EDISON — Parth Patel is on his way to the 2017 Pokémon World Championships in August.
After three days of head-to-head Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) and video game battles, Parth, 15, of Edison, joined an elite group of Pokémon players to earn a top spot at the 2017 Pokémon North American International Championships that was held in Indianapolis, Indiana from June 30 to July 2.
“Getting in the [top spot] of the 2017 Pokémon North America International competition was great,” he said adding that it secured his chance to play in the Pokémon World Championships in August.
Thousands of supporters and fans were in attendance as the Edison native clinched sixth place in the video game Senior Division.
Parth’s top finish earned him a portion of the more than $150,000 in scholarships and prizes awarded at the event.
In May, Parth clinched first place in the senior division of the 2017 Pokémon Regional Championships held in Roanoke, Virginia.
J.C. Smith, senior director of Consumer Marketing for The Pokémon Company International, said the final International tournament in Indiana brought together the largest and most competitive group of players from throughout North American and around the world.
The 2017 Pokémon World Championships is an invitation-only tournament where the most elite Pokémon players from around the world will compete for the coveted title of Pokémon World Champion.
Competitors from more than 30 countries including Japan, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Australia, and South Korea will travel to Anaheim, California to vie for the title along with scholarships and prizes.
For many players, the invitation represents the culmination of a yearlong journey competing in numerous Pokémon Organized Play events and the many friendships that were made along the way.
Each year, the Pokémon Organized Play tournament series draws tens of thousands of Pokémon players to compete at hundreds of local league events and sanctioned tournaments. Players of all ages and skill levels are encouraged to participate in Pokémon Organized Play.
Parth said there are two days to the Pokémon World Championships that will be held in Anaheim, California from Aug. 18-20.
“Day one is where players qualify to actually participate in the real competition in day two,” he said. “By getting [a top spot] at Internationals, along with my other points from other competitions I got a travel award to go to worlds, and I get to skip Day one to actually play in the real tournament.”
Parth said his ultimate goal is winning the world championships in August since it is the biggest tournament of the Pokémon game season.
“It signifies that you have worked hard the whole season to get the final reward,” he said.
For more information on the Pokémon Championship Series, including tournament rules and regulations, visit www.pokemon.com/play.
