Underdog Defeats Pokémon TCG’s Greatest Player to Become World Champion [IGN]

Vance Kelley was a virtual unknown when he entered the 2023 Pokémon TCG World Championship in Yokohama, Japan, but he’ll leave forever etched in Pokémon history because he won first place and was crowned Pokémon TCG World Champion, earning a prize of $25,000. It wasn’t an easy road for Kelley, especially considering in the finals he had to defeat the player many consider to be the best there ever was, Tord Reklev.

Going into the Pokémon TCG Masters Division finals match, Kelley had an admirable tournament history record with several high placements but no major wins under his belt. Meanwhile, Tord’s record is arguably the best ever. He’s won three regionals, three special events, made Top 32 and Top 4 at previous Worlds, and he’s the only player to ever win all four International Championships. A win at World’s would finally give him the last, elusive stone in his Pokémon Infinity Gauntlet. Tord was one of few players who finished at the top of the season rankings and was rewarded with the privilege of skipping the entire first day of the Worlds tournament, whereas Kelley had to play through every round from the start. Suffice to say, their finals match was David versus Goliath.

Kelley is a law school student from Seattle, Washington. He told IGN that despite going up against such a successful player, he wasn’t too intimated before the match.

“I don’t know if I thought about Tord’s record a ton,” he said. Kelley recalled how he’s played several other big names in the past, including veteran champions Azul Garcia Griego, Michael Pramawat, and 2019 Worlds winner Henry Brand. “I’ve played against players that are really good. I was definitely nervous [going into the finals] and I definitely think Tord is the best player, but I don’t think it affected me in the moment.”

Kelley piloted the ever-popular Fusion Mew VMAX deck against Tord’s Gardevoir deck. On paper, Gardevoir has about a 70/30 matchup against Mew, so Vance had his work cut out for him. The finals was a best of three match.

Mew sets up fast and hits hard right out the gate, whereas Gardevoir takes its time setting up its engine and then tries to end the game with a couple big knockouts–a factor that would end up being crucial later in the match. Kelley knew he was going to face a lot of Gardevoir decks so he included a special tech to deal with them: the Tool card Box of Disaster. It’s an unusual card because it was considered unplayable when it first came out and many people probably tossed it in the bulk pile and forgot it existed, but it just happened to be the perfect counter to one of the top decks at Worlds.

“The reason I played it was for the finals matchup. Gardevoir has to put damage on themselves and when they take a KO, it triggers Box of Disaster,” Kelley explained. “In the first game, basically, that’s how I won the game, so I think it was worth it.”

Indeed, game one went to Kelley after utilizing Box of Disaster to take an early lead and then playing a Boss’s Orders to knock out Tord’s two-Prize Zacian V.

The next game saw Tord get a bit lucky with his Gardevoir’s Shining Arcana ability, giving him just enough Psychic Energy to take a surprise three-Prize knockout on Mew VMAX and providing the momentum he needed to take the win.

With only seven minutes left on the clock, the third and final game would be decided by sudden death. Whoever has taken the most Prizes at the end of the match is declared the winner. This is where Kelley’s deck choice proved superior, as he was able to start taking early KOs while Tord was still setting up. The final turns were a nail-biter, as Tord tried in vain to take a game-winning three-Prize knockout but failed to piece it together. Kelley then swiftly brought the match to an end by using Boss’s Orders on a benched two-Prizer–and became the Pokémon TCG World Champ.

“I felt pretty sure it was going to go my way on the last turn but I wasn’t sure if Tord had something up his sleeve,” Kelley said. “It feels unreal. It’s really exciting. I’m really happy.”

Kelley’s secret to victory? Playing with a good group of friends.

“I have a good group of friends who have been playing the game and they’re always giving me good ideas on what cards to play and what to do in certain matches,” he shared.

The prize for first place is $25,000, and Kelley already knows what he’s going to do with the money.

“I’m going to max out my Roth IRA and pay off some loans,” he says. We can’t blame him for making such a responsible choice. After all, it’s probably better than spending it all on plushies from the Pokémon Center.

Check out our other coverage on Pokemon Worlds:

• The Pokémon Company Having ‘Conversations’ About Its ‘Constant’ Release Schedule
• First Ever Poké-Mom and Son Duo Compete Together in Pokémon TCG World Championship
• Why the Pokémon World Championships Going to Hawaii Is Proving to be a Controversial Choice
• What It’s Like to Play in the World’s Hardest Pokémon Tournament