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The 2024 Pokemon World Championships have come to a close, with the event's third day being filled with Grand Finals bouts across Pokemon GO, the TCG, the Scarlet and Violet VGC, as well as the MOBA Pokemon Unite. Compared to the first two days of the worldwide tournament, the stakes were raised as the final group of competitors battled for their respective categorical championships.
Out of a seemingly endless collection of participants, only a select few raised their trophies at the end of Day 3 of the Pokemon World Championships 2024, and it doesn't hurt to examine some of the best highlights of the final day of the event.
Pokemon VGC Highlights: Pokemon World Championships 2024 Day 3, August 18, 2024
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Pokemon VGC Stream Battle Winners
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The only match that took place in the VGC Masters competition was between Luca Ceribelli and Yuta Ishigaki in the Grand Finals. However, trainers competing in the Juniors and Seniors division also had the opportunity to battle on stream. Below, fans can find the full slate of victors during the Day 3 VGC stream for the Pokemon World Championships, with the winners outlined in bold text:
- Luca Ceribelli 2-1 Yuta Ishigaki (Masters)
- Ray Yamanaka 2-1 Luke Kroll (Seniors)
- Kevin Han 2-1 Tatsuomi Shimanuki (Juniors)
Pokemon VGC Masters Standings - Day 3
Pokemon VGC Highlights - Day 3
Yuta Ishigaki Falls Short but Will Become a Name to Watch
Japan's Yuta Ishigaki seemed to be on a progression of destiny through the first two days of the VGC bracket. Even in the Masters Top Cut, the likes of Wang Yuxiang and Michael Kelsch couldn't hold a candle to Ishigaki, who had made a massive splash on the Pokemon World Championships stage. Conditions seemed perfect for a championship run in the bracket, at least until Day 3.
Well, Luca Ceribelli, a high-end participant in both the 2022 and 2023 World Championships, had other plans. After taking down the likes of Zheng Chenyue and Seong Jae Jeong, Ceribelli may have been Ishigaki's perfect match. The fight was as intense as fans expected, but the match ultimately ended 2-1 for Ceribelli, who derailed Ishigaki's run just short of the finish line.
Despite a less-than-ideal ending, Yuta Ishigaki's name will be on plenty of fans' minds ahead of the 2025 tournament circuit.
Ogerpon Solidifies her Status as a VGC Staple
Although Ogerpon has been banned in the Regulation H VGC rules (the Pokemon World Championships were played in Regulation G), she made the case for herself by becoming a staple of nearly every top-end meta team throughout all three days of the competition, including being a part of Luca Ceribelli's champion VGC team.
While Ogerpon will likely fade into the background during Regulation H, future VGC rulesets that enable this Teal Mask DLC legendary to be used will likely result in Ogerpon becoming an even more present meta staple than before.
Pokemon GO Highlights: Pokemon World Championships 2024 Day 3, August 18, 2024
Pokemon GO Stream Battle Winners
The following players participated in the Pokemon World Championships Day 3 stream for Pokemon GO, with the victors having their names outlined in bold text:
- Yekai0904 3-1 Inadequance
Pokemon GO Standings - Day 3
Pokemon GO Highlights - Day 3
Yekai0904 Comes Full Circle After an Asia-Pacific National Championship Win in May
Even though Yekai0904 won both the 2024 Asia-Pacific National Championship and the Clash of the Champions: APAC tournaments in Pokemon GO, fans and watchers likely didn't expect the Hong Kong-based phenom to take the Pokmon GO crown at the 2024 Pokemon World Championships. Observant players may have predicted it, but Yekai0904 wasn't a heavily known contestant heading in.
Whatever the case, there were signs that Yekai0904 had some tremendous upside and potential in competitive Pokemon GO, particularly this year, and he confirmed this by moving up from the Asia-Pacific National Championship to taking the world stage by storm and joining the annals of World Champions.
Gigantamax Appears to be Confirmed for Pokemon GO
Niantic has been hinting at Gigantamax power arriving in Pokemon GO since the game's 8th Anniversary Celebration, and the trailer shown during the Pokemon World Championships effectively all but confirms it. The trailer remarks that "something big is coming" and the accompanying blog post sharing the trailer even uses the words "gigantic" and "big" to leave very little to the imagination:
"We’ve all learned a gigantic amount from exploring the world and encountering all sorts of Pokemon together over the last eight years, and yet there always seem to be new mysteries to uncover, looming just over the horizon. A new Season means big changes, big battles, and…big Pokemon? We wonder what awaits on your next Pokemon GO adventure…" - Pokemongolive.com, August 18, 2024
While this all-but-confirmation didn't mention a release date for Gigantamax Pokemon in Pokemon GO, it does seem to imply that it won't be long before the Generation VIII battle gimmick makes its way to Niantic's mobile title.
Pokemon TCG Highlights: Pokemon World Championships 2024 Day 3, August 18, 2024
Pokemon TCG Stream Battle Winners
As with Pokemon GO and the Scarlet and Violet VGC, the participants of the TCG Grand Finals on Day 3 of these championships can be found below with the winners outlined in bold text:
- Fernando Cifuentes 2-1 Seinosuke Shiokawa (Masters)
- Evan Pavelski 2-0 Haruku Umehara (Seniors)
- Logan Bailey 1-2 Sakuya Ota (Juniors)
Pokemon TGC Masters Standings - Day 3
Pokemon TCG Highlights - Day 3
Fernando Cifuentes Follows Through on a Second Chance
While this may have been the most controversial moment in the entirety of the Pokemon World Championships for 2024, Chile's Fernando Cifuentes got another shot at progressing through the bracket after Ian Robb was disqualified for a lewd gesture during a 2-0 win on Day 2. Fans are divided on the decision and some have even criticized The Pokemon Company directly.
Even so, nobody can argue that Cifuentes made the very most of getting a second chance. After taking down the undefeated Jesse Parker with a down-to-the-wire clutch, Cifuentes would go on to win the Iron Thorns ex vs Roaring Moon deck matchup against Seinosuke Shiokawa with a 2-1 victory. Controversy aside, it's incredible to turn such an opportunity into a Pokemon World Championships title.
Trainer's Pokemon Cards are Making a Comeback
Trainer's Pokemon cards were heavily featured early on in the Pokemon TCG, primarily through expansion sets like Gym Heroes. However, these cards became much more scant over time, at least until a surprise announcement at the end of the World Championships' third day, where Trainer's Pokemon cards were confirmed to be coming back in future sets.
For Pokemon TCG fans who have been invested in the game for years, the return of this particular card archetype should be a potent hit of nostalgia that may even figure quite well into future meta decks.
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