Pok'�©mon Video Game Championship Winners Crowned in the Washington D.C. Area

BELLEVUE, WA- June 13, 2011- After hours of intense competition against some of the best Pokémon video game players at the 2011 Pokémon Video Game Washington D.C. area Regional Championships in Chantilly, VA, 48 competitors nabbed invitations to compete in the 2011 Pokémon Video Game National Championships, July 8-10 in Indianapolis, IN. Sixteen players from three different age divisions - Junior, Senior and Masters - used remarkable skill and strategy, edging out hundreds of players from across the Washington D.C. area and beyond at the Dulles Expo Center this past weekend. These players will now head to Indianapolis to battle against some of the country’s best Pokémonvideo game players with an eye toward advancing to the 2011 Pokémon Video Game World Championships this August in San Diego, CA.

A list of the top four winners in order of finish in each division includes:

JUNIOR DIVISION
1st Place - Brendon Zheng (Age 8)
Fresh Meadows, NY

2nd Place - Ryan Pascual (Age 9)
Fairfax, VA

3rd Place - Alex Cohen (Age 10)
Egg Harbor Township, NJ

4th Place - Grace Arnold (Age 10)
Frankfort, IL

SENIOR DIVISION
1st Place - Aaron Zheng (Age 13)
Fresh Meadows, NY

2nd Place - Vincent Taylor (Age 13)
South Brunswick, NJ

3rd Place - Nitesh Manem (Age 13)
McLean, VA

4th Place - Noah Lawson (Age 13)
Acton, MA

MASTERS DIVISION
1st Place - Wolfe Alexander Glick (Age 15)
McLean, VA

2nd Place - Mitchell Horning (Age 18)
Baltimore, MD

3rd Place - Alvin Hidayat (Age 19)
Rockville, MD

4th Place - Tyler Hagan (Age 16)
Dayton, OH

These Pokémon champs join other Pokémon video game players competing in Regional competitions in six cities throughout the U.S. for a chance to battle at the National Championships. The list of cities hosting 2011 Pokémon Regional video game tournaments includes:

May 14-Seattle, WA
May 21-San Jose, CA
May 28-Dallas, TX
June 4-Atlanta, GA
June 11-Washington, D.C.
June 18-Newark, NJ
July 8-Indianapolis, IN *
*Last Chance Qualifier for Nationals

It is not necessary to win a Regional Championship event to attend the National Championships, so even players who haven’t participated in a Regional tournament are welcome to travel to Indianapolis to play in the Last Chance Qualifier July 8 at the Indiana Convention Center for a chance to compete in the National Championships that weekend. The top eight Pokémon Trainers in each division at the National Championships will earn an invitation to the ultimate stage-the 2011 Pokémon Video Game World Championships in San Diego on August 12-14. Players at the World Championships have a chance to win international travel packages, trophies, and special Pokémon prize packages.

For more information about the Pokémon Video Game Championship series, including rules, tournament locations, dates and times, prizes, and more please visit www.pokemon.com/vgc.

PR email