Returning to VGC

I recently got a new phone. Nothing too exciting, but I've been enjoying (as much as using a phone can be enjoyable) getting everything set up, trying new options for software, the usual stuff. It was also the perfect impetus to download Pokémon Champions after realizing last month that my previous phone was too wizened to support the fancy new software. I'd initially been excited for Champions' concept as an official alternative to the fan-made Showdown, but had been warded off by the gacha mechanics and lack of free rental teams. Of course, turns out I wouldn't have been able to run it on my old phone anyway (The Pokémon Company never fails to find a way to fumble, in this case requiring Android 13 for god knows what reason), but nonetheless. Given this new opportunity, I've pretty rapidly devolved into a full on VGC addict in a way that I haven't since 2013. For the uninitiated, VGC ("Video Game Championship") is the officially supported competitive format for the Pokémon video…