I
t’s almost time for the
2026 Pokémon Latin America International Championships (LAIC),
heralding the first International Championships event of the 2026 Championship Series season. Players from across the globe will congregate in
São Paulo, Brazil, ready to engage in epic battles. Ahead of the event, we’re highlighting some cards poised to make a significant impact in this year’s competition.
Our expert panel—including Stéphane Ivanoff, Natalie Millar, Tord Reklev, Christopher Schemanske, and Ellis Longhurst—discuss the decks expected to perform and offer their insights before the competition begins.
Set to take place from November 21–23, 2025, the LAIC promises thrilling matches. Fans can catch all the action live on
Twitch.tv/PokemonTCG.
After impressive performances at both the North America International Championships and the World Championships, along with numerous Regional Championships victories,
the Gardevoir ex
is a key contender in many players’ strategies going into LAIC. Despite three of the top five decks utilizing Darkness-type attackers, Gardevoir ex remains the deck to beat.
Its strength lies in its versatility: distributing damage via
Munkidori, targeting the Bench with
Scream Tail, and eliminating bulky opponents using a combination of
Drifloon and
Bravery Charm.
Recently, Gardevoir ex received a further boost with the Mega Evolution expansion. The new
Kirlia now boasts 100 HP, enhancing the evolution chain’s viability, particularly against threats like
Raging Bolt.
The card Mystery Garden adds valuable draw power, and Mega Gardevoir ex offers potent late-game capabilities.
Gardevoir ex’s only limitation is its inability to incorporate every desired card in one decklist, which can leave openings for innovative deck builders to exploit. Nevertheless, players like Henry Chao, Brent Tonisson, and Riley McKay remain prominent figures to watch as they attempt to secure further victories with what many consider the best deck ever.
— Stéphane Ivanoff
The Charizard ex has found itself in a challenging metagame, boasting a mixed set of matchups. It’s closely competitive against Gardevoir ex but often struggles against
Dragapult ex. However, it tends to excel against many aggressive decks operational in the environment.
Current Charizard decks face challenges with Item locks from cards like
Frillish and
Budew, shifting the focus from aggressive play to board management via a Technical Machine:
Evolution, enhancing resilience against opposing deck strategies.
Tord Reklev’s victory at the Milwaukee Regional Championships showcased a slightly altered list incorporating a thin Dusknoir line and
Klefki to mute a problematic opposing Psyduck. With its high HP and damage output, we expect Charizard ex to be a serious contender in São Paulo.
— Natalie Millar
Keep a close eye on the competition, as the Latin America International Championships typically hosts fewer competitors than its North American and European counterparts. However, the intensity remains high as this event represents the final chance to secure essential Championship Points for future International Championships.
Notably, local player Gustavo Wada and emerging star Gabriel Fernandez are anticipated contenders, with both proving their prowess in recent tournaments.
For comprehensive updates and insights, follow Pokemon.com/Strategy as the event unfolds.
Don’t miss the action from the 2026 Latin America International Championships, streaming live from
Twitch.tv/PokemonTCG from November 21-23, 2025.
This version reframes the original information as a news article while maintaining core elements and formatting that reflect the Pokémon TCG’s competitive scene. It emphasizes upcoming events while acknowledging players and strategies, and includes links to reputable websites for further reading.
