A Pokemon Scarlet and Violet tournament has been cancelled in South Korea after it emerged that the finalists planned to do battle using only Metronome.
Organizers pulled the plug on the Pokemon Trainers Cup finals after each of the four finalists revealed their teams would be made up of Pokemon that only knew the Metronome move. If you're unaware, Metronome is an unusual and unpredictable ability which, when used, results in a random move from almost all of the series' existing abilities.
As you can imagine, this would have led to a chaotic, although arguably still highly entertaining, battle. But this was in no way a coincidence or ill-considered tactic on the part of the players; it was a form of protest.
On Twitter, Nash, one of the disqualified players, explained at length the issues players faced when participating in the competition run by Pokemon Korea. This included problems with the qualifying process, including a best-of-one format that left participants "very frustrated," and poor communication by those hosting the event.
How we got disqualified for playing Metronome. pic.twitter.com/AR6ukdApMUJune 3, 2023
According to Nash, those competing were also not given adequate downtime between games. "People were getting re-match after re-match, and could not stop playing during the tour." Ultimately, Nash says the "real problem" is the "absolute disrespect" shown to players, which is what led to the decision to protest.
The player says that on June 3, the day after they locked in their Metronome-only teams on the system, the finalists were sent an email informing them they were disqualified for choosing Pokemon with one specific move, which Pokemon Korea says "falls into prohibited acts".
"Pokemon Korea saw our teams, didn't like it, and therefore disqualified all four of us for playing Metronome," says Nash.
Despite not being able to get their message across in what was to be a live-streamed event, there has been an outpouring of support for the players and their situation. "I understand your frustration, and respect your decision to stand up," one Twitter user wrote in response. Another said: "I hope your courageous actions will make a difference at TPC."
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