METEOROLOGIST CANDICE CAMPOS AND TROOPER STEVE. THIS IS NEWS 6 AT 9:00.
>> Anchor: MORE THAN TWO
DECADES AGO ONE OF THE BIGGEST
CARTOON PHENOMENONS BEGAN.
ALL STARTED WITH YELLOW POINTTY
AIR LOVABLE ANIMAL.
>> PIKACHU FROM POKEMON.
PARENTS WE KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE
SPENT FAIR SHARE OF TIME WALKING
AROUND TRYING TO CATCH THAT
POKEMON FROM POKEMON GO.
>> Anchor: BEFORE IT ALL WENT
DIGITAL IT STARTED WITH A CARD
GAME THAT IS STILL BIG BUSINESS.
POKEMON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CARD
GAMES DRAW IN THOUSANDS OF FANS
FROM ALL OVER.
CAROLINA CARDONA JOINS US WITH A
CHAMP THAT HALESS FROM CENTRAL
FLORIDA AND GAME HAS TAKEN HIM A
LOT OF PLACES AND PROVIDED
UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES.
>> HE IS RIGHT HERE IN OUR OWN
BACK YARD.
TANNER HURLEY HAS TRAVELED THE
WORLD TO PLAY THE GAME IN
DIFFERENT COMPETITIONS.
HE IS REGULAR TEEN GOING TO
SCHOOL HERE IN ORLANDO.
GET THIS.
HE SAID HE ACTUALLY DID NOT KNOW
ANYTHING ABOUT THE CARD GAME AT
FIRST.
HIS PASSION FOR IT, BEING ABLE
TO TRAVEL THE WORLD, AND
ACTUALLY THIS ALL STARTED ALMOST
BY ACCIDENT.
>> I WAS NOT REALLY IN TO LIKE
THE CARTOONS OR ANY OF THAT.
>> Reporter: TANNER MAY NOT
HAVE BEEN A FAN OF POKEMON EIGHT
YEARS AGO.
BUT TODAY HE IS RANKED NUMBER
ONE POKEMON CARD PLAYER.
TITLE HE HAS HELD FOR TWO YEARS
IN A ROW.
>> ALL BEEN A COOL EXPERIENCE.
I HAVE REALLY ENJOYED ALL OF IT.
>> Reporter: JOURNAL THAT HE
BEGAN AFTER HE CAME CROSS SOME
POKEMON CARDS.
>> WE FOUND OLD BINDER OF CARDS.
I WAS PRETTY INTRIGUED.
>> Reporter: CURIOSITY LED HIM
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT POPULAR CARD
TRADING GAME.
>> AT FIRST I DIDN’T KNOW IT WAS
A GAME.
I LIKED CARDS.
>> Reporter: WE MET HIM AT HIS
HOME.
>> SOME ARE FIRST PLACE.
SOME TOP 40.
THIS IS WHAT I GOT FROM EUROPE.
>> Reporter: AWARDS HE HAS WON
OVER THE YEARS.
>> THESE ARE CARDS YOU GET FROM
WINNING INTERNATIONALS.
THEY ONLY MAKE LIMITED AMOUNT OF
THESE CARDS.
SO EACH WORTH $1000.
CRAZY.
>> Reporter: WE SAT DOWN WITH
HIM TO LEARN HOW GAME WORKS.
>> ESSENTIALLY GOAL OF THE GAME
IS TO USE CARDS LIKE TRAINERS TO
DRAW THROUGH THE DECK TO GET
ENOUGH ENERGY TO KNOCK YOUR
OPPONENT OUT.
>> Reporter: MUCH LIKE VIDEO
GAMES BUT HERE EACH PLAYER USES
60 CARD DECK THEY BUILT EXCEPT
NEITHER PLAYER KNOWS WHAT IS IN
THEIR OPPONENT’S DECK.
>> I USE MY POKEMON TO KNOCK
YOURS OUT.
WHEN I DO THAT I GET A PRIZE
CARD.
WHEN YOU GET SIX YOU WIN.
FIRST TIME I PLAYED I WAS SO
LOST.
NO CLUE.
>> Reporter: GAME THAT TOOK
TANNER AND HIS MOM ALL OVER THE
UNITED STATES.
AND TO SEVERAL COUNTRIES LIKE
BRAZIL.
MEXICO, ENGLAND AND AUSTRALIA.
FOR REGIONAL AND WORLD
CHAMPIONSHIPS.
HIS MOST RECENT WIN IS IN APRIL
AT THE EUROPEAN INTERNATIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIP.
WHERE HE WON FOR A SECOND TIME.
THE CASH PRIZE WAS $5000.
>> I WAS PRETTY NERVOUS GOING
INTO THE FINALS MATCH.
THERE WAS A LOT OF MONEY ON THE
LINE.
THERE WAS A LOT OF RECOGNITION.
>> DEFINITELY A WHIRLWIND BUT
GREAT EXPERIENCE.
I HOPE HE STAYS WITH THE GAME.
I WOULD LOVE FOR HIM TO ATTEND
COLLEGE.
AND PLAY WHILE HE IS IN COLLEGE,
WHICH A LOT OF PLAYERS ARE ABLE
TO DO.
AND THEY ARE EVEN ARE PLAYERS
THAT WENT TO COLLEGE THAT GET A
GREAT CAREER AND COME BACK AND
STILL PLAY POKEMON.
>> Anchor: WELL, THAT’S IF HE
KEEPS UP HIS STRAIGHT A’s.
HIS MOM TELLS ME THAT IS ONE OF
THE CONDITIONS FOR HIM, IF HE
WANTS TO CONTINUE PLAYING
POPULAR CADGAME.
TEEN’S TIP TO BEING GOOD IS
PRACTICE A LOT.
HE SAID WHAT MAKES THE CARD GAME
APPEALING AND INTERESTING TO HIM
IS THE STRATEGY OF THE GAME.
AND NOW LISTEN TO THIS FUNNY
THING.
HE HAS NOT WATCHED POKEMON MOVIE
YET.
>> BUSY TRAVELING THE WORLD.
NO TIME FOR THAT.
>> YOU WOULD THINK BEING, YOU
KNOW IN SUCH A FRENZY OF --
ACTUALLY LIKE A CELEBRITY WITHIN
THAT CARD GAME.
YOU WOULD THINK HE WOULD HAVE,
YOU KNOW HAVE TIME TO CHECK OUT
MOVIE.
>> WELL, HE WAS OBVIOUSLY
TRAINING YOU IN THAT STORY.
HE DOES SOME SUMMER CAMPS TOO.
>> HE DOES.
HE OFFERS THEM EVERY YEAR.
HE TEACHES.
HE COACHES.
HOW TO BUILD DEX.
AND, IF YOU KNOW A CHILD OR PEN
INTERESTED IS NOT PHYSICALLY
AVAILABLE.
HE WILL ALSO DO SKYPE.
SUMMER CAMP ACTUALLY STARTS JUNE
AND IT ENDS JULY 26.
SO THAT INFORMATION WE HAVE ON
OUR WEBSITE AS WELL IF YOU ARE
INTERESTED.
>> SEEMS COMPLICATED.
>> Anchor: IT IS.
>> PARENTS DO NOT MIND BECAUSE
IT TAKES EVERYONE PLACES.
>> Anchor: EXACTLY.
MONEY.
>> Anchor: HE IS MEETING
FRIENDS AND MEETING NEW PEOPLE.
AND MAKING FRIENDS.
SO REALLY ENJOYS THAT.
SEEING THE WORLD.
>> Anchor: CULTURES.