Training through Playing the Main Series Games
Purchase a Pokémon game. There are many different versions of the Pokémon game. These are usually released in pairs and each has different features. If you have a favorite Pokémon that you must have on your team, do a quick Internet search before buying the game to check and see if the version you want has the Pokémon in question. The currently available versions are: Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, Silver, Gold, Crystal, Ruby, Sapphire, FireRed, LeafGreen, Emerald, Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, SoulSilver, Black, White, Black 2, White 2, X, Y, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, Sun, and Moon.
Collect your first Pokémon. The first thing you need to do on your journey to becoming a Pokémon is to collect your first Pokémon. In each game, there are different options for starting Pokémon which you are gifted by a local Pokémon professional, like Professor Oak in the original games. Usually, after meeting your local professional, you are offered one of the three main elemental types: grass, water, or fire. In some cases, you will be offered a fourth type, but this is a rare exception. In Pokémon Red, Blue, FireRed, and LeafGreen, choose from: Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle. Pokémon Yellow: only Pikachu. Pokémon Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, and SoulSilver: Chikorita, Cyndaquil and Totodile. Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire: Treecko, Torchic and Mudkip. Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum: Turtwig, Chimchar and Piplup. Pokémon Black, White, Black 2, and White 2: Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott. Pokémon X and Y: Chespin, Fennekin and Froakie. Pokémon Sun and Moon: Rowlet, Litten, and Popplio.
Study and exploit weaknesses and strengths. Each Pokémon has one or more elements it is associated with, so choosing the right element Pokémon for your battle can give you an advantage with more effective attacks and more resistant defense. Learn these elemental strengths and weaknesses so you can choose the right Pokémon for the right battle. With the symbol " > " representing strong against, " < " representing weakness to, and " X " representing zero effect, the types are:
Normal: < fighting; X ghost
Fire: > fire, grass, ice, bug, steel, fairy; < water, ground, rock
Water: > fire, water, ice, steel; < grass, electric
Grass: > water, grass, electric, ground; < fire, ice, poison, flying, bug
Electric: > electric, flying, steel; < ground
Flying: > grass, fighting, bug; < electric, ice, rock; X ground
Rock: > normal, fire, poison, flying; < water, grass, fighting, ground, steel
Bug: > grass, fighting, ground; < fire, flying, rock
Ghost: > psychic, ghost, fairy; < dark, ghost
Fairy: > dragon, dark, poison; < ghost, fighting, steel;
Psychic: > fighting, poison; < bug, ghost, dark
Steel: > ice, rock, fairy, dragon, grass;
Stock up on supplies. You will spend a long time traveling between towns in your Pokémon game, completing adventures, and fighting other Pokémon trainers along the way. Make sure you stop at your local shopping mart for potions to recover hit points (HP), antidotes to cure status (like poison), and a few spare Poké Balls to catch any wild Pokémon you run into along the way!
Strengthen your Pokémon. Now that you have a Pokémon and some supplies, you probably realize that it's not very strong, that it has a limited amount of abilities, and potentially an evolved form you can unlock through training. Your Pokémon will gain more abilities, improve its stats, and eventually evolve by gaining levels. You can raise your Pokémon's level by fighting it against wild Pokémon or the Pokémon of other trainers. Some players choose to save trainer battles for Pokémon that have difficulty gaining experience, as oftentimes trainer battles give you a greater than normal amount of experience points (XP). Some items, like Rare Candy, give your Pokémon an automatic boost. Use these items with caution; some are expensive, rare, or have a negative trade off. Rare Candy, as an example, cannot be bought, instantly raises the level of the Pokémon on which it is used, but does not give the full stat bonus you would receive from leveling up through battle.
Capture more Pokémon. If you want to be the very best, you need a team that you can call upon in any situation. A real trainer can manage a whole team of Pokémon, regardless of element or level. You can only capture wild Pokémon, and only by throwing a Poké Ball at it after weakening it. There is a chance that even Pokémon with low HP can break out of Poké Balls, so make sure you're fully supplied with Poké Balls. There are many different varieties of Poké Balls, with better quality Poké Balls having a higher chance of capture. Be conservative using your Master Ball, as it is one of the rarest Poké Balls and guarantees the capture of any wild Pokémon.
Create a Pokémon team. Now that you have a few different Pokémon to choose from, make a team of six to accompany you wherever you go. Try to keep the levels of your Pokémon balanced, as leveling one too high too fast might leave you reliant on that particular Pokémon. Having only one or two strong Pokémon might create difficulties for you down the line, when you run into an enemy that is unaffected by the element of your strong Pokémon. When making your team, try to select Pokémon with a wide range of abilities, or if you know your opponent prefers a type, choose your team accordingly. For example, when at the Fire Gym, you may want to include water and rock type Pokémon, as both are strong to fire attacks.
Care and pamper your Pokémon. After a battle, heal your Pokémon at a Pokémon Center. Pokémon Centers are places where you can heal your party for free. Also, you don't have to worry about them getting soft and losing their fighting edge. You can stop and rest, or talk with non-player characters here to learn more about the city you are in.
Collect the gym badges. You will need to collect gym badges in order to prove that you are a worthy trainer to your Pokémon and other trainers. Without badges, your higher level Pokémon may disobey you in battle. These badges will also prove that you are ready to face the Elite Four after you have collected each one. There are eight different gym leaders in most Pokémon games. In Pokémon Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, and SoulSilver, you can battle 16 gym leaders, the Johto League (Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, and SoulSilver), and the Kanto League (Red, Blue, Yellow, FireRed, and LeafGreen). Each gym leader uses different types of Pokémon, with the exception of gym leader Blue of Kanto, who does not specialize in one particular type.
Defeat the Pokémon league once you collect all gym badges. By beating gym leaders, you will gain more experience, learn more abilities, evolve your Pokémon -- all of which are necessary to become a diligent trainer. Possessing every badge also makes you eligible to take part in the Pokémon league, which varies by region, but usually involves you taking on the Elite Four. These are powerful trainers, so bring your best Pokémon and be ready for a difficult fight.
Become a Pokémon Champion. Every region has a champion that you can challenge in addition to the Elite Four. Beat the Pokémon Champion and prove that your method of training is the best.
Complete your Pokédex. In each game you should receive a Pokédex, or an electronic encyclopedia where you can look up Pokémon you have encountered. You can gain more detailed information for your Pokédex by catching the Pokémon, or even by gaining possession of a Pokémon for a short time, like when trading with other players using a wireless adapter or a GBA link cable. In Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal, Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, and LeafGreen, you must see and catch all of the Pokémon in order to complete your Pokédex. From version Gold and Silver onward, you can transfer your game data, adding the Pokémon you've already encountered in previous games. In Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, you only need to see all of the Pokémon to complete your Sinnoh Pokédex.
Connect to the internet in X, Y, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire. When you connect, you will be able to battle other people online to prove your training regimen is superior to all others!
Training through Collecting
Buy Pokémon figures or plushes. These can be bought online or at local toy stores. You can also purchase model Poké Balls so that you can pretend to be a trainer in real life! Choose one of your plushes as your starting Pokémon, and hide the others as "wild Pokémon" to be caught later.
Get a costume. There are many Pokémon costumes available to you at local costume shops, Halloween stores, or online. Some Pokémon costumes, like Squirtle or Aipom, are relatively easy to make and can be a fun crafts project to do with friends. Once you have a Pokémon costume, you can ask a friend to be your Pokémon, or take turns practicing being a trainer as you explore your imagination. A potential idea for a group costume is to dress up as Pokémon and trainers for a convention, costume party, or Halloween.
Make Pokémon food and items yourself. These can be used as accessories to a Pokémon themed costume, or even as an accessory to your daily attire. Make Pokémon treats using fruit chews, Pez, and hard candies, to list a few examples. Label your Pokéfood in a baggy or container and reward your Pokémon with these for all its hard work. Don't forget to reward your Pokémon for using the right moves. You should also remember the abilities your Pokémon has so you can coach them effectively in battle.
Collect Pokémon cards. You can buy packs of Pokémon cards at game or hobby stores, online, or at various other retailers. With these packs you can build a 60 card player deck, which you will fill with Pokémon cards, Trainer cards (cards with special effects activated by you, the trainer), and energy cards (cards used so Pokémon can perform attacks). You can purchase pre-made "Trainer kits," or "Theme Decks" that have everything necessary to play, or you can build your own deck from scratch.
Join other fans! There are Pokémon conventions, Pokémon card tournaments, and card markets. Look online or check local game or hobby stores to see if there are any local events you can join. It can be fun to offer a duel to another player by starting off with a catchphrase, much like non-player trainers do in the game. Something like, "My heart is beating for a battle!" might get some laughs and earn you a new friend.
Play and watch Pokémon with your friends. An effective trainer should have a comprehensive knowledge of Pokémon strengths, weakness, and abilities. You and your friends can deepen your knowledge by watching Pokémon movies, the TV show, reading trainer manuals and so on.
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