Ex-Champion Barred From Pokémon Worlds After Merch Queue Incident
Former Pokémon World Champion Luca Ceribelli and teammates Ruben Gianzini and Luca Lussignoli were barred from the World Championships after allegedly cutting the Pokémon Center merch line; their passes were confiscated with the claim they could be reprinted to allow entry, but organizers later refused, keeping them out of the event. Ceribelli calls the decision “extremely unjust,” and social-media reaction from fans has criticized the handling of the situation and sparked wider discussion about event processes and communication.