Pokémon Champions has been out for a few months now and we’re heading into our first full season of the game. It’s an exciting time with lots of new people joining the community and tournaments growing bigger than ever. If you or a friend have just recently gotten into VGC and want to visit your first offline tournament, this is the article for you!
I’ll be breaking down everything that might await you outside of the game at your first VGC event, from finding the tournament to reporting your results and anything inbetween. As you can imagine, small local events function quite differently from big Regionals and Internationals (also called Championship Series Events), so some sections are split into two parts. Finally, there’s a neat checklist summarizing everything you need for a successful event.
As for me, I’ve been hosting local events for a few years now and have played and staffed a handful of Regionals as well. However, please note that nothing I write in this article is meant to represent any tournament organizer or the Pokémon Company International (TPCi). For in-depth and more official guidance check out the Pokémon Championships website and the official Rules and Resources page, especially the VGC Tournament Handbook you can find there.
Now with that out of the way, let’s get started!
Headphones, Notebook, Plushies—I’m ready to go!
The TPCi Circuit
First up, what even are all these events?
VGC has an official tournament circuit supported by TPCi where players compete to earn prizes and Championship Points (CP). At the end of the season, which runs from September to June, the players with the most points in each region qualify for the World Championships. This is the only event you need to qualify for—all other events can be entered by anyone who purchases a ticket and has what is called a “Player ID”. This number code is what all your results and points will be tied to and you can get it through Pokémon Trainer Central.
Even if you don’t make it to the very top of the leaderboard, another milestone to aim for is “Ace Trainer” status at 200 CP which will award you with an exclusive promo card and bragging rights to your friends. The number of CP you earn depends on the size and type of event. You can find the details on the Pokémon Website, but don’t worry too much about that for now and just have fun!
Finding Events and Signing Up
Locals
The Pokémon Event Finder is your best—albeit somewhat clunky—friend. Stores that want to host sanctioned events have to submit them there, which means that any event in your area is bound to show up. There are also some external tools like pokedata that support more detailed filtering options, but they are not the primary data source so always double-check your information so you don’t end up in front of closed doors.
The sign-up methods for locals are not standardized, so it’s good to read the event description carefully. For some of them you just walk in the door before a specified time, others require you to reserve or purchase a ticket through the store’s online shop in advance. Entry fees and prizing are also decided by the store hosting the tournament and can differ between locations.
My personal recommendation is to join the community discord specific to your area! Events including sign-up information are often shared in region-specific chats and this also gives you a direct contact to the organizer to ask any questions that still remain after you’ve finished reading this article.
You can find a list of these servers if you scroll down a little bit on the Nimbasa City Post Resources page. If your region is not listed there, just ask around a bit in the more international communities. You will find someone able to help you quicker than you think!
Championship Events
Regionals and Internationals are kind of a big deal, so they have their own event calendar on the Pokémon Website. The dates are usually announced sometime during the off-season, with a few events being added later down the line.
Registration for these events is fairly standardized and mainly happens through a website called RK9. Tickets go live on Wednesday, usually 6–8 weeks before the events and can sell out fast, so you should be ready and seated in front of your device. Fortunately, the ticket sales are always announced a few days in advance. You should use that time to set up your RK9 account with all your necessary info and make sure you have access to a credit card since that is the main method of payment.
The tournament organizer usually isn’t TPCi themselves but a local company contracted by them, like Fanfinity or twentytwentytwo for European events or GamingGen for NA. It’s worth it to find out who exactly is running the event you’re attending, since they often share information on their own socials as well.
Teamsheets, Team Checks and Check-In
The official VGC format uses Open Teamsheets (also referred to as “Open Team List” or “OTS”).
Contrary to what you might be used to from the in-game ladder, you and your opponent will be able to see each others’ moves, items, nature (or “stat alignment”) and abilities. This is not possible in-game so instead, you exchange a paper sheet with your opponent as soon as you load up the first match.
The second teamsheet, also called Closed Teamsheet, is meant only for the tournament staff. It includes your Pokémon’s exact stats and is used to make sure that you aren’t changing anything about your team throughout the tournament. Especially if you’re doing well in the tournament, staff may ask for your Switch between rounds to conduct a Team Check.
When creating your teamsheet, the things to watch out for in the current meta include mixing up similar-sounding moves or items and listing a Mega Pokémon instead of the base form and its base ability. Whether you’re using automated tools or writing by hand, always double check the final sheet—you don’t want to end up with an error somewhere!
Locals
Local tournaments will usually require you to bring your own teamsheets. There is an official template you can fill out, but if you don’t have a printer, writing it on a blank piece of paper is also fine. The important part is that all the relevant information is included and your handwriting is legible enough that your opponent won’t be at a disadvantage when trying to quickly read during battle.
The Closed Teamsheet should be in the same language as your game to make it easy for staff to compare it to your team as it is in the box, while the Open Teamsheet should be in the local language of the tournament. If you’re unsure which language is the most appropriate, you can contact the tournament organizer, stick to English or use a fancy tool like this one to create a multi-language sheet that looks similar to what you will receive at a Championship-level event.
Championship Events
Team submission for large events happens through RK9, the same website you used to sign up. From your Dashboard, go to the VGC Teamlist creator and input all the information about your team as prompted. However, the auto-completion can play some mean tricks on you and RK9 doesn’t check if it’s actually possible for your Pokémon to learn the moves you’ve put in. If you’re not careful, you might end up with Iron Defense on your Kingambit instead of Iron Head, so again, double-check!
The Open Teamsheet is automatically generated from this info and will be printed and handed out by staff before the beginning of Round 1, so you don’t need to bring a teamsheet yourself. Similarly, the Closed Teamsheet information is saved in the system for when it’s needed, so you don’t need to hand in anything else on paper.
Because of the large number of players at these big events, you’ll also be required to complete a check-in either on the morning of the tournament or on the day before. With this, you’re basically telling the organizers “yes, I’m here!” and will receive a badge or wristband that will allow you entry into the venue for the weekend. The exact times vary but are usually communicated by the tournament organizer on their Social Media channels.
Pairings, Playing and Reporting your Results
Locals
Depending on the size of the tournament, locals might use paper-based or verbal reporting. The tournament organizer will post or read out the list of pairings for the next round and you will find either your opponent or the table number listed. This really depends on the number of attendees, as a small tournament requires much less strict of a system than a bigger one.
The tournament organizer should provide you with information on how to connect to the internet and you will use the Wifi to connect to Champions and battle your opponent. Because it is a free-to-play title, a Switch Online membership is not required to play. The rules surrounding phone usage are currently a bit unclear, so you should check with the tournament organizer beforehand.
During your match, your phone should be in your bag or notifications turned off and if you’re taking notes, you need to turn your notebook to a new page for every match. Once you’ve finished playing, you either fill out the matchslip (more on that later) or simply tell the organizer the result of your match.
Championship Events
With player numbers reaching four digits, reporting and pairings have to be much more organized. Pairings once again happen through RK9, so you should check your Dashboard to see your opponent as well as the table number. If you ever run out of battery, feel free to ask a judge to help you find your table. Do not plug your phone into tournament equipment to charge! Staff will tell you this multiple times throughout a tournament weekend, but it really can break stuff, so you should always bring a powerbank to an event.
Every table has two USB-C dongles that you can plug into your Switch (using your phone is not possible) to automatically connect to the internet and the power supply. Make sure both of that is working before you and your opponent start the battle. Because you have a LAN connection, your Switch should also be in airplane mode and any controllers you use need to be attached directly to the console. The same goes for headphones, where only wired ones are allowed, and the note-taking rules also apply.
After the match, you will need to fill out a matchslip that should have been left on the table in three steps:
- Circle “Winner” on the side of the player that won.
- Sign your own initials.
- Have your opponent sign their initials.
If any of these are missing, your match can’t be reported properly and could cause trouble. Ticking the individual games in the middle isn’t that important but it’s still better to fill it out.
Then, the winner of the match takes the match slip to an area called the Hive (which should have a big sign saying “Match Slip Dropoff” or something similar) and hands it in. Unless you really really need to use the toilet, it’s common courtesy not to make the loser walk and it’s a nice way to celebrate your win as well.
Staying healthy throughout the Day
Tournaments can be an exciting affair and make you forget the strain that a whole day of playing Pokémon is having on your body. Time between rounds is limited and there might not be a lunchbreak, so it’s important that you prepare in advance.
I would recommend taking at least snacks if not a bigger meal, as well as enough water to drink, with you for the day. You should inform yourself beforehand if there’s any restrictions on what you’re allowed to bring into the venue, and avoid strong allergens like peanuts in your snacks out of courtesy for other attendees.
You should also use any chance you get to use the bathroom, such as a round finishing early for you. Since everyone has breaks at the same time, the queues can get quite long otherwise and you don’t want to miss your next round because of it.
Lastly, also use the time between rounds to go outside, get some fresh air and clear your head. Your brain will thank you for the next round!
Resolving any issues
I tried to make this article as comprehensive as possible, but I’m sure there’ll be situations where you don’t know what to do. In that case, tournament staff should always be there to help you out. During a round, raising your hand is the universal signal that there is some kind of issue and a judge will come to resolve the situation. Outside of matches, you can walk up to any member of staff that is not currently looking very busy and ask for their assistance.
Larger events have a Head Judge overseeing the other judges to make sure that similar situations are ruled in a similar manner. If there is a judge call made during one of your games and you feel that the decision is not fair, you have the right to appeal to this Head Judge who will have a second look at the situation and make a final decision. Many players don’t know about or hesitate to make use of this option, but it is totally within your right!
If you need additional accomodations—for example, you can’t walk well and would like to avoid having to change seats every round—you can contact the tournament organizer in advance via Email or their support portal. Usually they are pretty willing to work with you to improve your tournament experience, they just need to know in advance so they can plan accordingly.
Checklist
You’ve studied up on what awaits you at a Pokémon tournament, here’s a quick checklist to go over one more time!
Absolutely needed:
- your Switch with Pokémon Champions and your team
- a ticket or reservation for the tournament
- Open and Closed Teamsheets, either printed out or submitted online
- a powerbank & charger for your phone and Switch
Optional:
- a wired controller & wired headphones
- a notebook & pen
- snacks & drinks to keep you going
- your favorite plushie as a good luck charm
Closing Words
So, I hope this little article helped you envision your first tournament or Regional experience a bit better. I know I was very nervous going to my first event, but fortunately I had experienced players around me that guided me through it. Now that you know what you’re getting yourself into, you can focus on building the perfect team and getting the necessary practice in!
One great place to connect with other players is the Alpensee Tours & Friendlies Discord where you can also get all the info on our weekly online tours. If you have any questions that weren’t covered here, feel free to head on over!
