>>21056041There are always going to be autists and neackbeards in every fandom. competitive pokemon players are of all different sorts. i go to UTD and it seems like every few days i run into someone new who is just as much of a nerd for battling as i am. all different shapes n sizes kinda thing.
If you want to start off on the right foot Smogon is a great place to go to. Despite what people say (not that they are entirely wrong) Smogon really helped me get a great understanding of the meta game, and an overall sense of "how" to battle.
So that being said, the first thing you should do is obtain a vast knowledge of pokemon. basically knowing all 721 pokemon, all their types, resistances, weaknesses, moves, abilities and their effects. as
>>21056093said, the game is more or less poker/chess with teams and moves being full of prediction, and bluffs in order to win. so a knowledge of all the game mechanics is necessary.
once you have a good grasp on it, then move over to
pokemonshowdown.com and start drawing up a team.
you will get your ass kicked hard a lot in the beginning, theres a huge difficulty curve and it's gonna suck in the beginning, but as i said, the better understanding you have of the game the better you will get. So just keep playing, adjusting, and battling untill you work your way up.
It really is a fun community to get into, especially if you have friends that are into it to!
god luck on the battlefield
