CREDIT: LAM LE
Gotta catch 'em all!

Now is the time to try out a Pokémon RPG (role-playing game) if you haven’t already. Exploring the vast regions, meeting dynamic characters, and finding a variety of interesting Pokémon is a lot of fun, whether you’re playing a classic title on your Game Boy or one of the newer games on the Nintendo Switch.

The RPGs come with their own set of unique features to set them apart from each other, but the concept is roughly the same for each game: try to catch ‘em all and become the best trainer in the region.

Whether you’re new to the beloved Nintendo franchise or want to play the games again after playing on your device for the last time, here are some dos and don’ts when trying out a Pokémon RPG.


Do: Study before forming your team. Each Pokémon has one type or a combination of two and their advantages and disadvantages. Studying types and type matchups is your best bet to gain an overall understanding of the game and to form a balanced team with multiple types so you’re prepared for any battle. Your team should also have a combination of moves that strengthen your team and weaken your opponent’s so you can be the very best, like no one ever was.

Great online guides with everything you need to know about Pokémon include serebii.net, marriland.com, bulbagarden.net, and pokemondb.net.

Don’t: Be rigid when it comes to picking Pokémon. Every trainer knows what Pokémon they like and dislike. Unless you trade and/or use codes from special events, there’s a fair chance you won’t be able to catch ‘em all 896 (and counting) Pokémon.

Some Pokémon are version-exclusive and several Pokémon weren’t included in the most recent RPGs, Sword and Shield. Since neither game has the National Pokédex feature, you can’t even transfer other Pokémon from other games if they’re unavailable in Sword and Shield.

Sure, it’s disappointing when your favourite Pokémon aren’t found in certain games, but that presents an opportunity to learn about other Pokémon.

Not going to lie — all eight generations have some Pokémon with ridiculous names and/or designs. Don’t rule the silly ones out either. You never know, you might find a new favourite.

Do: Know that the story-mode ease partly depends on the game itself. For the first five generations, you have to memorize type matchups and spend hours training each Pokémon to ideal levels. Going through the Pokémon League and facing the Elite Four and the Champion was a challenge. Unless you have an overpowered Pokémon knocking down the competition, it’s likely the Pokémon League battles occurred multiple times until victory.

Now, your whole team levels up quickly with or without battling and the game now tells you how effective damage-dealing moves are against your opponent. The Elite Four and the Champion in the 3DS games like X and Y are easy to defeat compared to past games, so becoming the new Champion barely feels like an accomplishment.

Regardless of what game you play and who you pick as your starter, however, you’ll find it manageable if you have a balanced team at proper levels. Then again, facing Gym Leader Whitney’s Miltank in the Gold, Silver, Crystal and their remakes HeartGold and SoulSilver is a brutal time with any team.

Don’t: Underestimate the power of online battling. There’s more at stake when battling friends and strangers on the internet, regardless of your levels and a well balanced team. You’ll need to know a variety of held items inside and out, and come up with a winning strategy.

I’m not an online battling expert at all, but the best approach is to make it as hard as possible for your opponent to defeat you. Saving previous battles to your game’s VS recorder also gives you a sense of where to improve. In some games, you can practise with older battles as if you’re in a rematch.

Do: Get a little competitive when you play with friends. What’s a good game without a little competition? If you’re like me and lose in competitive battles often, winning is a great accomplishment. Some friends who are more seasoned at online battling can also help you improve. Since the story mode is single-player, you can enjoy Pokémon on your own, but competitive battling is fun with fellow gamers.

Don’t: Create a poisoned environment for fellow trainers. This applies to new and long-time fans, whether they’re playing Pokémon or talking about it on social media. It’s OK to be a friendly competitor, find flaws in the games, and laugh at memes about how certain Pokémon seem to get all of the attention.

What’s not OK is making people feel pathetic about how they play Pokémon, which Pokémon are their favourites, and ultimately turn something playful and encouraging into something hostile and judgemental.

There was a lot of social media outcry surrounding Sword and Shield leading up to the games’ release to the point where part of the fan base became more toxic than the TM (teachable move).

Back in my day, playing Pokémon was just about having fun. Let’s make Pokémon fun again and enjoyable for all by keeping poison as a Pokémon type.