By Dexerto | Created at 2026-09-28 18:30:45 | Updated at 2026-09-28 21:07:06
4 hours ago
Pokemon VGC Regional Champion Donghun Youm has urged players to take their personal hygiene seriously after saying another competitor’s smell made him throw up at Baltimore Regionals.
Competitive Pokemon players already have plenty to worry about without someone nearby unleashing a real-life Poison Gas attack.
For Youm, who won the 2023 Pokemon Milwaukee Regional Championships, an unpleasant smell became more than a distraction during the event. He said it left him vomiting, while both he and his friends struggled to focus on their matches.
The incident prompted the Pokemon competitor to call out poor hygiene on X, saying the group even raised the issue with a judge.
PokemonPokemon champion says player’s smell disrupted tournament round
“Please take care of your personal hygiene,” Youm wrote. “I’ve had an incident [at] Baltimore regionals where I had to throw up due to a nearby player’s stench.”
According to Youm, the problem affected several people during the round.
“My friends and I couldn’t focus that round due to how putrid the smell was and we even told a judge due to it. Like c’mon man….”
Please take care of your personal hygiene.
I've had an incident @ Baltimore regionals where I had to throw up due to a nearby player's stench. My friends and I couldn't focus that round due to how putrid the smell was and we even told a judge due to it. Like c'mon man….
— Donghun Youm (@PlaymakerYoum) September 27, 2026
Youm did not identify the player in the post or explain what action, if any, the judge took after receiving the complaint.
His account adds to a growing collection of tournament hygiene horror stories. In 2023, Smash Ultimate pro Brian ‘Cosmos’ Kalu scrambled to find deodorant after an opponent told him he smelled.
Yu-Gi-Oh players have had similar complaints. One woman quit a tournament in Japan because she could not stand the smell, while Oregon’s Chronos Games & Gifts suspended local events for a week following hygiene and restroom complaints.
The issue has even reached traditional sports. Canada’s Oshawa Generals apologized after asking fans to shower and use deodorant before attending games, with supporters responding by wearing shower caps and bringing signs.
For Youm, the request was straightforward: take care of personal hygiene before sitting down to battle.
