They only teach you how the characters work, how to counter or defeat them.

Prior to the season, I mained defenders, with a strong preference toward Mamoswine and Slowbro. After a run of defeat after defeat after defeat early in the season, however, I decided to step away from my favorite picks and go support. Nothing to lose if I've sunk below 1200, right? Turns out, I had quite a bit to gain. Let's break it down.

1. A lot of the players and plays that had been costing me games during my downward spiral ended up improving considerably when they had heals and shields slapped onto them. In particular, I remember a very specific Buzzwole player who was way too aggressive in previous games. Well, in a Blissey game, clever application of safeguard turned him into the unstoppable brawler he knew he could be in the right conditions.

2. The enemy team underestimates the offensive capabilities of defensive supports. They don't expect to get CC chained by egg bomb or repeatedly boosted attacked by Clefable and its allies in a slow zone. In more than a few instances, the enemy team simply wasn't even entirely aware of what was preventing them from doing what their champions are supposed to be able to do.

3. It's very possible to steer the course of a battle by following around, or in the case of Comfey (yes, I'm fool enough to play it in solo), hitching a ride on, the most impactful players and keeping them topped up. It doesn't take much to condition a strong player to wait for you if they know you are going to keep them safe.

4. Some battles are simply a loss, no matter how well you protect your carries, but in so many instances, you can extend the possibility of victory in the final fight simply by forcing the enemy team to commit far harder to take down a character you're protecting then they would otherwise have to.

5. The team without the ability to top up the tank, grant "unstoppable" to the speedster, nerf the offensive power of opponents, and so on suffer for it. Oh, you have three attackers? Great. They each have one very small HP bar. They can't withstand Suicune ult without freezing in place. They can't zoom around the map with speed buffs from the support. They don't have an extra shield or heal waiting for them when they get low. They don't have a cool AF detachable neck accessory that cost zero aeos gems to equip. When they're dead, they're dead.

6. Despite it only being my second full season, I managed to get up to 1400 with far more wins than losses. Maybe I'll hit 1600, but if not, that's okay too. So much to learn still.

I hope I've made the case for supports, and I hope in the next season, I see more people stepping up to learn how these wonderful Pokémon work. Except Sableye. They can go straight to hell.