The winner of a tournament in Pokémon GO was decided by a decisive match. However, the joy of the lucky winner ultimately led to him having to forfeit his deserved victory along with the entire tournament.
Why did the winner of the match lose the tournament anyway? At the Pokémon GO regional championships in Orlando, the victory of pro Firestar73 caused a turnaround: After the final Hydro Pump of his Empoleon against his opponent NiteTimeClasher’s Kramor, he was able to win the match and thus the regional championships. But only for a short time.
Firestar73 had the victory taken away from him by the decision of the judges because of his “unsportsmanlike conduct” during his celebration.
Here you see a clip of the moment when Firestar73 celebrates “unsportsmanlike”. Maybe you can see for yourself what ultimately cost him the victory:
The reason for this decision: According to another pro in Pokémon GO from the year 2023 (ItsAXN on X), Firestar73 threw his headphones too hard.
Since it was the decisive match of the regional championships, he lost the entire tournament due to the judges’ decision. A decision that the community absolutely cannot understand.
Community demands an apology – but not from the pro
Can the throw of the headphones be classified as unsportsmanlike? Since the question can be answered with a Yes
from the judges’ perspective, but the community contradicts this upon closer examination of the clip, it is a justified conflict.
The Pokémon GO player base is nearly unanimous on the side of Firestar73, whose celebration they believe cannot be classified as “unsportsmanlike” despite the throw of his headphones. He then immediately stood up from his chair and thanked his opponent for the match by shaking his hand.
“His hands were shaking even before he threw his headphones. That he threw the headphones “too hard” was probably due to the tension and nervousness being released at that moment. The disqualification was unjustified,” writes user Luis Alvarado under the clip on X and received hundreds of supportive hearts for it. Even badEGG agrees: “From my perspective, it is more embarrassing for the other player to accept this victory, lol.”
How do the pro and the community deal with these events? The community is demanding the dismissal of the responsible judges or at least a reflective, public apology, as the course of events should not be left unexamined.
“The person(s) behind this decision must be immediately dismissed. “Either they go, or we go,” writes user Vanessa on X. “Furthermore, Firestar must be reinstated his well-deserved victory, and a public apology must be made to him as well as his opponent. This is not an acceptable outcome.”
Firestar73 has since commented on the events and thanked the community for the many messages of support:
Hello everyone, I am incredibly grateful for the support I am receiving. Soon an interview will be released in which I will share my firsthand experiences; I will post the link as soon as it is published. If you disagree with the ruling, please use the link to support for now. I love you all.
Firestar73 on X
Empoleon is among the strongest water-type attackers in Pokémon GO. Especially with the combination of Waterfall and Hydro Cannon, it is extremely powerful, both in PvP and in raids. If you want to know which water Pokémon are even stronger, we have listed them here on MeinMMO: Pokémon GO: The 10 best water-type attackers listed – Raid Guide
