Wizards Pokemon League Year 3: Energize Your Game

Article tags: 2002, America, Organized Play, Wizards of the Coast era

Following Year 2’s Pokemon League, Year 3 took on a slightly different structure. It was known as the “Energize Your Game” League due to the special holofoil energies distributed.

*Pokemon League Year 3 promotional sticker*

“Energize Your Game” League structure

Year 3’s season started on January 6, 2002, and lasted until October 2002. The old “Badge Book” system from the previous two years’ leagues was not continued. Instead, Wizards implemented the “License” system.

At the beginning of each season (for a refresher on what a “season” is, read here), each player received a license. This license was similar to the old badge book system, as it tracked a player’s progress towards earning promo cards.

*A stamped License from the “Energize Your Game” league*

Unlike previous years, there were no badges or challenges. Players also did not get points simply for attending. Instead, the only way to get points was by playing games. Similar to previous seasons, wins awards 20 points (2 stamps), and losses awarded 10 points (1 stamp).

During the first 4 weeks of each season, players would play games to earn promo cards and work towards their placement for the season-ending tournament. Every league member could play in the final tournament, though the more wins a player had when the first 4 weeks were over determined their starting seeding.

Rewards

Players could earn up to 3 different promo cards per season. The license was divided into two sections for points, one section for each promo card.

Upon completing the license’s first section, players received the first promo card for that season. This was a “classic” promo, which was a card that had been released in previous years of the Pokemon League or at other events like the first Pokemon movie.

Upon completing the second section of the license, players received the second promo card for that season. This card was a new promo for Year 3. Each license allowed 2 copies of each of these 2 promo cards to be earned by flipping the license over to the back side, which was identical to the front side.

The third promo card (a holofoil energy) was obtained by playing in the final tournament of each season. The winners of this final season tournament received additional copies of the energy. These reverse holofoil energies were unnumbered promos of existing basic and special energy cards, without the black star promo stamp.