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I never really got to do this as a kid.

Sure, I watched the show. I probably had a few random cards floating around. But actually learning Pokémon — how the cards work, how to build a deck, how to play correctly — I missed that boat. Or maybe I just wasn’t ready for it then.

Now I’m 40, and guess what? I am ready — and I’m doing it my way.

Why Now?

I’ve always loved the world of Pokémon, but my experience has mostly been on the sidelines — playing a bit, collecting a bit, but never really playing well.
I want to really understand it before ZA comes out. I want to know what I’m doing when I pick up the Switch. I want my Pokémon adventure to feel earned.

And here’s the best part: I’m going to Japan in September — the homeland of Pokémon. What better time to finally get my cards in order, learn how to play properly, and maybe even build my first Japanese deck right there, in the country where it all began?

How I’m Doing It

This isn’t just about stuffing cards into sleeves — it’s my roadmap for learning and actually using them. Here’s my plan:

Main Binder — Pokémon Cards

• Sorted by Type: Grass, Fire, Water, Psychic — all the classics. There’s something so satisfying about seeing your Fire-types blazing together on one spread, right?
• Playable vs. Not Playable: Because I want to actually practice building real decks, not just admire pretty cardboard. Some cards are for battle; some are just for the memory book.
• Favourites Have Their Own Pages: My beloved Eevees get an entire spread — especially Leafeon, my absolute favourite. And the OG starters — Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle — they’re front and center too. They remind me how far I’ve come, from clueless playground lurker to… well, a slightly less clueless grown-up. And yes, Pikachu gets a page too — the original, iconic yellow chaos gremlin.
• Holos Together: Because a shiny card deserves to shine.
  

Watch me organize my first set of cards here:

Binder Arguments — The Internal Debates

Now, will I agonize over whether certain Pokémon get their own page? You bet. Psyduck? Look, she’s cute AF and I adored Misty growing up. So does Psyduck deserve a full-on Misty-themed Psyduck spread? I mean, YES. Yes, she does. These are the big, life-altering debates I’ll be having with myself live on stream — you’re welcome to weigh in, but I make no promises to listen.

Oh, and Oinkologne? He absolutely gets his own page — because he was the first Pokémon I caught during this whole series, and he’s adorable. He’s officially nicknamed Chonkers and will forever be known as Chonkers on stream and in the blog. Fight me about it — you won’t win.

And then there’s Fuecoco — my very first starter ever, in Pokémon Scarlet. Sure, back then I was basically just doing the “throw Poké Ball, squeal, repeat” routine and not much else — but Fuecoco still holds a special place in my heart for kicking off this whole clueless adventure. He absolutely gets his own dedicated page too — because you always remember your first starter.

Trainers & Energy Binder

The unsung heroes — seriously. Sorting these separately from my main Pokémon cards is my secret weapon for actually learning how this game works. Trainers and Energy cards might not be as cute as a shiny Eevee, but they’re the backbone of every real deck.

Keeping them organized means I’m not rummaging through my favourite Pokémon every time I need to find a Basic Energy or that one Supporter card I forgot I owned. When they’re all in one place — properly sorted by type, effect, or role — I can see what I have at a glance.

This binder will be my personal training ground for learning strategy:
✨ Which Trainers work best together?
✨ Which ones are essential, and which ones are fun but maybe not practical for my deck style?
✨ How many Energies do I actually need to balance my deck, instead of stuffing in too many or too few because I panic?

I want to be able to flip through this binder, test new combos, and build up my confidence step by step. This is where I’ll start recognizing patterns — which cards come up again and again in competitive decks, and which ones help me turn my adorable chaos squad into something that can actually win a game.

So yeah — it might not be the binder with the flashiest holos, but it’s the one that’s going to quietly make me a better player. And honestly? That makes it one of my favourites.

Japanese Cards Binder

Why Japanese? For me, Japanese Pokémon cards feel like holding a tiny, beautiful piece of the franchise’s true origin story — the purest form of what Pokémon has always been about. When I flip through them, I’m not just looking at a different language; I’m seeing the original fonts, the authentic artwork, the first feel that trainers in Japan experienced decades ago.

They’re more than collectibles — they’re reminders that this world I love didn’t come from my backyard. It came from a different culture, a different time, and grew into something the whole world could share. Keeping these cards separate isn’t about being fancy or elitist — it’s about respecting that connection.

And the dream? It goes beyond just having them tucked away in sleeves. I want to build a playable Japanese deck while I’m actually in Japan. I want to hunt down cards in a bustling Pokémon Center in Tokyo, or stumble across an unexpected gem in a tiny neighborhood card shop in Kyoto — where you can feel the local players’ excitement buzzing in the air.

I want to experience the joy of cracking open a pack in a country where Pokémon isn’t just nostalgia — it’s a living, breathing community. I want to play, trade, and maybe even make friends through the universal language of “Hey, wanna battle?”

This binder will be my bridge between the player I’m becoming here at home and the new experiences waiting for me overseas. It’s how I’m bringing my learning full circle:

• From fumbling through the rules at my kitchen table,
• To confidently building my first real Japanese deck,
• To sitting across from someone halfway around the world — sleeves ready, binder open, laughing together about our pulls even if we don’t speak the same language.

This binder is my promise to myself that I’ll take Pokémon with me — not just in my suitcase, but in my heart, my gameplay, and my love for where it all started.

Watch me add to my binder here:

Trade & Duplicate Binder

Why a separate binder just for trades and extras? Because collecting Pokémon isn’t only about what I pull — it’s about what I can share. For me, this binder is a little passport to connection.

Someday, I’d love to sit down across from another player — maybe at a local league night, maybe at a pop-up Pokémon event in my hometown, or maybe halfway around the world at a tiny shop in Osaka — and flip open this binder like a conversation starter.

It’s easy to think of duplicates as “just extras,” but I see them as opportunities. Opportunities to:

• Practice Trading: I didn’t do this as a kid — no lunchroom swaps for me — so I want to get comfortable haggling, offering fair trades, and learning the etiquette that makes Pokémon trading feel like a friendly game in itself.
• Make Friends: Nothing breaks the ice faster than flipping through each other’s binders and spotting that card you’ve been hunting for. Even if we don’t speak the same language fluently, “Trade?” is universal.
• Build Confidence: Having a dedicated space for my extras means I’m not nervously fumbling through my precious faves. I know exactly what I’m willing to part with — and what I’ll treasure forever.

And maybe — just maybe — this binder will travel. I dream of bringing it with me to Japan, flipping through it at a local Pokémon Center, or meeting another trainer at a café table in Tokyo or Kyoto. There’s something magical about that — trading across cultures, across generations, across childhood dreams.

This little binder of duplicates might seem like the least exciting part of my system — but to me, it’s the one that says: Pokémon isn’t just about collecting. It’s about sharing, connecting, learning from each other, and celebrating this world together — one shiny trade at a time.

A Year of Learning — One Pull at a Time

And this isn’t just a “set it and forget it” plan. Over the next year, I’m going to add my This isn’t just a “set it and forget it” plan that I’ll file away in a drawer and never revisit. No, this is alive. Over the next year, these binders will grow alongside me — one little surprise at a time.

Every week, I’ll open a new pack or two — maybe from my local shop, maybe a cheeky online order, maybe even a shiny booster from a vending machine in Tokyo. Each pull, whether it’s a stunning holo, an unexpected Trainer, or yet another Eevee (please, let it be another Eevee!), will find its place in the right binder.

I want this to be my gentle ritual:

• Sleeve each card with care,
• Check where it belongs,
• And then document it.

I might jot down notes about how the pull fits into my decks, or what I traded to get it. Maybe I’ll snap a quick photo or keep a “Pull of the Week” page — a little scrapbook of my progress, so I can watch how my understanding of the game evolves as the pages fill up.

And then, in July 2026, I’ll sit down — maybe with a cup of tea and my favourite Leafeon card peeking out from the binder pocket — and ask the Big Questions:

✨ Does Future Pixels thank Past Pixels?
✨ Does this system actually work?
✨ Is it useful? Is it satisfying? Does it still spark that same joy I feel when I peel open a fresh pack?

If the answer is yes — amazing! I’ll keep going. And if not? I’ll rework it. I’ll evolve, just like the Pokémon that got me here in the first place.

Because this whole project is more than just collecting cards. It’s about learning what works for me, seeing my own progress week by week, and staying true to what makes this hobby so special: the thrill of discovery, the love of tiny cardboard friends, and the chance to always start again — stronger, smarter, and with a binder that actually makes sense for who I am now.

So here’s to 52 weeks of shiny surprises, goofy duplicates, perfect pulls, and unexpected trades. Here’s to Future Pixels looking back and saying, “Yeah — we did that right.”

Why This Means So Much

I didn’t get to do this as a kid — but I get to do it now.
And maybe, just maybe, when I sit down in a cozy café in Tokyo this fall, binder open, sleeves in hand, and a fresh pack of Japanese cards waiting to be cracked — I’ll feel like that kid again, but with the wisdom and freedom to really savour it.

But it’s more than just sitting alone with my cards. It’s about opening myself up to the people who make this little world so special. I want to lean over my binder and say, “Hey, want to trade?” to a new friend I’ve just met. I want to swap stories with a stranger about how they built their deck, or why they love a certain starter, or which tiny shop in Osaka gave them their best pull ever.

I want my binders to be invitations — to connection, laughter, and maybe a few goofy attempts at speaking Japanese as we bond over a shared holo or a rare find. Because Pokémon, at its heart, isn’t just about collecting. It’s about sharing.

It’s about discovering that even though we all come from different places, we can still sit at the same table and get just as excited over a shiny Leafeon or a vintage Bulbasaur. It’s about remembering that no matter how grown-up or anxious or awkward I feel, there’s always a seat at the table for one more player.

So here’s to learning late. To playing “wrong” until you play it right. To pulling something amazing and sliding it into your binder like a tiny treasure. To future reflections and big questions about what works, what doesn’t, and what still sparks joy.

And most of all — here’s to every Eevee, Bulbasaur, and Leafeon that reminds me: you’re never too old to start your Pokémon adventure. And you’re never too old to find new friends to share it with.

Want to help this clueless Trainer figure it out? Subscribe on YouTube, come hang out on Twitch every Monday, and drop your best beginner tips in the comments. I need all the help I can get — and trust me, it’ll be way more fun with you along for the ride.