‘I screamed’: Battle-ready Pokemon fans gear up for the World Championships on home turf

SINGAPORE – For years, local Pokemon fans had to shell out hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to fly overseas to attend the Pokemon World Championships.

But come August 2027, the ultimate battleground will be right at their doorstep.

Tens of thousands of gamers from across the world will descend upon Singapore, battling to be crowned the Pokemon World Champion.

Among them will be 26-year-old Ian Lim, who has been hooked on the franchise since he was just three.

“I screamed when I first heard that Singapore was going to be the venue,” he said. “I hope my neighbours didn’t actually hear me.”

For Ian Lim and other fans who spoke to The Straits Times, the event – also known in the community as “Worlds” – is an opportunity they refuse to pass up.

“It is something every single person in the fandom deserves to experience at least once,” he added.

Set to take place from Aug 13 to 15, 2027, at the Singapore Expo, the Pokemon World Championships will culminate in the ultimate grand finals at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Championship Sunday.

The tournament marks a historic first for South-east Asia, and only the second time it has ever been hosted in Asia.

The 2027 stage will feature competitions across the Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG), the Pokemon Video Game Championships (VGC) and Pokemon GO.

Meanwhile, Pokemon Unite – which was included in the 2026 Worlds – will run as a separate, standalone event.

Where players of the highest calibre go to compete

Earning a spot to compete at the World Championships is strictly by invitation only. Players must prove their mastery by ranking well in prior tournaments, such as the Premier Ball League and the Master Ball League, to qualify.

Ian Lim, who served as a commentator for the 2026 Singapore Master Ball League, hopes to return to the mic for next year’s Worlds.

But he also aims to qualify as a competitor in the VGC battles.

“My allegiance has always been to the video games I grew up with,” he admitted.

When asked how he intends to prepare over the coming year, he said that player’s game sense is crucial.

“Their knowledge of the game, their understanding of what their opponents may or may not do – that is something that comes only with experience. It is something that separates the top players from the hopefuls.”

One such top player is Kashvinder Singh Mann, 36, who has been a fan since 1999.

Better known to his friends as Kash, he has competed in TCG battles in two previous World Championships, including the latest 2026 edition which concluded on Aug 30 in San Francisco.

Kash placed 146th out of 797 elite players worldwide in the California tournament, falling just one point short of making it to Day 2.

Now, he is determined to redeem himself at the 2027 Worlds in Singapore. “I want to right my wrong,” he said. “Doing it at home would be amazing.”

Sharing that competitive drive is a 22-year-old student also named Ian, surname Tay, who is setting his sights on qualifying for the TCG.

To Ian Tay, Worlds represents the pinnacle, where “players of the highest calibre go to compete”.

The best trainers – as players are often called – are not necessarily those who have the “Best 60” in the world, Tay said, referring to the standard size of a main deck.

Instead, they are the ones who can “maximise being lucky”.

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity,” he said, adding that the best players are able to create the most opportunities for themselves.

Also vying for a spot in the games is 29-year-old Jonathan Ng, who narrowly missed out on a TCG invite during the last competitive season.

Having placed in the top 20 nationwide in 2026, he is now all the more determined to make the cut for next year’s showdown in Singapore.

“I will attend all major events and try my best,” said Ng, who has been playing since primary school.

To prepare for the games, Ng plans to frequent local card shops for “casuals” – less intense, community-run matches that double as opportunities to practise one’s skills.

One such training ground is KouritenSG, affectionately known by regulars as K10.

‘A big win’ for Singapore’s local training grounds

“K10 originally started off selling anime and hobby goods, carrying Pokemon as part of its selection of merchandise,” Rainald Lim, 35, co-owner of KouritenSG, told ST.

The game shop hosts weekly Pokemon battles for players to meet up and practise, and also conducts regular beginner learning sessions.

“Now, as more players decide to call K10 their second home, the shop is filled with similar players from various communities of different games every night.”

Recalling his time in Yokohama, Japan, for the 2023 World Championships, Rainald hopes the tournament will showcase Singapore and spark island-wide celebrations.

The 2023 championship transformed Yokohama: a Pokemon-themed cruise ship docked for weekend battles, a dazzling 800-drone show that formed iconic characters, the iconic Ferris wheel illuminated with animated Pikachu and Pokeball light shows, and carnivals near the main tournament area provided fringe activities for non-competitors.

“It was really enjoyable,” he said.

Still, securing the 2027 Worlds is already “a very big win” for Singapore, Rainald added, noting the country is also set to host the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship that same year.

The announcement to host Worlds 2027 in Singapore was made at the end of the San Francisco edition in August.

“To hear it live in person was quite special,” Kash said. “As someone who has been playing Pokemon all his life, I never imagined it would be held here in Singapore.”

On the other hand, Ian Tay was not surprised by the announcement.

“We are a central location in South-east Asia,” he explained, pointing out that fans have long speculated that the next generation of Pokemon games had taken inspiration from the region.

The trailer for Pokemon Winds and Waves, scheduled for release in 2027, features sweeping tropical landscapes – such as terraced rice fields, coastal villages, mangroves and islands – reminiscent of Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia.

The threat of scalpers

For long-time fans like 30-year-old Muhammad Dzulfiqhar Shah – known by friends as Dzul – who has been immersed in the world of Pokemon since he was five, the excitement extends beyond the arena to beloved physical keepsakes.

He is hoping to get his hands on the special edition Pikachu plushie or card that is limited to every Worlds event, tailored to the local culture.

However, alongside his anticipation comes a touch of anxiety over scalpers seeking to mark up exclusive merchandise to resell at inflated prices.

It’s a concern shared by Ian Lim.

“The prevalence of scalping in Singapore cannot be overstated,” he cautioned, noting that the recent boom in trading cards turning into financial assets has brought an influx of people into the scene for the wrong reasons.

“My only hope is that we exist in an environment where we can celebrate the Pokemon franchise as a whole and not have scalpers take that away from us.”

Beneath the desire to win and hype over merchandise, every fan shares the same reason for loving the world of Pokemon: the friendships cultivated.

For Ng, the “welcoming community” is why he never walked away from the game.

For Ian Lim, Pokemon has been a sanctuary that “fosters empathy” and helps people from all walks of life find a safe space.

And for Dzul – who has played generations of Pokemon on the Game Boy, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Switch and online – the games have allowed him to make life-long friends.

“As a Pokemon fan from a very early age, it’s nice to see Worlds being held on home turf,” he said.

Ticketing details for the 2027 Pokemon World Championships in Singapore have yet to be announced, with more information expected closer to the date.