Introducing the Participants
Amaranth (ITA)
19-21 SPL
10-6 Invitational | 5th Invitational
1x OTT Champion
#20 Pokemon Perfect Rankings
Invitational I Champion | Global Championship 2020 Champion | RBY Circuit 2020 Semifinalist | Global Championship 2021 Semifinalist
Amaranth — Yesterday at 2:26 PM
god i hope you fucks dont luck me this time around
i am due a tournament where i just fucking steal games from everybody
Serpi (GER)
24-14 SPL
9-6 Invitational | 4th Invitational
1x OTT Champion
31-10 RBYPL/RBYWC
Winter Seasonal 2024 Champion | Ladder Tournament 2024 Champion | Global Championship 2023 Champion | Winter Seasonal 2021 Champion | RBY Circuit 2023 Finalist | RBY Cup 2023 Finalist | Global Championship 2022 Finalist | Summer Seasonal 2022 Semifinalist | Invitational II Semifinalist | RBY Cup 2021 Semifinalist | Summer Seasonal 2021 Semifinalist
Two years ago, I asked if Serpi would finally find peak RBY OU success and solidify himself as the guy to beat, and he most certainly did. Last year, I asked if Serpi could build off his status as the best RBY OU player on the planet and further cement himself in RBY history with an Invitational IV win, but he was upset in the first round and could only finish in the Top 24. Despite this, Serpi had yet another dominant year in RBY. Since last year's Invitational, Serpi went 6-3 in SPL XV, finished 1st in Winter Seasonal 2024, 1st in Ladder Tournament 2024, 1st in Global Championship 2023, 2nd in RBY Circuit 2023, and 2nd in RBY Cup 2023, is up to +21 in RBYPL/RBYWC, and is already 2-0 playing SV Ubers in the World Cup of Pokemon 2024. Can Serpi catch up to Heroic Troller, or even quite possibly surpass him, as the best RBY OU player of the modern era with an Invitational V victory?
chuva de perereca (ESP)
17-13 SPL
6-4 Invitational | 3rd Invitational
14-3 RBYPL/RBYWC
Invitational IV Finalist | Winter Seasonal 2022 Champion | RBY Circuit 2022 Finalist | RBY Circuit 2021 Semifinalist | Summer Seasonal 2021 Semifinalist | Winter Seasonal 2021 Semifinalist
After his dominant 2021 and early 2022, which included an 8-3 SPL XIII & Winter Seasonal Championship, chuva de perereca was primed to solidify himself as the next big thing in RBY with a strong Invitational III debut. However, he fizzled out quickly with a 0-2 record and then went on to finish negative in SPL XIV. With his circuit days over and the
hype fading in late 2023, chuva de perereca
turned his thinking around and went on an absurd run: 2nd place in Invitational IV, 5-4 in the most stacked RBY pool of all time in SPL XV, and 6-1 in RBYWC II. Back in the dreaded spotlight, can chuva de perereca deliver under the brightest of lights?
ABR (USA)
4-2 SPL | 87-42 Overall (7th)
3-2 Invitational | 2nd Invitational
Official Smogon Tournament XIII, Smogon Tour XXIIX, Smogon Tour XXIX, Smogon Classic VII, & 4x OTT Champion
RBY Circuit 2023 Champion | RBY Cup 2023 Champion | Ladder Tournament 2024 Semifinalist | RBY Cup 2021 Finalist
I hope everyone's enjoyed witnessing brilliance this past year as ABR, the undisputed greatest Smogon player of all time, returns to Invitational. In only twelve months focusing on RBY, he has already climbed to #4 in the RBY Hall of Fame with the following accomplishments: Invitational IV Top 8, RBY Cup 2023 Champion, RBY Circuit 2023 Champion, 4-2 in the most stacked RBY pool of all time in SPL XV, and helping lead US Northeast to a RBYWC II Champion. Naturally, he has also dominated outside of the first generation, standing alone with four individual trophies and boasting the highest differential in team tournaments, achieving an absolutely ridiculous 87-42 (67%, +45!!!!) on the sheet and wins in seven of nine generations. Last year, I stated that if the motivation was there, ABR was one of the favorites to reinvent RBY OU as we know it and take the entire thing home. With the former already proven true, can Red Breeze Yellow build off Team Freedom's RBYWC Victory and culminate his RBY journey with the ultimate triumph, solidifying his legacy and elevate the United States as the first two-time country winner?
Kaz (FRA)
12-14 SPL
12-6 Invitational | 4th Invitational
#23 Pokemon Perfect Rankings
13-5 RBYPL/RBYWC
Invitational III Finalist | Invitational I Finalist | Ladder Tournament 2024 Finalist | RBY Circuit 2023 Semifinalist | RBY Cup 2023 Semifinalist | 2x PP Master Tour Winner
Maître à Penser. As the only player with two money finishes ($200.46 in winnings), second best differential (+6), third most wins (12), and never finishing in the bottom half, Kaz is the most accomplished individual in Invitational history. And ever since his return, Kaz has been one of the most accomplished RBYers over the last two years: Invitational III Finalist (including a win with Hitmonchan), Ladder Tournament 2024 Finalist, RBY Circuit 2023 Semifinalist, RBY Cup 2023 Semifinalist, and 13-5 RBYPL/RBYWC. All of this is without mentioning his boomer-era accomplishments: #23 in the Pokemon Perfect Rankings, one of the seven players to ever win multiple Pokemon Perfect Master Tournaments, and Invitational I Finalist. What's most impressive, however, is Kaz's role as a mentor for the French RBY community, most notably in leading France to a combined 27-9 pools record over RBYWC. Kaz's dedication to teaching and mentoring ensures his legacy will extend far beyond his individual achievements, shaping the future of the French RBY community and inspiring players for generations to come. Can Kaz finally break through and claim his first Invitational title, after falling just short twice, elevating France as the first country with two triumphant champions?
Laroxyl (ITA)
0-1 SPL
4-2 Invitational | 2nd Invitational
Invitational IV Semifinalist
From Play Ins to $134.10 in winnings, Laroxyl won
8-straight rounds (Genesis7, erz, Acetylaldehyde, BlazingDark, BIHI, Nails, ABR, and chuva de perereca) to make it to Winner's Finals before bowing out to Gefährlicher Random and chuva de perereca (in a rematch) to finish 3rd overall in his Invitational debut. While he hasn't had too many chances to impress in RBY over the past twelve months, he's put up a strong 11-5 record in official team tournaments across SV OU and SV LC. Last year, I asked if Laroxyl could follow in Italy's legendary footsteps and make his country proud. This year, I'm asking: can he ascend to superstardom and cement Italy's status as the premier RBY nation, becoming the first to win Invitational twice?
Excal (USA)
0-0 SPL | 10-6 Overall
10-5 Invitational | 4th Invitational
1x OTT Champion
Invitational II Champion
Excal's legendary Invitational II run, coming off minimal RBY OU activity and an underdog throughout, included taking down the then defending champion and putting a stop to one of the most dominant streaks of RBY OU play in the tier's history en route to victory. Last edition, he became the first former champion to win the first two rounds of a following edition and looked primed to become the second player ever with multiple money finishes, before bowing out to Gefährlicher Random and chuva de perereca to finish a very respectable Top 6. Now, fresh off a RBYWC Victory with back-to-back victories over Heroic Troller and seemingly past his Minecraft phase, can Excal cement himself as one of the most storied players in the tier's long history?
Peasounay (FRA)
12-5 SPL
4-4 Invitational | 3rd Invitational
#10 Pokemon Perfect Standings
1x PP Top Player Rankings | 3x PP Master Tournament Winner | 2x PP Cup Winner | Global Championship 2017 Champion
For the first time since 2021, legendary French figure Peasounay returns to the Invitational scene. As one of six to top a Pokemon Perfect Player Ranking and one of nine to win multiple Master Tournaments, Peasounay finds himself Top 10 in the Pokemon Perfect Standings and Top 5 in its Hall of Fame. Additionally, his 12-5 SPL record and 2017 Global Championship victory showcase his Smogon-era accomplishments are just as strong. Fresh off renewed RBY OU activity and the decline of his Inviational-nemesis Nails, is Peasounay ready for a full-fledged comeback that begins with an Invitational V victory?
Gefährlicher Random (GER)
12-7 SPL | 42-24 Overall
6-0 Invitational | 2nd Invitational
Invitational IV Champion | Summer Seasonal 2022 Champion
Two years ago, Gefährlicher Random missed out on being invited to Invitational by one spot and sure did make whomever decided the invite list look bad. In SPL XIV, we saw an incredible upset, where the Invitational Play Ins outcast finished with a brilliant 6-3 record. And in Invitational IV, after
finally making his way to the biggest RBY stage, he simply dominated in his debut. 6-0 en route to victory, with wins over LNumbers, marcoasd, Hipmonlee, Excal, Laroxyl, and chuva de pereca, marking the fourth straight Invitational where a first-time player won it all. After another six-win campaign in SPL XV, which notably included the strongest RBY OU pool of all time, can Gefährlicher Random cement himself as one of the most dominant and successful RBY OU players of the modern era with a strong Invitational sophomore campaign?
Gilbert arenas (USA)
0-0 SPL | 50-35 Overall
5-5 Invitational | 4th Invitational
11-6 RBYPL/RBYWC
#25 Pokemon Perfect Rankings
1x PP Cup Champion
Guest Written by teal6!
Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders ... and Marcop? Let's be serious here, if you know competitive Pokemon you know that Marcop (Gilbert arenas) is not "an RBY player" (in as much as he could be said to be an "any tier" player). The man has flirted from metagame to metagame over his long and winding career, currently representing US Northeast in SV UU in WCOP, but he enters into the Invitational with a 0-0 RBY lifetime showing in SPL and a, for his standards, tepid 5-5 record in Invitationals past. This is, of course, not to say that marcop is out of his depth, but rather that he is in (relatively) unfamiliar territory - he visits Kanto on vacation, he doesn't live here full time.
Compared to many of the other names on this list, Marcop might not stick out in RBY. He doesn't have the legacy of marcoasd, he doesn't have the gravitas of M Dragon and he doesn't have a "top 10 all time" spot like McMeghan. What Marcop does have, however, is a firecracker style of playing that seems intent on finding the right moments for the big plays and making them accordingly. Currently in the midst of a strong 2024 elsewhere in Pokemon, we might remember that even Michael Jordan stepped outside of basketball once or twice -- and he was a hell of a player. Marcop might not be entering this tournament, with the best of the best RBYers lined up, as a favorite, but anyone that knows the man should also know that he is liable to go on a streak and take what he wants. Motivation and mental load are the two big challenges facing this Northeastern warrior, and this writer hopes and believes he'll step up to the challenge.
spies (PER)
14-14 SPL
6-4 Invitational | 3rd Invitational
RBY Cup 2021 Champion | Summer Seasonal 2021 Finalist
Mirroring two years ago, spies is once again back from the dead to play in this year's edition of RBY Invitational. With
eleven years between their peaks as an RBY OU player -- 6-3 in SPL I (2010) and RBY Cup VII Champion & 1st overall seed in Circuit Championship (2021) -- and completely vanishing at perhaps the peak of his powers -- never logging on Smogon again and only participating in Invitational III since dropping out of SPL XIII -- spies is the most polarizing and mysterious player in this tournament. With rumors of being an active ladderer, he may be in better RBY shape than most think - which spies will show up in Invitational V?
BIHI (FRA)
2-0 SPL | 62-52 Overall (25th)
3-4 Invitational | 3rd Invitational
2022 SPL, WCoP, & SCL Champion
RBY Cup 2020 Semifinalist | Summer Seasonal 2019 Semifinalist
Guest Written by teal6!
"à cœur vaillant rien d’impossible", nothing is impossible for the valiant heart. BIHI is a player that has ended up on the winning side in a lot of major Pokemon tournaments. He's won SPL, he's won WCOP, he's won SCL, he carries a ~55% win rate in major team tournaments and he's undefeated in RBY in those, too. These are all data points BIHI will take into the Invitational, and he'll do well to be bolstered and emboldened by them.
But then comes the temperance - a 2020 RBY cup semifinalist, a 2019 RBY Cup semifinalist, a 3-4 lifetime record in the Invitational so far ... something is missing for BIHI when it comes to getting across the finish line in this tier. Having won as much as he had elsewhere, translating that performance into winning the hardest tournaments Generation One has to offer seems to be a step beyond the France captain. This is not to say that he lacks the skill - that's, of course, not true looking at results and plays elsewhere - but something seems to be holding this protagonist back from his happy ending when it comes to competing in the Kanto arena. BIHI will be looking toward nabbing a few extra wins this summer in order to change the story, going from a winner-elsewhere-but-RBY-also-ran into a bona fide champion across multiple generations. His fourth effort in one of Pokemon's most challenging tournaments will prove that chance, all that remains to be seen is if he can grab the opportunity.
Sceptross (PRT)
3-8 SPL
14-8 Invitational | 5th Invitational
#17 Pokemon Perfect Rankings
Invitational IV Semifinalist | Invitational II Semifinalist | Winter Seasonal 2024 Finalist | Ladder Tournament 2024 Semifinalist
After returning from a long hiatus last year, Sceptross quickly got back to his winning ways, placing 4th in Invitational IV and solidifying himself as the only player who's competed in every Invitational and yet to finish in the bottom half. Opinions of him were universally within the RBY community going into the SPL XV draft, but a not-so-strong SPL track record saw him go undrafted. While it would have been easy to lose all motivated, Sceptross decided to respond with 2nd and 3rd/4th place showings in the following two circuit tournaments and a 3-1 RBYWC playoffs performance. Like many, Sceptross can use a strong Invitational performance to catapult himself into SPL XVI starter discussion. Can he become the second player ever with two money finishes, and perhaps even deliver Iberia its first ever Invitational championship, or will the looming ghosts of Omastar continue to haunt him?
SaDiSTiCNarwhal (USA)
2-6 SPL
6-6 Invitational | 4th Invitational
20-11 RBYPL/RBYWC
#20 Pokemon Perfect Rankings
Winter Seasonal 2023 Champion | Global Championship 2022 Champion | Summer Seasonal 2020 Finalist
Two years ago, I asked if a strong Invitational III performance could catapult SaDiSTiCNarwhal into an SPL XIV starter after his 2022 Global Championship victory. Alas, he went 0-2 and was subsequently undrafted. Last year, I asked if a strong Invitational IV performance could catapult SaDiSTiCNarwhal into an SPL XV starter after his 2023 Winter Seasonal victory. Despite finishing Top 8 with notable wins over Kaz and Lusch, and receiving universally high praise within the RBY community ahead of the draft, history repeated itself and he somehow went completely undrafted. Now, 3.5 years after his fateful 2-6 record in SPL XII, can an Invitational money finish finally propel him to the big stage, or will the never-ending cycle continue?
Kenix (ESP)
6-3 SPL | 15-8 Overall
0-0 Invitational | 1st Invitational
Summer Seasonal 2021 Champion | Global Championship 2023 Semifinalist | Global Championship 2020 Semifinalist
Guest Written by Amaranth!
After breaking out in the GSC scene in 2022, Kenix has quickly and smoothly transitioned to RBY, establishing himself as one of the very best players in the tier after going 13-1 across two editions of RoAPL and putting up the best non-Troller record in SPL XV, amongst other results. The explosive spaniard is no doubt one of the most talented players in this field, but he is known to occasionally get bored of winning too easily - he was responsible for giving Magikarp and Weedle a 100% winrate in the latest RBYWC, and his recent vice has been loading teams with 0 normals. Even through self-imposed handicaps, Kenix is a frightening player to face - he's good enough to beat many players in spite of them, and if he decides to take this Invitational slightly more seriously he is definitely one of the top contenders.
Regardless of which version of Kenix will show up to Invitational - the Jester trying to impress and make the crowd laugh, or the King smiting down lesser players with flawless aggression and reads - he is sure to be a fun watch for the spectators, and a terrifying opponent for the players.
SoulWind (ESP)
0-0 SPL | 139-106 Overall (1st)
1-2 Invitational | 2nd Invitational
Smogon Classic VI, Smogon Tour XXXII, Official Ladder Tournament IX, & 5x OTT Champion
RBY Cup 2019 Champion | RBY Cup 2018 Finalist
Guest Written by teal6!
It is astonishingly unlikely that any pair of eyes set themselves on this writeup without having already heard the name SoulWind. The sensational Spaniard is stepping up to the plate to compete in only his second RBY Invitational, but this is not a tier he'll be entering with any anxiety over his ability to perform. Having won more Smogon Team Tournament games than anyone else (though, notably none in RBY, I suppose), having won three individual trophies and having won RBY Cup already (alongside making a finals appearance in an earlier edition), there are really almost no players on the planet that have the same pedigree as SoulWind.
So, what will be his roadblocks in this tournament? I could be trite and say he might be spreading himself thin, he might be jumping between metagames too cavalierly, he might be facing players with significantly higher motivation ... but none of this really speaks to the SoulWind that I know. The SoulWind that I know is obsessive about winning no matter the context, the SoulWind that I know makes each and every move deliberately, the SoulWind that I know can turn 0 to 1 when needed. I don't see major holes in his ability to compete here and I do not think there is solace to be found for his opponents in convincing themselves that there are such weaknesses: anyone facing off against him will need to bring their A-game, as SoulWind himself is pretty incapable of doing otherwise.
Nails (USA)
36-27 SPL | 82-67 Overall (12th)
9-7 Invitational | 5th Invitational
4x OTT Champion
RBY Cup 2020 Finalist | RBY Cup 2019 Finalist | Invitational I Semifinalist | Global Championship 2018 Semifinalist
You all know the stats by now - 2nd most RBY SPL wins of all time, one of two to win at least 20 RBY sets over the course of three SPLs, one of four to take down Heroic Troller multiple times in SPL, back-to-back RBY Cup finals, and an Invitational I bronze trophy to boot. For
years he was able to dominate the competition with his ice-cold suffocating playstyle, with the infamous "Nails Team" at the very center, but the playerbase had adapted, and the days of rotating the same few cores has come to a bitter end. Since SPL XIII, where his usage statistics changed drastically, Nails has actually gone negative: 12-15 over the past three years compared to his 20-8 from the three years prior, underscoring the ever-evolving nature of RBY OU, where adaptability is as crucial as skill. It is clear Nails currently has minimal interested in reinventing himself as an RBY player, which at this point, is mandatory to return to his former glory. At the end of the day, Pokemon is Pokemon and Nails is Nails. He has forever cemented his legacy as the second greatest RBY OU player in the Smogon era, and one of the most successful Pokemon players period, combining both his Smogon and VGC accomplishments, of all time. While the odds may be against him this Invitational, his legendary status will ensure he remains a formidable contender nevertheless.
Ctown6 (USA)
0-0 SPL
3-4 Invitational | 3rd Invitational
Winter Seasonal 2022 Finalist | Summer Seasonal 2023 Finalist | Winter Seasonal 2023 Semifinalist
Last Invitational, Ctown6 proved he could hang with the best of the best as one of the few dedicated mainers in the tournament, finishing Top 12 with three straight wins against nicole7735, Aliss, and M Dragon before bowing out to Sceptross. He followed this up by finishing 2nd in the 2023 Summer Seasonal, qualifying for his second straight RBY Circuit Championships, and winning the inagural
RBY Rising Stars. Despite all this, he went undrafted in SPL XV, which notably included the strongest RBY pool of all time. With a few long-time RBY SPL staples likely retiring, can a strong second half of 2024 finally propel Ctown6 to the big leagues?
marcoasd (ITA)
14-10 SPL | 10-4 WCoP
8-7 Invitational | 5th Invitational
8-2 RBYPL/RBYWC
#1 Pokemon Perfect Rankings
Invitational III Semifinalist | 6x PP Top Player Ranking | 6x PP Season Winner | 11x PP Master Tour Winner | 10x PP Cup Winner | RBY Cup II Finalist
Guest Written by teal6!
As the writer of these previews, I think I am supposed to be somewhat neutral. I'm supposed to have a tone of respect for all the players, I'm supposed to say anyone can win as long as they give it their best shot. That's not untrue, really, we have a cast of characters with some outrageous levels of skill populating this invitational, but I don't think I can be neutral when writing about THE marcoasd.
I am not only a writer, but also a huge fan of RBY. I love the way the tier plays, I love how players gain advantage, I love the big moments that arise in nearly every game. No one can be a fan of RBY and not be a fan of marco, who has (in this writer's opinion) a very solid shout at being the best ever. Coming to prominence in the era just before a number of today's biggest names, Marco is maybe the best example of the Italian school of RBYing (the one that got me to stop using Jynx lead and Jynx lead only). The man is marked by consistency, which you'll see above in his records, and to get that consistency he has had to play some very good Pokemon. While his best work has not been done on Smogon (thought that's all still excellent), Pokemon Perfect players know to fear marcoasd from the bottom of their souls. Speaking as someone who has lost a season to him and his excellent plays, I know it well.
If you are betting on someone to win the invitational, I don't think you could go wrong picking this player. He's one that I've respected for a long time and in review, I think he's earned that level of admiration not only from me but the rest of the RBY community. A wacky personality combines with sublime plays to make a character that makes the competitive Pokemon world better for it, glad to see you here chief, show us some good games.
nicole7735 (NZL)
0-0 SPL
0-2 Invitational | 2nd Invitational
14-9 RBYPL/RBYWC
Summer Seasonal 2023 Champion
Guest Written by Amaranth!
Working her way up through the Circuit, nicole quickly made her name known as a promising grinder, and we're approaching the stage where the promise has become reality. Though yet to get her shot in SPL, she has nowadays established herself as a very competitive force in RBY, winning Summer Seasonal V (2023) and accruing a slew of positive results across pretty much every possible tournament, including back-to-back deep underdog runs at the head of team Oceania in RBYWC.
With her formidable work ethic and her seemingly unending enthusiasm for RBY, it seems only a matter of time until her resume grows to rival the ones of other Invitational players. Will this tournament be her first huge break on the tippy-top of the RBY scene, or is nicole's time yet to come? In either case, you can be sure you will hear her name again.
McMeghan (BEL)
1-0 SPL | 98-73 Overall (4th)
8-6 Invitational | 4th Invitational
Smogon Tour XIV, Smogon Classic V, & 2x OTT Champion
Guest Written by teal6!
In Japanese culture, the number 4 can be pronounced "shi". This is considered unlucky, as "shi" is also the way to say "death" in Japanese. Why is this important? The number 4 is following Roro around like a phantom - this is his 4th invitational, he's got the 4th most wins in Smogon Team Tournament history, he's won 4 trophies for consideration in his stat-list above, and he's likely to be ranked the 4th greatest Pokemon player of all time in an upcoming poll. Now, all of that said, I do not think that the bad luck lies with McMeghan here at all -- rather, his opponents are the ones that need to fear death.
You've seen McMeghan play. You've seen him win improbable games through dozens of perfect turns, you've seen McMeghan bring teams that make the opponent lose all sensibility, you've seen him carry his teams and you've seen him dominate individual tournaments. Facing McMeghan, regardless of the tier, is an exercise in madness - the man is good, very good, and doesn't have much in the way of sympathy for his opponents as he methodically dispatches them regardless of the tournament. While Roro doesn't have the most comprehensive record in RBY overall, his performances in Classic show that this is also a tier that he has mastered, and he stands in the same arena as the marcoasd's and the M Dragon's of the tournament without question.
What will be McMeghan's challenges this tournament? Motivation, that's sure to be the number one - while bringing an absurdly high baseline level of skill, Roro is the type of player that steamrolls as he racks up wins, so I reckon his earliest matches will be his hardest, all the way up until the very end. If his opponents give him an inch they'll be seeing "shi" in their sleep as RBY's bad omen comes to add to his long list of victories.
shiloh (USA)
6-10 SPL
4-6 Invitational | 4th Invitational
1x OTT Champion
RBY Cup 2022 Champion | Winter Seasonal 2020 Semifinalist
Last year, I picked shiloh as an excellent candidate to finally surpass his streak of .500 RBY play (2-2 Invitational II, 5-5 SPL XII, 2-2 Invitational III), coming off an RBY Cup 2022 victory, 3-0 RBYWC I, and brilliant start to his VGC career. However, Jynxes proved real, as it's been all downhill since: 0-2 Invitational IV, 3-7 across RBYPL IV & RBYWC II, 3-7 across RoAPLs IX & X, and 0-1 SPL XV, including running away from Heroic Troller. While RBY has not recently been kind to him, he's racked up a 7-4 record playing SV OU in Official Team Tournaments, including leading US West to the #2 seed in WCoP 2024. We'll all seen shiloh win across most facets of RBY, picking up the generation for WCoP 2019 and ending with a final's victory and trophy, taking down SaDiSTiCNarwhal in SPL, and winning RBY Cup, but can he finally do it in Invitational?
Isza (USA)
2-4 SPL
1-2 Invitational | 2nd Invitational
13-9 RBYPL/RBYWC
Guest Written by teal6!
Out of the frying pan and into the fire - this is how Isza found RBY in SPL XIV, playing for the Tyrants after having achieved a Smogon Classic playoff spot. Having cultivated a name for themselves throughout various metagames and various tiers, Isza finds themselves back in the RBY Invitational for their second appearance, having suffered at the hands of legendary players Hipmonlee and Sceptross in earlier editions.
Isza is a player that might lack the star power of some of the other names on the list like M Dragon or McMeghan. Isza is a player that might lack some of the familiarity in RBY as compared to marcoasd or Serpi. These circumstances paint them clearly as an outsider for the Invitational, but isn't that the story we all love best?
Ignoring the pressures of the past and the weight of their opponents, Isza has notable wins and strong performances in RBY outside of the official team tournament structure. With key victories in RBY WCOP over massive players (and fellow competitors) like M Dragon and Raizen, Isza has a good leg to stand on if they're backing themselves this tournament. I think the term "dark horse" applies here better than it does for most, as it doesn't seem too wild a world where Isza goes on a winning run, but they're not leading the stakes in the pre-tournament betting, either. In any case, RBY history has always been a story about the new generation ousting the old and claiming their spot at the top - when better to really cement that narrative than now?
Enigami (USA)
0-0 SPL
7-8 Invitational | 5th Invitational
#12 Pokemon Perfect Rankings
Guest Written by Amaranth!
One of only five players to take part in all five Invitationals so far, Enigami may not quite be regarded with the legendary status of other fellow veterans, but his consistent presence is no mistake. He is perhaps most known as one of the leading researchers in Wrapology, with a specialization in Arbok Studies; but while his specialty may be dark magic, he handles himself just fine with less esoteric teams, earning many above average results over his long career.
Enigami has never been able to string together consistent wins against top players; but he has beaten them plenty over the years. In the star-studded field of RBY Invitational he is likely an underdog, but aren't those the players and the stories we love the most? (
Especially when they involve a bit of dark magic!)
M Dragon (ESP)
1-1 SPL | 87-72 Overall (8th)
4-4 Invitational | 3rd Invitational
Smogon Tour XVII & 2x OTT Champion
#35 Pokemon Perfect Rankings
1x PP Season Winner | 1x PP Master Tour Winner
Guest Written by teal6!
El Jefe of Smogon makes his return for his third Invitational, having gone 4-4 in his prior attempts. Compared to most everyone on this list, M Dragon has been playing RBY for a long time - he's been around before the Body Slam changes, before RBY was played on SmogTours, before a lot of other competitors could even form coherent sentences. And Ardorin's story is not just one of longevity, but also one of incredible peaks - the Smogon Tour XVII winner (with a few RBY specific tournaments and seasons under his belt, too) has long since been one of the premier competitors on Smogon.
What can his opponents hope for again him, then? There might be an argument that the M Dragon of 2024 is not quite the same M Dragon as 2014, with life and years and work and other players starting to muddy the picture of this all-timer. However, an 8-2 SPL earlier this year goes a long way toward proving that narrative silly, from this author's reckoning, M Dragon remains one of the most skilled and highest potential players in all of the Pokeworld. If he puts his head down and grinds, this tournament is one he can excel in, but he'll need to remember the quality and skill of his opponents, as they won't be making it easy on him.
Mako (CHL)
15-10 SPL | 29-24 Overall
6-6 Invitational | 4th Invitational
1x OTT Champion
11-3 RBYPL/RBYWC
Guest Written by teal6!
Doubles, CG OU, ADV, RBY... is there anything that mako cannot do? Well, yes, but it's hard to say if it's her fault or not. Mako has been on a tear throughout this summer, and really for the last year as a whole, quickly stamping her name on the various tournaments she enters with seemingly little regard given to the tier; it's all the same to good enough players, I suppose. However mako has struggled to outright win any of the major tournaments, and with a recent 4-0 WCOP performance going unrewarded as Chile crashed out, the big flagship team competition served up more of the same.
Now, that said, let's acknowledge that this was Chile, a new team to the tournament and mako could hardly have done better in her own games. This is the story that needs to be told for her right now - rising confidence, solid results and a very strong lifetime record in RBY (having 'mained' the tier for some time) - mako is likely to make a deep run in this Invitational. A 6-6 lifetime record across three prior editions, Mako now sits at the table with the other big names in the competition and will be backing herself to go further than she has before, ideally, winning.
Conflict (GER)
0-0 SPL | 90-70 Overall (6th)
0-0 Invitational | 1st Invitational
Smogon Classic IX & 3x OTT Champion
One of the most accomplished and longest-standing players of all time, Conflict finally makes his Invitational debut. Widely regarded as a Top 3 GSCer of all time, Conflict has accumulated the 6th-most overall sheet wins (90), including the most overall in 2016 (15), second-most in SPL GSC (39), 6+ in his last four SPLs, and is the winningest player in Stark Sharks history. Additionally, Conflict has expanded his horizon since last summer -- winning Smogon Classic IX and seemlessly transitioning into playing ADV in SPL with a 5-2 recored (7-2 overall) -- while keeping up his dominant GSC play with a guaranteed Top 4 finish in the ongoing GSC Invitational. Like many other historically excellent tournament players who are invited, motivation will be key. Can Conflict continue his dominance and mastery in the old generations, and perhaps become the first player ever to win two generation's Invitational tournaments, or will his lack of adaptability superseed his skill?
Koalacance (FRA)
1-3 SPL
3-4 Invitational | 3rd Invitational
RBY Circuit 2021 Champion
Guest Written by Amaranth!
Koalacance has been knocking on the door of top level RBY for some time now, but that door is yet to fully open for him. The centerpiece of his trophy cabinet is a Circuit win in 2021; since then, a big chance in SPL XIII passed him by as he could not manage better than a 1-3 record, and he failed to advance beyond top 16 in his two Invitational appearances so far. His performances are not bad by any means, and he has routinely proven himself above the mean - but this is Invitational, and just being above the mean is not enough. You need to reach the top.
Will Koalacance's lightning strike a second time, brighter and harder than ever before? One can only hope, if you're rooting for him.
BlazingDark (FRA)
0-0 SPL
1-2 Invitational | 2nd Invitational
2x OTT Champion
Guest Written by Amaranth!
The eccentric Mister Sauce is most known for his GSC, but he has proven in several occasions that he can transfer his abilities over to other tiers just fine, with RBY being one of such other tiers. Last year, he ran through play-ins to earn himself an invite; since then, he had a solid 5-2 run in the last RBYPL, and won SPL in his home tier of GSC.
Last year he had the play-in run as a warm up, this year he will have to hit the ground running - but he is definitely capable of that. As the saying goes: mons is mons. BlazingDark may lack the sheer hours of practice in RBY and the deep metagame understanding that comes with them, but at the end of the day, if you click the right buttons the wins will come. And BlazingDark is demonstrably good at clicking buttons, regardless of tier.
Albi (ITA)
0-0 SPL
0-0 Invitational | 1st Invitational
#18 overall seed Albi becomes the second-straight Italian (and Little Cup enjoyer) to fight their way through Play Ins. Despite his heritage, Albi has learned more of a Zoomer-esque style from chuva de perereca and others in RBYPL, as opposed to the suspected Italian school of RBY. After scattered respectable circuit and tournament success, Albi broke out in Play Ins, taking down an impressive run of GirlsSeeGhosts, Quarante8, Vileman, and gorgie en route to the Main Event. Last year, Laroxyl parlayed his Play Ins success to a Bronze Medal - does Albi have the same magic in them?
Larry (GER)
0-3 SPL
0-0 Invitational | 1st Invitational
2x OTT Champion
Guest Written by teal6!
There's a strong chance Leru brings more Persians than anyone else to this tournament. Smogon's #1 cat(girl) fan arrives at the main stage of his first RBY Invitational armed with the following: 1) a substandard lifetime performance in the tier; 2) an incredible run in the qualifiers and 3) the ability to surprise the rest of the playing pool.
Leru is from the school of German RBYing with masters like Felix helping him get up to snuff. And while it isn't in Kanto that Leru has made a name for himself as a player, the "mons is mons" ideology is in full force here - a strong player in multiple other generations, Leru seems motivated and with clear purpose entering into the Invitational to mark it as his tier. Having performed reasonably well in RBYPL and RBYWC in the past, Leru knows how to win, it's just a matter of if he's ready to play against the huge names that dominate this metagame. He'll tell you yes, but we'll see in the coming weeks.
Aliss (NLD)
6-9 SPL
5-6 Invitational | 4th Invitational
2x OTT Champion
The Cat Returns (2002). Over the past few years, Aliss has seen considerable old generations tournament success - Top 16 and Top 12 finishes in RBY Invitational, a GSC Invitational victory, and a Smogon Classic Playoffs appearance - but has struggled in SPL and could only muster one set win last year, seeing her drop into the Play Ins Bracket. However, she proved she belonged on the big stage by cruising her way through Play Ins as the #3 overall seed and becoming the second former Main Event participant to rejoin the tournament after fighting their way through the gauntlet (Enigami, Invitational III) with wins over TyCarter, gastlies, Tarvold, and King Billu. With her return, can she put The Netherlands on her back as their only remaining player and string together her best run yet?
King Billu (CAN)
0-0 SPL
0-0 Invitational | 1st Invitational
8-6 RBYPL
The #40 (of 48!) seed, King Billu is the lowest seeded player to advance into the Main Event after a Round 1 substitution. As the #14 seed in the Yellow Bracket, he upset #3 Rubyblood, #11 NVentous, and #7 Justamente before falling to #1 Aliss but redeeming himself by beating both #5 (Red Bracket) gorgie and #2 (Blue Bracket) UltiNooba19 in the Play Ins Deluxe redemption round. The fourth Canadian to ever reach RBY Invitational, King Billu has seen scattered RBY success - 2-1 RBYWC II, 5-0 playing RBY Ubers in RBYPL IV, and a Top 12 finish in the largest RBY OU Winter Seasonal ever in 2023. Can he put Canada on his back as their only remaining player and guarantee his invitation back to the Main Event with a strong debut?
