This coming July 8th- 10th will be a big event for Pokémon ™ Trading Card Game and video game players for Pokemon U.S. National Championship Finals and will meet up on Indianapolis, Indiana. The players who will win the event will be moved to 2011 Pokémon World Championships in San Diego, California, this coming August.

• Pokémon Trading Card Game National Championships
• Pokémon Video Game National Championships
• Pokémon Trading Card Game Online

This spring, thousands of Pokémon video game players competed in six Pokémon Video Game Championship series Regional tournaments in Seattle, Washington; San Jose, California; Dallas, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Washington, D.C.; and Newark, New Jersey. Now only the top Regional finalists remain to compete at the Pokémon Video Game National Championships for 24 spots at the 2011 Pokémon Video Game World Championships in San Diego, California, August 12th-14th.

Divided equally among the Junior Division (born in 2000 or later), the Senior Division (born in 1996, 1997, 1998, or 1999) and the new Masters Division (born in 1995 or earlier), the Regional finalists will battle head to head playing the recently released, top-selling Pokémon Black Version or Pokémon White Version video game.

Players who finish in the top eight in each division at the Pokémon Video Game National Championships will receive invitations to the 2011 Pokémon Video Game World Championships in San Diego, California, August 12th-14th, with the top four winners receiving paid travel and accommodations. At the Pokémon World Championships, U.S. video game players will battle against top players from Europe, Japan, and South Korea.

Top Pokémon Video Game National Championship finishers also receive medals and a Nintendo 3DS™ system.

Pokémon Trading Card Game National Championships

More than 1,500 players are expected to attend the 8th annual Pokémon Trading Card Game National Championships, the culmination of the nine-month Pokémon TCG season in the United States.

Competitors from across the United States in the Junior Division (born in 2000 or later), the Senior Division (born in 1996, 1997, 1998, or 1999), and the Masters Division (born in 1995 or earlier) will battle during the three-day tournament that is open to all U.S.-resident TCG players in good standing in the Play! Pokémon program. Players do not need to qualify for the Pokémon TCG National Championships; however, there will be a limited number of slots available on a first-come, first-served basis. Pre-registration for the Pokémon TCG National Championships will take place on Thursday, July 7th, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and on Friday, July 8th, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., at the Indiana Convention Center.

Players who finish in the top eight in each division will receive invitations to the 2011 Pokémon Trading Card Game World Championships in San Diego, California, August 12th-14th, with the top four winners receiving paid travel and accommodations to Southern California. There, U.S. Pokémon TCG players will battle against top players from more than 25 countries all around the world.

The Pokémon Company International awards scholarships, medals, and other prizes to top finishers at the Pokémon Trading Card Game U.S. National Championships.