Sebastian Rodríguez 3x Top 8 Team Report
TRIPLE TOP 8 IN REGULATION H, KOMMANDER’S VGC JOURNEY AND PROGRESS
Hello, my name is Sebastian Rodríguez (Kommander), and I’m going to tell you about my experiences at the Buenos Aires Special Event 2025 and the Bogotá Special Event 2025. I came to these tournaments as the champion of the Lima Special Event 2025 and with a qualification for the World Championship to be held in Anaheim 2025.
Success is never just about the destination; it’s about the journey, the challenges faced, and the lessons learned along the way. During Regulation H, I’ve been fortunate to achieve three significant milestones in my competitive pursuits. Each one taught me something valuable, and I’d like to share these moments not as triumphs but as stepping stones that have shaped me.
TURNING CHALLENGES INTO OPPORTUNITIES: LIMA SPECIAL EVENT 2025 (CHAMPION) +350 CP
FIRST FLAMIGO’S MAJOR WIN EVER
This was probably my proudest VGC moment. There's something truly special about winning at home. Obviously, winning Worlds or an International Championship would feel even better, but I remember Ayrton Senna, the Brazilian Formula 1 driver, celebrating the most—even more than his world titles—the first time he won at home in São Paulo. I felt that.
Going into the event, I was under a lot of pressure. My previous results hadn’t been great: Worlds 4-4, Baltimore 4-4, and Joinville 3-3. It was a huge challenge, but I managed to turn all that frustration into motivation, which ended up creating an opportunity for me.
I’ve decided to finally share the paste of my Lima Special Event champion team. It’s significant because this team laid the foundation for the next two teams I used in major events. The team was created by my teambuilding partner, Oliver Ramsay, with a few adjustments I made for my comfort.
Flamigo @ Focus Sash Ability: Scrappy Level: 52 Shiny: Yes Tera Type: Stellar EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe Jolly Nature - Close Combat - Dual Wingbeat - Wide Guard - Detect Gholdengo @ Metal Coat Ability: Good as Gold Level: 65 Tera Type: Dragon EVs: 164 HP / 20 Def / 212 SpA / 4 SpD / 108 Spe Modest Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Nasty Plot - Make It Rain - Shadow Ball - Protect Lancelot (Incineroar) @ Assault Vest Ability: Intimidate Shiny: Yes Tera Type: Grass EVs: 252 HP / 116 Atk / 100 Def / 28 SpD / 12 Spe Adamant Nature - Knock Off - U-turn - Flare Blitz - Fake Out Clefable @ Sitrus Berry Ability: Unaware Level: 50 Tera Type: Water EVs: 252 HP / 156 Def / 4 SpA / 84 SpD / 12 Spe Bold Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Follow Me - Protect - Moonblast - Misty Terrain Ursaluna-Bloodmoon @ Life Orb Ability: Mind's Eye Level: 70 Tera Type: Normal EVs: 132 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA / 116 SpD / 4 Spe Modest Nature IVs: 1 Atk - Hyper Voice - Blood Moon - Earth Power - Protect Farigiraf @ Throat Spray Ability: Armor Tail Level: 70 Tera Type: Water EVs: 108 HP / 108 Def / 156 SpA / 132 SpD / 4 Spe Modest Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Hyper Voice - Trick Room - Psychic - Protect This team shows my comfort, I enjoy having the following:
Assault Vest holder
Some way of speed control
Redirection
Close Combat STAB user
Gholdengo – Incineroar – Ursaluna Bloodmoon
CONSISTENCY IS STRENGTH: BUENOS AIRES SPECIAL EVENT 2025 (TOP 8) +280 CP
ROCKING WITH CLEFAIRY STEALTH ROCK
Team Building Process:
Five days before the tournament, I got a version of the rain team Fabian Kuhl built with Robbie Schaaij, the version which Federico Camporesi won Gdansk Regionals with. I played 25 games on Pokémon Showdown with it, only losing to a rain mirror due to a misplay and to an Ursaluna Bloodmoon Tera Dragon.
Afterward, I dropped the rain team because I don’t enjoy speed ties and shamelessly adopted the Ursaluna Bloodmoon Tera Dragon idea from that Pokémon Showdown player. Shoutout to the unknown original trainer of Ursaluna Bloodmoon Tera Dragon—now I get all the credit for it. I loved having a good matchup into rain.
Like never before, I had no team to bring until four days before the tournament! I couldn’t rely on my mate Oliver Ramsay because he was overwhelmed with studies and health issues. So, I booked a coaching session with Marco Silva, who gave me amazing advice: “The meta is so crazy right now, I suggest you use something you feel comfortable with.”
Evolution of the Team:
I told Marco Silva that I really liked Ursaluna Bloodmoon Tera Dragon—it’s really good into rain and sun. He recommended a team from Lille Regionals made by Giuseppe Musicco. I remembered it because I brought the exact same team to a local tournament the day Giuseppe made it famous, and all my friends said I copied him. Huge shoutout to Giuseppe Musicco—if we had the same idea, we should build together one day!
Marco Silva helped me build using Giuseppe Musicco’s Lille Regionals team as a base because it was the best way to build around Ursaluna Bloodmoon Tera Dragon. However, I kept my Lima Special Gholdengo spread due to its heavy calcs.
The big problem was that I had no time for practice games because I had to travel and prepare everything at work. Luckily, I was using four out of six Pokémon from my Lima Special winning team, so I already knew most of my calcs.
One issue with Clefable and Gholdengo was their lack of synergy—you can’t use Helping Hand or Life Dew when they’re together. I also remembered a problem my Lima Special 2025 team had: I couldn’t pivot with Incineroar to get Clefable in because Intimidate wouldn’t reduce the damage Clefable received due to its Unaware ability.
So, I decided to use Clefairy. I found the trade-off of losing Unaware, damage, and Sitrus Berry bulk for Friend Guard and synergy acceptable, especially since I already had Haze, which was great for checking Dondozo.
I still had the fourth move problem. My mate Oliver Ramsay (still sick and on medication) suggested Stealth Rock, arguing it would help with gameplans by forcing opponents to lead with Pokémon weak to Pointed Stones.
I checked the meta, filled with Charizard, Incineroar, Dragonite, Torkoal, Sneasler with Focus Sash, and Volcarona. So, I went for it. Stealth Rock would not only help with gameplans but also break Focus Sash, Multiscale, and reduce Eruption damage output, securing KOs.
I made gameplans with the help of Sauban Kamran. I realized I had a great or even matchup into everything except against double Fake Out Volcarona with Leftovers. Skill Swap Covert Cloak Clefable would have helped, but I didn’t think anyone would bring that team since it was weak against many metagame teams. So, I insisted on it. What were the chances?
The Team Used at the VGC Regional:
So, this is the team I used at the 2025 Buenos Aires Special Event:
Bisbix (Sneasler) (F) @ Focus Sash Ability: Poison Touch Level: 70 Tera Type: Stellar EVs: 4 HP / 244 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 252 Spe Jolly Nature IVs: 6 SpA - Dire Claw - Close Combat - Fake Out - Protect It’s the second naturally fast Pokémon after Dragapult, Stab Close Combat is always very needed, it’s one of the answers I have against Archaludon and other bulky Normal – Steel Types. It’s a good lead and late game sweeper. I kept Fake Out since it was useful at the back next to Gholdengo against rain.
Gholdengo @ Life Orb Ability: Good as Gold Level: 65 Tera Type: Water EVs: 156 HP / 4 Def / 116 SpA / 4 SpD / 228 Spe Modest Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Make It Rain - Shadow Ball - Nasty Plot - Protect Gholdengo is one of the best Pokémon of the regulation, with 116 SpA+ plus Life Orb equals the damage 212 SpA+ Metal Coat did, the calc for this was the 2HKO to Kingambit at +2. It contributes with nuke and spread damage plus it can exploit good positioning and boost itself with Nasty Plot.
Draguti (Dragonite) @ Loaded Dice Ability: Multiscale Tera Type: Steel EVs: 12 HP / 236 Atk / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 252 Spe Adamant Nature - Scale Shot - Extreme Speed - Haze - Protect I learned how to use Haze better, although Tera Steel was a mistake, especially against Volcarona. Dragonite didn’t miss a single Scale Shot during the tournament. Putting pressure on opposing Sneasler was very important, also, Multiscale is like having a little Lunala or Terapagos, it’s a broken ability.
MorningElegy (Incineroar) @ Safety Goggles Ability: Intimidate Level: 51 Tera Type: Ghost EVs: 244 HP / 36 Atk / 228 Spe Adamant Nature IVs: 6 SpA - Flare Blitz - Knock Off - Parting Shot - Fake Out The best Pokémon of all time, besides I prefer it with Assault Vest in this composition due to the team’s weakness to Kingambit, having intimidate and Fake Out support was very important, it also covers the fire type offensively, which is always useful.
Ursaluna-Bloodmoon @ Assault Vest Ability: Mind's Eye Tera Type: Dragon EVs: 164 HP / 12 Def / 116 SpA / 100 SpD / 116 Spe Modest Nature IVs: 1 Atk - Blood Moon - Hyper Voice - Earth Power - Vacuum Wave The weather stopper and Assault Vest holder, earth type is always a good offensive coverage in a team, at this time people were noticing how incredibly strong Ursaluna Bloodmoon is, this was the spotlight Pokémon of the team until Clefairy entered.
MareeohYT (Clefairy) @ Eviolite Ability: Friend Guard Level: 70 Tera Type: Poison EVs: 252 HP / 220 Def / 36 SpD Sassy Nature IVs: 0 Atk / 6 Spe - Protect - Stealth Rock - Moonblast - Follow Me I unfroze this Pokémon from my Regulation G Calm Mind Terapagos team, its utility was mainly redirection and Friend Guard is a really good ability that would make Gholdengo even bulkier.
The Tournament Day:
I remember being able to sleep properly and having a really good breakfast, I arrived early and we did some meditation with Sebastian Escalante, who had a lot of pressure to do well in this tournament.
From my side, I was aiming for Travel award or stipend for EUIC, so this tournament was crucial for this matter. This made me feel very nervous, which is why I dedicated more time to preparing my mental stamina than making a meta call for the tournament.
Day 1: Rounds 1-9
Round 1 vs Juan Salerno (AR)
Match 1-2
Record: 0/1
Volcarona, Incineroar, Rillaboom, Gastrodon, Sneasler, Dragonite
The Twitter "beef" between Salerno and me was fake; we only did it to draw more attention to the event. Sorry to disappoint drama lovers! In reality, I get along well with him, Joaquín Salerno, and his father.
I knew this matchup was nearly impossible, so I had to make some risky predictions. I managed to win an impressive number of turns throughout the set, even taking a game purely on skill. However, Salerno adapted and played safely to secure the win, delivering a masterclass in how to handle a highly favorable matchup: leading with Incineroar and Volcarona.
The reason my team was at such a disadvantage was that Incineroar's Intimidate weakened all my physical attackers, making Volcarona extra bulky, while my special attackers were slower than Volcarona. Additionally, my Ursaluna Bloodmoon was slower than Incineroar. The combination of Parting Shot and Quiver Dance rendered Bloodmoon nearly useless against Volcarona.
Despite starting 0-1, knowing there were no other teams like Salerno's gave me hope that I could still make it to the Top Cut.
Round 2 vs Nazareno Rodriguez (AR)
Match 2-0
Record 1/1
Tyranitar, Rillaboom, Magmar, Excadrill, Primarina, Kommo-o
Incineroar was very effective in this matchup, so I led with it alongside Gholdengo to cover Primarina and Kommo-o. In Game 1, I managed to set up well and secure the win.
In Game 2, my opponent went for a risky play by using Swords Dance with Excadrill, but I punished it with a double target. Although the match was tough, I managed to make many correct plays and win.
Round 3 vs Joaquin Ranauro (AR)
Match 2-1
Record 2/1
Kingambit, Maushold, Pelipper, Basculegion-M, Archaludon, Amoonguss
In Game 1, I got outplayed but managed to recover, though the endgame came down to two 50/50s. I won the second one, but Kingambit survived Ursaluna's Earth Power, allowing Joaquín to take the game. I later realized I needed to check his EV spread.
In Games 2 and 3, Ursaluna Tera Dragon was excellent against the Pelipper-Basculegion lead. Interestingly, he never brought Archaludon. In Game 3, Kingambit didn’t survive Earth Power, meaning it was a damage roll. The games were so close that they could have gone either way.
Round 4 vs Agustin de Cicco (AR)
Match 2-1
Record 3/1
Sneasler, Dragapult, Magmar, Kingambit, Primarina, Rillaboom
He led with Sneasler and Kingambit, the only lead that worked well against mine. In Game 1, I was completely outplayed as he made bold plays that paid off, and I genuinely thought I would lose the match.
In Game 2, I switched my leads to counter Sneasler-Kingambit, but he adjusted with Dragapult-Sneasler instead. It was a tough game, but I managed to come back.
In Game 3, I finally had the lead advantage, but he outplayed me again to regain control. In the end, one mistake from him was enough for me to secure the win.
Round 5 vs Javier Nain (CL)
Match 1-2
Record 3/2
Pelipper, Incineroar, Archaludon, Amoonguss, Ursaluna-Hisui, Porygon 2
Javier led with Incineroar and Archaludon. His fast Incineroar used Parting Shot on my Ursaluna, costing me a lot of momentum. He often left Archaludon unprotected, which was a smart play. Javier is a player who thinks several turns ahead, positioning himself for future advantages. I lost Game 1.
In Game 2, I managed to position Gholdengo effectively, securing the win.
In Game 3, I thought I had the game, but Javier made an incredible play, sacrificing Porygon2 so that his Pelipper could safely set up Tailwind. With Tailwind active, his Ursaluna-Hisui swept my team. I clapped and told him it was an amazing play. Javier smiled confidently, and I told my friends he would win the tournament.
Round 6 vs Patrick Cheng (CA)
Match 2-0
Record 4/2
Delphox, Indeedee-M, Sneasler, Maushold, Dragapult, Whimsicott
Dragonite was excellent against this version of Hyper Offense, giving me a favorable matchup. Patrick made some great predictions to try and turn the games around, including a double Protect that could have won him the game if it hadn’t failed.
Round 7 vs Matias Diaz (CL)
Match 2-0
Record 5/2
Torkoal, Charizard, Jumpluff, Porygon2, Incineroar, Ursaluna-Hisui
This was a rematch from the Lima Special Finals. I knew Matías better this time, and he’s an incredibly kind person. He was using Marco Silva’s sun team, and since Marco had coached me, I was well-prepared for this matchup. After the match, Matías mentioned that my Ursaluna Tera Dragon was tough for his team to handle.
Top 16 vs Matthew So (US)
Match 2-0
Record 6/2
Volcarona, Rillaboom, Basculegion, Sneasler, Kingambit, Kommo-o
Volcarona was the scariest threat on Matthew’s team, but Marco Silva had prepared me well for this matchup. Leading with Sneasler and Dragonite put significant pressure on my opponent. I executed the game plan flawlessly, earning a spot in the Top 8. Matthew congratulated me on my finish, and we became good friends.
Top 8 vs Juan Salerno (AR)
Match 0-2
Record: 6/3
Volcarona, Incineroar, Rillaboom, Gastrodon, Sneasler, Dragonite
Salerno knew exactly how to secure the win, forcing me into high-risk, low-reward plays. I tried baiting Parting Shot on my Ursaluna by switching in Gholdengo, but he anticipated it perfectly. Both games were decisively won by Salerno.
Despite the loss, I was thrilled to make it to the Top 8, especially since my only losses were to the finalists. The booster packs I received as a prize were a delightful surprise!
Changes for the Future
Clefairy: While Clefairy was interesting, it didn’t feel like the right fit. I’m considering switching back to Clefable or exploring other redirection options.
Dragonite Tera Type: Tera Steel for Dragonite was a mistake. It added unnecessary weaknesses, especially against Volcarona. Tera Fairy would have been a better choice for synergy and coverage.
Speed Control: One of the team’s biggest flaws was the lack of speed control. Addressing this in future iterations will be a priority.
Gholdengo’s Speed: With Gholdengo being so prevalent in the meta, I needed to invest more in its Speed to stay competitive.
Ursaluna’s Tera Type: Tera Dragon worked well but made me vulnerable to combinations like Scale Shot + Close Combat. Moving forward, Tera Water would provide better overall coverage and defensive utility.
Reflection:
I’m proud of my performance at the tournament. My mental resilience played a key role in achieving a good result, even after being 3-2 at one point. The team was strong overall, but having an impossible matchup against certain archetypes was frustrating. This experience influenced my decision to change the team for LAIC, which unfortunately led to a suboptimal performance there.
After LAIC, I felt a strong desire to learn from my mistakes and prove to myself that I could do better. I realized that sticking with my original team and refining it might have been the better approach. Determined to improve, I purchased tickets for the upcoming Bogotá Special 2025 to take another shot at success.
GRATITUDE AND GROWTH: BOGOTA SPECIAL EVENT 2025 (FINALIST) +325 CP
MY FIRST TIME EVER SWISS UNDEFEATED RECORD
Gratitude and growth are key elements of my journey. I am incredibly grateful to my friends, as without their support, achieving results would be impossible. Our effort, discipline, and especially our dedication for Bogotá/Perth had a significant impact on my progress.
Evolution of the Team:
My main goal this time was to help Oliver Ramsay win Perth Regionals, so we worked really hard together. I knew I wanted us to use my Buenos Aires Special Team with some changes but Oliver kept saying that DUG was not good.
So, this is what I had back again in the builder:
Incineroar, Ursaluna, Dragonite, Sneasler, Gholdengo, Clefairy
Then, Stuttgart Regionals Day 1 happened and we saw Eden Batchelor doing well with a team that was very similar to the one I had in the builder, they did amazing adaptations that I really liked, while Oliver liked Luca Cacciolato’s team that included Porygon2, Annihilape, Gholdengo, Incineroar, Dragonite, and Ursaluna-Hisui.
I told Oliver:
“Eden is going to win the whole thing.”
Oliver replied:“Alright, we use the team that reaches the furthest.”
I responded:“Trust me, they’re going to win the whole thing.”
Oliver replied:“If Eden wins, that means the team will be in the spotlight.”
I said:“It doesn’t matter. If we prepare well enough, you’re going to win Perth Regionals with their team.”
After that, Oliver agreed to lock in the team and mentioned that the composition was first used by Brady Smith at LAIC, and Brady had shared a guide on his Patreon. I gathered all the information I could from there, and fortunately, Eden also shared their team with the community—huge shoutout to them.
It was time to finalize the team, and I got help from Alex Gomez, who not only provided useful tools for prepping but also offered invaluable insights on how to EV spread the team. He explained the role of each Pokémon in the team, which was an eye-opening experience for me as a player.
The week before Perth/Bogotá, I focused on developing gameplans, while Oliver worked on improving his gameplay. Perth Regionals was crucial for both of us, as Oliver had previously helped me win a major, and now it was my turn to return the favor.
With my assistance, Oliver led the development of gameplans and flowcharts for the teams we expected Kiran Singh, Diego Ferreira, and Suica to bring to Perth. We analyzed an incredible number of possibilities, from early game to endgame, spending over 16 hours working on just those three matchups.
Meanwhile, I was responsible for preparing all the remaining matchups on my own. Unfortunately, real-life work got in the way, and I only managed to complete about 3/4 of them (properly preparing takes a lot of hours). To address this, I booked a coaching session with Federico Camporesi and asked for his help. He came to the rescue, effortlessly assisting me in filling out the remaining gameplans. After reviewing them with Oliver, we were confident they were excellent. I highly recommend Federico Camporesi for his expertise—he’s incredibly helpful and can assist with whatever you specifically need.
The Team Used at the VGC Regional:
With everything ready and focused, this was the team we brought to Perth Regionals:
Gholdengo @ Life Orb Ability: Good as Gold Tera Type: Water EVs: 132 HP / 124 SpA / 252 Spe Timid Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Make It Rain - Shadow Ball - Nasty Plot - Protect MorningElegy (Incineroar) @ Safety Goggles Ability: Intimidate Level: 51 Tera Type: Ghost EVs: 228 HP / 36 Atk / 4 Def / 44 SpD / 196 Spe Adamant Nature IVs: 6 SpA - Flare Blitz - Knock Off - Parting Shot - Fake Out TrickRuby (Amoonguss) @ Sitrus Berry Ability: Regenerator Level: 51 Tera Type: Water EVs: 244 HP / 156 Def / 4 SpA / 84 SpD / 20 Spe Bold Nature IVs: 0 Atk - Spore - Rage Powder - Pollen Puff - Protect Ursaluna-Bloodmoon @ Assault Vest Ability: Mind's Eye Tera Type: Water EVs: 148 HP / 4 Def / 116 SpA / 172 SpD / 68 Spe Modest Nature IVs: 1 Atk - Hyper Voice - Blood Moon - Earth Power - Vacuum Wave Bisbix (Sneasler) @ Focus Sash Ability: Unburden Level: 70 Tera Type: Stellar EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe Jolly Nature IVs: 6 SpA - Close Combat - Dire Claw - Throat Chop - Protect Draguti (Dragonite) @ Loaded Dice Ability: Multiscale Tera Type: Fairy EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe Adamant Nature - Scale Shot - Tailwind - Haze - Protect Day 1: Rounds 1-7
Round 1 vs Paul Ruiz (EC)
Match 2-1
Record: 1/0
Maushold, Sinistcha, Pelipper, Basculegion, Annihilape, Archaludon
There’s no way I’m facing a World Champion in Round 1. I see his team and I immediately fear Maus-Ape, it’s not a good matchup for my team. Of course, Paul led Maus-Ape. Still, I decided to play risky which is what normally works with good players, but it was a mistake, Paul Ruiz is above good players, he would just see every possible move, do the most optimal plays and secure a very crushing game 1 against me.
I tried to earn some time to adapt my gameplay. I led Dragonite Amoonguss and he leads Archaludon Maushold. First thing that came to my mind was Taunt on my Amoonguss, but it was Game 2, Paul had played safe, he could go for a risky move, which is what he did, Beat Up + Draco Meteor KO’d my Dragonite. Luckily, I could turn the game to my favor after predicting Tera Ghost on Maushold (I used Throat Chop) and predicting a couple of protects.
Game 3, I felt Paul was going to adapt his game again, he led Maus-Ape again, it was going to be probably the best game of my life. Sadly, I got a crit that mattered in my favor, which, in a game where both opponents are playing their best VGC, it’s hard to overcome. I won but I didn’t feel too bad about it, because I’m sure Paul and I will have better matches in the future.
Round 2 vs Alejandro Terrazas (MX)
Match 2-1
Record: 2/0
Indeedee-F, Torkoal. Armarouge, Hatterene, Gallade, Zoroark-Hisui
I chose Tera Water Amoonguss over Tera Psychic, believing I could outplay Hard Trick Room users. I didn’t anticipate Alec being a strong Hard Trick Room player. He dominated me in Game 1, and I couldn’t do much about it.
In Game 2, I got a double Protect on Dragonite, and although I’m unsure if it was crucial, I felt comfortable with my play. Game 3 saw Zoroark-Hisui, and by switching Gholdengo into Incineroar, I dodged a potential Shadow Ball that would have knocked me out, which helped me secure the win.
Round 3 vs Mario Montes (MX)
Match 2-1
Record: 3/0
Porygon 2, Pelipper, Basculegion, Ursaluna-Hisui, Archaludon, Incineroar
I got info about the team from Diego Ortiz, who got beaten by Mario in the previous round, it was very important info, his Archaludon Stamina was Timid 252. Game 1 he led Pelipper + Porygon2, making me guess if he was going to use Tailwind or Trick Room, he won that 50/50 then played perfectly.
In Game 2 I adapted my gameplay, I lead Sneasler – Dragonite, which worked well against his Porygon2 + Pelipper, I got the game. In game 3 he picked Basculegion Archaludon and I picked Dragonite – Ursaluna, Tailwind was crucial here, I knew from before that I needed it to outspeed Archaludon with my Gholdengo.
Round 4 vs Jean Lopez (CR)
Match 2-0
Record: 4/0
Amoonguss, Incineroar, Dragonite, Sneasler, Gholdengo, Ursaluna-Bloodmoon
I practiced the mirror a lot, I noticed that DUG supported by Incineroar was really strong. I told Jean that I really needed to defeat him, because he already defeated me in Santiago Regionals. I tried really hard in this match, it’s just a matter of controlling Gholdengo, so the optimal lead for me was Incineroar plus Ursaluna.
I thought I could take advantage of this knowledge and lead Incineroar – Gholdengo instead, which was a mistake, Jean won the lead in game 1 but I managed to predict and win most turns, which gave me Game 1. In Game 2, I played around Gholdengo, Amoonguss, Incineroar, in Game 2 Jean took some risks, but I did what Paul Ruiz did to me in Game 1 of Round 1 of the tournament, I won a really clean game.
Round 5 vs David Rodríguez (CR)
Match 2-1
Record: 5/0
Rillaboom, Incineroar, Charizard, Farigiraf, Whimsicott, Ursaluna-Bloodmoon
The first time I face mi hermano David Rodriguez, I know he’s an amazing player. I’d play with the prep I had against Marco Silva’s LAIC winning team, leading Sneasler plus Ursaluna Bloodmoon. David did everything right in Game 1, but my Tera Water Ursaluna-Bloodmoon resisted Tera Fire Solar Power booster Overheat in Sun from Charizard. Which gave me a lot of advantage.
In Game 2, he played Ursaluna-Bloodmoon supported by double Fake Out and Farigiraf, I got completely crushed by it. I don’t remember many games when I’ve been defeated by so much margin.
In Game 3, David gained a lot of momentum, he even predicted that I was going to bring Amoonguss to the game, there was a 50/50 in the turn 1. His Incineroar was faster, so the obvious play was Tera Ghost Parting Shot + Spore into his Ursaluna, to my luck, I win that 50/50 and I get to Knock Off + Spore his Incineroar. I managed to Position my Gholdengo to do some free nasty plots and David conceded early.
Round 6 vs Kenneth Gamboa (MX)
Match 2-1
Record: 6/0
Annihilape, Incineroar, Dragonite, Archaludon, Whimsicott, Ursaluna-Bloodmoon
Kenneth was in my opinion one of the strongest candidates to win the whole thing, both of us were 5-0 and already secured top cut, so I really didn’t want to reveal my MU practice against him. Then, since I’m friends with Kenneth since 2017, I knew he wouldn’t take my actions as disrespect, so I decided to just press buttons and not very effective dire claws.
To my surprise, I got an extremely high amount of RNG in my favor, Dire Claw’s procs and my Dragonite always hitting 5 times plus critical hits. I just had to take the set. Kenneth and I were laughing way too much during this match.
Round 7 vs Daniel Núñez (MX)
Match 2-0
Record: 7/0
Annihilape, Incineroar, Dragonite, Archaludon, Whimsicott, Ursaluna-Bloodmoon
Since Daniel and Kenneth are teambuilding partners, I decided to just reveal my gameplan and go all in, since I knew securing a 7-0 would get me a BYE in Top Cut. Daniel is a very good player but I had the advantage of having played against the same team in the previous round, I knew what worked. For sure both Kenneth and Daniel were a huge threat in the top cut for me.
That afternoon I just wanted to get some rest, most of us went to eat to a very nice place and Sebastian Escalante asked me for help to prepare his Top 16 matchup. I didn’t want, but he can be very persuasive. That’s how he gave me his paste. After that, I completely forgot about Bogota and focused on how it was going for Oliver in Perth Regionals, the time he was playing finals was like 3am for me, when I knew he won I felt everything else was going to be just extra, I didn’t prepare any matchups that night.
Day 2: Top 16 - Finals
Top 16 vs BYE
I couldn’t watch Sebastian Escalante vs David Rodriguez’ match but for sure it was intense, my brother Nicolas del Campo told me I looked really bad, he was right, I didn’t sleep at all. Luckily, I bought a Red Bull, since I’m not used to energy drinks, it makes a lot of effect on me. I drank one before going into the battle against Sebastian Escalante.
Top 8 vs Sebastian Escalante (AR)
Match: 2-0
Record: 9/0
Rillaboom, Incineroar, Charizard, Farigiraf, Whimsicott, Ursaluna-Bloodmoon
Both of us were happy with a Top 8 finish. Although, he asked me for my paste with EVs because he gave me his paste the day before. At first, I thought, “why would I do that, his team is full with 252/252 spreads”, but after David Rodriguez gave him good info about my team, I thought it wouldn’t make any difference, since my Ursaluna’s bulk and Incineroar speed were the only ones that mattered, but internet in the venue was coming and going, so I couldn’t send him my paste with EVs before the match.
I don’t think Sebastian played very well this match; he never saw that Whimsicott in the back would’ve been unstoppable for me. I’m happy I got to win fair and square with a bad matchup, those are the games you need to win! Although, after checking the match, I could’ve played better, it was enough to secure a Top 4 finish.
You can watch the full match here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/w8dysy0_9YA?si=4P3aDtSkAHcE-vBK&t=3077
Top 4 vs Jimmy Suarez (CO)
Match: 2-0
Record: 10/0
Amoonguss, Incineroar, Dragonite, Sneasler, Gholdengo, Ursaluna-Bloodmoon
Probably one of the cleanest games I’ve played in this regulation. The game went similarly to the one against Jean Lopez, I lost the lead in game 1, my opponent got two Scale Shot misses in game 1, but I didn’t feel about it because I saw him celebrating a Dire Claw sleep in Game 2.
In Game 2 I could execute my plan without any complications, in Top 8 and Top 4 I remember putting a heart over Gholdengo in the notebook, at that moment I regretted so much not bringing that Pokémon to LAIC 2025.
You can watch the full match here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/w8dysy0_9YA?si=olhc8A16lIDG2UDz&t=7218
Finals vs Max Morales (CR)
Match: 0-2
Record: 10/1
It feels good when you play finals against a good friend, it feels relaxing. I think Max did a really good job with his gameplan and besides I could’ve played better, I gave my best.
You can watch the full match here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/w8dysy0_9YA?si=LKWhxAAOnV1bo1sK&t=12007
Reflection:
In conclusion, I felt really comfortable with this DUG team by the end of Regulation H, if you reached this point and you’re planning to play Regulation G, I suggest you to find your comfort and grind with it, get good with that team you’re comfortable with.
Author Bio:
I started playing VGC back in 2014, but I left soon after to focus on my studies. I came back (9 years after) in April 2024 being inspired by fellow players from my country that were doing well at events, like Diego Gutierrez, Renzo Navarro, Sebastian Bisbal, and Dorian Quiñonez.
These are my achievements:
IRL:
Lima Special Event 2025 Champion
Bogota Special Event 2025 Finalist
Lima Special Event 2024 Finalist
Buenos Aires Special Event 2025 Top 8
Santiago Regionals 2024 Top 32
Grassroots:
Peru National Champion 2014
Peru Liga Intertiendas 2024 Winner
Hype Night 2024 Champion
Uni Japan Week Vol. 2 2024 Champion
Tommy Tuesday Sept. 10 2024 3rd Place
Team Tours:
Victory Road World Cup 2024 (Top 16)
Reflecting on these achievements, I’m reminded that success isn’t about the accolades but about the journey—the hard work, the lessons, and the people who make it all worthwhile. Here’s to continuing the journey, one milestone at a time.
I’ve qualified for Honolulu 2024 and Anaheim 2025, although I don’t know for how long I will keep playing. My objective is to do well at an International and Worlds. I want to thank Ryan for the opportunity to write this story.
Disclaimer: The opinions/stories expressed in the blog post are those of the author's and not necessarily reflective of the platform or its affiliates.