Pokemon Kid Wins Regional Championship

Joey Ruettiger, 9, 4th grader at Aux Sable Elementary School

Joey Ruettiger does it again. 

Ruettiger was recently crowned Regional Champion, earning a Regional Championships medal and high sought-after Championship Points toward an invitation to the 2012 Pokémon World Championships in Hawaii, next summer.

“He’s so excited,” said his mother Rose Ruettiger.

Joey Ruettiger didn’t make any changes to his game. He said he just played the “same old game.” Apparently, his tactics are just fine because he beat the number one ranked person in the nation.

“I was very proud of myself for winning,” Ruettiger said.

The resident is ranked first in Illinois, third in the United States and fifth in the World. 

The 2011 Pokémon Autumn Regional Championship tournaments took place November 12-13. This event marked the first time a regional championship included both the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) and video game elements in the same city, on the same weekend. By combining both types of play, the Fort Wayne Regional Championship created a complete Pokémon experience that showcased the strategy, skill and fun enjoyed by tens of thousands of competitive Pokémon TCG and video players around the world.         

Only seven cities across the United States were chosen to host the regionals that weekend.

“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 in a recent press release. “The Great Lakes region has a strong group of Pokémon players who enjoyed a great weekend of competition.”  

Ruettiger will spend six consecutive days participating in city championships in December when he is on winter break from school. This will help him train for the nationals competition held in Indianapolis next June.

“It’s not required, but it can help me win points,” Ruettiger said.

If Ruettiger plays his cards right and places between a first and fourth place at nationals, he will win a trip to the Annual Pokemon World Championships in Hawaii on August 10-12. There he will compete against elite players from more than 25 countries, including Japan, U.K., France, Italy, Germany and Spain.

And the rate he is going, there is a strong possibility that he will be doing the hula at a luau next summer. Hopefully in celebration of his win at World championships.