For Marana seventh-grader Nathan Dean, playing Pokémon is more than a hobby.
The 12-year-old is ranked No. 88 in the world at the trading card game, and No. 42 in the United States and Canada — and later this month, he’ll compete against the world’s best players at the world championships in San Francisco.
“In the beginning, I didn't do so well, but I had a lot of fun, and I just kept going,” he said.
Since starting in Japan 30 years ago, the Pokémon media franchise has exploded in worldwide popularity. Pokémon is a game where players collect pocket monsters – there are over 1,000 of them – to battle other opponents with. Originating as a video game, it has since spun off into movies, toys, television shows and collectible trading cards.
The trading table-top card game involves a specialized deck in which players use the attacks and abilities of the supercharged creatures to defeat their opponent’s cards.
Dean only started playing the Pokémon Trading Card Game three years ago, at the age of 9. Since then, he has spent at least an hour a day practicing, sometimes playing against his brother. His dedication has helped him become a professional Pokémon player before even entering his teenage years.
Dean regularly attends weekly open-play nights at Tucson Games and Gadgets in Marana, where he plays with other kids his age and other Pokémon fans from around Tucson.
“It’s a nice casual time where people can just meet and play Pokémon,” he said.
Nathan’s father, David Dean, a software developer at the University of Arizona, said he didn’t get into Pokémon himself until his son started playing. Now, he is proud to see how far Nathan has come.
“It's not something we ever expected. We're proud to represent Tucson, southern Arizona, Tucson Games and Gadgets, all the people that play here,” Mr. Dean said. “We want him to do well and make Tucson and Arizona proud, and show them that we got some of the best Pokémon players in the world.”
On Aug. 28-30, Nathan will compete in the 2026 Pokémon TCG World Championships in San Francisco. He’ll be bringing a stuffed Pokémon called Wooper with him — a good-luck charm he has taken to every tournament he has played in.
The regional tournaments Nathan competed in throughout North America helped him improve his game and climb the rankings enough to qualify for the world championship.
“After the final tournament of the season, I got to see the final leaderboards to see that I made it,” he said. “It was really cool anticipating the final leaderboards.”
Dawn McKerrow, an employee at Tucson Games and Gadgets and a Pokémon judge, said Nathan will compete in the junior division, which is for players born in 2015 or later. Even in the junior division, the stakes are high: The tournament has a $2 million prize pool, with $50,000 going to first place and $30,000 to second. Nathan can earn a cash prize if he finishes among the tournament’s top eight players.
Nathan said he is nervous but excited to compete against the world’s best players. His excitement grew when McKerrow explained the potential prize money.
The winner will also receive gold Pokémon merchandise, a customized deck of cards to be sold in stores and an invitation to next year’s competition.
For Nathan, though, the opportunity to compete on the world stage is also a chance to represent the community that helped him get there.
“I just want to shout out the Tucson Games and Gadgets for helping me grow and get me into the game and just being super nice and supportive,” he said.
