Boy, 12, 'nervous' ahead of Pokémon championships

Isaac will compete against 75 competitors in the World Championships in the USA

A 12-year-old boy from West Yorkshire has said he is "really nervous" to be heading to California to compete in the Pokémon World Championships.

Isaac, from Huddersfield, has won the chance to battle against players, known as "trainers", from around the world at the Convention Centre in Anaheim later this month in the battle for a grand prize worth over £35,000.

The card game involves numerous skills, including tactical thinking and maths, which Isaac's dad Kenny said had boosted his son's confidence and improved his school work.

Isaac said: "It's such a big competition, but I'm excited to see my friends and hopefully I'll have a good shot at winning."

Isaac said he started playing the game after his aunt bought him a starter pack for Christmas.

He enjoyed it so much that he joined the local Pokémon League club at a gaming shop in Huddersfield where he "battles" every Monday.

The trading card game sees two players build 60 card decks and battle each other using their card's different effects and attacks.

The first player who knocks out all their opponent's Pokémon wins.

Isaac's dad, Kenny (pictured left), also enjoys playing the trading card game

Kenny said: "It's brought him out of his shell. He's usually a quiet individual, but when he goes to these events he's very sociable.

"His schoolwork has massively improved too, especially maths, which has been great to see."

Isaac said that as well as helping him in the classroom and socialising, playing the card game had also got him out of the house and away from the TV screen.

"My XBox has been gathering dust in my bedroom and I rarely use it now", he explained.

"I do feel like playing it has been great for my mental health and meant I'm not spending as much time in my room."

Stephen Keenan, from Gemini Games, where Isaac plays in the league every week, said he was thrilled to have a potential world champion as a customer.

"He's done such a good job, and to represent the store and Huddersfield in such a competitive game is amazing," he said.

Local Pokémon players attend a Pokémon league in Huddersfield every Monday

In Anaheim, Isaac will have to beat 75 competitors from around the world to be crowned Pokémon Champion.

In recent years, the franchise has seen a boost in popularity in the UK since it was first introduced in the 1990s.

It has now grown into one of the biggest in the world covering games, films, toys and TV.

At this year's European Championship in London, over 5,000 competitors took part.

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