Vertress Conference

The setting for the competition

The Vertress Conference (Japanese: ヒガキ大会 Higaki Conference) is the Unova League general championship competition.

The conference is held in Vertress City. Competing Trainers are housed in lodgings in small villages similar to previous Leagues. The conference took place from Curtain Up, Unova League! to A Unova League Evolution! in the anime.

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Competition

The preliminary round match-ups

The scoreboard for the Full Battles

Opening ceremonies

The opening ceremony consists of Freddy O'Martian jumping down from a helicopter and Officer Jenny lighting the Pokémon League torch. It is unknown if the ceremonial torch is lit with Moltres's flame.

Rounds

Preliminary round

The preliminary round consists of one-on-one battles. All the 128 competitors are randomly matched up by a computer. The 64 winning Trainers move on to the qualifying rounds.

Qualifying rounds

The qualifying rounds are divided in three portions consisting of Single Battles. In the first two, the competing Trainers must use two Pokémon, while in the third portion they have to use three Pokémon. Trainers are knocked out of the tournament when all of their Pokémon are left unable to battle. The winning Trainers proceed to the final rounds.

Final rounds

The final rounds are a series of Full Battles with the Top 8 Trainers participating. The winner of the Vertress Conference is the Trainer that wins all of the final rounds.

Trainers who have participated in the Vertress Conference

Virgil, the winner, with the Vertress Championship Trophy

Trainer	Place
Virgil	Winner
Dino	Runner-up
Cameron	Top 4
Ramone	Top 4
Russet	Top 8
Antonio	Top 8
Katharine	Top 8
Ash Ketchum	Top 8
Manning	Top 16
Kenton	Top 16
Flora	Top 16
Stephan	Top 16
Geraldo	Top 32 or Top 64
Emmanuel	Top 32 or Top 64
Bianca	Top 64
Trip	Top 128
Kendrick	Top 128
Ultimo	Top 128
Mikael	Top 128
Radley	Top 128

In the games

The You Challenge the Isshu League Too! in the Pokémon World Tournament is based on the Vertress Conference. This tournament was downloadable for the Japanese versions of Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 games from December 3, 2012 to January 31, 2013 and featured Trip, Stephan, Cameron, and Virgil as the opponents in the tournament.

Trivia

• This is the only conference so far in which Charles Goodshow does not appear.
• This is the only conference since its debut that a Quilava does not appear battling in.
• This is the first league where Ash regresses in his league placement, placing in the Top 8 after having previously placed in the Top 4.
• This is currently the shortest league conference in the anime history, having only lasted six episodes.
• This is the only league which does not feature the Team Rocket trio, due to them having returned to Kanto.
• This is the only league in which Ash was not shown battling a female Trainer.
• This is the first league in which major characters of the day previously introduced have participated.
  • In spite of this, Ash nor his friends were seen interacting with any of them on-screen.
• This is the only conference that they don't have Rock, Ice, Water, and Grass fields.
• This is the only league and conference that Ash's family, old friends, and rivals didn't watch on television.

This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.