A 12-year-old skilled Pokémon participant from Marana is heading to the world championships

For Marana seventh-grader Nathan Dean, enjoying Pokémon is greater than a passion.

The 12-year-old is ranked No. 88 on the earth on the buying and selling card sport, and No. 42 within the United States and Canada — and later this month, he’ll compete in opposition to the world’s greatest gamers on 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 stated.

Since beginning in Japan 30 years in the past, the Pokémon media franchise has exploded in worldwide reputation. Pokémon is a sport the place gamers accumulate pocket monsters – there are over 1,000 of them – to battle different opponents with. Originating as a online game, it has since spun off into films, toys, tv reveals and collectible buying and selling playing cards.

The buying and selling table-top card sport entails a specialised deck by which gamers use the assaults and skills of the supercharged creatures to defeat their opponent’s playing cards.

Dean solely began enjoying the Pokémon Trading Card Game three years in the past, on the age of 9. Since then, he has spent at the very least an hour a day practising, generally enjoying in opposition to his brother.
His dedication has helped him change into an expert Pokémon participant earlier than even getting into his teenage years.

VIEW LARGER Nathan Dean prepares for an open play Pokémon occasion at Tucson Games and Gadgets on Aug. 13, 2026.

Dean repeatedly attends weekly open-play nights at Tucson Games and Gadgets in Marana, the place he performs with different children his age and different Pokémon followers from round Tucson.

“It’s a nice casual time where people can just meet and play Pokémon,” he stated.

Nathan’s father, David Dean, a software program developer on the University of Arizona, stated he didn’t get into Pokémon himself till his son began enjoying. Now, he’s 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 stated. “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.”

VIEW LARGER Nathan Dean stands along with his father, David Dean, at Tucson Games and Gadgets on Aug. 13, 2026.

Thatcher Warrick Hess, AZPM News

On Aug. 28-30, Nathan will compete within the 2026 Pokémon TCG World Championships in San Francisco. He’ll be bringing a stuffed Pokémon known as Wooper with him — a good-luck appeal he has taken to each match he has performed in.

The regional tournaments Nathan competed in all through North America helped him enhance his sport and climb the rankings sufficient 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 stated. “It was really cool anticipating the final leaderboards.”

Dawn McKerrow, an worker at Tucson Games and Gadgets and a Pokémon decide, stated Nathan will compete within the junior division, which is for gamers born in 2015 or later. Even within the junior division, the stakes are excessive: The match has a $2 million prize pool, with $50,000 going to first place and $30,000 to second. Nathan can earn a money prize if he finishes among the many match’s prime eight gamers.

VIEW LARGER Nathan Dean stands in entrance of a Pokémon ball backdrop holding a profitable plaque and a Wooper on Aug. 13, 2026.

Thatcher Warrick Hess, AZPM News

Nathan stated he’s nervous however excited to compete in opposition to the world’s greatest gamers. His pleasure grew when McKerrow defined the potential prize cash.

The winner can even obtain gold Pokémon merchandise, a personalized deck of playing cards to be bought in shops and an invite to subsequent yr’s competitors.

For Nathan, although, the chance to compete on the world stage can also be an opportunity to symbolize the group 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 stated.