THE FUSE

Pokémon Champions is the new default stage for competitive Pokémon play, but the battle simulator isn’t just for the sweatiest trainers out there. The Pokémon Company is positioning Champions as an entry point for people who have never played competitively before, and that’s still pretty daunting. If you’ve never played comp before, you probably view it as this overly complicated spin on what is usually a pretty straightforward game of elemental rock-paper-scissors. Champions might not change your mind about that, but it’s one of the easier ways to learn the basics. Here are a few things to know before you take your team online.