What becoming a Chandelure Professor taught me about Pokémon Champions' competitive scene

Despite playing every main series entry, I've never dabbled much in Pokémon's competitive scene. The whole breeding and training aspect is pretty satisfying, but I predominantly use those teams in battles against my brother. Sure, I've hopped online occasionally, just never in an overly dedicated fashion. So, with Pokémon Champions, I wanted to find out if ranked battling was for me and if I'd recommend it to others who have never made that jump. However, I did so with a particularly silly goal to motivate me: I wanted to become a Chandelure Professor. 

Long-time readers might have inferred that my favourite Pokémon is Chandelure. Ghost-Types in general appeal to me, yet this mostly purple, haunted light fixture floats above the rest. In Pokémon Champions, if you win 100 battles with one, you get the prestigious title of Chandelure Professor, alongside a golden badge. I now have both of those things proudly pinned to my player profile, so it's time to share my thoughts on whether the competitive scene is enjoyable for Pokémon fans with mediocre skills like me. 

Answering that question isn't a simple yes or no. It entirely depends on your goals. However, a more straightforward point is that double battles are the way to go. Singles simply lack the same tactical depth and enjoyment, thanks to one less Pokémon in the team and no pairings for various synergies. Perhaps if the developers bring in 6v6 matches, that'll change. Until then, though, it's just quite a dull way to play. Doubles is king here. 

In Pokémon Champions, ranked life starts in the Poké Ball tier, with successive wins eventually earning you a promotion to Great, Ultra, and the pinnacle, Master Ball tier. In the early ranks, things are pretty easy, particularly if you find a team online based around your favourite Pokémon (thanks, WolfeyVGC). In general, you'll find yourself coming up against bots or a few people with cobbled-together teams without much grasp of strategy. Here, my mediocre knowledge was a genuine asset. 

The climb

A little higher up the ladder, you start to find what I've dubbed 'Stubborn Strategists.' These are people who, not entirely unlike me, have searched for a solid team and learned its main strategy. The downside with these folks is that they've learned its lead tactics to a fault. If they're supposed to set up Trick Room – a move that makes Pokémon move in reverse speed order for five turns – then they'll do so irrespective of what their opponent is using. On more than one occasion, this allowed my Torkoal – an absolute plodder of a tortoise – to wreak havoc with Eruption. 

I must admit, despite being entirely aware that I wasn't facing off against the best opposition, this part of the climb was highly enjoyable. We all like winning, after all. It's when I got to Master Ball that things started to change. If your goal is simply to get there, it's achievable by anyone willing to have plans B and C. Now, if you're after an academic title and golden badge relating to your favourite Pokémon, you'll need to tussle with better opponents for a lot longer. 

At this point, battles almost become a different prospect entirely. Mistakes are rarer while everyone possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of abilities and items. Certain moves, like Protect, pop up with more frequency and, likewise, certain Pokémon become mainstays. I hope you like Sinistcha, Kingambit, Incineroar, and Basculegion since one or more of them are in pretty much every team. Of course, as new Pokémon are introduced in subsequent seasons, this cast might change. Regardless, a select few will always rise to the top, so it remains an issue.

In truth, my team was no different. Thanks to Wolfey, I'd included a Basculegion of my own, as well as other meta picks like Sneasler and Whimsicott. The difference was I had a hard-hitting yet frustratingly fragile Chandelure to make my life more difficult. Plus, alongside that, the clairvoyant skills of hardcore Pokémon players to contend with.

From pseudo-savant to sucking

You see, at higher levels, competitive battling switches to a bout of guesstimating. Making good predictions is the key to victory, sometimes leading to third- and fourth-guessing. In truth, I wasn't particularly good at it, with my opponents regularly outthinking my attempts to anticipate their moves. I'd still get wins, likely when I came up against a fellow mediocre player who'd also fumbled their way into Master Ball tier, but the ratio certainly leaned more heavily towards the loss column. 

In total, I'd played over 200 games when I finally claimed the title I desired. Would I recommend the same journey to someone else? The boring, yet unfortunately correct, answer remains “It depends.” Let's be honest, losing multiple matches in a row isn't fun. If not for the Chandelure Professor dream, I'd have likely called it a day. Of course, not everyone has as low a ceiling as I do when it comes to multiplayer gaming. If you're willing (or able) to improve your predicting skills, then you might find yourself climbing beyond Master Ball Rank 4 and having a good time with it while using your favourite Pokémon. As for me, I might have to snuff out my beloved chandelier's flame before swapping her out for something with meta-shaped teeth.