Whiz Kid: Minooka Boy Takes 3rd at Pokemon Regional Competition

Joey Ruettiger, age 9 and 3rd grader at , Minooka

Joey Ruettiger of Minooka participated in regionals and will be heading to Indianapolis in July to partake in a national competition.

No it’s not competition for baseball. Nor is it a fishing tournament. 

On April 16, Ruettiger was crowned third place, earning a top regional ranking and a regional championship medal in the 2011 Wisconsin Dells Pokemon Regional Championship. In March, he earned a second place ranking at the State competition. 

The State, Regional and National Championship tournaments are the events in the Pokémon Championship Series, and Premier Rating Points awarded there go toward a potential invitation to the 2011 Pokémon World Championships held in San Diego, California, in August.

“I’m really excited about Nationals,” Ruettiger said. “I would love to have the chance to travel to San Diego for the World championship.”

In order to gain a spot in the World competition, Ruettiger has to place in the top 32 in Nationals. He has a really good chance of doing so too. In the junior division, he is currently ranked 15th in the U.S., 2nd in Illinois and 24th worldwide.

He will definitely be wearing his Luxray Pokemon hat for good luck that day.

The winner of the world championship will win scholarship money and have his or her winning deck of Pokemon cards, reprinted, trademarked and sold in stores. It would be a dream come true for Ruettiger.

Last July, Joey started playing the Pokemon trading cards. Even his mom, Rose took a liking to the game. Both went to the library in Joliet, which offers Pokemon playing nights. He even helps build decks for his Mom.

Good thing they went, because they learned that they had to have a certain kind of deck, and that the cards can’t be more than three years old.

Pokemon games involve two players at a time. Each card in their 60-card deck represents a Pokemon or a power. Pokemon are animals that each have a power, such as psychic bursts of energy or fire. 

The strategy is to get the proper energy to the correct character and knock out the opponent’s Pokemon.

Each card has assessed values on it which has helped Ruettiger’s math skills.

“He loves math anyways, so the fast calculations help his game,”said Rose Ruettiger. “His high A” average shows it.”

When not involved with his Pokemon game, Ruettiger enjoys flag football and a Ryu Ku Kempo Karate, where he has a brown belt ranking. 

He is a Chicago Bears and Blackhawks fan. His favorite sport is basketball, which explains why the Chicago Bulls and it’s point guard Derrek Rose are his favorite. He watches all the games.

He also takes care of his three goldfish, Popeye, Jack and Sharkhead.