Global Excellence Award Winner: Enzo Satake

 

 

 

It’s 2018, and Enzo Satake is rushing to finish his Sylveon deck in time to compete at the Latin America International Championships. Little did he know it would be the first step in a life-changing journey through the world of Play! Pokémon. “I barely had any practice before LAIC, and I did terribly,” he recalls. “But that’s where my journey began!”

Though his first steps in the Play! Pokémon program started in the company of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Enzo is now a force for good in the global Pokémon GO community—a dedicated Professor whose passion spans continents. From the high-energy League scene of São Paulo to his newer home in Quebec and major events across North America, Enzo’s contributions have helped him become one of the community’s most recognized and welcome faces, wherever he goes.

Back home in his native Brazil, Enzo remembers being in the midst of a thriving Pokémon scene, one where “you could play multiple League Cups and League Challenges in a single weekend.” Alongside fellow Professor Igor Vasconcellos, he would go on to travel all over São Paulo to run events and provide even more opportunities for play. That constant activity laid the foundation for his skills as a leader in his craft.

 

Enzo consults with fellow Professor Cristian at LAIC 2023

He found things a little different after moving to Canada. “In Montreal, there were fewer sanctioned stores back in 2022,” he says, “but recently, I’ve seen a rise in interest in the number of stores supporting the program. I'm excited to see how the community will grow and how I’ll be able to join and contribute.”

At present, most of Enzo’s efforts go toward staffing Regional and International Championships, where he shares his expertise in his beloved Pokémon GO with his fellow Professors from all over the globe. The opportunity to join larger, more international events has enriched his perspective and given him a new stage on which to grow.

His most memorable moment as a Professor so far came at the 2023 World Championships in Yokohama, Japan. “The presentation was impeccable, and I felt truly honored to be there,” Enzo says. What made it even more meaningful was the location—Japan, his ancestral homeland. “I never imagined that Pokémon would bring me back to my roots, as my family is from Japan. Being there as staff for a game I had poured my heart and soul into that season made it even more meaningful.” And the cherry on top? Being there to watch a junior player he once mentored back in Brazil being crowned a Champion!

 

Enzo’s had his fair share of challenges too. LAIC 2022 was particularly demanding, marking his first time staffing an International Championships event—and it just so happened to be the first to include Pokémon GO. “It was tough, but the outcome was incredible,” Enzo says. The experience of working with Professors from different regions helped him grow personally and professionally. “The exchange of experiences, languages, and moments was invaluable.”

It’s compulsory in this series to ask him a few questions about his personal love of the Pokémon world. In the Pokémon GO universe, he’d choose Counter as his Fast Attack and Ancient Power as his Charged Attack . “I’d love to have the power to throw some big rocks,” he jokes. Though when it comes to his Pokémon dream team, the types are as varied as his experiences: Mimikyu, Scizor, Poltchageist, Ceruledge, Snorlax, and Empoleon.

For those looking to follow in his footsteps as a Professor, Enzo has one key piece of advice: “Be open-minded and willing to learn. If an opportunity arises that you’ve never had experience with, go for it!”

Enzo’s motto: “Embrace new opportunities, learn from every experience, and make something out of it.”