This spring and summer, Pokémon Trainers will play Pokémon™ Platinum Version and battle for a chance to become a World Champion at the 2009 Pokémon Video Game World Championships!To of the champions of this event will have a chance to win a trip for four in to either Tokyo, New York or Hawaii.


Pokémon Video Game Regional Championships will be held this spring and summer throughout the United States, and the competition is guaranteed to be intense. Trainers tough enough to qualify will earn a guaranteed competitor slot and Travel Award to participate in the Pokémon Video Game National Championships held in St. Louis, Missouri on June 27th and 28th. Pokémon Trainers who have the skill to qualify at the National level will earn an Invitation and Travel Award to the ultimate stage—the Pokémon Video Game World Championships! Note that European Championship Events will be played on Pokémon™ Diamond Version and Pokémon™ Pearl Version.

Pre-Qualifications:

Players may only use North American versions of Pokémon™ Platinum Version.

Players compete in one of two age divisions based on their date of birth.

• Junior Division: Born in 1997 or later
• Senior Division: Born in 1996 or earlier

Registering for the event:

There is no pre-registration for the Pokémon Video Game Regional Championships.

Exactly 128* players per event, per age division, will be randomly selected on-site the day of the event. Senior registration will take place 8:30 A.M. – 9:30 A.M. and Junior registration will take place 11:30 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.

During registration, each player will be required to fill out a Team Information Sheet. All potential players should arrive on-site with a complete Team Information Sheet.

• Each player must enter 4–6 Pokémon on his or her Team Information Sheet.
• Each player must enter 4–6 held items on his or her Team Information Sheet.
• Players may only use Pokémon and held items listed on their Team Information Sheet during the tournament.
• The Pokémon and held items listed on a player’s Team Information Sheet may not be changed once the player has registered for the event.
• Players may change which held item a Pokémon is using between matches so long as both the Pokémon and the held item are listed on the player’s Team Information Sheet.

*One competitor spot will be reserved for a VIP attendee at the San Francisco event. Up to 127 participants will be selected for the Senior Division at this event.

Battle Rules:

Each match is played using the Pokémon Link Club Colosseum, found on the top floor of the Pokémon Center in Pokémon™ Platinum Version. The tournament will use the Double Cup rules set, with some additional restrictions.

• Each match will use the 2-on-2 format.
• Each Pokémon on a player’s team must be Level 50 or lower. The Pokémon Link Club Colosseum does not have an auto-level feature, so Pokémon that are Level 51 or higher cannot be adjusted down to Level 50, and are ineligible for this competition.
• A player’s team may not contain two of the same Pokémon.
• Each Pokémon on a player’s team may use held items, though no 2 Pokémon on a team may hold the same item. Allowed items include held items from Pokémon™ Platinum Version, and earlier video games, including Berries 1–61. The Soul Dew item may not be used.
• Players may not enter two Pokémon with the same nickname.
• Players may not enter a Pokémon nicknamed with the name of another Pokémon character (for example, a Lucario nicknamed “Spiritomb”).
• Players found to have inappropriate/offensive Trainer names or Pokémon nicknames, as determined by the event staff, will be disqualified from the event.

Pokémon Restrictions:

Players may use Pokémon found in the Pokémon™ Platinum Version National Pokédex, between 001 and 492, including those Pokémon imported from earlier video games, with the exception of those Pokémon listed below.

The following Pokémon are ineligible for use in the tournament:

150 – Mewtwo	386 – Deoxys
151 – Mew	479 – Rotom
248 – Tyranitar	483 – Dialga
249 – Lugia	484 – Palkia
250 – Ho-Oh	487 – Giratina
251 – Celebi	489 – Phione
382 – Kyogre	490 – Manaphy
383 – Groudon	491 – Darkrai
384 – Rayquaza	492 – Shaymin
385 – Jirachi

Move Restrictions:

Pokémon may only use moves (including those learned in an earlier video game) which have been learned through one of the following methods:

• By leveling up
• By TM or HM
• As an Egg move, through breeding
• From a Move Tutor
• Already learned by a Pokémon, which was received at an official Pokémon event or promotion
• Already learned by a Pokémon, which was received from another Pokémon game (such as the Pikachu that knows Surf, from Pokémon Battle Revolution)
• By Smeargle’s “Sketch” move (limited to the above moves learned by Pokémon between 001 and 492)

Tournament Operation:

The Qualifier Tournament is a Single Elimination event. Each match will consist of a single game, and will result in the winner advancing to the next round and the loser being removed from the tournament.

• A player wins by knocking out his or her opponent’s final Pokémon.
• If an attack knocks out both players’ last Pokémon, the player that used the attack loses the match and is eliminated from the event. This includes attacks such as Explosion, Selfdestruct, and Destiny Bond.

Preliminary Rounds

Players in each age division will be randomly paired throughout the preliminary rounds. Players will be required to win 3 matches to advance to the elimination rounds.

Each match during the preliminary rounds is untimed, though players are expected to maintain a lively pace during game play. Matches will be played using special Nintendo DS Lite systems, located at the event.

• Players who are found to be intentionally delaying the pace of their match will be disqualified from the event.
• Players who are tardy to their match for any reason will be disqualified from the event.

Elimination Rounds

The top 16 players in each age division will be randomly paired throughout the elimination rounds. Winning players advance to the next round; losing players are eliminated from the event.

Each match during the elimination rounds is untimed, though players are expected to maintain a lively pace during game play. Matches will be played using special Nintendo DS Lite systems, located at the event.

• Players who are found to be intentionally delaying the pace of their match will be disqualified from the event.
• Players who are tardy to their match for any reason will be disqualified from the event.

Other Information:

The use of external devices to alter the Pokémon in a player’s party is expressly forbidden. Random checks will be performed throughout the tournament to determine whether or not an external device has been used to modify a player’s party. Players found to have Pokémon that have been tampered with will be disqualified from the event, regardless of whether the player tampered with his or her game or received a Pokémon or item that was tampered with by someone other than the player. It is the player’s responsibility to have legal Pokémon. Event officials have the final determination regarding the legality of a Pokémon.

A player should notify the staff immediately if he or she believes that there is a problem with an opponent’s Pokémon. At the end of the round, all match results become final. Issues that go unreported until after the round has completed will not change the result of that match, regardless of whether there is a problem with an opponent’s Pokémon.

Players and spectators are expected to demonstrate proper sportsmanship over the course of the event. A player may be disqualified from the event based on actions taken by friends or relatives who disrupt the operation of the tournament.

From: www.pokemonvgc.com