Asheville local is Pokémon World Champion

PRESS RELEASE:

The 2016 Pokémon World Championships have drawn to a close after a weekend of intense competition in San Francisco, CA. The 13th annual tournament brought together the world’s most elite Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) and video game players from more than 30countries, who battled tirelessly over three days for the title of Pokémon World Champion and prizes. Alongside Pokémon TCG matches and video game battles using Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, the first Pokémon fighting game, Pokkén Tournament, took its place on the international stage, and the first Pokkén Tournament World Champions were crowned.

The World Championships represent the pinnacle of Pokémon TCG and video game competition, and players must qualify through a challenging, yearlong Pokémon Championship Series. While tens of thousands of Pokémon players compete in the series throughout the year, only six players were crowned Pokémon TCG and Pokémon Video Game World Champions, and two more now carry the title of Pokkén Tournament World Champion.
The 2016 Pokémon World Champions are:
·       2016 Pokémon TCG Junior Division World Champion, Shunto Sadahiro from Japan.
·       2016 Pokémon TCG Senior Division World Champion, Jesper Eriksen from Denmark.
·       2016 Pokémon TCG Masters Division World Champion,Shintaro Ito from Japan.
·       2016 Pokémon Video Game Junior Division World Champion, Cory Connor from the United States.
·       2016 Pokémon Video Game Senior Division World Champion, Carson Confer from the United States.
·       2016 Pokémon Video Game Masters Division World Champion, Wolfe Glick from the United States.
·       2016 Pokkén Tournament Senior Division World Champion, Josh Simmonite from the United Kingdom.
·       2016 Pokkén Tournament Masters Division World Champion, Masami Sato from Japan.
Winners of this year’s invitation-only tournament earned the title of Pokémon World Champion, received a special Pokémon World Championships trophy, won an invitation to the 2017 Pokémon World Championships, and collected a monetary prize in the form of a scholarship, cash prize, or Travel Certificate. The Pokémon Company International awarded more than $600,000 in prizes to top finishers at the 2016 World Championships and has granted over $3 millionin scholarships since it began hosting tournaments more than a decade ago.

“Each year, the Pokémon World Championships bring the global Pokémon community together to compete, celebrate, and enjoy the games that have delighted fans for two decades,” said J.C. Smith, senior director of consumer marketing at The Pokémon Company International. “Congratulations to our new Pokémon World Champions, and a special thank-you to the community of players, family members, volunteers, and fans who make the Pokémon World Championships the premier Pokémon event of the year.”

More than 2,000 players, fans, and supporters attended the event at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis Hotel, while more than 1.5 million Pokémon fans watched the action from home via Pokemon.com and Twitch.tv/Pokemon.
New in 2016, Google hosted a Robot Experience designed exclusively for attendees of the Pokémon World Championships, where participants had the opportunity to personalize custom-made Pokémon-skinned robots and challenge their creations in a physical and digital battle with others. The Robot Experience was inspired by Google’s annual I/O Youth event, which inspires kids of all ages to imagine, invent, and explore with technology.

2016 POKÉMON TRADING CARD GAME WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Junior Division Finalists (born in 2005 or later)
World Champion: Shunto Sadahiro (Japan)
Second Place: Riku Ushirosako (Japan)

Senior Division Finalists (born in 2001–2004)
World Champion: Jesper Eriksen (Denmark)
Second Place: Connor Pedersen (United States)
Masters Division Finalists (born in 2000 or earlier)
World Champion: Shintaro Ito (Japan)
Second Place: Cody Walinski (United States)

2016 POKÉMON VIDEO GAME WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Junior Division Finalists (born in 2005 or later)
World Champion: Cory Connor (United States)
Second Place: Shu Harasaki (Japan)

Senior Division Finalists (born in 2001–2004)
World Champion: Carson Confer (United States)
Second Place: Yuki Wata (Japan)
Masters Division Finalists (born in 2000 or earlier)
World Champion: Wolfe Glick (United States)
Second Place: Jonathan Evans (United States)
2016 POKKÉN TOURNAMENT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Senior Division Finalists (born in 2001 or later)
World Champion: Josh Simmonite (United Kingdom)
Second Place: Dale Causey (United States)
Masters Division Finalists (born in 2000 or earlier)
World Champion: Masami Sato (Japan)
Second Place: Takuma Araki (Japan)

For more information on how to participate in future Pokémon TCG and Video Game Championship Series events, visit www.pokemon.com/play. For more information on the Pokkén Tournament Championship Series, visit http://www. pokkentournament.com/en-us/ championship-series/.

To connect with Pokémon online:
·       Visit pokemon.com
·       Like the official Pokémon Facebook page at Facebook.com/Pokemon
·       Follow @Pokemon on Twitter
Check out the official Pokémon YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/pokemon
About Pokémon
The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, and marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world. For more information, visit www.pokemon.com.