Pokémon
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Route 5: An Introduction to Regional & International Championships
After leaving Route 4 behind you, you are now getting quite far into your Pokémon journey. You have the ability to walk into any local Pokémon league, you can confidently challenge your friends and other Trainers to battles, and you have even played at some Pokémon League Challenges and Pokémon League Cups. Now it’s time to aim bigger and go further than ever before. Pack those suitcases and travel the world!
Alex Kivitz
Alex Kivitz
What are Pokémon Regional Championships?
Pokémon Regional Championships are the next level up after Pokémon League Cups. Just as how you may see Trainers travel across the country to new cities for Pokémon League Cups, we see thousands of Trainers travel to new countries and go even further for Pokémon Regional Championships.
For those who don’t know, the Pokémon Championship Series ranges all the way from local League Challenges all the way to the Pokémon World Championship. All of these events, excluding the World Championship itself, award Championship Points. Earning enough Championship Points qualifies you to participate in the Pokémon World Championship.
Pokémon Regional Championships award far greater Championship Points than League Cups and Challenges, however, they too are not an infinite supply of points. Regional Championships share their Best Finish Limit (BFL) with Special Championships and International Championships with a BFL of 5. This means only your top 5 events that have earned you the most Championship Points across all of the Regional, Special, and International Championships will contribute to your Championship Point Score.
Pokémon Regional Championships take place all over the world and host competitions for the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the Pokémon Video Game, as well as Pokémon GO. Alongside Regional Championships, there are also Special Championships. These are similar to Regional Championships and run all the same tournaments, however, the prizing is set at the discretion of the tournament organiser, while still awarding Championship points and contributing to the BFL. The winners of Regional and Special Championships receive a direct invite to the Pokémon World Championship.
Regional Championships typically are two-day events spanning an entire weekend. These events may also run on the Friday preceding the weekend, however, Fridays are usually dedicated to side events and other activities.
Important to note: These events are open entry – anyone can join, regardless which region they are from.
What is an International Championship?
International Championships are the pinnacle of Pokémon open invitation tournaments. They function very similarly to Regional Championships with the added note of having a much larger prize pool that often draws a crowd of an even greater scale. Additionally, the top 4 participants of an International Championship receive an invite to the World Championship. Another important note is that International Championships finishes are added to your points total alongside Regional and Special Championships, thus contributing to the Best Finish Limit of 5.
For the 2025 season, there are three scheduled International Championships, one in Latin America, Europe, and North America.
How Can I Join Regional/International Championships?
Finding the next upcoming Regional Championship is as easy as once again going to the Event Locator and clicking “Show List of Championship Events” next to the search bar.
Many Pokémon Regional Championships will have their own way of selling tickets. The Event Locator should have all the information on how you can register, or at the very least direct you to where registration takes place and providing the tournament organisers contact details.
Pokémon International Championships also have a very streamlined approach, with only a few happening every year. You can find them all listed here. You can click on the names of the individual events if they’re highlighted in blue to quickly find all the info you need to register. For the Pokémon Europe International Championships in February we also have information here on our website.
How Do I Prepare for Regional/International Championships
You’ve bought your ticket, and now you’re making plans to attend. Regional and International Pokémon tournaments are incredibly fun though also require some planning to get to and make the most of. If you want to compete in Pokémon TCG Regional or International Championships, here are some helpful tips to make sure you’re as prepared as possible.
First things first is organizing your travel and accommodation. We suggest visiting your local Pokémon League and just ask around who’s is going to a particular event. Quite often, I’ll just ask around who’s also attending an event, and after only a few minutes of asking around, the question “Do you want to go together?” quickly comes up. Now it won’t always be this easy, but going with friends doesn’t only make accommodation cheaper, it also makes the journey and the event even more fun – so it’s worth a try.
After sorting out your commute and accommodation, there’s a list of essentials if you want to participate in the tournament itself. Here is everything you need to bring to play in Pokémon TCG Regional or International Championships:
- You deck and matching decklist that you will register for the tournament (check the event rules whether this should be done online or in paper),
- Damage dice or damage counters, and condition markers,
- A coin or coin-flip-legal dice,
- A pen to fill out match slips for reporting results,
- Proof of age or a legal ID.
Those were the bare requirements to have in your bag for when you attend, but there are also some items to bring that are just always useful to have. Items such as:
- A large backpack for all your goodies and cards,
- A refillable water bottle, always stay hydrated,
- Some small snacks (sometimes you might be in game or won’t have time to eat a full meal, these can keep you going until you can),
- A portable charger for your phone, especially if you’re playing Pokémon Go and for all the pictures you’ll be taking.
If you’re planning on playing in the Pokémon Video Game, Pokémon GO, or Pokémon Unite competitions, you can find a list of all necessary items here.
Pokémon Regional Championships and Pokémon International Championships are all open for everyone to join, enter, or even just to spectate. These are memorable shows that are more than a tournament – they are a celebration of the Pokémon franchise and the characters people have come to know and love. Friends travel from across the globe to share their enjoyment of all things Pokémon, to have fun together – and to battle to be the very best – an extraordinary experience we feel everyone should be a part of at least once.
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