- December 4, 2025
-
-
Loading
Loading
While watching the 2023 Pokémon World Championship, Lleyton Chan, an 11-year-old boy from Winter Garden, thought it looked like a fun game.
So, he decided to learn how to play it.
Growing up watching Pokémon, Lleyton thought he could use his knowledge of the show to play the game.
Within six months, he learned the game and started playing locally with other players.
In a year, he qualified for worlds.
“When you’re playing the game, what’s the point of just keeping it low (proficiency) when you could go pro and do it really well?” Lleyton said.
Now, he’s headed back to the Pokémon World Championship for the second time.
This year, qualifying for worlds was more difficult than before. Last year, he qualified based on points. This year, he needed to place in the top 75 in North America.
But that didn’t stop him from trying.
Currently ranked 24th in the United States and 27th in North America, Lleyton proved that with dedication and practice, anything is possible.
This year’s world championship takes place from Friday, Aug. 15 to Sunday, Aug. 17 in Anaheim, California.
“I think it’s a great accomplishment for me getting here,” he said. “I feel really good.”
But behind his dream, there are supportive parents who root for him.
Chris and Jenni Chan are behind Lleyton’s every move.
“A lot of people look to him for answers, because he’s a wealth of knowledge, and he’s really good at his craft, so people recognize that,” Chris Chan said. “I think that’s really cool.”
Jenni Chan said she learned the game with Lleyton so she could help get him to the world championship.
“When he came to me and told me, ‘This is a game, and I want to learn how to play,’ I was like, ‘What?’” Jenni Chan said. “It’s been a crazy journey to learn that this world even exists; my mind has been blown for sure. Then to see him do so well in it, too, it’s been awesome. … I’ve always been behind it, because I could tell how passionate he was about it.”
Lleyton said he feels pure joy heading to the 2025 World Championship.
“My goal is to win the world championship,” Lleyton said. “My smaller goal, though, is to get top four, because I got top eight at regionals this year, and that’s the best I’ve ever done. So now I want that top-four finish at a tournament.”
At 11 years old, Lleyton understands that winning is not always attainable.
“The big thing about the competition is that you’re not always going to win,” he said. “The problem is sometimes, I even have that problem where it’s like, I just want to win, win, win, and when I don’t, sometimes it can get to me. I think that’s the biggest thing that I’m also trying to work on. Like, if you lose, it’s fine. You can win the rest of your games. Just always believe in yourself.”
He said his biggest challenge at competitions and championships is playing other good players.
To become a good player, Lleyton said practice is needed, because luck itself won’t get you a win.
“That’s one of the biggest things, because if you play more, do research and practice, you’re going to get so much better, and that’s how you can get to where I am,” he said. “Watch good players play the game and even going to your locals and playing games with other people and just talking about all the stuff is the best thing.”
Lleyton said he hopes to meet WolfeyVGC, a famous Pokémon video game player.
Now, as he waits for the championship to arrive, Lleyton said he’s going to practice as much as possible and pick his 60-card deck required to play the game out of the 10,000 cards he can pick from at least a week in advance, so he can be prepared for the championship.
“I’m super proud of him and all his hard work and dedication,” Chris Chan said. “He’s really developed as a great young man. I see him at these tournaments, these little sessions that I get to go to and he just holds himself so well.”
If he wins the cash prize of $5,000, Lleyton said he’ll buy lots of Pokémon.
LOCAL SUPPORT
Lleyton Chan is able to attend the championship through sponsorships made by these companies:
