Gourgeist · Evolving Skies (EVS) #077

9 comments

1. 

   Twylis

   (2 years ago)

   This deck is incredibly fun in casual expanded once you figure out how to build it. Gains lots of key support options like Unown (AOR), Malamar (FLI), and Tapu Lele GX alongside things it has in standard like Mew (CEL) and Oranguru (SSH) (not Psychic but the topdeck manipulation is huge).

   Critical part of building it is getting the lines right; you want top-heavy lines to have both consistency in getting them out and consistency with Pandemonium, e.g. 3-4 Malamar line and 2-4 backup attacker line (I like Banette (CRE) for this but Trashalanche’s Garbodor is prob better). And since Malamar recycles energy, the deck only needs like four Psychic energy that can be continuously reused, and Fog Crystal finds them easily from the deck.

   Current build I use runs 34 pokemon, 22 trainers, and 4 energy and while not incredibly consistent it works much better than you would expect.

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2. 

   Illiterature

   (2 years ago)

   Care sharing your deck? I’ve actually been working on my own one and would like to compare cards to see if theres anything else I might need

   Reply
   • 

     TwylisIlliterature

     (2 years ago)

     This is what I’m currently using:
     https://pastebin.com/1mfzfiSK

     I usually play in a semi-unlimited format with friends though, so those two Unown would be Shining Legends Marshadow in my actual list. I also play Luxury Ball; I replaced that with a second Rescue Stretcher (more accessible than an Ace Spec, though Mysterious Treasure is another option). I also find Unown is a bit underwhelming in practice, the loss of Marshadow really hurts. Might be worth running a third Tapu Lele GX. Plasma Freeze Mr. Mime is good too.

     The supporter situation is where it could see the most improvement, I kinda just run 2 of Cynthia/N/Marnie/Guzma because they work. This is another list I’ve seen, which takes a very different approach:
     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsMDkjMRczQ
     2 Cynthia, 1 Lillie’s Full Force, 1 Klara, and then a full 4 for Battle Compressor and VS Seeker plus 3 Random Receiver. I haven’t tried that, myself, but I don’t lean as hard into Pandemonium in my list since Banette is there for backup. Lillie’s Full Force is the most interesting inclusion, since it can shuffle your Pokémon back into your deck.

     The upcoming Gengar from Lost Origin is also a perfect addition; it’s a stage 2 that can be played from the discard pile with an attack that places 2 damage counters to the opponent’s active for every Pokémon on their bench. 100 damage for 1 Psychic energy is pretty nice for when you just need to finish off something that Pandemonium whiffed on (which is another reason I run Banette).

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     • 

       IlliteratureTwylis

       (2 years ago)

       Ahh I’m intrigued, and will test it out. Here’s my list:
       ****** Pokémon Trading Card Game Deck List ******

       ##Pokémon – 34

       * 2 Mew (UNB) #76
       * 4 Pumpkaboo (EVS) #076
       * 2 Sylveon V (EVS) #184
       * 1 Banette (ROS) #32
       * 1 Beheeyem (NVI) #56
       * 1 Cosmoem (SUM) #65
       * 1 Drifblim (STS) #47
       * 1 Duosion (NVI) #51
       * 1 Dusclops (BUS) #52
       * 1 Espeon (PLF) #48
       * 1 Garbodor (LTR) #68
       * 1 Golbat (SUM) #55
       * 1 Golurk (FFI) #43
       * 1 Gothorita (GRI) #53
       * 4 Gourgeist (EVS) #077
       * 1 Haunter (CIN) #37
       * 1 Kirlia LTR 124
       * 1 Lampent (STS) #49
       * 1 Meowstic (BUS) #60
       * 1 Mismagius (SMP) #SM245
       * 1 Musharna (PLB) #40
       * 1 Nidorina (PLF) #41
       * 1 Nidorino (STS) #44
       * 1 Slowbro (GRI) #49
       * 1 Swoobat (BKT) #72
       * 1 Whirlipede (BUS) #57

       ##Trainer Cards – 18

       * 2 Energy Loto (GRI) #122
       * 4 Pokémon Communication (TEU) #152
       * 2 Rescue Stretcher (GRI) #130
       * 4 Shauna (FST) #240
       * 3 Random Receiver (FCO) #109
       * 2 U-Turn Board (UNM) #211
       * 1 VS Seeker (PHF) #109

       ##Energy – 8

       * 4 Double Colorless Energy (NXD) #92
       * 4 Twin Energy (RCL) #174

       Total Cards – 60

       ****** Deck List Generated by the Pokémon TCG Online http://www.pokemon.com/TCGO ******
       Mew is there both as a barrier and a secondary attacker to help me trim the opponent’s pokemon to multiples of 60. Still trying to get dimension valley, feel like it might work well for this deck.

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     • 

       IlliteratureTwylis

       (2 years ago)

       Sorry, would you be able to send the deck text again? I keep getting errors when I try to import it into PTCGO.

       Reply
3. 

   Twylis

   (1 year ago)

   Ambassador’s localization musings have got me ruminating on this card (more than usual, I mean — it’s my favorite deck!). Pandemonium is a very fun attack name, but it pales in comparison to its original name in Japanese: ひゃっきやこう, or Hyakki Yagyō — Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyakki_Yagy%C5%8D

   The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons is a concept in Japanese mythology that is exactly what you’d expect: a riotous parade of countless yōkai, oni, and other supernatural creatures through the streets of Japan at night. The parade is dangerous, and approaching it runs the risk of dying or being spirited away, and I believe in some depictions permanently joining the parade yourself is a possible outcome as well. The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons has gained increasing recognition internationally in recent year, the most notable example coming to mind being its appearance in Ghostwire: Tokyo.

   Pokemon is also no stranger to the concept — a few years prior to this card, Hyakki Yagyō was the theme of a Pokemon Center merch promotion, featuring beautiful artwork by TCG favorite Kawayoo:
   https://i.pinimg.com/736x/c4/ff/b3/c4ffb33aaf34dfdf8b68683aff9742fc.jpg
   The art features a lovely mix of many different pokemon, most prominently the many pokemon based on yōkai and other Japanese mythological creatures, alongside many others that simply have a Japanese feel to them or just fit the overall tone. Unlike most other non-collaboration Pokemon Center promotions, none of its associated plushes ever released internationally, likely due to the heavy Japanese theming of the line (though I’m a proud owner of the Froslass!)

   Anyway, faced with the task of localizing the concept, the card team opted for the simple “Pandemonium” rather than include a reference to a wonderful bit of Japanese mythology. Pandemonium does have an interesting history to itself though — the word was an invention of John Milton, originally being the name of the capital of Hell in Paradise Lost. In English, however, the word has since lost its demonic associations, and instead usually just means riotous chaos. In some languages though, such as Dutch, it refers to a “hellish chaos” in particular. This has some interesting thematic parallels with the Night Parade — an often chaotic congregation of “demons” — but the attack loses so much of its original meaning in the process. I honestly suspect the decision to go with Pandemonium in particular for the name might’ve just been because Wikipedia claims it’s a similar thing in its opening paragraph for Hyakki Yagyō :v

   Perhaps what saddens me most is just how perfect of an attack name Night Parade of One Hundred Demons really was. This attack is very strange, with the only other example of pokemon-based damage scaling I know of being Unified Minds Chandelure’s Spirit Burner (originally “Soul Burner” — again more thematic!). Chandelure’s Soul Burner discards the pokemon (absorbing their power, basically), while Gourgeist shuffles them back into the deck. The result of that is that Pandemonium gets stronger and stronger over the course of the game, as more non-pokemon cards get discarded while all the pokemon return to the deck, essentially representing more and more pokemon joining the Night Parade.

   Thinking now, I can honestly say it’s my favorite attack in the TCG’s whole history.

   Further information on the Night Parade can be found here:
   https://www.yokaistreet.com/yokai-parade/
   Lovely website that documents a ton of yokai-related concepts c:

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   • 

     JP Twylis

     (1 year ago)

     Ah, this is interesting context to have! I can see why they didn’t go with “Night Parade of One Hundred Demons” localized though, haha. 1) too long of a name; 2) they probably didn’t want the word “demon” on a card. And of course the cultural reference doesn’t translate.

     But now that I think about it, “Night Parade of 100 Demons” (instead of “one hundred”) is still a shorter attack name than “Electromagnetic Rock Wrecker“…

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     • 

       AmbassadorJP

       (1 year ago)

       Another point of intrigue about the attack ひゃっきやこう is that it also appeared in Pokémon Legends Arceus, where it received another translation – “Infernal Parade”. I don’t know if I prefer either translation, but I find it interesting this got missed in terms of consistency of translations. There’s about 24 or 25 moves that first appear in (and/or could turn out to be entirely unique to?) Pokémon Legends Arceus and I’m not terrifically sure if any others got lost in translation – I might eventually look into it myself if nobody else take the lead on that.

       Reply
       • 

         TwylisAmbassador

         (1 year ago)

         Legends Arceus leaned a lot harder into its Japanese motifs, so it’s possible they wanted a more faithful representation of the concept. Gotta say, though, Gourgeist’s is a much better representation of the concept — Typh’s is just some spooky fireballs, but Gourgeist actually involves a whole cavalcade of other entities. I’m aware Typh’s fireballs are purified spirits, but that’s not exactly One Hundred Demons.
         Kinda wish they made Infernal Parade some sort of Beat Up variant.

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