Journey to Pokemon Trading Card Game Nationals, and Maybe the Worlds!

Devon Roth, 9, who will be hopping on a plane to Indianapolis to attend the 2011 Pokemon Trading Card Game U.S. National Championship tournament, has been playing with these cards for the past year and a half.

This interest in Pokemon cards began when Roth started watching the Pokemon TV show and wanted to buy some cards. His father, Christopher, said if he was going to buy the cards then he wanted Devon to learn how to use them.

"It has more meaning than cards on the floor," Christopher Roth said.

It took about a month to learn how to play after Roth began watching the Pokemon show and buying that first set of cards which then led to practicing at home with his family and at his league called Game Table in Mineola as well as playing with friends. Roth practices about 10 times a week leading up to events, but Christopher Roth noted that Devon took off about two weeks after he won the regional competition.

These cards have become a bonding experience for the family; Devon Roth's younger sister, Caroline, who explained she is "5 and three quarters" would like to potentially start playing.

Roth's favorite Pokemon right now is Ditto because "it can transform into anything."

Each match is timed to a half hour, although Roth has won some in considerably shorter amounts of time. He's had games that basically are "[I] go first, [I] win," noted Christopher Roth.

Before even setting foot at the national competition, Devon Roth has enough points to get him to the world competition, Christopher Roth said. Since Devon won a free trip to Indianapolis to compete and because "he won't give up a chance to play," his father said, Devon will be traveling to Indianapolis on Thursday.

This trading card game is on the chess system, which means that you can garner points for winning matches and relinquish points for losing them. Christopher Roth noted that Devon has sometimes come back in matches from being four prizes behind in a match and then turn things around for the win.

Devon Roth is "very excited" for the world competition that he hopes to make it to and enjoys meeting new people at these competitions.

The culture at these competitions includes some participants doing things such as dyeing their hair to psych out their competitors, Christopher Roth said. Devon said on Wednesday that he would like to color his hair red and yellow after two red and yellow energy cards. At the very least, Devon Roth will be bringing his new mascot to the game, a flying pig that his father got from work that will remind him of one of the kinds of Pokemon based off of pigs.