Navigating the Path to the 2024 Pokémon World Championships in Hawaii: A Comprehensive GuidE
A note from the author: I wrote this piece after the 2023 World Championships and have been working on it off and on since then. While the season has officially begun, and is now almost done, I feel much of this is still very relevant for the rest of the season and beyond. Thank you and enjoy.
Introduction
The Pokémon World Championships in Yokohama, Japan have finally concluded. Crowning our newest World Champion, Shohei Kimura, and giving players a glimpse into the bright future of the game with Worlds 2024 being located in none other than Honolulu, Hawaii. This location is not exactly new for the World Championships, as this event has been in Hawaii previously in 2007, 2010, and 2012.
With a Worlds location announced for the next season, and the month of September almost upon us to start off the new season, it begs the question, how does one attempt to qualify for the World Championships in 2024?
This article is an attempt to highlight some of the steps for aspiring competitors to make it to the 2024 World Championships in Hawaii.
Part 1: Attending the Event - Cost Considerations and Educational Levels
If money were not a barrier to playing this game, who knows what the VGC scene would be like. While we don’t have to continuously buy new cards, card sleeves, dice, mats, and other TCG-related items, players are expected to have a few necessities to start out playing.
The Pokémon Game Scarlet or Violet (NEW $59.99)
A Nintendo Switch Console ($200-$300)
A Pokémon Play! Account (Free!)
A Nintendo Online Account (Annual Subscription $20, get a group of friends for a family plan for cheap!)
DLC content for Scarlet/Violet has specific access to Pokémon to play with not available in the main game. While one can always trade with other trainers, Pokémon definitely wants players to buy the DLC to get access to new Pokémon once again.
Speaking of access to specific Pokémon, Pokémon from past games may be hard to come by so copies of Pokémon Sword/Shield and Pokémon Legends: Arceus may need to be part of your growing collection. Specific Pokémon from these games can be traded via Pokémon Home to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and have a big impact on the meta-game. While we don’t know the future of new rule regulations for the VGC formats this upcoming season, many assume that if the DLC is going to be bringing Pokémon back to the latest main series game, those Pokémon will eventually end up as legal to be played.
A nice pair of headphones and a wired Pro-Controller are not required but make for a good investment for the season when playing in regional/international events. Local events may not have the same Switch Stands/Docks that regional-level events do, meaning that plugging in a pro-controller at a local event may be hard to do if you don’t have a USB port to plug into.
Here’s a picture of a dock at regionals and a support plush (I recommend grabbing your favorite one at an event or online!)
Moving onto travel costs, I’d love to share a link to a tweet HERE. I had a lovely back-and-forth on Twitter with a user named, @CYPHeRtheKID, who was breaking down the CP bar for folks curious on reaching 500 CP. Myself and some others also commented on this post to note the potential travel costs associated with the CP bar threshold.
Depending on what country/region you’re in will be a large determining factor in what events you’re attending and how many there are. In the United States, a season will typically feature more than 12 regional events based all around the country with various local events as well as the North American International Championship. Other continents such as Europe, Australia, and South America typically have far fewer events than the United States which is why the CP bar for other parts of the world are lower than those based in North America.
Costs for traveling can include airfare, bus fare, train fare, car rentals (if old enough to rent), and gas/mileage for your own car/or a friend’s car. Typically flying to places, with enough notice in the United States can be around $200-$300. The larger the airport you fly in and out of, typically, the cheaper the flights you can get. Sometimes you may have to take a red eye or even a connecting flight to where you are going, but if it gets you to your destination to compete and you save a couple of bucks, that’s money you can save for other costs to consider.
When booking air travel, as it is the most common travel for many in the U.S. since our train system is not up to code like some other places around the world, I try to book 2 months in advance. This can be difficult to do when regional organizers do not open up their tickets for events more than a month or so in advance. Some may question booking this far in advance, and all I can say is that I’ve had good luck with pricing within this time frame. If you’re not sure about whether or not you can get a ticket, buying the cancellation insurance can be a game changer for later in the season when you’re looking to travel again and have credit to do so. I’d be letting you down if I didn’t plug Alberto Lara’s Flying Travel Guide: “Traveling For Cheap”
Speaking of, spending the 10% fee or so on cancellation insurance for airline tickets is always a question for players. Many say, well, do I spend the extra $20-$50 in case something happens, or do I risk it and just say what happens, happens? I find that if I have a cheap flight to Orlando for $75-$100, I may not sweat the insurance. If I have a $300-$500 round-trip flight to Los Angeles from Boston, I’m going to be booking the insurance in case of bad weather, illness, or whatever else may come up to cancel your trip. Having that insurance to back you up in case of anything will make for a much better season where if you get sick, your money is not wasted on a ticket and you can get that ticket to be for some other future event instead!
Bus fare, train fare, rental cars, and gas/mileage are all relatively inexpensive. Random train tickets may sometimes skyrocket to airline prices, so avoid those, but in most cases, if you’re flying to Chicago, and then taking a local commuter rail or bus to Peoria, IL, you can expect a $30-$50 bus ride, sometimes cheaper. Train tickets like Amtrak, currently read around $33 from what I could find with a quick Google search.
The TLDR for this section is to fly into big airports to save some cash, take local transit like buses and trains to help alleviate flying into small airports with higher costs, and do some traveling and exploring! Renting a car in a pinch, or even catching a ride with friends and splitting the gas costs are also nice alternatives for going to events closer to you as well.
When Pokémon players consider accommodations it’s usually a question of hotels and Airbnb’s*. At one point in time around 2017/2018, Airbnb was a fantastic alternative to the pricey hotels near a venue. However, sadly Airbnb is not the same cost-effective tool it once was. Many times finding itself to be on par or even pricier than local hotels with more asks of the guest than the typical hotel experience. Once again, do your research, look in the area of the event, and make sure that if you’re in a city, you’re not booking yourself a place in an unsafe neighborhood, or if you’re somewhere more rural, that you can actually get to the venue if you book too far away. Ubers are not always common in some of the more rural spots for regionals, especially if you book a cheap Airbnb miles away from the event. The big cost saver for accommodations is going to be making friends and splitting the costs of rooms with folks to really save big on traveling to events. Paying hundreds out of pocket for a place to stay versus paying less than $100 or even close to that and splitting the cost with a few other folks can really make the difference in a season where every dollar counts.
* One VERY important note about Hotels and Airbnb, check the state regulations around how old you have to be to rent a hotel room. Some states have a mandatory 21+ rule, while others are 18+. This can quickly change the cost of a trip if you want to stay in a hotel for less money than an Airbnb, go to check in and realize that they will not honor your reservation because you’re under 21!
Event registration can be summed to $5-$10 for Premier Challenges, $10-$25 for Midseason Showdowns, and $65-$75 for Regionals and Internationals. Online Challenges are free to enter, and I encourage any and all players who can participate in those events for Championship Points to do so.
Lastly, Pokémon Merch, food, and extra cash for exploring are the last few costs that come to mind for events. Local events don’t have much merch other than maybe some prizing for top-cut winners. Regionals will have vendors with merchandise from overseas such as plushies, new cards, clothing, accessories, and more! Food options at events may be limited to the food provided in the venue on the days of events. Sometimes you’re able to bring in outside snacks and food, but every venue has different rules. Dining with friends at night after an event can include fast food to sit-down restaurants. Some players may opt to go and explore the cities they’re in or even go to an escape room with a group of friends. Maybe a big movie is coming out the weekend of the event and folks go to watch a late-night viewing after the regional on Saturday night. The possibilities are endless. I recommend $200-$300 in extra cash for merch, food, and fun! If you’re going through a lot of cash without awareness of how much you’re spending, you can easily blow through the recommended budget above so be aware of what things are priced at and what sort of things you like to eat. Going to fancy steakhouses/expensive sit-down restaurants with friends will obviously be a bit more pricey than a meal at Raisin’ Canes.
We’ve talked a lot about costs here and I’d like to end off this section with ways to save and budget for events like this. As a younger player, even in high school, it can be especially hard to attend events around the country with reliance on parents/guardians for monetary help. I tried every way I could during that time of my life to try and make it work and it was really difficult. Some parents/guardians are not supportive of the game/gaming in general and this can make it hard to travel in the first place. My recommendation is to keep an eye on local jobs and local events taking place. If you find yourself with enough time outside of your usual work at school/home, getting a part-time job or finding a way to start a small income to help supplement costs is the best initial solution. Once again, if you travel under 21, do your research and make sure you can check into a hotel room at 18+ or you’ll need a parent/friend who is a tad older to be there. It’s not a perfect solution for the costs of the circuit. For some, you may need to wait for college or post-high school for a better income/different opportunities.
For all you college students out there, boy oh boy, do I have a wealth of experience for you. College is where I really grew into the budding Play Pokémon enthusiast I am now. Between becoming a Tournament Organizer, a VGC Judge, an active Competitor, as well as a Commentator/Producer for 5 Regionals, I’ve seen it all and experienced the hardship of college life and playing Pokémon. I was a double major BFA with 4-5 part-time jobs, some type of social life, and spending all the rest of my free time playing Pokémon. Nights, afternoon lunches, weekends, and more were devoted to growing my local scene and figuring out ways to attend regionals without having to pay out the biggest costs, travel, and accommodations. Once again, if you’re under 21, do your research before booking a hotel. If you have a peer who is 21, you’re all set, but different states have different laws on how old you have to be to book a hotel room. Airbnb’s can help get around this issue if it arises in a state where you want to attend, and don’t have anyone going who is 21+. My best advice for traveling in college is that most colleges and universities have clubs/activities on campus. If there isn’t a Pokémon club, find/create one, look into the funding for campus clubs and esports teams, and find some like-minded folks on campus who may want to be a part of the competitive Pokémon scene. TCG, VGC, and GO are all available for players to choose from at regionals, and the more folks you have who want to travel, the better case you can make to the local student government/student board in charge of club money, as to why they should help fund the club for events. A couple of reasons why money should be given for such an opportunity include networking with community members. Pokémon players range from doctors, policemen, social media managers, cooks, construction workers, UPS drivers, engineers, and more. Networking with folks from all walks of life at these events can lead to an amazing future network of peers and friends for the rest of your life. School pride and awareness of your university supporting esports/gaming is a really big factor. You never know if a new masters player is looking into schools and you happen to let them know that your school is actively supporting players to go and play. It’s similar to recruiting in sports, and far less in your face. I was always proud to let folks know that DePaul University, which had a new Esports program at the time, was supporting the future of gaming and actively looking for new students with that passion.
Finally, as for budgeting which may include saving in advance, seeking sponsorships, crowdfunding, and more, these are not easy to do when you’re young. If you’re lucky enough to have some sort of income and not have many costs, putting money away per paycheck can allow you flexibility in paying for travel/accommodation. Seeking sponsorships and joining competitive esports teams for the Pokémon VGC is a pretty hard sell. While the Pokémon Company has recently put out new guidelines for sponsors, teams will rarely be willing to go into the Pokémon VGC if they haven’t already got a player or two on their roster. If a team is picking up a player, they’re usually joining with an already established following and fanbase. Sometimes you’ll see smaller teams pick up players, but be wary of false promises for trips to be covered financially. Sometimes things are too good to be true for small and growing esports organizations. Crowdfunding is interesting because there are so many people looking to go to events during the season and if everyone collectively was asking everyone else to help fund their travels, then who would be able to actually go at that point. Sadly, the circuit does have a cost and it requires some money to play. It’s not impossible to save money and budget effectively to go on trips with not much cash. Many players have successfully done so in the past, and many more will do so in the future. Just remember that at one point, regionals were free with a lottery system for entry, and then they started charging $20, $30, $40, $50, $60, and now $70 for entry into an event. The event itself continues to be pricier and pricier and this honestly would have made my attendance when I was younger MUCH more difficult if I had to try and convince my parents to help pay for a $70 entry versus $20-$40. There are so many ways to go about money and finances and this is by no means a perfect answer. I encourage readers to think outside the box and challenge themselves on how they might find a monetary source to help fund their travels in the circuit.
B. Balancing Education and Competition
If you’re a high schooler looking to compete in the Play Pokémon circuit, the first step for many of you is going to be having “the talk” with your parents/guardians. It costs quite a bit of money to travel and play in all the events needed to qualify for Worlds, so I highly suggest an open dialogue with your parents/guardians in order to show them why their investment in your happiness is based on playing in the competitive circuit. Approaching them with sound reasoning and ideas on how to go to events that are closest to you or fall within major airports (cheaper plane tickets) will maybe help convince them to help aid you monetarily. If you’re a financially dependent high schooler, you can walk right past this step as you do what you want with your own money. Next up is school and commitments related to your education. Pre-College, your schedule is usually pretty segmented and set for you. While you’re given some choice, much of what you do was provided to you as options and you chose from the list of what to do, and that has been helping define your growth as an individual. Whether it’s sports, musical/theater arts, sciences, language studies, and more, you’ve probably got some commitments to be aware of before saying bye-bye for a weekend and heading to Orlando for the next regional. Homework, class projects, study sessions, and more can all be factors to take into account as a high schooler and it makes it really difficult to simply have a weekend to truly focus on being a competitor. While many schools in the U.S. are attempting to alleviate homework on kids, it’s not always the case. When you’re finally done at the end of the day with hours of work to complete for the next day, you can either get some rest and a good night's sleep or spend sleepless hours practicing and competing in Pokémon. I do not advocate prioritizing Pokémon over your education and real-life responsibilities. I do however support finding a balance where you’re able to “compete within your means.” If you only have a weekend free every few months, and you have practice for sports/arts every day of the week including weekends, your schedule may be a bit more difficult to try and attend events without sacrificing your efforts towards your education and other activities.
Active steps to take as a high schooler involve open communication with parents and teachers. Seeing your drive and willingness to plan ahead and work out ways to make sure your commitment to your education and life is still a priority, and making it so you have another amazing extracurricular activity on your resume will surprise many teachers as well as your parents. Keep up with homework, even ask for it in advance if you can to try and get it out of the way. Nothing worse than trying to play at a regional and busting out some Algebra 2 between rounds.
Recalling the first part of this article, I dive into the College/Pokémon balance in regards to money and budgeting. One big aspect of college that differs from high school life is the flexibility and true choice over your classes and schedule. While some mandatory classes may be on specific days and times, you have more choice in your overall schedule and this can be a real game changer. For example, if I had a semester where I could purposely not have classes on a Friday, this would mean that I could easily travel to any event on that Friday before the Saturday morning event. You could stack your schedule in ways to benefit weekend travel while still keeping up with studies during the week. Perhaps the greater challenge in all of this is that you have to prioritize your time and no one else is going to do it for you. Your grades and GPA do matter for scholarships and club participation. While Pokémon can take up a big portion of your time, make sure to not let it dominate your time when the work for school needs to get done. Do the work, do it well, and then have the free time to explore Pokémon once you’ve completed all your responsibilities. Balance your social time as well. Meet new friends, hang out with folks, and don’t be too cooped up in the dorm room running calcs. There is a time and place for Pokémon and college is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that many don’t get to experience. Take it all in and be open to the crazy moments that will occur. From a party in a frat house to a random hangout in a 4 story walk-up apartment. Who knows what will happen, enjoy it, and let yourself find the right times to play Pokémon too.
As for my readers who are post-grad and folks who went right into the workforce making a living, you’ve got the benefit of freedom on your hands. While our jobs may dictate an aspect of our time during the week or weekends, we typically have opportunities to do more with Pokémon than a young adult still in school. At least we think we do, and then you’re hit with a sleepy feeling and you head to bed saying that tomorrow night you’ll do some gaming instead. Besides jobs, family life and loved ones play a big role in our lives and how we spend our time. Sometimes we luck out and have a partner/family member who may also play Pokémon and that’s wonderful for some. Many don’t have that luxury, so it can be a delicate balance to play and try to get better and not sacrifice the special time with those folks who play a big role in our lives. Breaking up your time and scheduling parts of your days can be an effective way to get some practice in. Setting timers and holding yourself to stricter bedtimes than maybe your younger self would have ignored is so critical to success the next day. I don’t know about many of you, but if you’ve ever gotten up the next day after a long night of practicing with friends, you know it was worth it, and yet, the cost is a very tiring day. Event selection for adults is also very critical as well. Depending on what you’ve got going on in life, family, big life events, a busy work schedule, etc, you may be limited on the types of events you can attend in order to try and qualify for the World Championships. Regionals and Internationals will grant you the most CP with the expectation you do fairly well. Local-level events such as Premier Challenges and Midseason Showdowns can give some great smaller amounts of CP but at the cost of having to do really well. Budgeting your time for these events is incredibly important. Plan accordingly when looking ahead at the season. I highly recommend not passing off events in the Fall as they can be a great way to earn early CP in the season where many get started in January or late winter/early spring. Winter events can be tricky based on the weather in your area, but are also a blast to have when you can during a time when going outdoors in the Northern part of the U.S. is a little unpleasant. As adults, we can have so many things getting in the way of attending Pokémon events, and yet, so many of us find a way to make it work with our busy lives.
Part 2: Play Pokémon Events and Championship Points
A. Understanding Event CP Distribution
Your season will start at 0 Championship Points. Your CP bar to qualify for the World Championships will be based on one of the following listed below:
If you’re based in North America you’re aiming for 500 Championship Points. At first, it seems like a daunting task. Once again, I’m going to link a very helpful tweet about a potential CP breakdown for a theoretical player HERE. Twitter user, @CYPHeRtheKID, did this nice breakdown for folks to see how they can obtain 500 CP during the entire season.
Here’s a more specific breakdown for each event and what they distribute to the top players for each event.
A CP breakdown for you:
B. International Travel for Points
When taking a look at CP breakdowns, you may notice International Championships events awarding higher amounts of CP for players participating. These events take place 3-4 times a year and are usually in North America, South America, and Europe. Historically, there’s also been one in Australia/Oceania, TPCI recently announced that starting with the 2024 season, they would no longer be supporting an International event in Oceania. A day later, they announced three separate regional events in Australia as a potential way to try and make it up to players in that region.
International events provide the opportunity for players to travel globally to an event that will award more CP than a typical Regional/Special event. Ideally, if you’re not winning the tour, the CP breakdown of the event itself should be enough for most to get something out of it when competing at a high level. For any player considering a shot at the World Championships, 1-2 International events on their schedule would be a no-brainer to help them on their journey to Hawaii this season.
International Championships in other countries will typically require more documentation to travel and sometimes even permission via a visa to do so. Leave plenty of time to take the proper steps necessary to safely get yourself to your destination. Once you’ve gotten to your location, make sure to also plan out accommodations for your trip as well. Nothing worse than arriving in a new country without plans of a place to rest before the big tournament.
It should be noted that ALL Pokémon events are “International” and that while the labels for events may suggest otherwise, the Pokémon company’s official stance is that almost anyone, from almost anywhere can show up and compete. The TPC circuit in Asia is a tad different from the TPCI circuit, as well as the gaming circuits in Korea and Japan. You’ll see far fewer players from countries with their own Worlds qualification system.
Finally, use International Championship events as a way to sight-see and experience the World beyond your home country. It’s recommended by many to take some extra time before and after a Pokémon International Championship to take in every opportunity available. Be safe, have fun, and best of luck traveling for your Worlds invite!
Part 3: Preparing for Success - Practice, Networking, and Community
A. Dedicated Practice
Without match-up experience, all the time you’ve spent team building could go to waste. Low-ladder Pokémon Showdown games are not enough to prepare you for the fierce opponents also making their run for Worlds. Dedicated practice on a daily basis to help refine and figure out your team will be a must. While you do not want to burn yourself out, the better you know how your team operates against any opponent, the better!
Making use of Pokémon Showdown and the in-game ladder are excellent ways to get started. Taking your practice to the next level could be a trip to the https://play.limitlesstcg.com/tournaments website for the latest online Pokémon tournaments happening that day! Tournament organizers are always looking to host tournaments big and small. Once you’ve built up the confidence to play online, taking a look at the Pokemon Event Locator for a local event near you will be the next big step towards your path to Worlds!
Practice is a pretty vague term that will get tossed around by many players and it looks different for everyone. Some put all their time into team refinement and looking for tough match-ups. Others play for a bit and like to get their mind off of the stress of the team by playing other games to break up their time. Practice time should be purposeful in your intent. Practicing by mindlessly grinding the Pokémon Showdown ladder will not guarantee success in local and regional events.
B. Building Friendships and Networks
For me, Pokémon is about the people that I am able to see at every event. Whether it’s a local an hour away from me, or an event across the country that requires 6+ hours of flying, the people are what bring me to each and every event. When you’re new at Pokémon events it’s best to keep yourself as open as possible, which is easier said than done.
Now, I may seem like an extroverted person, but I remember going to Hartford 2017 Regionals by myself and I felt so lonely. It was intimidating to talk to all these new people without a friend or two nearby to rely on in case I couldn’t build up the confidence to talk with new folks. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have gone to that event by myself because I was able to meet so many new people and keep myself open to whoever came my way. If I had attended that event with a friend or two, who knows if I would have talked to as many new people as I did.
Attending an event and meeting new friends from the event is only one small example of connecting with fellow competitors. The age of meeting folks online has brought a whole new dynamic to attending events that previously was not the case. Meeting new friends online through mutual friends or even from a random Discord server is easier than ever. You build friendships and memories with these friends through voice calls, Showdown laddering, teambuilding and theorying, and more. You build out a network of friends and peers with a mutual love for competitive Pokémon. The time comes when everyone in your online group is attending the same regional weekend event. It’s a special opportunity for your group to come together that may only happen once or twice a year if you’re lucky. Take advantage of every moment with these friends as it is a precious time that you will always reminisce about later.
Joining local Pokémon communities by attending local events, and being an active participant in Pokémon Forums, Twitter Discussions, VGC Grassroot Tournaments, Twitch/YouTube Videos, and more, can help build up your own Pokémon network. The people are what bring even the most competitive players back to the game. At the end of the day, the competitor in all of us wants to win, and there can only be one winner for each event. However, the people who support you, cheer you on and build you up as you do for them, that’s one of the biggest reasons to keep coming back to any event.
C. Accommodation and Team Dynamics
While it’s tempting to have a lavish vacation at a Pokémon Regional, splitting the cost of a hotel room with one, two, three, or many more people can lead to quite an exciting weekend. Many of us who have gone to events can probably recall where there were probably a few too many people staying at the hotel/Airbnb. I can recall the Chicago VGC crew at Worlds 2018 staying in an Airbnb with 20 people when it was only meant for 10 people. We broke the A/C on the first night and had to deal with some hot nights in mid to late August in Nashville, TN.
I remember that trip, and many others fondly, more than any trip I’ve taken by myself. The people I stayed with made the event experience that much more fun. Some examples include the search for late-night food, the late nights staying up and making sure all of your team sheets are submitted correctly, and the hours of catching up and telling stories with people you maybe get to see in person 1-3 times a year. Not to mention, the cost of lodging goes down exponentially when splitting a hotel room with 1-3 other people. I highly recommend asking friends/people you know in the community, when it comes time to book a trip, if they’ve made lodging plans yet. Sometimes they may have an extra couch or bed available for you to sleep on and that can be a big money saver.
However, I offer a word of caution for those who seek others to stay with for a weekend. Be aware of who you choose to stay with for an event weekend. It can help to talk about sleeping habits, if folks snore, if you’re sharing a bed with someone, and ask if they’ll be showering/cleaning themselves when sharing a bed with them for an event. These things can be unsaid while bookings are being made, so it’s important to ensure that your needs and a comfortable stay are met so that you can get the best out of the event you’re attending. There’s nothing worse than rooming with someone you may not know as well, who doesn’t have great hygiene and poor sleeping habits that may distract you from getting the sleep you need. Be aware of who you’re rooming with at all times and don’t be afraid to say something if you’re uncomfortable at all. It’s your weekend as much as theirs and you want to be comfortable and ready to compete.
D. Staying Mentally and Physically Prepared
Society talks a lot about the physical preparation of our bodies in order to live healthily and have a clear mind. In recent years, much of the conversation has come off of the body, and onto the mind. One could argue that the start to physical preparation of the body is a stronger mental strength to commit to a healthier lifestyle. One way to start this process is to be careful about the type of fuel we put into our bodies during tournament weekends.
Healthy eating the day before and on the day of an event can have a huge impact on how you think, feel, and experience the game. Super heavy, fried, and greasy foods could have you feeling sluggish and not as clear as some lighter choices. A hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs can do the trick as much as a yogurt parfait and granola depending on the person and their preferences. From my experience, I try to eat lighter the night before an event to minimize my use of the bathroom the next morning headed to the event center. While we’ve seen better facilities at many recent events, you never know what Pokémon players are capable of in the bathrooms at these convention centers. Enough about the bathrooms, many of the convention centers will have concessions with burgers, fries, hotdogs, pizza, and even chicken tenders. After attending the 2024 San Antonio, Portland, and Charlotte Regionals, I’m happy to say that healthier choices have been easier to come by than in the past with fruit cups, chicken caesar salads, yogurt and granola, granola bars, and more. Snacking during a regional run is incredibly important to keep your energy up as well as hydration. Water intake during a tournament is incredibly important as you may not realize the stress of the competition taking a physical toll on your body.
A regional weekend can be a mentally taxing experience for players new and old. The Day 2 Swiss system requires 9 Swiss rounds of play for Day 1 with a record of X-2 or better advancing to an additional 5-6 Swiss rounds on Day 2 of play. From the 5-6 Swiss rounds of Day 2, the best of the best will be cut down to the Top 8 players. From there, those Top 8 players will continue to play out the tournament until a winner is crowned. Sometimes at a larger event such as Internationals or Worlds, the finals will be delayed an additional day for hype and preparation.
Healthy eating is one way to make it through this process, another is a good night of rest. Sleep will be your ally for a regional weekend. Many top players will be up late preparing themselves for the day ahead and may lose out on some precious hours of sleep. Lack of sleep can lead to irritability, fatigue, and lack of focus. A clear mind and thought process are necessary for some of the best players. There could be a few outliers here who do exceptionally well on little to no sleep, but many of them would say that some more sleep wouldn’t have hurt them.
Managing the stress of an event is difficult, the food we eat, and the sleep we get are huge factors in how we mentally prepare ourselves. The stress of an event can come from winning, losing, technical difficulties, social situations, and more. There is so much going on at a Pokémon Regional, it can be overwhelming. Your goal should be to stay focused and to focus on the tournament round by round, game by game. Stressing too much on the overall macro-vision of the tournament can take away from the smaller focused view of each round. Stressing about the unknown of the tournament will do you no good compared to focusing on your opponent’s Open Team Sheet each round.
If you happen to find yourself stressed at an event, take a walk, grab some food, drink some water, listen to some of your favorite music, call a friend, call your partner, call a family member, look up some funny memes, journal your post-round feelings after a set, reflect on your play and what you did to win, or what you could do better next time, read a book, watch one of the regional live streams, or even use the restroom. These are only a small handful of solutions to help with stress at an event. Remember that at the end of the day, you’re playing a game, you’re amongst company that also loves the game as much as you do, and after a full day of play, go celebrate over a nice dinner, or take a trip to a bar/club (if old enough to partake), and finally, have a nice night’s rest.
Conclusion
My goal with this piece was to cover 3 major ideas. I delved deep into many of my personal experiences over the years in the hope that they better prepare you for your own journey to Worlds. I implore you to ask any further questions in the comments on this post, or even send me a DM if there’s anything that you’d like even more clarification on. I’m happy to provide as much help as I can to players new and old!
For those curious about the specific ideas in each section, they go as follows:
Part 1: Costs for Travel and How to Play Pokémon and Be in School (Highschool, College, and Post Grad)
Part 2 Understanding the CP Bars and the Importance of International Events
Part 3 Preparing for Success - Practice, Networking, Community, and Health.
Each section has a strong essence of my passion for the game as well as for the people you will encounter on your travels. I hope anyone and everyone reading has a chance to start their own journey to the World Championships. My hope is that many of you leave inspired to find your own way to Worlds and not let anyone stop you from doing so. The pursuit of becoming a consistent competitive player as well as growing as an individual in this process is an extremely fulfilling experience. I wish you the best and hope the next time I see you is on the World's stage in Hawaii and beyond.
