Dear Pojo

First, I am quite aware this topic is complained and criticized about a lot, but this is about kids trading cards and playing the card game, and their parents and what they think about it. True, I have run into instances where young children (anywhere from five-ten years old) want to trade cards and like to play the game, but are not fully aware of the rules of each. When these kids attempt to trade cards, many times they ask their parents for advice on whether or not the trade is acceptable. First of all, the parents just want to keep their kids "safe" and don't want them to be cheated with trades of older kids. They just want to be sure their kids' cards are protected and are not cheated out of. But, the truth is, many of these parents do not know exactly how much each card is worth, and find trades of "2 cards for 1" or "many cards for a holo" is nothing but a ripoff. Many parents restrict their kids from trading or battling, which is a very good reason not to take their kids to a public location, where much of this is going on. If these kids want to know if a trade is fair, they should ask a gym leader or an employee who works at the site. Also, on the subject of battling (kids young AND old), who aren't certain how to play the game, can cause many problems and disagreements within battles. True, these kids can be annoying, but don't treat them bad. Just explain to them the rules, and where they messed up. If that doesn't work, then they need to consult a gym leader or a tutor to help them fully learn and enjoy the game. Basically, the bottom line with this is, parents should give their kids some freedom and let them do some things they want to do, and let them have fun.

Second, I am not entirely upset about people copying others' decks and playing them. The only thing with this is, new, creative decks can sometimes easily beat those who are copied much. If some people just took the time to create their own decks from preferability and innovation, they might find some new strategy to win, because many people out there copy other decks, and some create. You never know what the other player will do, so you should create your own and come up with many different combinations that can help you win.

Third, Pokémon is only a game. Therefore, you should have fun and play fair. It is not all about winning, or having the best cards. It's about agreeing and being fair to each other. When I play with my friends (or some people I don't know), I play fair and tell them after each game that it was a very good game and that I had fun. This will make you feel better if you lost (or make the other person feel better if they lost), and will prevent any rivalries, so future battles will also be fun.