Starting Out in Competitive Pokémon:
A Personal Reflection

The 2025 Pokémon Championship Series is officially over and I wanted to take some time to reflect on my first experiences playing competitively. I wouldn't classify this strictly as a step-by-step guide (since this is more of a blog than anything else), but I will discuss how I feel about the tournament experience, and maybe you’ll find some useful tips on what it’s like to get started. 

Starting out

My very first, tiny little competition was during a side event at Worlds 2022 in London. I played a no-Dynamax-allowed format, did terribly and really enjoyed it. I loved preparing for it, doing some of the strategic thinking needed, and then testing those strategies in a competitive setting.

About 6 months later, I attended the 2023 Pokémon Europe International Championships (EUIC) as a spectator. I believe in a slow-and-steady approach, so I signed up for more side events this time, which gave me a chance to get used to tournament-style competition with lower stakes. I remember the high of participating in a Rental Team side event, going against a player who had competed in the main tournament the day before and making an adaptation in Game 3 that won me the match. It wasn't particularly clever, and it was just a side event, but walking out with extra prize points definitely propelled me forward.

I then started looking for local events. Local events are where the competition heats up. In a way, local events can be even more cut-throat than big events, as they are mostly attended by committed players, preparing for tournaments or trying to gain Championship Points. However, they will give you an idea of how the tournament structure works, what Swiss rounds are, and what you are supposed to do before and after each round. It works exactly the same at big tournaments.

My results at local events were mixed at best, but that's when I started getting used to more “meta”/standard teams, to the tournament pace, and the match etiquette. It may seem a little silly to admit, but one of the things that still feels like the biggest difference between online and in-person competition is the fact that you have another human being right in front of you. However, even the most inept at small talk (me included!) will find that the majority of people are kind, patient and probably just as nervous as you.

Alongside local competitions, I found it incredibly helpful to sign up to online tournaments as well. While you can test teams on Showdown, online tournaments have the advantage of following the official tournament structure (and therefore the pace) and they are often played on cartridge. You would be surprised how much of a difference the in-game timer and rhythm can affect your plays each turn, forcing you to think more slowly.

I have to shout out Professor Kai’s tournaments here. Their tournaments are perfectly timed for UK/EU (and similar time zones) players, they are extremely efficient and very inclusive. These are as close to a real tournament experience as you’ll get by staying at home. If you consistently do well at these, it means you will be able to at least keep up at other events. Online tournaments let you test the consistency of a team or a strategy, they let you get comfortable with your team, and can guide you in making micro-adjustments afterwards.

After spending the 2023-24 season getting used to the circuit, I signed up for the London Joust at EUIC 2024 (still a side event, but swiss-style and with current regulation rules). I had been tweaking and building the team the entire year and managed to get 3 wins, making it clear to myself that I probably had a chance to keep up with other competitors at bigger events.

My first year(-ish) of playing

There is no need to do all this in order (or at all), but this is what I did before signing up for a proper major event, the 2025 Birmingham Regional. With demand growing, signing up for these is getting quite expensive, so you might as well give it your best shot and go in as prepared as possible.

I went in with very low expectations, my goal being getting at least one win. These big events can be overwhelming; I certainly felt some of the pressure. It’s hard not to think that other competitors are more prepared than you, will have better counters to your team, and in general that they are better, more seasoned players than you. The biggest hurdle for me in these first handful of events has been mostly mental – which is where your preparation can help, making up for some of the uncertainty and doubt that inevitably hits you as you exchange team sheets with your opponent. Either way, my result at my first major event was 4 wins and 4 losses, which I was pretty chuffed about!

Next up was EUIC 2025 and I had to decide whether I wanted to participate as a competitor and commit to the pretty steep £80 entry fee. I ended up deciding that the amount of games you get to play and the competitor merchandise bundle would justify it, considering I was planning to attend anyway. In fact, I think that compared to a regional, the exclusive merchandise you get as a competitor makes it a lot easier to pay for a competitor ticket.

Still, I do worry about the more consumerist aspects of these events and it’s quite easy to fall into the FOMO of it all. Despite Pokémon being my main hobby, I am not a big fan of the truly extreme focus on physical merchandise that drives the company. I rarely come out of the pop-up Pokémon Center at these events having bought anything, and I find the experience of going through them quite stressful. I much prefer focusing on the digital elements of the franchise and try to limit unnecessary spending, which clashes with the inevitably consumerist nature of these events.

I took preparation for EUIC as seriously as I could, despite the busy time of the year. For me, that meant not only following the meta, but also practicing more methodically (i.e., not spending entire evenings spamming buttons on Showdown). I landed on two options for my team: Zamazenta/Chien-Pao core with the final team member being Landorus-Incarnate or Volcarona. I signed up to multiple online tournaments over the course of a few weekends and tested both. Volcarona had me top-cut two online tournaments right before EUIC, which gave me a big confidence boost.

With my team locked in, and despite the early start, EUIC felt like the first tournament where I could play comfortably, focused on the gameplay rather than everything going around me. I felt prepared and my stamina had improved, meaning I didn’t feel as tired as the day went by. I ended the tournament with 5 wins and 3 losses, meaning I could not advance to Day 2, but it was my best result yet!

I didn’t manage to attend any more events (including locals) until later in the year, when I booked an impromptu trip to Bologna, so I could visit my brother in Parma and also attend the Bologna 2025 Special Event in June. I’d love to be able to say that my trajectory kept going up, but I didn’t put nearly as much effort into preparation for this event (partially because it was a free event that I could couple with a family visit). Still, with the little prep I put in – and quite a bit of luck in some of my matches – I managed to get an even 4 wins and 4 losses.

Held items (i.e., what to bring with you)

Technically, you are not required to bring anything with you beyond your console and your team. At any major tournament you will be given a team sheet to share with your opponent and you are good to go. It took me a while to understand why so many players would bring such a considerable amount of kit to their table.

If I had to give you an essential list, it would be headphones and paper. 

Venues can be very loud and it’s easy to get distracted overhearing a conversation when you only have 40 seconds to select a move. Headphones can help mitigate that slightly.

As you get better at the game, you will find it useful to take notes. It feels awkward at first, not knowing what you are ‘supposed’ to be writing. Ultimately, it’s up to you how much information you’d like to jot down during the match – by practicing you can figure out what’s useful for you. There are many videos breaking down note taking techniques, but in the spirit of keeping things text-based, this article from the Lava Pool has been a fun read. Below is an example of how I take notes – which isn’t perfect by any means, but has worked for me so far.

I have also found that a wired controller can be a useful instrument to let you sit back and relax, rather than end up hunched over your Switch using the Joy-Con. This is especially true at big tournaments when your Switch will be docked, which means you can’t pick it up and have to be careful not to knock it over. Whether you are playing at a local, regional or international event, both controllers and earphones/headphones need to be wired.

Final reflections

Realistically, I don’t and probably will never have the time to put into this hobby to compete at an incredibly high level, nor do I think I am particularly gifted when it comes to this kind of analytical gameplay. This is why I do a lot of work to manage my own expectations and ask myself what I want to get out of the game.

What I do like is challenging myself to keep up with the game, as well as tweaking and preparing teams in advance. It’s interesting (as well as overwhelming, sometimes) to meet people who are into the same thing as you, and to experience that sense of community in real life.

Still, like every other community you can join, it has its problems. The VGC competitive scene is incredibly male-dominated – perhaps less so than other videogames, but it is impossible not to notice. This is, of course, not a problem unique to Pokémon, but other minoritised groups may also face additional challenges, prejudice, and overall negative experiences (and to be fair to Play! Pokémon, they take their Play! Pokémon Inclusion Policy very seriously and update it regularly).

However, there are grassroots initiatives like the Hatterene Series that have helped with growing and showcasing the scene for female and non-binary players. Recently, I’ve also noticed that regional events (in the UK at least) include side events specifically aimed at women and non-binary people (Pokémon Sisterhood League).

I do think Play! Pokémon events are showing mixed signs of improvement, despite the challenge they are facing due to the rapid growth in popularity of the game. Still, venues vary in size and accessibility, both from a physical access perspective, in terms of accessibility for neurodivergent people, or simply from a financial standpoint. Attending these events often requires a lot of walking and standing in crowded venues, as well as travelling to major cities and paying for accommodation, entry fees and often expensive food options. While I do understand this is the reality of big events aimed at consumers of the brand, it would be impressive to see the company putting even more effort on a well-rounded approach to accessibility.

Resources

• If you are thinking of attending an event, this video by Nekkra walks you through the process – from registration to the end of the tournament – better than I ever could.

• There are an infinite amount of videos and resources on team building, metagame analysis and tournament prep. A good place to cover the very basics is VGC guide.

• In an attempt to recommend less video content (which is easily searchable on YouTube), for more granular breakdowns, I would recommend using Pikalytics and LabMaus.

• Victory Road is a must to access data from recently completed tournaments.

• If you are looking for teams to test out, VGCPastes Repository is an excellent repository of team sheets.

• Finally, DevonCorp recently put together a huge list of VGC resources that you can access here: Up-to-date VGC Resources — DevonCorp.