The Pokémon World Championship, the ultimate battleground for aspiring VGC, TCG, Unite, or Go pro players, is a thrilling competition. The road to Worlds is a test of skill, strategy, and endurance, where securing enough Championship Points to earn an invite is a badge of honor.
To get invited to the big end-of-year event, trainers must participate in several regional and international competitions to earn points, achieved via high placements and requiring all of their talent, consistency, a willingness to travel, and some luck. After reaching a set number of points, depending on which region you come from, you will be invited to compete at Worlds. International events like the EUIC are the pinnacle of the competition and offer vast amounts of points compared to regionals, with the significant downside being more attendees.
For a lot of these players, Worlds in Honolulu, Hawai’i is the end goal. If you spend the whole year attending multiple events and fail to miss the World Championship, your entire year feels wasted. The stress and anxiety of missing out are very present in players, even if they don’t show it.
The European International Championship is not just a competition. It’s a crucial stepping stone for ambitious players in Europe and the U.K. to the prestigious Pokémon World Championship. This pivotal event, which took place in London, U.K., from April 5 to 7 this year, was a golden opportunity for global recognition in the gaming community.
And I was there to catch all the action as it happened.
Following the journey
At EUIC, which had over 4,000 competitors across multiple games, I closely followed several U.K. and EU players as they battled for a Worlds placement and a top spot in their regional leaderboard. Finishing in the top 22 on that leaderboard not only secures an invite to Worlds, but also earns players a travel award and a round one bye, effectively paying for their travel and giving them an advantage towards the Worlds title. Tournaments like EUIC are a crucial step towards those vast bonuses. Failure to hit that top 22 for Europe means some might not be able to afford to go to Worlds. Getting to Hawai’i isn’t exactly a cheap trip, after all.
During EUIC, with travel expenses provided by The Pokémon Company International, the Pokémon team linked Dot Esports up with a player to follow their journey through EUIC as they hoped to lock in a Worlds spot. One of the players gunning for glory was Demetris Eaton, a formidable UK TCG player and runner-up at the Toronto Regionals in October 2023. He was among those vying for a tier-one Worlds qualifying spot.
Despite his best efforts, the tournament didn’t unfold as he had hoped. With a final score of 4-2-3 at the end of day one, he narrowly missed out on day two and a chance at a top-eight finish, a bittersweet end to his EUIC journey.
Reflecting on his unlucky day one, Demetris explained to Dot Esports the challenges he faced while playing his variant of a Snorlax Stall deck due to “difficult matchups, such as Arceus, Giratina, and some counter cards like Minior.” He was disappointed with his performance, but finished 16th on the European leaderboards.
Demetris concluded that he “expected to do better” before ending on a more positive note, telling us that he is “happy to have earned points as it helps with my contention for top 22 Europe.” With more tournaments on the horizon and players creeping up on his points tally, he has a lot of work ahead of him if he wants to end in the top 22 and get that coveted tier-one spot.
After failing with Snorlax Stall, Demetris plans to return to what got him the Toronto runner-up spot in the first place by going back to Gardevoir ex. Not only that, but he also already has a clear goal in mind: bouncing back from his EUIC performance by “attending all the remaining European events” to secure the top 22 EU finishes.
On the VGC side, it was a similar story for the home-grown players, with only Joseph Russell making it to the top 11, barely missing out on a top eight place on day two. Most players told a similar story of not understanding or respecting the meta, with Raging Bolt, Incineroar, and Ogerpon dominating the weekend.
One play away from glory or heartbreak
After watching a few players’ journeys throughout EUIC and seeing the heartbreak from missing out on their goals, it really drilled home how hard the journey to Worlds is. You are always one poor play or lousy day from risking it all.
Any competition is a battle of wits. Even if you spend months preparing a team or deck, the game can be unpredictable, and you must adapt as you go. A misread of the meta or one wrong move can haunt you, but it can also inspire you to work harder or make the changes necessary to get to where you want to be, like Demetris’ planned changes to his deck.
For most players, the final chance to secure a spot at Worlds will be June 7-9 in New Orleans. At NAIC, we are getting two significant changes that will completely change the meta. On the VGC side, Regulation G will be active starting on May 1, allowing most Legendary Pokémon, including the feared Shadow Calyrex, to appear. As for TCG players, a brand new set called Twilight Masquerade launches May 24, bringing new cards like Ogerpon EX that could destabilize current decks.
Whoever understands these new metas first and pulls out all the stops to surprise their opponent will take it all and secure those final Worlds slots. It’s make-or-break time in the competitive Pokémon world, and those who evolve their game should reap the rewards as Worlds looms ever closer.
Published: Apr 9, 2024 12:38 pm