Returning to the World Championships for the second time, veterans Yang and Rebongs are looking to surprise with their homegrown team, Team MYS.

The chance of stepping onto the World Championship stage is quite slim. Not everyone is given that chance, but it’s even tougher for those wanting to get back to that stage. Yang and Rebongs are among those that will be stepping back to the World Championship, and they’re here to finally claim the throne.

Yang and Rebongs at the Pokémon World Championships 2022

Last year, the duo competed at the Pokémon UNITE World Championships under Renaissance, one of two representatives for the Asia Pacific Region.

The competition was not kind to Renaissance last year, where they had some of the toughest matchups in the tournament.

Renaissance was paired up with arguably the best teams from South Korea and Japan — Eternity and Secret Ship respectively — in the group stage. They then faced even bigger titans as they advanced through the playoffs, including IClen from Oceania, T2 from Japan, BLVKHVND from North America, and Nouns Esports from Europe.

Though Renaissance ended their run in third place, this was just the beginning for these APAC representatives.

This year may be even better for the duo as they wave the Team MYS flag, and given their experience from last year’s World Championships, will they be able to finally win the entire thing this year?

Knowledge is power on the International stage for Team MYS

Of course, having prior experience on the World stage means they already have a huge advantage against everyone who is coming for the first time. For Rebongs, all the preparation that needed to be done is on the mentality of the players, and gameplay second.

“A lot of it has something to do before going to the World Championship. We still have a lot to learn, regardless of our results, and things happen in a split second in-game, right? That’s why I want to help them focus, so we can play consistently, regardless of how tense the game gets.”

Truly, you can practice as much as you want — but nervousness, tensity, and other emotions can overwhelm you, and all of what you practiced will be subconsciously thrown away.

“We do wish everyone a fun time, and we hope that the atmosphere isn’t too tense, especially that the World Championships is going to be held in Japan. I mean, come on, it’s Japan! We hope we can put Asia on the map again,” Rebongs said.

The Pokémon World Championships will be the culminating event for all competitive Pokémon series, including Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the trading card game, Pokémon GO, and of course, Pokémon UNITE.

It will be held August 11 to 13 in Yokohama, Japan, the first time the World Championships will be held in the country.

Make sure to catch all the games live August 11 and 12 on YouTube, Facebook, or Twitch.

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