Introduction

• Preface

  Beginners, Start Here

• Introduction to Competitive Pokemon

• Coming from Breeding or Shiny Hunting

• Coming from Single Battles

  The Basics

• The Basics of Watching a Pokemon Match

• What are the Rules of a VGC Battle?

• Base Stats, IVs, EVs

• What is Pokemon Showdown and How to Use it

• Everyone is Learning all the Time

  Foundational Concepts

• Subjectivity

• Context Pt.1

• Context Pt. 2 - Battling

Teambuilding

• Teambuilding Introduction

  First Steps

• Intent

• Brainstorming Ideas to Start Teams

  Picking a Team Without Teambuilding

• You Don’t Need to Teambuild to Play Pokémon

• How to Use Someone Else’s Team

  Concrete Building Blocks

• Typing

• Utility Moves

• Speed Control

• Items

• Protect

• Trick Room

  Abstract Building Blocks

• What Makes a Pokemon “Good”?

• Synergy

• Cores and Modes

• Archetypes

• Consistency

• Your Team Determines Your Luck

• Accuracy vs Power

• Surprise Factor

• Metagame

• Team Playstyle and Pace

  Putting it all Together

• How to Pull it all Together

• How to Win (Sometimes) With Your Favorites

• EVing #1: How to Make Simple EV Spreads

• EVing #2: The Next Step - Why would you want a more complex EV spread?

• EVing #3: How to Make a Complex EV Spread

  Pitfalls

• Sixth Pokémon Syndrome

• How to Beat a Pokémon

• “Island” Pokémon

• When do You Move on from a Team?

• Why You Should Keep an Open Mind

  Getting Ready for Battles

• Best of 1 vs Best of 3

• How do You Know if a Team You’ve made is Good?

• How do You Know Which Team to Take to a Tournament?

• What to do When Time is Running Out

Circuit

• What is the Circuit?

  Circuit Specifics

• Details of Swiss and Top Cut

• Attending Primer Challenges and Mid Season Showdowns

• Attending a Regional

• Attending an International Championship

• Attending Worlds

  Qualifying to Worlds

• Championship Points: Details and FAQ

• Strategies for Qualifying for Worlds

  Miscellaneous

• How Much do Pokémon Tournaments Cost?

• Packing for an Event

In Game Guide

• Making Your Favorite Pokémon Battle Ready

• Abilities

• Catching Perfect Legendaries

• Dynamax Candy and Max Mushroom Soup

• EV Training

• Hyper Training

• IV Breeding

• Moves

• Natures

• What Pokémon do I Want to Catch at 0 IVs?

• Where to Find Items and Resources?

• How to Check Everything is Correct

Battling

• Introduction

• Competitive Pokemon is less luck than you think

• Building Up a Knowledge Base

  Before the Battle

• Approaching Best of 1 vs. Best of 3

• Analyzing your opponent’s teams

• Team Preview

• What is a game plan?

  General Battling Principles

• Pressure (Action/Reaction)

• Predictions

• Protect

• Switching

  Specific Battling Concepts

• Battling Against Trick Room

• 1 HP is Infinitely More than 0 HP

• How to analyze a battle

  Annotated Battles

• Will Tansley vs. Nils Dunlop, Worlds 2017

• Paul Chua vs. Diana Bros, North American Internationals 2019

• Alister Sandover vs. Edoardo Giunipero Ferraris, Player’s Cup 1

  FAQ

• What is a “Good” Ladder Rating?