Getting a child started with Pokémon: a guide for parents

Five Pokémon products share one name and work separately

The main-series games run on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2: one player, a region to explore, Pokémon to catch and train. The paper card game is a physical trading card game sold as decks and packs and played at a table or at store events. TCG Pocket is a phone app with digital cards opened from free daily packs and quick matches. Pokémon GO is a phone app that uses real-world location: the child or adult walks, and Pokémon appear on a map. Pokémon Unite is a free team battle game on Switch and phones, in matches of about ten minutes, and its service ends on 23 March 2027. Each keeps its own collection, so cards from a pack never appear in an app.

Each Pokémon game carries its own ESRB and PEGI rating

Scarlet and Violet and Sword and Shield are rated E for Everyone by the ESRB in North America and PEGI 7 in Europe, for mild fantasy or cartoon violence. Legends: Z-A is rated E10+ for fantasy violence by the ESRB and PEGI 7, and the Switch FireRed and LeafGreen are E10+ for mild fantasy violence and simulated gambling, and PEGI 3. Nintendo's UK store lists Champions at PEGI 7 and Pokémon Unite at PEGI 16, for in-game purchases that include random items. Phone apps such as GO and Pocket are rated through the app stores, and the store listing shows both the age rating and whether the app offers in-app purchases. The paper card game is a toy and game product, so ESRB and PEGI do not rate it; the box shows a recommended minimum age instead.

A parent account sits above every child account

Each line has its own account. Switch games use a Nintendo Account; a child account sits in the parent's family group, and the free Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app sets play time, purchase limits and communication settings from the parent's phone. Event entry for the card game and the video games uses a Pokémon Trainer Central account, formerly Pokémon Trainer Club, with an organised play player ID; for a child below the digital age of consent in their country, a parent with their own account adds the child's account. Pokémon GO asks children under 13 to sign in with a Kids @ Scopely Explore or Trainer Central child account, which a parent approves. Pocket links to a Nintendo Account, Google or Apple, and younger players can link only a Nintendo Account; Unite saves through a Nintendo Account, Trainer Central, Google or Apple. Set each up together the first time.

Starting one hobby line takes one product

For the Switch games, starting is one game, plus a Switch if the household has none; Scarlet or Violet is the usual first pick, and the which-game page sets out the others. For the paper card game, starting is one two-player starter product, such as a Battle Academy box or a pair of theme decks, which come with ready-made decks and a rules sheet so two people can learn at a table in an evening. Booster packs add cards but teach nothing on their own. GO, Pocket and the free TCG Live app cost nothing to start. In-app purchases are optional and can be blocked or limited through the device or account settings.

A first league night or card show follows a set pattern

A Pokémon League is a regular, casual session at a local game store, usually weekly. Players bring a deck or a Switch, an organiser pairs them, and newcomers are often lent a deck and taught. Store events are listed on the official Event Locator at events.pokemon.com. Sanctioned tournaments place children by birth year in Junior, Senior and Masters divisions, so a young child plays other young children. A card show is different: a hall of dealer tables buying, selling and trading cards, usually with an entry fee, cash common at the tables and a busy floor. Bring the child's binder, a few spare sleeves and a set time to leave.

Trading goes best when an adult holds the binder

A few habits make a trade between children easy to check before it is final. The adult holds the binder and turns the pages, so cards leave only when the child and adult agree. Cards stay in their sleeves until the trade is settled, which protects them and makes the trade easy to reverse at the table. Lay the two cards side by side and agree a swap that both children can describe in their own words. Ask to see the other card out of its sleeve, since Pokémon Support's counterfeit page recommends holding a card up to a bright light, and use the printing details on the card itself. A child can always say they want to think about it.

Limit. Settle the trade at the table, cards side by side; once both children walk away, most stores and shows treat it as final.