World Championships: Difference between revisions

The '''Pokémon World Championships''' (Japanese: '''ポケモンワールドチャンピオンシップス''' ''Pokémon World Championships'') are an annual event staged by the [[Play! Pokémon]] organized play division of [[The Pokémon Company International]] (formerly known as Pokémon USA). The first ever World Championship event was run by [[Wizards of the Coast]], a division of [[Hasbro]], in August 2002 in Seattle, WA<ref>[http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=68329&p=irol-newsArticlePR_pf&ID=322673&highlight= First-Ever Pokemon Trading Card Game World Champion Titles Won by Dylan Austin, 14 of Ann Arbor, Michigan and Mindy Lambkee, 10 of Kent, Washington]</ref>. Due to the transfer of the licensing of the [[Pokémon Trading Card Game|Trading Card Game]] from Wizards to Nintendo, neither company staged a World Championship in 2003. Nintendo resumed World Championships in 2004, and have held them each year ever since. Prior to the start of the World Championships {{DL|Play! Pokémon|TCG Premier Events|tournament}} structure, the best players from around the world competed at the [[Tropical Mega Battle]] between 1999 and 2001, as well as at several Super Trainer Showdown events held in the US in 2000 and 2001.

As an invitational-only event held in August of a given year, players are chosen on overall ratings, national champions and past performances in the previous year's World Championships (see [[Championship Point]]).

The championships are staged utilizing that year's {{TCG|Standard format}}, previously referred to as ''Modified Format'' prior to the {{TCG|2013-14 Modified format|2014 season}}. The {{TCG|2014-15 Modified format|2015 season}} introduced the {{TCG|Expanded format}}.  Set over three days with a last chance qualifier (known to players as "The Grinder") on the Friday to fill seats left vacant for various reasons (no travel, local qualifiers) until all seats are filled.  The second day is limited to Swiss Pairings over a set number of rounds, and the top players (16 each in the Junior and Senior Divisions, as well as the top 32 in the Masters division) move onto the Sunday rounds.  The format for this final is single elimination, until the finals, which are a best two matches out of three to decide the World Champion.  There are three divisions: Junior (known as the 10 Years Old and Under Division until 2006), Senior (known as the 11 to 14 Year Old Division until 2006) and Masters (called the 15 Years and Older Division until 2006).

The Video Game Championships (VGC) use the [[core series]] of Pokémon games and was first staged in [[2009 World Championships|2009]] in {{wp|San Diego, California}}. The format is virtually the same as the TCG counterparts in which winners of those in the National tournament play. In 2010, a Last Chance Qualifier was held on Friday to fill all vacant spots. In 2011, a Masters age Division was added to parallel the TCG. The most recently released Pokémon game is used for battles. The in-battle rules and banned Pokémon vary from year to year. Usually, the battles are double battles, and each player can use four Pokémon. The event format consists of Swiss rounds, followed by a single elimination tournament. In 2009, the top two advanced to play the finals on Sunday, whereas since 2010, the top eight advance to play in a head-to-head single elimination event to decide the World Champions.

===Games used===

==In the games==

In {{game|Black and White|s|Pokémon Black 2 and White 2|2}}, the top four competitors from each division of the Video Game Championships from the [[2012 World Championships]] were featured in the [[World Championships Tournament]]s in the [[Pokémon World Tournament]]. In the [[Generation VI]] games, {{DL|Pokémon X and Y beta|Battle Maison|unused text}} exists for the top three competitors as opponents in the [[Battle Maison]].

 

In {{g|Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire}}, several NPCs at the [[Battle Resort]] mention the Pokémon World Championships.

 

==In the anime==

 

* 2020's VGC series was the first time that non-{{pkmn2|event}} Pokémon were excluded because of rarity, and also the first time that event-exclusive forms were allowed. (Specifically, [[Gigantamax]] Pokémon that were rarely available normally in-game did not become allowed until a [[Wild Area News]] event temporarily made them more common. Simultaneously, Gigantamax Pokémon that were not normally available in-game but were made available via event were allowed.)

** However, both these distinctions would become moot partway through the series with the release of [[The Isle of Armor]], which made all relevant Gigantamax Pokémon accessible without needing to depend on either rarity or an event.