Pokémon Sun and Moon Launch Interview

Interview with Bennett Piercy 'North American Pokémon Champion's Winner'

A staple I do in all interviews in order to start things off is to ask for a bit about yourself and also how you got into the competitive Pokémon scene?

Bennett: Well, I’m 16 and from Calgary. I started getting into competitive play 2-3 years ago and got into competitions after seeing videos of preview year’s tournaments.

For those unfamiliar with competitive Pokémon play, could you elaborate a bit on how the matches are run and how the tournaments are generally setup?

Bennett: There are individual matches with 6 Pokémon per team so you bring 4 with double at the same time. Strategies are to use them effectively when competing in Swiss Pairings (click to read about). You match up based on wins and that way it’s even for the games you play.

Building on the competitions aspect, how do you prepare for them and do you have any tips for those that might be interested in getting into playing Pokémon competitively?

Bennett: Well for pairing you need to practice quite a bit. It’s easy to start playing and knowing the meta helps a lot. Best way to do well is to make friends with those that play competitively.



With Pokémon Sun and Moon releasing right away here, which of the two titles are you looking forward to playing first?

Bennett: I think I’m going with Moon first, both look awesome though Moon a bit more. Plan to play both of them for sure though.

Assuming you know the roster for Sun and Moon, are there any particular Pokémon you’re aiming to collect right away and have you chosen a starter?

Bennett: Starter will be Popplio, Bewear is my favorite thus far.

I’ve heard that Sun and Moon will feature a new form of evolving Pokémon, how do you feel about these changes?

Bennett: Really good idea with the change, revamping the Pokémon to show them in a new way and the designs look really good.




Do you have any tips for starting out in Sun and Moon for those returning or even those that might not have played previous Pokémon titles?

Bennett: One of the great things about Pokémon is that you don’t need to know everything going in. A great thing to know is that you get the Pokémon’s attributes when using them in the game.

Pokémon GO has been quite popular over the summer, have you collected them all and generally what are your thoughts on Pokémon being an augmented reality experience?

Bennett: Great game and a great concept in catching Pokémon. I haven’t caught them all and am unsure how many I have grabbed.

With the Switch releasing on the horizon, what are your thoughts on the hybrid and do you think we’ll see anything Pokémon related such as Snap or Stadium?

Bennett: I’m really not sure about Pokémon games, I am really excited for the Switch and I think it’s really going to be great!

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