Reinforced by heartbreak and adversity, Team Nemesis upbeat on achieving podium finish at Pokemon worlds
SAN FRANCISCO, United States – The trials and tribulations of the past have honed Team Nemesis to a chemistry that the squad feels can carry it to glory in the upcoming Pokemon World Championships here.
Team Nemesis — made up of Lawrence “RBX” Gatmaitan, Kim Rey “Kyy” Salazar, Duke “Dylan” Leoncio, Robert “SynC1” Mempin and Michael “Miva” Ocio — will be representing the Philippines in the Pokemon Unite event of the Pokemon World Championships, which will kick off early Saturday morning (Manila time) here.
In the last two editions of the worlds, the squad, known back then as Talon PH, failed to reach the podium.
In the 2024 World Championships in Honolulu, Hawaii, Talon PH finished at joint fifth. Last year in Ahaneim, it crashed out of the first round of the playoff, hounded by technical issues.
This time around, the team is confident of glory being within its reach.
“Actually, we are really confident na makaalis sa group stage for Day 2. Pero of course, it will not be a walk in the park, yung pagpunta namin sa Day 2, especially with Fennel within our bracket naman. Pero confident kami na makakapasok kami sa Day 2 moving forward,” Team Nemesis coach Albert “Berty” Camp told Philstar.com in an interview Friday (Manila time).
Team Nemesis is included in Group F in the group stage. There, the squad will face Brazil’s Fames, USA’s LuneX Gaming and Japan’s Fennel, which won the 2024 Pokemon Unite championship.
“Gusto lang din namin mag-podium this year, hopefully, as this is the last Pokemon World Championship for the Pokemon Unite, bago siya mapunta sa Pokemon Unite Aeos Crown na lalaruin na sa Japan,” he added.
And with the heartbreak of the past fueling them, Team Nemesis captain RBX said that the team has built a chemistry that could carry them through overwhelming odds.
“We're family na kasi. So, we've been together for three years. So, di na maiiwasan na rin yung mga samahan ng loob, ganyan. Pero, laging kong sinasabi, ‘okay lang yun’. Kasi, it's part of the team, it's part of life. Pero, ‘pag labas naman ng work, tropa pa rin, family pa rin,” RBX said.
“Yung chemistry naman, talagang nabubuhay yan for kung gano kayo katagal. So, sa isa't isa sa amin, alam na namin yung mga ugali namin. Alam na namin yung mga ayaw, at gusto. So, yung mga ganoon talagang sobrang rare sa magkaka-team. Usually, yung mga team, nakakaroon ng mga sama ng loob, galitan. Nakakawatak na, they're gonna be in bad blood,” he added.
“So, ngayon sa amin naman, wala naman kaming ganoon. We're treating each other with respect. And, paglabas naman ng game, we're treating each other with respect. Then, we're having fun sa international, sa bootcamp. Respect talaga ang number one para sa amin.”
And, like in anime and Pokemon itself, they will bank on the “power of friendship.”
Still, it can only take them so far.
“Sa anime pa lang, sa Pokemon pa lang. Power of friendship talaga ang labanan. Pero siyempre, yung power of friendship, nadadala lang tayo ng hanggang kung saan lang kaya. Nasa atin pa rin talaga, kung saan tayo talaga dadalahin ng power of friendship.”
Team Nemesis will collide with the other teams in their bracket early Saturday morning (Manila time). The top two teams of each group will advance to Day 2.
This time around, the team has found a “freer” approach as it embraces a more “enjoy” mentality.
“Lagi naman sinasabi sa nila, lagi nilang i-enjoy yung game. Enjoy yung moment ng life na nakaka-compete tayo sa ibang mga bansa. And then, enjoy the break, enjoy the life, and nakaka-compete while competing. So, yun lang naman,” he said.
“Siguro ngayon, masyado kaming free, which is good sa playstyle namin. Kasi, for the past, parang medyo controlling yung playstyle namin. Ngayon, mas free yung playstyle namin. So, we can play kung saan kami comfortable. So, better na yung ganun kesa sa controlling na kung ano lang pwede kami.”
The opening of the World Championships will be on early Saturday morning. More than 3,000 players will participate in the tournament, and over 50,000 are expected to flock to the Moscone Center for both the worlds and the Pokemon XP.
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