Introduction to Tap Cast Season 2
00:00:01
Speaker
Hey there, trainers. so Welcome to another episode of Tap Tap Cast. My name is Martijn. You may also know me as an eloquence, and I am joined by Amanda, also known as Lumberger. How are you doing, Amanda? I'm doing great. You know, a new season, first episode, I would say of, ah you know, our our second season of Tap Tap Cast. How are you feeling about it? I mean, the end season of the first was pretty good for both you and me. I got to cast worlds. You were something a little more prestigious. You know, the world's finalist.
00:00:29
Speaker
Well, you guys didn't invite me on the broadcast. so I just made it for myself. I just had to do it myself. um But yeah, new season, new playbook season as well. Super excited with a lot of meta changes, right? And we already have had one tournament in Europe, one tournament in North America, and one eu ah one tournament in South America. And today we have the winner of the first European regional championship of
Meet Kazim: European Champ
00:00:54
Speaker
the season. and It is Kazim!
00:01:02
Speaker
Hope everyone's doing well. Yeah, very, very good. Thanks. How are you guys? Doing good. Thank you for being ah you know our first guest of the season. Hopefully we ah can spotlight you because you are definitely someone that has known within the grassroots community, known within PVP. But why don't you give a small introduction of yourself for maybe some people who aren't as familiar? So my name is Karim. Also, you might all know me as Kazim33.
00:01:30
Speaker
um I just won the 2025 Dortmund Regional. Yeah, you did. Still soaking it in. um I've been playing PVP for about three years, and I think just over three years now. I might be slightly off, but around around there. So whilst I might be like slightly new compared to others, I still think I have a fair share of experience. My first GBL legend was season 10.
00:01:58
Speaker
um I've had it hit it ever since then. And then I did my first play Pokemon tournament in January, 2023, which was in Liverpool. And um fun fact, other than last weekend, that was probably my best run in a play Pokemon tournament since. So it was slightly disappointing to it to never reach a day two after an impressive first showing. um But it is always tough competition. um And, you know, I always feel competition is increasing.
00:02:27
Speaker
as as the tournaments progress everyone learns little tricks in there and yeah no no no game is easy these days honestly i I must say I feel the same way when I play GBL hitting legend used to be so much easier and I'm like why is everyone catching my moves or something you know not at all just getting annoying even in the lower ranks how did you ah yeah I'm always low dude how did you get into PvP in the first place um so i pay I picked up the game back in
Kazim's PvP Journey: Learning and Strategy Development
00:02:59
Speaker
2020. My good ah good friend Andrew from secondary school was playing. I think there was like a shiny snubble event. And I was like, yeah, why not? Let's just play it. I played it a lot when it came out. Like for a good year, I played it intensely. That was one of the first to complete the Gen 1 Pokedex. That was a while ago. But then I still found the general game a bit bit repetitive.
00:03:24
Speaker
i'm aware I've always been a competitive person and just thought I'd hit the battle screen. And I so ah sucked. I sucked initially. I sound myself struggling, not know what I was doing. I see everyone using Galarian Stumpfisk. I'm like, what the hell? This thing reaches a move every every like two seconds. I'm like, oh, let's try this thing out. And then I realized that thing was quite good. I saw, was it a Zoomer Umbria on everywhere? I'm like, why are these bulky vocalists so good? It's just like, not fair.
00:03:54
Speaker
And then, um, just starting back, started battling, try to use my, uh, 25 battles a day and keep practicing, keep practicing and realize you had to count to but become good. And I thought, God, really? That's impossible. That's really impossible. Um, but again, it was just more practicing. I used to watch a lot of YouTube. So like rise zionic, um, who else did you, I don't know.
00:04:22
Speaker
You help me a lot now these days, so you'll get the credit later on. But my early journey, maybe not so much. um Yeah, a lot of YouTube really helped me just to kind of develop that that like encyclopedia in the head of what Pokemon knows, what moves and the counts to everything. and And I think just having that knowledge is essential ah to play at the higher level.
00:04:46
Speaker
um And then it was just, yeah, practice, practice, practice, like solid two years of GBL. And then a few years later, I spoke to Annacool, I'm sure you all know him, um and I met up with him and he told me about the whole play Pokemon scene and Liverpool being the next one on on the circuit. I thought it was perfect time for me to just pop up. At that time I had hit Legend a few times, so I sort of knew my stuff and ended up doing a lot better than I thought. and
00:05:18
Speaker
Yeah, here we are. So there's a lot to unpack there, but, uh, so I have a kind of a twofold question with this at what point when you were doing go battle league, you know, the blind three format, did it start to click for you? Like, you know, you're like, Oh, I actually am learning these counts or, Oh, I see this Pokemon. So I maybe recognize a lineup or I know that I have to do.
00:05:41
Speaker
X to, you know, secure whatever advantage. like big one I think that's a big point. um So like earlier on, I'd always try and use the same team. And whilst I didn't have most of like the Pokemon built, um I would just kind of stick with the same team. And like you said, just that, just that Amanda learning what to do in a specific scenario, so useful, because you might face someone might say swap X you and then you then play play it a different way and it's just building that knowledge and it building that muscle memory as well so I think I think that's the main thing just practice practice I think Farid mentioned it
Evolving Strategies: Learning from Tournament Experiences
00:06:23
Speaker
I was re-watching the cast practice makes permanent it's spot on. ah Part two of this is so Liverpool was your first
00:06:32
Speaker
show six pick three correct what did you do okay that's that's also pretty interesting like as in like ever it was my first play pokemon tournament okay okay go sorry i might have interrupted continue no no no you didn't interrupt it i was just curious how because you you said you hit legend a couple times uh the anacorte introduced you to the play pokemon thing and you you did you did quite well for your very first tournament so i just wondered how much show six pick three practice you had and how much you felt uh gbl kind of helped you prepare for that, or if it did? Yeah, I mean, GBL, I mean, I know the Pokemon that I used quite well. I think I just took Emmy Weedle's team that he once stuck out with because he had a man team and I was using that in GBL at the time. um And I think the point about show six, pick three, I think I'd done like one month of factions because I just joined. I joined his his team.
00:07:28
Speaker
hidden powers at the time before we merged with TMPisa. So I'd done like two, three bouts of Sylph factions and that was really it in terms of Show Six. I did a few scrims before the tournament, but compared to what I do now with a the the ones Martyn host, it was very little. um So yeah, at the time, it was just kind of the way I'd play Show Six was pick the three Pokemon that had the highest number of like good matchups rather than now like the way i think of it now is completely different i'm like how did i manage to do so well just like that no sort of like i knew what an abb was but that that was it it was no like get energy advantage on this and whatever million thoughts are going into my mind whenever i'm trying to compose a line of three these days so yeah sorry i might have gone on a bit again
00:08:26
Speaker
It's great to have a guest who can talk a lot. So, you know, we have insight in all of this. So please do not apologize. You also did that, I think, after one of our interviews. I'm like, no, no, this is great. Keep talking. You do realize, like, behind the desk, we also have to yep a lot on sometimes. Of course. Yeah, I wonder how you guys, I always wonder how you guys do it, like 10 hours.
00:08:48
Speaker
Um, you say, is it, is it mainly on the car who got you into all of this, like show six to factions? So I think he, he organized like a discord for, for London, isn um, PVPers at the time. Um, and he got, he got a few people on and I think there was one day he organized like a training day for the people to come to. I was like, I would, I would have been looking to coach people. Cause I think at the time my mechanics were on point, but no, no one turned up apart from the two of us. And we just had a.
00:09:18
Speaker
had a long chat um and he yeah just introduced me to the scene and was really cool just knowing that there were all these tournaments because I think like literally at the time I didn't even know self existed it and I was asking I was like tweeting anyone want practice battles I didn't even know about all of but this outside world so it was it was fascinating like when I went to Liverpool for the first time seeing all these skilled players and just the the whole venue being super large and even having the TCG VGC players around it's yeah I just generally didn't know about this and I've been a Pokemon fan throughout my life ah yeah just a world outside of GBL was was really cool I think that might be for a lot of people maybe that's
00:10:06
Speaker
You know, it's it's a little bit difficult sometimes to raise that awareness, right? If someone's not like active on a particular platform, I think. um You said that yeah you think way different now than you used to think. um This might be a little bit of ah a question rushing for it, but do you think that with the way you played in Dormuz, are you near like your peak? Of of course you're gonna have like um like like the way you feel, right? ah Because I definitely have those moments where I was like, okay, I did well here. I don't think I can do much better than this. um And of course, you want to do well at like probably ICs or just the next region or maybe everyone with that freaking whimsical world rules. You know, how do you feel about that now?
Kazim's Play Style: Neutral Play vs. RPS
00:10:47
Speaker
you had to mention it so uh let's get it out of the way i have a whole topic about it even so um in terms of how i played in dormant i think i did play pretty well i did rewatch i have rewatched every battle like many times um i think there were still many things i could have done better but i never i could every every day when I play GBL, every scrim, every practice tournament I do, I i do make plenty of mistakes. So I think overall in that tournament, um it was close close to the peak and I've got to be quite nice to myself. I was playing against some pretty stellar opposition. I think I had Elephant Flash in the first round and Yonkers in the second round. There were no easy games, honestly, truly high caliber of opposition. um
00:11:40
Speaker
ah like there are stills and that's that's the thing about this game um it's the consistency i think there's so many good players um and just being able to perform at that like high level consistently um like there was a game i should i should have six oh ton ton and uh that would have been one for the record books but it's still the one game i put in my video yeah i should have won that was it duns pass intermulturists appear into duns pass and i'd lost so uh Yeah, there's always things you can do better. um And like I'm going to look to build on that. um Hopefully this meta stays the same for a while because I do really enjoy it. I think part of my lack of success, well, I wouldn't say I played that badly, but it's just so easy to get RPS in previous metas. And I think you saw that the players that made it to top cut, like you had your remind jokes, you had your Tontons, you had you know big names performing well, which
00:12:39
Speaker
but you always like to see in in these tournaments and we all know um these battlers how good they are from from previous tournaments and they might have struggled previously not because they they made a misplay just because they got a lantern stahonet dragon or i scarmery stuck on stuck on a lantern in previous matters and sometimes you know it's just a bit of luck rather than skill that prevailed right there or or a mind jokes case in a lowland sand slash stuck on a but it is funny that you say that you really like this meta because you even said it in an interview with a martyne there you know you can't bring your favorite pokemon to this meta because you know ah with a clod sire with so many ah pokemon that counter it quite well
00:13:29
Speaker
yeah how How are you feeling about a benching Whimsicott for your first ever win to secure your spot for Worlds? I mean, I couldn't. um Like, I can't play RPS. s it's I hate it. Like, never seeing Bastion in GBL. Not even. I mean, we were were starting to see him in Play Pokemon tournaments. That's how horrible it got to.
00:13:54
Speaker
um but it's just it's just not my style it's no point coming i mean i love i love coming here um and it probably won't stop me even if it's a horrible meta but it's it could be just daunting going there and fearing that you're like in a mind joke's case like your sound slash gets lined onto a medichamp that happened to me a year ago in leo as well and that's uh it's not fun whereas here i don't think i probably the the matchup against Tonton where I had my superior on his Shadow Quagsire that was probably the most like alignment dependent match off my whole run but I can't i honestly can't remember um because I always try and play neutral a lot of my opponents like similar similarly as well we all try to make make for the as as fun and as neutral battles as possible and try and win through skill rather than just
00:14:49
Speaker
straight hard alignment. so it definitely It definitely suits my style and long may it continue.
00:14:57
Speaker
Sorry, I've kind of gone off about the way you just got to have an eye.
Adapting to New Meta: Gameplay Dynamics
00:15:01
Speaker
I didn't really talk about it. I was actually going to say, so you Martijn, you said, do you love RPS? s ah And you guys have very, very different play styles, but you guys are both like really entertaining players to watch in the in that regard too. Do you think either one of you, Kazim, you can answer first because you're our guest in the Martijn, but do you think that your play style makes you at all predictable, like last season and Colin is a super good player. So I'm not giving him any shade at all, but he is a very safe player a lot of the times. And he plays also very consistent lines that can't be very RPS, not nothing too risky. Do you feel like this could end up kind of biting you in the butt because you're like, you just said it yourself. I don't play RPS. I'm always going to play for, you know, the more safe Pokemon, not to alignment based.
00:15:50
Speaker
Maybe not. Maybe I'm just mind-gaming everyone. now i'm goingnna absolutely fire No, absolutely not. i um I always trust my neutral play because um I know my counts. I know my mechanics. I'm pretty sure most people do at this level anyway, but um is no there's not really a ah hard way to just out-neutral with someone who who's at the top of the game. and um I don't mean to like brag or anything, but but if you are playing optimally whilst you're trying to maintain those neutral matchups. Like you see you see with Colin, you never see him absolutely swamped in ah in a battle. I actually really enjoy playing against Colin in practice because the games are always so close and it's never it's never just a ah coin flip to see which one of us wins. So you know to everyone watching, go for it. Try and out neutral for me. but
00:16:47
Speaker
It is going to be tough.
00:16:53
Speaker
but I like to mix it around. like It depends on the matchup. It honestly depends on the matchup. And I felt I had good matchups into pretty much all of my opponents. So sometimes you're forced to play for alignment sometimes. you're not And it's just looking for that safe swap on the team. And if I have one, it feels good, basically. Yeah.
00:17:15
Speaker
um the The way i'm I'm always joking about that I play RPS, but i I don't really. If you look at like... No, no, no, let's see. If you look at some of my world's battles, most of the time I got like a shield advantage from my backline losing switch.
00:17:29
Speaker
um And I never, ever say switches geared Tina. So it's not like I'm playing risky all the time. It's definitely about positioning. And I like to think like in the way which book but can my opponent run and not run or which can they not run together. Right. So I think that comes with it as well.
00:17:48
Speaker
And i I do like this new meta as well. I don't think it's just a switch clock though, honestly. It's just the picks that are so common are way less polarizing. If you think of Feraligatr beats about everything which shields up. Klotzar beats everything which shields up. Digger's B beats almost everything which shields up. Toxapex, well, kind of pass it on now, but you know, so good into many things as well. I think makes it an entirely different meta besides the switch clock.
00:18:12
Speaker
and I don't know, I do like it. It's just so deceptive at sometimes, you know, if you're, especially if you're used to, because I like to count or have an estimation of how far the opponent switch clock is by counting the charge stacks being thrown from the moment they swap. And it's just way different now. You really need to keep that in mind every time. It just, it just pops up every time. Like a couple moves thrown and it's like, ah,
00:18:37
Speaker
I can switch out. I don't remember who it was. I think it was Stone Collection. He was just, he caught like an an attack from Malamar on his zoom roll. And he just kept firing up energy and energy and energy and have like two more foul play. The clock is just up. You're too slow. He didn't throw a move. yeah Yeah. I remember that too. I think he still won, but you know, that was just a perfect showcase of the change that is the the shortest switch clock.
00:19:05
Speaker
So I think it's just like an addition on top of what the meta is right now. And maybe just works really well with it too, right? If you can bank Hydrokin or Crunch from drop heal all over the place, it really helps you in endgame. It's just not in the, and not in show six play Pokemon, but also like I play gym breakers, right? Which is like a meta with go list support area, those drop heal. That's all Pokemon that get to their charge stacks in like 10 turns. You can just bank energy all over the place. It goes really quick.
00:19:33
Speaker
I think Drapion is one I i always face. And you you sometimes rather be the Drapion than the Clodsire in that matchup, just because after like four four moves of throwing, you double shield. It's so annoying. You're still healthy. And then you bank up the next Aqua Tail against something else. And it's like you kill it and you still never taken that EQ because you've shielded it. Crazy play. Well, it's good. Good healthy stuff.
00:20:00
Speaker
Yeah, you said you like playing against Colin. He's on your team. And of course, just bring it back from that. So you were originally part of Hidden Powers faction before they merged with T and Pizza. And then you are on the,
Community and Team Dynamics: Play Pokemon Focus
00:20:14
Speaker
I mean, because there's like four T and Pizza teams, right? Yes. Things like eight now. I'm surprised you already said eight. But yeah, four teams. I mean, the T and Pizza, Hidden Powers one.
00:20:30
Speaker
OK, and I mean, i'm I'm not trying to be a jerk about it. I'm just seriously wondering what what what is the tier scale of the consideration of the tea whole tea and pizzas? is that Is that the second one? And then there's the Academy and then there's Spice, right? Yeah, you are spot on. So it's the main team and then Hidden Powers and then the Academy and then Spice from what I believe um probably get roasted by the captain of spice if I've got that wrong. But ah I think I'm right. And based on the tiers that we're playing in Battle Frontier, which I can't really remember too well. I've kind of not paid too much attention with all this thought and stuff going on. um But I think it's, yeah, I think it's in that in that order. um is there you like to play Is there anyone that you're like on the on the main team that you're like, oh, if if I had to challenge to take their spot,
00:21:26
Speaker
ah do you like Are you going to move up to the big team, do you think, after this incredible showing? Because not all of them have have gotten the first place medal. because i mean It's not my decision, we'll see. i think I think they asked me after maybe like six, seven months ago as well, but ah I still felt that at the time. I might have been after my first region, I can't remember. um But I still felt my um show six play had a lot to improve which is why I stayed on and didn't want to put the pressure on myself of playing because I still like even in terms of the factions you know still factions was out for ages people have a lot more show six experience than I do so in terms of like forming strategies I still felt felt I was pretty weak at that time and that I might have shown in some of my previous play pokemon um results but um yeah we'll see I've always you know I love everyone at the hidden powers team so um
00:22:24
Speaker
Yeah, it's a, whatever it is, it's a tough decision. Um, and we're all like, the thing is we're all part of one group at the moment and we all, we all meet up at at regionals as one collective group rather than like individual teams. So at the end of the day, it's like, it's not even a ah big thing. Um, and for me going forwards, I'm like, I'm trying to prioritize the play Pokemon. Um, um,
00:22:52
Speaker
Rather than any team formats, I'm still going to try and help out, but I think my focus from now on um having seen i out how amazing Worlds was and I much prefer the whole social aspect of meeting up with people and just just love to play Pokemon scene. sir That's awesome to hear. yeah Um, I hate to break it to you, but people have high expectations of you now. So you're not really a new show six play anymore. Um, I have an evil question for you. Who's the best team pizza player? Uh, you have to name someone. you cannot be the pi I thought this was, this coming so it was, the I think I'd watched or listened to a few, I think max Wells and for reads before. And I think you asked the same. So I thought this would come my way. Um, okay.
00:23:42
Speaker
I think to name three, it would be Maxwell, PVP David and Colin. And to split between those three is ridiculous because like both of the, both, all three of their their mechanics, the gameplay is just spot on. Like whenever I'm watching David on stream is insane. You never like, he's so locked in, you never see him make ah a single error with his counting. I've genuinely never seen him make an error with his counting before. Same with Maxwell, same with Colin as well. it's ah Obviously Colin and and Maxwell have have had more success in in the tournaments but David hasn't fared too bad. He did superbly at Worlds and has obviously competed in a ah lot less than the other two. yeah so ah I'm gonna have to pick out like a lucky hat because
00:24:43
Speaker
I can't break straight three down. I can beat Colin, but I can't beat the other two as consistently, so maybe we'll get Colin out of there, but that's ah maybe because I prefer his safe safe style and it kind of suits me.
00:25:01
Speaker
I don't know. but Let's give it to Weedle for now, just EUIC champion. um Okay. He is a defender of Eurovision. He is. I mean, also our only senior senior division mass or world champion.
Balancing Practice and Competition: Tournament Insights
00:25:15
Speaker
So he's got some pretty big titles. And like, we've got some cracking plate, like Farid's knowledge of the game is superb as well. And, um, I often speak to him, like I was helping him build for Baltimore, but he then tells me some things in return, which then I consider for Dortmund. It's like knowing things, knowing what can beat what with a
00:25:37
Speaker
X, Y, Advantage, whatever, things like that, that you don't even need to look at because he just knows it off by heart what break points to hit and stuff. So it's, it's nice being a part of the team where there's so much talent. And I'm sure, you know, I know, I know we're big rivals, Martijn, but... No, I don't know that feeling at all. We are. We are a lovely bunch as well. And having, having like, I think I was the only, only Javier and I made day two. So, um,
00:26:07
Speaker
Like a lot of the attention was on me on the Saturday night and just having like the likes of, of Emmy Weedle. And I think Nezabethan as well, helping me out on the, on the Saturday night for for the matchup against Alessio. I just, it felt great having that support.
00:26:25
Speaker
Yeah, I always feel like I overthink things if I go through a matchup the day before. I also think preparation can be important sometimes, right? If you're like, your team's ready. I think when I played against Colin on my first matchup of day two, I had nothing prepared. i I was like, I'm going to overthink this again. um It worked. It worked. It worked for you. Yeah, it's really tough. It's the best Pokemon in the game.
00:26:50
Speaker
um but he's he's not an rps player though ah hey it's the pokemon i use the least amount of shields on i think that's crazy it's uh yeah how does it feel uh i personally when when i get to day two that feels like a relieving moment that feels like okay this tournament was not an absolute failure for me how does it feel for you to first reach day two. let let's Let's start there to first reach day two. Yeah. I honestly felt the same, um, cause I'd never done it before. I'm like that, that, uh, hurdle was especially that's why sorry, especially that's why, cause it's like a very relieving moment. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just having that. I mean, a lot of people had joked and called me the nearly guy and I'd i'd labeled myself as that many times as well. Um,
00:27:43
Speaker
But like it felt great. I actually relieved the pressure on myself for all of the matchups. But then when I studied the matchup, I'm like, this is a pretty good matchup. And then because I was coming from winner's side, people were telling me, there's only three games left. I'm like, we'll see what we can do. I know it's going to be tough like ridiculously tough opponents. But it was kind of a funny thing. I don't know if you've seen see I mean, you have seen my team, but it was ridiculously weak to Shadow Machamp and Pangoro. And I was just like looking at all of, looking at the whole bracket and seeing was then there any left. And I saw there was one. And when I saw that, uh, I think it was Iregi, when I saw he was knocked out, it meant even if I was like knocked down to the loser's bracket, I could confidently make my way up because I felt that was like the only weakness of the team. Really played risky, but those, those
00:28:42
Speaker
Karate Chop users aren't so great. um And then the prep for a Mindjerk, I know I mentioned it to you in the interview. ah I wrote down four really safe lines, which meant I could safe swap Shadow for Alligator, as long as I led Strong into Ariodos, because you can't swap Gator behind Energy into the Spider. So a Moltres, Klodzire, or Dunsparce lead would have worked fine. I literally had a to save swap gator if there was like I don't know an Azuma on the mulch as I could save swap gator and he had no response for it and then game one I did i stuck to my principles I won it with the clods I lead and I just thought this leads superior it has some core break potential and it just went against my whole like mantra of playing safe because I knew I could always fall back on that shadow gator save swap and I just thought what are you doing
00:29:39
Speaker
and I lost the game too. I ah i told a mind joke the day before. There's no way he can ever lead Gator and Superior. So he's always going to lead Claude Sire and or Dunsparce. Yeah. That you let Superior was actually crazy to me. i does that He actually, he listened to me in that probably wouldve lost her in yeah and Yeah. I mean, I was sort of unfortunate that who needs Superior is sort of worthy. But like,
00:30:07
Speaker
Even that he could have then safeswap like a Feraligator. And Moltres leading the gates of Feraligator safeswap. Dunspar sort of as well, but... Dunspar's really good there too, no? Oh, yeah. I i really should have given my MVP to Dunspar, so I actually counted how many times I used 15 out of the 18 battles. I used Moltres twice. It was there, dude. It was it it was there when it needed to show up, right?
00:30:36
Speaker
true team game at the end. I absolutely loved watching you play for multiple reasons. Thank you. For one, it's like, yeah, you were just completely on point and you were like, you had the really good catches. But the thing is like, you're a name that has been around for a while and you haven't really had your breakout moment until the day that you, you know, you made it to day two and then you won it all. But I think it's a really like nice story for other players who are also good.
00:31:13
Speaker
but haven't had their moments. Like, I mean, this is like a whole question that we have on our podcast, even like, who is someone that you think is really good, but just, you know, hasn't really made their name for themselves. And I think that you would have fallen into that category very easily. And I think that that is like kind of an inspirational thing for other trainers who are like, well, you know what? Cause he's qualified for Worlds. He's obviously had talent. ah Other players know that he's good.
00:31:40
Speaker
But he didn't really have a top cut until the 2025 season. So I don't know that that wasn't really a question. That was just more of a I'm i'm really happy that you won and that there you have this like kind of really cool, different backstory than a lot of people. No, it is. It is. It is really cool how I just managed here. I still can't believe I'm telling people like I've never even gone close before. But like your you're spot on. There are so many players who have probably like made it to, I don't know, like loser's final of the group or something. And i still I still go by what I said earlier, the skill gap between the top players is is very small. it's It's minor details that you can you can always just work on those just just to to get yourself from from that level onwards. And and for me, um that that detail was actually just calling base and playing like I usually do from my
00:32:36
Speaker
from my bed and from from home. just whereas Whereas previously, I just just respect everything. And I just thought, I don't usually get that success on GBL from playing like within myself. So I just thought, I think like it was actually my first match I led. Yeah, Sapirian's Feraligatr. And I got the shield and I just thought, they always bait.
00:33:04
Speaker
So I just no shielded and it was just comfortable for them because I showed it a bait. And, and I kind of, I kind of feel at these tournaments, people are inclined to bait thinking, ah, you know, the stakes are too high at these tournaments. they' They're going to shield a lot of things. So I baited more, but I call, but I called more base at the same time. And I just thought, what is there to lose? them and And it worked. That was it. That was, that was kind of my main,
00:33:34
Speaker
improvement going into this season, and just play like i I do from home, just treat it like a go battle league game or practice. And it's just somehow paid off. It's also a little bit easier when you're on the Windows side, right? To take a little bit more risk, I think. hundred but and How did you actually get to the team that you used? So i was I've been team building loads prior.
00:34:00
Speaker
to the tournament but I only came to the team around the week before and it was inspired by Set-Tie-Lice. He pretty much used the same team and did really well. I didn't see your Shadow Celio anywhere. I just upgraded a few things. Shadow Celio, I don't even think I have one. I know I have a good normal one but it's surely it's like I didn't even think about it. I just thought dugong I really like dugo it's bulky and i And I thought, I'll come on to this in in in a second. So I improved the, c I upgraded the Celio to the Dewgong, strict upgrade there. We can't debate that, sorry. septile ice I know Celio was awesome pick, and I was actually rooting for you to to make it. I was so glad you made it today too, if you're if you're watching. um And then Mandibuzz, I bought Mandibuzz to Worlds, but I didn't use it in a single battle. It's boring. You have to know the damage range is so well because it can't farm things down.
00:34:59
Speaker
And I like to have, I felt my world team didn't have much fast move pressure. I do really know, like the importance of fast move pressure in show six to be able to carry energy. Try and whimsical. Try and whimsical. Yeah, it's true. It's true. You are, you are honestly, honestly right there. despite fairy wind um And I had a, I had a decent Galerimultra sat in my inventory. I'd not used it much, but I thought.
00:35:27
Speaker
could work and then and then i found out it could uh to shield through shadow for alligator i'm like yeah there's my gator on so i know i had superior i know i had dunspouse and nothing was a strict like a toxapex or i don't know nothing hard fees for alligator anyway um i felt like i just wanted to have a team that had good matchups into gator so i had a doom that could resist the moves the grass type dunspouse which is resist shadow claw and the glare emoltress um I did notice the um weakness to Shadow Machamp and I think Fareed, he's uploaded a video of him destroying me with a Shadow Machamp team in in in a local, but I just thought, i even got I even got those battles pretty close and that was one reason which kind of ah like led me to stick with the team. The second point I was going to make
00:36:21
Speaker
I noticed through a lot of your practice tournaments Martijn, I was counting the a number of sludge bomb kodzeir in every tournament I played compared to the stone edge one stone edge variants and it looked to be about 70 to 30 percent just um in favor of sludge bomb.
00:36:40
Speaker
And I think it is the better option just because of the pacing. I know they both offer the benefits in terms of coverage with the pacing. Yeah, better to grass and azumur, right? Grass and azu, exactly. So i so that that's what led me on to the dugong moltres. I wouldn't really say it's a core, but two of them actually do perform pretty well together whenever I used them. um And whilst it was risky against stone edge, I mean dugong does fine. And he felt if there was a stone edge, cause I had superior to kind of you know, Sapiria performed better into those teams rather than the Klod's Eye one. So yeah, and I'd i'd use Sapiria and Dunt's Pass together in Grabatuli quite a bit. Shadow for Alligates I've been using for a lot, but never actually brought it to a tournament. um And I also wanted Pokémon that had really fast pacing. So like I kind tried the Digger's Betoxapex corporate. Again, Toxapex, if you're locked into a bad matchup, your opponent can just farm so much energy against it without having to worry.
00:37:40
Speaker
Brian does nothing to anything so yeah just that fast pacing allowed me to move around a lot more which to eventually saw. Yeah, that's fair. I think talk specs is a little bit if you are like overbearing for for alligator, right? so But you do give yourself so much risk into cold sire, mudslap, Pokemon. yeah You do shut down as well. That's cool, I guess. I saw like maxi steam. if If it wasn't maxi steam, I think it was like four times a week to a zero. And I think then talk specs pairs really well with it. Yeah, yeah, because he has his kind of but then you but then you're inviting yourself to play a play an alignment game.
00:38:17
Speaker
I mean, you can play ABB, but like... It's my favorite, so... Do you have any idea yet of... You're going to LEO, right? I'll be there, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I think it was LEO Birmingham EU I see that you said. Do you have any idea yet of... Yeah, I had to dance. Oh, good dance, well, hell yeah. Yeah, you're still, you're like doing them all. You're rich now for the prize money, so... So people have been telling me that. But... Do you have any interesting picks that you have in mind right now?
00:38:46
Speaker
I'm thinking about low kicks. I don't know if that's good or not, but it's a sucker punch user. I want to i want to take something funny, and i but not not not like bad funny, but something unusual and something that people might not prepare for.
Unique Picks for Upcoming Tournaments
00:39:04
Speaker
Do you want me to inspire you?
00:39:06
Speaker
Yeah, you can do it. and I think cooking this core. I'm not sure if I'll bring it. I'll say that. It requires four more Pokemon to cover it really well. Wiggly tough. Oh, no. you Wiggly tough. No, no, no. I can't bring Wiggly tough. But Shadow Mewtwo. Oh, I'll bring Shadow Mewtwo. There's so little fast attack pressure, right? You only need to cover Gator that well. I want to do it to get a Trez. You get two shot by Sucker Punch.
00:39:34
Speaker
Bro, only two people only two two people in the tournament used that Pokemon. It's fine. They got the grand finals, but... i mean Okay, yeah. I mean, you have you have more Pokemon to cover than, right? And of course, we do tough covers. I feel like we have tough covers like Gator and Dark-type Pokemon that YouTube may actually be able to put a dent in. and And just imagine, your opponent is just bluffing. He's like, this bozo doesn't lead Shadow Mewtwo. And then, boom!
00:39:59
Speaker
Shadow Mewtwo lead into Cold Sire with Tox specs in the back, GG Strainer, they swap out, you throw Side Strike, it does 80% to Dunsparce, it does like 50% but still, just the impact it does. I love the idea. You're gonna win charge attack priority? Honestly, it hit i've I've used it quite a bit, like sometimes I hit Legend and I just end up using Shadow Mewtwo and things in GBL and it's it's so fun when you ah give it a shield advantage. So, ah Oh, you are inspiring. Not wiggly tough. And fun fact, I cannot play with charm. I like, people say you just tap tap. I genuinely struggle playing, playing. Like people say it's the easiest way, but I can't, I like, I'm like, I can't reach my moves. I can't reach my moves. It can just be bench pressure. It can just be bench pressure. You don't even use it. You don't even build the Pokémon. It's just how you seem to pressure Dark-types and Thralligator.
00:40:52
Speaker
No, but now people will know, they'll be like, Kazim will never use that Wigglytuff that's sitting on the bench. i can And that's how you get them. That's how you get them. They play Moltres League Machamp in the back. Easy. of I got a better fairy for that. Primarilla? It also begins with W.
00:41:12
Speaker
Gramble? W. W Slurpuff? There's no way you know.
00:41:21
Speaker
whimsical what you on But I'm not even really considering. I want i want to find something different. I don't i honestly, like I love the whole whimsical story. I know I didn't really answer your question earlier on.
00:41:32
Speaker
Do you not think Wimsicott is good right now? No. no like Besides the poison types, is it really that bad? ah Besides the poison types is brilliant, but there's a lot of bad poison type matchups. Fun fact, Wimsicott was never like, I never even knew what it was before Pokemon Go. um And Meganium was actually my favorite Pokemon. And I got the plushie, I found the plushie backstage and got the ah got my picture with the Meganium. and that was its own story for me as well. um Yeah, that might be news to a lot of people, but Meganium was always... Yeah, I know just a lot of people were giving you some crap about that being like, what your photo is with Meganium? Yeah, I think yeah some grass Pokemon is going to be a little bit jealous here. But um but with whimsico, it was ah just a ah really nice call breaker in the Medicham lantern Altaria.
00:42:26
Speaker
Swampert, Sableye, Dragonair, whatever. Still on the welling though, like you could lose to like... Sableye still, right? You lose to Feraligatr if you have one Shillicloth Vengeful Feraligatr. Actually, it might even be... Yeah, but pretty much all grass types do on paper, right? Unless you're like... I played against Feraligatr, or against the Wimskull, with Feraligatr against Chun in the previous meta. And I was like, okay, I'm just gonna go four Hydrocanons to just one the... Yeah, you win the twos straight Hydro, that's another reason why. It's wild.
00:43:00
Speaker
you can't but you can build a for alligator slayer whimsical which i've been told about to win to win charge attack priority um but like yeah no it's not it's not the time so i'm gonna look got some time to but you but you are gonna think i mean you're you're are you still Playing to win? Are you playing for practice and kind of to keep up with the matters? Like, i've I've never experienced this feeling before. So, you know, I don't i don't want to go out to and everyone be like, oh, your win was a fluke or something.
00:43:38
Speaker
but You never know, that could happen even if I do try. Hey, even if that happens, you're the one with the invite. You're the one who got the first place. So, I mean, you can you can go to 0-2. You already are going to be in Anaheim. you You don't want to be the European nighttime pleasure though, right? Yeah. um just I like Eric. But I will try and bring at least one fun, unique pick.
00:44:05
Speaker
and But yeah it ah it will have to be a good one. I don't want it to be like, just bench pressure. Sure, sure. Okay. Would you also consider going internationally to compete so besides worlds? Like, I mean, so I am top of the leaderboard now, which puts me and I mean, I haven't really looked into all of this travel, but it's going to be- The point you get right now is for EUIC travel awards. Right, right, right. So far away, so far away. Which is nice. I imagine it's for you like a train thing or something. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it's travel, so I think that's a pretty nice point. I think with worlds being in America, I think that rules out the NAIC. It's just time and everything really, and having booked quite a few regionals already.
00:44:55
Speaker
um I mean, I might have actually considered it. I was, I did have a brief thought before Dortmund, like if I was really close on the points and you know how it's only like top 50 and the competition will be fierce. I know it's going to be really fierce. And I was in and around like 40th to 50th last season and just seeing the names in and around that, that spot, there are some top battlers who can't go to end to so every tournament, and but but will be consistent throughout and get enough points to be around that range. So it's going to be tough. So I'm just glad that I made it earlier on. And then I'll probably just try and enjoy the the few that I am going. And I think, yeah, knowing that I am qualified for Worlds, I think I'd also had to severe in Stockholm, maybe on the radar. So I might, I might rule them out, but we'll see. it it just release Yeah. So what did you say? It just relieves some pressure. That's the thing. Yeah. Yeah. Now we can just go into these and enjoy. it the
00:45:57
Speaker
There's a lot of regionals that I've done just fearing an O2 and thankfully not happened yet, but I guess it won't really matter too much now. I think that's what everyone has when going to tour the rides myself too. What would you think of Swiss instead of double elimination? um I can know a lot of people are proponents for it, but um for me personally, i I don't have too much against the um du and double elimination format. I think it just means there's more on the line for each battle. But at the same time, I do understand like like going 0-2, going 1-2, you don't get to play pay as much. And I think going forwards, you know everyone pays the same entry fee, we should all maybe
00:46:47
Speaker
have the same what it what would it be seven eight nine battles i'm not exactly sure but having the opportunity to just play throughout the day because i mean that's the main reason we are here um and the system always works whenever i play it it's like it's always pretty fair and it kind of ensures you're playing players at a similar level to you throughout so um even those who are coming just for fun and to try it out i think i think for those it will benefit them a lot more It also means for higher level players less pressure on each battle because I know pressure can get to even the bigger names very easily. So whilst I say I'm like, you know, I have nothing or not much against the double elimination personally, I think Swiss going forwards is the way um I think numbers might increase. Just yeah, a lot of people fear just coming along and
00:47:45
Speaker
getting swept in the first that's half an hour. So what are your thoughts? Yeah, I feel the same way, right? Yeah. I mean, I'm not exactly always prone to going out to where I want to, but i've i've done I've had that before, right? And it sucks. I don't like that. You just want to play more, right? And you never want to, like, with with this current current system, you're always, unless You want to go back into it and prove to yourself that you are not that bad. or the yeah And you can't even do that. You know can't, you always end on a loss unless you're the champion, basically. And I hate that feeling. Honestly hate loot ending. Ending any gaming session on a loss. Yeah, I ah went 0-2 in Leu 2022, but I also had a foot poisoning, so the whole weekend just sucked.
00:48:38
Speaker
so like i went I went there on the foot poisoning. right I didn't get it there, but I went on there. so And then Liff was a one-two. It was disappointing day one, but you can still make it a fun day fun weekend with the community. That's the thing, the community aspect. yeah yeah What do you think, Amanda? How has your competition been going?
Advice for New PvP Competitors
00:49:00
Speaker
I think that, I mean, I would like to compete regardless, but I think that overall, especially because I did play Silph back in the day, so I was more used to ah Swiss, you know, so the double elimination thing was kind of introduced to me by the play Pokemon tournaments and stuff. And so I definitely would be more inclined and as a, like someone who hasn't competed yet, knowing that my seating would be extremely low. So I would guaranteed be matched up against someone who's already pretty good, uh, is kind of discouraging. And I can understand that, especially from someone who's potentially even newer to show six than I am, uh, of, of that. It's like, okay, so I enter a tournament. I'm going to be put up against, you know, a mind joke who is
00:49:47
Speaker
well high placed and you know so seeding wise of course that makes sense but also is it's really hard for newer players I think to come in and and do well off the bat unless they already have had some sort of like background in it. um On that note as well Kazim, do you have any tips for people because yeah just like you cracked the code in gbl and you all of a sudden got kind of good uh you seem to have cracked the code now when they play pokemon you know you made the day two and then you you won the the tournament are there any things that you're like okay if if this is going to be your first tournament or you know if you haven't really made it to day two here are some things that i did that i feel like i did differently this time than last time uh so i think firstly you just
00:50:37
Speaker
Don't be afraid to reach out and speak to people. This community is honestly the nicest, one of the nicest I've been around in my time. You're counting more time in this? Because you've met him, right? He can decide on that one. This is what I have to put up with. So I think, and everyone's always happy to help, whether you're a rival or not.
00:51:04
Speaker
like the the knowledge that is around in these tournaments um but then equally at home like you know Marta and your tournaments I've seen have been growing growing in size uh quite quickly recently so um like get your get your feet wet get your feet wet in ah these practice tournaments do your gbl sets uh check up your sims on pv poke and just build that that knowledge in your head and it will it will transpose transform into into your gameplay, just naturally. it's ah it is ah It is like, like I said before, it's a memory game, I think. And sometimes it's about, I always say it's like you do your revision and then yet the tournament's like it's like the exam and it's where you put your skills to the test and show what you've ah what you've learned. um I'm trying to, like I've tried to host a few tournaments in my um
00:52:01
Speaker
local London Discord as well to try and get like a lot of my locals into PvP as well. And I've seen you numbers increase quite a bit in the tournaments that I've done. And I'm really hoping that my success last weekend has kind of pushed some more to get get into it. So there's always there's always people happy to help. and like ah and I know a lot of the community leaders like yourself, you do so much for them.
00:52:29
Speaker
f for PVP as a whole. so um like the The support is there. I know um it can be difficult because everyone is so well established and getting to to the high level might be difficult, but you can only get there by by starting out.
00:52:50
Speaker
I didn't tell him to promote my server, by the way. my While we're at it, I am trying to, I asked Adeeb to make it even a little bit more, how do I say this, secure? It's one thing that some people are a little bit, what's the word I was looking for? I'll just say aware. um'm I'm very used to that word.
00:53:11
Speaker
People are very conscious. They're very conscious of their team being potentially leaked, right? Because once you're signed up, it's hidden for spectators, but every competitor can see all the teams. I guess that's how you've been counting. Yeah. sludgebo clothes sir I'm hoping to have that is it that is that is a big point. oh yeah I to, I was going to connect. Can I add a point there? I think it was EUIC. You know how the brackets are there announced the day before or they were for that tournament. And I think they were for Dortmund then.
00:53:39
Speaker
I see my opponent and I'm like, God, I played the same team like 10 tournaments in a row. They're just going to build. I was just like panicking. I was like, do I just put a second team? But I didn't have any practice with that one. So it was fine in the end. It was actually, I ended up playing that one on stream. I think you casted it my time, but, uh, yeah, it's a, it was, it was a fear factor at the time, but you, I mean, it's all, it's all hidden now. So I mean,
00:54:06
Speaker
I'm going to try to hide even more that you don't see it from other competitors as well. You only see the ones you're matched up with. and just In the end, the way I see it, you have to beat everyone anyway. That that is true. that is true and You're not going to win because someone doesn't know your team. You're going to win because you play well. Yeah, exactly. And no one's going to really, if you think like, you no one's going to team build just to beat their round one opponent, surely. I mean, everyone wants to win. What does what does wit winning one round do if you're just going to get mashed by the second opponent because you built your team on balance. I feel like Amanda would do something like that. Just team. No, I mean, um what you guys just said, I was talking with Arrow when I was in Baltimore, because he was he also had a really kind of spicy team, also had the glare and multress. And he was basically saying to anyone, like here's my team, scream against me. And I was like, are you not concerned at all about like hiding like potential factors? And he said, no, because
00:55:03
Speaker
ah I want to be the best. And if I'm the best, I have to play well against everyone. And if there's a team that would heartbeat me, and I want to know it in practice because I want to know how I'm going to play around it.
00:55:15
Speaker
when I get to that point. So I was like, yeah it's a good point. spot there People give Arrow a hard time, but he's a really good mindset, in especially being persistent. I just wrote the a little bit of the article that I have on Dracovis for Louis Vue. And I have him on there as well, Arrow, because I think he played like the most towards out of everyone.
00:55:37
Speaker
uh did you know he never went negative he never had a one or o two that's actually crazy played like the most tournaments never went negative that is that is crazy but i think you can't in us though you can't right i've given i've given arrow some sticking person over this so i'm sure he won't mind but if you were talking to for real off because he's the same same stuff i think that's why he went there as well i don't know i know the consistency see he shows his I do think like if we compare any to EU and I think we've all said that before The top level in NA, it's like a smaller group than it is in Europe, but Like that actual top in NA like if you look at with Dash, Pockett, Ilim, Dunberg, Lao and more those are actually
00:56:32
Speaker
Yikes. Scary nice. And then you have like good players in EU. They're also scary. I think they just haven't made that big of a name to to look as scary. But you know, there's definitely like players like like one of them, for example, JBG Winston. Scary good player just hasn't made it far yet. I mean, he beat the accident worlds. There you go. Right. Maybe day two is easier as Tomox says, but winning the actual thing definitely not as easy i would say yeah i think i think just the overall competition in eu tournaments i was like i was looking at the dormant bracket and i pretty much like 90 percent of the whole of the bracket was was a super talented trainer like i think that's the difference with the eu and us i think your day one run is a lot more difficult but at the very top in us i think it's like you say it's it's a
00:57:30
Speaker
some scary names there and I think the top level in US might have the urge but that's I guess it's still open to debate. Well, look, they had us last season with the top three of roles. Now they were not there. So at least we are and not being schooled out this season. and well And while we're on the topic of players, I think it kind of segues pretty well into our our ending question.
Kazim's Competitive Outlook: Talent and Humility
00:57:56
Speaker
And it's a two-parter, Kazim, because we love two-parters here on Tap Tap Cast. The first question is,
00:58:03
Speaker
Who in the community would you consider a crabrawler? And this is a player, like maybe we would have categorized you before Dortmund, who is a really good player, ah scrappy, you know, but maybe not super well known yet. They're just kind of wading through their breakout moment. And who in the community would you consider a a champion? And this is someone who, you know, has it in them to win worlds, probably already a big name. And do you think that yeah they could take it really far?
00:58:34
Speaker
The Crub Ruler one is tough. It can be anyone, right? Yeah, it can be anyone. I'm gonna start with the, I'm a champion. And I'd like, I don't have as much play Pokemon knowledge as you two might have, but whenever I watch War Dodge, he is impeccable and he is scary. the The number of top three finishes he has and went, no, did he win?
00:59:02
Speaker
Or was it an elite who won? I can't remember who won. He did win. Winning Baltimore after a long break. I mean, I don't know if he played in between, but he didn't do any big tournaments. Coming back, fresh new meta as well. And just sweeping. I i mean, he reversed, swept the winner's final as well. yeah That is pretty scary, right? So ah I think just based on how how well he performs and if I don't know if he will be competing in future tournaments, but if he will be there, I mean, he has qualified. So I expect and hope to see him out world. He'd have to be my champion. um
00:59:43
Speaker
The crab, the crab, was it just the crab ruler or was it? I'm trying to think someone on my team now, but I think everyone on my team has done pretty well.
00:59:57
Speaker
So it's someone who's like not really like made it too far or is less less known, right? Someone who is like Kazim. Hasn't top cup before, but could win a championship one day. Or maybe he's even top cup, but just hasn't won. Or you're just like, hey, you know what? This person's just starting out. I saw them at one of my locals that I've been coaching. And dang, give them a couple months and they're going to be a star. Taking the cook.
01:00:21
Speaker
ah I don't know. I think maybe like, are the Spanish players there's a there's a lot of good Spanish players at the moment and I've seen like the consistency of I think like San Rodrigo, Pablo Dina, some recently Aregui I think stranger top top carded in worlds as well um so like I feel like they're not like on the the same level you know as say the likes of yourself and Colin and
01:00:54
Speaker
and Alessio and the big names like that, but I i think in terms of gameplay, whenever whenever I see them play and wherever I ah face them as well, I don't know, can I give it to all of them? Give it to Spain as a country. Just give it to Spain. Minus Paula, she's a deo Defo Queen of Spain, but I think they have some very good players and it won't be long until one of them wins at least the regional for sure, because I think I think San Rodrigo's consistency last season was pretty special. I think he was top-cutting every tournament. ah same Similar with Pablo, so so maybe one of the two of them. Yeah, I didn't really think about this, but like they they do so come to my head. ands I think the consistency is a big point in in play Pokemon, because there is pressure on just having that that that mental strength as well so to perform in in every tournament.
01:01:53
Speaker
I've never really seen them have a bad run. So I think you've got to give it. I'll give it to both. Yes. I would ego and have been on the in us. If you say Spain or to win a tournament soon. um Yeah. If Paula's on that team, the odds are pretty high probably. And I've honestly like we want to how how could Paula is. She destroyed me earlier today and you and you.
01:02:19
Speaker
You saw it, didn't you? I mean, that was kind of a rough one, right? It was like a Magnezone mirror you called a bitch. She went for it. She also called a bitch. Yeah. Proved, proved. He's the better Magnezone player. But like, and I think any of the other the other names have have a good opportunity and um I don't think I'm better than any of them. So if I was able to do it, there's no reason i why they can't not put any pressure on anyone.
01:02:48
Speaker
No, I like that answer. You're you're very ah humble about your accomplishments and stuff. Yeah, a little bit too diplomatic though. Sometimes you have to say that that person's bad, this person's good.
01:03:00
Speaker
Oh yeah, look at me. Is that what you wanted? Yeah, that that's the sound clip. Kazim throws shade on all other competitors. Look at me. Look at this medal. I love it. All righty. Well, thank you so much for taking the time to be our first guest of the new season. Congratulations once again on winning Endortment and really excited to see what else you're going to be doing for this 2025 championship run.
01:03:28
Speaker
Thank you so much for having me. Now I'm really looking forward to to the rest of the season. and Bring on worlds already. We'll have to wait a little bit, but until then, we'll see you again in Lille, right? Yeah, for sure. Yeah, you both be there. Yes. I will be there. I'm thinking, I mean, it's only like a 40 minute train ride from Belgium, right? So.
01:03:48
Speaker
ah we bring shadow I'll be there. Shadow Mewtwo. Yeah, Shadow Mewtwo, Wiggly, tough core. Here it comes. You've got to work on the counts for that already. I'll sweep with my four other Pokemon and say Wiggly's the best. All right. and We will catch you guys on the next one. We have new episodes coming up soon, so make sure that you're subscribed so you guys don't miss any of them. Until then, we'll catch you there.