After a full day of head-to-head Pokémon™ Trading Card Game (TCG) battles, Somerville youth,  Adon Goodpaster clinched second place at the 2011 Somerville Pokémon City Championships, earning a top city ranking and Championship Points which count toward a potential invitation to the Pokémon U.S. National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana next summer.

The 2011 Somerville Play! Pokémon City Championship provides an opportunity for competitors to test their Pokémon TCG skills, strategy, and creativity. The Pokémon community of fans, family, and friends were on-hand cheering their Pokémon TCG Trainers as they battled to become Pokémon City Champion and earn Championship Points. Top finishers from the Somerville Pokémon City Championships were battling for potential invitations to attend the U.S. National Championships and hopefully advance to the annual Pokémon World Championships in Hawaii on August 10th-12th, 2012, to compete against elite players from more than 25 countries, including Japan, U.K., France, Italy, Germany, and Spain.

The Pokémon City Championships are 2011-2012 Play! Pokémon Premier Events sanctioned by The Pokémon Company International and locally managed by Premier Tournament Organizers. These volunteer organizers run Pokémon TCG and video game tournaments across the United States throughout the year, and many are parents of current or former Pokémon TCG or video game players. Collectively they oversee tens of thousands of Pokémon competitors who train and compete in various Play! Pokémon programs, events, tournaments, and leagues to prepare for major events like the City Championships.

“What makes an event like the Pokémon City Championships so special is the involvement and support it receives from the local community,” said J.C. Smith, director of Consumer Marketing for The Pokémon Company International. “The Somerville-area has a strong group of Pokémon players who enjoyed a great weekend of competition.”

Play! Pokémon competitors are divided equally into three divisions: Junior Division (born in 2001 or later), Senior Division (born in 1997–2000), and Masters Division (born in 1996 or earlier).

For more information, please visit http://www.pokemon.com/us/organized-play.