Professor Oak

Why collectors notice it

Trainer cards are often overlooked by new collectors, but they tell much of the story of a set. Professor Oak is one of the first and most recognizable.

It is the reference point for the whole hobby. Nearly every later set is compared with it. Read more about Base Set.

A closer look

Reading this card

This is the one card in the Base Set group that is not a Pokémon. Instead of a stage label, the type line says Trainer. There is no type symbol for Energy, no Weakness, no Resistance and no attack. Those spaces belong to creatures that fight, so a Trainer card is simply shorter to read.

The rarity marker says Uncommon, shown by a diamond symbol on most cards from this era. That puts it one step above a Common. The effect on the card refreshes your hand, and the card is played and then discarded, not kept on the table.

The name comes from the professor in the video games. As on every Base Set card, there is no set symbol, so look for the "out of 102" number.

How it compares

Compare it with a Pokémon such as Pikachu. Pikachu has a stage, a type and attacks, and Oak has none of those. Both appear in the same set, but they do very different jobs: one fights, and the other helps you get cards into your hand.

Then read the Trainer cards page. In Base Set there was one simple Trainer category. Modern sets split it into Item, Supporter, Stadium and Pokémon Tool. In today's terms, the same role would belong to the Supporter group.

Questions readers ask

Why do new collectors skip Trainers?

Pokémon get the artwork and the attention. Yet a set's Trainers show how it was meant to be played, so they make a fine collecting theme.

Does it count as a Pokémon in a deck?

No. A deck holds Pokémon, Trainer and Energy cards, and this one is a Trainer. This site does not give prices.

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