| Pokemon Cards: What Parents Need to Know |
| What is Pokemon? |
| What should you do with Pokemon cards? |
| What Are the Different Types of Pokemon Cards? |
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| What are Pokemon Expansion and Booster Packs? |
| How to tell if a Pokemon card is rare? |
| How to play the Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG)? |
Your kid is obsessed with Pokemon cards but you have no idea what to do with them or where to start? Here's everything you need to know.
Pokemon Cards: What Parents Need to Know
Your kid has traded their toy trains and cars for Pokemon cards, but you don't understand half of what they're talking about. What is Pokemon? What is a booster pack? What is a trainer? And who is that Pikachu friend it keeps mentioning? Your child will likely always be one step ahead in their Pokemon knowledge, but this guide is a great place to start.
What is Pokemon?
Pokemon is a Japanese brand that has been around for over 20 years (2021 marked the 25th anniversary!). Short for "pocket monster," it exists as a television series, trading card game, video game, and toy. The Pokemon themselves are creatures that live in the wild or with their owner (like your child). The owners are referred to as trainers. The goal of the trainer is to catch "all" and by "all" we mean all over 1000 different Pokemon.
What to do with Pokemon cards
Younger kids (let's say preschool through first grade) tend to just collect and trade the cards. When they learn to read, they may also want to play the trading card game. The purpose of collecting the cards is to build a strong deck of 60 cards, which is used to win "battles" against other trainers. But your child might just be interested in collecting the cards that the child likes the most or that they find valuable. Each pack of cards is different, so if your child doesn't have any cards (or only a few), you might want to start with a theme deck : such a deck consists of 60 cards that comes in a small cardboard or metal box. Theme decks also come with a coin and cardboard markers that can be used in-game to decide which player goes first or to count damage to the Pokemon cards, but you can also use dice to do this. Cards are also available in 10-card booster packs, in tin boxes , or in blister packs .
New cards are usually released each time a new season of the television series comes out - your child might refer to this as a new "generation" or "series". The new series also usually coincides with the latest video game titles. Currently, the trading card game is still in its eighth generation, so all newer card collections will have " Sword & Shield " on the box . However, Pokemon is gearing up for the release of its ninth generation of trading cards from March 2023, dubbed " Crimson & Crimson ".
What Are the Different Types of Pokemon Cards?
In the Pokemon universe, there are three different categories of cards that you will find in any deck : Pokemon character cards, Energy cards, and Trainer cards.
Pokemon character cards
These cards are sent into battle and are the focal point of trading cards. Each Pokemon has a type (there are 11 in the Trading Card Game), such as Fire, Water, Psycho, Metal, or Dragon. Each Pokemon card also shows in the upper-left corner how "evolved" the Pokemon is - whether it's in its base form, first stage, or second stage. The shiny cards your kid will probably want the most are the Legendary Pokemon. They don't evolve and are some of the most powerful cards in the trading card game. They are usually only available in booster packs or in special boxes .
energy cards
These cards are required to power your Pokemon in-game, you'll always find basic Energy cards in every single pack you buy. There are also special Energy cards that give a different type of boost depending on the type of Pokemon.
trainer cards
These are cards you can use for items, supports, and arenas during battle. Any special rules of these cards are listed at the bottom of the card. Elite Trainer Boxes are highly sought after and make great gifts.
My child wants a Pokemon EX card, GX card, or V card. What is that?
Those Pokemon cards that have "EX", "GX" or "V" written next to the character name are more powerful and have cooler art. Since they can sometimes be shiny or holographic, they are very popular with children and are very popular to collect.
What are Pokemon Expansion and Booster Packs?
An expansion is a new set of cards released within a specific generation or series. Each expansion release contains around 100-200 new cards. There is no way to purchase an entire expansion at once. Instead, you buy them in booster packs, which consist of 10 cards to add to your current collection. These are usually grouped thematically within a specific expansion, meaning the cards in them can be any cards released within that expansion set. With the ninth generations of Pokemon video games, Pokemon Crimson and Pokemon Purple ( Scarlet and Violet ) released in November 2022, their associated card series and expansion packs were announced for March 2023. However, your child may still want cards from older expansion packs, including those from previous generations such as Sword & Shield , Sun & Moon , XY , Black & White , Diamond & Pearl, or the EX series.
How to tell if a Pokemon card is rare?
A small icon in the lower right corner of the card indicates the rarity. A circle means the card is common, a diamond means the card is medium rarity, and a star means the card is rare. Hologram cards that glitter always have stars on them.
How to play the Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG)?
There are many ways your child can learn the trading card game. The best way is with a theme deck . It includes a ready-to-play deck that your child can use to learn the game step-by-step. Once your child is familiar with it, you can expand the deck with booster packs, tins or special boxes . There are also great resources online where your child can learn how to play: the Pokemon website offers a virtual tutorial, but you can also find game rules and guidelines for each generation online . If your child is unsure, they can also ask their friends if they can teach the game.
