Community Corner

Local Boy Wins Pokemon Regional Tournament

Jacob Waller could be headed to national competition in July.

Jacob Waller of Oak Forest, fresh off a regional Pokemon tournament victory, could well be a contender in the national championship tournament in July, hosted in Indianapolis.

Victory in the national Pokemon tournament would send the 13-year-old Arbor Park Middle School student to the world championship in Washington, D.C., where he'd compete against kids from Japan — where Pokemon came to be — and other nations.

“I saw the first commercial when I was 5 or 6, and I thought it was so cool,” said Waller. Pokemon is a card game and a video game in which players face off using avatars with various skills and battle tactics. “It’s so addicting."

Find out what's happening in Oak Forestwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Waller's dad, Robert Waller, brought his son to his first tournament last fall. Waller's mom lives in Oak Forest, where he attends school, and his dad lives in New Lenox. Waller splits his time between his parents.

“I practice every day until my dad or mom tells me to get."

Find out what's happening in Oak Forestwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The boy plays against kids 14 and under in age, but when he turns 15 and enters the next division, he could compete against adults.

READ MORE of Jacob Waller's Pokemon Story on the Southtown website


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