Players at the 2023 Pokémon VGC North America International Championships will be competing for Championship Points and prizes. Players will battle with the Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet games for the Nintendo Switch system. All participants will receive 5 Play! Points and a Pokémon International Championships promo card (while supplies last) just for playing!

Masters Division competitors will begin play on Friday, June 30, 2023, while the Junior and Senior Division competitors will begin on Saturday, July 1. All age divisions will conclude on Sunday, July 2.

Players must comply with the Tournament Rules.

Tournament Format and Structure

All VGC competitions will use Regulation Set C, which includes Pokémon in the Paldea Pokédex #1–398. Pokémon without a Paldea Pokédex number are not permitted. Terastallization is permitted.

The number of Swiss rounds will be determined by attendance, with Masters Division play split between a maximum of two days. Information on number of expected rounds can be found in our Tournament Rules and Resources, page 24.

Each round you will be paired against another player to play your match. You will be able to find your table number through your RK9 Player Tournament Dashboard. Ensure you get to your table on time. Being late to a match can result in penalties.

After Day 1, Masters Division players with 19 or more match points—or the Top 32 ranked players (whichever number is greater)—will advance to day two of Swiss rounds.

Junior and Senior Division players will play one day of Swiss rounds before determining a Top 8.

After all Swiss rounds are completed, the Top 8 players will advance to a single-elimination bracket to determine the winner of each event.

Junior and Senior Division players will have one meal break per day. Exact timing for each event’s meal break will be announced on-site for each event. There is no scheduled lunch break for players in the Masters Division.

What to Bring

When you show up at a Pokémon video game tournament, there are some things you must have with you:

• A Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet game (physical or digital) updated to the most recent software version

• A fully charged console from the Nintendo Switch family of systems (Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch - OLED Model, or Nintendo Switch Lite) with a working USB-C port and the latest system updates installed

  • You should set your Nintendo Switch wired internet settings to automatic

  • Make sure you have an active Nintendo Switch Online Membership for the duration of the event

• A team of tournament-legal Pokémon for the current format at the time of the event (see the Tournament Rules and check back regularly before the event for updates)

Players are strongly encouraged to bring a charger for their systems. It is the player’s responsibility that their console remains operational throughout the tournament.

Proof of age may be requested, and failure to provide proof of age may result in the player being denied participation in the tournament (at the organizer’s discretion).

Registration

Registration will be managed by RK9 Labs at RK9.gg, and will be divided into three waves between May 17 and May 18 at the following times:

• Wave 1: May 17 at 6 a.m. PDT

• Wave 2: May 17 at 2 p.m. PDT

• Wave 3: May 18 at 10 a.m. PDT

Online registration for main events is required to participate. Registration is limited by space at the event.

Registration for this event is open to all players in good standing with the Play! Pokémon program. Players must have an active Play! Pokémon account with current and accurate information.

Team lists will be submitted online via RK9.gg. All team lists must be submitted by 7:30 a.m. on the first day of the event. You can resubmit your team list as many times as you want prior to the submission deadline; however, you must play the final team you submit. Your team must be saved in the Battle Team 1 slot. You must ensure that there are no teams with the same 6 species of Pokémon you are using for the event in your party, boxes, other battle teams, or rental teams.

Any lists not submitted on time may result in a loss for Round 1. For information on how to submit your list for the event, see RK9’s support article for Pokémon Video Game team lists.

Your birth date is required to make sure you play in the correct age division for the event you are attempting to register for. Without the ability to confirm your birth date, you cannot register online for any event.

Refunds for registration are not available for this event. Additionally, registration is locked to a specific player and cannot be transferred. If circumstances change before the event begins and you will be unable to attend, please submit a support ticket to the RK9 support team.

Check-in and Badge Pickup

Badges for this event will be picked up on-site near the entrance to Exhibit Hall A. Competitors must provide their name, Player ID number, and some form of identification to pick up their competitor badge. For Junior and Senior Division players, a parent or guardian must be present when they pick up their competitor badge. Badges may not be picked up by another person on a competitor’s behalf.

For all Masters Division Pokémon VGC players, check-in and badge pickup will be held on Thursday, June 29, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Junior and Senior Division Pokémon VGC players may pick up badges on Friday, June 30, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. They are also welcome to pick up badges Thursday, June 29, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Connecting to a Battle

At the beginning of the tournament, you will be seated for the player meeting or Round 1 pairings, depending upon the event. After being seated, you will be provided with your official “opponent view” team sheet. Be sure to keep a close eye on your sheet as it is required to be shown to your opponent at the start of each tournament round. You should check that the information on your team sheet is correct. If there are any errors, contact a Judge to assist you.

Each round, you will connect your Nintendo Switch to a dock at the table number you are assigned to. Your system should be set to Airplane Mode when playing tournament matches.

Battles will be held over Poké Portal—Union Circle.

1. Player 1 will form a group using the Union Circle and share the unique code with player 2 so that they can join.

2. Once in the Union Circle, both players will select Link Battle to match up.

3. Players must select Double Battle and Official Rules 1 for their match.

4. Each player should confirm that they are connected to the correct opponent prior to beginning their match.

5. After completing their match, Players must keep their Nintendo Switch consoles docked until they’ve disbanded or exited the Union Circle.

Please change the nickname setting in-game to “Don’t Show,” and all system friend notifications must be turned off. Make sure your Date and Time settings are set to sync with the internet.

Prizes

Prizes will be awarded to the top players in each of the three age divisions. Players must have a Pokémon Trainer Club account with a Player ID attached and must have opted in to the Play! Pokémon program to earn points and awards. The final Championship Point payout will be determined by the number of players per age division.

Championship Points*

Placement	Championship Points	Kicker (# of participants)
1	500	0
2	400	0
3–4	320	0
5–8	250	0
9–16	200	48
17–32	160	100
33–64	130	200
65–128	100	400
129–256	80	800
257–512	60	1,600

*Championship Point values subject to change.

Prize Award Information

The method of distribution for prizes will differ based on the age of the recipient. Prizes for the 2023 Play! Pokémon Championship Series season are listed below.

18 years of age and older:

• Awards of $5,000 or more: choice of scholarship or cash

• Awards under $5,000: cash

Under 18 years of age:

• Awards of $5,000 or more: choice of scholarship or Pokémon Visa® prepaid card

• Awards under $5,000: Pokémon Visa® prepaid card

Prizes are based on attendance per age division. Unless otherwise specified, all prizes are paid in US dollars and subject to applicable tax withholding. Prize winners should consult a qualified tax professional regarding their tax obligations.

Award Values*

Placement	1–100 Players	101–200 Players	201+ Players
1	$1,500	$2,500	$5,000
2	$1,000	$1,500	$2,500
3–4	$750	$1,000	$1,500
5–8	$500	$750	$1,000
9–16	—	$500	$750
17–32	—	—	$500

*Prizes and prize distribution may be subject to change.

Additionally, the top 16 VGC players will receive Pokémon TCG booster packs. Attendance will not affect the quantity of booster packs awarded.

Pokémon TCG Booster Pack Awards

• 1st–4th place: 72 booster packs

• 5th–8th place: 36 booster packs

• 9th–16th place: 18 booster packs