Esports is best for its trash talk and pop offs but this esports moment is as wholesome as they come. Young Simone Lim can now say she was the very best as she was crowned the Pokemon Oceania International Junior Champion!
She was up against the 2019 Pokemon Oceania Junior Champion, Justin Miranda-Radbord in the finals. Lim, according to the casters, was in her first competitive season and bagged her first major tournament victory after two regional tournament victories. Miranda-Radbord, on the other hand, has 21 regional championships under his belt. Talk about a true to life David and Goliath match up.
Lim fought her way through the competition after settling in seventh-seed in the top eight. Miranda-Radbord stood strong as he tore through his opponents as the top-seeded player. On paper, this should have been a formality.
The two players traded games after Lim successfully put Miranda-Radbord’s Pokemon to sleep with Butterfree’s Sleep Powder. Miranda-Radbord took the second game after adjusting his strategy which forced a third and final game.
An INCREDIBLE read by Simone, leading to a victory and earning Simone the title of 2020 Oceania #PokemonVG Junior Champion! pic.twitter.com/liiJyEj09I
— Play Pokémon (@playpokemon) February 23, 2020
The deciding game pushed Lim to the limit being put in a 2 vs. 1 position. Lim held strong with her Tyranitar against Miranda-Radbord’s Dusclops and Rhyperior. She took out Dusclops with a Crunch and closed out the game and the series with a Superpower to the Rhyperior.
Lim was victorious against the defending champion and there was no pop off or screaming. All she did was sit in her chair and rest her face in her hands with a smile. This smile grew even wider when her friends ran over to give her a hug. Can’t get any more wholesome than this!
The post-game interview was just as adorable as she clutched her Eevee plush toy in her arms as she answered the questions. The brief interview ended with Lim simply thanking her family, friends, and coach. In more ways than one, she truly proved that she deserved to be a champion.
Ram found his love and appreciation for writing in 2015 having started in the gaming and esports sphere for GG Network. He would then transition to focus more on the world of tech which has also began his journey into learning more about this world. That said though, he still has the mentality of "as long as it works" for his personal gadgets.
