The international championships of the Pokémon Trading Card Game were held in North America from June 13 to June 15, 2025. In the Junior League finals, two special finalists faced off against each other.
Who were those finalists? In the very last round of the Junior League, Annabelle Oono and Kenji Oono from the USA faced each other. As you might guess from their last name, they are indeed siblings.
Out of 330 participants, it is quite a coincidence that these two ended up in the finals. The sister and her brother wanted to visually show that they belong to the same family, and dressed in red and black colors.
Even their hair and partially their fingernails were red and black. This was a nod to Team Rocket, whose logo features a red R on a black background. Annabelle wore a Meowth plush toy on her shoulder, the mascot of the original Team Rocket. Kenji chose a Zubat as a plush toy, a typical Pokémon of Team Rocket’s minions.
Appropriately, their decks also consisted of Team Rocket cards. The exciting match can be seen on YouTube.
Sibling Battle in a Pokémon Card Tournament
Who won? The match between the two lasted almost an hour. After many rounds, it was clear: Annabelle is the shining winner and defeated her brother after an exciting match. But instead of breaking into sibling rivalry, which some of you might know, the two embraced each other lovingly and gave each other their special handshake.
However, there must be a reason why they didn’t go to war with each other: 1st place receives a prize money equivalent to about €6,050, and 2nd place still receives a respectable €4,300 (see the official page of Pokémon). Since both are under 18, the money will be paid out either as a Pokémon Visa Prepaid Card or as a scholarship. Still, both should be satisfied with such amounts.
What do others say about it? In the comments under the video, there are many positive remarks. Some users write that the parents must be proud, or that it was wholesome to watch the two.
One commenter even writes that his girlfriend usually rolls her eyes whenever he talks about Pokémon. But even she watched the match with him.
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