Is Your Kid into Pokémon Cards? Here’s What to Know!
Your son has gone from toy cars and electric trains to Pokémon cards...and you are quite clueless. What is (or are?) Pokémon? What is a booster pack and why does it matter? What is a trainer? Who is Pikachu and Charmander, and why are they always talked about?
In truth, your child will likely be more knowledgeable about Pokémon than you for the rest of time. However, this explainer is a great starting point so you can at least keep up and maybe even look into it yourself.
Pokémon: What Is It?
The Pokémon franchise was created in Japan over 20 years ago (in 2017, Pokémon celebrated its 20th anniversary). It is short for “pocket monsters,” and its TV show, trading cards, video games and toys focus on the creatures that the characters own. These creatures exist in the wild or with their owner (as in your kid), and their goal is to “catch them all”--hundreds and hundreds of them, to be precise.
How Are Pokémon Cards Supposed To Be Used? What Do You Do With Pokémon Cards?
Some kids simply collect the cards, while others may want to play the card game. The key purpose of Pokémon card collection is for a powerful deck to be built. 60 cards make a full deck, which can then be used for winning battles against other trainers.
Every single pack of Pokémon cards is different. If your kid only has a couple of cards, or none at all, a good rule of thumb is to give him a starting point through a theme deck. It's a pack with 60 cards that comes in either a metal tin or a small cardboard box. Theme decks also come with cardboard markers and a coin that can be handy during gameplay for situations like counting damage or deciding which player goes first. However, dice works just as well.
Cards also come in 10s as booster packs, packaged in blister packs or tins. With each new season of the TV show, new trading cards are released. The new cards usually coincide with the release of the latest video game titles of the same name.
What Are the Pokémon Card Types?
The Pokémon universe has three different card categories that any given deck contains:
- Character Cards
All Pokémon have a type (the trading card game carries 11) like Dragon, Fire, Metal, Psychic, and Water to name a few. Each Pokémon card also states the "evolution" of the character, explaining whether it's in its most basic form or something else. Does your kid want specific cards that are shiny? Those are likely Legendary Pokémon; they don't evolve, but they're very powerful.
- Energy Cards
Basic Energy cards are used to power your Pokémon throughout the game. These cards can be found in any pack you buy. In addition, Special Energy cards provide different boosts.
- Trainer Cards
These are self-explanatory; they're needed for supporters, items and stadiums a trainer (your kid) can use during a battle. Sometimes the cards will have special rules; those are usually found at the bottom.
Conclusion
Pokémon is a franchise that was launched in Japan well over 20 years ago. The term is short for "pocket monsters" and it's so popular that a TV show, trading cards and other merchandise have come about. Pokémon trading cards can either be collected exclusively or used to play against other "trainers."
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