When it comes to August, the usual MO is the Pokémon World Championships, which I always cover on the Friday of its execution. Certainly, today happens to be that day, which means that the World Championships this year take place this weekend from today until Sunday. As for its location, it might be considered a few years too late in being there, but as is known by many people, being there late is better than not being there at all. And the keywords in the title should already be indicative of that location.
So, the location of this year's World Championships is bright and beautiful Honolulu in Hawaii, technically a return to the U.S. because the latter is a state. It is known by many fans that the island chain also serves as the inspiration for the Alola region in the Pokémon world, so the World Championships this year could be considered to take place in the region by "proxy", much like how London, England served the same role for Galar two years ago. It should make for a pretty nice time.
The content of this year's edition is pretty much no different than that of last year's: VGC, TCG, Go PvP, and Unite. As stated then, the latter two I consider as the "new wave", being recently developed modes of play, and the former two I regard as the "vanguards", being the mainstay standards. It seems that they will remain as such for some time ahead, and that may be a good way to "keep the peace" with no major changes. Of course, the venue of the championships will always change, but that's par for the course.
For the matter of local representation, there is a solid contingent this time around. Two teams will be competing in Unite, three representatives will compete in three TCG divisions (Junior, Senior, and Master), and Go PvP and VGC has one representative each - in total 15 individual competitors, plus a few observers tagging along to check out the proceedings. It is the largest batch of competitors yet, impressively covering the entire competitive pantheon and showing the varied interests of locals in Pokémon.
Now, certainly, they'll be duking it out against other Trainers from around the world to show that they are not just "local class" but truly "world class". And all of this is being done in the center of the Pacific in yet another place emblematic of a region in the Pokémon world. This weekend will surely be filled with battles that ought to look like they could take place in that region and exemplify the "Aloha!" (or even "Alola!") hospitality that both the real and imagined regions are quite known for.
Good luck, as always, to all competing Trainers - including those of the big local contingent - and dazzle like the bright and beautiful place of this year's competitive setting.
One year ago: Aligning Chess and Pokémon
Two years ago: Myst Pillars, Pokémon Pillars
Three years ago: Thoughts of Cards, Again
Four years ago: The Age of Post-EX Raids?
Five years ago: Capital Convergence
Six years ago: Getting Lucky with It
Seven years ago: I Want to Splurge
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