08/30/2026
The end of an era. ❤️
Gracen’s Junior career has come to an end.
Four years in the Junior Division. Four World Championship qualifications. He qualified Every. Single. Year.
When Gracen first started playing Pokémon competitively, the world had just opened back up. He was so little that he could literally **stand at the table to play**. The cards looked huge in his tiny, chubby fingers, and he had to pile shuffle—or have someone help him shuffle—between rounds.
And we had to constantly remind him not to wear his hand on his face. 😂 The second he had his plan of attack calculated, he’d start dancing in his seat with excitement.
**Poker face, Gracen. Poker face!** 🤣
That very first season, he qualified for the Pokémon World Championships—the first Worlds ever held in Japan.
Then he did it again.
🌎 Year 1 — Japan
🌺 Year 2 — Honolulu
🏆 Year 3 — Anaheim
🌉 Year 4 — San Francisco
Along the way, he’s earned two Top 8s, a handful of Top 16s, a whole lot of Top 32s, and made it all the way to the finals in Puerto Rico in 2026.
This is no small feat.
To say we are proud of him is an understatement.
This kid plays with his whole heart. He understands the game at a level that simply cannot be taught. But one of my favorite things about watching him play is that through all of the competition, the travel, the pressure, the wins and the losses—he has fun.
You can usually count on his opponent laughing at some point during the round. He talks. He smiles. He gets excited. He makes friends. And he is just plain **fun to watch.**
That tiny little kid who could barely shuffle the cards in his chubby hands has grown into one heck of a Pokémon player. HUGE shout-out and thank you to his coaches, Emmi and Asher. You two have poured countless hours into meta analysis, coaching, teaching, testing, guiding, encouraging, and helping Gracen grow as a player. You have been such an important part of this journey, and we are incredibly grateful for everything you’ve invested in him. You two rock.
And now…Next stop: Senior Division.
New division. New competition. New challenge. The goal? **Earn that 2027 Worlds qualification.** 🌎
We are all SO very proud of you, Gracen
