98-258 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Competitive Pokemon

3 units, Carnegie Mellon University

Do you want to be the very best, like no one ever was? Pounding the Elite Four into dust with your level 100 team is one thing, but defeating a human trainer on equal footing is another. Competitive Pokemon involves strategy, teambuilding, predictions, and a thorough understanding of battle mechanics, all under a rainbow of different battle formats, each with their own set of rules and playstyles. This course will introduce basic mechanics, teambuilding principles, and strategy, as well as the most popular competitive formats such as VGC, Smogon singles, across the many generations of Pokemon's existence. No competitive experience required, but experienced players may also learn something new! All teambuilding and battling will be done through the free online simulator Pokemon Showdown.

Prerequisites: none listed

Offered: Fall 2025

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