Hey whats up poke people. This is my take on the 
"state of pokemon" issue. In case you were wondering yes i am extremely 
uncreative but if you like pokemon whatsoever read on This article is long but 
if you care even .1% about pokemon read this, trust me you dont want to miss it. 
First of all I think the current enviorment is bad but much better then it 
used to be. Before neo discovery was what i call the slowking era which REALLY 
REALLY SUCKED. Games were decided on who got out slowking first who had the best 
cards in the head and who got the most heads with sneasel. turn one was and 
still is exteremely important and many people get screwed on the first turn. 
Games are often decided on what happens on the first and second turn. What fun 
is a game when theres nothing you can do  but attack? Sometimes you cant 
even attack against trap decks and your avctive pokemon becomes a vegtable. Now 
im OK with these decks but only one of the types. There are two. They both Are 
used to screw the opponents trainers,pokemon, etc.  Only one isnt fair 
- Slowking. Slowking makes your game unfun and unhappy. The other kind also 
hurts your trainers and gives fair chance which is lacking in the game. This is 
the Dark Vileplume deck. basically everything else is fair. People say Rocket's 
Zapdos isnt but hello any thing that does damage to itself isnt perfect.  
Your probably thinking "how sad he hasnt been introduced to gold berry yet" 
wrong. Gold Berry heals the damage but guess what - you have one less Gold 
Berry. People Say wiggly isnt fair  too. Two words - SproutTower. I think 
that people around this time should be glad there not exposed to this 
enviorment. The happy go lucky kids at my pokemon leauge make fun of me for not 
playing more then 1 evolution in any of my decks while theres are chockful 
with stage 2 pokes. I would love do have seen their faces at the sts.The first 
time i realized the enviorment sucked was when i was cut off of all fun by 
Slowking. The strategy at this time was 0. You had to be harsh to win and play 
with cheap cards.The first turn is crucial and whoever wins the coin flip almost 
gurantees a win. When someone wins they dont think "Yeah! i like my 
strategy" they think thank god i won the flip.  So now the only real 
cheap unfun card is that damned Slowking. Now to the current period which i call 
the igglybuff period which gives you wide playing opportunities and cures all 
the problems these DM's write about. Igglybuff totally anhilates slowking and 
tose cheap dominant decks. Its a must in every tourney deck like oak and cleffa. 
It destroys the cheap decks and  brings back the cool wons. Igglybuff is my 
savior. People say that you must win the flip and do something like 
lass/eeeeeeek on the first turn.  Not anymore the enviorment is great now 
for the bad news. The new rules. If these follow up in America ill be sick. 30 
deck size. Play a single oak And your screwed. hand + prize + oak = less then 10 
cards in your deck. Speed is insane and its not fun again because theres few 
turns. Also evolving basic and stage one pokemon are eliminated never to be seen 
again. I have seen the VS set. No counter part basics.  Raichu but no pika. 
beedrill but no weedle or kakuna. Strategy is now gone. You may be thinking YES! 
80 hp basics. Wrong. Most of them were 60. Remember 90 HP hypno? it has 60. 
Pokemon previously with 100+ HP are dropped to 70 and no more. I dont know what 
the japanese were drinking when they thought of this but were the only ones, the 
players that can stop this hell that will hit the game ten times as worse as 
slowking - with no igglybuffs in sight.  Lets hope we never get this 
"worldwide common edition" there so excited about. And if we do - be in for a 
bumpy ride. 
 
Cya and good luck hope you liked my first article 
which may have seen unbearably long - Rob