Therein lies the problem. As much as I appreciate the general posts and ideas we have of the Pokemon...
We're too busy looking around and saying "____ doesn't suck" while we remain pretty much in the dust of every other character. We're too busy trying to brush up on ATs and whatnot when we should be figuring out how to kill with Ivysaur, how to start landing more of Squirtle's stronger moves so he's not just a "gimp/D-throw" machine, and how to wall with Charizard. We're too busy getting caught up in trivial bullcrap to actually progress faster.
I'll admit it. I suck. I will probably never hit top 8 of any decent-sized tourney with any character I choose, especially PT. However, I do understand that we need to quit trying to find fancy crap and we need to quit fitting the stereotypes of the Pokemon. I know that there are many more knowledgeable posters who have brought up ways as to help with recovering with Ivysaur and how to kill with Squirtle and all, and I believe that this was the right stuff. We need to continue in that direction!
We need to start addressing our general weaknesses and look at things that people have lower expectations of for each Pokemon and to start maximizing these things. We need to stop playing on auto-pilot mode and to start finding ways around our opponent's strengths using methods that aren't normally taken into consideration (read: Down B). We need to, essentially, refine Pokemon Trainer's vast metagame and we need to really start talking about how the role of each Pokemon for each individual match-up instead of in general. I want to know if it's better for Ivysaur to rack up damage against a character or if Ivy should be in only to kill. I want to know if Squirtle is more important for his gimps, his killing moves, or his quick damage racking moves for each character. I want to know if Charizard should be maximizing the chance to KO/gimp an opponent or if Flamethrowering + pummeling and throwing is better suited to protect Charizard from dying early on and to allow Squirtle to not have to waste time and to just get the stock.
I believe that, above all else, we need to discuss these things. As bad of a player as I might be, I want to at least have a basis to work on instead of just trying to find my general playstyle (which, alone, isn't the best answer to what Brawl has to throw at me). We need to get off of this trivial game of "NO U" and start proving, by torunaments and/or by simple discussion, that the potential isn't just there, but that the potential PT has is going somewhere.
