Old player coming back because Crystal is the greatest game ever made ;)

I haven't played Pokemon in several years, but after seeing the re-release of Crystal I've jumped back in. Crystal got me re-hooked and I've since bought Moon, Ultra Sun, and played a fair bit of Pokémon Showdown.

I wanted to get to know the community around the game a bit, so here I am!

I'm also interested in the competitive side of Pokémon, about which I have a few questions, if anyone here can answer them for me:

- I've read through Smogon's ranking system, is this the most common game format, or do people tend to play according to Pokemon's official tournament rules?
- Do more people competitively play the actual games, or Pokemon Showdown?
- Are there any Pokémon podcast or twitch streams you'd recommend for getting better or just general enjoyment?

I'd also appreciate any resources on getting into competitive Pokémon. For reference I'm familiar with EVs, IVs, and Smogon's tier system. I'm mostly wanting resources discussing strategy, as well as getting familiarized with the meta.

Sorry, that's a lot of requests right off the bat 😅 I don't expect answers to everything, but any info I could get would be great.

Super excited to join your community here and to get to know you all!

JaxEvans said:

- I've read through Smogon's ranking system, is this the most common game format, or do people tend to play according to Pokemon's official tournament rules?
- Do more people competitively play the actual games, or Pokemon Showdown?

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I'm not sure which is the more popular one really, but they both have plenty of players. On this site, more people play in the Smogon format and on Pokemon Showdown than the VGC/cartridge format.

I'd also appreciate any resources on getting into competitive Pokémon. For reference I'm familiar with EVs, IVs, and Smogon's tier system. I'm mostly wanting resources discussing strategy, as well as getting familiarized with the meta.

Click to expand...

We have a bunch of stuff listed and linked to in here: https://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=397587

idk how much of it you'll find useful, but it's something to start with I guess

Welcome to PC.

I'd say even if you're into the most niche metas, someone else on PC has played it and can help you out. I can't speak to very much in the way of current competitive battling, but back during the 4th gen PC taught me everything I needed to know and I'm sure they'll help you too. :)

Either way, welcome to PC and welcome back to Pokemon. Always nice to have more folks invested in our little community.

I don't watch any podcasts or streams for Pokémon or anything so I can't help out there, but Showdown definitely seems like the more popular platform for competitive battling. Easy to make the teams you want, nor does it require a 3DS or WiFi connection. But of course, like Nah said, both have plenty of dedicated players.

Welcome!! Yes Crystal is awesome <3 I'm not buying it yet but it is one of the best Pokémon games to grace this world for sure lol. Hope you enjoy your time here!

Thanks for the welcome guys!