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Hello Professors!We're excited to share program data and highlights from the past month for Professor University, Prof Com, Professor Store and more!Professor UniversityX01 Certification Data (through April 30, 2026)*X01 CertificationCerts Issued(since August)Passing Rate(Current)10117,49766%2011,85855%30140981%4013653%*Represents certifications issued and earned since Professor University Refresh

The sets are coming in close together! A Prerelease two months before, another two months in the future.Chaos truly is rising!We have a good number of rulings to help you at your Prereleases! Please help spread the word for these and for the Compendium! Enjoy!POKEMON ABILITIES== FLARING MAGIC (Delphox – ME:Chaos Rising)Q. Can I use Delphox’s “Flaring Magic” Ability to discard a {R} energy when I h

Hello Professors!We're excited to share program data and highlights from the past month for Professor University, Prof Com, Professor Store and more!  Professor UniversityX01 Certification Data (through March 31, 2026)*X01 CertificationCerts Issued(since August)Passing Rate(Current)10114,78065%2011,72256%30138183%4012355%*Represents certifications issued and earned since Professor University Refre

Well, it’s already time for another set of FAQs as Ascended Heroes is quickly followed by the Perfect Order set. We have a number of rulings for you to use at your Prerelease events and afterwards.One thing that did not make it into the FAQs, but players and judges should be aware of, is some restrictions on playing Fossil cards. While the card says to play them from your hand as a Basic Pokemon,

by Matt MorseGreen Rank Professor - NC, United StatesI can vividly remember waking up one random Tuesday morning and flipping on the TV to scan for cartoons before school.  At 06:30 am, the classic intro theme song of Pokémon started, the drums thumped in, and my life changed for the better. I woke up every morning after that to catch the latest episode and actually looked forward to Mondays so I

Hello Professors!We're excited to share program data and highlights from the past month for Professor University, Prof Com, Professor Store and more!  Professor UniversityX01 Certification Data (through February 28, 2026)*X01 CertificationCerts Issued(since August)Passing Rate(Current)10111,91461%2011,60358%30133786%4011179%*Represents certifications issued and earned since Professor University Re

There hasn't been a major change to the Pokémon TCG Rule Book since the introduction of the Scarlet & Violet set. Not to say that there have been changes to the basic rules of the game. But, there have been a number of minor changes that add up to adjustments to game play that everyone should be aware of. Usually we just see updates for new mechanics, but in this case we see some modifications of

Welcome to the Ascended Heroes Frequently Asked Questions.The set has been officially released as of Friday January 30th. However, due to delays in distribution of the Elite Trainer Boxes and Booster Bundles, which will be the main sources of cards for Pokemon Trainers, the new cards from the set will not be legal for Tournament play until March 6th.Note, though, that reprints of currently legal c

There's not a lot that Michael Woitalla hasn't seen or done on his varied journey as a Pokémon Professor. This month, Sable Creech sits down with Mike to find out more about the man behind the US - North Central RPC role.Who is Michael Woitalla?I am a near 50 year-old man who's been involved with the Pokémon community for a while. Husband, father to three kids, all of which are grown; they’re off

This month, Sable Creech interviews Melina Kingsley, and learns about their personal Professor journey from Poké Kid to League Leader, US-Central RPC, and international-level TCG Judge.Who is Melina Kingsley?I am a Professor in the Pokémon community! I have been doing this only for a couple of years now. I think I started in 2021, so I guess it's coming up on four years, and I've been really enjoy

Emanuel Baidon, ArgentinaNominated for: Innovative ideas and dedication—as a result, many Pokémon Leagues in Argentina have been able to offer experiences that would otherwise have been inaccessible.Emanuel Baidon is a lightning bolt of energy and innovation in the Professor community. From his early days as a collector to becoming a successful TCG Judge and ultimately a central figure in Pokémon

Jordi Slujalkovsky, Spain Nominated for: Outstanding contribution to the development of methodology, consistency, and high standards in the Pokémon UNITE Championship Series.  Several years ago, Jordi had a bad experience. As a player of a different gaming franchise, he received a ruling that did not appear to be in line with the rules of the game or in the best interests of tournament integrity.

Jamie Barr, United Kingdom Nominated for: Outstanding contributions at Retailer Summits and hobby days and behaving as an exemplary representative of Play! Pokémon, helping to explain and promote the program to numerous retailers and prospective League Owners.  Meet Jamie Barr: League Owner, Regional Professor Coordinator for the UK & Ireland, and contributor to the smooth running of hive operatio

Enzo Satake, Brazil/Canada Nominated for: Tireless efforts in contributing to the development of methodology, consistency, and high standards in the Pokémon GO Championship Series, and acting as an exemplary representative of Play! Pokémon in supporting fellow Professors judging Pokémon GO in Latin America.  It’s 2018, and Enzo Satake is rushing to finish his Sylveon deck in time to compete at the

Maia Elkin, ArgentinaNominated for: Innovative ideas and dedication resulting in many Argentinian Leagues being able to enjoy experiences that would otherwise have been inaccessible to them.  Over the years, Maia’s connection to Pokémon has evolved in near lockstep with the growth of her own family. Beginning as a player alongside her boyfriend, becoming a Judge while her now-husband was building

Julia Perry, South AfricaNominated for: Tireless efforts in supporting fellow Professors in South Africa, both in 2024 and in the preceding seasons.  For Julia Perry, her journey into the world of Play! Pokémon began in the most heartfelt way—through her son. “My son started playing Pokémon when he was around nine, 12 years ago,” she recalls. “We were driving him quite a distance to play at a Leag

The Professor Program team is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024 season’s Global Professor Excellence Awards!The Global Professor Excellence Awards are an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of some of our global community’s most dedicated and influential Professors. Professors are nominated by the TPCi Organized Play and Events teams, and selected by the Professor Program team.

Professor Conference Bordeaux, the first in-person Conference in Europe since 2019) took place in France over March 8 & 9, and over 100 Professors from all over Europe (as well as two from the US and one from Chile!) came together for two days of Professor-centric content.One of the Conference's elements was the RPC Local Excellence Award ceremony, where our European RPC Network presented a specia

The first Professor Conference in North America since 2019 is in the books! Scores of Professors from around the continent gathered in Minneapolis for a day of Professor Seminars followed by a day of competition at the Professor Cup. Just like players put together event reports for tournaments, I’ve put together an event report for the Conference! Day 1: Professor SeminarsAfter a healthy breakfast