The Road to Regionals
Regionals always feel different. Bigger crowds, louder rooms, and a level of tension you can almost feel in the air. From February 6th to 8th, that feeling took shape in Sydney, as the best battlers in Oceania gathered once again, and I made the journey from Perth, ready to see how far this run would go.
Before the tournament kicked off, I had some time to take in the city, checking out the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, and of course, trying some incredible food along the way. It was a nice reminder to slow down and enjoy where I was before everything became about brackets and battles.
Badge Pickup & Old Faces
Friday, the day before the tournament, was badge pickup day, where competitors gathered at the convention centre to collect their passes for the tournament. It was the perfect opportunity to catch up with players, grab dinner, relax, and chat before the chaos truly began.
GO Time!
Game day arrived, and players waited anxiously for the bracket to be revealed. I ended up in Group B, which meant I had time to soak in the atmosphere and watch the opening rounds unfold. This time around, I decided to change my approach entirely. I didn’t bring a notepad on purpose, instead I focused on staying present and playing off instinct. Less overthinking, more flow state. That strategy paid off immediately.
Things are heating up
I won my first three rounds without dropping a single game, pushing myself into the Group B semi-finals against RicFlareon, one of Australia’s strongest battlers. Ric and I have both attended every Pokémon GO World Championship, so I knew exactly how tough this matchup would be. To make things even more intense, this match was scheduled on the livestream.
Fun fact, Ric and I also faced off on stream at the 2023 World Championships.
Or as TheyLuvJy called it…
‘Battle of the Uncs’ 🤦♂️
As we sat down and exchanged team sheets, the pressure was real. In Game 1, I landed a well-predicted, game-winning catch to preserve my Shadow Altaria and reach a Flamethrower against his Alolan Ninetales. In Game 2, Shadow Altaria once again took centre stage, closing out the match by defeating both his Shadow Annihilape and Gourgeist.
At this point, I hadn’t dropped a single game all tournament, eight consecutive wins. That put me into the Group B finals against Jumothy. Déjà vu struck again, as we also faced each other on stream at last year’s Brisbane Regionals. Unfortunately for me, things didn’t go my way. Some rough alignment and clean plays from Jumothy resulted in an 0-2 loss, snapping my win streak and sending me into the Losers bracket.
And then, the final boss appeared, Pokemonemaker.
An incredibly talented Japanese battler who had already knocked me out of the last two Australian Regionals. I absolutely did not want to make it three in a row. Once again, this match was on stream. Lose, and you’re out. Stakes couldn’t be higher.
On paper, the matchup looked rough. Despite knowing he would bring Galarian Corsola and Shadow Annihilape every game, it was still incredibly hard to navigate. Game 1 went to Pokemonemaker. I had to reset mentally and shift strategy.
Game 2, I led Shadow Altaria into his Galarian Corsola, not ideal. After farming, I attempted a catch, and Pokemonemaker perfectly counter-swapped his Annihilape into my Furret, however, this was my plan. I baited it out so my Empoleon could sweep the endgame. Strong energy management and disciplined plays secured me the win.
One to one.
Game 3 was pure mind games. I opted for an ABA strategy, extremely risky. If he led Annihilape, I was basically doomed. I avoided that, but instead faced Furret versus Cradily, which was still awkward. I chose to soft lose the lead by undercharging, creating a slight energy advantage for Empoleon, knowing Annihilape was lurking in the back.
I swapped into Shadow Altaria to avoid Counter damage, and his last Pokémon was Corsola. Not ideal, but not impossible.
Pokemonemaker made a smart call. He didn’t shield Corsola, forcing my shields while applying constant fast move pressure and keeping two for his Shadow Annihilape. With Rage Fist stacking, the pressure became too much in the end.
He did it again, three Regionals in a row.
Despite the loss, I finished 6th overall, a Top 8 placement, exactly what I had set out to achieve. For me, it was mission success.
Grand Final Time
As the tournament continued, only two battlers remained: TheyLuvJy and Jumothy. Jy had previously placed second twice at Regionals, so it was either his third silver or his first big win. Jumothy had just won the Auckland Special Championships, looking for back-to-back major titles.
Jy pulled off the bracket reset with a 3 to 1, forcing a final Best of 5. But Wigglytuff from Jumothy’s side proved too strong, and Jumothy swept the final series 3 to 0, claiming his second major title in a row, an incredibly rare feat.
Results, Prizes & Reality Check
At prize time, I was awarded:
- $1000 USD
- Top 8 player mat
- Phantasmal Flames TCG Booster Box
- 280 Championship Points
A successful day in the office.
That night, we headed out for dinner, sharing stories, laughing about misplays, and just enjoying being together. The Australian competitive scene genuinely feels like one big family. A lot of us are close friends outside the game, and moments like these remind me how important it is to be present and appreciate the people around you.
More Than Just a Tournament
On a more personal note, mental health has been a journey for me lately, and this weekend genuinely helped. There have been times when motivation felt low, and confidence felt fragile, but being here reminded me of why I fell in love with competing in the first place.
The community, the challenge, and the feeling of pushing myself again gave me a sense of clarity I didn’t know I needed. It reminded me that progress doesn’t always come from fixing everything at once, sometimes it comes from simply showing up and doing your best.
For anyone else out there going through the silent battles, let this be a reminder to enjoy the moments between the problems. Otherwise, the problems are all you’ll have.
One Final Battle
The following day featured a Cup tournament at the venue. Eighteen players entered, many of the same battlers from Regionals. Despite being sleep deprived, I managed to stay locked in and won the entire thing. Three of the Top 4 were from Perth too.
#represent
Parting Words
This weekend reminded me that my skills are still sharp, and I’m in a strong position on the Oceania leaderboard. The goal remains the same, qualify for the 2026 World Championships.
Next stop, Melbourne in May.
Eyes forward. Still hungry. Still grinding.
Until next time, trainers,
–Adam ‘avrip’
