Why Don’t You Play Pokémon TCG?

Back in my primary school days, I was quite passionate about the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG). During those years, I would often borrow my friends' cards because I didn't have enough good ones to form a decent deck on my own. However, the lack of a consistent interest from my friends during secondary school made me pause my game for a few years. Things looked up briefly around the middle of secondary school when my parents bought some recently-released cards from a garage sale. I even tried to get a recent theme deck and some booster packs, but the problem was, it was difficult to find people to play with.

Now, in a larger city, I noticed a more active Pokémon TCG community. However, the cost of keeping up with the latest TCG sets and trends seemed too high. I wasn't interested in that level of commitment, as I was more invested in the Pokémon video games. Since then, I've been following the digital world, which has introduced online options for the TCG, but haven't yet taken the plunge. I have other hobbies that keep me busy, and that’s where my focus lies for now.

My Journey Through the Pokémon TCG

Initially, I was quite enthusiastic about the game, following the early series like Jungle, Fossil, and the Team Rocket Gym Leaders. However, after the “Neo” sets, things took a turn for the worse. The game seemed to get progressively dumbed down, with ideas that were illogical and redundant.

The introduction of “crystal type” Pokémon, which were colorless and had multiple energy types on their attacks for no reason, and the sheer number of cards that tried to create “new” Pokémon without making sense in the Pokémon universe, were particularly problematic. Even the Pokémon anime seemed more logical than the card game at this point. This deterioration in quality led to a decline in my interest in the card game, despite my continued enjoyment of the Pokémon video games.

The Decline in Quality of Pokémon TCG Cards

The card game's downward spiral continued as they randomly reclassified Pokémon types. Poison-type Pokémon, once grouped with Grass types, were lumped into the Psychic category, seemingly just to be different. Other types like Dragon and Fairy also got their own card types, which seemed unnecessary and illogical.

To compound the issue, moves like splitting Rock from Fighting made Rock-types randomly bad against Flying types, with no discernible reason. These changes appeared to be more about aping trends than making sense in the context of the Pokémon universe. The end result was a game that felt like it was created by a malfunctioning AI rather than a talented designer.

Given the myriad problems and inconsistencies, it’s no wonder that I lost interest in the card game, while still enjoying the video games and the ongoing online evolution of the TCG.

Conclusion

While the Pokémon TCG once held a special place in my heart, the recent changes and degradations in the game's quality have led me to prioritize my other interests. If you were considering picking it back up, you might want to give it a second look to see if it has changed for the better. Meanwhile, the online options can still provide a way to keep the spirit of Pokémon alive, even if you can't get together with friends to play in person.