The Pokémon World Championships ended after three days of matches in Yokohama, Japan. Pokémon trainers worldwide gathered at the event to participate in the premier Pokémon video games and the Pokémon Trading Card Game tournaments. The event consists of tournaments for the Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet video games and the Pokémon TCG, Pokémon GO, and Pokémon UNITE. Over 10,000 players and Pokémon fans attended the event held at the PACIFICO Yokohama Convention Center, ending on August 13th.
The 2023 Pokémon World Championships Winners
The winners of the tournaments have officially been announced. Vance Kelly won the Pokémon TCG Masters Division Champion, while Gabriel Fernandez won the Pokémon TCG Senior Division Champion.
Team Luminosity took first place in the Pokémon UNITE tournament. Team members include Elo, Overlord, Kyriaos, Slash, and Rhinne. The Champion of the Pokémon GO tournament is ItsAXN.
Helping Hawaii
The location for the 2024 Pokémon World Championships was announced during the closing ceremony on Sunday. Honolulu, Hawaii, will host next year’s Pokémon World Championships. Currently, wildfires are causing terrible destruction in Hawaii. In response, the Pokémon Company International is donating $200,000 to GlobalGiving’s Hawaii Wildfire Relief Fund. The company also promises to match employee donations.
“Our hearts go out to all those who have been impacted by the devastating wildfires in Hawai’i, says Colin Palmer, VP of Premier Events at The Pokémon Company International. “Our priority is to aid children, families, and their affected communities. To support relief efforts, The Pokémon Company International is making an immediate monetary donation of $200,000 to its partners at GlobalGiving through their Hawaii Wildfire Relief Fund.”
New cards and mechanics for Pokémon TCG were also unveiled during the closing ceremonies. Starting this autumn, Ancient and Future Pokémon such as Roaring Moon ex, Iron Valiant ex, and illustration rare versions of Brute Bonnet and Iron Moth will be available. In other Pokémon news, animated series Pokémon Concierge will release on Netflix late this year.
Jack Brassell is a freelance journalist and aspiring novelist. Jack is a self-proclaimed nerd with a lifelong passion for storytelling. As an author, Jack writes mostly horror and young adult fantasy. Also an avid gamer, she works as the lead news editor at Hardcore Droid. When she isn't writing or playing games, she can often be found binge-watching Parks & Rec or The Office, proudly considering herself to be a cross between Leslie Knope and Pam Beasley.
