My tips are that Pikachu and Charizard will win their respective matches, and then Charizard will win the final.
Because people are morons.

Of course, I won't be voting for either, but that's what I think will happen.

S1: Not a fan of either, but for me to stoop so low as to vote Pikachu? No.
S2: May the loyal, fluffy dog Pokemon be victorious over the fire lizard. If I was an anime character, nothing will stop me from getting one.


Not a hard decision at all, I should say so myself.


I just hope Arcanine wins this whole thing. He rules!

S1 - - I think that Haunter is more popular.
S2 - - I don't like Charizard very much.

Winner - - I think Arcanine will pull it off.

SEMIFINALS EXAMPLE

These will run in a similar fashion to the Quarterfinals, except with the following changes:

> Base stats will also include HP, and mBST (modified Base Stat Total)
> Inclusion of Status infliction
> Dynamic stats board as opposed to a Static one
> Changes to the weakness/resistance damage calculations
> Items choices, restricted move combinations
> Instead of the TM shower, two Special moves will be performed instead.

MODIFIER 1: Base stats
We'll be factoring in Attack, Defense, Speed, Special Attack, Special Defense, HP and a total Base Stat Total stats. It's pretty straightforward, the Pokemon with the higher Base stat will get the +1 advantage. For the mBST, all the stats will be added up and the Pokemon with the higher stat in total will get an additional +1.

MODIFIER 2: Pokemon Movesets
The sponsors have been asked to make their Pokemon perform four attacks. These attacks must be a legal combination available for BW. (since we started this tournament in BW mode, we'll also be ending it in BW mode so even though new move tutors have been announced for BW2, we will disregard them). Two of these attacks will be performed at the start, and two of these attacks will be performed at the 48 hour countdown.

Changes to the weakness/resistance table:
- A normal attack will deal -1 damage.
- A super effective attack will deal -2 damage.
- A x2 super effective attack will deal -3 damage.

Status effects will also be in effect! Here is a rough overview:
Burn: Cuts ATK TO -2 stages and HP to .8 ONCE
Sleep: Immobilises foes for 1 turn.
Parlyze: Cuts Foe's speed TO -3 stages. (eg, even if you're on +3 speed, and you get paralysed... you get pulled to -3 no matter what. same goes with burn (except burn is to -2)).
Poison: Cuts HP stat by .1 PER TURN (Doubled each turn if toxic)
Freeze: Immobilises foes for 3 turns.
Confusion: Nothing
Attraction: Nothing

MODIFIER 3: Abilities
The sponsors will choose 1 ability to represent their Pokemon, and these can be a Dream World ability. However, only one ability will be in effect.

MODIFIER 4: Hold items
An item will be able to be attached to the competing Pokemon. S.E weakening berries will cut move's effectiveness by -2, items like Charcoal/Nevermeltice etc... will give your attack a +1 bonus. Same deal with abilities, you cant change your item during the match, but it can be changed for the finals. To avoid overpowering, all items are one use only. Eg, if you use Fire Blast Charcoal, after that move the Charcoal will be used up. Items can not be reattached if used up, and will not be revealed until it is used up.

MODIFIER 5: Typing
The 48 hour will revert to the typing scenario, only this time 2 special attacks will be performed on the arena. Please note the changes to the weakness/resistance table as seen above (under modifier 2).

MODIFIER 6: Votes
Anonymous/extra votes are now 10PB each with a limit of 30PB per Pokemon per person per round. These will only be revealed at the conclusion of the round, as opposed to during in the previous rounds.
Sponsored Pokemon get +3 instead of +1 when a sponsor votes for them.
That's it!

So here's an example, to give some clarity over how the matches will run...
EXAMPLE MATCH


(Pokemon with the highest base speed goes first)

Lanturn used Charge! Lanturn's Sp. Def went up +1 stage!
Tropius used Sunny Day! Tropius' Sp. Atk went up +1 stage! Tropius' HP stat fell to x0.875...
Lanturn used Discharge! Tropius is hit with -2.. (due to the effects of Charge)
Tropius used Solar Beam! Tropius' Miracle Seed activated! Lanturn is hit with -3.. Tropius' HP stat fell to x0.75



The effects of the moves performed will be calculated and advantages shown. Well selected moves could very well turn what might be a losing situation into a handy advantageous one. Both Pokemon will start on +1, however, with 48 hours to go sponsors can perform 2 more moves!

Before the 48 hour to go countdown, the scoreboard could be:
+5 | +7

The sponsors will be asked to resubmit 2 moves.
The arenas will also be rocked with 2 Special Attacks.

Lanturn used Amnesia! Lanturn's Sp Def rose to +2!
Tropius used Solar Beam! Lanturn's hit with -2.. Tropius' HP fell to x0.675.. (Sunny Day still in effect)
Tropius used Protect!
Lanturn used Thunderwave! Tropius is protected! Tropius' HP fell to x.5..

The battle graphic will then be re-edited.


Okay so the new stats and new damages total will be under the NEW row, and the NEW and the CURRENT rows will be added together to give the new bonuses going into the final 48 hours.
+8 | +9

And we all know how the 48 hour attacks work, so I'm not going to explain another example (unless you really want me to!)

I wouldn't worry to much about these though, the most you can do is rally voters and get them to vote! Even though there are all these variables, the only guaranteed way of getting +1 votes is, oddly enough, by voting!

I hope this make some sense, but all will be clear when we start S1…. hopefully soon! Each match is expected to last around 4 days, similar to the Quarterfinal matches.



But yeah, don't forget to get your tips in! And as always I'm down for answering questions if anyone's got any.

EDIT (27/6): Since the forums are down this weekend, it would make sense to delay these matches until after the maintenance. Sorry about the delay! The ride is almost over and I'd like to thank everyone for their patience once more.

EDIT (3/7): The next two matches will be starting very soon I promise! I've had to reformat my computer over the last few days because it had viruses (somehow people got access to my card/bank details and tried to take $3k from me...), and also I'm working full time right now just in between classes, so been fairly exhausted in between shifts. Once again sorry about the further delay, but I'll make it up to everyone by having some very high quality reading material. (i hope)

Thanks to everyone who has waited by patiently, but now I've sorted out my graphic templates and so forth, I don't forsee anymore delays until the conclusion, so hold on tight because we're about to cross the finish line! I'll be revealing the first semifinal match now, and it will be a ripper! After that, we'll have the second semi final match, before our grand final between the two winners! And even though the Psybucks system has temporarily been put on hold, I'll still note down who the winners are and hopefully you'll all get your prizes after they've been reinstated.

But before we get onto the break down of the first match between Haunter and Pikachu, we'll be having a chat with one of the sponsors, presenting the charming Cherrygrove!



DragonPhoenix: Well well welcome to the stage once again Cherrygrove. Congratulations on your little guy Pikachu overcoming the crowd favourite Beedrill, and now you two have come out on top in your quarter! So we're going to put away with the Pokemon questions for now and let's have a chat about who you are. What is the story behind Cherrygrove?

Cherrygrove: When I was tasked with selecting a username when joining the forums, GSC were my favourite games so I wanted something to reflect that. I narrowed it down to picking the name of a city in Johto and for whatever reason chose Cherrygrove City. Maybe I thought it was the most obscure or something. Kinda lame, eh.

DragonPhoenix: Not at all! The little neglected city is also one of my favourites, being one of those calm towns which is just breathtaking in the summer. But anyway.. enough about my travels... where do you hail from and what do you do outside training up the little Pikachu?

Cherrygrove: I'm 19 and I'm from Toronto, Ontario but I'm currently staying halfway around the world in Singapore (doing an internship at NUS). I go to school at the University of Toronto, majoring in Engineering Physics. After completing my degree, my current plans are to either go to grad school for physics or maybe to get some kind of 'engineering job', preferably computer related. In my spare time I like to learn about new things, watch and (rarely) play various sports, kill time on the internet and play Pokemon :O.

DragonPhoenix: Sounds like you have a lot on your plate then! How did you get into Pokemon in the first place?

Cherrygrove: The first episode of the anime aired on Labour day in 1998. I didn't see it or even know it was going to be on but the next day was the first day of school (I was going into first grade!) and all of my friends were talking about it. It was instantly huge at my school and I made sure to watch the second episode that night and every other episode from then on. I didn't play the game until I got Yellow Version in early 2000.

DragonPhoenix: Have you got a favourite set of games?

Cherrygrove: Like I said, my favourite games at the time I joined were GSC but I'm not so sure about that anymore. I liked RBY the most for a bit but my opinion of DPP has improved. The Sinnoh region itself is probably the best region, in my opinion. I still like GSC, though.

DragonPhoenix: Well I find that my tastes are just in tune with yours! The Sinnoh region too is my favourite, with GSC having a special home close in my heart! Now how about your other favourite Pokemon? We know you're a fan of Pikachu, are there any other Pokemon that strike your fancy?

Cherrygrove: My favourite Pokemon are Mantine and Lanturn because they're cute and well, awesome

DragonPhoenix: Are you sure we're not twins? Two of my favourites as well - well not Mantine so much but Lanturn is defininitely in my top 5! Now we've seen quite a few of your posts around here, so I'd like to take this opportunity to ask: How did you stumble across Psypoke?

Cherrygrove: Sometime around 2005 (I didn't play RSE until 2007) I was looking for a list of Gen III Pokemon and ended up at the Psydex. I returned to view the Psydex and other info a few times and eventually joined the forums in 2007. I mostly view and post in Saffron City and Kanto Safari Zone now.

DragonPhoenix: And now we'll turn our attention back to the Battle Royale. Have you been enjoying being a sponsor?

Cherrygrove: The Battle Royale has been really fun. Props to all the guys working behind the scenes.

DragonPhoenix: Aww shucks! Props to yourself to for being such a great sponsor. How have you seen Pikachu's progress so far?

Cherrygrove: I can't believe Pikachu made it through, given that everyone is so upset about it. Maybe I'm just a really good sponsor :O. I think the next matchup is pretty predictable but hey, I'm not giving up.

DragonPhoenix: Thoughts on your match against Haunter, and possibly beyond? What will you do with 2,000 PSYBUCKS if you guys decide to win the whole tournament?

Cherrygrove: This semi final matchup will be tough. In fact, it will probably be the toughest matchup of the Battle Royale and if Pikachu makes it through, it has a very good chance at the title, I think. It would be a very interesting final, for sure. If I do win the whole thing, I'll host a Trivia to give away all of my Psybucks. Actually, I'll probably host one either way >_>

DragonPhoenix: Thanks for joining us Cherrygrove! Everyone put your hands together for the magnificent trainer! And next time on our show, (hopefully) we'll get to have a chat with Haunter's sponsor, DragoBoy! But for now we're going to launch straight into the first semifinal match, and here's the initial preview!



Haunter used Taunt! Pikachu fell for the Taunt!
Pikachu used Knock Off! Haunter's hit with -2.. Haunter's Cell Battery was knocked off!
Haunter used Protect!
Pikachu used Agility! But it failed...



COMMENTS: Some well placed moves by both sponsors here - Taunt prevented Pikachu from increasing his own speed stat and on the flipside Knock Off not only disabled Haunter's Cell Battery but also hit him for double damage! But Haunter still has a massive advantage here, and Pikachu might find it hard to spring back up. But who knows? As we've seen in the past almost anything goes here in this arena, so let's just wait and see who will have the endurance and willpower to move through to the finals!


INTIAL SCOREBOARD
S1: +4 | +1

So this will be open for a few days, then the 48 hour attack will be dealt in (along with the sponsors two extra moves). Anonymous voting will only be allowed in the final 48 hours, but with the absence of the Psybucks system a new system will be put into place which I will explain later!

Precursor to Gengar over bane of my existence. Nothing personal to any of you, but the decision's too easy for me.

Go for it, Haunter!

Also apparently I learned that Hanzo's perfect link is Haunter (then Gengar when he upgrades). Hanzo's one of my favorite warlords in Conquest too, so =D

I'm going to have to go with

Way better than Pikachu.

Going with . It's a cool ghost and looks better than Gengar.

Wow, lots of Pikachu hating. I think I have to go with . I like Haunter, but I also like Pikachu a lot, and I don't want to see him go down without a fight.

Hmm, it's gonna take some time to adjust to this new skin. Anyways, my vote goes to Haunter because... it's the logical choice?

As suddenly as I appeared, now I must retreat to think of answers for that interview while complaining about Arcanine's movepool. So long...

Current scores:
+9 | +2

And now time for our second wave of moves!

Haunter is immobilised!
Pikachu used Thunder! Haunter's hit with -1..
Haunter is immobilised!
Pikachu used Knock Off! Haunter's hit with -2...

Scores after second wave of moves:
+6 | +2

And of course, two special attacks have just rocketed the arena! Let's take a look at the damage that's been dealt..

Move 1: "The arena is hit with an Uproar attack!" (Haunter +3, Pikachu -1)
Move 2: "The arena is hit with a Blizzard attack!" (Haunter -1, Pikachu -1)

48 HOUR SCOREBOARD
+8 | +0

Tough break for Pikachu! Just as it looked like luck was heading his way due to Haunter's immobilisation, one of the attacks that happened to rock the arena happened to give Haunter a three vote boost! What can the little guy do now? He'll have to rely on anonymous votes to see if that will carry him through!

ANONYMOUS VOTING:
Everyone gets three anonymous votes from now onto the finals. This means that you can use 1, 2 or 3 of your votes in this match, the next match or the final. Eg: if you decide to give someone +3 during this round, you will not be able to participate in anonymous voting for the next matches. If you decide to give someone +2, you still have +1 left to use either in the next semifinal match or during the final, and so on. Like always, these will be anonymous, however I will have my own counter to gauge how many you have left. You can vote anonymously by PMing myself. And also just to clarify, sponsors can not anonymously vote for themselves (which was going to be the case if we were going to continue this with Psybucks). You do not have to use up all your votes either.

If you haven't yet voted in this round, you may still do so!

The first finalist will be determined 48 hours from this post. Good luck to supporters of both parties!

vote for Pikachu /sponsoring

Because I was once a Pikachu obsessed weirdo, whereas I have never like Haunter that much.


Plus I love contradicting myself *shot*

Well, Haunter seems to be doing great without my help
Sorry I didn't respond to any of your PMs DP, I was on holidays.

How?

Because I didn't get around to PMing the moves to DP

haha lazyface^^ jk
Anyways, since I feel in the mood for a combo breaker, Pikachu, I choose you!

Technically this round ends in about an hour or so but I want to go to bed so I'm updating the thread now.

First off - announcing the results of the first semifinal match!

RESULTS
S1: HAUNTER def. Pikachu (11-5)

Unfortunately the last minute surge wasn't enough to push the little rodent over the line: but congratulations to the first finalist, HAUNTER and his sponsor, DragoBoy who will be moving onto the finals. We'd also like this chance to offer our condolences to Cherrygrove and his Pikachu, who had a great run knocking out some formidable foes including the wildly popular Diglett, the 4th seeded Nidoking and of course fan favourite Beedrill in the Quarterfinals.

But now before we introduce our next matchup.. please make very welcome Charizard's sponsor, the entertaining Shuckle-rock$!


DragonPhoenix: Thanks once more for taking the stage with us. Last time you were here we talked mainly about your superstar sponsoree Charizard, so now let's shift the microscope over to you: what are some of your interests and things you enjoy outside backing the fiery dragon?

Shuckle-rock$: Some of my interests are trains, Bloons Tower Defense, and music in general. My favorite music is Classic Rock, plain Rock, and Progressive music, with Rush being my favorite band.

DragonPhoenix: Great taste in music I gotta say (actually though.. I only know one Rush song..), and I myself have been enthralled with Tower Defense in the past! But I am wanting to know though - how did your interest in Pokemon start? Where did it stem from?

Shuckle-rock$: I first got into it when my sister let me play her Firered game, and I was pretty much addicted ever since.

DragonPhoenix: And I'm sure all our viewers are wildly curious: how did you find Psypoke?

Shuckle-rock$: Before Psypoke, I used to use this site called Pokedream for all of my help, but it was very unreliable since lots of the info was outdated and there were too many popups and ads. One day, I did a random search for something that Pokedream didn't have and I stumbled on Psypoke. It was (and is) so much more reliable that eventually, I left Pokedream forever and Psypoke became my main site.

DragonPhoenix: Props must go out to the webmasters behind the site for keeping the resource error free then! Now obviously we know you're a fan of Charizard... but if this competition was expanded to all 693 Pokemon, who would be your top pick?

Shuckle-rock$: My favorite Pokemon would have to be Shuckle because it looks like a worm, and I think worms are freakishly cool. And speaking of Shuckle, that's what my username on Psypoke is based on. The Rock part is from it being part-rock, and the $ is just to make it look cool.

DragonPhoenix: Ahh finally! The secret behind the dollar sign. For all your fans out their you've finally revealed the story behind it! Anyway.. back on track.. Have you been impressed with Charizard's progress so far? Do you think he can go all the way?

Shuckle-rock$: I thought I was pretty much doomed last round from Blastoise, but somehow Charizard managed to pull through! I'm slightly worried about Arcanine though, since he's also cool-looking too and has some good moves. But I have a plan for him that will (hopefully) work...

DragonPhoenix: Ohh of course, we wish you the very best with that plan and hopefully it falls into place! Now say you do win... what's the first thing on your shopping list? Anything you've been dying to buy?

Shuckle-rock$: If I do win this game somehow, then I wouldn't be too sure on what to do with all the money. I might spend it on an actual product in the future or save it for prize money. Either way, I won't waste it all on lottery money . Anyway, this game has been fun, and I hope something as big as this happens again sometime (but not really soon since I need a break from the action).

DragonPhoenix: Haha you don't need to tell me that! I myself will be taking an extended holiday - maybe if you're going to be around the Sinnoh area I'll see you around.. But best of luck to both yourself and Charizard, and soon we'll be able to see if the fiery lizard can take it to the majestic dog.

And speaking of the majestic dog.. coming up next we're going to have a chat with the sponsor of the 2nd seeded Arcanine... please welcome to the studio the one the only ShinyLucario!


DragonPhoenix: Hey hey and welcome back to the show, ShinyLucario! Now most of us know that you're a bit of a reserved person - so this interview is just a chance for a few of us to get to know the brains behind Arcanine's every move. Why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?

ShinyLucario: Um, hi, I’m a 15-year-old guy from Malaysia, a humble country in Southeast Asia – Singapore’s neighbour, in fact. Well in fact, Singapore was once part of Malaysia – but we mustn’t get into political geography now! BTW, English is actually not my first language, but I’ve been improving the more I use it – written (typed, rather), that is. Verbal – not even close ;v;

DragonPhoenix: I tell you what, I would have never been able to tell! Your posts are constructed far more legibly than most English speaking forum members here (except everyone participating in this thread of course ).. Now apart from going through battle strategies with Arcanine, what other interests do you hold?

ShinyLucario: My interests? I like to listen to music (mostly classical), play the piano, draw (traditionally – for now), and read books. I also have a growing interest in writing, and I hope to get into some forum RPGs!

DragonPhoenix: They're some varying interests right over here! Looks and sounds like you're an all-rounder to me. Some of the forum RPGs can be wacky fun, I'd say just take the plunge and jump into it! Now just re: Pokemon, we're just all interested on how you started off into the series in the first place?

ShinyLucario: It all started in kindergarten when a classmate gave me a Slowbro card…*cue nostalgic flashback music*…except not really. Fast forward to one or two years later – I have a good friend who was quite a PokeFan and had a lot of anime VCDs. It was thanks to him that I gained this irresistible addiction!

DragonPhoenix: So which sets of games were your first then? Do you have a favourite?

ShinyLucario: My first and still only legit Pokemon game is Sapphire, so it’s only natural that I have a lot of nostalgia when it comes to Hoenn. Ah…those beautiful and varied landscapes, the fascinating Pokemon, the theme of “relationships” between people and nature… Ahem, back to topic. I always keep myself up-to-date with the freshest Pokemon news, but never actually playing the new games is quite a shame. That been said, I really love Black/White and the new Black 2/White 2 from what I've seen so far, and I really, really love the tearjerking stories in Explorers of Sky!

DragonPhoenix: Tell me about it! I may have not played Explorers of the Sky but when I went through Red Rescue Team I didn't think I'd be so attached to an NPC character.. anyway... you may have heard me chat to Shuckle-rock$ before about me taking a holiday.. do you have any travel recommendations for me? Which regions are you favourites?

ShinyLucario: While each region has its own flairs, I gotta say that Hoenn and Unova stand out to me especially.

DragonPhoenix: And how about your favourite Pokemon?

ShinyLucario: Oh my, that’s probably the toughest question anyone can throw at me. Even if you sort it by regions or types I would still have a hard time deciding! As a general rule I like Pokemon that can hit swift and hard – my sposor-ee Arcanine here is a great example. Others that immediately comes to mind are Lucario, Flygon, Absol, Serperior, Lapras, Metagross, Kyogre, and… [30 minutes later] Wait, how much time do we have left? Moving on~

DragonPhoenix: Don't worry about time limits here, we're ready to listen for as long as you wanna talk.. now I was just wondering, how did you manage to stumble across Psypoke?

ShinyLucario: I was drawn here by the Sunyshore Market – quite a busy place back then…*sigh* I somehow even got my dad’s signature to join! To be completely honest the Psypoke forum was a…interesting choice since I don’t really use Psypoke that much (if at all), but I must say this has been a really unique experience.

DragonPhoenix: Yes, I don't think you get the same feeling anywhere else. Upon signing up, how did you manage to decide on your screen handle?

ShinyLucario: ShinyLucario is kind of a strange name. I was (and still is) a Lucario fan so that part’s clear, but Shiny… I randomly came up with it when things like “LucarioKing” had been taken. I like Lucario’s normal color just as well, if not more! Nevertheless, this name began to grow on me and I came to discover that the acronym SL has an interesting use… *coughShadowLugiacough* Err, what was that? Nope, nothing at all, none. Moving along!

DragonPhoenix: Alright, so now we'll have a brief chat about your opponent. Do you think you have a solid chance at the title?

ShinyLucario: I’m still a little jittery since Charizard is, well, the Charizard, but if Arcanine can push through this mighty beast of all nostalgia, it has a pretty solid chance to win the royale!

DragonPhoenix: And what if you do win? What are you going to do with the prize money?

ShinyLucario: I don’t have a clue what to do with 2,000 Psybucks, so I’ll just stash it in the bank and watch it rot maybe I could give them out in a game like Cherrygrove?

DragonPhoenix: Well I'm sure you'll find good use for it! Anyway best of luck for both you and Charizard, hopefully you and Arcanine and come up with a great gameplan to see yourselves through!



Arcanine's Intimidate cut's Charizard attack to -1!

Charizard used Swords Dance! Charizard's attack rose 2 stages to +1!
Arcanine used Agility! Arcanine's speed rose 2 stages to +2!
Arcanine used Thunder Fang! Charizard's Wacan Berry activated! Charizard took no damage!
Charizard used Rock Slide! Arcanine's hit with -2...



COMMENTS: A bit of a more even match up this round, with only 1 vote separating the two big fire types! Swords Dance not only nullifies Intimidate's cut of attack, but even pushes Charizard's own attack stat ahead of Arcanine's. Agility allowed Arcanine to strike first for the second attack, preventing any hope Charizard had to cause flinching. With some clever prediction, Charizard's Wacan Berry nullified the super effective Thunder Fang, however he must now be wary as he's left without a Hold Item now! Expect a tight finish between these two!


INTIAL SCOREBOARD
S2: +2 | +3

So this will be open for a few days, then the 48 hour attack will be dealt in (along with the sponsors two extra moves), and anonymous voting will only be revealed at the very end!

One of my favourite fire types. I've never really liked Charizard.

Well I'm sponsering for him! Although it doesn't look too good for him already...

One of the legendary icons of the games and one of the two best original gen starters (Blastoise is also up there). He's a freaking dragon; what more do you need? Arcanine is also pretty cool, but Charizard wins hands down in my book.

Wow. Just...wow. S-R played so well I'm almost tempted to think that he somehow peeked at the PM I sent to DP.

D8 ASDFHJKLG THE LURKERS KNOW EVERYTHING. EVERY. SINGLE. THING.
Hopefully that phenomenon will change in several years~ wink wink nudge nudge

Needless to say, my vote would go to Arcanine.

Thanks, Shuckle-rock$, for sharing about yourself with us, and again DragonPhoenix did a great job linking everything together! Of course, massive thanks to everyone who managed to read through my interview without falling asleep!
Yes, I'm warming up for the acceptance speech /shot

Lurk? I dont lurk.
Dude, you're on Psypoke at least three hours a-
STFU AND GET A LIFE, SUBCONCIOUS!
Actually, you only need math and knowledge of time zones to figure it out.


Oh wow. I dont have a life. How did I live before December 23, 2011. Before I developed some serious unintentional stalker-ishy issues...
And yet I wonder why I hate myself sometimes...