Bothell Beartic vs. Longview Lickilicky

Brothers turned rivals was the theme of the Bothell Beartic and the Longview Lickilicky match as gym leaders for the respective gyms, Kenneth and Darian, faced off. Darian has just begun his adventure in the PDL and has centered his team around powerhouses Kingambit and Primarina. Coming off of a hot finish from last season, reigning champion Kenneth made his debut this season ready to go back to back ready to face some of his former pokemon along with some that helped him win last season. This match was set to be a good one.

While expectations thought this match might go longer, Kenneth proved why he was the champ last season as the Beartic were able to give the LickiLicky the cold shoulder. Wolverine (Sneasler) diced up the competition with a new look but the same destructive results as it had for Kenneth’s team last season. Paired with early round pick Funky Kong (Rillaboom), the two made a devastating team. The LickiLicky seem to have bitten off more than they could chew as their Opening season match could not have ended how they Wanted too. Despite offensive efforts for the aforementioned Kingambit and Primirina, Darian and his team were unable to get any momentum moving for them. As competition runs in their blood, neither trainer comments after the game as only next week’s matches were on their minds. The LickiLicky face off with Bebs of the Longview Ludicolo, while Kenneth faces off with Avery and the Ballard Bulbasaur.

Kenmore Air vs. Corvallis Knights

Week one brought us many rivalry matches from across the league. Some were just beginning while others had much more history behind them. One of these historical rivalries is between Daniel, the commissioner and leader of the Kenmore Air, and Grant, not a commissioner but also gym leader of the equally prestigious Corvallis Knights. Both gyms have a title to their names with Grant winning the PDL’s inaugural season and Daniel’s coming in the third season. Last season, both gyms were considered top contenders for the title and both landed top playoff spots, but would fall short to reigning champion Kenneth of the Bothel Beartic. Looking to recreate their hot starts from last season while also looking to become the first gym to win two titles in the PDL, the Knights and the Air faced off.

The Kenmore Air soared into the season with a win in game one but got the wind taken from under their wings as Grant and the Knights took the rest of the games to finish the match 3-1. Ooey Gooey (Hisuian Goodra) made a statement as an offensive and defensive presence in the battle. Paired with Pinky (Clefairy) and Big Bird (Pelliper) for support, the Knights were able to rally after the loss in round 1. Leader of the Knights, Grant, praised his team and O.G. especially for their ability to find the winning plays. Looking to keep heating up, Grant said, “I’m hoping to stay undefeated, losing the championship was tough last season so we're looking to not let that happen again.” Grant faces the Bellevue Traffic Investigators next week in hopes of finding another win.

Daniel and the Kenmore Air fluttered out after round one. Round one brought promise with late round pick The Hill from UP (Torterra) dealing good damage but would just be outshined by the opposing Ooey Gooey and Pinky. The following few games were kept close by Astoria Bridge (Archelludon) and Sabrina (Gothitelle) but they weren't able to get around Ooey’s set up. Daniel had few comments for our reports only stating that he’s going to be in the lab making his team that much better for next week's match up against Schmit and the Kirkland Koffings.

Tacoma Tinks vs. Longview Luxray

Well, we can say that both of these teams are coming into this season without a win. The Tacoma Tinks are newcomers to the league led by Top or Bottom Drew. Their opponent, the Longview Luxray, has participated in two seasons without ever finding a match victory. After a season away from the league Live Wire Jason is back and ready to put on a shocking performance. This week he did just that, ending his loss streak with a 3-1 victory.

Jason may have had to bring a few diapers to the match, but with his lucky electric guitar he was able to play out some victory music in his home stadium. His main strategy of a sun based team showed his skills as a Gym Leader have significantly improved. This match started at the draft, which has never been Jason’s strong suit but he seems to have put out a new battle album this season.

“All I can say is William better watch out next week. The Luxray team is looking to keep these W’s coming all season and the Venersborg Venusaur is the next name on the chopping block.”

The Tacoma Tinks may have been shocked after losing to a winless team this week. In reality, this just shows how strong the league is overall. You can never count a trainer out and that is even true for newcomer Drew. They may have lost this match but picking up a single game win against a practiced veteran is no small feat. The Tacoma Tinks will look to build on their progress against the Grants Pass Grotle in week 2.

Kirkland Koffing vs. Mercer Island Mudkip

These two Gym Leaders have been in the league since season two. Over that time, both trainers have grown in their battling skills and seem some success but never lifted the trophy at the end of the season. Their Championship hopes start with a difficult matchup in this week one pairing. 

The Mercer Island Mudkip may have a new name, but their Gym Leader Max’s success has followed him wherever he goes. Chronically in 2nd place, he has been one piece away from a championship not once but twice over the course of three seasons. With a 3-1 victory over his cousin Smasher Schmidt, Max is one step closer to his elusive goal. They will look for their first ever victory against the Federal Way Pharos next week.

"I stand here today as a proud GM. After a really really weird season and an amazing rebrand, shout out KierGPT, the Mercer Island Mudkip have their first win. Recent additions, Moto Moto (Dondozo) and Robert Rich (Tatsugiri) have really made a SPLASH here. We have officially entered our GSW era ‘cause clearly the boys last season didn't work so here comes Kevin Durant to save the day. I'm glad Sicko Mode can be heard in these halls again.”

Smasher Schmidt might be less excited about the splash the new Mudkip team made. The Motto-Motto (Dondozo) commander ability truly commanded all of the attention this match. Schmidt will need to find a way to overcome such obstacles in the future. Those obstacles start again next week against former Champion Daniel and his Archaludon.

“We learned a lot through this match and won’t make any excuses. With such a short season we need to come back stronger next week and luckily most of the other teams are more normal when compared to this Dondozo-Tatsugiri combination. I hope Daniel is better at VGC than TCG because the Koffing are preparing for landing!”

Longview Ludicolo vs.  Bellevue Traffic Instigators

Many other matches this week were filled with previous history between the two trainers, their journey to winning the title, and the battles that unfolded as their paths crossed. This match was the start of what could become a great and historical rivalry between Luke of the Bellevue Traffic Investigators and Bebs of the Longview Ludicolo. Previously known as the Ketchikan Krabby, Bebs trained hard in his first season to learn the ropes and find what makes a good trainer in his first season of the PDL last season. Ready to prove what he’s learned he stood across from Luke, a rookie trainer to the PDL who was ready to make his debut. Despite not having been in the PDL before, Luke has assured his fans that he’s here to compete with a cool headed, efficient, and WSDOT approved.

The Traffic Investigators seem to have been caught in some traffic while the Ludicolo found their first victory this season. Big boys, Abomasnow and Hippowdown were able to create some problems for Luke while Garchomp was there to clean up. Appreciating the bulk his team had, Coach Bebs was pleased with his team. When asked to comment further about his team and hopes for the season, he just looked our reporters in the eye and without saying a word left the conference room. It will be up to Bebs to keep his team’s groove going as they face Darian and the Longview Lickilicky in what may be called the Longview Derby.

Despite their opening performance not being everything they’d hoped, the Traffic Investigators were able to find some success in wearing down the opposing pokemon but were unable to survive the onslaught of 100% accuracy blizzards in a snowstorm. The team still shows promise too with Wheezing and Lilligant providing good support and damage for the team. Luke was unavailable for comment after the match but is surely preparing for his match next week against Grant and the Corvallis Knights

Venersborg Venusaur vs. Grants Pass Grotle

During a busy week of Pokemon battle, the league slowed down to experience the return of Hiker Alex with his new team the Grants Pass Grotle. Alex was a founding trainer but has taken some time away from the league. This matchup paired him with William and his new team the Venersborg Venusaur. Both teams hope for some real improvement from their last season in the league.

The Venusaur came out strong with an aggressive team and had laser focus the entire match. William has grown a lot the past few seasons in his Pokemon knowledge and he showed Alex every lesson he had learned. Type match ups, check, speed control, check, damage calculations, double check. Everything went the way of William this week. Starting the season strong with a 3-0 victory should mean he has some momentum going into his week two match up with the Longview Luxray.

“Now that I am getting bored of Elden Ring, I’ve been able to put more time and effort into my team building. This should be the norm until Elden Ring: Nightreign is released. During the match I got a little flustered, but my preparation kept me moving in the right direction and focusing on Oranguru allowed me to slow down his main attacking threats.”

Homecomings don’t always have a happy ending. Hiker Alex will have an uphill battle this season after taking almost an entire year away from the league. While he was away, Rookie trainers like William have honed their skill and the league has become even more competitive. This 0-3 loss acted as a wake up call for the Grants Pass Gym. If they have any hope of winning a match this season they need to act quickly and put together a more balanced team leading into their week 2 match against the newcomer Drew and his Tacoma Tinks.

Alex was not available for comment after the match.

Ballard Bulbasaur vs. Federal Way Pharos

(The Ceremonial PDL Draft Blitz Opening Weekend Kickoff Battle)

Two of the League’s top trainers agreed to battle it out with the shortest amount of prep time ever. This fun ruleset tests the Gym Leader’s team building and battling skills. In the first ever CPDLDBOWKOB drew in a record number of fans. The stadium sold out of the “Fed Dog” within 15 minutes of doors opening, the total time each trainer had to prepare their team following the draft.

While the score may not reflect what “could” have happened in a normal match, it does highlight Rival Avery’s ability to dominate his opponents any given week. The Bulbasaur’s Tera Captain Bellibolt shocked the world with its bulkiness and damage output. This 7th round pick performed way higher than its draft position. Bellibolt should now be on any trainer’s radar as a threat. Rival Avery’s top picks played well this week forming a supportive core that seems to be able to handle any major threats.

“It was a great honor to battle in the first ever Ceremonial PDL Draft Blitz Opening Weekend Kickoff Battle. With this win I reclaim my rightful position as top trainer in the league. Michael adapted well each match but as the record shows, Belibolt caught us both off guard. Next week, I’ll be qualified for a job as a janitor after sweeping Kenneth.”

The Federal Way Pharos drafted Dragapult with the second pick of the draft. This speedster ‘mon is the fastest drafted pokemon by 16 points (talonflame). Dragapult was not able to produce enough offensive pressure to turn any match around. The core of Dragapult and Annihilape were able to combine for some damage across the 4 games, but the lack of bulk made them easy to remove from the field. Infielder Michael will look to hit a home run next week against the Mercer Island Mudkip.

“If you’d have seen me 10-15 minutes ago, I wouldn’t have been able to speak. I was just overwhelmed with tears. To come into this tournament last year at world number 25 and now I’m world number five, it’s a pinch me moment to be honest.”