Pokémania

Pondering Pokémon

You don't have to do much poking around to discover that Pokémon, which stands for "pocket monster," is a big deal. But if you're not part of the four to 12 set, or parents of members of said set, you might be in the dark. According to the official Pokémon Web Site, www.pokemon.com, "Pokémon is the general name given to the many creatures found in the Pokémon universe. There are over 150 different types of Pokémon, and each type has a unique name (Pikachu, Charmander, etc.). These Pokémon are the stars of video games for Game Boy Color and Nintendo 64, trading card games and cartoons." And, we should add, books. But this definition doesn't answer the question, What is the allure of these beasties? We took it to the streets and asked kids themselves why they like Pokémon so much. Luke-Taylor, age seven, responded, "Pokémon cards are good to trade with your buddies." Calvin, age nine, said, "It's a big hit, and I like collecting cards and trading with my friends. I think they're cool." Drew, age ten, "mew-sed," "I like Pokémon because it's cool. I like to play the card games, and I like to trade, and that's about it." Okay, so this doesn't exactly solve the mystery.

But one thing we do know, Pokémon is here to stay (at least until the new craze comes along). And we found at least 40-odd books to further attest to Pokémon popularity, among them: Pokémon Trivia Book, Pokémon 2000 Collector's Value Guide, Pokémon: The Unauthorized Guide, and Pokémon Standees.

There are activity books, sticker books, adventure kits, origami kits, Internet guides, postcard books, strategy guides, movie tie-in guides, tattoo books, and more. Those Beanie babies must be jealous wrecks.


A League of Their Own

Across North America, fans of the Pokémon trading card game now have the opportunity to be a part of the official Pokémon Trading Card Game League, a program designed to encourage the positive experience of playing the Pokémon trading card game.

With a focus on fostering social interaction rather than competition, the Pokémon Trading Card Game League rewards all Pokémon trainers with points toward a trainer badge for participating in various Pokémon-related activities during each league season. Pokémon trainers can continue to earn points after receiving a trainer badge in order to obtain a Technical Machine (TM), or a strategy hint. All activities will be facilitated by a Gym Leader and range from collecting Pokémon game cards to "battling" with other Pokémon trainers.

As an added bonus for joining the league, participants can earn unique cards available only through the Pokémon Trading Card Game League. Including new game mechanics and artwork, these promotional-only cards will be a hit with collectors as well as those building their most strategic decks for battling. Among those cards will be the highly anticipated Mew card, which will make its debut this month.

Registration fees for each six-week season of the Pokémon Trading Card Game League will vary, and space is limited. The official Pokémon Trading Card Game League will be held at retail stores around the United States and Canada. For a complete list of participating retailers and further details on the Pokémon Trading Card Game League, visit www.wizards.com/Pokemon.


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