Mankato ‘Poke-mom’ is secret weapon behind teen’s world championship quest

MANKATO – Mattaeus Natrakul held his cards in his hand, and with the calm of a chess master, furrowed his brow in concentration. The teenager, in the middle of a match of a Pokemon-themed card game, suddenly broke out in a smile as he realized he was on the verge of victory.

Nearby, his mother, Mara, watched as her son played the card game that brought him onto the national stage.

For two years, Mara Natrakul, 48, has accompanied her son to high-stakes Pokemon card game tournaments across the country.

The “Poke-Mom” has been a secret weapon for the 13-year-old phenom, who over the past two years has become an elite competitor on the scene.

In mid-June, she watched as her son placed third in a tournament in New Orleans, winning $3,000 and an invitation to the Pokemon World Championships in August.

Pokemon has been around longer than Mattaeus has been alive; the original video game and a spinoff card game came out in the 1990s. Players use cards representing interesting creatures to battle with hundreds of other enthusiasts.

For Mattaeus, his passion for Pokemon has become a serious family pursuit. Other families with children in soccer, basketball or another travel sport may drive or fly across the country for tournaments. The Natrakul family has traveled all over America to cheer for their son’s love of card games.

“This is his passion,” Mara said. “I wouldn’t want to miss it for the world.”

Mattaeus is homeschooled, which helps with the travel, Mara said. The family combines the travel to tournaments with hiking trips and family visits.

She’s become a sounding board for her son’s ideas on strategy. And she’s had to learn the rules of the Pokemon card game and its jargon: prize cards, deck disruption, metagame, Mewtwo. Her husband, Monty, has taken the time to learn the rules of the game, too.

“I’m very thankful that they support me,” Mattaeus said of his parents. “I appreciate that they take the time to learn what I’m doing and what I enjoy.”

Mara says when she travels to tournaments, she runs into the same set of parents of elite youth players, and they catch up in the hotel lobby before matches.

“Having the entire family involved is something we’ve seen since the beginning of our competitive program,” said Nick Salazar, spokesman for Pokémon Co. International. “It’s no surprise that we continue to see so many loved ones travel and cheer on their favorite competitors.”

In New Orleans in mid-June, Mara watched as her son went on a winning streak to reach the tournament’s final four.

She recalled judges sitting inches from her son, their eyes watching his every move. His father, Monty, an IT consultant, also attended and said he couldn’t even watch because he was so nervous for his son.

“It was nerve-wracking,” Mara recalled.

Since receiving his invitation to the world championships, Mattaeus said he spends several hours a day practicing, building decks and competing in online tournaments.

But he understands that no matter how many hours he practices, the game he loves still depends on the luck of the draw, he says.

So far, he’s been fortunate. Before leaving for his most recent tournament, Mattaeus said he spied a four-leaf clover in his yard. And then before heading to the airport, he found another.

He’ll need that luck again, when he takes on the world this August.

“It’s exciting,” Mattaeus said. “I love the randomness and chance.”