Voltorb43's Trainers 101: Introduction
(As seen on Pokeschool!!!)

TRAINERS 101 Chapter 1 - Introduction by Voltorb43 I've watched hundreds of kids open Pokemon booster packs and seen the delighted smiles at getting an exceptionally good Pokemon. However, I have NEVER seen a kid get excited over getting a Trainer, not even a really good one. While it's true that not even a holo Trainer has the glamour of a Charizard or Blastoise, experienced Pokemon players know something that beginners usually have to find out the hard way. Pokemon may be cool, but Trainers win games. This is the first in a series of articles about Trainers in the game of Pokemon. It is designed to introduce novice players to many of the good Trainers in the game and to point out a few that aren't as good as many new players think they are. Beginners rarely recognize just how important Trainers are in a Pokemon deck. They think that since it's the Pokemon doing the fighting, all you need for a good deck is a group of good Pokemon with big attacks. They don't realize that without the proper Trainer support, their big attackers can very easily spend most of the battle still in the draw pile or without enough energy to fight. In each succeeding article, I will deal with a different general way in which Trainers are used to turn the tide of battle in your favor. Along the way, I'll point out some of the basic ways certain Trainers can work with other Trainers, and show you some Trainers and Pokemon that work well together. I'll also touch on some of the basic fundamentals of building good decks, starting right now with Rule #1: A competitive Pokemon deck MUST have a battle plan and every card in it should contribute in some way to executing that plan. You cannot build a good deck by simply putting together a group of "good" Pokemon and filling it out with whatever Trainers you just happen to have. You must have a strategy and your Trainers must support it. Understand, though, that it takes time and practice to learn how to build really good decks and become a really good player. Most good players will be happy to help you so don't be afraid to ask them. There are many different Trainers to choose from when you're building a deck and they are used for a number of different purposes. Some help you find cards you need. Others are powerful weapons that do something bad to your opponent like taking away his energy. Still others do something good for you like protecting your Pokemon from being damaged. A good deck will have several different Trainers performing different tasks. In chapter 2, we'll look at one of the most important things Trainers do for a deck--making sure you get your Pokemon ready to fight before your opponent does.

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