Ok, I need some help. My 5 year old finally convinced us to let him buy a the Pikachu Libre trainer kit even though he can't read yet. He is totally obsessed now and doing way better at learning the cards and playing then I would have imagined.
I want to get a better playmat that won't rip since the one in the set is paper and looks like it will tear in another few uses. I see some $25+ mats that don't have the rules/markings on them for the game, but I was really hoping for something like the play zone one in the trainer kit. Does anything like that exists?
I also want to get him some kind of storage case since this is going to balloon up really fast. Are card books the best bet? Maybe deck boxes? As long as it is pokemon themed and not super expensive I am open to ideas.
And finally, what packs/decks should he be looking at next? He doesn't really understand the more complex moves or trainer cards yet so I was hoping there were certain sets that are more basic like the trainer kit is.
Edit: Oh I saw those Sun & Moon decks at my Walmart this morning... I didn't know they weren't supposed to be out yet.
Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!
Most playmats don't have the play zones laid out unless you get a custom one made, but you could get something like this. $20 isn't bad, and it's 2 players.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pokemon-TCG...137975?hash=item33c57567f7:g:NFEAAOSwJ7RYUJiJ
For storage, the cheapest option is a cardboard box from any gamestore for a couple of bucks, and a cheap .99 cent binder and some card holder sheets from a game stop or walmart for his rare and favorite cards. If you can find them you can also get a mini binder that comes with a pack for $5 like this http://www.coolstuffinc.com/p/236736.
As for what to buy next, well I assume you're just going to be playing at home, so honestly just buy whatever makes him happy. Theme decks will ensure you know what you're getting and are all pretty simple to play. Boosters are more fun to open though. The Keldeo vs Rayquaza battle arena decks are also really good, but might be a little complex for him. They're a step up from theme decks, but not as complex as actual competitive decks. But they come with 2 decks that are pretty balanced against each other, with way better cards than the theme decks.
If he was older and you guys were looking to get into competitive play I would say to stick to singles only, as you'll never get the cards necessary to build any decent deck just relying on booster packs, but even with older kids they just love opening boosters too much. For the same $4 you can get a booster and get garbage, or buy a top tier card like Yveltal EX, and kids will prefer the booster every time.