Pokémon VGC 2022 World Championships Preview

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After a two-year hiatus, the Pokémon VGC 2022 World Championships are almost here! Over the past three years, in the 2019-2022 season, players battled in online and offline events that started on the Nintendo 3DS and will culminate with the 2022 World Championships in London, England! This article will tell you everything you need to know about this event to understand the action better as it unfolds! When the World Championships was last held in 2019, Japan’s Naoto Mizbouchi won the event using a unique adaptation of the familiar Groudon/Lunala duo that many players previously battled with. This year, over 400 players managed to earn their World Championships innovation, meaning viewers will be able to see some intense battling across all four days of action, where we’ll find out which the sole World Champion of Generation 8!

The Metagame

The 2022 World Championships will take place in the Series 12 format, which allows players to use up to two powerful restricted Legendary Pokémon! These restricted Pokémon have defined the format as the strongest ones warp the format around their power. For more information, check out a video done by 2016 World Champion Wolfe Glick!

:zacian-crowned:
Zacian has been one of the most powerful legendary Pokémon in the format! While Zacian is unable to Dynamax, its signature move Behemoth Blade deals double damage to opposing Pokémon when Dynamaxed has given its life, and its ability Intrepid Sword gives Zacian an Attack boost when it hits the battlefield. While Zacian isn’t the bulkiest Pokémon, its fantastic Attack and Speed stat has made Zacian a great partner for many restricted Pokémon, a trend that will continue at the World Championships!

Zacian has recently decided to invest much more in its bulk in recent times. While max attack/speed Jolly is still the most common EV investment, that shouldn't be expected at Worlds. Instead, Zacian will mostly be hitting one of a few speed tiers: 200 to get the jump on slower Zacian without the need to guess where exactly to stop; 186/187 to outspeed Regieleki at +1 speed (or speed creep opposing Zacian doing the same); 180, to only outspeed Thundurus; and 169, which is only to speed creep no speed investment Zaican (or it's just a leftover 4 EVs from other stat investments).

Leading up to NAIC, Zaican dropped using Close Combat by a significant amount. Filling this gap has been Quick Attack. What's unique about Quick Attack is not only helping against opposing Pokemon in Tailwind or Trick Room but also the damage dealt with it. Adamant Zacian with no Attack investment deals 25% minimum against standard Life Orb Kyogre. Sash Regieleki takes more than 40% minimum. Quick Attack probably won't make too much of an appearance at Worlds, as it can't hit the only restricted Pokemon faster than Zacian: Calyrex-Shadow. Instead, Zacian will probably opt for Substitute to take advantage of the increased bulk it has been receiving. Play Rough is also an option on Zacian with more attack investment. However, the decreased usage of Palkia and Gastrodon (its most important Play Rough targets) may not make it very applicable. 

:kyogre::groudon:
Kyogre and Groudon have always been two of the most popular legendary Pokémon in any format whenever they are legal. Their ability to set up the weather has given them great ability to boost their power as Kyogre can bring rain to increase the power of its Water-type moves, and Groudon can bring Sun to decrease the damage it takes from super-effective Water-type moves. Their inclusion on teams typically means they tend to function as a player's primary Dynamax Pokémon, utilizing items such as an Assault Vest to increase their Special Defense or damage-boosting items such as Mystic Water or Life Orb.

Kyogre and Groudon have had a few adaptations across the format as a whole, though one shouldn't expect them to diverge too much from the aforementioned items. Though it saw a drop in usage in June, Hyper Beam on Assault Vest Kyogre as a form of speed control via Max Strike could see a resurgence in London. With Tornadus starting to be more confident going for Icy Wind into opposing Kyogre, Max Strike could be a way for Kyogre to mitigate the speed drop. 

Calm Mind Leftovers also has the possibility of making a decent run. It functions similarly to Assault Vest but also comes with a special attack boost in addition to special defense. This comes at the cost of coverage (needing to choose between Thunder and Ice Beam), forced Origin Pulse with no Water Spout, and needing an extra turn to set up when needed.

Groudon is a bit different. Throughout the format, Groudon has slowly been phasing out some of its long-standing options. Rock Slide has decreased dramatically in favor of Stone Edge and Rock Tomb, due to the former's superior damage output and the latter's greater accuracy and speed drop. Fire Punch has been replaced with Heat Crash with Groudon players realizing that their targets don't tend to Dynamax. This could change given the performance that both Kyogre Kartana and Kyogre Venusaur teams but up at NAIC, but it's not guaranteed given how likely Charizard is to be on a Groudon team. Lastly, Heavy Slam on Assault Vest sets is now changing to Shadow Claw, since Groudon are getting less out of Steel coverage and Max Steelspike boosts in the current format, and how well Shadow Claw does at removing Shadow Rider Calyrex and threatening other Pokemon with defense drops. 

:calyrex-shadow:
The fastest-restricted legendary Pokémon, Calyrex-Shadow has become an excellent Pokémon for players who love playing aggressive games. Calyrex-Shadow has enjoyed the company of Pokémon that can help it function, such as Whimsicott, Indeedee-Female, or Clefairy, or more offensive partners such as Regieleki and Mienshao. Its powerful spread move Astral Barrage can deal a lot of damage and becomes even stronger after it KO's an opposing Pokémon. Players have opted for items such as Focus Sash to compensate for its poor bulk or more offensive items such as Choice Specs to help it deal even more damage.

:calyrex-ice:+:palkia:/:reshiram:
The slowest restricted legendary Pokémon, Calyrex-Ice has become a great Pokémon for players who love playing slower-paced games. Often paired with either Palkia or Reshiram as the second restricted Pokémon, Calyrex-Ice rewards patient players who enjoy being able to position their Pokémon for great success. Calyrex-Ice can be found next to common support Pokémon such as Mimikyu or Porygon2, who can also set Trick Room, Amoonguss, who can help redirect attacks away or put foes to sleep, or even Gastrodon or Tapu Fini, who are great at helping in certain matchups. In addition, players tend to opt for items such as Weakness Policy due to the types it's weak to or White Herb due to the prevalence of Intimidate.

:lunala:
Although not seen much during formats that allowed for one restricted Pokémon, Lunala has had its time in the spotlight during Series 12. Its new move Meteor Beam has given Lunala the tools to hit common Pokémon that can threaten it, such as Incineroar and Yveltal for super-effective damage. Similar to 2019, Lunala often sets Trick Room and is paired with Groudon though some players have tried Zacian recently. Common Lunala teams have turned some players off due to the unreliable accuracy of critical moves, such as Lunala's Meteor Beam, Groudon's Precipice Blades, and Venusaur's Sleep Powder. However, players have managed to find success with it despite this.

:yveltal:
Yveltal in the past has struggled in formats where Xerneas was very popular, but as Xerneas has fallen, Yveltal has finally had time to shine. Yveltal has proven to be a potent Dynamax attacker thanks to its access to Max Airstream and Max Darkness, allowing it to become a significant offensive threat in battle. Players often pair Yveltal with Groudon or Zacian as its restricted partner. Common non-restricted Pokémon include Incineroar, Rillaboom, Venusaur, Regieleki, and even Slowbro, given these types of teams have both powerful offensive and defensive tools.

Though Assault Vest and Special Life Orb have been the most common sets on Yveltal, there have been several interesting sets in more recent months. Physical Life Orb aims to have all of the offensive benefits that come with Assault Vest with the power behind the special Life Orb set. These sets don't diverge too far from Foul Play, Dual Wingbeat, Sucker Punch, and Protect. Sucker Punch is great priority damage and gets the jump on Shadow Rider. Foul Play with Life Orb also does absurd damage, dealing over 50% to even the bulkiest of Zacian.

Less common but useful still is a more supportive Black Glasses set. This was used by Zhe Zhang at Madison Regionals. Instead of taking from the offensive aspects of Assault Vest like physical Life Orb does, it instead takes defensive aspects. Deceptively, Black Glasses is mostly there for Foul Play's damage. Snarl provides the damage reduction that teams may need, while also dealing some annoying damage for unprepared teams.

The last notable set that could show up at Worlds is Tailwind Scarf Yveltal. With Tailwind and U-turn, the goal of this set is to either lead and get a fast Tailwind off or U-turn out until Yveltal is in a better position. After Tailwind is set up, Yveltal Dynamaxes to take full advantage of the Tailwind turns. Though this strategy isn't too hard, it can be difficult for players who don't adequately prepare their teams for it.

:ho-oh::dialga::kyurem-white::solgaleo:
Ho-Oh, Dialga, Kyurem-White, and Solgaleo are four restricted Pokémon that have only seen small bursts of success throughout Series 12. Their reliance on Dynamax has given them great power, but it means more skilled players can better play around their weaknesses. While these Pokémon can undoubtedly do well, it will be reliant on the player using them to find the best way to use these Pokémon to their full potential.

:venusaur::charizard::blastoise:
The Kanto starters, Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise were all given powerful Gigantamax forms and attacks that forever changed Series 12. These moves' side-effects dealing 1/6th of the target's maximum HP for 4 turns means that if players can, they try to include at least one of these Pokémon on their teams. Venusaur's Chlorophyll and Charizard's Solar Power abilities make them popular additions to teams with Groudon, while Blastoise is seen on bulkier teams with restricted Pokémon like Reshiram or Dialga who may not deal a ton of damage consistently.

:zapdos::regieleki::thundurus:
Zapdos, Thundurus, and Regieleki have been powerful Electric-type Dynamax attackers in this format. Commonly using Max Airstream to increase their side's speed, players have been using these powerful Pokémon to punch holes through the opponent's team. Regieleki's powerful Electric-type moves has made it a powerful Dynamax attacker as, thanks to its Transistor ability, it can deal a lot of damage with Max Lightning during those three turns.

Zapdos and Thundurus have typically occupied the same slot on teams, sometimes using Eerie Impulse to lower the opponent's Special Attack stat, and Zapdos may use Roost to heal itself. In contrast, Thundurus may use Taunt to stop the opponent from using status moves.

:incineroar::Grimmsnarl:
Incineroar and Grimmsnarl have been the two premier Dark-type support Pokémon in this format. Often seen on the same teams, these two excel at helping enable a team's main Dynamax attacker to do their job. Additionally, Incineroar's access to Fake Out and Parting Shot and Grimmsnarl's access to Reflect, Light Screen, Thunder Wave, Scary Face, and Trick means both Pokémon will play a disruptive force at the World Championships.

:rillaboom::Gastrodon::kartana:
Although Gastrodon, Rillaboom, and Kartana all function differently in battle, they share the utility of being very compelling answers to Kyogre. Gastrodon's Storm Drain ability and Rillaboom's priority Grassy Glide in grassy terrain have been very effective in this format at scaring Kyogre away when they're on the battlefield. Gastrodon's access to Yawn has proven to be effective at scaring Pokémon from Dynamaxing in front of it. Its Ground typing is great against Pokémon like Incineroar and Zacian who hate taking Earth Power. Rillaboom's access to coverage moves such as High Horsepower and Knock Off have been great at hitting Pokémon which can deal a lot of damage.

Kartana itself plays uniquely in comparison to the other two. While Gastrodon and Rillaboom typically won't Dynamax, usually to preserve it for one of the restricted Pokemon on their teams, Kartana ends up being one of its teams' primary Dynamax users. Access to Max Steelspike for a secondary STAB and a defense boost, Max Airstream for decently fast speed control, and Max Knuckle to let it snowball when coincided with Beast Boost; these all max Kartana a terrifying Pokemon for teams to go against if they don't position themselves well enough. It isn't locked behind just Focus Sash and Assault Vest either: Life Orb and White Herb are also great item choices for it, as seen at NAIC. And of course, Leaf Blade threatens to OHKO Kyogre without the need to Dynamax.

:tornadus::whimsicott:
Tailwind has been a crucial part of VGC for a long time, and Whimsicott and Tornadus have emerged as two powerful users of the move. Thanks to their Prankster ability, Priority Tailwind means the popular restricted Pokémon they're paired with, Kyogre and Calyrex-Shadow, can use their moves much easier. In addition, Whimsicott and Tornadus have started using Cotton Spore and Icy Wind respectively to lower the opponent's speed, helping control the game.

The most interesting development in terms of these Tailwind users so far is seeing which one is chosen for Kyogre teams. Earlier in the format, Tornadus was more common, but now that has shifted towards Whimsicott. Whimsicott's more variable toolkit and superior speed seem to have become preferable, with it outspeeding Tornadus and getting moves like Charm and Helping Hand. Tornadus still has a few things unique to it that it can still do, like having a very strong STAB Hurricane and even being a Dynamax option if given the right moves, but it's more situational now.

Another adaptation seen has been some of the Whimsicott on Kyogre teams opting to use Sunny Day. When run with Charizard, it allows offensive Kyogre teams to get the best of both worlds: Kyogre's incredible rain-boosted Water Spouts and Charizard's absurd G-Max Wildfire damage output. What's even better is that, unlike the Dual Primals teams of 2016, you don't necessarily have to play around your own weather. Charizard can function in rain with Hurricane, and manually setting sun means that, unless you click Sunny Day while switching to Kyogre, it will never be using Water attacks in your own sun.

The Players

This section will mainly cover players who have earned Day 2 invites to the World Championships. These players will start on Friday, meaning they get to skip Thursday's competition and will be joined by any players who advanced by finishing with two or fewer losses.

US & Canada

  • Joseph Ugarte (2179 CP) – 1st Place Portland Regionals, Top 4 Salt Lake City Regionals, Top 4 European Internationals, Top 4 North American Internationals
  • Connor Woitalla (1550 CP) – Major CP earned in Seniors Division before 2022
  • Enzo Reci (1500 CP) – Major CP earned in Seniors Division before 2022
  • James Evans (1432 CP) – Top 8 Knoxville Regionals, Top 4 Richmond Regionals, Top 4 Milwaukee Regionals, 1st Place North American Internationals
  • Brady Smith (1428 CP) – Top 4 Atlantic City Regionals, 1st Place Daytona Beach Regionals, Top 8 Oceania Internationals, Top 32 North American Internationals
  • Chongjun Peng (1424 CP) – Top 4 Knoxville Regionals, 1st Place Salt Lake City Regionals, Top 8 Milwaukee Regionals, Top 8 North American Internationals
  • James Baek (1253 CP) – 1st Place Latin American Internationals, Top 8 North American Internationals
  • Zach Gray (1240 CP) – Top 64 Indianapolis Regionals, Major CP earned in Seniors Division before 2022
  • Jeremy Rodrigues (1176 CP) – Top 8 Knoxville Regionals, Top 8 Latin America Internationals, 2nd Place Indianapolis Regionals, Top 64 North American Internationals
  • Emma Cox (1140 CP) – Major CP earned in Seniors Division before 2022
  • Ashton Cox (1138 CP) – Top 8 Daytona Beach Regionals, 2nd Place San Diego Regionals, Top 16 Collinsville Regionals, Top 64 European Internationals
  • Paul Chua (1130 CP) – 1st Place Atlantic City Regionals, 2nd Place Richmond Regionals, Top 4 Secaucus Regionals
The US & Canada have been one of the strongest regions since the beginning of VGC and while for the first time the World Championships aren't being held in North America, the players with Day 2 invites competing in London are an interesting mix between newcomers and veterans. Joseph Ugarte and Chongjun Peng are two players competing at the World Championships for the first time and have quickly established themselves as favorites to do well.

2018 Seniors World Champion James Evans will be making his return to Worlds, hoping to continue the momentum from his big Internationals win in June. Brady Smith earned his second Day 2 Worlds invite and will be looking to improve on his previous top 32 finish from the 2018 World Championships. James Baek will also be competing, hoping to replicate the magic that led to his top 4 finish at the 2019 World Championships. Known for his innovative approach to team building, Ashton Cox is also competing. While his Series 12 performances haven't been as strong, Ashton has performed well at this event, finishing top 16 in 2014 and top 32 in both 2017 and 2018, and while his Series 12 finishes haven't been the strongest, he's still a player to watch for.

Jeremy Rodrigues, a player who previously has not performed well at the World Championships, will be making his third Day 2 return. His 2nd place Indianapolis finish shows his Series 12 strength as he looks to finally obtain a good Worlds finish. Paul Chua has historically done well at Worlds, finishing top 8 in 2013 in Seniors and top 16 in 2018. Paul has had a decent time in Series 12, finishing top 4 at Secaucus Regionals and recently top 64 at the North American Internationals as Paul works for another strong Worlds finish. A big question will be how Connor Woitalla, Enzo Reci, Zach Gray, and Emma Cox, the Seniors turned Masters Division players will perform. While the best Series 12 finish between these four players is Zach's Top 64 at Indianapolis Regionals, how they perform on Friday will be very telling. Enzo is unique as he finished Top 8 at the 2019 World Championships in the Seniors Division, showing he knows what it takes to make the top cut, but these players will have some tough battles in the future.

Europe

  • Eric Rios (2405 CP) – Top 4 Latin American Internationals, Top 8 Oceania Internationals, 1st Place Liverpool Regionals, 1st Place European Internationals, Top 4 Bremen Regionals, Top 16 North American Internationals
  • Federico Camporesi (1666 CP) – 1st Place Oceania Internationals (Seniors)
  • Oliver Eskolin (1658 CP) – Top 8 Sheffield Regionals, Top 32 Oceania Internationals, 2nd Place European Internationals, Top 4 Milwaukee Regionals, Top 32 North American Internationals
  • Marco Silva (1634 CP) – Top 16 Latin American Internationals, 1st Place Oceania Internationals, Top 64 European Internationals
  • Guillermo Castilla (1275 CP) – Top 4 Sheffield Regionals, 1st Place Bochum Regionals, Top 8 European Internationals, Top 32 North American Internationals
  • Thomas Gravouille (1205 CP) – 2nd Place Liverpool Regionals, Top 16 European Internationals, 1st Place Lille Regionals, Top 32 North American Internationals
  • Eduardo Cunha (1204 CP) – Top 16 Latin American Internationals, Top 8 Bochum Regionals, 2nd Place Oceania Internationals, Top 8 Bilbao Special Event
  • Alessio Yuri Boschetto (1154 CP) – Top 16 Latin American Internationals, Top 4 Collinsville Regionals, 1st Place Players Cup Kickoff Invitational
  • Flavio Del Pidio (1117 CP) – Top 8 Köln Regionals, Top 16 Bochum Regionals, Top 32 European Internationals, 1st Place Milan Special Event
  • Taran Birdee (1088 CP) – Top 16 Bochum Regionals, Top 8 Liverpool Regionals, Top 16 European Internationals, Top 8 North American Internationals
  • Iago Pardo (1070 CP) – Major CP earned in Seniors Division before 2022
  • Nils Dunlop (1032 CP) – Top 16 Köln Regionals, 1st Place Richmond Regionals, Top 32 European Internationals
  • Szymon Wojdat (1020 CP) – Top 16 Köln Regionals, Top 32 Bochum Regionals
  • Álex Gómez (1011 CP) – 2nd Place Köln Regionals, Top 4 Malmö Regionals, 2nd Place Players Cup Kickoff Invitational
  • Roberto Parente (999 CP) – Top 16 Köln Regionals, Top 8 Nanterre Special Event, Top 16 Bochum Regionals, Top 32 European Internationals
  • Giovanni Piscitelli (990 CP) – Top 8 DC Open, Top 32 Oceania Internationals, 2nd Place Bremen Regionals
  • Hippolyte Bernard (873 CP) – 1st Place Köln Regionals, Top 8 Lille Regionals
  • Andrea Cassinese (848 CP) – Top 16 Köln Regionals, Top 32 European Internationals
  • Davide Carrer (758 CP) – Top 16 Köln Regionals, 2nd Place Players Cup II
  • Markus Stadter (750 CP) – Top 8 European Internationals, Top 32 North American Internationals
  • Alex DellaPasqua (678 CP) – Top 32 Liverpool Regionals, Top 8 European Internationals, Top 32 North American Internationals
  • Joaquín Blanch (674 CP) – Top 32 Bilbao Special Event, Top 32 Milan Special Event
  • François-Xavier de Lagenste (671 CP) – Top 4 Bochum Regionals
  • Lukas Auer (656 CP) – Top 8 Sheffield Regionals, Top 4 Nanterre Special Event
For the first time, Europe will be hosting the World Championships and has many strong players in a great position to become the region's 2nd World Champion. Leading the pack is Spain's Eric Rios, who is currently enjoying his strongest season yet. With both Regional and Internationals wins back to back, Eric is in a solid position to improve on his previous Worlds finishes, top 4 in 2013 Seniors and top 8 in 2019. In addition, top Spanish players Guillermo Castilla and Álex Gómez are also competing, two players who have had previous good Worlds finishes, with Guillermo finishing top 8 in 2012 and Álex finishing top 8 in 2019. Spain also houses two recently aged-up players from the Seniors Division, Iago Pardo and Joaquín Blanch. Both players want to establish themselves among the older divisions and obtain that breakout performance.

Finland's Oliver Eskolin will compete, hoping to improve on his previous 74th-place finish in 2019. Judging by his 2nd place finish at European Internationals and recent top 32 at North American Internationals, he's in an excellent position to do so. Italy has a record eight Day 2 Worlds invites, including the Oceania International Champion Marco Silva, Alessio Yuri Boschetto who made top cut at Worlds in 2017 and 2018, the Milan Special Event Champion Flavio Del Pidio, and the Players Cup II Finalist Davide Carrer. Also of note is for newcomers who have earned their first Day 2 invites: Roberto Parente, Giovanni Piscitelli, Andrea Cassiense, and Alex DellaPasqua. These four Italians have had modest success during Series 12 and are looking for that breakout Worlds performance. Taran Birdee will be competing. Taran has performed well at the last two Internationals of the season and will certainly be a name to watch this weekend.

France obtained three Day 2 invites this season. Home to the "French Rain" team that features Shedinja, Lille Champion Thomas Gravouille, Köln Champion Hippolyte Bernard, and Bochum Semi-finalist François-Xavier de Lagenste are hoping to get France its first-ever Worlds top cut appearance. Portugal's Eduardo Cunha, Germany's Markus Stadter, and Sweden's Nils Dunlop will also compete. All three players have made top cut previously, with Eduardo's top 4 in 2016 and top 16 in 2019, Markus' top 4 in 2016, and Nils' top 8 in 2017 and top 4 in 2018, hoping to exceed their previous best performances. Poland's Szymon Wojdat and Austria's Lukas Auer have all earned their first-ever Day 2 Worlds invite this year. Both players lack major finishes in Series 12 but will be looking to make a surprise showing with a good Worlds run.

Latin America

  • Gabriel Agati (1447 CP) – Top 16 Latin American Internationals, Top 32 Oceania Internationals, 3x Players Cup Global Finals, 2nd Place North American Internationals
  • Vicente Fuentes (1393 CP) – Major CP earned in Seniors Division before 2022
  • Javier Valdés (1390 CP) – 1st Place Campinas Special Event, 2nd Place Latin American Internationals, Top 8 European Internationals
  • Juan Salerno (1295 CP) – Top 4 Latin American Internationals, 2nd Place Santiago S3 Special Event
  • Heriberto Pacaje (1195 CP) – 1st Place Santiago Special Event, Top 32 Vancouver Regionals
  • Javier Venegas (1040 CP) – Major CP earned in Seniors Division before 2022
  • Nicolás del Campo (1007 CP) – 1st Place Santiago S3 Special Event
  • Joaquín Salerno (912 CP) – Top 8 Santiago Regionals
  • René Alvarenga (910 CP) – Top 16 Portland Regionals, Top 8 Daytona Beach Regionals, Top 16 San Diego Regionals, 1st Place San José Special Event
  • Juan C. Ortiz (876 CP) – Top 16 Latin America Internationals
  • Paul Ruiz (835 CP) – 3rd Place Players Cup 25th Anniversary Invitational, Top 8 Indianapolis Regionals
  • Juan Manuel Santizo (802 CP) – Top 64 Europe Internationals, Top 32 Milwaukee Regionals, Top 64 North America Internationals
Latin America has recently leveled up as a region since getting their first Worlds win in 2018, and the Day 2 players they're sending are looking good to get their second win. Their CP leader is Brazil's Gabriel Agati, who's looking to improve on his previous top 16 Worlds finish in 2019, and his recent 2nd place finish at the North American Internationals shows he's serious about doing that. The 2018 World Champion Paul Ruiz will be looking to get his second Worlds win, and while his 2022 season hasn't been as strong, his top 8 Indianapolis Regionals performance shows his strength. Paul is joined by his fellow Ecuadorian Juan C. Ortiz, who will make his first Day 2 Worlds finish. His highlight finish is top 16 at Latin American Internationals and has long been a strong player in Latin America.

Chile this season claims three Day 2 Worlds invites, owned by Javier Valdés, who's looking to improve on his 17th place finish in 2018, as well as Heriberto Pacaje and Nicolás del Campo, who are both competing in Day 2 for the first time. Argentina's Juan Salerno is also competing, as evidenced by his top 4 Latin American Internationals, and is one to watch for his first Day 2 Worlds appearance. René Alvarenga is making his fourth return to Day 2 Worlds, looking to improve on his top 8 finish from 2017. Latin America is sending four recently aged-up Seniors to the World Championships. Not much is known about Chile's Vicentes Fuentes and Javier Venegas, while Argentina's Joaquín Salerno has his third Day 2 appearance, the first as a Master. Guatemala's Juan Manuel Santizo has earned the majority of his CP in Seniors but was able to secure his Day 2 invite via solid performances at both Series 12 Internationals.

Oceania

  • Alfredo Chang-Gonzalez (1040 CP) – 1st Place Melbourne Open, Top 16 Latin American Internationals, Top 32 Oceania Internationals, Top 4 2022 Brisbane Regionals
  • Henry Rich (962 CP) – 1st Place 2022 Brisbane Regionals, Top 8 Perth Regionals, Top 8 Melbourne Regionals
  • Meaghan Rattle (894 CP) – 2nd Place 2019 Brisbane Regionals, Top 32 Oceania Internationals, 2nd Place 2022 Brisbane Regionals
  • Christopher Kan (853 CP) – 2nd Place Melbourne Open, 6th Place Players Cup I
  • Jack Gilbert (845 CP) – Major CP earned in Seniors Division before 2022
  • James Katsaros (776 CP) – Top 4 Melbourne Open, Top 8 Oceania Internationals, Top 8 Melbourne Regionals
  • Finn Cooper (666 CP) – Major CP earned in Seniors Division before 2022
  • Sam Pandelis (565 CP) – Top 4 Melbourne Open, Top 8 Brisbane Regionals, 2nd Place Perth Regionals, 1st Place Melbourne Regionals
  • Luke Iuele (514 CP) – Top 8 2019 Brisbane Regionals, 6th Place Players Cup IV, Top 8 2022 Brisbane Regionals
  • Diego Ferreira (490 CP) – Top 8 2019 Brisbane Regionals, Top 16 Oceania Internationals, Top 16 Melbourne Regionals
  • Chris Giagozoglou (432 CP) – Top 4 Perth Regionals, Top 16 Brisbane Regionals
  • Graham Amedee (404 CP) – Top 64 Oceania Internationals, 8th Place Players Cup Kickoff Invitational
Despite not having a World Champion, Oceania has had its share of top-cut appearances at Worlds. Alfredo Chang-Gonzalez leads the pack and has had a successful season as a first-year Master. Henry Rich will be making his first Day 2 appearance and has a breakout season making top cut in all three Series 12 Australian Regionals with a win in Brisbane. Meaghan Rattle will make her third Day 2 Worlds appearance, looking to improve on her previous top 8 finish in 2019. Christopher Kan will be making his fourth Day 2 appearance, looking to improve on his top 32 finish in 2019 and match his 1st place TCG finish in 2011 in the Seniors Division.

James Katsaros will be making his second Day 2 Worlds appearance, hoping to improve on his 65th-place finish in 2019. James has been a longtime strong player in Australia with multiple good finishes over the years. In addition, 2017 Worlds finalist Sam Pandelis will make his second Day 2 appearance. Sam previously finished top 16 at Worlds in 2016 and was able to make top cut at all three Series 12 Australian Regionals with a win in Melbourne and is in a great position to return to top cut.

Luke Iuele will be making his first-ever Day 2 Worlds appearance, hoping to capitalize on his breakout season that included strong online performances in Players Cup IV and the Global Exhibition. Diego Ferreira will be making his first-ever Day 2 Worlds appearance. Diego's 2022 season was very modest as he looks for a major breakout finish. Chris Giagozoglou will be making his second Day 2 Worlds finish. Chris has been a longtime player with finishes that dates back to 2015 as he looks to net a strong finish at Worlds. Aged-up Seniors Jack Gilbert and Finn Cooper will also be competing. Both players have no notable finishes in Masters, so information about them is scarce.

Oceania

  • Jirawiwat Thitasiri – 1st Place Asia Players Cup, Top 8 Global Exhibition
  • Chaiyawat Traiwichcha – Top 32 Oceania Internationals, 3rd Place Asia Players Cup, 1st Place Thailand Nationals
  • Chyr Wei – Top 16 Taipei Regionals, 1st Place Taiwan Nationals
  • Pan Si Ming – 1st Place Hong Kong Nationals
  • Wonseok Jung – 2nd Place 2021 Trainers Cup, 2nd Place Global Exhibition, 1st Place 2022 Trainers Cup
  • Jeongso Lee – 2nd Place 2021 Trainers Cup, 3rd Place 2022 Trainers Cup
  • Hyuk-in Kwon – 3rd Place 2022 Trainers Cup
  • Kevin Ngim – 1st Place Malaysia Nationals
  • Melvin Keh – 1st Place Singapore Nationals
  • Patrick Elegado – 1st Place Philippines Nationals
For the first time in VGC, Asia was separated from the rest of Oceania into its own region with a unique way of handing out its Worlds invites. Asia is sending 10 players to Day 2 of the World Championships this season. Thaialand's Jirawiwat Thitasiri is making his second return to Day 2 Worlds after his top 64 finish in 2016 that featured Kecleon. Thailand's Chaiyawat Traiwichcha earned his first-ever Day 2 Worlds invite using a unique Xerneas/Groudon team to win his home Nationals. Taiwan's Chyr Wei earned his first-ever Day 2 Worlds invite by winning his home Nationals using a more common Lunala/Groudon team. Hong Kong's Pan Si Ming earned his first-ever Day 2 Worlds invite using a unique approach to Zacian/Kyogre that featured Celesteela and the Forces of Nature trio.

South Korea will be sending three players to Day 2 Worlds. Wonseok Jung will make his third appearance in Day 2 Worlds after his top 32 finish in 2018 and top 64 finish in 2019. The creator of the Zacian/Kyogre "Crystal Rain" team Jeongso Lee will make his first-ever Worlds appearance this year. Hyuk-in Kwon will be making his first-ever Worlds appearance on the back of his 3rd place finish in this year's Trainers Cup. Malaysia's Kevin Ngim will make his second Day 2 Worlds appearance after winning his home Nationals, hoping to improve on his previous top 64 finish. Singapore's Melvin Keh will make his fourth Day 2 Worlds appearance after winning his home Nationals, hoping to carry the momentum of his top 16 finish at Worlds in 2018 and 2019. Philippines' Patrick Elegado will make his first Day 2 Worlds appearance after winning his home Nationals.

Japan

A region with 4 World Championship titles, Japan has been regarded as the strongest region in VGC since day 1, and the players they are sending show this. Reigning World Champion in Seniors and Masters Naoto Mizobuchi and Ko Tsukide will both be making their return Day 2, hoping to repeat their previous success on the Worlds stage. In addition, National Champions Kohei Fujita, Naoya Takasago, and Kentaro Matsumoto will also be in attendance, hoping to be the next National Champion to win Worlds like Shoma Honami in 2015 and Ryota Otsubo in 2017. Also in attendance is Rinya Kobayashi, creator of the famous Zacian/Groudon "Rinya Sun" team that has captivated the world.

Sho Ito, who was able to qualify using a unique Yveltal/Kyogre team at Nationals this year will be in attendance. In addition, Kiyoshiro Arai and Yuma Kinugawa will be making their second Day 2 Worlds appearance after both players' top 4 Nationals appearance in 2021. Also in attendance are this year's Nationals semifinalists Tomoyuki Yoshimura who hopes to improve on his top 4 Worlds finish from 2017, and Kaoru Ueki, who qualified thanks to his innovative Eternatus/Dialga team. In addition, 2021 Nationals quarterfinalists Wataru Arai, Go Hirabara, and Kota Kawabe will also be in attendance, as well as 2022 Nationals quarterfinalists Fumiaki Suwa, Hijito Kihara, and Tatsuya Watanuki.

Conclusion

As the first World Championships in three years and the first time it'll be held over four days, players competing will be locked in intense battles all weekend long. We'd like to wish the best of luck to every player attending as they fight to become the 2022 Pokémon World Champion!

If you're not attending but want to follow the exciting action from home, check out the Pokémon World Championships for more information on the event and live stream information.

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