2013 World Championships
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The 2013 Pokémon World Championships will be held in the East Building of the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from August 9-11, 2013. It will mark the tenth invitation-only championships for players of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, as well as the fifth for players of the Pokémon video games. For the first time, the World Championships are being held outside of the United States.
Trading Card Game Championships
The Pokémon Trading Card Game, barring any changes, will continue with the 2012-13 Modified format introduced this year using all cards from Black & White onward. Players are able to receive invites from outstanding performances at their country's National Championships, the previous year's World Championships, or through the number of Championship Points they obtain throughout the year. In addition, players can win an invitation during the Last Chance Qualifier on the first day of the tournament.
If no changes to the tournament format are made, the second day of the tournament will feature Swiss Pairings within each division. At the end of the day, the top players in each division will be seeded into single-elimination tournaments on Sunday to determine each division's World Champion.
Junior Division
Shuto Itagaki, of Japan, is the defending Junior Division TCG World Champion. Shuto is the younger brother of 2008 Junior Division TCG World Finalist and 2009 Senior Division World Champion Takuto Itagaki. Last year, he finished with a record of 10-1, losing only to 9th place finisher Joey Ruettiger during Swiss Rounds.
Senior Division
Chase Moloney, of Canada, is the defending Senior Division TCG World Champion. Chase finished 10-1 in 2012, losing only to the 9th place finisher Liam Williams during Swiss Rounds.
Masters Division
Igor Costa, of Portugal, is the defending Masters Division TCG World Champion. Igor is the first Portuguese player to be named World Champion, and only the second from Europe (2007, Tom Roos - Finland). Igor finished in 9-2 in 2012, losing to Canadian Michael Martindale and Singaporean Xavier Chua during Swiss Rounds.
Video Game Championships
This year, barring any changes, participants will be using Black and White 2 Versions. All matches will be conducted via Double Battles and any Pokémon in the National Pokédex can be entered, with the exception of Mewtwo, Mew, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Celebi, Kyogre, Groudon, Rayquaza, Jirachi, Deoxys, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Phione, Manaphy, Darkrai, Shaymin, Arceus, Victini, Reshiram, Zekrom, Kyurem, Keldeo, Meloetta and Genesect.
Similar to Flat Battle mode, Pokémon of Levels 51 and above will be temporarily reduced to Level 50, while Pokémon Level 50 and below will retain their levels. Held items may be used, but no two Pokémon from the same team may hold the same held item. Players are not allowed to change their held items after they have registered, and can only use items from within the game and those received at an official Pokémon event or promotion.
Moves are restricted to those learned from the game through leveling up, breeding, TMs and HMs, from a character in the game or from an official event or promotion. Sky Drop and Dark Void are banned in this format, with Sky Drop being banned due to a glitch.
In addition, the Wonder Launcher is not permitted to be used.
Junior Division
Abram Burrows, of the United States, is the defending Junior Division VG World Champion. Abram defeated the 2011 World Champion, fellow American Brian Hough, to claim the title with a perfect record of 9-0.
Senior Division
Toler Webb, of the United States, is the defending Senior Division VG World Champion. Toler finished 9-2 in 2012, only losing to German Cora Moser and Japanese quarterfinalist Santa Ito during Swiss Rounds.
Masters Division
Ray Rizzo, of the United States, is the three-time defending Masters Division VG World Champion. Ray completed his hat trick in 2012 with a perfect 9-0 record. Over the past three years, Ray has lost only three times at the World Championships. In 2010, he lost to two Japanese players, Yasuki Tochigi and Isao Yoshioka, in Swiss. Both Japanese players battled against each other in the semifinal opposite Ray's, leaving Yasuki to be Ray's final opponent, whom he defeated. In 2011, he lost to Spain's Ruben Puig Lecegui in Swiss, however, they met again in the semifinals where Ray was able to defeat him.
