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I started playing the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) about 10 years ago when I was 7 years old. My older brother Marco had already been playing with my father for years. At first, the three of us were playing at home. For me, Pokemon TCG is a family activity that keeps us close. I think that’s important, especially today when everyone is using a cell phone.
I’m from Iquique, a city in northern Chile. There’s a strong Pokémon community here, and several local shops host tournaments. This game is for two players, each person preparing a deck of 60 cards. Each card represents one Pokémon with different abilities and powers. Then use your cards to battle your opponent. The person with the more powerful card combination is the winner.
Throughout Chile, Japanese culture is ingrained within our own, and anime, Pokemon, and manga are very popular here. When I was a child, there were many Japanese programs on TV. I watched Naruto, Dragon Ball, and of course Pokemon.
When I was 10 years old, I went to Santiago for my first tournament and made it to the finals. Before I started playing Pokemon TCG, I hadn’t traveled much. Currently, I have participated in tournaments in Sao Paulo, New Orleans, Buenos Aires, and most recently in Hawaii, where the 2024 World Championships were held.
We started saving for Hawaii a year before the competition. My brother won the tournament in Brazil and won the prize money, as well as the funds to go to the World Championships as one of the top players in Latin America.
My father Marco and I left for Hawaii last August. It was the furthest place we have ever traveled. On the first day, there was a three-hour wait to register for the tournament, and then we lined up again at the Pokemon Center where merchandise was sold. I got stuffed animals such as a scuba diving Pikachu that is exclusive to Hawaii. Then we watched the matches and focused on developing strategies against our opponents.
Marco is a better player than me and one of the best players in the world. But the game also involves luck. I didn’t get too emotional during the three-day championship, I just had a lot of fun. My father taught me not to worry about winning or losing, but to focus on playing well and sharing great experiences with my opponents.
I participated in 15 games throughout the tournament. Each game can last up to 50 minutes. In the final, I didn’t have a very good deck, so I didn’t expect to win. But my opponent made a mistake, so I gave it my all and it worked out. My father would say I’m too humble.
I didn’t have time to celebrate my victory because I had a flight to catch. I received the trophy and immediately headed to the airport. But when we returned to Chile, we arranged a barbecue, invited about 30 friends over to our house, and of course played Pokemon. A few weeks later we received an invitation to the presidential palace. Athletes, even those in niche sports, are invited to meet with the president.
I wasn’t really interested in it, but I saw it as an opportunity to encourage younger kids to play. I was the first Chilean to win the Pokémon Championship. We are such a small country that we cannot win many things.
When my father and I arrived at the palace, we were told that Chilean President Gabriel Boric had to attend an emergency meeting and would not be able to attend. Instead, we spoke to the Secretary General, the Foreign Minister, and the Japanese Ambassador who were interested in the social impact of this game.
Suddenly the door opened and Borrick came in and said, “Hello, Kabros (everyone), how are you doing?” He asked to see some of my cards and offered to take a few selfies. It didn’t feel like I was talking to the president, I was just playing with another card player. He plays the Magic the Gathering card game, which has a similar format to the Pokémon TCG.
I’m not interested in defending my title. No one has ever won the title back-to-back. I just play for fun. Anyone can win with a little luck. Even if you have a good deck and that day comes, who’s to say you can’t become the next Pokemon champion?
As told by Caris McGowan
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Source: www.theguardian.com
