The Italians are champions of any discipline in this 2021. Even in eSports. In the last Pokémon Global Exhibition, in fact, the 26-year-old Leonardo Bonanomi won during the final against the South Korean Wonseok Jung with a score of 2 to 0 to the best of 3.
The Pokémon Global Exhibition is the tournament organized on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of Pokémon, and saw 8 of the most capable players of Pokémon Shield and Sword, winners of regional competitions such as the Pokémon Players Cup IV, the Pokémon Japan Championship 2021, the Pokémon Trainers Cup 2021 and the Pokémon Asia Players Cup. The competitions were held between the 30 and 31 October 2021 and showed how professional competitions dedicated to the Pokémon world are increasingly complex.
“I enjoyed playing against some of the best players from other parts of the world,” Leonardo told Italian Tech. “I am very satisfied: after having lost the finals of the previous Players Cup by a hair, we needed a victory!” Leonardo has been a Pokémon player since he was 7 years. “From an early age, Pokémon influenced my growth. With my friends I shared my passion for Pokémon: I have wonderful memories of the afternoons spent challenging us with the consoles ”. His first game was “Pokèmon Gold: the first game is never forgotten. I have fond memories of when my parents took me to buy the first Game Boy Advance with Pokémon Gold as a birthday present. I played it for many hours and it got me hooked on the series. “
He then started playing in competitive competitions in 2016 with the Nintendo DS, his favorite console. “The best titles in the series came out for that console, unforgettable titles like Pokémon Heart Gold / Soul Silver and Pokémon Black and White.”
Leonardo Bonanomi vs. Wonseok Jun, Pokémon Global Exhibition Grand Finals
Unlike many games that have competitive tournaments today, Pokémon started out as a adventure game with battles between cute little monsters. It is not a game that must necessarily be taken seriously, and the important thing is to be able to have fun together. But this does not mean that, for some years now, the complexity of the game – and therefore the variety of strategies that can be implemented in battle – has certainly increased, especially with the latest pair of Pokémon Sword / Shield titles, which for example concludes the story of the game with the fight tower in which to meet with other players online and participate in competitive and non-competitive races.
In fact, Leonardo takes “hours to find the best team, learn how to use it to the fullest and optimize even the smallest details. Fortunately, I collaborate with other very experienced players “, which allow him to learn more quickly and therefore to” study better strategies against the other most used teams. “
The Pokémon Global Exhibition that Leonardo won was held online, but live competitions are missing a lot: “Even now, many of my closest friends play Pokémon [a livello] competitive, […] I hope that the live competitive circuit will restart soon so that I can start traveling with them again. “
Video games
Thus the pandemic has given a boost to eSports, even in Italy
by Lorenzo Fantoni
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