UPFC III Power Rankings Week 1

Week 1 had some of the biggest surprises in Ultimate Pokémon Fight Club history, with one Trainer creating history for himself and the best KDA rating since Christopher's Snorlax and Barchun’s Rush (Sharpedo) debut in UPFC I. Here is where Trainers currently Stand in UPFC Week 1 Power Rankings.

1._Steven remains on top with his most outstanding performance against the defending champion, Barchun. The match went on to three games, with both players taking the series to the limit. Gholdengo had the most notable Kill/Faint/Assist (KDA) ratio of 3.5, causing 7 Pokemon to faint in the three-game series. Steven's Venomoth and Primpeape were other striking performers, causing three faints. Steven losing the first match and winning the last two games shows his tactical prowess, which needed to be improved in his rookie year in UPFC II. Though Steven has an easy matchup next week, the biggest fear for this Trainer is complacency. 

2. Noah is starting to show why he is a trainer to be reconned with in UPFC III. As a three-time UPFC Trainer with excellent performances in the past, it was only a matter of time before he finally broke the barrier. Defeating Blxze, a VGC competitor and Pokémon Showdown veteran, shows this league is an entirely different challenge for Trainers. Noah's most notable Pokemon is Kingambit, who currently has a KDA of 4, and Ditto, presently a Prefect 2. Noah's experience may put MrKumaD at a considerable disadvantage in week 2.

3. RyebGuy's dominant performance against isaac is why he is in the top 3. RyebGuy's matches only went to two games and only had 2 Pokémon faint in both matches. RyebGuy's tactical dominance made one of his Pokémon stand out amongst all other Pokémon in this club: Polteageist. This Pokémon currently has the best KDA average with a perfect 6, the highest in the club and matching Christopher's Snorlax in UPFC I. Ryan's next matchup is against a UPFC veteran, Flak3, formerly known as Reno. The last time RyebGuy and Flak3 faced off was in UPFC I, and Flak3 had a dominant performance. However, the only Pokemon that remains from his original team that made it to the UPFC I Finals are Bossk (Dragonite), Bob Saget (Golemn), and Pika (Pikachu). So, if Ryan starts boiling with Polteageist there is no reason he should lose against Flak3 in week 2.

4. Though Barchun lost to Steven, it took three games for him to do so, and in the first match, he had a commanding victory. The biggest problem for Barchun is this is a new team, and just like the previous UPFC II, it will take him a while to figure out the strategy with this current composition. If he gets synergy between Ursaluna and Rabsca, Hayden can easily be in the top three, and Ursaluna can be the leading regular attack striker in the club. Hayden's next matchup is TT-Bone. Historically, Hayden hasn't ever lost to TT-Bone, and he probably will not fail in week two unless he makes grave mistakes.

5. Billay remains in the middle of the pack. Billay tactical performance was a spectacle; he may

have difficulty against more experienced trainers and Pokémon. Billay, however, had two incredible matches in week 1. Billay's Pokémon had a KDA of 1 or better, except for Lokix. This shows the Trainer's bond with his Pokémon. The most unexpected event was Pyroar's performance in game two. Pyraor, traditionally in the Perfectly Useless (PU) league in Pokémon Showdown, took out traditionally Overused (OU) Pokémon like Greninja and Skeledirge. This special bond between Trainer and Pokémon is rarely seen in more challenging leagues. Week 2 will be Billay's most formidable opponent since UPFC I against Barchun, where he went Away from Keyboard (AFK) after the loss. Let us hope this doesn't happen again because this Trainer is fun to watch with his unique team and tactical proficiency.

6. TT-Bone has never won against Flak3 in UPFC history. TT-Bone picking up some of his

favorites because others weren't available, like Shamshiel (Arcanine) and Golemas

(Stonjourner), was crucial to his success against Flak3. However, the Pokémon that shined the most in the week one matchup was his veteran, Wishes (Jumpluff). Wish was a solid wall against Dragonite, who couldn't get past Wish's cotton armor. Wishes had the highest KDA for TT-Bone and is leading the club in Assists with 5. TT-Bone's next matchup is Hayden, another trainer he has never beaten. The question remains for TT-Bone: will the bond between Pokémon and Trainer be enough to defeat Hayden finally for the first time in his career? 

7. For a rookie, MrKumaD played well, taking Billay to just one Pokemon left in game 2. With more experience, MrKumaD can move up in the Power Rankings and get some wins. Few rookies have performed well in the UPFC because of the vast difference in other competitive leagues, but Mr. KumaD can change that. MrKumaD's top performer was Scizor, who won in a face-off against Lokix, establishing himself as the dominant bug Pokémon in the match. Scizor ended his KDA against Billay with a 1.5. MrKumaD's next opponent is Noah; he must play a perfect game to win. 

8. Maybe his transition to a female trainer named Flak3 has caused his demise in this year's tournament, or his negative attitude; one cannot be sure. The only thing certain is that Flak3 is on the path to its poorest performance in UPFC history. Flak3's tactical performance against TT-Bone was the worst. There were too many times Flak3 was outplayed with a Zero

Used (ZU) Pokémon, according to Showdown: Golemas and Wishes. The only two Pokémon that performed well were Pika (Pikachu) and Bossk (Dagonite), with both having a KDA over 2. Flak3 must practice if he wants the bond between the Trainer and Pokémon back. If so, he will have a chance of beating RyebGuy in week 2, and hopefully, he will find the synergy he is looking for to start winning like he did in UPFC I.

9. Blxze, welcome to the UPFC. His experience in Pokémon's official tournament, the Video Game Championship (VGC) 2015, put him in the top five, but after last week's performance, he dropped to number 9. What makes this league different is the tactical proficiency required rather than the Pokémon someone uses. For Blxze to start winning, he needs to find synergy with his team and not rely on how overpowering a Pokémon may be. His performance in week one was not as anticipated, though if he changes his attitude to a positive one, I can see him moving up from the 9th position and possibly winning games. Blxze's next matchup is Billay; we will see a contrast of personalities in this match. Billy likes playing with Pokémon that are underrated, and Billay is very tactically sound. On the other hand, Blxze complains consistently about why he can't have a more overpowering team every chance he gets.

10. Isaac remains on the bottom. Though he has a heart of gold, he is not seasoned enough in Pokémon to have the synergy required to win. Isaac was able to cause 4 Pokémon to faint in his week one matchup, and his top Pokémon, like Mighty (Alola Raichu) and Comet (Sawbuck), didn't perform. An unlikely hero that caused some damage was Isaac's Bokoblins (Toxtricity), averaging a KDA of 1.5.