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Play! Pokémon manager released statement

Article Discussion Report error Tuesday, March 6, 2012 Reported on Bulbanews by Ryu Shoji

Originally reported on Smogon

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Play! Pokémon

News has spread across the internet like wildfire in the last few days regarding last weekend's Video Game Championships qualifier in the United Kingdom regarding an incident that took place at a nearby hotel where numerous players were staying prior to the event. During the early evening, a team of Spanish Pokémon players were escorted out of the hotel by police due to having been found to have placed their own feces in the hallway.

The following day, Ruben Puig Lecegui, a member of the group, last year's qualifier winner, and Top 4 placer at last year's World Championships, won the event for the second year in a row. However, as the controversy about what happened spread across the internet, Play! Pokémon's manager, Dave Schwimmer, made this comment on the forums of Smogon, which is known for its competitive play environment:

“ The Pokémon Company International expects its players to maintain high standards of behaviour conducive to the family-friendly environment that we foster. The Pokémon Company International conducts full investigations into any matters where we believe that a player has failed to maintain these standards, and take appropriate action when necessary. In this case, we have found that unacceptable behaviour did take place, and have taken the appropriate steps in response. ” -- Dave Schwimmer

On Pokémon.com's page about the event, Ruben is not listed as the winner; instead, the Master's Division has one slot less than the other divisions, and the runner-up, Ben Kyriakou, is listed as the winner.