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28 Nov 2017 11:54 AM
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The first tournament for Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon has been announced. Johto x Alola (ジョウト×アローラ) will take place from Friday, December 15th, 2017 at 00:00 UTC through Sunday, December 17th, 2017 at 23:59 UTC. Full details are listed below and on our 7th Generation Online Competitions page which will be updated as new tournaments are announced.

Johto x Alola (ジョウト×アローラ)

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Information
Region: International
Registration Period: Thursday, December 7th, 2017 at 00:00 UTC through Thursday, December 14th, 2017 at 23:59 UTC
Tournament Period: Friday, December 15th, 2017 at 00:00 UTC through Sunday, December 17th, 2017 at 23:59 UTC
Ranking Results Announcement: December 2017
Player divisions: Junior Division: Born 2003 or later
Masters Division: Born 2002 or earlier
Junior Division players are limited to playing between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m., based on the easternmost time zone in each player’s country.
Compatible Games: Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon
Battle Type: Double Battle
Banned Pokémon: Eligible Pokémon are restricted to Pokémon found in the Johto and Alola Pokédexes. Mewtwo, Ho-Oh, Lugia, Zygarde, Cosmog, Cosmoem, Solgaleo, Lunala, Necrozma and all Mythical Pokémon cannot be used.
Entry Gift: Qualified participants will receive 50 Battle Points. To qualify, players must complete at least one battle.
Description
The first Online Competition featuring the Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon games brings together Pokémon from two regions. In the Johto x Alola Competition, Trainers create a team using only Pokémon found in the Johto and Alola Pokédexes, excluding Mythical Pokémon and some Legendary Pokémon. It’s a great opportunity to put Pokémon you may have caught in the recently rereleased Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver into action!

With new Pokémon adventures come new Pokémon Global Link Online Competitions! It’s time to get ready for the Johto x Alola Online Competition, the first Online Competition to feature Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon. This Double Battle tournament will permit the Pokémon found in the Alola region’s expanded Pokédex. And to celebrate the recent release of Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver on Virtual Console, it’ll permit Pokémon originally discovered in Johto and Kanto, too.

Pokémon transferred through Poké Transporter will be permitted in this competition. All held items will be permitted—including Mega Stones and Z-Crystals. Mythical Pokémon and some Legendary Pokémon will be prohibited, so you should check out the regulations for full details before you start planning your team.

Adjusting to the unusual group of Pokémon available for this competition is sure to be a fun challenge for veterans and first-time participants alike. We’ll go over some key elements to consider when constructing your team for this competition: Mega-Evolved Pokémon, the new Ultra Beasts, and Move Tutors found in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon, and some other key Pokémon likely to be major players in the Johto x Alola Online Competition.

Make Room for Mega-Evolved Pokémon After a year off from most competitions, expect Mega-Evolved Pokémon to be major factors in the Johto x Alola Online Competition. Many powerful Mega-Evolved Pokémon are available for this competition, so you should make sure your team has a plan against each of them.

Mega Salamence is one of the most powerful Mega-Evolved Pokémon, and it could be especially effective in this competition because Mega Gardevoir isn’t permitted. The Aerilate Ability causes Hyper Voice and Double-Edge to deal sky-high damage, and Mega Salamence’s attacks will come quick thanks to its breakneck Speed. Even the Intimidate Ability most Salamence have is sure to be highly coveted because the competition bars Landorus.

Battles using Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire games rarely featured Mega Metagross, but the discovery of Tapu Lele has made it a more formidable opponent. Zen Headbutt deals incredible damage on Psychic Terrain, and Mega Metagross’s Steel-type attacks are impactful against the bevy of Fairy-type Pokémon in modern battles. It’s sure to stand out with Aegislash and many of the most powerful Ground-type Pokémon unavailable for this competition, but you can pair it with Tapu Bulu’s Grassy Surge if you’re still concerned about Earthquake attacks.

Mega Charizard Y is a dominant attacker under the harsh sunlight summoned by its Drought Ability, and it too has some unique advantages in this competition. Teams based around the Drizzle Ability are missing Ludicolo and Swampert for this competition, while teams built around Sandstorm are missing Excadrill. This could cause fewer Trainers to bring teams featuring Abilities that change the weather and keep the skies clear for Trainers employing Charizard, who may only have to worry about Tyranitar.

Most Pokémon we often see holding Mega Stones in competitions have been spotted in Alola, too. Perhaps the biggest beneficiary of Landorus’s and Heatran’s absences is Mega Mawile, which is likely to be the premier Mega-Evolved Pokémon on teams focused around Trick Room. Teams built around Mega Gengar’s Shadow Tag will be missing out on Gothitelle and Liepard in this competition, but Whimsicott’s presence ensures some Trainers will try out the tricky Ghost type. And plenty of less frequently seen Mega-Evolved Pokémon will be available to resourceful Trainers, including Mega Ampharos, Mega Manectric, Mega Lopunny, Mega Houndoom, Mega Sableye, Mega Steelix, and Mega Tyranitar.

New Challengers Approach The Johto x Alola Online Competition will be the first opportunity for Trainers to try out the newly discovered Ultra Beasts in tournament play. Each are sure to be worthy competitors. Don’t forget that each of them has the Beast Boost Ability, which increases the Ultra Beast’s highest stat after it knocks out a foe.

The capacity to learn Trick Room and strong scores in key stats may enable UB Assembly to overcome its challenging type combination in this competition. Trainers may seize the opportunity to try it out in a tournament where so few other Pokémon that can learn Trick Room are permitted—especially with Aegislash, Landorus, and Terrakion prohibited.

UB Burst might have been more hotly anticipated when the Alola region featured fewer Fire-type Pokémon than it does now, but its Special Attack and types may still allow it to heat up the tournament. Its type combination should enable it to be a key attacker against Metagross, Tapu Lele, and Charizard, and it can learn Will-O-Wisp to slow down physical attackers like Kangaskhan.

Several previously introduced Alolan Pokémon moved up the roster a little thanks to new discoveries. Two new Z-Moves could garner some attention. Kommo-o’s Clangorous Soulblaze boosts all its stats and damages both foes, so Trainers may take the chance to try out stat-boosting strategies that require less commitment than Eevee’s Extreme Evoboost. Mimikyu has a new Z-Move, too, and we expect to see some Trainers try it given how popular Fairium Z was. And don’t forget to check out the new Move Tutors—Tapu Fini and Primarina can now learn Icy Wind, Togedemaru can learn Electroweb, and Silvally can learn Tailwind.

Regional Reinforcements Several hundred Pokémon are eligible for this competition, so it can be tricky to know which ones to focus on as you prepare. There are a few more Pokémon to give special attention.

Arcanine was one of the most popular Pokémon in Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon competitions, largely because few other Pokémon with the Intimidate Ability were permitted. It’s still likely to be a popular choice in the Johto x Alola Online Competition, but expect the additions of Hitmontop and Scrafty to diversify the field. Both are also capable of learning Fake Out, making them better choices for strategies that take a few turns to get going.

Teams looking to combat Intimidate have the option of selecting Bisharp for its Defiant Ability, but we’ve seen more Trainers stick with Milotic’s Competitive Ability recently (even when both Pokémon are available). Jellicent’s Cursed Body could be another key Ability in longer battles in this competition: the Floating Pokémon has been a much more popular choice for battles in Alola than it was in Hoenn or Kalos.

Keep an eye out for some tricky combinations available in this competition. We often see Trainers pair a Volcarona that knows Quiver Dance with a Pokémon that knows Fake Out to help it safely raise its Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed. An Azumarill that knows Belly Drum and Aqua Jet can be almost unstoppable if you don’t take it down quickly, so be careful if you see one paired with a Pokémon that knows Follow Me or Rage Powder.

Most of Kanto and Johto’s Legendary Pokémon are permitted in this competition, and many of them will join the tapu as this tournament’s preeminent threats. Zapdos is normally selected because it can use Tailwind, but it’s a tricky foe because it can do heavy damage with Electrium Z or hunker down for a long battle with Misty or Psychic Seed (keep an eye out for Hawlucha using similar strategies). Entei’s Sacred Fire makes it an amazing Fire-type attacker, while Suicune’s appeal is incredible stoutness combined with Tailwind or Icy Wind.

Veteran competitors are probably used to fighting the tapu and their Surge Abilities by now. Each are important enough that we’d suggest brushing up on Terrains if you’re not sure how each of them work. Keep an eye out for Abilities that change the weather as well—Charizard and Tyranitar are likely to be frequent combatants in the Johto x Alola Online Competition. Pelipper, Politoed, Torkoal, Ninetales, and Alolan Ninetales could all make appearances, too.

Don’t forget to register for the Johto x Alola Online Competition between Thursday, December 7, 2017, at 00:00 UTC, through Thursday, December 14, 2017, at 23:59 UTC so you don’t miss out. Battles will start on Friday, December 15, 2017, and you’ll net an easy 50 BP if you complete at least one battle. Good luck in the competition, and check back once rankings are posted to find out which strategies were victorious.
Competition Rules
• Items are allowed, but Trainers may not have duplicate items in their Battle Team.
• Register four to six of your Pokémon to your Battle Team.
• All Pokémon in this competition will automatically become Lv. 50 for the duration of each match.
• Four of the Pokémon you register to your Battle Team will be chosen to battle in each match.
• A 10-minute time limit for each player will automatically be enforced in-game, beginning at the start of each battle. When a player’s time limit expires, that player will lose the game.
• At the beginning of each battle, players have 90 seconds to select four Pokémon with which to battle.
• At the beginning of each turn, players have 45 seconds to select a move or change the Pokémon in battle. If a player has not made their selections at the end of this period, the game will automatically make selections for the player.
• Players may battle up to 15 games per day of the competition. Any unplayed games will carry over to the following day. A new day begins at 00:00 UTC.

Sources: https://3ds.pokemon-gl.com/information/f3982e5b-1a59-432f-8d64-e54650916f41 and https://3ds.pokemon-gl.com/information/cb263209-c5fb-4e56-94c7-845902f6e233