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The Pokemon VGC, or Video Game Championship, is the premier format for competitive battling within the core series of Pokemon games. Dating back to 2009, countless trainers have clashed with dreams of becoming the very best in their region, their country, and the world at large. This has resulted in some truly iconic and incredible battles over the VGC league's history.
Whether a match was at regionals, nationals, or even the World Championships, many have met the threshold for being some of the greatest in all of the Pokemon VGC. Obviously, player opinions may differ on their favorites or which are the best of all time, but there are more than a few worth checking out if you're curious about the competitive Pokemon scene, its top players, and its overall history.
This article will list five of the most memorable Pokemon VGC matches.
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Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions.
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Five iconic Pokemon VGC matches worth checking out if you haven't already
1) Battle of Sand and Rain - Aaron Zheng vs Paul Chua at 2015's USNC
Aaron Zheng and Paul Chua are two of the more storied names in the Pokemon VGC community, and the two faced off in a weather-whiplashing battle back at 2015's US National Championship. In Round five of the first day of competition, the two pros faced off in an Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire match for the ages filled with rain courtesy of Chua's Politoed and sandstorms via Zheng's Tyranitar.
The struggle ensued, with Chua forfeiting the first game before fighting back in Game 2, thanks to the rainy weather and his Ludicolo. This led to a sudden death in Game 3, which began once more with a Tyranitar sandstorm before switching to a Politoed rainstorm. The weather continued until Zheng's Wash Rotom took care of Politoed, allowing his Mega Salamence and Tyranitar to force the Game 3 win.
2) Hitmontop Tactics - Jonathan Evans vs Wolfe Glick in the 2016 Worlds Finals
If you love mind games and Mega Evolved/Primally Reverted Pokemon, then 2016's Pokemon VGC World Championships was a battle for the ages. The battle between Jonathan "Ezrael" Evans and Wolfe "Wolfey" Glick featured several appearances of Mega Rayquaza and Primal Groudon/Kyogre, but it ended up being a Hitmontop that made a massive difference in the match.
Thanks to Wolfey's Hitmontop's use of its Intimidate Ability and Fake Out move, he was able to keep Ezrael's Trick Room Bronzong at bay long enough to delay the loss of Mega Rayquaza and prevent the priority-altering properties of Bronzong's Trick Room. The match remained tight throughout, but Wolfey eventually walked away as the Pokemon VGC World Champion with a 2-0 victory.
3) The Underdog and the Hometown Hero - Michael Kelsch vs Shohei Kimura in Worlds 2023's Finals
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet haven't had a long competitive tenure in the Pokemon VGC, but the two Gen IX titles have offered some excitement of their own. Look no further than when underdog player Michael Kelsch battled his way to the finals in Worlds 2023 in Yokohama to face Shohei Kimura, one of Japan's top national players in 2017 and 2023.
A competitive player beginning in 2023 like Kelsch and a longtime veteran like Kimura to meet on the stage of the World Finals was certainly a Cinderella matchup few expected. The underdog went down swinging due to Kimura's masterful use of Amoonguss' Effect Spore ability, but the sparks flew to the last decision, showing much promise for competitive Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
4) Machamp Makes Competitive Waves - Mark McQuillan vs Koki Honda in 2015's Worlds Senior Finals
In the Pokemon VGC's Worlds Senior Finals in 2015, it was a battle of Scotland vs Japan between Mark McQuillan and Koki Honda, and McQuillan had a surprising ace up his sleeve in the form of Machamp. After some heavy lifting by his Cresselia and his Mega Charizard Y, McQuillan's Machamp emerged to hard counter Honda's Mega Kangaskhan in Game 1.
In Game 2, Honda wasted no time Mega Evolving Kangaskhan again as McQuillan's Therian Landorus was dispatched. However, Machamp emerged again to confuse Honda's Zapdos and defeat Mega Kangaskhan on a switch. Cresselia continued to hold fast as Machamp took down Honda's Heatran next, leading to the latter forfeiting the second game and securing the win for McQuillan.
5) The Longest Top 8 Battle? - Joseph Ugarte vs Raghav Malaviya at 2019 Portland Regionals
It isn't often that matches go on long in the Pokemon VGC, but competing in an extended match shows a certain type of resilience and forethought that some players don't develop extensively. This Top eight battle at Portland's 2019 Regional Championship is a fine example of the body blows players like Joseph Ugarte and Raghav Malav must go through during a particularly long match.
The set may have only been a best-of-three, but it took nearly an hour for Ugarte to emerge with the victory due to both players' defensive prowess. Draws in the competitive scene are essentially unheard of. However, this battle of two players grinding each other to a near halt is a pretty close comparison while still showing the endurance necessary to compete in high-level VGC.
