There have been dozens, if not hundreds of collectible card games (CCGs), but none have come close to Magic: The Gathering (M:TG). A long running distant second has been the Pokemon Trading Card game, which is more popular with the younger, 10 and under, crowd. M:TG has had a successful online version for years, so it was only a matter of time before Pokemon was also playable via the internet. That time has come.

People who know what they’re doing when it comes to Pokemon will have a chance to show it next month. It’s time for the U.S. National Pokemon Championships. The first match ups will be held at Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana on July 8, 2011, with attendees facing off until July 10, 2011.

If you’re competing for the top spot in the Pokemon Video Game Championship Series, then you already know whether or not you’ll be participating in the U.S. National Championships…

Pokemon fanatics will want to borrow a kid and head to Burger King after the Fourth of July. Burger King will be running a special, worldwide kid’s meal Pokemon promotion from July 7 to August 3, 2008.

The official website (which isn’t open yet) will display the prizes that will come with the meal. Along with the obligatory toy, each meal will also come with one of 12 Pokemon Trading Card Game: Diamond & Pearl cards. The cards will likely be handed out at random, so visitors might have to eat quite a few meals to collect them all.