Ash isn't the only dude gunning to become a Pokémon master.
Pokéball-wielding kids of all ages gathered in the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis on Friday to battle in the Pokémon national championships.
Both the videogame and card game championships will be decided over the course of three days or tournament play.
The grueling ordeal begins with Friday's last-chance qualifiers for the Pokémon Videogame National Championships. Hopefuls in the Senior and Junior divisions will battle for a slot in the weekend's championship tourney. Sixteen players in each division of the last chance qualifiers gain entry into the U.S. National Championships on Saturday. The rest of the slots are filled with winners in regional events.
All tournament attendees who bring their Nintendo DS and a copy of Pokémon HeartGold or SoulSilver will be able to download a rare Shiny Eevee.
The Pokémon Trading Card Game National Championships, now entering their 7th year, will see over 1,000 players in three divisions: Junior for kids born later than 1999, Senior for those between 1995 and 1999 and Masters for old timers born before 1994.
Champions in both the videogame and card game tournaments will go on to the Pokémon World Championships, to be held in Kona, Hawaii from August 14-15.
Image courtesy Pokémon Videogame Championships
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