Local Pokémon Whiz Prepared to Take on the World
Sebastian Male-Diaz is similar to a lot of kids and even adults who love to play Pokémon. It’s just that the soon-to-be 11-year-old Briarcliff Manor resident is a lot better than most who love the game.
On Aug. 17, not only will Sebastian be celebrating his next birthday, but he will be arriving with his family in Anaheim, Calif. for the 2017 Pokémon World Championships, a tournament pitting many of the top players from the United States and abroad against each other in a three-day competition.
For the uninitiated, Pokémon is a card game where two players battle each other with a collection of cards, each containing a different character and possessing various attributes. There’s plenty of strategy involved, including how to get an advantageous matchup against your opponent.
Competitors accumulate championship points, which are awarded based on results at regional events. Typically, 400 championship points each year are needed to qualify for the World Championships.
“If you’re going to play there are a lot of good decks, a lot of good cards to choose from to build a deck around, so it’s really mostly about what deck you play,” explained Sebastian, who will be entering Briarcliff Middle School in September. “If you play against a deck that you’re good against, then you’ll do good.”
Close to four years ago, Sebastian took up the game shortly after his mother, Mariella, brought home his first pack of cards. He quickly showed an interest in Pokémon and within a year he began entering local tournaments.
“I started competing around eight years old and that’s when my mom and dad noticed I was actually really good in tournaments, and I could actually win,” said Sebastian, whose six-year-old brother Paul will start playing soon.
With success coming at the local level, Sebastian and his parents decided to see how he stacked up against some stiffer competition at regional competitions that are held regularly around the United States. He currently competes in the Junior Division, which is up to about 11 years old.
During the 2016 season, Sebastian’s father, Patrick, said his son was unfazed by the larger venues, the bigger crowds and the competition. He noticed that he was able to stay focused and adapt to changing conditions within a game, two critical attributes for success. Last year, he earned his first trip to the World Championships last August in San Francisco.
“The thing about Sebastian is he stays really calm and cool and he doesn’t really get flustered or anything by the game, and that’s impressive for somebody who’s 10, and at the time he was nine the first time,” Patrick said. “Other kids his age get nervous or misplay or make a mistake.”
This year not only is Sebastian returning to the World Championships, but he’s a Top 16 player in the United States and Canada for juniors, which gives him a first-day bye, a significant achievement and advantage. With dozens of competitors at each regional, he racked up enough points for that distinction and earned enough awards to pay for most of the trip to California, his father said.
His best effort was a streak of four consecutive regionals where he finished in the Top 8, starting in Athens, Ga. in January, St. Louis in March and Roanoke, Va. and Toronto in May. In St. Louis, he finished in the top four and came in second in Roanoke.
His mother, Mariella, said she has long observed Sebastian’s patience and stick-to-itiveness that belies his age. During the summer, Sebastian might practice on the computer five to eight hours a day. During the school year, he’ll play once he’s completed his homework.
“Now, before he goes to the library, before going to the pool, he plays before doing anything,” Mariella said.
Patrick, who has become a Pokémon enthusiast through Sebastian and now plays at home against him, although not at his level, said he sees how his son is able to think through various in-game scenarios and can imagine what an opponent might do. Plus, he frequently reads articles online about Pokémon and various strategies.
“By reading these articles, these are adults who have written them, in very complex language, and he’s expanded his vocabulary by reading them,” Patrick said.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
