Pokémon League (TCG)

Pokémon League logo

A Pokémon League, often casually referred to simply as League, is a periodic gathering, typically weekly, of players of the Pokémon Trading Card Game and Pokémon games. During a Pokémon League session, players battle and trade for fun. It is not a structured tournament and there are no regular "prizes" for winning. However, each player is issued a Score Card upon registering, on which the League Leader will stamp a mark for each game won, eventually resulting in minor prizes.

Most Pokémon Leagues meet once a week, year round, though some meet more or less than that, with some Leagues running once a month during only a certain time period.

Players at a League in Seattle, Washington

League Leader

A League Leader is the person in charge of maintaining a Pokémon League. The League Leader takes care of organizing League dates, to maintain that Play! Pokémon is aware of the League's existence, in order to receive player rewards and other League materials. Additionally, the League Leader is expected to stamp players' cards when they play games, and to hand out the promotional cards and other supplied League rewards once they have been earned.

Score Card

A current Pokémon League card

Upon registering with a Pokémon League, players receive a Score Card. This card is a foldable piece of card stock approximately the size of a small greeting card. The outer design of this card provides space for the player's name and Player ID. Inside the card are two sides, one for TCG matches and one for video game battles. Completing any row earns the player a League Promo.

Current rewards

Promotional foil cards

Promotional cards earned in Pokémon Leagues, dubbed "League Promos," are exclusive to Pokémon Leagues. The cards are not traditional Black Star promotional cards; instead, these cards are foil, Play! Pokémon branded versions of existing set cards.

2009-2010 cycle

• Rival Season: Snorlax and Uxie
• Cyrus Season: Arcanine G and Dialga G
• Cynthia Season: Milotic C and Claydol
• Palmer Season: Dragonite FB and Roseanne's Research
• Thorton Season: Skarmory FB and Felicity's Drawing
• Dahlia Season: Dusknoir FB and Bebe's Search
• Darach Season: Empoleon FB and Underground Expedition
• Argenta Season: Butterfree FB and Warp Point

2010-2011 cycle

• Ring Drop Season: Donphan and Spiritomb
• Hurdle Dash Season: Crobat and Expert Belt
• Snow Throw Season: Delibird and Azelf
• Block Smash Season: Steelix and Special Metal Energy
• Disc Catch Season: Houndoom and Special Darkness Energy
• Snivy Season: Snivy and Broken Time Space
• Tepig Season: Tepig and Copycat
• Oshawott Season Oshawott and Double Colorless Energy

2011-2012 cycle

• Trio Season: Lillipup and Grass Energy (Black & White 105)
• Basic Season: Watchog and Fire Energy (Black & White 106)
• Insect Season: Whirlipede and Psychic Energy (Black & White 109)
• Bolt Season: Zebstrika and Lightning Energy (Black & White 108)
• Quake Season: Krokorok and Fighting Energy (Black & White 110)
• Jet Season: Unfezant and Metal Energy (Black & White 112)
• Freeze Season: Cryogonal and Water Energy (Black & White 107)
• Legend Season: Fraxure and Darkness Energy (Black & White 111)

2012-2013 cycle

• Aspertia Season:
• Virbank Season:
• Castelia Season:
• Nimbasa Season:
• Driftveil Season:
• Mistralton Season:
• Opelucid Season:
• Humilau Season:

Promotional Nintendo DS skin

These adhesive skins are designed to decorate a player's Nintendo DS. Criteria for winning these depend on what the League Leader would like to do, though traditionally the skins are given after completing an entire side on a card.

New Gym Badges

Starting with the 2011-2012 cycle, Badges are reintroduced into the League promotional items. All of the new Badges are featured in the games Pokémon Black and White and Pokémon Black and White Versions 2, in the respective league cycles.

2011-2012 cycle

• Trio Badge
• Basic Badge
• Insect Badge
• Bolt Badge
• Quake Badge
• Jet Badge
• Freeze Badge
• Legend Badge

2012-2013 cycle

• Aspertia Badge (Second version of Basic Badge)
• Virbank Badge (First version, Toxic Badge in the games)
• Castelia Badge (Second version of Insect Badge, current season)
• Nimbasa Badge (Second version of Bolt Badge, not yet distributed)
• Driftveil Badge (Second version of Quake Badge, not yet distributed)
• Mistralton Badge (Second version of Jet Badge, not yet distributed)
• Opelucid Badge (Second version of Legend Badge, not yet distributed)
• Humilau Badge (First version, Wave Badge in the games, not yet distributed)

Discontinued rewards

POP booster packs

If the player plays a certain number of games, they will receive a booster pack of POP cards. These are now no longer made.

Patches

Starting in the 2010-2011 cycle, a heat seal patch is given out that matches the League Season. The patch, while technically a heat seal, can also be hand-ironed. Patches were discontinued for Trio Season, in the 2011-2012 cycle.

Badges

Badges are obtained in a Pokémon League once a player completes their League Card and reaches the Badge symbol at the end. Badges in the Pokémon League often, but not always, correspond with Badges in the Pokémon games. Records of a player's earned Badges would be kept in a Badge Book.

2000-2001 Kanto Region cycle

2000-2001 cycle Badges

These Badges were based on the Badges appearing in the Generation I games.

• Season 1: Boulder Badge
• Season 2: Cascade Badge
• Season 3: Thunder Badge
• Season 4: Rainbow Badge
• Season 5: Soul Badge
• Season 6: Marsh Badge
• Season 7: Volcano Badge
• Season 8: Earth Badge

2001-2002 Johto Region cycle

2001-2002 cycle Badges

These Badges were based on the Badges appearing in the Generation II games.

• Season 1: Zephyr Badge
• Season 2: Hive Badge
• Season 3: Plain Badge
• Season 4: Fog Badge
• Season 5: Storm Badge
• Season 6: Mineral Badge
• Season 7: Glacier Badge
• Season 8: Rising Badge

2003-2004 Hoenn Region cycle

2003-2004 cycle Badges

These Badges were based on the Badges appearing in the Hoenn central Generation III games.

• Season 1: Stone Badge
• Season 2: Knuckle Badge
• Season 3: Dynamo Badge
• Season 4: Heat Badge
• Season 5: Balance Badge
• Season 6: Feather Badge
• Season 7: Mind Badge
• Season 8: Rain Badge

2004-2005 Sevii Islands cycle

2004-2005 cycle Badges

These Badges were named after the Sevii Islands in FireRed and LeafGreen. However, their appearance is based on different types of Poké Balls.

• Season 1: Knot Island Badge
• Season 2: Boon Island Badge
• Season 3: Kin Island Badge
• Season 4: Floe Island Badge
• Season 5: Chrono Island Badge
• Season 6: Fortune Island Badge
• Season 7: Quest Island Badge
• Season 8: Trainer Tower Badge

2005-2006 Battle Frontier cycle

2005-2006 cycle Badges

These Badges were based on the Frontier Symbols from the Hoenn Battle Frontier games.

• Season 1: Tactics Badge
• Season 2: Guts Badge
• Season 3: Luck Badge
• Season 4: Knowledge Badge
• Season 5: Spirit Badge
• Season 6: Ability Badge
• Season 7: Brave Badge

2006-2007 Kanto Region cycle

2006-2007 cycle Badges

These Badges were based on the Badges appearing in the Generation I remakes, FireRed and LeafGreen.

• Season 1: Boulder Badge
• Season 2: Cascade Badge
• Season 3: Thunder Badge
• Season 4: Rainbow Badge
• Season 5: Soul Badge
• Season 6: Marsh Badge
• Season 7: Volcano Badge
• Season 8: Earth Badge

2007-2008 Sinnoh Region cycle

2007-2008 cycle Badges

These Badges were based on the Badges appearing in the Sinnoh central Generation IV games.

• Season 1: Coal Badge
• Season 2: Forest Badge
• Season 3: Cobble Badge
• Season 4: Fen Badge
• Season 5: Relic Badge
• Season 6: Mine Badge
• Season 7: Icicle Badge
• Season 8: Beacon Badge

2008-2009 Energy cycle

2008-2009 cycle Badges

These Badges were based on the symbols appearing on Energy cards.

• Season 1: Grass Badge
• Season 2: Fire Badge
• Season 3: Water Badge
• Season 4: Lightning Badge
• Season 5: Psychic Badge
• Season 6: Fighting Badge
• Season 7: Dark Badge
• Season 8: Steel Badge

Reverse Holographic Energy Cards

2002-2003 Energize Your Game cycle

No Badges were given out this cycle. Instead, players were awarded Reverse Holographic Energy cards, and Pokémon Licenses took the place of Badge Books.

• Season 1: Rainbow Energy
• Season 2: Fighting Energy
• Season 3: Fire Energy
• Season 4: Grass Energy
• Season 5: Lightning Energy
• Season 6: Psychic Energy
• Season 7: Water Energy
• Season 8: Colorless Energy