Discussion What Counts as a Legal Pokemon Player?

Metallic Stick

Metallic Stick

Lonely Metal User
Member
First of all, this is going to be a discussion so weird, that just go crazy about your assumptions, I want this to be a fun discussion.

What is considered to be a "Pokemon Trainer"?

So as odd that question may be, it comes down to this:

I've been teaching my rabbits how to play pokemon tcg, one of them is catching on with how evolving works (which is quite interesting) and the other is more interested in eating the cards (all common cards I have excess of when she plays).

I've been wondering, since nothing like this has ever been considered, if a rabbit could play the tcg (albeit with a human handler shuffling, drawing, and holding the hand) and actually have a match, would the rabbit be able to go to tournaments?

Keep in mind, this was a little expierement to see if you could even teach rabbits recognition of things that had rules attached. I, in no way, will continue after teaching a rabbit evolution for a month. But it was a thought that came to mind since I did get that far with this one rabbit.

He is stubborn though, and an animal, so he likes to do what he wants... unless celery is involved, he might be more inclined to do what you ask.

In short, if an animal learned how to play the tcg, could they be legal trainers and sign up for matches? (with a handler of course)
 
Well actually the tournament rules do define a Play! Pokémon Member as a person so the rabbits aren't persons and can't be Play! Pokémon Members. Among the types of defined "Persons" one is a player. A player is someone who has a Pokémon Trainer Club ID number, which I guess is the closest to a Pokémon Trainer you'll get in the real world. Sorry bunnies, no Pokémon tournaments for you.
 
oh where's that eps of south park about chickens playing magic.

doubt you'd every be able to get an animal allowed to play in a tcg, as a handler by itself would be against the rules.

you might be better off trying to teach an animal the online tcg, as then the handler is the program, and the opponents are either AI or don't know its animal they are playing against.

I know some types of ape/monkeys have been taught sign language don't see why they can't be taught a tcg.
 
I'm pretty sure handlers are allowed in the event that a player has a disability. I know for sure because there is a player in the competitive tcg community who needs his mother to shuffle,search,attach, and other such things.
Of course he is in fact a human and I imagine a rabbit with a player id is against the rules but it is an interesting experiment.
 
This reminds me of the scene in Pokémon: The First Movie where Mewtwo claims he is the world's greatest Pokémon trainer. Ash and the other humans in the room dispute this, claiming a Pokémon can't be a trainer. Mewtwo then proceeds to kick their butts with his cloned Pokémon.

While that's a fantasy world where real life politics don't apply, it does raise an interesting question. In philosophical terms, the definition of a person and a human aren't necessarily identical. In addition to animals, computers have been programmed to play many games, including Pokémon. PTCGO's Trainer Challenge opponents are rather easy to beat even on the highest difficulty, but they are nonetheless non-humans (in this case artificial intelligence) capable of playing the Pokémon TCG, and know all of its rules. So that's a cool question then. If a computer can play the game then why not an animal?

As far as Play! Pokemon's rules go however, I don't think a rabbit could get onto a computer and create a Pokémon.com account to register their Play! Pokemon ID.
 
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MarshalBry said:
Would the rabbit not need to be old enough to count as a Junior? Do rabbits live that long?
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There is no minimum age requirement for Juniors. Currently it specifies that Juniors are born in 2006 or later. If an infant was able to play the game then they would be considered a Junior. IT should be noted that a basic reading ability is required in order to play, but animals have been taught to read.
 
MarshalBry said:
Would the rabbit not need to be old enough to count as a Junior? Do rabbits live that long?
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Depending on the breed and health, a rabbit can live for 8-10 years. My rabbits are either a fully grown rabbit around 8 months (the mother) or a youngster entering his 4th month (one of the babies)

AuraJackle said:
Also if they lost would they die. Rabbits can die from sadness
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Rabbits can die from anything. Fear, depression, saddness, sickness, the sight of other animals, the scent of other animals, temperature, some can die from just being picked up, or by other rabbits.

*edit, after doing the math, our mother rabbit is actually 10-11 months and is carrying another litter. I might see how far I can get with these buns since I did start around 3 months for the youngster.

Also, I don't believe they would die from saddness at losing a battle. I feel like if they would die from saddness, it would be akin to a bonded pair where one passes leaving the other depressed and sad.
 
This is the coolest thread I have ever come across. Though I unfortunately don't really have much to add to it. In some countries, Dolphins (and maybe chimps?) are legally considered non-human persons, and are legally protected. While a dolphin wouldn't work, a chimp could possibly be trained to understand the card game and react to some more common meta strats from opponents, and could handle and draw and play cards on his own, given that they have thumbs and a modest degree of patience. I think this would only work in the actual countries where tournaments are held, and these animals have those legal rights and recognition. (ie: not in the USA)

Also, FWIW, I share your love for Steel-type pokemon and enjoy a good metal deck battle every so often. Especially ones that actually focus on defense rather than swift offense.
 
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