“I want to be the very best, like no one ever was,” begins the theme song of the long-running “Pokémon” television series.
Brady Guy, a 10-year-old who lives in Baldwinsville, is living up to the song’s goal. Brady is one of the top junior Pokémon Trading Card Game players in the United States, thanks to his March 21 victory at the 2015 Pokémon TCG State Championships held in Westbrook, Maine.
While his next stop is the Spring Regional Championships, to be held May 16 in Ontario, Brady has his sights set on the Pokémon TCG World Championships, which is set for Aug. 21 to 23 in Boston.
“Last year, I was the only American in the top eight,” Brady said of his 2014 “World’s” appearance. “This year, I’m looking to win Worlds.”
The Worlds competition brings together the top finishers in each region, including 16 players from the U.S. and Canada. Points earned in state, regional and national competitions improve Brady’s chances of going to Boston.
As of April 17, Brady was ranked 17th in the world for the junior division, which includes children born after 2004. That’s not too shabby for a kid who’s only been shuffling the deck for 2 and a half years.
The Pokémon Trading Card Game launched in 1996, shortly after the release of the first Pokémon video game series. The game pits two players and their deck of “pocket monsters” against each other.
Each deck contains 60 cards made up of Pokémon cards (the creatures themselves), Energy cards and Trainer cards, which direct game play and allow players to search their decks or take other actions.
The object of the game is to knock out your opponents’ Pokémon by using your own Pokémon’s special skills and Energy cards to attack.
Brady’s affinity for Pokémon began at age 8, when he received a pack of Pokémon cards in a McDonald’s Happy Meal. His parents, Vicki and Marcus Guy, bought him a few more packs at garage sales and Brady taught himself to play by reading the rulebooks that came with the cards.
“I feel like I go into another world. It’s … a lot of math and it’s a good way to make a lot of friends at the same time. I also like the competitiveness,” Brady said.
As he learned the ropes of the trading card game, Brady began to play online, where he can compete against players of all ages from all over the world.
“It’s always cool to find out I just beat one of the best Pokémon players in the world and I’m 10. It’s cool finding out you beat a 34-year-old,” Brady said.
Even Brady’s parents got in on the fun. His dad, Marcus, a social studies teacher at Skaneateles High School, has tried his hand at a few Pokémon competitions, and he and his son spend their summer breaks practicing a couple hours a day.
Mom Vicki coordinates the competition schedule and keeps an eye on the rankings to make sure Brady is on track for his goal.
Brady said he doesn’t have a particular strategy for winning Pokémon TCG, but he tries to stay calm.
“If I see a bad matchup, I don’t get upset about it because I found out I play worse if I get upset,” Brady said. “I don’t let other good players get in my way because I know I can beat them.”
He’s learned to surrender to the luck of the draw, too.
“I don’t usually [blame] myself,” he said of losing a match. “I remember that it was just a bad draw.”
While he’s proud of his skills, Brady tries to keep a low profile.
“It makes me feel good, but I don’t really always like thinking about it and talking about it because sometimes kids think that I’m bragging,” he said.
But he did admit it is thrilling to be recognized at competitions.
“After you win a big tournament, you get a lot of people walking up to you that you’ve never met but you’ve heard of congratulating you. I had some of the top players in the world congratulating me,” Brady said.
Brady is so intent on honing his skill that he’s had to prioritize his other extracurriculars.
“I had to give up wrestling to make it to Pokémon tournaments,” he said. “Baseball could be a concern.”
As for now, Brady is sticking with baseball, but if push comes to shove — “Pokémon’s my main thing.”
