DECK TIPS:WHAT TO INCLUDE

    Here is what your should have in your deck.
1.Pokemon-Your deck shoud have a variety of pokemon.  Your Pokemon can either
help your theme or just be backup.  So if you have a status effect deck you
might want pokemon like Koffing, Tangela, Lickitung, Venomoth, Gloom, etc. 
Some Backup pokemon might be like Ivysaur, Jigglypuff, and Farfetch'd. 
(Those are only examples.)  You should mostly theme-related pokemon and a few
backup.  If your pokemon evolve, make it good ratio-wise.  Make it 4-2-1,
4-2,     3-2-1, 3-2, 3-2-2, 4-3, 4-3-2, 4-3-3, 2-1, 3-1, etc.  Don't have
something like 1-1 or especially 1-1-1.  If you want a stage 1 early in the
game, make it 4-3 or maybe even 4-4.  Don't throw in useless pokemon like
Haunter and Gastly.  You shouldn't have less than 13 Basics or you'll
probably run out of pokemon.  I was reading the killer deck section and I saw
that like 60% of the victories were from the opponents having no benched
pokemon left.  Also, try to think of what your pokemon's weaknesses would be.
 If you have a mono-grass deck with the Beedrill, Venusaur, and the Exeggutor
family, then maybe you should take out 1 of the families and add in a
Colorless or Psychic-weak grass(like Nidos) because all of those pokemon are
fire-weak.  Also, if all your Pokemon do little damage, then try adding more
damaging Pokemon or try adding PlusPowers.  If all your Pokemon have low HP
add Defenders or Potion. 

Trainers:  Add trainers that work well with your pokemon.  If you have
Venusaurs then add Pokecenters.  If you have fire then add Energy Retrievals.
 Trainers can also fit your theme. if you have a stall theme, add Defenders
and Potions and Scoop up.  Scoop up works for Damage Swap themes too.  For
RainDance add Oaks to get more energy and Breeders/Traders to get Blastoise
out early.  Also add trainers that are essential for most decks-Bill, Oak,
etc.  Don't use a Trainer that is useless like PlusPower in a stall deck or
Pokeflute in a deck without a GOW.

Energy: Make sure you have enough energy to run your deck.  If you play
Charizard, you need tons of energy.  If You play Venusaur you need less
energy.  Say you deck is: 4 Hitmonlee, 4 Hitmonchan, 4 Machop, and 2 Onix. 
Onix uses 2 energy, Hitmonlee uses 3, Hitmonchan uses 3, and Machop uses 1.
So: 2 Onix -4 energy
      4 'lees -12 energy
      4 'chans-12 energy
      4 Machops- 4 energy
      TOTAL:  30
  30 is a bit large, so it's ok to lower it a little-to 28.  From there you
can add energy retrieval and make it 26 energy.

Until I write again....
 P.S.  I use Grass for lots of examples because it's my FAVORITE type.


By Pando                    E-mail: Pando333