Fun In The Cards

Nick and Johnny Piet

Pokémon group going strong despite lockdown

Editors Note: This Q&A was prepared before the lockdown. Though in-person play at Great Escape game room is suspended, the group still meets online and hopes to resume in-person play when the time comes.
​See below for contact information. 

​By MATTHEW MERITT

If size limits small towns on the variety of organized activities available, there’s a silver lining. Can’t find an existing club, team or group that matches your interest? Then start your own.

That’s what Big Flats resident Nick Piet did. The husband and father of two explains in the Q&A below how he and his son, Johnny, got the Corning-Elmira Pokémon League off the ground.

At weekly League gatherings, youth and adult players enjoy the casual and friendly competition. But it’s also official. Participants can earn points to qualify for regional events. Just last year, Johnny competed in the Pokémon World Tournament in Washington, D.C.

You never know what cards you’ll be dealt in a card game. But at the local Pokémon club you will always find conversation, concentration, laughter and a handshake after every match. 
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​For Pokemon league questions, contact:
[email protected]
For general store inquiries or other gaming info, contact: [email protected]
 
Where and when does this group meet? Every Sunday 3-5 p.m. at Great Escape Adventures' game room in the Arnot Mall. (Note: in-person play suspended but online meet-ups and play continue.)

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Is there an official name? Is there an official status within the Pokémon operation? Yes, the League is officially recognized by the Pokémon Company with the name Corning-Elmira Pokémon League. We get to host tournaments and get prize support such as cards and playmats unique to only official Pokémon Leagues. 
 
What happens during a typical Sunday Pokémon gathering?  Most Sundays we have open (free) play where kids and adults can bring their own custom decks and play matches for fun against each other. I usually setup matches based on age and skill level. We also help teach new players the game. We have made some extra decks for people to have the chance to try out nice, competitive builds. 
 
Describe the format of play.  Casual, tournament style.  Mostly casual, but we have some entry-level tournaments about once a month that award better prizes for a small registration fee. 
 
When did the group start? The group first started playing back in Sept 2018, and the first official season started in March 2019. 
 
How did you get started playing Pokémon with your children?  The game looked interesting so we bought a starter kit to try it out. My son and I really enjoyed it so we started building better decks and even traveling to tournaments through upstate NY and Northern PA. 
 
Why did you start this group? We liked the leagues and tournaments but the closest one was an hour away. So we researched what it would take to start our own League. After applying and working with the local store Great Escape Adventures, we were able to get approval for the formal league. 
 
How many came at first on average and how many now?  Early on we had just a few of my son's friends attending. Now we have upwards of 20 or so total players. An average Sunday will see anywhere from 5-10 players. 
 
How do you spread the word? Mostly word of mouth from the kids’ and parents that attend. We have posted a few flyers with local schools and we do have a Facebook page we try to keep active for people that happen to check it out. 
 
Are more players welcome? Yes of course! The neat thing about this game is it's fun for all ages. We have a lot of younger players between 2nd and 7th grade but we also have young adults and parents joining in as well. Everyone has a chance to have fun, make friends, and work on a strategic-thinking game. 
 
What are the most recent developments in terms of recognition or designation of your group by the Pokémon organization? For local leagues like ours, there are three different types of official tournaments a league can hold. Since we have had good attendance, we just recently got approved to host all three. These are the monthly League Challenges, the most beginner-friendly tournament. Then the Quarterly League Cups which are a longer tournament with a step up in competition. Both the Challenge and Cup award points that players can collect from performing well and can gain entry to the annual Pokémon World Championship tournament. Lastly, we hold Pre-Release tournaments which are the ultimate fun. Here we get to build and play with decks that have the newest Pokémon card set two weeks prior to the official release date!
 
What do you enjoy about running this group?  Like I mentioned before it's a fun game for all ages. I have enjoyed coaching youth sports and this is a similar setting where we can teach young students a new game and sportsmanship. 
 
Why is it a good activity for children? What sort of skills and good habits do they learn?  It teaches some math, reading, and strategic thinking skills so the game is great for younger kids. 
 
Describe Johnny’s experience at the World Tournament. How many players were there? How many countries were represented? How did Johnny benefit from the experience? I believe there were about 1,000 total players representing people from over 100 countries. In the Juniors age division there were 200 players. Johnny played 6 matches against kids from Europe, Asia and South America some of whom did not even speak English! It was a very fun experience for our family. 
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Weekly meetups and tournaments still going online.

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