Pokémon TCG EUIC champion praises one unassuming card for budding new meta

The Pokémon Trading Card Game champion for the 2025 Europe International Championship (EUIC) has just been crowned, with Ryuki Okada putting on an incredible performance in the finals against Natalie Millar. 

Thanks to a media pass provided by The Pokémon Company, I spoke with Okada after he celebrated his victory on the main stage and learned more about his mindset, approach to tournaments, and thoughts on the current meta.

Okada began by saying he was “so happy with what [he had] achieved,” thanking the people who helped him along the road to this tournament, before diving into the way he prepares for Pokémon events like EUIC and how he keeps his cool while playing. 

The champion shared that he tries to avoid being nervous before major TCG competitions, and that one of the key ways he achieves this is by bringing a favorite tea from Japan along with him. He aims to replicate his experiences in Japan while traveling for events to help soothe his nerves and keep focused. 

We then jumped into how he’d decided on which card list to bring to EUIC in the first place. “So in Japan, we are already in the post-rotation format,” explained Okada, going on to describe how he’d been using the deck for a good while because of this difference in pacing and that he felt comfortable with how it played. 

I asked for his thoughts on the top decks and usage stats, and whether any particular lists or cards stood out to him during his time playing at this event. The usage stats for day two heavily favored Dragapult ex and Gardevoir ex. He noted that he was surprised by some Dragapult ex players not using the Dusknoir line from Shrouded Fable, as it’s usually a solid pick for the deck. This Dusknoir has the Cursed Blast Ability, allowing it to easily snipe an opponent with 13 damage counters. 

Okada then described the current meta as balanced and named the new Budew from Prismatic Evolutions as one of the key reasons for this. Budew has been an incredibly popular card during EUIC 2025, with its Itchy Pollen attack allowing the user to block their opponent from using any Item cards for a turn. It’s a disruptive addition to any deck and easy to get on the field quickly when needed. 

It was a delight to speak to Okada and watch his performance during the finals, as it was a lively and intense match. EUIC 2025 has shown a fascinating variety of different decks and builds in action, and the champion’s win highlights just how impactful Terapagos ex, Klawf, and—of course—the ever-looming Budew can be in the current format.