoy?
allstar: I enjoy a ton of OSTs of video games and find myself listening to them and remixes of video game songs more often than any other kind of music, but I do also enjoy hip hop, pop, and blues.
TJ: Lastly, can you give us a team that fits your playstyle and explain it?
allstar:
Throh @ Leftovers
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Circle Throw
- Bulk Up
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Skuntank @ Black Glasses
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Poison Jab
- Sucker Punch
- Pursuit
- Crunch
Ferroseed @ Eviolite
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Spikes
- Gyro Ball
- Protect
- Leech Seed
Mesprit @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
- Psychic
- U-turn
- Healing Wish
- Stealth Rock
Pyroar @ Choice Specs
Ability: Unnerve
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Flamethrower
- Fire Blast
- Hyper Voice
- Hidden Power [Grass]
Oricorio-Sensu @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Dancer
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Hurricane
- Revelation Dance
Ability: Guts
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Circle Throw
- Bulk Up
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Skuntank @ Black Glasses
Ability: Aftermath
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Poison Jab
- Sucker Punch
- Pursuit
- Crunch
Ferroseed @ Eviolite
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Spikes
- Gyro Ball
- Protect
- Leech Seed
Mesprit @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe
Bold Nature
- Psychic
- U-turn
- Healing Wish
- Stealth Rock
Pyroar @ Choice Specs
Ability: Unnerve
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Flamethrower
- Fire Blast
- Hyper Voice
- Hidden Power [Grass]
Oricorio-Sensu @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Dancer
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Calm Mind
- Hurricane
- Revelation Dance
This is a team that I've used on ladder, against friends, and in tours, that's had a fair amount of success. Throh's a Pokemon that I've been wanting to experiment more with, so I figured to first try it as a phazer on a hazard stacking team. Ferroseed and Mesprit form the hazard stacking core, with Mesprit providing useful Healing Wish support in case something is too weakened, and U-turn support to get stuff in easier. Skuntank gives the team priority to mitigate how slow the team was beforehand, as well as an offensive check to stuff like Oricoro-G, who was a major problem so far. Pyroar is the team's main wallbreaker and the team's cleaner, often having a much easier time succeeding at both due to both hazards and Throh shuffling opposing teams around. And Oricorio-G is the team's spinblocker, Z-Move user, and secondary wallbreaker. The team lacks hazard removal, which is why I've been using Defog on Skuntank, and Eelektross is really annoying, but neither have really caused all too much trouble before.
Thanks for your time! As always, if you guys have any questions feel free to ask them below!