This Saturday March 26 was a historic day for the competitive Pokémon. The first monthly finals to define the path to London, where the Pokémon Unite champion will be defined, were held in different regions of the globe. Mexico, Central America and the western part of South America were included in this phase of the Championship Series.
Throughout the entire season, monthly events will be held that will award points on this circuit. The teams with the highest score throughout this competitive cycle will be invited to a regional final. In it, not only will a local champion be defined, but also the four representative squads that will seek to play for an accumulated purse of one million dollars in the British capital.
This is how the history of competitions begins within a game that has gained popularity among fans of the series. It is also trying to achieve the broad status that other titles of the genre such as League of Legends or DOTA 2 have in electronic sports. For this reason, each region accompanies important names in the esports scene, mainly in the areas of hosting, analysis and play-by-play casting.
names like Jose “Toon” Laguna, Monica “EiritraJinx” Aviles and Mariana “Mariyolo” Romo were part of this first transmission. Games like Halo, League of Legends and the Smash Bros. series are in the history of such talents that gave voice to the plays and exploits of the participating gamers. We spoke with some of them to find out more about what this initiative to formalize the competitive world in this title from The Pokémon Company and TiM represents, after seeing how Zygnus E-Sports, STAMINA and Qlash took the first wins.
The great potential of a pleasant title
Mónica “EritraJinx” Avilés is a cosplayer, caster, and content creator. Her experience has led her, mainly, to develop in Riot Games titles. She has participated in the commentary for leagues such as the División de Honor México for League of Legends. On this occasion she was responsible for the play by play casting of the title. She has also been a participant in the Valorant GameChangers circuit.
“They contacted me via email for several months to find out my availability and if I was interested in the project. Of course I loved it and I took it”, Eritra tells us in an interview. “I love broadening my outlook and getting involved in new projects. We had to go through quite a few selection filters but in the end we did stay”.
Monica recognizes herself as a Pokémon fan. Someone who has even adopted the philosophy of Mewtwo (“What you do with your gifts is what determines who you are”) as part of his daily life, without excluding the appreciation of the characters of the franchise. For this reason, being part of this initiative is a dream come true for her, in addition to the fact that she was already waiting for the arrival of this game in the world of esports.
“A Pokémon MOBA for mobile is definitely enjoyable, within the reach of many people and making it an esport seems incredibly wise to me. I am very happy because the esports industry is going to grow more with the support of the people who enter through it, ”says the caster and content creator.
“In fact, I think it is being undervalued, since in the first competition that is being held officially, it is being developed worldwide with a physical presence that will take the best teams to London with an incredibly high prize pool,” he adds. Avilés, highlighting the analysis that those responsible have made of the industry around electronic sports. “That’s something to recognize as that usually comes with many years of development.”
Eritra considers that this entertaining and fun title has allowed her to share moments with her friends in moments of relaxation. By becoming an electronic sport, she can chat with her friends in another way. In addition, of course, to meeting very talented people like her broadcast partners. On the other hand, this experience gives you the chance to show off the skills that prominent players in the region like Sunn, Froy, Pikagod, and Skyfire possess.
“I think being from a franchise as well known and loved as Pokémon. Adding to the fact that it is an easy-to-understand mobile game, it has a lot of room to succeed and I trust it will,” says the content creator, who has some advice for those who want to enter this field. “My best advice is to try it, it is better to try than to stay with the desire or the doubts that it would have happened, you never know where life will take you”.
Chaining Dreams in the Pokémon World
Toon Laguna is one of the most recognizable voices in the Smash Bros. series and its competitive. He actually became, narrating Smash Bros. Ultimate, the first Mexican to participate in EVO. However, he is no stranger to Pokémon Unite. The caster is a regular commentator on all kinds of titles and joined the competitive arena of this adventure from the amateur levels in Liga Ace Esports, TXK Esports and Smashbox. In the Championship Series he serves as an analyst.
“I’ve been playing Pokémon since I was little. Pokémon Stadium and Mario Kart 64 were my first games. In fact, I followed everything in the series, from the anime to the pogs. With Diamante y Perla I also had my first real practice of speaking in English with other players through voice chat on the Nintendo DS”, Laguna tells us. “Participating in something like this makes me very excited and just as working on Smash with Nintendo was a dream come true at the time, now working with Pokémon is too.”
While many of the gamers were already hoping to have an esports scene, for many there was no clarity on the horizon according to Toon. This did not prevent them from being excited about this new circuit, added to the opportunity to be able to dispute the championship in London together with a good monetary bag as a prize.
“As of now, it has a lot of potential, especially since there is already the certainty that there is an event with a serious esports perspective,” adds the analyst. “Unlike VGC or the card game, in this game there is not so much luck involved, just good strategy (And secure Zapdos, hehe), so it gives more certainty to the teams.”
Seeing himself in the credits of this international event pleased him a lot, because as in EVO it assures him that it is real and not something that is being invented. The team has also achieved important synergy with its members full of talent and hoping to improve date after date. This is coupled with players who are a sight to see like Froy, Solstice and OGAlex, who adapt patch after patch to the game conditions in front of them.
“Unite, unlike other mobile games, has a console incarnation that gives you more freedom. You can have a very versatile team playing on phone or Switch and they will have more or less the same experience. Besides the game does not require ultra performance. It does not try to be realistic and therefore consumes fewer resources”, the analyst tells us about the advantages that the title has when it becomes a competitive experience. And, of course, he also left advice to those who want to make it something more serious.
“Apart from this professional league there are many community efforts to make leagues and tournaments where you can try your luck. Full-time may not be as viable, but it’s still something worth spending time on. Content creation also goes a long way, it’s something to see what people like Spragels, Indiebear, Lutano, Kishtar, OliHouse, etc. do. Find your niche and grow”, concludes Toon.
At the end of April, this competitive circuit is expected to have a new monthly final. This, of course, in parallel to the community and amateur leagues that are developing throughout Latin America. The reward is great, yes. However, the road is long and opportunities must be seized. Not only as players, but also as part of those who have decided to give voice to the games that will define the best in each region.