The Pokémon World Championships, currently underway in San Francisco, has seen a surprising ban of notable players, including a former world champion, for alleged misconduct at the event's merchandise booth.
Luca Ceribelli, the 2024 Masters Division World Champion, along with fellow players Ruben Gianzini and Luca Lussignoli, had their event passes confiscated. Ceribelli stated in a social media post that the group was assured their passes would be reprinted, allowing them to still compete. He explained that Gianzini, who has a "disability" that makes crowded spaces uncomfortable, was allowed to join Ceribelli and Lussignoli in the merchandise line.
According to Ceribelli, security took their passes to prevent entry into the Pokémon Center store. However, he claims they were repeatedly told the passes could be reprinted. Now, they have been informed that reprinting is not possible, effectively barring them from the entire event. "I believe this to be extremely unjust," Ceribelli wrote, "as it clearly does not reflect the misdeed in the slightest, but on top of that we were misled, whether intentionally or not, into not challenging such an absurd decision."
The ban is drawing attention within the Pokémon community, particularly given Ceribelli's past success at the tournament. In response to the situation, inquiries have been made to The Pokémon Center for comment. Updates will be provided should a response be received.