Tucson, AZ

Pokemon Trading Cards are as popular as ever. Trainers and collectors in Tucson can now come to the Heroes & Villains Gym to hone their skills under the tutelage of Gym Master Eric while battling other trainers from the Tucson area. The gym is located in the game room adjacent to Heroes and Villains Comics & Adventure at 4533 E. Broadway Blvd. (northwest corner of Swan and Broadway). We’ve been taking our young trainers there each Saturday from 1 to 4 pm, to learn the game and make some friends.

We’re hopelessly naive beginners—collectors, really—but that didn’t seem to matter. Gym Master Eric got us started with registration and briefly explained how to build a deck. Since we’d been collecting for a long time, we at least knew what he meant when he told us our decks should each contain 60 cards, with 20 Pokemon, 20 trainers, and 20 energy. My son Jack built a deck, my nephew Evan built a deck, and my mom built a deck. What Eric didn’t tell us is how insanely complicated the game is. Start with Basic Pokemon, like Charmander, Squirtle, and Pikachu. Include in your deck their evolved forms, but don’t forget to include the energies each Pokemon requires to attack, be they leaf, water, or fire. There’s just as much strategy involved in building your deck as there is in playing the game.

By this point only Evan had the fortitude required to proceed. He challenged Eric to a battle. Eric explained the basic rules of the game, helped Evan decipher the attacks outlined on his cards, and gently guided the game toward the inevitable conclusion: the Gym Master prevailed, but the trainer still had fun.

The other players didn’t seem to mind that six out of the seven in our posse weren’t really interested in playing the game, but were just there to enjoy the air conditioning and lend our support to the one member of our posse who was playing. There’s plenty to do, even if you’re not challenging another trainer to a Pokemon battle. The walls of the game room are adorned with lots of cool comic book and movie posters. The back counter is cluttered with HeroClix and Star Wars Minis, so you can get a taste of the other kinds of gaming hosted by Heroes & Villains. There’s a restroom in the back, the actual comic book store next door, Nadine’s Bakery two doors down, and a Jack in the Box within walking distance.

The trainers range in age from first grader to adult, with a core group of young men. Eric makes everyone feel welcome. Trainers challenge anyone in the room, and for the most part everyone is helpful. It’s a nice alternative to participation in outdoor sports leagues, which are unbearable in Tucson during the summer because of the heat. And Eric tells us that participation in the league is national—if you progress far enough, for long enough, there’s even potential to win college scholarships.

My son Jack—an avid collector—claims the game is too complicated, but I’m still encouraging him. Free college money is always good. So is free air conditioning and Pokemon camaraderie on a Saturday afternoon in Tucson.