Even around the turn of the millennium, when Pokémon cards were entirely new, more kids seemed to collect them than played the game. In a way, this was to be expected. After all, the video games the cards were based on egged players on to “catch them all!” So when the little monsters showed up on paper, kids continued what they had begun on their Game Boys.
But the Pokémon Trading Card Game was always conceived as a game. It was meant for you to play and battle other trainers—also just like in the video game, by the way. I did build decks and play matches, even attended the local Pokémon league on a regular basis for a while. But since getting back into collecting some 25 years later, outside of the odd virtual match here and there, I hadn’t played the original card game at all. Yesterday, that changed.
Around the time I rejoined the hobby, The Pokémon Company released a special box: Pokémon Trading Card Game Classic. It was a set designed to play, with three decks built around the original starter Pokémon but including many cards from over the years. It even came with a full playing board, damage counters, and so on. Online, people mostly argued the price was too high, that it would not be a great investment, yada yada…but I knew it was perfect for someone like me—someone who wants to get back in the game without getting lost in all the new rules and mechanics.
So for a while now, that box had been sitting at my parents’ house, fully prepped, ready to go. There was only one problem: Who would play with me? Yesterday, I finally found a fellow trainer: My fiancée agreed to give it a go. It was more fun than she expected! I quickly brushed up on the rules, explained them to her, and we were off, looking to see who can evolve their starter Pokémon first, knock out some mons, and take the prize. Besides still being a fun game a quarter century later even in its most basic variant, I have to say: Playing the game, using the cards for their intended purpose, added a new sense of depth to my collecting.
First, there’s the matter of actually reading the attacks on the cards before you slap them into your binder. I tried to do that already beforehand, but now I’m even more curious to do so. To see how they might fit into the deck I’ve already played.
Second, it makes you appreciate the many variants of the same card that exist in the game. A strong card in competitive play is cool—even if it’s not the rarest version. I think I’ll value common cards a bit more from now on.
It’s easy to slap a beautiful painting on your wall but never actually, properly look at it again. It’s one thing to point at it when visitors stop by. But do you still stand in front of it and admire the art?
If your car is your pride and joy, there’s nothing wrong with cleaning it every weekend. But do you still take it for proper drives, too? Do you ever take it to the race track or a setting where it can stretch into its potential?
Whether it’s a hobby or precious acquisition: Shine a light from all angles on the things you care about. Enjoy your favorite way of interacting with them, but keep trying new ones. Add more color to an already-shimmering diamond! Most of all, follow the rules from time to time. Get back to basics. Put tools to their intended purpose.
Even if all it’ll do is make you a happier collector, every now and then, use the cards to play.
