The first Pokémon World Championships were held in Orlando in 2004.
The inaugural event took place at the Wyndham Palace Resort in Orlando, Florida. It marked the beginning of the official World Championships, which bring together top players from Pokémon video-game and Trading Card Game competitions.
The championship series expanded over time as organized play added more age divisions, qualifying events and international competitors. Later tournaments were held in cities across North America, Europe and Asia, but the first World Championships were staged in Florida.
Seattle is a common mix-up because it hosted major early Pokémon events and is closely associated with Nintendo of America. San Diego and Honolulu also hosted later Pokémon World Championships. The 2004 Orlando event is specifically recognized as the first tournament in the World Championships series.