OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — In a little under a month, a 7-year-old boy from Overland Park will represent the Kansas City metro — and North America — when he competes in the Pokémon World Championships.
In late June, Avery Vehlewald beat out dozens of kids in his age group to win the North American International Championship. He will head to Yokohama, Japan, next month to vie for the world title.
But the road to a national championship wasn’t a sure thing for Avery.
“I was pretty stressed out because he did lose the first battle, so it ended up going to three,” said Amanda Vehlewald, Avery's mother. “He had battled this kiddo before earlier in the day. It was his only loss of the day. So we found out we were playing him in the finals, we were quite nervous because his team was quite good.”
Avery won the North American Pokémon championship in his first year of competing, but he’s no stranger to the game. His dad and mom played Pokémon for years — Amanda Vehlewald shared Avery's "dad competed at a high level for over a decade."
Pokémon teams are made up of a number of characters with various strengths and weaknesses. Players spend a tremendous amount of time trying to assemble teams that take advantage of opponents’ weaknesses.
Avery is now in the process of changing up his team “since he made his team so popular. Everyone is going to want to play it, so now we have to find a way around it and have a chance to win again,” Amanda said.
When asked what he thought of his performance, Avery had a simple answer.
“Impressed with myself," he said.
Avery’s parents said taking part in competitions like these is a good way for kids to learn valuable life skills.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for kids to get out and learn how to socialize. Also, learn how to win and lose gracefully,” Amanda Vehlewald said. “That’s the biggest thing. We’ve really told the kids that it doesn’t matter if you win, if you’re not being a good sport, then it’s not great.”
What’s next for Avery?
The Pokémon World Championships take place in Yokohama, Japan, from Aug. 8-14, featuring a festival, parade and the title game, among other events. There will also be a live stream available for those who want to watch.
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