Trainer Tips

        Becoming a Pokemon trainer is a fun, exciting, sometimes dangerous, and always interesting experience. Pokemon live untamed and untrained in the wild. When you turn ten years old, you are eligible to receive a license from the Pokemon League to begin your quest as a Pokemon trainer. As Professor Oak said, your mission is to go on a Pokemon journey collecting individuals from each of the known species of Pokemon. Then you can teach them how to grow into the best Pokemon they can be. You will train them for battle, trade them with other trainers, and most important, become their friend.

        Your journey takes place in cities, forests, rivers, oceans, caves, and the roads in between. The towns and cities are the centers of action. Each one has a Pokemon Center where Pokemon can recover after each battle. You can also log onto the computers there to check in with Professor Oak in order to see how you're doing compared to other trainers, and store your Pokemon in a special storage system. There are also Poke Marts that sell Poke Balls and other supplies, and a gym where you can practice battling with other trainers and test your skills against the Gym Leader.

        Trainers start their quest in their own hometown. Ash Ketchum and many other new trainers began their journey in Pallet Town. That's where Professor Oak - the Pokemon expert - has his lab. He gives all of Pallet Town's new trainers their very first Pokemon and their own Pokedex. But the outskirts of town are definetely not boring. The towns and cities are connected by paths, grassy fields, and forests. This is where most of the wild Pokemon live. That means tons of Pokemon to battle, catch, and add to your growing collection.

        Keep in mind that each Pokemon is special. They won't stand to be mistreated. If you put a Pokemon into a situation that it doesn't like, or if you're mean to it, it won't listen to you. It might even go to sleep in the middle of a battle. Most of all, Pokemon just want to be your Poke friends!