Pleasanton Hosting Pokemon Regional Champtionships in Mid-April

Hundreds of Pokémon gamers will descend on Pleasanton next weekend for the 2012 Pokémon Spring Regional Championships.

The tourney will take place April 14-15 at the .

There will be trading card gamers as well as video gamers in Pleasanton, and seven other cities across the U.S.

The championship showcases the strategy, skill and fun enjoyed by tens of thousands of competitive Pokémon gamers around the world.

 Pokémon trading card players will begin their competition on Saturday, April 14 and the video game competition will kick off on Sunday, April 15. 

Players of all ages and skill levels are invited to attend and compete for free. 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).

The Pokémon community of fans, family, and friends will be on hand cheering their Pokémon competitors as they battle to become Pokémon Regional Champion and win a Travel Award to the Pokémon U.S. National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana, this summer.

Top finishers at the U.S. National Championships will advance to the annual Pokémon World Championships in Hawaii on Aug. 10-12, to compete against elite players from more than 25 countries, including Japan, U.K., France, Italy, Germany, and Spain. 

“What makes an event like the Pokémon Regional 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 West Coast has a strong group of Pokémon players who will enjoy a great weekend of competition.”  

The following is a complete list of locations and registration dates and times for the 2012 Pokémon Spring Regional Championships: 

Surrey, British Columbia

Central City Shopping Centre

Pokémon Trading Card Game Player Registration: Saturday, April 14^th, 9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m. (All Divisions)

Video Game Player Registration: Sunday, April 15^th, 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. (All Divisions)

Pleasanton, California

Alameda County Fairgrounds

Pokémon Trading Card Game Player Registration: Saturday, April 14^th, 9:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m. (All Divisions)

Video Game Player Registration: Sunday, April 15^th, 9:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m. (All Divisions)

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Crowne Plaza Hotel

Pokémon Trading Card Game Player Registration: Saturday, April 14^th, 8:00 a.m.–9:45 a.m. (All Divisions)

Video Game Player Registration: Sunday, April 15^th, 8:00 a.m.–9:45 a.m. (All Divisions)

Athens, Georgia

Classic Center

Pokémon Trading Card Game Player Registration: Saturday, April 14^th, 8:30 a.m.–9:45 a.m. (All Divisions)

Video Game Player Registration: Sunday, April 15^th, 8:30 a.m.–9:30 a.m. (Junior and Senior Divisions)

Video Game Player Registration: Sunday, April 15^th, 9:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m. (Masters Division)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Convention Center

Pokémon Trading Card Game Player Registration: Saturday, April 14^th, 8:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m. (All Divisions)

Video Game Player Registration: Sunday, April 15^th, 9:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m. (Junior and Senior Divisions)

Video Game Player Registration: Sunday, April 15^th, 10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. (Masters Division)

Toronto, Ontario

Metro Toronto Convention Centre

Pokémon Trading Card Game Player Registration: Saturday, April 14^th, 9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m. (All Divisions)

Video Game Player Registration: Sunday, April 15^th, 9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m. (All Divisions)

Houston, Texas

Hilton Houston North

Pokémon Trading Card Game Player Registration: Saturday, April 14^th, 8:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m. (All Divisions)

Video Game Player Registration: Sunday, April 15^th, 8:30 a.m.–9:30 a.m. (Junior and Senior Divisions)

Video Game Player Registration: Sunday, April 15^th, 12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m. (Masters Division)

Madison, Wisconsin

Monona Terrace

Pokémon Trading Card Game Player Registration: Saturday, April 14^th, 8:30 a.m.–9:30 a.m. (All Divisions)

Video Game Player Registration: Sunday, April 15^th, 8:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m. (Masters Division)

Video Game Player Registration: Sunday, April 15^th, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. (Junior and Senior Divisions)

Competitors are encouraged to visit www.pokemon.com/organized-play to learn more about the 2012 Pokémon Spring Regional Championships, including rules, regulations, prizes, tournament locations, and registration and event dates and times.