Team Raptor from Wynnum will travel to Hawaii in August to compete in the Pokémon World Championships. Photo: Supplied.
WRITTEN BY OWEN DYSON (AGE 12)
A Local Pokémon team, Team Raptor from Wynnum, has qualified for the Pokémon World Championships in Hawaii this August.
They will be competing in the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG), which is a two-person game where players use 60 card decks to battle it out against one another. Players build their decks around cards that feature Pokémon characters, and then take turns using powerful trainer cards attaching energy and attacking the enemies’ Pokémon. Although seemingly simple, the game requires a significant amount of skill and strategy to succeed.
The Pokémon World Championships is an annual three-day event held in different locations around the world. The 2024 event will be held in Honolulu, Hawaii, from 16 to 18 August where over 2,000 players compete with up to nine rounds each day, with each round lasting up to an hour. Players will be competing for a total prize pool of over $1 million across games and age divisions.
Team Raptor is led by Coach Edin and players range in age from nine to 16. Each player has qualified for the Championships by earning Championship Points throughout the year at Premier Events. Players compete in weekly events and can train for over 15 hours a week.
“It’s been such an amazing season for the team. It’s been an honour seeing them evolve. This is something all the kids will remember for a lifetime!” said Coach Edin.
Players have been raising money to support the costs of flights, accommodation and general expenses of flying to Hawaii and have run fund-raisers such as Bunnings BBQs, Containers for Change, Trivia Nights, selling merchandise and have set up a Go Fund Me page.
Raptor Games is a community gaming destination operating out of Florence Street in Wynnum where they run fun tournaments, enlightening learn-to-play sessions, and sell Pokémon and other card games.
To find out more visit www.raptor-games.com.
