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Learn How To Play the Pokémon Trading Card Game: Part 5 – How To Play a Mulligan

In our articles on Pokémon, we’ve gone everywhere from SETTING UP OUR POKÉMON to ATTACKING OUR OPPONENTS IN POKÉMON. Now that we’ve got the BASIC of the Pokémon TCG down, we can start exploring the more intricate nuances of how to play the Pokémon Trading Card game.

For instance, how do you play a MULLIGAN in the Pokémon Trading Card Game? Also, does it have anything to do with playing a Mulligan in golf?

Playing Your Mulligan

You’ve begun playing your Pokémon TCG.

You’ve started the game by drawing 7 cards (which we call your DRAW CARDS). You place these 7 Draw Cards aside, face down.

 

 

 

 

 


YOU REALIZE – there are NO BASIC CARDS in your 7-card draw!
NOTE: At the start of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, you MUST HAVE at least one BASIC CARD (to play the game with).

What to do? Play your MULLIGAN!
Shuffle your DRAW cards BACK INTO THE DECK!
Draw another 7 (DRAW cards) <– MULLIGAN!

EVERY TIME you draw a MULLIGAN, your opponent can draw an ACTIVE Card!

Place ACTIVE CARDS and BENCH CARDS Face-Up!
Getting that EXTRA Card!

Each time you draw 7 cards (MULLIGAN), your opponent gets to draw an extra card.

NOTE: If BOTH players have a MULLIGAN, only draw cards for extra cards played OVER YOUR OPPONENT

(ie- player 1 has 3 Mulligans, player 2 has 4 Mulligans – player 1 has 1 fewer MULLIGAN, so gets to draw an extra card.)

 

Playing the GILLIGAN!

A GILLIGAN is the exact-opposite of a MULLIGAN, it can happen during golf when a player is asked to redo a successful stroke when requested by an opponent.

It’s a “play” best known in Golf, though it’s typically against the rules of formal play.

 

 

 

Is using the MULLIGAN Cheating?

It really depends if both parties are for it or against it,

If both players go along with it then “no muss, no fuss” – it’s then part of their game.

If one of the 2 players is against the MULLIGAN Rule, then you can NOT use it (and if you do – is cheating).

IN MY PERSONAL OPINION – it’s most definitely cheating. Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should do it. It’s just a game, truth is – you tend to learn as much from losing the game as you do winning. Why give up that chance?

 

 

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Learn How To Play the Pokémon Trading Card Game: Part 4 – Dealing With Special Conditions

Previously, we took a quick look at how to play the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Including: How to SET-UP the Pokémon Trading Card game, How to PLAY the Pokémon Trading Card Game & How to ATTACK your opponents in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Once you’re finally playing the Pokémon Trading Card game, we can start getting into the minutia and handling of special conditions and events happening during the game. We’re going to start by exploring how players should deal with SPECIAL CONDITIONS occurring during the Pokémon Trading Card game.

What are SPECIAL CONDITIONS occurring during the Pokémon TCG?

SPECIAL CONDITIONS are the detrimental effects that can be applied to your ACTIVE Pokémon.

These include being:
1. Burned
2. Poisoned
3. Asleep
4. Confused
5. Paralyzed

These CONDITIONS occur between turns (in this order):
1. Burned
2. Asleep
3. Paralyzed

Dealing with a POISONED Pokémon

To deal with a Poisoned Pokémon, place a POISON Marker on the Pokémon that is poisoned. Takes on one DAMAGE COUNTER (10 Damage points) between each turn. It’s a great way to inflict extra damage on your opponents Pokémon.

 

 

 

Dealing with a BURNED Pokémon

Flip a coin between turns.

HEADS: The Pokémon takes on ZERO Damage.
TAILS: Place 2 Damage Counters on BURNED Pokémon.

ALTERNATIVE PLAY: Sun & Moon RULE
BETWEEN TURNS: Place 2 BURNED Markers ( marker with Crossed Band-Aid) on Pokémon.
Burned Pokémon owner: FLIPS A COIN
HEADS: Pokémon NO LONGER BURNT (remove BURNED Markers)
TAILS: Pokémon remains BURNED!

Dealing with an ASLEEP Pokémon

  1. If Pokémon ASLEEP – turn card COUNTERCLOCKWISE
  2. FLIP COIN between turns.
  3. If card HEADS: Pokémon WAKES UP, back to normal.
  4. If card TAILS: Pokémon REMAINS ASLEEP – CAN NOT RETREAT OR ATTACK!

Dealing with a PARALYZED Pokémon

  1. If Pokémon PARALYZED – turn card CLOCKWISE
  2. It will be unable to attack or retreat for one turn after it becomes Paralyzed
  3. PARALYZED Pokémon – CAN NOT RETREAT OR ATTACK!
  4. PARALYSIS cured between turns (ie- that is if Pokémon PARALYZED since beginning of last turn)

 

 

 

Dealing with a CONFUSED Pokémon

  1. If Pokémon CONFUSED – turn card UPSIDE-DOWN
  2. FLIP A COIN before you ATTACK!
  3. If card TAILS: place 3 DAMAGE COUNTERS on CONFUSED Pokémon (and ATTACK does NOTHING)
  4. If card HEADS: Pokémon ATTACK successful

BUT IF: Attack involves COIN FLIP, flip for CONFUSION 1st
NOTE: Confused Pokémon can NOT retreat or attack!

 

 

 

How to HEAL your AFFECTED Pokémon

SIMPLEST METHOD: return Pokémon card to the BENCH “aka” RETREAT!

EXCEPT IF: Pokémon card is ASLEEP or PARALYZED (BUT can still be SWITCHED if use EFFECTS)

NOTE: If Pokémon affected by MULTIPLE conditions (that rotate the card), only the MOST RECENT applies!

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Learn How To Play the Pokémon Trading Card Game: Part 3 – Attacking Your Opponents

Previously, we discussed learning how to play the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Now that we’ve set up the game, the next step is figuring  out how to start playing the actual Pokémon Trading Card game.

How to win at Pokémon?

Easy answer: Attack your opponents and beat them (which is pretty much how you win any game).

Attacking your Opponents in the Pokémon Trading Card Game

1. Attack Cost

To ATTACK your opponent, need the right amount & proper type of ENERGY.

The ATTACK COST is printed on the LEFT of its name and text. The COST is shown by a symbol(s) corresponding to one of primary types of Energy Cards.

COLORLESS Energy: can be fulfilled by ANY TYPE of Energy BUT…  all other types of Energy must be matched with their respective ENERGY cards. Is indicated by the WHITE STARS (of symbol)

Each symbol signifies ONE Energy Card that must be attached to the Pokémon in order to use the ATTACK.

COMPONENTS of ATTACK: name, text, cost, damage

NOTE: most attacks don’t require the player to discard their ENERGY Cards, though some of the more powerful ones do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. What are your OPPONENT’s WEAKNESSES?

Guess what? Most Pokémon (cards have a WEAKNESS  to a specific type. It will receive ADDITIONAL Damage if your Pokémon is of the type that it has a weakness to.

3. What are your OPPONENT’s RESISTANCE to?

Turns out that your OPPONENT will receive LESS DAMAGE from your attack if it’s RESISTANT to it. In the shown example – there is ZERO resistance shown to any attacks.

4. Inflicting DAMAGE to your OPPONENT!

 

This is what wins you the game, so better learn how to do it (and quickly)!

The ACTUAL DAMAGE that an attack inflicts will be on the RIGHT of the Attack name. In the posted example: the DAMAGE applied is: 30 if Electro Ball was used for the ATTACK.

The DAMAGE is inflicted on the “attacked” opponent’s Pokémon.

There may be ADDITIONAL effects (listed BENEATH Attacks) that can increase damage output.

NOTE: In a game, DAMAGE will be referred to as DAMAGE COUNTERS (each one representing 10 Damage). Can keep track with small flat objects, coins, dice etc.

 

 

5. What to do with DEAD Pokémon

 

 

To KNOCK OUT Pokémon:

When the amount of DAMAGE inflicted is GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO HP of (attacked) Pokémon, the (attacked) Pokémon are KNOCKED OUT and DISCARDED into the owner’s DISCARD PILE (along with any ATTACHED energies, items and/or evolutions).

NEXT STEP:

Once the KNOCKED-OUT Pokémon is DISCARDED, the (“winning”) player takes a PRIZE Card.

Once you have all your PRIZE Cards:

You WIN the game! Congrats!!!!!

 

What’s next?

What we’ve done so far:

Check out our next Blog on Learning How To Play the Pokémon Trading Card Game: Part 4 Handling Special Conditions.

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Learn How To Play the Pokémon Trading Card Game: Part 2 – Playing the GAME

We’re talking about how to play the Pokémon Trading Card game

Previously, we discussed Setting up your Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Now that we’ve set up the game, the next step is figuring  out how to start playing the actual Pokémon Trading Card game.

 

Playing the Pokémon Trading Card Game

1. Setting up the Pokémon Trading Card game

2. Who’s on First?

To determine WHO GOES FIRST in the game, FLIP a COIN!

NOTE: The first player can NOT attack on their first turn.

 

 

3. Draw a Pokémon Trading Card

Do so at BEGINNING of turn.
NOTE: Mandatory

 

4. Bench your BASIC Pokémon Cards

Bench up to 5 cards (unless card says otherwise)

5. Use your ENERGY Cards

Attach one Energy Card per turn (unless card says otherwise) by placing it BENEATH one of your PRE-EVOLVEDPokémon.

NOTE: Can only attach ONE Energy card per turn (either ACTIVE or BENCHED Pokémon)

6. Use your TRAINER Cards

Trainer cards are Pokémon cards that allow you to do helpful things (and have descriptions of their effects on the cards)

TYPES of Trainer Cards:

  • Items – subclass of Trainer Cards, typically discarded after “power” is used in game.
  • Supporters – depict and feature people in the game (such as Trainers & Gym Leaders). They’re powerful trainer card variants  that wield mighty abilities that often allow you to draw, recover cards from your discard pile or search out specific ones from your deck. Players only allowed to play 1 supporter card per turn.
  • Tools – special items that can be attached to your Character cards providing special effects. Only one tool card can be attached at a time & if a Pokémon is attacked, the tool goes into the discard pile.
  • Stadiums – Represents VENUE in which Pokémon TCG is played, typically gives player an extra bonus or special conditions. Can only be one stadium card during your play.

Activating Trainer Cards:

  • can activate any number of ITEMS & TOOL Cards during turn
  • can activate only 1 SUPPORTER and STADIUM card during turn

NOTES:

  • AFTER card is used, goes to DISCARD pile
  • Pokémon TOOL Card can be attached to Pokémon (that does NOT have Tool attached) and then stays with Pokémon until Pokémon gets knocked out (and then BOTH get DISCARDED).
  • Pokémon STADIUM Card is placed HORIZONTALLY between both Player’s fields (and DISCARDED when NEW STADIUM Card comes into play).
  • There are special ENERGY cards used to provide energy and do other actions (listed on card).

7. EVOLVE your Pokémon

If you have a Pokémon card that is ACTIVE or BENCHED, you can EVOLVE the BASIC or STAGE 1 Pokémon card by placing an EVOLUTION CARD on top of it.

Example: BASIC card evolves to STAGE 1, which can evolve to STAGE 2.

NOTE: Can’t EVOLVE a Pokémon on it’s FIRST TURN.

Can’t EVOLVE a Pokémon card on 1st turn it’s played (either by BENCHING or EVOLVING them) unless they have an EFFECT.

8. Use an ABILITY

Some Pokémon have ABILITIES which can be used for SPECIAL EFFECTS. These are special attributes given to each Pokémon that they can use in battle. Many of these abilities act as a POWER UP by increasing. MOVE or a STAT. Others may introduce a 3rd-party effect such as a weather condition. Believe it or not. some abilities may even hinder a Pokémon battle.

ABILITY Examples:

Arena Trap: Prevents foe from fleeting.
Ball Fetch: Retrieves a Poké Ball from a failed throw.
Cloud Nine:Eliminates the Effects of weather.

NOTE: These ABILITIES are NOT ATTACKS, so may still ATTACK after using 1+ABILITIES. Be sure to announce your ABILITIES to your opponents so aware of what you’re doing.

 

 

 

 

 

9. RETREAT your Pokémon

Switch out your Pokémon for another Pokémon on your BENCH.

RETREAT COST – listed at BOTTOM of card where says RETREAT. Discard ENERGY attached to Pokémon, listed on card (only one RETREAT per turn).

* Symbols: represents HOW MUCH ENERGY needs to be attached to Pokémon in order to retreat.

If there are no * Symbols, Pokémon doesn’t need any energy to retreat (can retreat ANYTIME for FREE)

NOTE: Can only attach one ENERGY CARD to Pokémon per turn.

When RETREAT Active Card, must choose a BENCH Pokémon to switch places with – this becomes your new ACTIVE Pokémon.

All ENERGY cards used to RETREAT, must get placed into DISCARD PILE. Retreating a Pokémon card removed all SPECIAL CONDITIONS.

10. Attacking your Opponent

The LAST THING you can do during your turn is: ATTACK your opponent’s ACTIVE Pokémon using yours. After that, your tun ends.

Check out our next Blog on Learning How To Play the Pokémon Trading Card Game: Part 3 Attacking your Opponent!

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Learn How To Play the Pokémon Trading Card Game: Part 1 – Setting up your GAME

In attempting to learn how to play the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG), you ended up more confused than you were trying to figure out Calculus in college. In attempting to write this article on HOW TO PLAY the Pokémon Trading Card Game blog article, I’ve ended up more confused than I was before I started reading up. Thankfully, I was able to consult with my 10 year old niece Miranda, who seemingly has a  PhD in Pokémon in her pedigree. Admittedly, I am still a bit confused, but definitely a little less so. Let’s hope that I can help you learn how to play the Pokémon trading card game without too much hassle.

Learning how to play Pokémon Trading Card Game will be presented in 4 steps/articles:

  1. Setting up your Pokémon Trading Card Game
  2. Start Playing the Pokémon Trading Card Game
  3. How to Attack your opponents in the Pokémon Trading Card Game
  4. How to deal with Special Conditions when playing the Pokémon Trading Card Game

 

Part 1: Setting up your Pokémon Trading Card Game

1. Create your Pokémon TCG Deck

Deck should have EXACTLY 60 cards, no more, no less UNLESS they agree to start with less (though still need to be the same amount for each player).
The DECK should have 1/4 to 1/3 of the cards as ENERGY CARDS.

 

 

 

 

2. Shuffle Deck

3. Flip COIN to see who goes first

Call HEADS or TAILS.
NOTE: First player can NOT attack on 1st Turn.

 

 

 

4. Draw 7 cards from TOP OF THE DECK

Place them aside, face down
For sake of article, let’s call these 7 cards your DRAW CARDS.

5. From your (7) Draw Cards, find your BASIC Pokémon Cards.

A Pokémon card’s BASIC status is designated by the BASIC box on the top-left side of the card (see in above image).

NOTE: If there are no Basic Cards in your (7-card) DRAW cards, shuffle them back into DECK & draw ANOTHER 7 cards. We call this a MULLIGAN. Every time you do this, your OPPONENT can draw an extra card.

6. Pick your ACTIVE Pokémon

If you have (at least) one BASIC Pokémon in hand, place the one you want as your Active Card FACE DOWN a few inches in front of you

7. Pick your BENCH cards.

If you have more BASIC Pokémon cards in hand (besides your ACTIVE Pokémon card), you can place them beneath your ACTIVE Pokémon card as your BENCH.
NOTE: you can. only have up to 5 cards on the BENCH at any one time.

8. Draw your 6 PRIZE cards.

Draw your 6 PRIZE cards.Place these PRIZE cards in a pile on the side FACE DOWN.

NOTE: Do NOT look at your PRIZE cards.

NOTE 2: Each time you KNOCK-OUT an opponent’s Pokémon, take a PRIZE card (from your own deck)

To WIN: you win when you run out of PRIZE Cards (for a shorter, quicker game – use LESS cards)

SPECIAL RULE: If you knock out EX/GX Pokémon, you can draw 2 PRIZE cards (rather than just one)

9. Finish Pokémon Card Game Set-Up

a) DISCARD Pile below deck – place FACE-UP (doesn’t really matter)

b) ACTIVE Card – place FACE-UP

c) BENCHED Card – place FACE-UP

d) EVERYTHING else – FACE-DOWN

 

10. Play until someone wins

To WIN: you win if you TAKE-OUT all of your PRIZE Cards.

NOTE: If your opponent has to draw a card BUT CAN’T (because ran out of cards in deck OR IF knock out all the Pokémon on their playing field), then you win!

 

What’s next?

Now that  you’ve set-up your Pokémon Trading Card game, it’s time to learn HOW TO PLAY the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Click HERE to learn HOW TO PLAY the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

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Everything you wanted to know about Pokémon Trading Cards but were afraid to ask

As of October 2023,Pokémon trading cards have sold over 52.9 billion cards and that kids (and some adults) seem to love them.

What do we know about Pokémon trading cards? What are the basics?

The Pokémon media franchise started with the release of the their initial role-playing game Pokémon: Red & Blue for the Gameboy back in February 1996. In no time at all, it became a runaway success! It spawned several lucrative spin-offs including even more video games, anime, movies, manga in addition to their extremely successful trading cards.

We’ve previously gone over the story behind Pokémon, let’s take a further dive into the basics of Pokémon trading cards.

Pokemon Trading Card History

3 basic things that led to the creation of Pokémon trading cards:
1) the extremely successful launch of the Gameboy RPG Pokémon: Red & Blue game.
2) the incredible success of Magic the Gathering trading cards internationally.
3) card games were extremely popular in Japan at the time

With the success of the Pokémon RPG, the company wondered if there was any way that they could duplicate that success in other arenas, but in what? At the time, Magic The Gathering trading cards were extremely popular internationally. They realized that the path to further success lay in following Magic the Gathering into the trading card arena. It turns out that the Pokémon RPG lent itself easily into being developed into a trading card game, very similar to what Magic The Gathering had done with their cards. It was a much more simplified version of what Magic The Gathering was, more meant more for kids to collect and play.

By October 1996, they had released the first Pokémon trading cards, one of the first collectible card games developed in Japan. They were a runaway success. By March 1998, in the US alone they had produced over 499 million trading cards. By March 2000, that figure had grown to $4.25 billion internationally, growing up to $54.9 billion by October 2023.

Pokémon Cards: The Basics

Some Basics of Pokémon Trading Cards:
1. Pokémon is a role-playing game built around using a small team of “pocket monsters” (the original name for Pokémon) to battle the others till one becomes the best.
2. The Pokémon are divided into different types, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.
3. At present there’s over 800 different types of Pokémon, quite a few not having been seen yet.
4. Trainers are the person who catches and trains different Pokémon.Their goal, to “catch ’em all!”
5. Trainers use Poké balls to capture Pokémon and train them in battle.
6. During training and battle, Pokémon learn a variety of moves that they can use in battle, grow stronger and level up in battle. They may evolve as well.
7. The original set of cards are called the base set.
8. Booster packs contain 10 randomly inserted cards. In the West, they contain 11.
9. In Pokémon trading card game, players use a 60 card deck that contains basic and evolved Pokémon, energy cards and trainer cards (which are used to help players knock out the opponents Pokémon, drawing cards and winning the game).
10. Younger kids (junior kindergarten to grade 1) tend to just collect and trade cards that they like or think are cool. As they get older and learn how to read, they may start to use the cards to play the Pokémon trading card game.
11. Since each pack of cards is different, players starting out may want to start with a theme pack, a pack of 60 cards that they can start playing (and training) with.
12. The whole point of the Pokémon trading cards game: building a powerful deck of 60 cards that will help you win battles against other trainers.
13. Every time a new season of Pokémon comes out, they release a new “generation” or series of trading cards.

 

Different Types of Pokémon Trading Cards:

1. Character cards: each Pokémon has a “type”, there’s 11 in total including Fire, Water, Psychic, Metal or Dragon.They’re also classified by how “evolved” they are (such as Stage One or Stage 2) from the markings on the the upper, left-hand corner of the cards.
2. Energy cards: these are cards needed to “power” your Pokémon through out the game. You’ll find basic energy cards in any pack you buy.You’ll also occasionally find special energy cards that will provide a different type of “boost” as a function of the type of Pokémon that you own.You can buy whole packs of energy cards for relatively little (I recently bought a pack of 50 for $5, an affordable entry into playing Pokémon).
3.Trainer cards: these are cards used for items, supporters and stadiums used during battle. You can see the special rules for these cards along the bottom.
4. Pokémon EX/Pokémon GX cards: These are cards which tend to have cooler illustrations (occasionally being holograph cards) and more powerful. What they are is indicated by the GX or EX on the cards right beside the character’s name. These cards tend to be coveted highly by younger kids because they look so cool.
5. Expansion/Booster Packs: these are new sets of cards within a generation or series of cards. While each generation/series tends to have anywhere from 100 to 2000 cards, it turns out that you can’t purchase them all at once, instead you can buy them in booster packs of 10 cards.+

 

Are your Pokémon Trading Cards rare?


To know how rare your cards are, just check the tiny symbol located at the bottom right corner of your cards.
1. Circle symbol: Quite common.
2. Diamond symbol: Quite uncommon
3. Star symbol: Quite rare (ie. Holograph cards always have star symbols on them).

Now that you know…

Now that you know the basics of Pokémon cards,  you can start becoming a full-on member of the Pokémon Community!

Welcome and catch them ’em all!

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Crazy Pokémon Facts Nobody Knows

Pokémon is an incredibly successful Japanese media franchise that includes forays into video games, trading card games, video games, anime and manga. As popular as they are, there’s still a lot of things that fans have no idea about Pokémon.

1. What’s the difference between a Poké Ball and a Poke Bowl?

A Poké Ball is a round device used to catch and contain Pokémon.On the other hand, a Poke Bowl is a Hawaiin dish typically made with sliced, marinated and uncooked seafood mixed with chunks of veggies.

2. Who’s the most popular Pokémon?

According to recent research, the most popular Pokémon is Charizard. Of course nobody believes that because they apparently omitted listing Pikachu completely, removing him from being considered. While Pikachu is a bit annoying, of course Pikachu is the most popular Pokémon.

3. Is Ash’s Pikachu a boy or a girl?

Even though most say Ash’s Pikachu is a boy, no one’s really sure.

And nobody really wants to check. No one’s even sure where to start with that task. It should be noted that Ash refers to his Pikachu as “it” rather than male or female.

4. Who’s the creepiest Pokémon?

Without a doubt, it’d have to be Froslass. Not only is her body apparently hollow, but she also freezes her victims in ice, which more than likely kills them. Apparently her favorite food is the “souls of men”, but only if they’re handsome. They’re also said to lure people into snowy mountains using its icy breath. While a powerful “pet” to have as part of your arsenal, she’s also a bit too creepy for most to deal with.

5. Should Pokémon be featured on currency?

That sounds like a great idea! Any hope of us being the first to have Pokémon on their currency is gone though – the country of Niue which is a self-governing and tiny country close to New Zealand has that honor. They minted their Pokémon-themed coins back in 2001.

6. What’s the inspiration for Pokémon?

Initially, I thought it was “borrowed” from the Tribbles on Star Trek. Tribbles were a fictional alien species on the original Star Trek series. They were pretty much small bundles of fur who were small, cute, slow moving and rapidly reproducing to dangerous levels.

Turns out, I’m 100% wrong on that. Who knew I could be wrong? The inspiration for Pokémon was inspired by the creator’s childhood hobby of catching insects. In his mind, he imagined a game where players could gather and trade different Pokémon.

Yes, I’m a bit disappointed by that explanation too, but that’s the facts!

7. Who was the first Pokémon created?

According to one of the original designers at Game Freak, Ken Sugimori revealed that creature to be the rhino-esque Rhydon.

8. What’s the meaning behind the word “Pokémon”?

Initially, the franchise’s full name was Pocket Monsters. When released internationally, the term “Pokémon” started being used. The word Pokémon is a combination of the word “Pocket” and “Monsters”. It’s like having your own “pocket monsters” to play and train.

9. Which Pokémon has the ultimate camouflage?

According to canon, that would be the Wobbuffet. It appears that his main body is nothing more than an inflatable decoy, his real body being the small black tail that hides behind it. It turns out that there is a “tale” behind that “tail”.

10. The Pokémon anime series was never meant to be ongoing.

The original Pokémon anime was only meant to last one short season, it was never meant to be ongoing or last. The plans were to do the anime for just one season, essentially as an advertisement and promotion for the game. Turns out, the anime became more popular than they ever meant it to be. Since then, they’ve had a tonne of success with the anime, spawning over 20 different series, as well as over 20 movies in it’s time.

 11. How can you tell if a Pikachu is male or female?

It’s much simpler and less touchy-feely than you’d expect, thank goodness! Male Pikachu have the standard lightning shaped tail while female Pikachu have a little dent near the top making it heart shaped.

12. What are Poké Balls?

Poké Balls are a spherical device used by “Trainers” to capture and command Pokémon. Once a Pokémon is weakened enough in battle, the Trainer shoots a Poké Ball at the Pokémon, which is turned into a ball of energy and transformed into the device and captured. In the process, the creature is “tamed” and under the command of the Trainer. If the Poké Ball is thrown again, the Pokémon rematerializes into its original state and can be used to fight other Pokémon, whether trained or not.

13. Pokémon is the SECOND best-selling franchise of all time

While extremely popular, Pokémon are still only the second best-selling franchise of all time. At least in terms of video games, the Mario franchise is considerably more popular.

14. What’s the most valuable Pokémon trading card?

The most valuable Pokémon trading card turns out to be the 1st edition holographic Charizard. Because it’s so rare and highly in-demand, it tends to be valued at $55,000 or more.

15. What’s the craziest Pokémon fact no one knows?

According to the Pokémon White Pokedex entry, some Trainers use Pokémon to keep themselves warm. The Darumaka Pokémon’s droppings tend to be steamy, Trainers sometimes stuff them in their clothes to keep them warm.

Far from finished…

There are 1021 different Pokémon known of. It’s doubtful that we could list every fact that you could know about Pokémon, but this is a first try. Hope you learnt something and had fun doing it. If you have any further questions about any Pokémon trivia, please feel free to as

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What is Pokémon?


What Pokémon is really depends on who you are and what you use it for.

Younger kids like to collect and trade the cards because they’re fun, colorful and cool looking. It’s more about collecting stuff that they find fun.

As kids get older and start to read, they get to the point where they’ll start using the Pokémon cards to play a strategy-based trading card game. Each character has its own strengths and weaknesses that they bring to battle. Depending on how they’re played, their cards can gain further strength and/or power levels.For older kids, Pokémon is more about playing a fun and strategic game, just a bit simpler than popular trading card game Magic the Gathering.

For me, it was about learning how to create an accented-E on my keyboard so I could finally properly spell Pokémon without cheating by copy-pasting everything.

We all have our reasons right?

25 years and counting

Pokémon started off 25 years ago, released as a role-playing game for popular handheld game console Game Boy. The game’s quick success was soon followed by spin-offs such as a popular manga series, a trading card game and anime series and movies.

The basic story is that it’s set in a universe where humans coexist with creatures known as Pokémon. For the most part they live alongside humans but others are sometimes seen living in the wild, grassy fields, caves or the sea.

Pokémon work together with their “owners” (ie- your kids) to battle other Pokémon. The goal being to “catch them all”, all 900+ of them. It turns out that with enough training and trying, that most Pokémon can be caught as well. In time, these Pokémon can learn a variety of new moves that they can use in battle, grow stronger and level up in battle – they can sometimes even evolve further as a species.

Pokémon: The Game

The goal for a “trainer” (“aka” the person playing the Pokémon game) is to “catch them all”, every Pokémon they can find, battle and conquer. To do this, a player needs to build a “powerful” deck of 60 trading cards that will help them win battles against other trainers and their Pokémon. Every Pokémon has their own strengths and weaknesses, which can be used (or used against) them in battle. Every bit of training, every experience, every battle – not only helps you catch other Pokémon, but gains them more strength and experience. Sometimes, it even helps them evolve as a being.

The point of playing the game is to “catch them all”, the best way to do that is to “build” a powerful deck of 60. Doing so will help you win battles against other trainers and their Pokémon. That said, your kid may be more interested in collecting cards that they like best (for whatever reason) or deem most valuable (for them).

Like life, the game is built around the player and not the game itself. Everyone’s game is unique upon itself.

Each pack of Pokémon is different and unique upon itself. If your kid is just starting out and becoming a trainer for the first time – you may want to start them out with a theme pack, which is a pack of 60 cards that comes in a small tin or cardboard box. Theme decks also come with a coin or cardboard marker that can be used in gameplay while deciding which player goes first or when counting damage (or just use a die instead).

For a player wanting to learn the game, there’s several places online which are great resources. I tend to recommend this Pokémon tutorial, it’s a great starting point.

The whole point of Pokémon

We’ve discussed that the point of Pokémon is to “catch them all”, but perhaps that’s too simple an explanation. If you want to really play the game, you need to train your heart out. As in life, nothing is ever easy, so you constantly have to practice and keep trying, again and again and again. Practice is important, so is always giving your best.

What that journey is – is really up to you.

And like in life, have fun doing it.

Check out our latest and greatest Pokémon Trading Card Game DEALS and PROMOTIONS!

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Lost Toys: Pulsar, the Ultimate Man of Adventure

Ever find yourself reminiscing about the toys that you had as a child, only to discover that no one else seems to remember them? It absolutely sounds like you’re talking about a crazy dream, but you’re convinced that these toys were very real. Welcome to the world of lost childhood treasures, where the absurd and obscure merge into cherished memories that may or may not have existed. Welcome to the world of lost toys that we forgot.

One of my favorite toys as a kid was my Pulsar, The Ultimate Man of Adventure action figure from Mattel. While one of my favorites, few remember it. Worse, when you try to explain the forgotten action figure, they tend to think you’re crazy or making it up.

The chicken or the bionic egg?

To understand what Pulsar was all about, you need to know the whole convoluted story of Steve Austin, the Six Million Dollar Man. In 1972, Martin Cardin wrote Cyborg, a science fiction novel about astronaut Steve Austin who is severely injured in a crash. To save him, he’s rebuilt using “bionic” implants to replace both legs, his right arm and left eye. These “implants” leave him with increased strength, speed and enhanced vision. All that came at a cost to the government: 6 million dollars. In return for being “fixed up”, Steve used his enhanced abilities to become a secret agent.

It didn’t take long until Cyborg was adapted as a TV film. It’s success spawned a very successful 5 season run of The Six Million Dollar Man starring Lee Majors. Later on, it was spun off into a Bionic Woman series starring Lindsay Wagner as well as several TV movies.

 As you can imagine, kids loved the show – a mix of James Bond and Superman, what’s not to love. Didn’t take Kenner too long to release a very successful line of Six Million Dollar Man action figures, including Steve Austin with removable bionic parts (and patented orange jumpsuit).

Before long…

The success that Kenner had with The Six Million Dollar Man action figures was soon noticed by other toy companies. Toymaker Mattel must have noticed because it didn’t take long for them to release their own “Bionic Man” Pulsar, the Ultimate Man of Adventure.

Rather than just copy the Steve Austin figure outright, Mattel decided it would be everything that the “Bionic Man” was, but a hundred times more. Their goal was to out-BIONIC the Six Million Dollar Man action figure. Everything that Steve Austin was, they’d be more. While Steve Austin had bionic limbs and a bionic eye, the entire front part of Pulsar’s body was a transparent chest showcasing his vital organs pumping. His heart beat, lung breathed and blood flowed (all from a push of the button on his back). Instead of a bionic eye, his whole face would lift to show a computer brain that you could insert mission discs into. And while Steve Austin wore a pretty dull looking orange jumper, Pulsar wore the coolest red & black tracksuit outside of a Sopranos episode.

 

In their goal to outdo The Six Million Dollar Man, they created an action figure that was bizarre. Was he half-man, half machine cyborg like Steve Austin or just a robot? No one was sure. For Pulsar to display his powers he had to strip down until he was mostly naked, exposing his transparent chest full of pulsing guts. Was Pulsar’s real power just to make someone sick from the sight? You could also insert mission discs into his brain, making him a great Manchurian Candidate for the kids.

Of course the old adage is, anything that attempts to be cool almost never is. The Six Million Dollar Man TV show eventually went off the air and toys stopped selling. Being a weird knock-off, the Pulsar figure unceremoniously disappeared from toy stores way before that. I know I thought it was cool, but the truth is it probably wasn’t.

 

Like every other toy I ever had, my younger brother Terry destroyed it. That’s what he did.

 

What’s your favorite lost toy?



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Stamp Collecting: A Hobby That Won’t Get You Women (But That’s Okay!)

Is stamp collecting a hobby that is cool? Will collecting stamps make you popular? Will your mint collection of Liberace stamps impress the ladies? Will stamp collecting ever make you rich?

To answer these questions (and more), we’ll be diving headfirst into the enchanting universe of stamp collecting, a hobby that has been captivating collectors for generations. Believe it or not, over 60 million people collect stamps. They like to be called philatelists. Me, I call them boring nerds (and I’m a huge comic collector, pretty much the definition of being a nerd, so that means something).

Let’s be real: If your main goal in life is to get women or strike it rich, stamp collecting might not be your golden ticket. In fact, if your idea of a pickup line is “Hey, want to see my stamp collection?” you might find yourself spending more time with your stamps than with potential dates. 

So why would anyone collect stamps?

Stamp Collecting: A Love Affair with Tiny Pieces of Art

First and foremost, stamp collecting is about love—love for history, love for art, and love for the stories that these tiny, colorful rectangles of paper can tell. There’s something undeniably charming about the world of stamps, where miniature works of art are waiting to be discovered on each little square.

Let’s be completely honest, it’s extremely unlikely that you’ll ever impress someone with your stamp collection on a first date, it just won’t happen. Chances are though, that you’ll impress yourself with the vast knowledge you’ll accumulate. Who needs small talk when you can delve into the intricacies of stamp design, printing techniques, and the fascinating tales behind each stamp’s creation?

Will Stamps Make You Rich? Not Likely, But…

Okay, let’s address the elephant in the room: money, money, money. Can stamp collecting be a lucrative endeavor? Well, unless you stumble upon a rare British Guiana One-Cent Magenta stamp hiding in your attic, you’re unlikely to retire on your stamp collection alone. The truth is, there’s a lot more supply than demand in the stamp world, so your investment probably won’t buy you a private island. See, that Economics class you took in college did teach you something.

But hey, don’t despair! Stamp collecting is more about the thrill of the hunt, the joy of discovery, and the camaraderie with fellow collectors than it is about making bank. Who knows, maybe one day, your collection will surprise you with an unexpected gem, like that legendary one-cent magenta stamp that fetched $8 million in an auction. Miracles do happen, right?

Stamp Collecting: Where Passion Meets Quirkiness

So, should you embark on a stamp collecting journey? Absolutely! Stamp collecting might not make you a dating sensation or a billionaire, but it will fill your life with fascinating stories, beautiful artwork, and a community of like-minded enthusiasts who understand your peculiar fascination with tiny bits of paper. You’ll become part of a community of like-minded people who get it.

In the end, stamp collecting is about the joy of pursuing your passions, even if they don’t lead to a Hollywood romance or a yacht in the Caribbean. It’s about finding beauty in the small things, celebrating history through art, and forging connections with people who appreciate the same quirks that make you, well, you.