Follow along as we steady our lens and share periodic updates from the World Championships in Honolulu.

Check out what sorts of things there are to experience at a World Championships event by following our blog for photos and updates straight from Honolulu!

Worlds Experience Blog

A hotel balcony 30+ stories in the air gives you one heck of a view of Waikiki Beach. That stunning sand and sparkling blue ocean will put anyone in a Hawaiian mood. Staring out over Honolulu like this just raises our excitement even more for the upcoming competition.&nbsp;
(Don&rsquo;t drop the plush. DON&rsquo;T DROP THE PLUSH. DON&rsquo;T DROP THE PLUSH.)&nbsp;

It&rsquo;s a bright and early arrival at the airport as we land in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi for the 2024 Pok&eacute;mon World Championships! And what better way to be greeted than with a giant &ldquo;Aloha&rdquo;? The 2024 Worlds Pok&eacute;mon Center Store exclusive Pikachu plush is ready to see what excitement is to come in the days ahead.&nbsp;
Before the flight, we asked the pilot if the Pikachu plush could fly the plane. Sadly, we were denied with the reason of, &ldquo;That doesn&rsquo;t look like a Flying Pikachu.&rdquo; Fair enough.&nbsp;

As the sun begins to set over Honolulu, we bring our first beach combing adventure to a close. Off in the distance, we see majestic Diamond Head (known as Lē&lsquo;ahi to Hawaiians). This magnificent landmark was formed by volcanic eruptions, and nowadays, visitors can hike all the way up to the top of it.&nbsp;
What do you think, Pikachu? Would you like to make that trek someday?&nbsp;

Even though Pikachu doesn&rsquo;t get to take a dip in the briny blue, that doesn&rsquo;t mean the little Pok&eacute;mon can&rsquo;t have a good time. Look who else decided to stop by Kaimana Beach&mdash;it&rsquo;s the 2024 Worlds Pok&eacute;mon Center Store exclusive Azumarill plush! The hibiscus flower that Azumarill&rsquo;s wearing is an iconic symbol of Hawaiʻi, and together these two make a charming pair. They were definitely the stars of the beach on this day.&nbsp;

A visit to Hawaiʻi would be incomplete without at least one trip to the beach. Luckily, there are plenty of beaches on Oʻahu, the island on which Honolulu is located. The constantly moving waves are beautiful, and one could easily spend hours relaxing and watching the surf roll in (just make sure to bring plenty of sunscreen!).&nbsp;
Decked out in its snorkeling gear, Pikachu is clearly ready to dive into the ocean, but&hellip; we&rsquo;re not so sure. Do we really want our new plush to take a saltwater bath?&nbsp;

There&rsquo;s going to be plenty of action at the Pok&eacute;mon World Championships later this weekend, but we couldn&rsquo;t stay away when we heard competitors were practicing at a local card shop. The competition was fierce, but the players here let us sneak Pikachu in for a quick peek at their match. The tried-and-true Lugia VSTAR vs. the up-and-coming Regidrago VSTAR... what deck do you have winning it all at Worlds this year?&nbsp;&nbsp;

Okay, we know that it&rsquo;s only been 20 minutes, but our sweet tooth (sweet teeth?) could not be sated. An equally amazing looking shaved ice shop was just across the street, and we had to stop in for a delightfully bright Hawaiian Rainbow shaved ice, complete with sweet, condensed milk on top. It&rsquo;s been warm in Honolulu this week, so we deeply appreciated the cooldown.&nbsp;&nbsp;

One of the best things about traveling to new places for events like the Pok&eacute;mon World Championships is the opportunity to try new foods. As soon as we landed in Honolulu, we just knew that we had to try malasadas&mdash;a sweet, fried pastry that is also prominently featured in the Alola region in both the Pok&eacute;mon animation and Pok&eacute;mon video games. After much deliberation, we visited a locally famous malasada shop that&rsquo;s specialized in fried sweets for years. The line was (rightfully) out the door, but we eventually had the chance to dig in and could not have been more satisfied with our bounty.&nbsp;

It was a demanding hike, but with plenty of determination (and water!), we followed the path to the peak and made it to the top of Diamond Head! And what a stunning view it provides! Looking down on Honolulu from this incredible vantage point, we can&rsquo;t help but reflect on the effort we put in to reach this point and in turn, the effort put forth by all the Trainers who will soon be competing in the 2024 Pok&eacute;mon World Championships.&nbsp;
You know, diamonds are measured in carats, so if we were to rate Diamond Head on a scale from 1 to 10, we&rsquo;d easily give this impressive hill ten carats!&nbsp;

We saw Diamond Head from afar yesterday and started working our way to the top. The climb is as important as the destination, though, and we were always stopping to marvel at one thing or another. Here, we were surprised to see a lighthouse! Perhaps there&rsquo;s a Zapdos waiting on top? Or an Ampharos ready to light up the night?&nbsp;

It&rsquo;s a well-known fact that <a href="https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/waxing-nostalgic-about-surfing-pikachu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pikachu loves to surf</a>, so when we learned that the 2024 Pok&eacute;mon World Championships were being held in Honolulu, we knew we&rsquo;d have to bring the 2024 Worlds Pikachu plush out to ride the waves. Fortunately, we were able to find a perfectly plush-sized surfboard to accommodate the little Pok&eacute;mon. Cowabunga, Pikachu! Just try not to wipe out!&nbsp;

If you want to leave your mark on Worlds, it&rsquo;s as easy as picking up a marker to help decorate these floral Worlds surfboards at the Pok&eacute;mon Worlds Trainer Town. Sure, they look nice now, but they&rsquo;re gonna be totally gnarly once they&rsquo;ve been coated in a rainbow of colors. We love seeing the incredible creative things that can happen when fellow Trainers come together!&nbsp;

In-person activities have officially begun for Hawaiian residents at the Pok&eacute;mon Worlds Trainer Town at the Hilton Hawaiian Village! There are loads of fun things to do for fans of all ages, including drawing lessons, lawn games, face painting, character meet-and-greets, and more! And yes, there are plenty of charming photo ops for Trainers to remember their journey to Worlds. Pok&eacute;mon Worlds Trainer Town will be open for all fans tomorrow!&nbsp;

The lei has been untied, Pok&eacute;mon decorations are going up, and it&rsquo;s really starting to feel like Worlds is approaching in Honolulu. There are plenty of banners showcasing the imminent World Championships&mdash;including this one featuring Mewtwo and Mew&mdash;and it&rsquo;s hard not to get excited. If you&rsquo;re hungering for Worlds action as much as we are, you can digest expert opinions on the <a style="color: #ee4d9b;" href="https://worlds.pokemon.com/en-us/news/2024-worlds-tcg-power-rankings/">Pok&eacute;mon TCG</a>, <a style="color: #ee4d9b;" href="https://worlds.pokemon.com/en-us/news/2024-worlds-vgc-roundtable-preview/">Pok&eacute;mon VGC</a>, <a style="color: #ee4d9b;" href="https://worlds.pokemon.com/en-us/news/worlds-pokemon-go-preview/">Pok&eacute;mon GO</a>, and <a style="color: #ee4d9b;" href="https://worlds.pokemon.com/en-us/news/2024-pokemon-unite-worlds-preview/">Pok&eacute;mon UNITE</a> before the events begin this Friday! Find out which Pok&eacute;mon and competitors are really angling for Worlds greatness 👀&nbsp;

The Aloha Spirit rang true as members of The Pok&eacute;mon Company International (and Pikachu!) and Hawaiian residents came together to celebrate the oncoming World Championships in Honolulu. We were honored to witness a special ceremony officiated by Kahu Kordell Kekoa where a symbolic maile lei was untied before fans in the Great Lawn area at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Stay tuned for the activities that Hawaiian residents are enjoying in the area today!&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Aloha Spirit is everywhere in Hawaiʻi, and Pikachu is certainly feeling the vibes as we make our way to the Great Lawn at the Hilton Hawaiian Village to get a first look at the fun <a href="https://worlds.pokemon.com/en-us/in-person/activities/">activities</a> that will be available there over the next few days.&nbsp;
Then, it will be time to prepare for a weekend filled with thrilling competition in the Pok&eacute;mon TCG, Pok&eacute;mon VGC, Pok&eacute;mon GO, and Pok&eacute;mon UNITE! Remember, even if you&rsquo;re not able to attend Worlds in person, you can still enjoy the show (and bring some of that Aloha Spirit into your own home) by <a href="https://worlds.pokemon.com/en-us/virtual/">tuning in</a> to the official Pok&eacute;mon Twitch and YouTube channels and by joining the <a href="https://worlds.pokemon.com/en-us/news/the-2024-worlds-fantasy-team-contest/">2024 Pok&eacute;mon World Championships Fantasy Team Contest</a>.

Just because the sun has gone down, that doesn&rsquo;t mean the fun stops at the Pok&eacute;mon World Championships! Fans poured onto the beach to watch Dazzling Skies with Pikachu &amp; Friends, an incredible aerial show featuring gigantic, illuminated renditions of some fan favorite Pok&eacute;mon like Psyduck, Dragonite, Mew, and of course, Pikachu.&nbsp;
This ten-minute show began with the word &ldquo;Aloha&rdquo; appearing overhead, followed by a lovely Luvdisc that gently floated towards it. There was a huge response from the crowd throughout the presentation, with plenty of oohs and aahs (and excited children yelling the names of the Pok&eacute;mon) when a new familiar friend appeared over the ocean. The show culminated with Pikachu riding through the air on the back of a Mantyke before a glittery display of &ldquo;Worlds 2024&rdquo; lit up the night sky. What an awesome way to close out the evening before the official start of competition!&nbsp;

It was time to settle in for some fun Pok&eacute;mon conversation during a live production of The Shadowless Podcast, a Pok&eacute;mon variety podcast hosted by Pok&eacute;mon TCG creators RealBreakingNate, SuperDuperDani, and Jordan Fringe. The trio was joined by special guests Bear Walker and Strawburry17 to discuss skateboards and the <a style="color: #ee4d9b;" href="https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/pokemon-trainer-tour-offers-a-heartfelt-pokemon-tcg-journey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pok&eacute;mon: Trainer Tour</a> video series. There was even audience trivia with prize giveaways of Worlds-exclusive Pok&eacute;mon Center merchandise and a meet-and-greet session for fans!&nbsp;
The crew will also be hosting another episode of the podcast tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. HST that will feature a cosplay showcase. We can&rsquo;t wait to see the amazing outfits that fans have assembled!&nbsp;

Pok&eacute;mon fans of all ages were lining up for an opportunity to get up on stage for a photo op with the Paldea region&rsquo;s first partner Pok&eacute;mon: Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly. Who can blame them? These three charmers are simply adorable, and they couldn&rsquo;t stop bopping to the beats that were playing over the venue&rsquo;s speakers.&nbsp;

Remember those surfboards we looked at on the Great Lawn yesterday? Well, a whole bunch of enthusiastic Trainers have given them a personal touch, and we were right&mdash;these boards do indeed look totally gnarly. Fans have added color, signed their names, and even drawn some of their favorite Pok&eacute;mon on these radical boards. We love &rsquo;em!&nbsp;

Time for an exercise break! When you need to stretch your legs while at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, Pok&eacute;mon GO is there with a series of special Routes that have been created just for Worlds. Each Route is themed to a Pok&eacute;mon like Comfey, Steenee, or Squirtle. Along the way, plenty of Pok&eacute;Stops can be spun to get special postcards featuring those Pok&eacute;mon.&nbsp;

We returned to the Great Lawn area and stopped by this bowling lane featuring Alolan Exeggutor&mdash;you knock down bowling pins with coconuts, which is more challenging than you think! We&rsquo;re a long way from being pro bowlers ourselves, but plenty of fans have taken up the challenge.&nbsp;&nbsp;

We&rsquo;re jazzed to see so many Pikachu plush out at the Hilton Hawaiian Village!&nbsp;&nbsp;

What&rsquo;s this? Why, it&rsquo;s just the coolest Pok&eacute;mon GO gift you can get right now! There are plenty of Worlds-themed Pok&eacute;Stops and Gyms in the vicinity of the event that will give you this and other celebratory Gifts.&nbsp;
Trainers who are in Honolulu: Be sure to send these Gifts to your friends who were unable to attend the competition in person (and don&rsquo;t forget to add them to your Postcard Book so you can carry a memento of your time in Hawaiʻi!).&nbsp;

What a fun surprise! Passengers who were flying on the Pok&eacute;mon All Nippon Airways jet were welcomed by Pikachu as they deboarded the plane! Wouldn&rsquo;t it be great if a friendly Pok&eacute;mon welcomed you at every airport?&nbsp;

It might seem strange to head back to the airport before the Worlds competition has even begun, but we couldn&rsquo;t miss the arrival of this special All Nippon Airways jet that&rsquo;s decked out in this amazing Pok&eacute;mon livery. We must admit we&rsquo;re a bit envious that we didn&rsquo;t get to ride this lovely airplane into Honolulu (we hear the pre-flight safety video is even Pok&eacute;mon themed!). And yes&mdash;that is a Flying Pikachu on the side of the plane.

The classic fully evolved first partner Pok&eacute;mon Charizard is making an appearance at the Hilton Hawaiian Village as a full-blown statue ready to delight fans. There&rsquo;s no doubt that many visitors in the area remember picking this Pok&eacute;mon as their first partner in Pok&eacute;mon Red.&nbsp;

You&rsquo;ve seen Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, and Pikachu, but not quite like this! They&rsquo;re amazingly complex brick figures brought to life by MEGA. We&rsquo;re not sure that we&rsquo;ll see them in building kits anytime soon, but they&rsquo;re plenty of fun to admire near the pool at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.&nbsp;

First, there were banners. Now, there are digital signs! Pikachu is welcoming everyone in Honolulu to a weekend filled with Pok&eacute;mon fun&mdash;these signs also double as digital maps with full schedules that showcase everything happening at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, from surfboard decorating to delightful drone shows.&nbsp;

There&rsquo;s no question that the Pok&eacute;mon Center x Bear Walker 2024 Worlds skateboard is one of the coolest items available at the 2024 Worlds Pok&eacute;mon Center. Even Bear Walker himself stopped in for a moment to showcase this absolutely electric board. 🛹⚡&nbsp;

Pok&eacute;mon Center and a show! As fans waited for the chance to get their hands on Pok&eacute;mon plush, playmats, and everything in between, they were delighted with Tahitian dance performances by Tahiti Mana. Pikachu got in on the fun too, and we were definitely bumping to the beat while we took in the performance.&nbsp;

We arrived at the 2024 Worlds Pok&eacute;mon Center pop-up store early this morning&mdash;just in time to see fans dive into an ocean-like paradise filled with Worlds-exclusive Pok&eacute;mon merchandise!&nbsp;

Cosplay is at the heart of so many events, and Pok&eacute;mon events are no different. The Shadowless Podcast returned to host a cosplay showcase at the Pok&eacute;mon Worlds Trainer Town where we saw so many amazing renditions of Pok&eacute;mon and human characters alike (including the Hatsune Miku cosplayers we spotted earlier in the day!).&nbsp;&nbsp;
When the dust settled, though, a Selene (Pok&eacute;mon Ultra Sun and Pok&eacute;mon Ultra Moon) cosplayer, a Team Star cosplay duo, and a Mega Charizard X cosplayer took home top honors at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.&nbsp;

We couldn&rsquo;t cover the first day of competition without highlighting one of the most iconic Pok&eacute;mon TCG players of all time! Tord Reklev is back to his tried-and-true Charizard ex/Pidgeot ex deck for this event, and it&rsquo;s been going well for him&mdash;he's currently 5-0-1! That type of success is why you should be checking out all the strategy articles he writes on <a href="http://pokemon.com/strategy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pokemon.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

It&rsquo;s not often that we get to see Japanese Trainers during the competitive season, so we&rsquo;re always excited to see some of these players for the first time at Worlds! Pok&eacute;mon GO competitor Keibon1013 (left) had an amazing 2-0 set that not only featured a perfect read with Azumarill against Altaria, but also a clutch Night Slash attack boost with Annihilape to sweep the final game.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Our 2024 Worlds exclusive Pikachu plush has spotted a familiar face in the History Museum.&nbsp;

Time for a trip through the past! Among the many exhibits on display at the History Museum is a timeline of the Pok&eacute;mon World Champions. From the very first competition in Orlando, Florida in 2004 to this year&rsquo;s event in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, this exhibit showcases loads of fantastic key art and provides notable details about each event.&nbsp;

All kinds of panels are happening during the competition at the 2024 Pok&eacute;mon World Championships, and we had the opportunity to step in on one that was especially informative for caster hopefuls. Trainer Talks: Between Two Mics&mdash;hosted by Anna Prosser, and featuring Pok&eacute;mon casters Chip Richey, SpeediestChief2, ZOINKS, and Lou Akcos-Cromie&mdash;broke down the art of casting and even offered a few tips for anyone looking to get their start! Also, Lou really likes Gastrodon.

Things are certainly bustling in the Collect &amp; Trade Corner! There are tables filled with Trainers showing off their impressive collections, and plenty of other fans are excited to check out their goods. If you&rsquo;re looking to score a cool collectible, there are plenty of Pok&eacute;mon TCG cards and accessories on display.

Talk about a deep cut! We found a pair of amazing cosplayers dressed as Hatsune Miku, the popular Vocaloid performer. Specifically, they&rsquo;re cosplaying as Miku in outfits inspired by Dragon-type Pok&eacute;mon and Flying-type Pok&eacute;mon from the Pok&eacute;mon feat. Hatsune Miku Project VOLTAGE 18 Types/Songs collaborative music project that began in Japan in 2023.

Casters Scott Glaza and Sierra Dawn are on hand to provide their expert commentary during the Pok&eacute;mon Scarlet and Pok&eacute;mon Violet video game competition. Don&rsquo;t think we haven&rsquo;t taken notice of the casters&rsquo; fantastic outfits&mdash;their wonderful tropical shirts perfectly match the vibe of this year&rsquo;s host city.&nbsp;

Don&rsquo;t let him get into his zone! Aaron Zheng was chilling before his match against 2014 World Champion Sejun Park, and handily took the match 2-0.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Daichi Shimada is one of the most renowned Pok&eacute;mon TCG players in Japan, and plenty of fans stopped by to take a peek at his match as he piloted the upstart Regidrago VSTAR deck. He&rsquo;s arguably one of the favorites to win the whole event, so we&rsquo;ll be keeping our eye on him!&nbsp;&nbsp;

You&rsquo;re guaranteed to see plenty of plush at any Pok&eacute;mon event you attend, and we took notice of this judge&rsquo;s wonderful selection of Sitting Cuties featuring Raichu, Electrode, Exeggutor, and Tyranitar. It&rsquo;s bound to be a long weekend, and we think these Pok&eacute;mon will be plenty supportive throughout the event.&nbsp;

Who doesn&rsquo;t love Sitting Cuties? We were delighted to see these Pok&eacute;mon from the Kalos region on display, as the <a style="color: #ee4d9b;" href="https://www.pokemoncenter.com/?utm_source=p&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=WorldsBlog" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pok&eacute;mon Center</a> teases the next wave of adorably compact plush coming later this year.

The Pok&eacute;mon Company International is collaborating with the Genki Ala Wai Project to create mud balls at the 2024 Pok&eacute;mon World Championships! Fans will create these mud balls at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center and toss them into the Ala Wai Canal later this week. Creating and tossing mud balls is fun, but these mud balls specifically employ bioremediation to purify the water over time. It&rsquo;s a fun and easy way to help restore the environment!&nbsp;

The <a href="https://tcgpocket.pokemon.com/en-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pok&eacute;mon Trading Card Game Pocket</a> booth allows fans to open a booster pack of their choice on a large touchscreen. Once the digital contents are revealed, guests can admire the cards&rsquo; artwork by moving their fingers around the screen. If they&rsquo;re lucky, they even get a peek at the new immersive card of Pikachu.&nbsp;

We saw these awesome Team Star cosplayers lining up for their chance to open a booster pack at the Pok&eacute;mon Trading Card Game Pocket booth. Hasta la vistar!&nbsp;

Pairings are up! The Hawaiʻi Convention Center was bumping with music and cheers, but everything went silent as competitors shuffled around to find their first-round opponents. Everyone starts 0-0-0, so there&rsquo;s no telling what will happen as Worlds begins. &nbsp;

The 2024 Pok&eacute;mon World Championships has officially kicked off with an opening ceremony that celebrated the spirit of competition and the beautiful Hawaiian Islands. Attendees enjoyed a video recap of previous Worlds competitions along with a welcome from President and CEO of The Pok&eacute;mon Company, Mr. Tsunekazu Ishihara and performances by dancers and the Hawaiian band, Kailua Moon.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Now, e komo mai and let the games begin!

The lobby of the Hawaiʻi Convention Center has a gorgeous, multistory waterfall that looks great on its own, but it looks even better when it&rsquo;s decorated with Pok&eacute;mon beach balls!

We&rsquo;ve finally made it onto the show floor! Now to get up off the floor so we don&rsquo;t get stepped on.

Players battle all year for a chance to play at the World Championships, and this young competitor couldn&rsquo;t contain their excitement as they ran down the tunnel of judges and gave them all a high five.

The doors have swung open, and guests of the 2024 Pok&eacute;mon World Championships have started to head in! As spectators and competitors arrive, they&rsquo;re flanked by a legion of applauding judges who welcome them into the event. What a great way to start what is sure to be an amazing weekend!&nbsp;
Now to get ready for the opening ceremony.

But first, let them take a selfie! 😎 FENNEL was the team to beat all day, and they made the most of their fans&rsquo; loyal support (they sat in the front row all day long) by defeating XoraTigersGaming 3-0 in the 2024 Pok&eacute;mon UNITE World Championships Finals. This is the first time that a North American team isn&rsquo;t raising the World Champion trophy, and the first time that a Japanese team can claim the title for themselves! We hope that we&rsquo;ll see them again next year&mdash;if only because every tournament is better with Pyi&rsquo;s fire Blaziken gameplay. ️&zwj;🔥&nbsp;

Remember those mud balls that fans were making yesterday? This is them now. Just kidding! These mud balls were prepared weeks ago by the Genki Ala Wai project so people could enjoy both sides of the environmental purifying process. The mud balls made yesterday will be tossed into the canal in a couple weeks, so rest assured that those will work their bioremediation magic.

Two amazing Rika cosplayers in the same day? It&rsquo;s more likely than you think! This cosplayer was happy to show off her trusty Clodsire plush as part of her look.&nbsp;&nbsp;

One added benefit of the Pok&eacute;mon World Championships being held in Hawaiʻi is that it gives attendees the opportunity to catch some relatively scarce Pok&eacute;mon in Pok&eacute;mon GO. While in Hawaiʻi, Trainers can encounter Corsola (which normally only appears in warm regions), Pa&rsquo;u Style Oricorio (which is typically found in island-style regions), and Comfey (which is currently only found in Hawaiʻi).&nbsp;
If you&rsquo;re attending the competition, be sure to catch extras of this trio to trade with your friends when you return home!&nbsp;

In another awesome panel happening at the World Championships, we got to see Pok&eacute;mon TCG illustrators <a style="color: #ee4d9b;" href="https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/pokemon-cards/?particularArtist=akira_egawa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AKIRA EGAWA</a> (left) and Atsushi Furusawa (right) sit down alongside some plush and chat about the experiences and inspirations that made them the amazing artists they are today. And guess what we learned&mdash;Atsushi Furusawa&rsquo;s favorite Pok&eacute;mon is actually Magneton!&nbsp;

FENNEL is moving on to the Top 4 of the Pok&eacute;mon UNITE World Championships! They&rsquo;ve dominated the competition thus far, and their fans have shown up every step of the way. Whether it&rsquo;s loud cheers, cool signs, or adorable plush, they&rsquo;re ready to give FENNEL all their energy as they push toward a World Championship title.

Pok&eacute;mon broadcasts often feel like magic&mdash;and they are! But they also take a lot of work. Here&rsquo;s a peek at the type of stuff that happens backstage to keep everything moving smoothly.&nbsp;

Worlds is loads of fun and endlessly exciting, but it can also be a bit, well, loud at times. If guests ever find themselves feeling overwhelmed, they&rsquo;re always welcome to visit the Quiet Room. Here, Trainers can get away from the crowds and the noise and recharge before heading back out into the action.

Anna Prosser has hosted Pok&eacute;mon tournaments for years, and she&rsquo;s well known for bringing amazing Pok&eacute;mon themed outfits to the broadcast. Today, she&rsquo;s sporting an outfit inspired by Rika, a member of the Elite Four in Pok&eacute;mon Scarlet and Pok&eacute;mon Violet.

We&rsquo;re approaching top cut in the Pok&eacute;mon TCG and Jesse Parker is seriously on a hot streak&mdash;he's been at the top tables all day with Miraidon ex, a deck that he piloted to a second-place finish at the <a href="https://www.pokemon.com/us/play-pokemon/regionals/2024/pittsburgh/tcg-masters#deck-jesse-parker-united-states" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2024 Pittsburgh Regional Championships</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

One terrific aspect of Worlds is when fans come together to create their own fun. We met a large group of Trainers that were testing their skill (and their luck!) to see how quickly they could encounter a Shiny Pok&eacute;mon in classic Pok&eacute;mon video games. With many systems running simultaneously, they achieved their goal in a copy of Pokemon FireRed Version. It took them just over four minutes to discover and catch a Shiny Nidorino in the game&rsquo;s Safari Zone. Great work, Trainers!

We were walking around the floor and noticed that the Japanese Pok&eacute;mon TCG casters were on break. When we steadied our lens and asked for a photo, they were happy to give us a pose! You&rsquo;ll often see them making Pok&eacute;mon TCG videos on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@PokecaCH" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Japanese Pok&eacute;mon TCG YouTube channel</a>, too.&nbsp;&nbsp;

For a deeper look at what goes into developing Pok&eacute;mon animation, we attended the Pok&eacute;mon: Bringing Animation to Global Audiences panel. This Pok&eacute;mon Talk discussion pulled back the curtain for a glimpse at what goes into both localizing an animated series that was created in Japan (Pok&eacute;mon Horizons: The Series) and developing an original animated series (Pok&eacute;mon: Path to the Peak). Interesting details and amusing anecdotes were shared, and we gained an even deeper appreciation for a pair of animated series that we already loved.&nbsp;

You know you&rsquo;re looking at a Pok&eacute;mon UNITE competitor or fan when you see them wearing a sick jersey. It&rsquo;s not common to see these jerseys at Pok&eacute;mon events, but they often feature team styling and a gamertag between the shoulders. Here, Team Fusion is chilling in the audience after a big win to advance to the Top 8 of the Pok&eacute;mon UNITE World Championships.&nbsp;

We noticed this cute sign as we roamed the event floor. What better way to remind Worlds attendees to keep their family together than with Maushold, the Family Pok&eacute;mon?

Pok&eacute;mon TCG illustrator <a style="color: #ee4d9b;" href="https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/pokemon-cards/?particularArtist=Atsushi%20Furusawa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Atsushi Furusawa</a> is doing autograph sessions at the World Championships today, and we caught him visiting the Pok&eacute;mon TCG Illustration Contest 2024 Gallery! Furusawa marveled at the artwork submitted by the Top 100 finishers as he walked with a Magneton plush in hand. We assumed that Magneton was his favorite Pok&eacute;mon, but in a <a href="https://www.ptcgic-cr.com/2024/en/column/article-8/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previous interview</a> he mentioned that he especially likes Magnemite. 🧲⚡&nbsp;

Pok&eacute;mon GO fans attending Worlds can take part in a special 2024 Pok&eacute;mon World Championships Scavenger Hunt that occurs both in the game and at the event. By completing the Timed Research tasks such as spinning specific Pok&eacute;Stops, catching certain Pok&eacute;mon, and competing in Great League Battles, players get in-game rewards and encounters with the World Championships 2024 Pikachu.&nbsp;
Plus, by registering at the event&rsquo;s Pok&eacute;mon GO Activity Desk, completing those tasks can earn Trainers cool Pok&eacute;mon GO prizes like wristbands, pins, water bottles, and more.

Pok&eacute;mon UNITE is the only team game at Worlds, and that means we get to see awesome moments like this. Adesu and Ghatlue shared an emotional celebration as Nouns Esports notched a clutch win against Tiburones Rojos to advance to the Top 8 of the competition.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ever wonder how we get all those sweeping crowd shots during Worlds? Here&rsquo;s a behind the scenes secret&mdash;a camera mounted on a big ol&rsquo; crane! (They wouldn&rsquo;t let us operate it, no matter how nicely we asked&hellip;)

Most casters have swapped over to more traditional threads, but Spragels and Doobsnax are still rocking their unique flair as they ramp up for the final day of Pok&eacute;mon UNITE competition.&nbsp;&nbsp;

There are loads of fun activities to enjoy at Worlds, and even better, you can be rewarded for checking them out. The event&rsquo;s Stamp Rally has Trainers collecting stamps at various booths throughout the venue. Catch them all, and you&rsquo;ll earn a super cute 2024 Pok&eacute;mon World Championships sticker.

It&rsquo;s not all passive enjoyment of stunning artwork at the Pok&eacute;mon TCG Illustration Contest 2024 Gallery&mdash;there&rsquo;s also a fun activity in which fans of all ages can engage. Visitors can pick up one of multiple Pok&eacute;mon TCG: Draw Your Own Card activity sheets that highlight different Pok&eacute;mon and invite them to create their own miniature works of art. The completed pieces are hung in the gallery alongside the works from the top 100 entries from the 2024 contest. We love seeing everyone&rsquo;s creations!&nbsp;

The Pok&eacute;mon TCG Illustration Contest 2024 Gallery sports an impressive display of the top three winners of the 2022 contest: REND, Taiga Kasai, and Julie Hang. In addition to their fabulous artwork, these frames also contain artist bios, comments from the artists, and the Pok&eacute;mon TCG cards that feature their work. It&rsquo;s incredible to see their beautiful art at such a large scale.&nbsp;

We&rsquo;re back at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center, and we&rsquo;re excited for another day of fun activities and riveting competition!&nbsp;&nbsp;

We hope you enjoyed our adventures in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi as much as we did. From hiking up Diamond Head to catching all the amazing action at Worlds, it was a total blast. We're unwinding now, but we'll be back to cover the 2025 Pok&eacute;mon World Championships in Anaheim, California next year. See you then!&nbsp;

Woah, that was crazy. Who knew that Pok&eacute;mon GO could get even bigger? Or that the Pok&eacute;mon TCG would bring back Trainer&rsquo;s Pok&eacute;mon? We know we&rsquo;re ready to open packs in Pok&eacute;mon TCG Pocket on October 30, too! And let&rsquo;s not forget about the new Pok&eacute;mon in Pok&eacute;mon UNITE&mdash;Psyduck is going to take it from zero to 500 real quick. As we speed off into the sunset, we&rsquo;ll be angling for Anaheim and San Francisco, the 2025 and 2026 Pok&eacute;mon World Championships locations!&nbsp;

Rosemary &ldquo;Nekkra&rdquo; Kelley and Labhaoisa Akcoş-Cromie's faces say it all&mdash;the Pok&eacute;mon VGC Masters Division World Finals was awesome. Yuta Ishigaki and Luca Ceribelli both battled hard, but at the end of the day, there could only be one winner. Luca Ceribelli reigned victorious with his trusty Miraidon and Hearthflame Mask Ogerpon closing out a 2-1 win. Congratulations, Luca!

Previous Pok&eacute;mon World Champions shared their stories in the Victory Road: Becoming a World Champion panel. During this Pok&eacute;mon Talk, we learned what inspired these top players and how they accomplished the ultimate Pok&eacute;mon fan dream&mdash;to become the greatest Pok&eacute;mon player in the world!&nbsp;

Ol&eacute;! Fernando Cifuentes becomes the first Chilean to win the Pok&eacute;mon World Championships in any game or division. The crowd roared with Spanish chants as he hit Crushing Hammer after Crushing Hammer in the Pok&eacute;mon TCG Masters Division Finals, where he defeated Seinosuke Shiokawa 2-1 with his electrifying Iron Thorns ex deck.

If you&rsquo;re feeling inspired after watching the best Pok&eacute;mon players compete at Worlds, you should pay a visit to the Pok&eacute;mon Play Lab, which can be found at major Pok&eacute;mon events. At the Play Lab, skilled Pok&eacute;mon experts provide beginner and casual players with game demos.&nbsp;
In the Discover Lab, you&rsquo;ll learn the basics of the Pok&eacute;mon TCG, and the Battle Lab gets you started in Pok&eacute;mon Scarlet and Pok&eacute;mon Violet as well as Pok&eacute;mon UNITE. Who knows? Maybe this will be the start of your Pok&eacute;mon Worlds journey.

We were walking the halls, and we found another amazing cosplayer! This cosplay is inspired by Shiny Sylveon, and we can definitely say that all the details were intertwined perfectly. 🎀

Gym Leader Challenge is one of the most popular Pok&eacute;mon TCG formats to enjoy at side events, and we just had to stroll by to see what decks Trainers were rocking. We were psyched to see this Trainer playing a Psychic-type deck with all kinds of tricks at their disposal. If you&rsquo;re interested in learning more about Gym Leader Challenge, check out our latest <a href="https://www.pokemon.com/us/strategy/side-event-breakdown-gym-leader-challenge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article on Pokemon.com</a> breaking down the fan-favorite format.

Is there such a thing as a Shiny Pok&eacute;mon Fan? After our encounter with this glowing Trainer coming out of AKIRA EGAWA&rsquo;s autograph session, we&rsquo;re starting to think&hellip; maybe? Honestly, we can&rsquo;t blame them for their enthusiasm. That Charizard ex print is simply gorgeous, and the signature makes it even more special.&nbsp;

It&rsquo;s not often you get to see Japanese and U.S. Pok&eacute;mon TCG Booster Display Boxes side-by-side, but you never know what you&rsquo;ll find in the Merchant Room. While browsing there, we found sealed boxes of the Sword &amp; Shield&mdash;Astral Radiance expansion alongside the Japanese expansions, Time Gazer and Space Juggler.&nbsp;

Championship Sunday only features Finals matches, but there&rsquo;s still plenty of gameplay happening throughout the hall. Here, we saw a trio of young Trainers playing in a Pok&eacute;mon TCG side event in the Standard format! What do you think they&rsquo;ll pick up with their side event tickets?&nbsp;

Congratulations to Yekai0904! Becoming the very best and hoisting a fancy trophy is already cool, but Pok&eacute;mon GO World Champions also earn unique digital items in Pok&eacute;mon GO&mdash;a clothing set and pose that only World Champions can call their own.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Look who we found taking a nap in the Hawaiʻi Convention Center. Does anyone have a Pok&eacute; Flute handy?

We took another stroll through the Pok&eacute;mon TCG Illustration Contest 2024 Gallery today, and we were delighted to see Pok&eacute;mon TCG illustrator <a style="color: #ee4d9b;" href="https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/pokemon-cards/?particularArtist=akira_egawa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AKIRA EGAWA</a> enjoying the artwork&mdash;both the Top 100 illustrations and the drawings that fans have been putting up on the wall. She was delighted to see all the talent on display and will be at the venue later today to autograph prints featuring <a style="color: #ee4d9b;" href="https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/pokemon-cards/series/sv4pt5/234/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charizard ex</a>! &nbsp;&nbsp;

Those amazing trophies aren&rsquo;t the only prizes awarded at Worlds. The top players will also receive one of these unique Pok&eacute;mon TCG cards. They may not be tournament legal, but they&rsquo;re sure to be the most prized cards in these Trainers&rsquo; collections!&nbsp;

It&rsquo;s all come down to this! After a weekend of fierce competition, we&rsquo;ve entered the final day of the 2024 Pok&eacute;mon World Championships. We&rsquo;re wondering who will bring home one of these incredible trophies as we head into the Pok&eacute;mon TCG, Pok&eacute;mon VCG, and Pok&eacute;mon GO finals. Good luck, Trainers!

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