Bebe’s Search Vs Pokémon Communication

My name is Michael Tremere I am an old seasoned Pokémon player just getting back into the game on a full time basis, and now writing my first article. Along time ago when I played the game pretty much constantly a personal favorite card of mine was Pokémon Trader, a trainer card that allowed me to exchange or trade a basic or evolution card in my hand for a basic or evolution card from my deck. This card in itself for me made a lot of good things happen as trading in a somewhat useless card for a potential game winning evolution was vital for some victories.

Bebe's Search Rising Rivals RR 89 Pokemon CardThe game went Trader-less for a while until the second set in the Diamond and Pearl block was released. Mysterious Treasures brought us the sort of reincarnated version of the Pokémon Trader in Bebe’s Search. Bebe took the Traders effect and made it so much better as now you could trade any card in your hand. For me and I am sure many of us this opened up a whole new world of possibilities as now we could trade and card that was just dead weight (e.g. A nights maintenance with nothing in our discard piles to target) for a Pokémon that could turn the game in our favor.

Now as we enter the HeartGold & SoulSilver era a lot of old favorites have returned in some way such as Double Colorless Energy and Professor Elms Training Method. However, once again I have found Pokémon Trader to be revived this time in Pokémon Communication. Pokémon Communication says I can choose one Pokémon in my hand and switch it up for one Pokémon in my deck.

So now the question becomes in a format where for a short time we have both Bebe’s Search and Pokémon Communication which is the better choice for your deck. Each card has differences to them in comparison to the other so I am going to go through them and see what we can come up with.

Bebe’s Search (Supporter)

Bebe’s Search being a supporter means you can only play one per turn. This kind of puts a hindrance on the card itself as in the current format there are a lot of great supporters out there and only being able to play one per turn means you might not be able to get the combo you need to win going right away if you play it. The main perk to Bebe’s search is the fact that you don’t have to trade in a specific card to fetch a Pokémon from your deck as you need to do with Pokémon Communication.

Pokemon Communication HS 98Pokémon Communication

While it does have the freedom to be played as many times as you want Pokémon Communication has the one drawback of specifically needing a Pokémon to use its effect. This doesn’t give you as much freedom as Bebe’s Search but the fact that Pokémon Communication is not a supporter means you can play it in addition to a supporter such as Professor Elms Training Method.

There is little to no doubt that once the Diamond and Pearl sets are rotated out of our format Pokémon Communication will be a key card in all decks. The only real question now is for the little bit of time we have both Pokémon Communication and Bebe’s search Which will find spot in your decks.

Reader Interactions

27 replies

  1. Peter Hess

    Great article, however Bebe's is remaining most likely after the rotation since it was reprinted in the Rising Rivals set.

  2. Michael Randolph

    Great article, man o' man do I love me some Bebe's! For me, I have found that 4 Bebe's and 2 Pokemon Communication run pretty good, especially when you can play both on the same turn. But if i absolutely had to choose one over the other it would most definiately be Bebe's for a couple of reason's. The most important probebly being that spiritomb cant keep me from playing it, and good ole Beebs has never let me down, after all i don't always have another pokemon in my hand!

  3. jordan baker

    I love using a Roseanne's Research to get two basics and then using pokemon communication to trade one for an evolved form. This trick works great with rare candy or BTS. Pokemon Communication has helped me a lot in my new Jumpluff deck.

  4. Scnappy

    I wanna use a 2-3 Combo of each :)
    Also communicator is great with Collector

  5. Gabe

    You forgot to mention that as a supporter we can use bebe under the influence of spiritomb poke-power.

  6. Joshua Pikka

    good first article, but as mentioned you forgot the bebes is better because it cant be trainer locked by deafen, pitch dark, or keystone seal.

    I dont really see a need for pokemon communicator in most decks. Right now our draw power is so good with claydol that the stage 1's and 2's just leap out of the deck. I run 3 bebes in each deck, and that seems to be be just right, a couple of decks I need 4 and I run 2 in an SP, but for the most part 3 bebese does the job.

    Until the game slows down, we dont really need communication.

  7. Adam Capriola

    Nice article Michael! I haven't had a lot of success with Communication in the few games I've used it, so I wouldn't replace Bebe's with it, but I think it can be good in addition to Bebe's. If you are playing a speed deck (turn 2), maybe then you'd want to run more Communication than Bebe.

  8. Colin Peterik

    Old Pokemon Engine=
    4 Roseanne's
    4 Bebe's
    1 Lux Ball
    1 Premier Ball
    New Pokemon Engine=
    4 Roseanne's
    3 Bebe's
    2 Communication
    1 Lux Ball

    Done.

  9. Matthew Riddle

    The new trainers are HOT.

    I really like Pokemon Communication. I think it is a needed card for a future format without Claydol/Uxie.

  10. Tweed Moore

    I like the use of Comunicator with Collector in SP decks instead of Bebe's. Sp decks now can cyrus a tool, an energy and a supporter (collector). Next turn use collector to get 3 basics ( for example Uxie, Garchomp C, unown G/Q ) and use communicator for the lv. X putting back one of the basics you got.

    I see this engine making sure you have a T2 SP X out and getting a very good set-up everytime. It also helps basic pokemon with X's and stage 2 decks that are used as bench support.

  11. alex d

    In my opinion, the fact that Bebe's is a supporter is actually the best thing about it right now, with all of the Trainer lock, via Spiritomb or Dialga.

    Is anyone else finding themselves replacing their Luxury Ball with Pokemon Communication in decks with lots of Lv X's?

  12. Dave Hueglin

    A guy I know at league uses Pokemon Communication with Quick Ball – QB first garantues you a Pokemon to trade in and you still can play a Supporter.

  13. jordan baker

    I love quick ball, it finds its way into a lot of decks somehow.

  14. Zari Mahm

    Nice article! Since I have a really short attention span, I just noticed that Communication was a Trainer, not a supporter, so you can play it more than once, but (like all the other ppl here have said) communication can easily be blocked by dialga/etc.
    By the way… I have a question. My friend wants my Typhlosion Prime for 10 bucks, 1x wurmple, 1x dustox, and 3 card sleeves. Is that a good deal?

  15. Zari Mahm

    Nice article! Since I have a really short attention span, I just noticed that Communication was a Trainer, not a supporter, so you can play it more than once, but (like all the other ppl here have said) communication can easily be blocked by dialga/etc.
    By the way… I have a question. My friend wants my Typhlosion Prime for 10 bucks, 1x wurmple, 1x dustox, and 3 card sleeves. Is that a good deal?

  16. Zari Mahm

    Nice article! Since I have a really short attention span, I just noticed that Communication was a Trainer, not a supporter, so you can play it more than once, but (like all the other ppl here have said) communication can easily be blocked by dialga/etc.
    By the way… I have a question. My friend wants my Typhlosion Prime for 10 bucks, 1x wurmple, 1x dustox, and 3 card sleeves. Is that a good deal?

  17. Zari Mahm

    Nice article! Since I have a really short attention span, I just noticed that Communication was a Trainer, not a supporter, so you can play it more than once, but (like all the other ppl here have said) communication can easily be blocked by dialga/etc.
    By the way… I have a question. My friend wants my Typhlosion Prime for 10 bucks, 1x wurmple, 1x dustox, and 3 card sleeves. Is that a good deal?

  18. aboo

    I learned a lot of about blogs, and your is a grreat of piece of them. Thanks to share

  19. Carole

    我工作室非常熟悉掌握打布,配色工艺流程,对原料的浓度,有壹整套技术和有关方面的知识。成型部分,采用数码控制,每只三极管采用单独成型,从而保证OA产品质量一致,完全能保证成型一致。

  20. Carl Shewchuk

    Who knows what happens next… All I know is:
    The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard. :)

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