New Pokémon Master

The world has a new Pokon Master: Chris Darling from Orlando.

On the very same day Pokon Emerald was released in the United States, a US citizen was crowned Pokon Master. More than 36,000 registrants across the United States and Canada tested their Pokon knowledge to be crowned Nintendo's Pokon Emerald Ultimate Frontier Battle Brain. Today, Chris Darling sent his Pokon into battle at the Pokon Emerald Battle Tower (Seattle's landmark Space Needle) and defeated 12 other finalists to win a trip for two to the new Pokon The Park 2005 in Nagoya, Japan.

"My heart was beating so hard when I was battling," Darling said. "I expected myself to lose three times." Yet a last-second twist of fate and a move admittedly made in "desperation" helped Darling seal the victory.

Darling has had quite a momentous week. He became a Pokon champion, took his first-ever plane flight to attend the event and even found time to take his finals at the University of Central Florida, where he is a history major. Darling has been a Pokon fan since the international phenomenon debuted in the United States in September 1998, with the Pokon Red and Pokon Blue games. He was surprised to find half of the finalists were 18 or older. "I thought I was going to be the only 20-year-old person here," he said.

Contrary to the stereotype, video games like Pokon have helped Darling become more outgoing, said his father, David Darling. "Socially it's helped him," David Darling said. "He can walk into one of the game stores and the kids recognize him as an expert. It's helped him mature."

A full story on the fight between Chris Darling and runner-up Mike Papagianis including fighting strategies and the Pokon chosen for the battle can be found here.

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Comments

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  at least he got a free flight to Japan ;)

  Dennis, 30-11--0001 at 00:00
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  holy shit! he's 20 years old? he looks like he's 14 or 15. It doesnt even look like he could grow a stache. Man, i would hate to be embarassed like that.

  tweak896, 30-11--0001 at 00:00
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  I don't know who this would embarrass more, him or Game Freak.

  faust_iv, 30-11--0001 at 00:00
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  I almost entered that contest.

  terrace, 30-11--0001 at 00:00
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  I have a few comments to say, but ill hold them back. Ill just say well done T_T.

  skarma, 30-11--0001 at 00:00
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  "first-ever plane flight" I can see why XD

  skarma, 30-11--0001 at 00:00
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  PS: DENNIS REPLY TO ME EMAIL!

  skarma, 30-11--0001 at 00:00
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  will do that later today; in a bit of a rush today with a job application and having to go to work after that... :/

  Dennis, 30-11--0001 at 00:00
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  It helped him mature?...

  Nintendude, 30-11--0001 at 00:00
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  wow wtf, i didnt kno people played pokemon. wut a loser. 20 years old, wut will he tell his kids if he has any. i pity people like that

  hamster, 30-11--0001 at 00:00
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  Rayquaza Fly Earthquake Hyper Beam Crunch Groudon Solar Beam Eruption Earthquake Flamethrower Mewtwo Thunderbolt Recover Ice Beam Psychic even an average battle is usually capable of taking out this with ease... the team look to me like being created by a n00b... (fly+hyper bean quaza, 2 fire moves on groudon...) cm ky00ber+sheddy and that guy were so toast...

  motus, 30-11--0001 at 00:00