Corvallis Knights vs. Longview Lickilicky

In one of this week’s top matchups, the undefeated Corvallis travelled to take on the rookie Longview Lickilicky. Grant and the Knights have had a dominant season thus far and will be the second major test Darian faces in their rookie season.

The match went to 4 games, with the rookie picking up one win off the season 1.1 Champion. The Knights continue their quest for redemption from last season’s championship loss and move to 4-0 this season. Their Gym Leader had this to say about their match,

“The Lickilicky brought a strong team but it ultimately had a poor matchup into what we brought. With the type advantages and some good reads, we were able to set up Hisuian Goodra and exert a ton of pressure throughout the match." 

We are really looking forward to the championship rematch next week, hopefully we get a different outcome this time around”

Darian and the Lickilicky are now 2-2, 2 wins against other lower ranked teams and 2 losses against previous champions. With such a difficult record it has been hard for analysts to determine how good the Lickilicky really are but a win next week against the Pharos (another previous  champion) will help their case for a top half ranking.

Kenmore Air vs. Grants Pass Grotle

Two of the league’s founding members met in this rematch that has been brewing for over a year. The home Grants Pass Grotle are still searching for their first win while the away Kenmore Air are looking to start a win streak after getting their first win of the season last week.

In a back and forth game 1 the Air premiered two of their recent additions, Maushold and Annihilape, partnered with the core of their team, Archaludon and Politoed. This new combination showed signs of weaknesses but overall was enough to grab the first win of the series. Alex and the Grotle switched up their game plan in game 2. Setting up trick room directly countered the Air’s planned tailwind setup, but with some decent stall the Air were able to pull out another win. Game three finished the series with Alex opting to double down with Trick Room, taking advantage of Oranguru’s Instruct move to boost Blood-Moon Urasaluna’s damage output. Unfortunately for Grotle Fans, it wasn’t enough. 

With this 3-0 win, the Air move to 2-2 on the season. The Kenmore based gym has lost against its toughest matchups and won against two of the lower ranked teams, leading to questions on the true skill and strength of the once Champion Daniel. The Air have been active this season with trades and free-agency with another 4 moves this week. All 4 of the new ‘mons were showcased in this match and seem to be a much more cohesive unit than the teams we have seen the last 3 weeks.

The Grants Pass Grotle are still winless after this one. Sitting at 0-4, they have three more chances to pick up their first win. Gym Leader Alex was not available for questions following the match.

Kirkland Koffing vs. Bothell Beartic

This Prime-Time matchup was flexed into the Friday Night Lights time slot, and it did not disappoint. The Kirkland Koffing have been red hot this season after a tough week 1 loss and hope to keep that fire growing to smoke out the undefeated Bothell Beartic.

Smasher Schmidt got started early with smoke and mirrors to trick the Botherl Beartic into thinking they had more room than they really did. Taking advantage of the Beartic’s natural speed, the Koffing were able to do huge amounts of damage but they barely picked up the first game, with only Mega Man (Ceruledge) standing. After game 1, Champion Kenneth adapted and froze their opponents for the rest of the match. Tera Captain “Fake-A-Chu (Pawmot) has cemented itself as a top damage threat this season and that showed in games 2-4, picking up OHKO after OHKO.

The Beartic stay undefeated and hopes are high that they are the first repeat champion. They stayed positive after this big win,

“Schmidt did a great job with team building and gametime decisions this week. We were able to adapt to his main strategy and it seemed like he was unwilling or unable to move away from trick-room. That gave us the edge this week. At the end of the day, we had a great match but still have a lot of room for improvement.”

Smasher Schmidt has had a up and down season thus far. This loss leaves them at an even 2-2, putting them around the middle of the rankings. They will need a strong second half of the season if they want to bring home the Championship trophy this season.

Federal Way Pharos vs. Traffic Instigators

After a groundbreaking trade that has been surrounded by criticism and skepticism, the new Pharos squad took on their 405 rivals, the Bellevue Traffic Instigators. Both of these teams have struggled to make any progress this season, but the trainers are staring down the end of the seasons, hoping to stay out of the lower bracket of playoffs.

The match got off to a quick start, with the newly acquired Ambipom stepping into a starring role right away. With fake-out pressure and good coverage moves, Ambipom was able to sweep the entire first game of this series. Game two went just as well for the Pharos with Ambipom, supported by Talonflame, being able to sweep without even switching out or losing a ‘mon. Finishing the series out with some interesting move choices, Michael was able to sweep the series.

The Pharos get their first win of the season and proved they have not lost a step in their unique and expert team building. They faced off against the Lickilicky in week 5 which was a part of today’s double header for Infielder Michael due to the rescheduled week 4 match. Their next opponent will be Daniel and the Kenmore Air in week 6.

Longview Luxray vs. Longview Ludicolo

This match has been coined, the battle of the Longview Loser after both of these Longview based Gyms lost to their counterpart, the Longview Lickilicky 0-3. With their pride on the line, the Luxray travelled to their home town rivals the Ludicolo to determine who the worst Gym in Longview is.

The Luxray proved they have learned a lot this season, picking up their second win in a dominant 3-1 fashion. Both trainers were not available for comment after the match, leaving everyone wondering what the next steps for both gyms will be.

Ballard Bulbasaur vs. Tacoma Tinks

Everyone’s least favorite Rival, Avery, travel to beat up the rookie Tacoma Tinks. Avery and the Bulbasaur have been known as “noob stompers” ever since they participated in the Beginner League last season, taking advantage of 4 rookies. His opponent Drew has haven’t quite found their groove and were pushed around again this week.

Rival Avery kept to his pattern of bullying newcomers with this 3-1 victory, crediting a lot to Milotic’s competitiveness. The Ballard Gym Leader didn’t hold back in this press conference,

“What did you expect? The Ballard Gym takes every team seriously and getting a win this week is no different than when we got the win over the Mudkip or Pharos this season. They are trash and I am not, it’s that simple. Figure it out.”

The Tinks are now 1-3 but are making steady progress in their first season. They hope to turn things around next week against the Mercer Island Mudkip.

Venersborg Venusaur vs. Mercer Island Mudkip

The red hot Venusaur travelled to Mercer Island this week to take on Mudkip in what may be a season defining match for both gyms. The undefeated Venusaur has surprised all but their most faithful fans this season shooting up the rankings with each win. A win over the Mudkip could cement them as a top contender this season, but Max has been holding his own against top opponents this season and in the hunt for a top rank as well.

Game 1 was a close one, but William was able to recover from a few misplays to win it. After that, the Venasaur’s power was clearly enough to win the match, but William’s lack of Pokemon knowledge seemed to be the determining factor. Sharkbait (Tatsugiri) was a serious bait for William’s team as it appears to be a viable target even when commanding Dondozo. Many missed moves into the untargetable slot may have cost the Venusaur this match and another week with the undefeated title.

Max is 3-1 after this bigger than anticipated win, a big shift from where he was last season. This turnaround shows how much a good draft can influence a season. The Gym Leader was not available for questions following the win.

The Venusaur should be proud of how their season has gone this far, including this 2-3 loss against the Mudkip. No one would have anticipated such a boost for the once lacking Venersborg organization. Even with this loss, they are a top ranked team this season and have a winnable schedule the rest of the way. Trainer William was hyped about his team this week and for the matchup against the Traffic in week 5.