Decipher #5 - Chase Lybbert

Now! Step right this way. Read carefully! Don’t miss the next interview! I present to you... I Am a Rookie!

I'm a Rookie has recently won San Jose regionals in the Masters division. He has also won Arizona regionals last fall, and has participated in Worlds 2015.

= Cypher = I Am a Rookie

 
First off, introduce yourself!

 
Hello everyone! I am Chase Lybbert, an Arizona resident that recently won the San Jose Regionals! I have been playing VGC for almost 2 years now.


Who is better, the rookie, or the rookie slayer?


Haha, well, I would say me and he [his brother, Rookie Slayer] would argue for himself. For an honest answer though: We have played against each other in several premier challenges and I have the winning record on him. We haven't played each other in any Regional level events or higher though. As far as results go, I would say he has more consistent finishes though.


What do you think about your success, winning a fall regional again, as well as being able to compete in worlds?

 
I am both proud and surprised of what I have done thus far. Winning my first Regional was a bit unexpected because I was still developing as a player, but when I won that I gained confidence in my play. Competing in Worlds was incredibly fun and the environment was even better than anticipated. Although I didn't do too well at Worlds, it gave me incentive to do even better this year so I can go back and have another shot. The San Jose regional was my first regional without my brother and I was using a team we built together, so I was happy I could do it justice. And, I consider that regional my biggest accomplishment.


How did you get into Pokemon and VGC?

 
I have been playing Pokemon since R/B/Y, but it wasn't until D/P/Pt when the WiFi capabilities were released when I started playing singles against others online. I don't know if anyone remembers the Xat chats, but I would always go around those asking for battles. I stopped playing when B/W came out. When X/Y came out, my brother and I decided we wanted to start EV training and battle people online because of Battle Spot, but we wanted to test our teams first. We stumbled upon Showdown, ended up in the VGC chat and redirected to Nuggetbridge, where we found a VGC tournament in Long Beach, CA which was only a 4 hour drive from us. We decided we would try it out, and we enjoyed the environment and community! Ever since then we have been making it to all of the other Regionals in our vicinity.

 
I heard of Team Tanktop. What is it? How did it get started?

 
Haha Team Tank Top!!!!! Team Tank Top is just a group of us Pokemon players who got to know each other pretty well over the last two years and often room with each other at events and hang out. It pretty much started off with an agreement between me, RastaCharmander, Primitive, pib319 and pimp shrimp deciding we were going to wear Tank Tops at Utah Regionals. From there, we coined Team Tank Top and we like being vocal about how we are apart of it, haha. Myself, along with the majority of the members, have not attended a bigger event without wearing a Tank Top; it's just our tradition.


How would you describe your relationship with your brother?


My brother and I don't have a whole lot in common. We usually are doing our own separate thing. As kids, we, as my grandma would put it, "rough housed" a lot, haha. Pokemon is one, among a few other things, that we share a common interest in.


Besides Pokemon, what kind of things do you like to do for fun?


I enjoy going to the gym, playing other various online games, and many computer related things! My old High School friends and I go on a biannual camping trip that I look forward to as well!


What do you plan to pursue in the future?


I am currently going to ASU for Computer Science. I am shooting for respectable finishes at both Nationals and Worlds, and taking up running to improve my cardio.


What is the origin of your username?


Haha, well I needed a username on Showdown, and at the time I was an ACTUAL rookie. It was a Showdown username anyway, and you can change it whenever so I just decided on "I Am a Rookie" for the time being until I got better. When I made a Nuggetbridge account, I figured I wouldn't be using it a whole lot so I just stuck with the same name. As time passed, I have been asked by several people if I ever planned on changing it. I do not ever plan on changing though because it has definitely grown on me and I will forever be a rookie. :D


What is the best thing you have gotten out of from playing Pokemon?


Pokemon, surprisingly, has given me a lot, and to single out one thing is difficult. It has allowed me to travel to places I normally have no business traveling to, like Indianapolis, Utah and Boston. It has introduced me to some amazing people who share similar interests and have unique personalities. Pokemon also has, oddly, improved my critical thinking skills because it requires you to assess a situation and conclude the best option. Finally, it has also strengthened my relationship with my brother.


Ayy, thank you for allowing me to interview! Any shoutouts?


Shoutouts to my brother, TEAM TANK TOP, the SoCal Crew(gengarBOI, LegacyVGC, DarkAssasin, Sweeper), the Arizona Crew, TFC, Stempe and anyone else I could have potentially missed. Also thank you for doing this interview Cypher it was fun and I appreciate it!


Ayyy! I really have to thank Chase for this interview! It's always interesting to hear from someone that has quickly broke out into the VGC scene, as well as hear from someone who has a relative that plays competitively as well! I hope you guys enjoyed this week's article as well. If you liked this, please tweet/retweet/favorite it so others can enjoy it as well!

If you have any criticisms, please post in the following thread: http://nuggetbridge.com/forums/topic/19772-cyphers-deciphers-interviewing-the-vgc-community/

Decipher #4 - Mark Garas

Now! Step right this way. Read carefully! Don’t miss the next interview! I present to you... Breloom Boy!

Breloom Boy has recently won Lancaster Regionals in the Senior Division. He also has been on a roll at the NY/NJ PCs as well!

= Cypher = Breloom Boy


 
Introduce yourself!


My name is Mark Garas and I'm 13 years old. I got second at the Boston Open and won Lancaster Regionals, both in the seniors division.

 

Who is the worse senior?


Cheesecake44vgc, he brags too much.


You were swiftly able to take top spots at the NY/NJ PCs, as well as take the crown as the Senior champion at Lancaster. How do you feel about your current success right now?


I consider it a pretty big jump from last year, where I did nothing significant. It feels really nice to finally do well at a game that I found enjoyable (outside of Thundurus).


How do you practice for these types of events?


I play a lot of practice games on showdown and Battle Spot. My good friend Joshua Lorcy also plays a lot of best of 3 games with me.
But, school gets in the way, and, since the beginning of high school, I usually only find time for Pokemon on Friday nights, and the weekends.


How would you compare the Seniors metagame to the Masters metagame, and to what you see on Battle Spot and Pokemon Showdown?


Seniors tend to use things that are either very, very standard, or things that make no sense, and won't work at all. What I think differentiates Masters from Seniors is that Masters are able to implement original and cool ideas into their standard teams. For Battle Spot, it is mainly composed of players who use standard things, or Japanese players that use cool teams. Pokemon Showdown is more similar to the seniors division in regard to using standard things or using things that don't work at all.


How did you get into Pokemon?


I have played Pokemon since I was 8 years old with the release of Pokemon Platinum. I got into competitive Pokemon when I went to a grassroots competition with an in game team. I went 2-4, but people there taught me about IVs, EVs, and natures.


How did your parents feel about you first getting into VGC. 


My dad was very supportive, taking me to every competition. Also, because I did pretty good in school, he never really told me to stop. My mom wanted me to focus more on studies, and felt that playing a game competitively was a waste of time. But, when she sees that I'm happy, she encourages me.


How do they feel about your successes right now?


My dad is very, very happy because all of my hard work, money, time, and effort paid off. Sometimes, I feel he gets happier than me when I win. My mom is pretty indifferent, however she still commends me on my success.


How do you balance school and Pokemon?


The high school I go to is called Townsend Harris High School, and the work load is pretty tough, about 2-3 hours of work per day. However, when I focus on the work and avoid playing Pokemon while I do my homework, I usually find a good amount of time leftover to play Pokemon. I honestly feel that If I didn't have Pokemon, school and life in general would be really boring. So, avoiding procrastination and distractions helps me balance everything out.


What kind of hobbies are you into?


I enjoy playing chess, swimming, and watching Anime.


What are your plans in the future?


My plans for the future would be to get a job in the field of Pharmacy. However, working in the stock market would be pretty cool too. Wall Street has been a place I wanted to work in for a while.


Pharmacy, how interesting! How come that kind of field?


I was born in Egypt and they have a similar mindset to most Asian parents (not being stereotypical), where they want their child to go to medical school. But for me, I personally find biology pretty interesting.

 
Awesome. Thanks for the interview! Any shoutouts?


It was a great experience, and yeah. I would like to shout out my good friend Joshua Lorcy for helping me out for this entire start of VGC 2016.


Sorry for getting this interview late! I was busy, I swear! I was interested in interviewing Mark since he has been impressive recently, claiming tournaments left and right. Furthermore, I thought it would be cool to interview a Senior as well. I'm happy that he accepted my offer to be interviewed. Thank you very much!  If you liked this, please remember to tweet/retweet/favorite it so others can enjoy it as well!

If you have any criticisms, please post in the following thread: http://nuggetbridge.com/forums/topic/19772-cyphers-deciphers-interviewing-the-vgc-community/