Hi. After reading the Artical Approval Guidelines, I'm pretty sure I have an original idea for the next issue of "The Smog".
Basically when attending a VGC event there a certain things you can do to enhance your experience when going. Just battling is not really fun unless you make Top Cut, so socializing is a must when going. In my article I plan to hit these key points:
Pre-Event: While some people are fortunate enough to have parents/family/friends to drive them, some people aren't as lucky. If your one of those people, consider teaming up with some other users to make a pilgrimage to an event. After all, they say getting there is half the fun! So I'll be covering the importance of carpooling/traveling together.
Event: At the event there are numerous things to do. At VGC'11 there was a display of Pokedex 3D. VGC'12 & VGC'13 were basically the same. Most notably was the addition of more Kiosk's, & Swiss rounds. So, this is just a category, with the folowing three topics being the sub-category for this.
TPCi Staff: When your at an event you may find yourself talking to some staff. It is very fun to talk to them, and discuss strategy's, even pick their brain about a few things coming up in the Pokemon franchise. For example at spring regional in VGC'12, I over heard another person almost interrogating a staff member about Keldeo, Meloetta, & Genesect. Keldeo, and Meloetta were confirmed in Japan, while Genesect wasn't. So the person must've planned this, because they showed up with printouts from pokemon.co.jp detailing Keldeo & Meloetta. Quite an entertaining site. I'm going to cover talking to TPCi staff, how helpful they can be, and how they can sometimes hint upcoming news from The Pokemon Company.
Kiosks: The set up stores found at events, usually selling a majority of TCG merchandise amongst other things such as collectable pins. I've been to three events, and I've realized that if you wait till' the events almost over (Just a tad before there packing up their merch.) you can bargain with them for cheaper prices. So I'm gonna cover the stores, what they sell, and bargaining.
Smogonites: What is an event without Smogonites attending? The answer is, it's not one. Chatting, and pre-event battling is what makes the event truly worthwile. A common thing people like to do is stay until the tournament's over, and challenge the top four, almost like the elite four challenge. It's a totally different experience to meet someone in real life than online. Basically I'll be covering the advantages of socializing and what it adds to your experience if you decide to chat.
So this is what my article is, and hope you approve it. :)
Basically when attending a VGC event there a certain things you can do to enhance your experience when going. Just battling is not really fun unless you make Top Cut, so socializing is a must when going. In my article I plan to hit these key points:
Pre-Event: While some people are fortunate enough to have parents/family/friends to drive them, some people aren't as lucky. If your one of those people, consider teaming up with some other users to make a pilgrimage to an event. After all, they say getting there is half the fun! So I'll be covering the importance of carpooling/traveling together.
Event: At the event there are numerous things to do. At VGC'11 there was a display of Pokedex 3D. VGC'12 & VGC'13 were basically the same. Most notably was the addition of more Kiosk's, & Swiss rounds. So, this is just a category, with the folowing three topics being the sub-category for this.
TPCi Staff: When your at an event you may find yourself talking to some staff. It is very fun to talk to them, and discuss strategy's, even pick their brain about a few things coming up in the Pokemon franchise. For example at spring regional in VGC'12, I over heard another person almost interrogating a staff member about Keldeo, Meloetta, & Genesect. Keldeo, and Meloetta were confirmed in Japan, while Genesect wasn't. So the person must've planned this, because they showed up with printouts from pokemon.co.jp detailing Keldeo & Meloetta. Quite an entertaining site. I'm going to cover talking to TPCi staff, how helpful they can be, and how they can sometimes hint upcoming news from The Pokemon Company.
Kiosks: The set up stores found at events, usually selling a majority of TCG merchandise amongst other things such as collectable pins. I've been to three events, and I've realized that if you wait till' the events almost over (Just a tad before there packing up their merch.) you can bargain with them for cheaper prices. So I'm gonna cover the stores, what they sell, and bargaining.
Smogonites: What is an event without Smogonites attending? The answer is, it's not one. Chatting, and pre-event battling is what makes the event truly worthwile. A common thing people like to do is stay until the tournament's over, and challenge the top four, almost like the elite four challenge. It's a totally different experience to meet someone in real life than online. Basically I'll be covering the advantages of socializing and what it adds to your experience if you decide to chat.
So this is what my article is, and hope you approve it. :)