Pokémon VGC Pro Begs Players to Wash Themselves After Opponent’s 'Putrid' Stench Makes Them Vomit
A professional Pokémon player is going viral after begging his fellow competitors to keep up with their personal hygiene, claiming he literally threw up at an event due to someone’s stench.
Professional Pokémon VGC player Donghun Youm has gone viral after pleading for his fellow competitors to maintain proper hygiene, citing an incident where a nearby player's putrid stench caused him to vomit at the 2026 Baltimore Regional Championships. In a tweet, Youm expressed frustration with the situation, stating that he and his friends were unable to concentrate due to the strong smell, which ultimately led to him throwing up.
He urged players to "please take care of [their] personal hygiene" and emphasized that the incident prompted a heated debate about the importance of cleanliness at gaming events. The topic of hygiene has been a recurring issue at in-person gaming competitions, with one commenter suggesting that not smelling bad should be a requirement to participate in such events.
A card shop in Oregon even suspended Yu-Gi-Oh tournaments after receiving numerous complaints about smelly attendees, citing the official tournament rules that require participants to maintain a socially acceptable level of hygiene or face penalties. Pokémon's own tournament guidelines include a section on hygiene, which states that participants must comply with the organizer's requests or face removal from the competition and loss of their badge.
While it remains unclear if the smelly player in question faced any consequences, the incident has reignited calls for players to prioritize personal hygiene to avoid unpleasant situations at future competitions.
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