FAQ & Rules

The Trainer Shed is Singapore's only regular community tournament organiser using official Pokémon VGC (Video Game Championships) and TCG (Trading Card Game) rules. We also host Pokkén Tournament DX events in partnership with Pokken Singapore, and fun side formats like Z-A Ranked Battles. We provide a space for aspiring World Champions to practice, compete, and connect.

Everyone! Our tournaments are open to all ages and skill levels. Whether you're a seasoned competitor or attending your first event, you're welcome.

Most of our events are held at *SCAPE (2 Orchard Link, Singapore 237978), our official partner venue since 2022. Some events may be held at local community gaming and card shops — check the specific tournament details for venue information.

VGC stands for Video Game Championships — the official competitive format for Pokémon video games. Players battle in Double Battles using teams of up to 6 Pokémon, bringing 4 to each match. We follow the latest official VGC ruleset released by The Pokémon Company.

Bring your Nintendo Switch with your Pokémon game (currently Pokémon Scarlet or Violet — transitioning to Pokémon Champions from April 2026). Make sure your team is built and ready to go before the tournament starts. Bring a charger — batteries don't last forever!

Rental teams are generally allowed in our community events. Check the specific tournament rules for any restrictions.

TCG stands for Trading Card Game. Players build decks of 60 cards and battle using the official Pokémon TCG rules. We follow the current Standard format rotation as determined by The Pokémon Company. The current Standard format includes cards with regulation mark G onwards. Note: A rotation is scheduled for April 2026, after which only cards with regulation mark H onwards will be legal.

Bring your 60-card deck in sleeves, dice/counters for damage, and a printed or written deck list. Make sure your deck follows the current Standard format card legality.

Yes — proxy cards are allowed by default in our tournaments unless a specific event states otherwise. We believe competitive play should be about deck-building skill and strategy, not the size of your wallet. That said, proxies must be clearly identifiable as the card they represent. Check the tournament details for any event-specific rules on proxies.

Pokkén Tournament DX is a fighting game featuring Pokémon, available on Nintendo Switch. Players choose a Pokémon and battle in real-time 3D arenas. We host Pokkén events in partnership with Pokken Singapore.

Pokken Singapore is our partner community dedicated to the Pokkén Tournament competitive scene in Singapore. They help organise and run our Pokkén events. Find them on X (Twitter) at @PokkenSingapore.

Bring your Nintendo Switch with Pokkén Tournament DX installed. A Pro Controller is recommended but not required. Make sure your console is charged or bring a charger.

Z-A Ranked Battles are a fun side format we occasionally run alongside our main tournaments. These use the in-game Ranked Battle ruleset from Pokémon Legends: Z-A, giving players a chance to compete in a different metagame from the standard VGC format.

Z-A Ranked Battles are a casual, for-fun format that we host from time to time — they're not part of our regular tournament schedule. Keep an eye on our socials and the tournament listings for when the next one pops up!

Pokémon Champions is an upcoming Pokémon game releasing in April 2026. It's expected to become the primary game used for VGC (Video Game Championships) competitive play, replacing Pokémon Scarlet & Violet as the standard competitive title.

Absolutely! As Singapore's only regular Pokémon tournament community, we plan to support Pokémon Champions from day one. We'll be organising community play sessions and competitive tournaments as soon as the game launches and the official VGC ruleset transitions to Champions.

The exact transition date for VGC depends on The Pokémon Company International's official announcement. Based on previous VGC transitions, we expect the competitive format to shift to Pokémon Champions for the 2026-2027 season. We'll update our community as soon as dates are confirmed.

Pokémon Champions launches on both the original Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. Mobile device versions will also be released at a later date. Check our Formats page for the latest platform information.

Pokémon Wind and Waves is an upcoming Pokémon game announced for 2027. While detailed information is still limited, it's a new mainline entry in the Pokémon franchise that could potentially influence future competitive play.

It's too early to say for certain. Depending on the game's features and whether it introduces new competitive modes or Pokémon, it could shape future VGC formats. The Trainer Shed will stay on top of all announcements and keep the Singapore competitive community informed.

Follow The Trainer Shed on Discord, Telegram, and Instagram for the latest news. We also have a dedicated Formats page where we track all upcoming Pokémon games relevant to competitive play.

Swiss pairing is a tournament format where players are matched against opponents with similar records. After each round, players with the same win-loss record face each other. This means everyone plays every round — no one is eliminated during Swiss rounds.

After Swiss rounds, the top-performing players advance to a single-elimination bracket called 'Top Cut'. This is typically Top 4 or Top 8 depending on the number of participants. Top Cut matches are usually Best-of-3.

The number of Swiss rounds depends on attendance. As a guide: • Up to 8 players — 3 rounds • 9–16 players — 4 rounds • 17–32 players — 5 rounds • 33–64 players — 6 rounds • 65–128 players — 7 rounds The exact number is announced before the tournament begins.

Best-of-3 (Bo3) means players play up to 3 games in a match, and the first player to win 2 games wins the match. This is standard for Top Cut rounds and some Swiss rounds depending on the tournament.

Standings use match points (3 for a win, 1 for a tie, 0 for a loss) and tiebreakers including Opponent's Match Win Percentage (OMW%), Game Win Percentage (GW%), and Opponent's Game Win Percentage (OGW%) — the same system used at official Pokémon tournaments.

Registration is done online through our website. Find the tournament you want to join on the home page, click 'Register Now', fill in your details, and complete the payment. You'll receive a confirmation once your registration is complete.

We accept credit/debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), GrabPay, and PayNow through our secure Stripe payment system.

Refund policies vary by tournament. Generally, refunds are available up to 48 hours before the event. Please note that Stripe transaction fees are non-refundable — the refunded amount will be the registration fee minus any payment processing fees charged by Stripe. Contact us through our social channels for refund requests.

Please let us know as soon as possible so we can adjust the tournament bracket. Contact us through Discord or Telegram.

We expect all participants to be respectful, sportsman-like, and follow fair play rules. Cheating, aggressive behaviour, discrimination, and unsportsmanlike conduct will not be tolerated and may result in disqualification and a ban from future events.

Raise your hand and call a tournament organiser (TO). TOs will make rulings based on official Pokémon rules. Their decisions are final.