Harrison Holden-Smith, a local Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) champion, has secured his place in the upcoming 2024 Pokémon World Championships – taking place at the Hawai‘i Convention Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, from Friday, August 16, 2024, to Sunday, August 18, 2024.
At just 12 years old, Harrison has already made waves in the Pokémon TCG community. Currently ranking 12th in the UK and 37th in Europe, he’s proven himself to be a formidable competitor.
He and his mum gave an interview back in March on ITV’s This Morning, and we’ve since had the pleasure of meeting both at our We Love Collectibles store in Margate. They were looking for some last minute cards due to Shrouded Fable’s release potentially changing up the meta – you can read our recent blog-post – Shrouded Fable Products & Overview – here, for some insights into the upcoming set!
Still available for pre-order on our site – Shrouded Fable ETB, packs and collection boxes
Support Your Local Champion!
The pair of us, at We Love Collectibles, are proud to support Harrison in his quest. As he embarks on this adventure, we invite our community to join us in cheering him on. Stay tuned for live streams and a charity live stream on TikTok this Friday (2nd August).
During the Pokémon Worlds weekend (August 16-18th) you can catch live coverage on Twitch and YouTube – for more details take a look at 2024 Pokémon Regional Championships and Special Event Live Broadcasts | Pokemon.com
Join us in wishing Harrison the best of luck as he represents our local community on the world stage – we’ll update this page with information on Harrison and his progress. Who knows? We might be witnessing the beginning of a future Pokémon Master’s journey!
Harrison currently has a GoFundMe page, if you’d like to donate to the cause! – Fundraiser by Kelly A Holden-Smith : Get Harrison to Pokémon world championships!
To be a Master…
Harrison’s passion for the Pokémon TCG began five years ago, and he’s been honing his skills ever since – he can certainly teach us a trick or two!
His dedication has paid off, earning him an impressive 492 championship points and an invitation to the World Championships. If he manages to secure 200 more points, Pokémon will cover his trip expenses!
This year marks Harrison’s final season competing in the junior category, making his qualification for Worlds even more special. Kelly, Harrison’s mother, has been collecting and playing since the very beginning and has passed on this great love to Harrison.
Harrison’s parents have supported his dream by taking him to competitions across Europe, where he’s achieved remarkable results:
- Top 32 out of 140 children in Liverpool
- Top 8 out of 109 in Utrecht
The World Championships: What's at Stake?
The Pokémon World Championships is an invite-only event where the best players globally compete for the title of World Champion. With a $50,000 prize for first place, the competition will be fierce. However, there’s still prizes up for grabs for lower placements:
- 1st Place - $50,000
- 2nd Place - $30,000
- 3rd & 4th Place - $20,000
- 5th to 8th Place - $15,000
- 9th to 16th Place - $10,000
- 17th to 32nd Place - $5,000
Harrison wants to continue on playing, and eventually compete in the master’s category
The Master category refers to the highest competitive division within the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) and Video Game Championships (VGC). This category is specifically designed for players who are 16 years old or older, allowing them to compete against other top-tier players globally.
Banned cards for Pokémon Worlds 2024
A couple of cards will be banned from Worlds 2024. This is due to the cards not being distributed internationally. Thankfully for players, the cards that have been banned are not particularly useful, or playable, within current meta-decks. So it is unlikely to cause any last minute upset. Here’s a list of the cards banned:
- Sprigatito SVP 001
- Fuecoco SVP 002
- Quaxly SVP 003
- Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat SVP 085
- Oddish SVP 102
- Pecharunt SVP 129
- Pecharunt SVP 149
Connect with We Love Collectibles!
We’re excited to announce that we’re now streaming live on TikTok! Join us for engaging content, unboxings, and exclusive Pokémon insights. Here’s our streaming schedule for the next few weeks:
- Wednesdays: Morning sessions
- Thursdays: Evening sessions
- Fridays: Morning sessions
- Saturdays: Evening sessions
Don’t miss out—follow us on TikTok: WeLoveCollectibles!
Visit Our Store
If you’re in Margate, Thanet, swing by our store and explore our extensive collection.
Of course, with our brand new website you can purchase any of our products that we have in store with ease. Use the search tool to find exactly what you’re looking for.
Our customers can search by name, card artists, brands, sets and more!
At We Love Collectibles, we’re passionate about Pokémon & the community we’ve fostered! Here’s what we offer:
- Booster Cases, Boxes, and Packs: Whether you’re a collector or a player, we’ve got you covered.
- Singles: Find that elusive card to complete your collection.
- Elite Trainer Boxes (ETBs): Enhance your gameplay with these premium sets.
- Collection Boxes and Tins: Perfect for gift-giving or expanding your collection.
- Trading Card Accessories: Sleeves, binders, and more!
- Japanese Pokémon Products: Discover rare and unique items from Japan.
We’re also getting new products in-store, or filling up our binders with a wide variety of singles everyday. We buy, trade and sell. So come see either Tom Snr or Tom Jnr – a father and son team at our Margate store – for all your Pokémon needs. Thank you for being part of the We Love Collectibles community. Check us out on Instagram – where we often showcase what we have in store.
Contact Us
Unit 101, Westwood Business Park, Margate CT9 4JJ
Follow us on social media
@welovecollectibles
Mon: Closed
Tuesday – Saturday: 10am – 6:00pm
Sunday: from 11am – 4:00pm