Real‑Life Team Rocket Duel: Giovanni Takes $30,000 After Thrilling Double‑KO at Pokémon Worlds 2025
At Pokémon Worlds 2025, the Masters grand finals put $30,000 on the line and ended with Giovanni Cischke winning the title over James Evans in a three-game series. The match featured a double KO in the deciding moments, several sleep turns that swung momentum, and noteworthy team compositions — including the absence of some common picks on Cischke’s roster.
- Who won and the prize: Giovanni Cischke, $30,000.
- Key team notes: Cischke did not use Incineroar or Amoonguss; Evans had Incineroar on his team.
- Match highlights: a double KO, a Terastallized Flutter Mane Moonblast, and a final Heat Wave that turned the tide.
Where to watch
Finalists and prize
Giovanni Cischke defeated James Evans in the best-of-three grand finals to win the Masters division at Pokémon Worlds 2025. The first-place prize for the event was $30,000. This win was Cischke’s first recorded tournament victory at that level.
Teams and meta notes
Most teams in the event included either Incineroar or Amoonguss, which are common picks in the current meta. However, Cischke’s winning team did not include Incineroar or Amoonguss, while Evans’ roster did include Incineroar. Observers noted this contrast between the finalists’ team choices.
For context on Incineroar’s role in competitive play, commentators and personalities have discussed the Pokémon and its impact on the meta in multiple videos and posts.
@wolfeyvgc This Item Makes the Best Pokémon Even Better… #pokemon #gaming #nintendo #competitivepokemon #nintendoswitch
Also, Pokémon distributed Wolfe Glick’s Incineroar via Mystery Gift during the North American championships earlier this year; the distribution and announcement were posted on the official Pokémon site.
Match breakdown
Game one
Game one was slow and defensive, with several Pokémon put to sleep during play. The game ended when Giovanni landed a well-timed Moonblast to even the field and secure the opening win.
Game two
Evans took game two after a comeback. At one point both of Evans’ active Pokémon were asleep. Evans’ Incineroar later fainted while taking Koraidon with it via a held item that damages the attacker. That left Evans with Calyrex, which closed out the match to force a deciding game.
During the broadcast a commentator asked, “Can James do anything to be able to claw back into this one?” and later called the comeback notable: “This was an unbelievable comeback.”
Game three
Game three featured heavy use of Brute Bonnet and supportive moves like Rage Powder. Cischke used Flutter Mane and Terastallized it late in the game without changing its typing. That allowed Flutter Mane’s Moonblast to KO Evans’ Brute Bonnet while, in the same turn, the opponent’s Brute Bonnet put Evans’ Incineroar to sleep.
Evans briefly stayed in the match with a critical hit that eliminated Cischke’s remaining Brute Bonnet. However, Cischke then used a Heat Wave that knocked out both Incineroar and Koraidon. Evans’ Calyrex remained with a Focus Sash, but Cischke had two healthy counters and finished the match with two final attacks.
The arena reacted loudly at the double KO that occurred when Heat Wave took out Incineroar and Koraidon on the same turn.
Aftermath and reaction
On the official upload of the finals, viewers left comments comparing the finalists’ names to franchise characters. One viewer wrote, “This shows that Giovanni is the boss and James is a rocket grunt.” Another comment read, “Guy named Giovanni winning worlds is kind of like Lex Luthor becoming president if you think about it.”
