Explainer: The complexity of the global competitive Pokémon scene

Don't let its cute monsters and child-friendly main game fool you. The Pokémon video games are designed for sophisticated and intricate competitive play.

The massive Pokemon World Championship, held in Honolulu last year. Source: The Pokemon Company

Before Infinite Lives was conceived and launched this time last year, there was another name floating around for this newsletter: Utility Jigglypuff. It was an in-joke among my mates that just wouldn't die.

Hot off watching a video from Aaron "Cybertron" Zheng, a competitive Pokémon player, professional commentator and YouTuber, I was explaining how the hyper-competitive side of this game had given the humble Jigglypuff a new lease at life as a utility Pokémon — a term for one that is focused on opponent disruption, as opposed to dealing damage.