I don't know how many people are playing the Challenges at their Pokémon
league, but I am! I recommend it if you haven't tried it -- it will
certainly teach you lessons in flexibility, and get you to try unusual
Pokémon as solutions to some of the problems the challenges pose. In
other words: don't do it for the stickers! Do it to improve your game --
because it will, I guarantee.

This week I've been working on Koga's Challenge. Unquestionably the
toughest challenge yet available, your challenge from Koga is to win ten
games with a deck using no Trainers!

On the surface, it sounds impossible, doesn't it? We've all gotten used
to playing with Trainers. Not a problem, though -- we just have to
figure out how to substitute for them. Enter cards with Pokémon Powers.
You really don't have much of an option with Koga -- you'll have to play
with Pokémon Powers to speed yourself up and slow your opponent down.

Conveniently, I have an old favorite in the Snorlax/Rocket Drowzee/Dark
Gloom deck. I had this deck all planned before Rocket hit, and played it
then with plenty of Trainers. It was a good solid deck that used more
Pokémon Powers than you could shake a stick at. Dark Vileplume would be
the crowning addition to level the playing field. I get no Trainers? So
what? Neither does my opponent.

Now, all I needed was card drawing. Thank goodness for Rocket -- it
provided us with that wonderful Dark Kadabra, which would fit in nicely
in this deck.

This is the deck I'm currently playing with. It has a 75% win rate! I'm
tremendously proud of that figure, particularly since I took it out
against some very trainer-heavy decks....

++++++++++++++++
Koga's Snorlax

4 Double Colorles Energy
4 Potion Energy (I'm using this because there aren't many status effects
in our metagame right now. Use Full Heals if they would help you more.)
10 Psychic Energy
10 Grass Energy

3 Snorlax (I'd use 4 if I owned 4. I don't.)
2 Kangaskhan
4 Oddish (Rocket)
3 Dark Gloom
3 Dark Vileplume
4 Abra (Base)
3 Dark Kadabra
1 Dark Alakazam (not a necessity, but a nice addition. Won a game for me.)
4 Drowzee (Rocket)
2 Dark Hypno
1 Hypno (Most of the time, the Hypnos get used as Matter Exchange fodder)
1 Sabrina's Mr. Mime
1 Mewtwo (Movie Promo)
++++++++++++++++++

I'm still adjusting the deck somewhat, but the only real question marks
are the Hypnos and Sabrina's Mr. Mime -- and in the one game I got to
play with Mime, it was most useful, so I think it'll stick around. (Wish
I had more than one.)

You will need patience to play this deck. It was never very fast to
begin with, and without Trainers, it's slower still. But when the
lockdown starts, it keeps going.

Please feel free to use my Koga deck if you like. I'd love to hear
comments and constructive criticism, so e-mail me at lopaskar@san.rr.com
if you've got something to say. Good luck, and GO OUT AND TRY THE CHALLENGES!

==Leanne

==========================================================
Leanne Opaskar                  lopaskar@san.rr.com