Anthony Bargardi – Autumn Regional Pokémon Champion

Manchester’s own Anthony Bargardi, age 10, is a Pokemon champion.

Anthony spent the weekend of Oct. 18-19  in Fort Wayne, IN where he took first place in the video game Junior Division and earned the esteemed title of Autumn Regional Champion. The first step in a potentially year-long journey, Anthony also earned valuable Championship Points that will count towards a potential invite to the 2015 Pokémon World Championships next summer.

Anthony is among only five Junior Division Autumn Regional video game Champions from across North America. The Autumn Regional Championships is the first of three Regional tournaments taking place throughout the U.S. and Canada in the 2014/2015 Pokémon Championship Series including the Winter Regional Championships in February 2015 and Spring Regional Championships in May 2015. Players that achieve a top Championship Points ranking after the Spring Regional Championships will earn Travel Awards to the 2014 Pokémon U.S. National Championships in Indianapolis next summer.

“The 2014/2015 Pokémon Championship Series kicked off to an exciting start with many new and returning players taking the first steps on a potentially year-long journey to the 2015 Pokémon World Championships,” said J.C. Smith, director of Consumer Marketing for The Pokémon Company International. “Congratulations to all of the Pokémon Autumn Regional Champions and a special thank you to the thousands of family, friends and Pokémon fans who attended tournaments throughout North America. We’re looking forward to what’s in store for the rest of the season, including the Pokémon Winter and Spring Regional Championships.”

Click here to watch a short video about the Pokémon tournament.

Players of all ages and skills are encouraged to participate in Organized Play events. For more information on future tournaments including dates, locations, prizes, and tournament rules and regulations, click here. The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world. For more information, click here.

For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive.

by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.