What Is a Pokémon Professor?
Among the most passionate and knowledgeable members of the Pokémon community are Pokémon Professors, those who volunteer their time to support the smooth running of Play! Pokémon events the world over.
Members of the Play! Pokémon Professor Program can become certified to run tournaments themselves, eventually becoming eligible to host Premier Events at their chosen location. Others choose to become official program judges, specializing in either the Pokémon Trading Card Game or video game tournament formats.
Rewards and Opportunities
Just as we invite the top players to compete at these prestigious events, we like to recognize our greatest volunteers for the hard work they put in throughout the year. Therefore, if you are among the most active and dedicated Professors in the program, you may be invited to join us at major events such as the International and World Championships!
Each season, specially chosen locations around the world host Professor Cup events—tournaments designed especially for Pokémon Professors that feature unique formats and rules.
In addition to exciting opportunities such as these, Professors may also access the Professor Store, where credits earned for judging and organizing events can be exchanged for a variety of exclusive products.
Find out more about the Pokémon Professor Rewards Program!
Getting Involved
If you'd like to become a Pokémon Professor, click here to get more details on program requirements and find out how to join.
Once you've become a certified Pokémon Professor, there's no special process for helping out at local events. We suggest you use the Play! Pokémon Event Locator to find events near you and discuss any opportunities with the organizers. We're sure they'll be glad to have the extra help!
The Pokémon Organized Play Forums are accessible to all Pokémon Professors, and are an excellent place to network with fellow program members and share advice and experiences with the community.
Thank you to all our past, current, and future Play! Pokémon Professors. The Play! Pokémon program would not exist without the countless hours of dedication that make Pokémon events fun for the millions of Pokémon fans around the world.
The relationship between The Pokémon Company International (TPCi) and a Pokémon Professor is an at-will relationship. This means that either party, at any time, for any reason, is free to sever the relationship. If TPCi or the Professor severs the relationship, that person will no longer be considered a member of the Professor Program and will not be eligible to receive any of the benefits associated with the Professor Program.
