Brothers Named Pokémon Champs

Keegan Abley, 9, earned first place at the 2011 Buford Pokémon City Championships recently and his brother Haidyn, 8, received a championship medal after taking second place at the competition.

Both boys accumulated championship points which count toward a potential invitation to the Pokémon U.S. National Championships in Indianapolis, IN., next summer.

Douglasville Patch caught up with the Pokémon players while they were keeping their card-playing skills fresh, at Randyland, newly located on Highway 5.

National Championships are exactly the reason Keegan said he's playing Pokémon. He had played in enough tournaments and earned enough points to be invited to the World Championships last year, held in San Diego, CA., where Keegan placed 54th.

This year's annual Pokémon World Championships will be held in Hawaii on Aug. 10 through 12. Contestants will compete against elite players from more than 25 countries, including Japan, U.K., France, Italy, Germany and Spain. It's Keegan's goal is to get invited and finish in first place. His brother Haidyn's goal is to just get invited.

"It's better than video games," Keegan said. "You use your imagination more. You can get frustrated if you can't do anything but if you have Pokémon, you always have something to do."

Keegan's been playing since he's been six years old and Haidyn started at the age of three.

"When I was younger I played every night before I went to bed," he said. "I played in all of the tournaments my parents could bring me to."

Haidyn said the game teaches you to never give up.

"If you're not doing good, you just wait for a new deck and things might turn out better," he said. "I like Pokémon because it teaches you to take risks."

“What makes an event like the Pokémon City Championships so special is the involvement and support it receives from the local community,” said J.C. Smith, director of Consumer Marketing for The Pokémon Company International. “The Buford-area has a strong group of Pokémon players who enjoyed a great weekend of competition.” 

Play! Pokémon competitors are divided equally into three divisions: Junior Division (born in 2001 or later), Senior Division (born in 1997–2000), and Masters Division (born in 1996 or earlier).

For more information, visit http://www.pokemon.com/us/organized-play.