Leonard Craft III spent his weekend in Nashville where he competed in the 2018 Pokémon World Championships. It is the largest tournament of the year, where the best players in the world fly in to compete.

Craft is from Liberty, Illinois; this is his last semester at UCM before he graduates with a degree in computer science.

At Nashville, Craft was a representative of the United States. This year he was ranked as being the 13th best in the nation.

“Having been in high stakes situations, I’ve played against national champions and I’ve played against world champions,” Craft said, “And I’ve defeated national champions and world champions, but I can’t say that I’m a national champion or world champion myself,”

At tournaments, different players compete in different events. There is the trading card game, Pokken Tournament, a fighting video game, and the latest Pokémon game “Pokémon Ultra Moon and Ultra Sun” where Craft competes.

In order to compete in the World Championship, a player has to earn a certain number of points to qualify. This year was 400. A player earns points by competing in other tournaments and placing at these tournaments. Craft had over 800 points this year.

Players can receive certain amounts of money for how they place at tournaments. This year, Craft has received around $1,250 from tournaments in Columbus, Ohio, and St. Louis, along with several hundred dollars from local events.

In addition, players can earn travel awards, which cover the costs for airline flights and other travel expenses, making it possible for certain players to compete in tournaments around the world, or other Pokémon events. “You can experience a lot of cool places from Pokémon alone,” Craft said.

In Nashville, Craft said he wished to have placed higher on the first day. At a world championship, your score for the first day determines who you will compete against on the second day. After three defeats a player is out; his record this time was 4-3.

Craft says he’s competed in about 20 major tournaments and in upwards of 50 local ones. Nashville was his second World Championships; his first was at San Francisco in 2016. Pokémon did not cover the cost for either trip.

Craft has been competing in Pokémon tournaments since 2013.

“I think I was 15 at my first regional competition in St. Louis.

“I am a player capable of beating other strong players, but I’m not quite to the, I’d say, upper echelon of a top top player,” Craft said. “Still a lot to improve.”

In the 2017 National Championships in Indianapolis, Craft beat player Wolfe Glick, who previously won the World Championship in 2016 and is also a close friend.

Craft says there are different ways to make yourself a better Pokémon player. There is traveling to local tournaments and earning enough points to qualify. Players can also improve by gaming online, playing with friends or just by thinking about strategy. Craft likes to watch YouTube videos of the top players and learn from how they play.

His love for Pokémon began with playing the card game on the playground and his baby sitter showing him Pokémon episodes on her TV.

“I worked a lot to save up enough money to buy my first Pokémon game,” Craft said. “Playing against other kids at recess, trying to be the best player in your grade or school or whatever and move up from there really kind of transferred to trying to prepare and be strong against like players who actually do this for money or for glory.”

Craft has made several friends online through Pokémon, some international. Tournaments give him a chance to meet them in person.

“In general, Pokémon is a really close knit community,” Craft said. “We like to stick together and it’s very fun to be in.”