In the competitive world of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, players must always stay one step ahead of their opponents. And sometimes, that means doing the unthinkable. Today, a player made an absurdly risky yet genius move by attacking their own Pokémon to counter Trick Room.
Attacking your own Pokémon in VGC double battles is not a new concept, but it’s a strategy that catches opponents off guard. Ever since Pokémon pro James Baek shocked everyone by burning his own Pokémon to avoid sleep during the 2023 Charlotte Regionals, VGC players have had to be more aware of this possibility.
Today, a competitive player took this strategy to a whole new level. They used an even riskier and wilder version of the play to pull off an incredible move that no one saw coming. They used their Thundurus to intentionally paralyze their own Iron Bundle, creating several advantages against a tricky Trick Room team.
Thanks to Thundurus’ Prankster ability, it was able to move first under Trick Room and use Thunder Wave on its ally Iron Bundle. By paralyzing Iron Bundle, it not only avoided being put to sleep by Amoonguss’ Spore but also reduced its speed, allowing it to move before the opposing Flutter Mane under Trick Room.
This strategic move allowed Iron Bundle to use Encore and force Flutter Mane to repeatedly use Trick Room, effectively reversing the effects of Trick Room set up by the opponent’s slow team. The opponent could only watch helplessly as their own Pokémon worked against them, rendering that slot unable to attack.
Suddenly, the momentum shifted back to the speedier team, thanks to this risky yet brilliant play.
Of course, this move was incredibly risky and could have backfired if Iron Bundle had been fully paralyzed. But fortunately, it was able to execute one of the most exciting and brilliant plays in competitive VGC. The only concern now is whether the paralysis will come back to haunt Iron Bundle later in the battle.
If you’re tired of losing to Trick Room teams, consider running Encore and paralyzing one of your own Pokémon to recreate this big brain play. In addition to Iron Bundle, Ogerpon and Illumise are two other Pokémon that can use Encore in Regulation E.
Just remember to keep your fingers crossed that your Pokémon doesn’t get fully paralyzed, or you might end up looking a bit silly.
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Source: DOTESPORTS
