WDL Pre-season Power Rankings

Hey WDL coaches! As a quick introduction to those of you that might not know me, I go by Istanbuldayim. If we're friends, call me Sam—or "hey, you" if you prefer. I play in a few leagues, and try to do mons-related write-ups when I can. I agreed to cover WDL and do power rankings—something to add a bit of week-to-week flavor to the league. Power ranking write-ups such as this one are likely to be less common than simple rankings, but I figured we'd start off the season with a bit of post-draft analysis.

WDL!

With the draft in the books and Week 1 of battles just around the corner, let's take a look at some first-thoughts on the WDL teams.

A disclaimer: All of these thoughts are entirely my opinion, with little to no outside input. Consequently, I may very well have rated your team far below where it belongs, or far below where you believe it belongs. None of this is personal (i.e. I didn't rank your team lower because I don't like you), nor is it an objective evaluation of your team. Overall, the teams in this league are solid—none without flaws, but also none that are complete disasters. Don't like your position on the list? Win some matches and prove me wrong—I'll be happy to admit it.

1. KCK:
“I hate using manaphy lol”
-Clutch, 6/16/2018
Funny, that.
This team is good—its T1s pair well together and its mid-low tiers are largely bulky hazard-setters (fantastic pickups when in doubt, by the way). The way this team is structured, it can field a fantastic balanced offense with Manaphy and Mega Pinsir at the back, waiting for their opportunity to strike. And heaven forbid that anyone let Snorlax get a few curses, especially if Toxic Spikes are up.
Sneaky big question: Will this team be at all adversely affected by the lack of VoltTurn?

2. HAR:
Kyurem-B and Mega Lopunny on the same team puts immense pressure on the opposing team to find switch-ins to huge physical threats. Flank those two with an insane special breaker in Volcanion, and the ultimate thorn-in-opponent’s-side mon in Klefki, and you’ve got a team that’s nearly impossible to wall. The team rounds itself out with excellent defensive balance options, such as Zapdos and Muk-A, adding diverse options for rounding out team comps. The big hitters on this team will appreciate the Spikes and Toxic Spikes that Klefki and Cofagrigus can set, and having Klefki around to spread Paralysis via Thunder Wave is excellent.
Sneaky big question: ...is Torterra really the only rock setter on this team?

3. FTP:
Cossak’s drafts are iteratively getting better. This is almost certainly the best one yet. Tornadus-T is easily amongst the greatest pivots in the format, as is Rotom-W. Moreover, this team boasts an excellent type diversity that gives them resistances across the board. Reuniclus is a force to be reckoned with—a bulky psychic with setup options and insane stopping power. The dark types that come along to deal with Reuniclus will have to find a way to survive Mach Punches from Breloom.
If anything, this team is a bit light on stopping power. Breloom can fill the gap, but bringing one mon week-in-week-out becomes predictable. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Crobat, a mon who’s most common role is somewhat redundant with Tornadus-T, swapped for a mid-tier breaker.
Sneaky big question: Can Magneton function as this team’s long-term steel-type?

4. VAN:
Maybe this is premature, but I’d say that Vancouver arguably has one of the best balance drafts in the league. Mew and Heatran form a dangerous core with both offensive and defensive versatility. When you consider that Vancouver can also bring Sticky Web to the table, the team becomes even more dangerous. Heatran on Webs is capable of running through whole teams, while Mimikyu, Xurkitree, and Scrafty also perform much better with Web support. Even outside of Webs, Galvantula, Swellow, and Mega-Sceptile can lay waste to whole teams, so long as the other team doesn’t have a halfway decent Ice Shard user.
Sneaky big question: To what extent will this team rely on Sticky Web support?

5. IND:
Jirachi and Landorus-T are a dangerous pairing, capable of putting opponents in a spin-cycle of U-turns, flinches, and hazards. That kind of survivability and momentum creates openings for some of the big hitters Indianapolis brings to the table (Keldeo, Sylveon, and Salazzle come to mind here). Complementing Landorus-T is one of only a few dragons that can claim to take an Ice hit neutrally: Kyurem (#snubbed). Kyurem brings a fantastic STAB combo paired with solid natural bulk and survivability, which pairs well with the rest of Pac’s front line.
Tauros is a nice value pick, and Liepard has utility as a dark type and a Prankster user. Luxray and Shiftry are more unorthodox picks—slow, but packing fantastic STAB and solid attack.
Sneaky big question: Can Indianapolis get decent work out of their lower-tier picks?

6. HOU:
Zygarde 50% is the first thing that stands out about this team, closely followed by Ninetales-A. The two in tandem demand some respect, as a Zygarde behind Aurora Veil is likely to nab a Dragon Dance or two. Serperior, Thundurus-T, and Mega Heracross are similarly dangerous with Veil support. Empoleon and Incineroar round out a solid FWG core, and their shared weakness to ground and fighting moves is well-covered by Weezing. This team also really appreciates the Toxic Spikes support Weezing brings to the table.
Sneaky big question: How much success can this team see in the games where Ninetales-A doesn’t come, or has a bad matchup?

7. CAN:
A much-touted Zeraora-Entei-Bulu offensive core is, indeed, hard to switch into. That said, somewhat ironically, the biggest struggle I envision for Canton is finding switch-ins for opponents’ physical threats. Steelix and Mega Blastoise have the bulk to take neutral hits, but lack reliable recovery to continually do so. Moreover, as dangerous as the core may be, a team that relies on Tornadus-I and Pangoro as pivots may find itself having to sack teammates to generate opportunities to get in for free.
Sneaky big question: Can this team keep a momentum edge on opponents?

8. KET:
Type redundancy is more easily forgiven on weather teams. In the case of the Reapers, three fire types round out a dangerous Sun-based core, capable of dangerous amounts of fire-spam. Outside a few flash-fire users and quad resists, not much wants to switch in on a sun-boosted banded V-create. Kettling pairs these three with a few solid Eviolite users in Doublade and Gligar, along with grass types to help solve the problem of bulky waters (most of which don’t appreciate a Seed Flare from Shaymin). Oh, and there’s a Wobuffett. It’ll probably trap and KO at least one mon every game it comes, giving the Reapers a chance to strategically remove one of their opponents’ Pokemon from play, potentially opening the door for Victini or Houndoom. Scarfers beware.
Sneaky big question: Is someone going to get swept by Chlorophyll Maractus this season?

9. TRT:
Difficult to break, this one. This is a team with Chansey, Ferrothorn, Celesteela, and Slowbro on the same roster. Surrounding this bulk core, an array of hard-hitting threats spread over several typings—Mega-Diancie, Mamoswine, Mienshao, Electivire, Chandelure, Honchkrow. The Tontins lack much in the way of traditional setup, and will have to come up with ways to muscle past other bulky cores. The good news is that they’ll always be able to lean on that foundation.
Sneaky big question: Is this team too slow?

10 ATL:
On my first pass, I wasn’t sure what to make of Atlanta’s team comp. A surplus of bulk—sporting Tapu Fini next to two defensive psychic types (both of which don’t benefit from misty terrain by virtue of levitate) and a T5 eviolite user filling a bulky grass role. The roster is, at first glance, light on out-of-the-box power.
Then, you notice that ATL packs three dangerous set-up sweepers in Volcarona, Scolipede, and Mega Altaria, while also carrying the support needed to make them shine. Hazard removal? Fini is one of the best defoggers in the format. Worried your opponent has a steel type that’ll stop Scolipede in its tracks? This roster packs not one, but two trappers in Dugtrio and Magnezone. Coaches that underestimate this roster could find themselves surprised by how difficult prep can be.
Sneaky big question: Can this team consistently get work out of Volcarona and Scolipede?

11. DET:
A mixed bag. On one hand, Koko is a force to be reckoned with on any team. On the other hand, a few odd type redundancies on this team may leave the Luxrays in difficult spots versus well-built balance teams that boast a broader type diversity. Two offensive water types, two dragons, and two ground types makes me wonder what the plan was with this draft. I do like the pairing of Gliscor and Cobalion, which cover for each other fairly well.
Sneaky big question: How does this team keep opponents from running Choice Specs week after week?

12. SJS:
Plenty of bulk on this roster, plus a Gothitelle. Is there much to say beyond that? As powerful an ability as Shadow Tag may be, Gothitelle itself does not a win condition make. Other heavy hitters on this roster include Arcanine, Thundurus-I, and Mega-Beedrill, which are all quite notably unappreciative of Stealth Rocks. The Scizors do pack some removal options, but will it be enough when they’re likely to be forced to remove rocks multiple times a game?
Sneaky big question: What are the WinCons for this team beyond Nasty Plot Thundurus and stalling out the opponent?



To all of you, best of luck in your Week 1 matchups!

The RDL Glue-Stars

In the recent weeks, we saw the first ever class of Royal Draft League All Stars announced. As the coordinator of the All Star selection and voting process, I’d like to reiterate how much fun the selection process was. Watching the results come in had an almost addicting feel, and I found myself checking back again and again to watch trends in the voting emerge. Not every deserving Pokemon landed a slot, but such is the nature of any selective process. That said, I’d like to take a few hundred words to honor what I’ll be dubbing my “RDL Glue-Stars*”, a list of the Pokemon that may not have garnered much in the way of votes, but have served a valuable role in their respective teams. Glue-Stars are the role-players that take their team to the next level, occasionally in mundane and unrecognized ways.

*I don’t write as much these days, but when I do, my main schtick is ripping off the ideas of a basketball sports writer named Zach Lowe. Lowe has a fantastic balance of insight with opinion, and he writes it up in an always-interesting fashion. He’s in the upper echelon of sports writers, and I can’t recommend his columns enough. So, if you’re interested, the RDL Glue-Stars are a piece-for-piece rip off of Zach Lowe’s “Luke Walton All Stars”.

Without any further ado, then—my personal selection of RDL Glue-Stars:

Milotic (BKN)

Starting off our list is a Pokemon that deserves a spot on a great number of RDL best-of lists: the Brooklyn Bulbasaurs’ Milotic. Snorlax may have been the star of Brooklyn’s first divisional rampage, but Milotic has been the ever-present backbone of one of the Sun Conference’s most consistently threatening teams. Alongside Suicune and maybe a handful of others, Milotic is one of the first Pokemon to come to mind when the descriptors “bulky” and “water” are mentioned in the same breath, and for incredibly good reason.

Santoro runs a variety of sets with Milotic. Leftovers sets are particularly nasty if he can snag a burn or paralysis, and the Flame Orb set is of particular note for the sheer front-end defense it brings to the table (whilst also permanently protecting Milotic from being on the receiving end of a Toxic—the one status type it really doesn’t care for). Whole teams have fallen short of victory against Brooklyn because they fall way short of breaking Milotic in any effective fashion, watching in dismay as Milotic recovers away a nearly negligible chunk of damage, refusing again and again to fall.

Milotic fell just a few votes short of being Brooklyn’s second All Star next to Snorlax, and deservedly so. The pairing of the two represents the heart and soul of what has made Brooklyn successful this season.

Cobalion (GBG)

I almost gave this slot to Raikou for how well Galesburg has used it to corral opponents (maybe I’ll cover this in a follow-up post). As I thought about it more, however, Cobalion began to stick out as a common denominator in many of Galesburg’s games. A quick glance at the spreadsheet and, sure enough, Cobalion has seen the second most brings of any Galesburg team member, trailing only Mimikyu in total brings. As in, Cobalion has seen more brings than M-Latios, Raikou, or Suicune (by slim margins in some cases, but even so). Eight total brings may not seem like a particularly high number when compared with other team totals, but it should be noted that Galesburg has two games it’s won by forfeit. Translated, this means that Cobalion has only been left off of the Gliscors’ bring list three times for the whole season—a rate consistent with other league powerhouses such as Mew, Reuniclus, and Ferrothorn.

Plenty of Pokemon are good on paper, but weak in application. Cobalion is a rare example of the opposite. Middling attacking stats and a seemingly limited movepool mask a Pokemon capable of taking advantage of both its STABs on either the physical or the special side. A fantastic base 108 speed tier might seem wasted, what with the lack of out-of-the-box stopping power, but the speed in tandem with Volt Switch allows Cobalion to serve as a fantastic pivot (a role it’s played many a time in Galesburg’s bulky, switchy scheme). Its natural 91/129/72 bulk and myriad resistances make Cobalion an easy switch in and a fantastic defensive steel type. To top it off, access to Stealth Rock and Taunt make Cobalion a fantastic setter and stallbreaker. It’s been the pass-first point guard that unlocks the league’s most efficient offense, and it’s served its role nigh perfectly.

Quagsire (DET)

Fun fact: I considered dropping Beheeyem for Quagsire sometime around Week 4. I’m glad I didn’t, partially because I’ve found an... inappropriate fondness... for Beheeyem, but mostly because Quagsire has thrived as a glue Pokemon on the new look Detroit Lairons.

Quagsire is Tier 5 for a reason: middling stats, vulnerability to Toxic, being somewhat outclassed by both Swampert and Gastrodon, AND because it sports the dumbest grin in Pokemon*. That said, I consider Quagsire to be a “surprise” Pokemon, in that it often puts in more work than anyone expects, even in ladder matches. Opponents are caught pants-down when their neutral hit against Quagsire does under half, leaving them open to a retaliatory Earthquake, Scald, or Ice Beam. And, granted, the retaliation won’t do too much, but it’ll always do just a tiny bit more than expected. That’s just how Quagsire rolls. In Draft League, Quagsire’s mere presence on a team is often enough to make opposing electric types consider running HP Grass, sacrificing their Hidden Power and a moveslot just to extend coverage for an awkward tadpole.

Detroit has made Quagsire a regular of their lineup, with two thirds of Detroit’s games featuring the T5 mudskipper. The Lairons are 2-2 in games featuring Quagsire, with substantial contributions from it in both of their wins. Part of this shift may be due to the team’s simultaneous acquisition of Volcarona, but Volcarona has yet to find its breakout game with Detroit. Meanwhile, Quagsire has thrived as a fantastic fit to the Lairons’ playstyle, finding a fantastic niche as a budget pick and performing well above its paygrade.

*The dumb grin is because it knows how hard it is to 2HKO without Grass coverage.

Porygon2 (ESG)

I’ve raved about this thing in the podcast, because I absolutely love what it affords the Gastrodons. Porygon2 is very nearly a core by itself—a jack of all trades switch-in, capable of swallowing all but the most powerful of neutral hits. It may not possess the special bulk, rock-setting, or Natural Cure ability that comes with Chansey, but Porygon2 comes with one notable advantage over the Gen1 cleric: respectable offense. BoltBeam coverage hits fairly hard off of Porygon2’s base 105 Sp. Attack, especially if it snags an appropriate Download boost on the way in. And while the support movepool may be lacking in any hazard-setting or hazard removal options, the ability to spread paralysis with Thunder Wave is a valuable asset (even if 90% accuracy doesn’t feel like 90% sometimes), and with Ice Beam, it’s able to make Ground types think twice about switching in.

Honorable mentions to Mega-Venusaur for how well it complements Porygon2 in forming a two-mon backbone. Venusaur swallows up Fighting type attacks and Toxics aimed at Porygon2 and is able to retaliate with Leech Seed (or Sludge Bomb, if any grass types get cheeky about switching in).

Rotom-W (NYK)

I’ll do my best to avoid singing my own praises too much here, but given that last time I jokingly talked myself down, I went on a four-game losing streak, maybe a teensy bit of self-love and honest self-analysis will be appropriate.

A bull-like island avatar and a steel-magma quadruped partner up, and who should complete the merry trio? A possessed washing machine. Naturally.

The Klinks sport a particularly top-heavy bring list. Heatran, Tapu Bulu, and Rotom-Wash combine for a whopping 34 brings—of the league’s 16 teams, only East Sea has more total brings out of their top three than New York (35 between Marv, Victini, and Porygon2). The BuluTran core needs little introduction in both ladder and draft formats. Both Pokemon sport fantastic natural bulk and perfect coverage of each other’s weaknesses. Rotom-W fits in well with Bulu and Heatran due to its fantastic typing and role synergy with the two. Rotom’s typing affords it an interesting set of resistances, and Levitate affords it a handy ground immunity (sans Thousand Arrows or Mold Breaker). It’s comfortable taking the odd flying attack aimed at Bulu, and it switches into Scalds aimed at Heatran without fearing a burn—something Bulu cannot do. Volt Switch affords scouting opportunities for other members of the Klinks to come in, and between its STAB coverage and Will-o-Wisp, Rotom-W does tend to force switches. Moreover, ground types that might otherwise be switched in on predicted Volt Switches need to think twice about the move, as an incorrect guess could leave them on the ugly end of a Will-o-Wisp or a Hydro Pump.

An interesting note about Rotom-Wash is that it boasts a Scizor-like versatility. While most sets will run four out of eight or ten common moves, the versatility of Rotom-W comes from the great variety of ways it can be EV’d, and the sheer number of items it can make effective use of. Rotom can go from playing a bulky defogger, capable of swallowing unboosted neutral hits, to a hard-hitting Life Orb attacker, to bluffing choice items with an Expert Belt. It’s a Pokemon that can work its way into just about any weekly list—something the Klinks have certainly taken to heart, leaving it off the list in only two games through 13 matches.

Empoleon (KCK)

Seems like Clutch knew what he wanted when he picked up Empoleon. The Emperor penguin has been a mainstay of Kansas City’s teams in the second half of the season, coming to every game since its initial availability in week 8. Kansas City’s record in that stretch? 6-0, and a whopping +22 differential over that stretch as well. Empoleon has logged a measly two KOs in that time, ultimately earning it a -2 differential through six weeks. That said, differential is a long way off from the full story.

The full story is this, plain and simple: Empoleon plugs a lot of holes for Kansas City. Its bulk and resistances help compensate for its lack of consistent recovery, while also making it the Kingdras’ most dependable Stealth Rock setter (ahead of both Terrakion and Nidoqueen). Shuca and Chople Berry sets can work as effective bait for ground and fighting types that are convinced they have Empoleon exactly where they want it. Empoleon is also capable of putting a range of support moves to work, with Taunt, Protect, Defog, Clear Smog, and Roar all coming to mind. Empoleon’s sheer defensive versatility and configurability has fit soundly into Kansas City’s game planning. And while the number of deaths might seem unappealing, it’s worth noting that Clutch typically only lets go of Empoleon once it’s served its designated purpose—in which case, four deaths in six games doesn’t sound all too bad.

Jirachi (ORE)

The Oregon Golducks are an absolute terror of a team—a durable Volt-Turn driven offense flanked with heavy hitters and hole punchers. The team is difficult to pin down, and in watching their games, you almost always have the sense that their offense is a step ahead of the opponent. Jirachi lies at the core of what makes this team’s offense so difficult to contain.

Jirachi boasts a fantastic typing to complement its bulk, and an extensive moveset that allows it to fill a great variety of roles. Serene Grace sets are as annoying as ever, but with the average team speed in Draft League generally being lower, running Choice Scarf isn’t always necessary in order to take advantage of flinch chances on STAB Iron Heads. Bulky Jirachi sets, capable of supporting the team via wish passing and scouting with Protect or U-turn, have been fairly commonplace in Oregon's battles. Bulky Jirachi is a safe fallback option against many teams—a fast, bulky pivot that is immune to Toxic and lacking any quad weaknesses to exploit—and once it’s done its job, it can safely switch or U-turn to another teammate. Given the difficulty of fielding six Pokemon that can all consistently threaten Jirachi, it can often find ample space in the mid-game to come in and heal itself, or pass a wish to an ailing teammate. It’s a dangerous jack-of-all-trades that has found a glove-like fit in Oregon.

M-Scizor (LAC)

In some ways, Mega-Scizor has had an unremarkable season. In nine brings across 12 games played, M-Scizor is a measley 4-5 for a differential of -1. The lack of KOs is, arguably, less than half the story. The Charjabugs boast the league’s most threatening out-of-the-box offense between their oft-mentioned Big 3 of Tapu Koko, Kyurem-B, and Entei. Kyurem-B boasts a horrifying seventeen kills all to itself. The offense is more than taken care of—it’s the backend that needs some support. This is where M-Scizor comes in.

The nuance that M-Scizor adds to this team is driven by just how much of a nightmare it can be to prepare for. The threat of STAB, Technician-boosted Bullet Punches is enough to keep frailer threats from coming. The Bug/Steel typing means packing Fire coverage is necessary (and the vast majority of the Charjabugs’ remaining roster shrug off stray HP Fires). The sheer number of Pokemon M-Scizor can come in on affords it a plethora of occasions to Roost, and if you give it enough space, it’ll sneak in a couple of Swords Dances and start firing off Bullet Punches. After all, just because it hasn’t racked up KOs yet doesn’t mean it isn’t quite capable of doing so. It can Pursuit trap, it can Defog, it can U-turn (to substantial effect, one might add), it can do a dozen valuable things to keep the team rolling.

M-Scizor’s role as glue for the Charjabugs goes beyond it being difficult to prep for. In practice, it’s a life preserver that takes unboosted Stone Edges and Earthquakes reasonably well—something none of the Big 3 can boast. After a hit, LA often chooses to simply Roost off the damage, leaving M-Scizor at near-full health afterward, ready to come in and absorb another hit. LA’s week 13 game against Chicago even saw M-Scizor functioning as a Baton Passer, shipping two Swords Dance boosts off to a scarfed Kyurem-B to close the game. Despite unremarkable stats, M-Scizor has been an integral part of a solid Moon Conference team.

Week 9 All Star Voting

Week 9 was RDL's first week of All Star voting, with nominations happening during the first half of the week and voting taking place Thursday through Saturday. 13 of 16 coaches voted this week, for a total of 104 total votes cast. We'll see if that number increases next week with a longer voting period.

To start off, we have Sun Conference! Displayed below is the summary chart for all votes cast in the Sun Conference Megas and T1-T3 category of voting.

It should come as little surprise to anyone this season that Snorlax has dominated early voting. It's had strong showings throughout the season, including a week 3 sweep that netted it a whole bunch of KOs. Trailing Snorlax, we have Milotic, Tapu Bulu, Weavile, and Zygarde 50%. Milotic is arguably the DPOY through eight weeks (its only competition coming from East Sea's Porygon2, which has garnered far fewer All Star votes thus far). Weavile is the KO leader for a dangerous Indianapolis team. Bulu has been the more offensively productive member of the Klinks' Bulu-Tran core. Zygarde 50% has closed well for Akron, and, like Snorlax, got a fair amount of attention early after a Week 1 late-game clean.
If the five Pokemon listed above are Sun's frontrunners, the intriguing question going forward will be which of the four Pokemon with 2 votes will jump ahead to snag the sixth T1-T3 spot—Gyarados, Rotom-W, Latios, or M-Pinsir? Pinsir leads the group in kills and ties Gyarados in differential at +4 through eight weeks, and I'd be inclined to view it as a favorite (especially because the Dracos, currently 5-4 with a brutal schedule, deserve to be represented).

Moving on, let's briefly look at the Sun Conference T4-T5 category.

Again, no surprises here—unless you're maybe surprised Rhyperior didn't get more votes. Rhyperior is a legitimate contender for MVP, even if Krookodile does have a bit of a head start. Every other Pokemon nabbed at least one vote, with Jellicent and Meloetta nabbing two. Will either of these jump out to a larger lead next week when the categories are merged?

On to the Moon Conference!

While the Sun Conference had a single frontrunner, the Moon Conference has three. With 9 of a possible 13 votes, Krook (or, as I called it during yesterday's podcast, the Hamburglar's favorite Pokemon) is out to an early lead, with two runners-up on its tail. Mega Latios has a terrifying differential for how few games its come to, and might well be a contender for MVP if not for the two games Galesburg has missed out on due to opponent forfeits. Behind those two is Kyurem-Black, a terrifying offensive presence in the hands of what is arguably the closest team in the league to Hyper Offense.
The drop-off from Krook to Kyurem-B is as big as the drop-off from Kyurem-B to the fourth-place contender: Tapu Koko. Koko is another member of Los Angeles' offensive powerhouse, nabbing three votes despite substantially underperforming its Season 1 statlines. Following it up is a three-way tie of two-vote-getters: Victini, Alolan Ninetales, and Mimikyu. A smattering of other Pokemon received votes.
I expect this group to shift quite a bit going forward. Kyurem-B, Krookodile, and M-Latios were big time vote-getters in our first week of voting, but other contenders are likely to emerge as coaches consider voting for other deserving Pokemon. Expect to see a few of this week's one-vote-getters make a jump in the next week.

Next, the T4-T5 Pokemon category for the Moon Conference. Go ahead and take a guess at who's in the lead.


That's right, it's the other Moon Conference lizard, and rightfully so. Kecleon has outperformed its tier in a way only Rhyperior can claim to have matched. Kec garnered 8 of a possible 13 votes in this category, meaning it'll be tied with M-Latios when the groups merge. The other seven votes were distributed between Incineroar, Exploud, and Bronzong. Incineroar has paired well with Chicago's top-tier threats, while Exploud has functioned as something of a nuke for Galesburg. Bronzong has proven to be a versatile defensive pivot on Kennesaw's more recent teams. Which of these runner-up Pokemon will continue to snag votes going forward? There's a playoff spot waiting for whichever can grab the second most votes of this bunch behind Kecleon, but votes will be harder to come by in the general pool.

***

We'll return next week with an update on All Star voting. So far, this is shaping up to look like an exciting group of Pokemon, and I look forward to seeing both teams begin to take shape. Don't forget to vote this week!