To many, Pokémon was a craze that peaked at the turn of the millennium. Yet to thousands of dedicated players, both the video games and the trading card game (TCG) are still cause for celebration, and not just among kids. It turns out the grownups are more involved than ever as they, alongside the younger gamers, take part in what might be described as Pokémon’s world cup – and British competitors of all ages are there in force.
Just as characters in the games (and animated series, and movies, and more – Pokémon remains a thriving media empire) employ virtual beasts to do battle, so too do the competitors who fight for a place at the annual Pokémon world championships.
This year’s event took place last month in Boston, Massachusetts. The tournament is split into video and TCG, and three tiers: juniors (under 10); seniors (11-15); and masters (16+). Despite the franchise’s kid-friendly nature, many competitors are adults.
“When I come to the events, yes there are children here but there are way more masters than there are younger people,” says Barry Anderson, a 27-year-old British hopeful. “If anyone asks why I play, I just explain that it’s the competitive side. It’s kind of like poker or chess. It has so much more to it than people realise.”
This is Anderson’s second time competing in the video game division, having previously battled in 2013 and placed ninth. This year hasn’t gone so well, but his enthusiasm and optimism, typical of so many players at the tournament, are unbowed. “Obviously it’s fun playing Pokémon, but it’s addictive as well,” he says. “You might say ‘Oh, I’m not going to compete any more’ but you will still want to.”
And so it goes on the trading card side of the arena. Charles Barton, 22, from Southport is another player seen as a veteran, having been competing since 2012. For him, playing Pokémon has been more than just a competitive pastime: it helped him get into university.
“For Ucas, I had to find an extra-curricular activity, and I thought, why not find something unique?” Barton says. “So I did Pokémon TCG as a competitor, rose fairly quickly, and my application was successful. I feel like mentioning it helped.”
The tone of the event balances between a serious sporting competition and a fan convention. There’s a buzz of excitement, even among those not competing. People walk around wearing T-shirts emblazoned with memes such as “Delphox ate my baby”, indecipherable to the uninitiated, while parents, far from long-suffering, enthusiastically follow their children’s progress. One proud American mother exalts her son’s standing in the top 10, talking over a father’s equally proud declaration that his son ranked in the top 20 for his bracket.
All major matches are broadcast, on stage and online, with eager commentary from esports professionals analysing each move, as one would with a football match. It proves to be surprisingly tense viewing, and the crowd grows more rapturous with each victory. There are no sore losers though – everyone cites the friendly community as one of the main reasons they keep playing.
Yet there was also a dark side to this year’s championship. Two men from Iowa, Kevin Norton, 18, and James Stumbo, 27, who had both entered the tournament, were arrested on their way to the venue with a car boot full of guns and ammunition. The pair had allegedly made online threats to kill another competitor.
It seems unlikely that a game as innocent as Pokémon, where even in-game creatures faint rather than die when defeated, could attract such individuals. But this did not dampen the spirits of those who came from around the world to compete. As the event peacefully wound down, players were already looking to next year’s championships. “The Boston Open is tomorrow,” said Rachel Annand, 23, from Aberdeen. “My next season starts now. My 2016 starts tomorrow.”
