2026-10-08 11:02:08
A Pokémon champion has issued an unusual plea to fellow players: please wear deodorant.
Donghun Youm, winner of the 2023 Pokémon Milwaukee Regional Championships, described a stomach-churning incident at the Baltimore Regionals after claiming a nearby competitor’s body odour became so overpowering that he was forced to leave the match and vomit.
Youm took to X recently to recount the experience and urge players to think about their personal hygiene before entering crowded tournament halls.
“Please take care of your personal hygiene,” Youm wrote.
He continued: “I’ve had an accident @ Baltimore regionals where I had to throw up due to a nearby player’s stench. My friends and I couldn’t focus that round due to how putrid the small was and we even told a judge due to it. Like c’mon man…”
Youm did not identify the player involved, and it remains unclear whether tournament organisers took any action.
His post sparked a flood of responses from other players, with competitors sharing their own experiences of unpleasant smells disrupting matches.
One player claimed they had once faced an opponent who smelled like a “literal dumpster”, while others said extreme body odour was a recurring problem at crowded events.
And it seems this issue is not unique to Pokémon tournaments.
In 2023, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate professional player Brian “Cosmos” Kalu reportedly scrambled to find deodorant during an event after an opponent raised concerns about his smell.
Trading card events have also faced complaints over hygiene, with one Oregon card shop previously pausing local Yu-Gi-Oh! tournaments because of unresolved hygiene and restroom problems.
With hundreds of players often packed into indoor venues for hours, some competitors have called for tournament officials to introduce tougher rules allowing judges to penalise extreme hygiene violations.
For Youm, however, the solution appears considerably simpler.
Before battling for championship points, players might want to remember one crucial item alongside their cards, controllers and carefully prepared teams: deodorant.
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