Pokemon 2013 Video Game Championship Series to include Wi-Fi tournaments

Pokemon's 2013 Video Game Championship Series, a season of Pokemon tournaments throughout North America, will incorporate Wi-Fi tournaments for the first time, The Pokemon Company announced today.

The upcoming 2012 Video Game Championship Series (VGCS) Winter Battle, which runs from Dec. 13-17, will be the first-ever Wi-Fi tournament on the circuit, with four more to follow between now and June 2013. Players who finish at the top of Wi-Fi tournaments will be granted byes for live tournaments such as January's 2013 Pokemon Winter Regional Championships. Eventual winners of the World Championships may be immortalized in a Pokemon game, as this year's winners were.

Sign-ups for the Winter Battle will go live on the Pokemon Global Link website at 7 p.m. ET today. Players who can make it through the tournament with a low disconnect rate will be awarded a Custap Berry, a powerful fruit that helps Pokemon that are low on health.

Competitors will need a Nintendo 3DS or DS, a copy of Pokemon Black 2 or Pokemon White 2 and a Pokemon Trainer Club account.