Pokemon White 2 Complete PWT FAQ

 Pokemon White 2 Complete PWT FAQ

Q: What is the PWT?
A: PWT stands for the Pokemon World Tournament. It is a battle facility in these games, where you compete against high level trainers across the first 5 generations, such as Gym Leaders and Champions, in a tournament setting.

Q: So what is this category?
A: This category is to Complete the PWT. So naturally, to complete all the tournaments.
It is of note this means the run isn't just to complete the Champion's Tournament - but ALL of them. More specifically, it would be to complete the criteria for all the PWT medals (Download tournaments are not included)

So all the tournaments to win are:
Driftviel Tournament
Rental Tournament
Mix Tournament
Unova Leaders
Kanto Leaders
Johto Leaders
Hoenn Leaders
Sinnoh Leaders
Rental Master
Mix Master
World Leaders (10 times, to unlock Champs)
Champion Tournament
And All 17 Type Expert Tournaments. These are actually the really crucial ones, and the ones that make the run really interesting.

Q: Why are the Type Expert Tournaments the crucial and interesting ones?
A: This is because of the restriction for Type Expert tournaments. In these tournaments, you can only enter with a Pokemon of that type. This means you have to get at least 3 of each type, and they have to build a good enough team to win every type.

Given 17 x 3 = 51, this means you need to use at least 26 different Pokemon.
(This is technically not true, as you can, and I do, for example use Rotom to enter into more than 2 different types. However I end up using more than 26 Pokemon anyway (27 in PWT, plus Psyduck as HM slave), as the dual types don't quite work out perfectly.)

This means that instead of just getting 3 Pokemon and stopping through to the Champion's Tournament, I have to obtain and build and large amount of Pokemon to win across the board.

Q: So what Pokemon will you use throughout the run?
A: As follows:

General PWT team: Dragonite, Excadrill, Metagross
(This team is used for most tournaments that aren't type expert. I do also use Rotom-Wash in Mix Tournaments too.)

Types:
Steel: Excadrill, Metagross, Ferroseed
Ground: Excadrill, Mamoswine, Baltoy
Ghost: Drifblim, Chandelure, Rotom
Flying: Dragonite, Drifblim, Pidove
Water: Lanturn, Rotom-Wash, Kingdra
Dragon: Kingdra, Dragonite, Vibrava
Normal: Zangoose, Sawsbuck, Pidove
Electric: Lanturn, Rotom-Heat, Joltik
Fire: Rotom-Heat, Chandelure, Pignite
Grass: Leavanny, Ferroseed, Amoonguss
Fighting: Toxicroak, Terrakion, Pignite
Poison: Drapion, Toxicroak, Amoonguss
Dark: Weavile, Drapion, Zorua
Ice: Weavile, Rotom-Frost, Mamoswine
Bug: Volcarona, Crustle, Leavanny
Psychic: Metagross, Lunatone, Baltoy
Rock: Terrakion, Lunatone, Crustle

Q: What tournaments are the hardest?
A: This is a somewhat difficult question to answer because there are 2 different ways tournaments can be hard in the run.

1 - They are genuinely hard to build a team and win for. This is generally because either the good options either aren't available or are too long and difficult to get, or because the matchups are tough.
Good examples of these types are Normal, and Ghost.

2 - I'm using less than ideal Pokemon, because it's faster and I think I can still win. Better Pokemon often take a long amount of setup time, and given each type is ideally only 3 fights, it's better to ideally spend just enough time to get a winning team. Trading off the risk is difficult to route, but not every type ends up being equal, partly because of wanting the dual type as well.
Best examples of this is Psychic, where I try to win with basically just Metagross.

Q: Why do you use some Pokemon that aren't fully evolved, like Batloy and Joltik?
A: It isn't worth the time it takes to give them enough experience to evolve. Simply put, I can win without evolving them, so it's faster not to. Also, the levels all get scaled to Level 50 for the tournaments, so even some NFEs can have their moments towards victory.

Q: Will this run use RNG Manipulation?
A: Yes to obtain the Pokemon, no for inside PWT.

Q: Why won't you use RNG Manipulation for the PWT?
A: There's a simple explanation, and a complex explanation to this.

Simple explanation: It isn't worth it.

Complex explanation: There are 2 relevant RNGs for basically every part of this game - often referred to as the IVRNG and the PIDRNG. The IVRNG as the name suggest determines the IVs of Pokemon you obtain, and the PIDRNG handles most everything else (Pokemon Slot, Nature, Ability, Gender, Phenomenon, etc.)

In the case of PWT, the IVRNG handles the bracket (who you fight and when), and the PIDRNG handles what Pokemon they use when you do fight them (including their Gender and Ability, which is random in PWT.)

Now while PIDRNG is controllable for long periods of time (similar to Gen 4), IVRNG is not. This is because IVRNG also advances inside battles, at an alarming fast and uncontrollable rate. This also applies to PWT battles. Because of this, you could only control the bracket for 1 tournament at a time, which is simply not worth the time to save and reset to redo it every single time. Not only that, but even if you did that and controlled every tournament, you'd still have to win, which still requires a similar amount of preparation even if you do manip who you fight and when. So it ends up not being worth it.

---

NOTE: The first hour of this run is very similar to the any% run, but I do now use a different seed for Tepig and Drilbur.

Q: Why do you use a different seed?
A: This is because when doing the Tepig manip, I'm also going to manipulate some of the Hidden Grottos. If done correctly, while doing the movement to get Tepig and go to Flocessy Ranch, I'll be putting a Zangoose into the Route 23 Grotto, and Dragonite into the Route 18 Grotto, and a Rare Candy into the Route 13 Grotto.

The Drilbur seed is just different because there isn't a Drilbur on the same date as the Tepig seed that I use (because of all the exact requirements, that doesn't exist), so I use a Drilbur seed that's just got a few less steps.

---

Q: What are you playing on, it is emulator?
A: No, I'm playing on a DS (phat) with a capture board installed allowing me to record game footage

Q: Why do you choose Tepig?
A: Because the Tepig evolution family is the best for the speedrun. He isn't used for the whole run, however.

Q: What do you use instead?
A: I catch a Drilbur before Burgh, and use Excadrill throughout the game. I still use Pignite for Burgh's Gym (giving Drilbur exp Share), but then switch to Drilbur straight after as my main Pokemon.

Q: Are Drilbur/Excadrill's stats manipulated?
A: Yes! I manipulate both the dust cloud appearance and Drilbur's stats at the same time.

Q: So what are the really hard fights in this run?
A: The worst fight in this run through the start of the game honestly is Cheren, just because you speedtie his Lillipup, making it generally a 50/50 win as I'll play risky there to save time. Other than that, Charles/Rood can be a bit annoying with Drilbur, and Hugh 3 is the worst fight with Excadrill.

Q: Why do you keep resetting and changing the time?
A: I need to use a specific time in order to use RNG manipulation, so I set the clock in such a way that I can use it. The timer counts down to when I need to start the game for the correct second.

Q: What is RNG?
A: Random Number Generator, the thing that determines everything random within the game, such as stats, encounters and pokerus.

Q: What is RNG Manipulation?
A: RNG manipulation is used in this speedrun, which involves resetting on a specific second starting the game at a specific time, a to hit a specific seed.

Q: What causes the resets?
A: I missed initial starting seed. There are 2 ways to check whether I hit the correct seed:
1) After setting my and my rivals name, the game sets up a save. At this point, there is a "clock hand" that rotates clockwise. Where it starts is determined by the seed. So I know that unless it starts by pointing directly Right, I missed it
2) I check the movement of the NPCs in Aspertia City. Because their movement is derived from the RNG, I can tell I hit it based on their movements. This is used as a second check, most runs that get to this check will progress

Hitting the seed is only based off the second, not the frame in gen 5, so it's a lot easier to hit than it is in gen 4/3. However there is another mechanic at play, the "Timer0" fluctuates seemingly randomly, and is what causes the inconsistencies. If you want a rough estimate of the chance of it being the one I want, I can't give you one because it isn't actually a random chance (as far as we know), but so far I've only hit 5 different Timer0s

For Manipulated Drilbur, the first thing I can use as a guide is whether the Dust Cloud shows up. If it doesn't show up when I know it should, then I know I missed the Timer0 I want. There's also a chance that one will show up but in a different spot, which also means I missed the Timer0 I want, and have to reset regardless.

Q: Why don't you check Tepigs stats? What are Tepigs stats like?
A: Tepigs starting stats are the same every time RNG manipulation is used, and due to the huge number of possible seeds, are almost perfect in this game (31/31/30/30/24/30). The nature however is decided independently to the IVs, and is based on the RNG Frame when I pick him. If I do movement correctly, so that the NPCs move around the right amount, it should be the target: Rash.

Q: What are Drilbur's stats like?
A: Drilbur has 31 IV in everything but Sp Att. Drilbur only uses Sp Att in one fight, the first fight it does against Colress, but because it's ability is manipulated to be Sand Force, it's Sp Att does not matter much for that fight (it needs to be 7+ IV to 2HKO). It's also an Adamant nature, highest level (19 out of 16-19).

Q: What encounters will you get?
A: If I do the manipulation for encounters correctly, I should get both a Pidove, and a Psyduck before Cheren as HM Slaves (for Fly, and Surf/Strength)

Q: Do you catch anything else?
A: For getting through the game, just those 2. I leave Pignite in the box so it doesn't come out in the triple fights.
Obviously many other Pokemon are caught in preparation for PWT.

Q: So why don't you just manipulate everything in the game?
A: Quite simply, nothing else is really worth it. There's no roamer/legendary worth getting, no Master Ball lottery, etc. There's also different types, while you are in battles certain RNGs advance making it impossible to control for any length of time.
It's technically possible to manipulate Pokerus from a battle, but it's generally not worth it on most seeds. And the sacrifice of having to use a worse seed for manips in order to get Pokerus makes it a very unappealing and not really worth it prospect. Especially when you consider how difficult it is to do Pokerus manip in this game as well (requires 2 frame perfect (at 60fps) inputs at the end of a battle)

Q: Why White 2 and not Black 2?
A: Black 2 has an extra trainer in Reversal mountain, and Charles is a Rotation battle instead of Triple. Other stuff is different too, but basically White 2 is better in every way.

Q: Why do you play as the boy/girl?
A: Both play the same. I prefer the girl but usually I choose the boy because I don't mind the male design in this game, and its where the cursor starts, so it's easier to pick.

Q: Why do you name yourself and NOT Tepig 'I'?
A: Because it's faster to name myself one character for text purposes. Tepig however isn't used enough to make nicknaming worth it, since text moves quite fast in this game. I name Drilbur '9' because it's really close to the OK button to finish nicknaming (and also a naming system I used to do where I'd name a Lvl 19 '9' so you know what Lvl I caught it at)

For my trainer name I just tap whatever button with my left index finger, so it varies a bit.

Q: What is WR?
A: I'm the only one who has done runs, so, see: splits.

Q: How long will this take? What is your goal time?
A: Overall goal time I think will be sub 10 hours. But it'll probably take a few runs to get improvement that significant.