Rediscovering Pokémon: The Trading Card Game

After collecting Pokémon cards for the last five years as an adult, I hadn’t even considered playing the game they were made for. The cards I hadn’t spent meticulous time ordering, putting in hard plastic cases or in folders, were sitting in a box doing nothing - and for what? Hoping they would still hold value despite their immeasurable frequency? To crack out and show my kids one day? I don’t know what it was that sparked a change in me, but I wanted to get out there and see what the Pokémon Trading Card Game had to offer.

I’d heard about the Pokémon Trading Card Game World Championships and their vast popularity but didn’t think England would be a massive hub for real-life play, resigning my uninformed opinion to it being simply a kids game, with little-to-no appeal to anyone my age.

Despite this, after finding an event online my good friend Lewis and I turned up at Battle Quest Games; a dinky quaint game shop in Horsham, West Sussex that specialises in family, board, and card games including Pokémon. We were there for the pre-release event of the new Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion: Sun & Moon: Ultra Prism.

After shuffling over to the counter, passing shelves of neatly stacked, visually vibrant board games, we paid our £22 entry fee and made our way to the back, where we were greeted by a few fellow players and Nigel, the host of the day’s event.

Lewis and I, along with around 15 or so more players, ranging in age from as young as eight through to those in their late 20s, were signed into the official roster by Nigel. We were given player IDs that we could use for future events and league play, and once sign-ups were complete, we got into what we were there for; the cards.

The whole premise of the event was to get a taste for the soon-to-be-released expansion set by creating a 40-card deck and taking part in three scheduled matches. No rankings, no over-the-top competitiveness, just some harmless(ish) fun and the promise of some extra cards if we stuck it out to the end.

As a collector, I’d come prepared with sleeves for the cards I was intending to play with in an attempt to preserve them as best as possible. Carefully prying open four 10-card booster packs and the pre-made pack of 23 cards that were the same for all us - apart from a 1-of-4 promo card - I started carefully sifting through, getting an idea of what I wanted to create in a deck. A slipped all the ‘holo’ cards into some sleeves and started from there.

There were a few players there that clearly knew what they were doing. The Masters and Seniors (anyone born before 2007) made up half the attendees and started by sorting their cards into type, putting aside ones they knew didn’t fit their strategy. The ‘Juniors’ (those born 2007 or later), were still enjoying the thrill of opening packs to discover their ‘gets’ by the time the Masters had already formulated their strategy.

Personally, the kick of breaking the seal of a shiny new pack to discover what cards lie inside still excites me with every pack I open. That thrill clearly wasn’t lost through the generations, given the overwhelming excitement of those younger players around me, which was nice to see.

Deck building from scratch was completely new to me. After reading a couple hints and tips to scratch building online a few days before, I fumbled to a 40 card deck I thought wasn’t too bad. After all, I hadn’t played the TCG since middle school, if even then at all. It was all about collecting and trading on the playground back then, never actually playing the game. Once our 30-minute deck building time was up, we drew our opponents. Lo and behold, Lewis and I were drawn together.

I’d shown Lewis the night before game’s key mechanics, having mimicked a couple decks from some doubles I’d brought with me. Naively, I assumed victory would be a doddle considering I’d played at least a dozen games against CPU opponents in the Online TCG app, but after a shake of hands and not five minutes later, he’d taken all four of his prize cards and won the game. In hindsight, my deck was weak but my draws were poor too. His Electabuzz - that he’d quickly evolved into Electivire - made quick work of my lacklustre, low-HP Yungoos’.

I got a bye in my second game, as there was an odd number of Masters and Seniors. It classed as a win, so I guess, I’m now an official Pokémon TCG winner after 20 years. It was in this reflection period I’d realised a huge mistake in surrounding my entire deck around Giratina that I had no use for, as I had zero energy cards - the life-blood in any Pokémon’s attacks - to accompany it. After a quick word with Nigel, I was able to reassemble a portion of my deck and be prepared for my final battle.

Despite that final bout ending in a draw, where no player had a conclusive victory once time was called, it was a much better game. I was able to formulate plans a little better and build a formidable offence, with just one move from victory.

With that, time was up. After we packed up our cards, collected our further three booster packs and said our thanks and goodbyes, Lewis and I, who finished 4th and 6th respectively, shut the shop door behind us leaving the fading bustle of ongoing pack opening excitement as we walked away. We talked about our final games and vouched to do it again, bringing as many people we thought would enjoy it as much as we did.

It took 20 or so years and the past five of collecting to actually take part in a live Pokémon Trading Card Game event. Everyone was so friendly, so willing to help and so appreciative of our slow play and gaps in our understanding. It showed that unlike my preconceptions, the Pokémon Trading Card Game isn’t just for kids. Whilst it’s unlikely to be the most hard-hitting and mature of games, you can’t mistake its charm and widespread appeal.

If you’ve ever been curious to play, fancied trying something new, got a bunch of cards you have locked away, or have been an on-and-off collector like myself with hundreds of cards spare, then grab a friend, look up the rules and just play, and maybe take part in an event or two. I only wish I'd done it sooner.

You can find events like the one I’ve talked about here on the official Pokémon website; there are literally hundreds going on all the time around the world. Check out this link in the UK and this link for the US to find an event near you.