| Event | Pokémon Trainers Cup 2023 |
|---|---|
| Location | Online |
| Date | 14 May 2023 |
| Capacity | 150 qualified players |
| Videogame | Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet |
| Season | 2023 Season – VGC Regulation Set C |
| Format | In-game ladder competition |
| Organizer | Pokémon Korea |
Table of Contents
Teams and results
Anomalies
The results were communicated to the participating players on 15 May.
However, due to unexpected circumstances, about which players found out after playing their first match, no break was allowed between matches and players were forced to play all 10 battles in a row, unless entering sleep mode on the Nintendo Switch or disconnecting from internet. This caused several rematches in a row and confusion amongst players. Also, points and win/loss record could not be seen during the tournament, and the results published on 15 May only included an overall standing.
15 May: An email was sent to the players acknowledging the faulty behaviour of the game in this competition and apologizing for it. According to Pokémon Korea, an investigation is under way and additional measures may be taken.
17 May: A new email was sent to the players. The results from 14 May are voided (including Worlds invites and final stage participation) and the main stage would be played again on 28 May.
25 May: Version 1.3.1 of Pokémon Scarlet & Pokémon Violet was released to fix the problems with the invite-only Online Competitions. As compensation for the anomaly, it was announced that the 16 best players in this tournament were awarded a direct invite to the 2024 Pokémon Trainers Cup.
A similar issue also happened at the main stage of Japan National Championships, played concurrently.
Platform and schedule
The tournament is held online, in your Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet game, at the Online competitions section of the Poké Portal’s Battle Stadium.
The tournament starts on 14 May 2023 at 9:00 KST (00:00 UTC). You are able to play up to 10 battles until 15:00 KST (06:00 UTC).
You need to complete at least 5 battles to be eligible for prizes.
Prizes
This event is an official tournament and is part of the 2023 official circuit in South Korea.
As a participation prize, any player that finishes at least 5 battles in the main stage will receive 100,000 League Points.
Originally, the highest-placed players would have earned invites to the Pokémon Trainers Cup Final Round and to the 2023 World Championships, as well as a set of Pokémon Trainers Cup goodies. However, since the tournament needed to be repeated, the prizes from this event were voided. As compensation, it was later announced that the highest-placed players receive an invite to the 2024 Pokémon Trainers Cup without the need to qualify.
| Placement | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st to 16th | 2024 Pokémon Trainers Cup invite |
Overview
The main stage of the 2023 Pokémon Trainers Cup is an official Online Competition featuring double battles, and is region-locked. It is the fifth Online Competition in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet games for players in South Korea, and the fourth one relevant in the VGC circuit for them.
Online Competitions have been featured in the official circuits for some years now. Region-locked Online Competitions are something new to Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, and they have been chosen to act as qualifiers to the National Championships in South East Asia or even as National Championships themselves.
It would have been the main stage for the fourth edition of the Pokémon Trainers Cup, which has been the major tournament in South Korea since the Korean points system with Leagues and a National was abandoned in the 2020 season, but it was replaced by the 28 May event.
Previous editions of the Pokémon Trainers Cup have always been open to any player in South Korea and played in a double-elimination format, with the main stage played online and the top 4 being played in-person and streamed live. The 2023 edition’s main stage is the first to require qualifying (through a high standing at the Global Challenges) and being played in an in-game ladder format, although the top 4 live stage is maintained.
The ruleset is VGC Regulation Set C.
A little bit of history
South Korea has been a part of the official Pokémon Korea circuit since the first years of VGC, running in parallel to the TPC and TPCI circuits. It has hosted multiple major events, including Korean Leagues, Trainers Cups and old-era National Championships. South Korea’s greatest VGC success was the iconic victory achieved by Sejun Park at the 2014 World Championships. Juyoung Hong also achieved this feat in the Senior Division at the 2017 World Championships.
The last time the Pokémon Trainers Cup was held was the 2022 edition, with the finals hosted in Seoul, South Korea, and played in Pokémon Sword & Pokémon Shield with the VGC Series 12 ruleset in May and June 2022. The finals saw 2021 Trainers Cup champion Wonseok Jung defeat fellow countryman Jeongso Lee to renew his title in a rematch from the 2021 finals.
American James Evans, the 2018 Senior Division World Champion, defeated Brazilian Gabriel Agati in the NAIC finals.
Sign-up instructions
The tournament is open only in the cartridges that qualified through any of the following criteria, and only available if the Online Competition settings are configured to South Korea:
- Top 50 among players in Korea in the Global Challenge I
- Top 50 among players in Korea in the Global Challenge II
- Top 50 among players in Korea in the Global Challenge III
Sign-ups for the event are done through your own Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet game, starting on 11 May 2023 at 9:00 KST (00:00 UTC). To register, enter the Poké Portal → Battle Stadium → Online competitions → Search for a competition (in the Official Competitions column).
You need to register and lock a team at the time of registration.
Sign-ups close on 13 May 2023 at 20:59 KST (11:59 UTC).
