Former Pokémon World Champion Disqualified from Championships for Line-Cutting Incident: “I Find This Unfair”

The Pokémon World Championships and the Pokémon XPfan convention are taking place in San Francisco this weekend, drawing competitive players for the year’s most significant Pokémon tournament. However, a few prominent players, including a former world champion, have been banned from participating due to an incident involving line-cutting at the merchandise booth.

Players Luca Ceribelli, Ruben Gianzini, and Luca Lussignoli had their event passes revoked. Ceribelli asserts that they were informed their passes would be reprinted, allowing them to enter and compete in the tournament. In a detailed statement, Ceribelli explained that he and Lussignoli permitted Gianzini to join them in line, citing Gianzini’s “disability” that made him “severely uncomfortable in crowded spaces.”

According to Ceribelli, security confiscated their passes to prevent them from accessing the Pokémon Center store, despite being reassured multiple times that their passes could be reprinted for entry into Worlds. Now, they have been told that reprinting their passes is not an option, effectively barring them from the event.

Ceribelli expressed his frustration, stating that the situation is grossly unfair and does not accurately reflect the circumstances. He feels misled, whether intentionally or not, about the possibility of contesting the decision.

When they approached the on-site staff, they were informed that nothing could be done to retrieve their passes, resulting in their inability to access the venue.

This situation seems so outrageous that it might sound unbelievable, but he insists that this is the complete story.

Ceribelli shared that this year has been particularly challenging for him emotionally, and after being unable to attend tournaments for eight months, he was eagerly looking forward to experiencing Worlds again. Having that opportunity taken away in such an unjust manner is devastating.

Ceribelli, who won the World Championships in 2024, is now facing scrutiny from the Pokémon community due to his ban from the event he once triumphed in.

The inability to reprint a pass for a former WORLD CHAMPION is a poor reflection on the Pokémon organization.

This situation certainly calls for a reevaluation of their policies.

The Pokémon Center has been contacted regarding this matter, and updates will be provided if a response is received.