Ty 'SteelTrainer'

a pokemon is standing in a forest with trees in the background . ALT: a pokemon is standing in a forest with trees in the background .

AND THANK YOU ZAMAZENTA AND CHIEN PAO FOR BEING THE FUCKING GOATS 🐐

See you all next season and good luck to everyone competing in Worlds!

Shoutouts to the entire SoCal VGC scene, every one of you makes it an absolute joy to play this game.

Also a huge thank you to @joshuadenk.bsky.social, @slyabby.bsky.social, and @mentalsyndrome.bsky.social for being incredible teambuilding support and for cheering me on all season long.

Next season, I hope to improve even more! If I can swing it, I'd like to hit up EUIC this year (really miss London after spectating 2022 WCS).

Maybe even make worlds? Who's to say.

In total;
1 International
5 Regionals, 2 Day 2's
17 Cups, 6 cuts
28 challenges, 12 cuts

SoCal is a disgustingly stacked region, making up over 12% of the entire NA Worlds competitor pool, so I'm very happy with that conversion rate all things considered.

I didn't track food, as I usually like to treat myself to nice dinners and treat my time at regionals as the vacations they are. But this may be a helpful "realistic budget" for someone who is thinking about doing a full season. Definitely look for friends to split costs with!

As for the finances, this was my grand total after selling prize boxes from the regionals. I could have definitely done better for the hotels, averaging ~$82/night for the season, and $112/direction on flights.

Vancouver is the beast here, costing nearly $700 for the one event.

In Reg I, I went to Portland lost, since PaoNite was feeling SO much worse, and ended up getting slaughtered at the event for no points. However, Josh came in clutch again with his t32 team, which we optimized and rode again at NAIC. He went on to make Day 2, while I just missed

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After the mafia freed me, I put together my favorite team I used for the entire generation so far, ft. PaoNite + Zama. Over the next two months I rode the team to two day 2 finishes and cleaned up my cups. Thank you chein-pao I love you chien-pao.

When Reg G returned, was immediately drafted into the cult of Bastiodon alongside @mentalsyndrome.bsky.social , and despite the unfortunate finish at San Antonio, I managed to give the team a good showing getting top 4 in the day 2 cup!

I know Reg H was relatively popular overall, but I truly just never really found an archetype that spoke to me. I squeaked out some minor successes, but was really missing Chien-Pao and Raging Bolt. Sacramento was slightly disappointing, but I had time to make up points.

I started the season in Reg G (1), attending 8 challenges and a cup, and getting a good headstart as I wouldn't be attending a regional until Sacraemento in November. During this time, I won my first challenge with @joshuadenk.bsky.social 's world's team, one of my favorites to pilot then.

When converted to this year's CP payouts, my goal was 441 CP, or better than 263rd on the leaderboard (where I placed last season).

I ended up earning 650 CP this season, placing ~180th! Additionally, I was able to make my first two day 2's, back to back at Vancouver/Atlanta!

I had a goal this season to beat my own record last season, striving for personal growth over worlds, since the t75 race felt very unapproachable for me, and frankly toxic.

Last season, I earned 340 total CP, with my best finish being a few t128s at Vancouver/Portland...

Hello! My name is Ty and I make way too many spreadsheets. I've been recording data on my entire 2025 VGC Season. Now that we're at the end of the season, I wanted to share some insights about year, the teams I used, and what the finances looked like for those starting out 🧵

THE GOAT

Back to back with the same team!

T128 this time- ended 96th/863 players.

+80 -> 570 CP

2nd at the cup tonight thank u chein pao I love you chien pao

+15

2nd at the cup tonight thank u chein pao I love you chien pao

+40

Made my first day 2 at the Vancouver Regionals!

Paonite cleaned up so many games, but Poached Egg was the mvp 🥚

+100 -> 435/???

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bastiodon made it to day 2 piloted by a tgirl... the way the queers always pave the way forward for the culture

The Bastiodon Mafia sends their regards

+368 points for Bastiodon total

Couldn't have asked for a more brainrotted building group!

🛡⬆️🛡⬆️🛡⬆️🤜

I apologize for what SoCal players bring to locals and bring to online ladder.

a karen from reddit said the shen yun app is rated t for teen. pleased to report its rated e for everyone & offers 5000yrs of history reborn

Oh the assassin was a gamer? Time to take a big sip of coffee and see how legacy media is reporting th-
JESUS CHRIST

9-1 day 1 of the GC - no. 21 for now....

lowkey might stop here I threw the last two HARD I just want some points lmfao

Zamazenta pokemon commission

Grand Challenge Weekend! Here are the cutoff points from GC 1 & GC 2

Haw yee

I think this is my 4th Hozier win in a row lmao