We've gone over search cards, we've gone over draw cards... but how about all the other Trainers that you can't use? Gust of Wind? Scoop Up? Pokémon Breeder? Pluspower?

Never fear, the Analyst is here, looking at Team Rocket-Gym-Neo Genesis cards for you to try to substitute. So without further adieu...

--- Bench Manipulation ---

Challenge! (Team Rocket UNCOMMON)
  Ask your opponent if he or she accepts your challenge.  If your
  opponent declines (or if both Benches are full), draw 2 cards.  If
  your opponent accepts, each of you searches your decks for any
  number of Basic Pokemon cards and puts them face down onto your
  Benches.  (A player can't do this if his or her Bench is full.)
  When you both have finished, shuffle your decks and turn those
  cards face up.
Use for: none
Comment: It's in a league all its own. =D

Lt. Surge (Gym Heroes RARE/HOLO)
  You can play this card only if you have at least 1 Basic Pokemon
  card in your hand.  Put a Basic Pokemon card from your hand into
  play as your Active Pokemon.  Put your old Active Pokemon onto
  your Bench.  (You can't play this card if your Bench is full.) 
Use for: Scoop Up, Switch

Erika's Perfume (Gym Heroes UNCOMMON)
  Look at your opponent's hand.  If he or she has any Basic Pokemon
  cards there, you may put any number of them onto your opponent's
  Bench (as long as there's room).
Use for: Pokémon Flute
Comment: ...like you'd want to...

Minion of Team Rocket (Gym Heroes UNCOMMON)
  Flip 2 coins.  If both of them are heads, choose 1 of your
  opponent's Benched Pokemon and return it and all cards attached to
  it to his or her hand.  If 1 or both of them are tails, your turn
  ends immediately (you can't attack this turn). 
Use for: none
Comment: Too bad you can't use it on an Active... it might make that 25% chance worthwhile. =P

Koga's Ninja Trick (Gym Challenge UNCOMMON)
  Attach Koga's Ninja Trick to your Active Pokemon with Koga in its
  name.  If this Pokemon goes to your Bench, discard this card.
  When your opponent attacks, you may switch this Pokemon with 1 of
  your Benched Pokemon (before damage or other effects of attacks). 
Use for: Switch
Comment: It's switch, but better. You never know what your opponent will do...

Max Revive (Gym Challenge UNCOMMON)
  Discard 2 Energy cards from your hand in order to put 1 Basic
  Pokemon from your discard pile onto your Bench.  (You can't play
  Max Revive if your Bench is full.)
Use for: Revive (duh...)
Comment: Best used for high HP guys. I mean, don't waste 2 energy on that Magikarp...

Warp Point (Gym Challenge COMMON)
  If your opponent has any Benched Pokemon, he or she chooses 1 of
  them and switches it with his or her Active Pokemon, then, if you
  have any Benched Pokemon, you switch 1 of them with your Active
  Pokemon.
Use for: Switch, Gust of Wind
Comment: It's a Switch for two... switch according to what they pull out!

Super Scoop Up (Neo Genesis UNCOMMON)
  Flip a coin.  If heads, return 1 of your Pokemon
  and all cards attached to it to your hand.
Use for: Scoop Up (need I be more obvious?)
Comment: What's up with 'super'? It's much worse than Scoop Up... stupid coin flip...

Double Gust (Neo Genesis COMMON)
  If you have any Benched Pokemon, your opponent
  chooses 1 of them and switches it with your Active
  Pokemon.  Then, if your opponent has any Benched
  Pokemon, choose 1 of them and switch it with his
  or her Active Pokemon.
Use for: Gust of Wind, Switch
Comment: It's a Gust for two... Pull something out that's weak to whatever they choose for you.

Pokémon March (Neo Genesis COMMON)
  Your opponent may search his or her deck for 1
  Basic Pokemon card and put it onto his or her
  Bench.  Then, you may search your deck for 1 Basic
  Pokemon card and put it onto your Bench.  Then,
  each player shuffles his or her deck.  (A player
  can't do any of this if his or her Bench is full.)
Use for: Pokémon Flute (yay, another...)
Comment: Yay... 20 more damage by Team Rocket's Meowth... to whom we don't know. =P

--- Hand Manipulation ---

Rocket's Sneak Attack (Team Rocket RARE/HOLO)
  Look at your opponent's hand.  If he or she has any Trainer cards,
  choose 1 of them.  Your opponent shuffles that card into his or
  her deck.
Use for: Lass
Comment: Much more direct than Lass, it's fun to take out that Elm without repercussion... besides your opponent's grudge...

Impostor Oak's Revenge (Team Rocket UNCOMMON)
  Discard a card from your hand in order to play this card.  Your
  opponent shuffles his or her hand into his or her deck, then draws
  4 cards.
Use for: Perhaps... Impostor Oak?
Comment: Your opponent having 4 cards are much better than he or she having 7, no?

The Rocket's Trap (Gym Heroes HOLOGRAPHIC)
  Flip a coin.  If heads, choose up to 3 cards at random from your
  opponent's hand (don't look at them).  Your opponent shuffles
  those cards into his or her deck. 
Use for: none
Comment: Impostor Oak's Revenge to 4, Sneak Attack to 3, Rocket's Trap... Don't look at me, I don't know where your hand went! =D

Tickling Machine (Gym Heroes UNCOMMON)
  Flip a coin.  If heads, your opponent sets aside all the cards in
  his or her hand face down.  Nobody may look at those cards.  At
  the end of your opponent's next turn, your opponent puts those
  cards back into his or her hand.  If tails, your turn ends
  immediately (you can't attack this turn). 
Use for: none
Comment: Interesting... though it's tough for you if you flip tails.

--- Direct or Added Damage ---

Digger (Team Rocket UNCOMMON)
  Flip a coin.  If tails, do 10 damage to your Active Pokemon.  If
  heads, your opponent flips a coin.  If tails, your opponent does
  10 damage to his or her Active Pokemon.  If heads, you flip a
  coin.  Keep doing this until a player gets tails.
Use for: none
Comment: *SMASH*

Misty (Gym Heroes RARE/HOLO)
  Discard 2 of the other cards in your hand in order to play this
  card.  If this turn's attack does damage to the Defending Pokemon
  (after applying Weakness and Resistance), and if the attacking
  Pokemon has Misty in its name, the attack does 20 more damage to
  the Defending Pokemon.
Use for: Pluspower
Comment: Costly, only for Misty... Oh well.

--- Special Effects ---

Goop Gas Attack (Team Rocket COMMON)
  All Pokemon Powers stop working until the end of your opponent's
  next turn.
Use for: none
Comment: Right... no Slowking for you... wait, it's a trainer too. >_<

Sleep! (Team Rocket COMMON)
  Flip a coin.  If heads, the Defending Pokemon is now Asleep.
Use for: none
Comment: zzzzzzzzzzzz....

Koga (Gym Challenge RARE/HOLO)
  If an attack from a Pokemon with Koga in its name does damage to a
  Defending Pokemon this turn, that Pokemon is then Poisoned.
Use for: none
Comment: Nice against steel, but don't most of Koga's pokémon already poison?

--- Healing ---

Brock (Gym Heroes RARE/HOLO)
  Remove 1 damage counter from each of your Pokemon that has any
  damage counters on it. 
Use for: none
Comment: Only for me, whee! Take that, Pain Amplifier!

Erika's Kindness (Gym Challenge RARE)
  Remove 2 damage counters from each Pokemon (yours and your
  opponent's) with any damage counters on it.  If a Pokemon has just
  1 damage counter, remove it. 
Use for: none
Comment: Umm... Take that, Pain Amplifier! =P

Giovanni's Last Resort (Gym Challenge RARE)
  Remove all damage counters from 1 of your Pokemon with Giovanni in
  its name.  Then discard your hand. 
Use for: none
Comment: Once again, don't waste on Magikarp. 

Gold Berry (Neo Genesis UNCOMMON)
  -- Pokémon Tool: Attach Focus Band to 1 of your Pokemon 
     that doesn't have a Pokemon tool attached to it.
  At any time between turns, if there are at least 4
  damage counters on the Pokemon Gold Berry is
  attached to, you may remove 4 of them and discard
  Gold Berry.  At the start of each turn, if there
  are at least 4 damage counters on the Pokemon Gold
  Berry is attached to, remove 4 of them and discard
  Gold Berry. 
Use for: Super Potion
Comment: Well, why aren't there four in your deck?

Miracle Berry (Neo Genesis UNCOMMON)
  -- Pokémon Tool: Attach Focus Band to 1 of your Pokemon 
     that doesn't have a Pokemon tool attached to it.
  At any time between turns, if the Pokemon Miracle
  Berry is attached to is Asleep, Confused,
  Paralyzed, or Poisoned, you may remove all of
  those effects from that Pokemon and discard
  Miracle Berry.  At the start of each turn, if the
  Pokemon Miracle Berry is attached to is Asleep,
  Confused, Paralyzed, or Poisoned, remove all of
  those effects from that Pokemon and discard
  Miracle Berry.
Use for: Full Heal
Comment: Too bad you can't combo this with Gold Berry...

Berry (Neo Genesis COMMON)
  -- Pokémon Tool: Attach Focus Band to 1 of your Pokemon 
     that doesn't have a Pokemon tool attached to it.
  At any time between turns, if there are at least
  2 damage counters on the Pokemon Berry is attached
  to, you may remove 2 of them and discard Berry.  At
  the start of each turn, if there are at least 2
  damage counters on the Pokemon Berry is attached
  to, remove 2 of them and discard Berry.
Use for: Potion
Comment: But you have to admit, Berry works a lot better than Gold Berry on 40 HP basics...

Moo Moo Milk (Neo Genesis COMMON)
  Choose 1 of your Pokemon.  Flip 2 coins.  Remove 2
  damage counters times the number of heads from
  that Pokemon.  If the Pokemon has fewer damage
  counters than that, remove all of them.
Use for: Potion
Comment: (flip)(flip) dang... nothing...

--- Energy Manipulation ---

Energy Flow (Gym Heroes COMMON)
  For each of your Pokemon, you may return any number of Energy
  cards attached to it to your hand. 
Use for: none
Comment: Fine, KO my Steelix... (takes 3 metal energy back)

Sabrina (Gym Challenge RARE/HOLO)
  Take all Energy cards attached to 1 of your Pokemon with Sabrina
  in its name and attach them to another 1 of your Pokemon with
  Sabrina in its name. 
Use for: none
Comment: Fine, KO my Sabrina's Alakazam... (puts 3 psychic energy on benched kazam)

Blaine (Gym Challenge RARE/HOLO)
  During this turn, instead of attaching your free Energy card, you
  may instead attach 2 R Energy cards to 1 of your Pokemon with
  Blaine in its name.  (Playing additional copies of this card this
  turn has no effect.)
Use for: none
Comment: Fine, KO my... never mind. (puts 2 fire energy on blaine's arcanine)

Energy Charge (Neo Genesis RARE)
  Flip a coin.  If heads, shuffle up to 2 Energy cards
  from your discard pile into your deck.
Use for: Energy Retrieval (it's a stretch...)
Comment: It's only saving grace is that you can get DARKNESS and METAL energy back.

Super Energy Retrieval (Neo Genesis RARE)
  Trade 2 of the other cards in your hand for 4 basic
  Energy cards from your discard pile.  If you have
  fewer than 4 basic Energy cards there, take all of
  them.
Use for: Energy Retrieval! Really, no kidding!
Comment: Maybe it's me, but 4 energy might be a little overkill... but 4 for three cards isn't that bad.

--- Prize Manipulation ---

Here Comes Team Rocket! (Team Rocket RARE/HOLOGRAPHIC)
  Each player plays with his or her Prize cards face up for the rest
  of the game.
Use for: none
Comment: Here's a little tip: ONLY IF YOU'RE LOSING.

Lt. Surge's Treaty (Gym Heroes UNCOMMON)
  Your opponent chooses 1 of the following:  everyone chooses 1 of
  his or her own Prizes and puts it into his or her hand, or you
  draw a card.
Use for: none
Comment: Fun, fun... Great early-game card if you're confident on a quick 4-5 prizes.

Misty's Wish (Gym Challenge RARE)
  Look at 1 of your Prize cards.  Then, ask your opponent if you may
  switch that card with 1 of the cards in your hand.  If your
  opponent accepts and if you have any other cards in your hand,
  switch those cards.  If your opponent declines, return the Prize
  card face down and draw a card.
Use for: none
Comment: Pleeeeeeeeeeease?

--- Damage/Effect Prevention ---

Brock's Protection (Gym Challenge RARE)
  Attach Brock's Protection to 1 of your Pokemon with Brock in its
  name.  Energy cards attached to that Pokemon can't be removed by
  your opponent's attacks or Trainer cards.  (This doesn't stop the
  rest of the attack or Trainer card from working normally.)
Use for: none
Comment: All right! Brock's Sandslash can't get ER'd! Wait, that was banned too...

Transparent Walls (Gym Challenge COMMON)
  Until the end of your opponent's next turn, prevent all damage
  from attacks done to your Benched Pokemon.  (Any other effects
  of attacks still happen.)
Use for: Defender! (for bench)
Comment: No Feinting my Cleffas now... NOOOOO! I forgot about my Active!!!

Focus Band (Neo Genesis RARE)
  -- Pokémon Tool: Attach Focus Band to 1 of your Pokemon 
     that doesn't have a Pokemon tool attached to it.
  If the Pokemon Focus Band is attached to would be
  Knocked Out by your opponent's attack, flip a coin.
  If heads, that Pokemon is not Knocked Out and its
  remaining HP become 10 instead.  Then, discard Focus
  Band.
Use for: none
Comment: Focus Band + Gio's Machamp = I'm not going down anytime soon...

--- Other Effects ---

Recall (Gym Heroes UNCOMMON)
  For your attack this turn, your Active Pokemon can use any attack
  from its Basic Pokemon card or any Evolution card attached to it.
  (You still have to pay for that attack's Energy cost.)
Use for: none
Comment: I... use... Tackle! Mwahahahaha!

Sabrina's ESP (Gym Heroes UNCOMMON)
  Attach Sabrina's ESP to 1 of your Pokemon with Sabrina in its
  name.  At the end of your turn, discard Sabrina's ESP.  If that
  Pokemon uses an attack that involves flipping coins, Sabrina's ESP
  lets you re-flip those coins once.  If you do, re-flip all the
  coins. 
Use for: none
Comment: Life Drain... tails... reflip... =D

Trash Exchange (Gym Heroes COMMON)
  Count the number of cards in your discard pile and shuffle them
  into your deck.  Then discard that many cards from the top of your
  deck. 
Use for: none
Comment: (shuffle shuffle) Oh look, all my Mistys are here again! =D

Giovanni (Gym Challenge RARE/HOLO)
  Choose 1 of your Pokemon in play with Giovanni in its name.  For
  the rest of your turn, you may evolve that Pokemon even if you
  just played or evolved it this turn or if this is your first turn.
  This effect also applies to the Pokemon it evolves into.
Use for: Pokémon Breeder
Comment: 1st-turn Gio's Machamp? Sure! Now where are your energies? =P

Lt. Surge's Secret Plan (Gym Challenge RARE)
  Put 1 card from your hand face down onto your Bench.  (You can't
  play this card if your Bench is full.)  Treat that card as a Basic
  Pokemon as long as it's face down.  Flip the card if either player
  ever needs to know what it is in order to use an attack, a Pokemon
  Power, or a Trainer card.  Flip the card if it ever uses an attack
  or Pokemon Power, evolves, retreats, is damaged by an attack, or
  is otherwise affected by an attack.  At any time during your turn,
  you may flip the card over.  When you flip that card over, if it
  isn't a Basic Pokemon, discard it and all cards attached to it.
Use for: Clefairy Doll, Mysterious Fossil
Comment: Um... sure... I get it...

Sabrina's Psychic Control (Gym Challenge UNCOMMON)
  Flip a coin.  If heads, choose a Trainer card in your opponent's
  discard pile that isn't put in play (like PlusPower or Mysterious
  Fossil).  You may use that card as if it were in your hand, if
  you do everything required in order to play that card (like
  discarding cards).  The card stays in your opponent's discard
  pile.
Use for: Item Finder
Comment: Isn't using your opponent's stuff fun? ^_^

If you're wondering why there's no Hackman's Top 5 here, it's because it's moot because these trainers are so varied...

We're just over a month away from the STS, so these strategies will come in handy when you're building your STS-winning deck! 

Speaking of decks, if you're up to it, why not submit it to The Analyst (pds64@hotmail.com) to be checked/rated/displayed? We're looking for STS-Legal decks to showcase, just to show a taste of what to expect in this environment. Heck, I'll even post my STS deck now.

>> Hackman's Trap

4 Erika's Bellsprout
3 Erika's Weepinbell
3 Erika's Victreebel
4 Oddish (Sleep Powder/Poisonpowder)
3 Dark Gloom
3 Dark Vileplume
4 Grimer (Poison Gas/Sticky Hands)
3 Dark Muk

3 Professor Elm
3 Erika
3 Rocket's Sneak Attack
3 The Boss's Way
2 Erika's Maids
2 The Rocket's Training Gym

17 Grass Energy

See if you can find the strategy in this deck. =D

That's all for this edition of The Analyst. Next time, we'll go over two aspects of the game you'll KNOW will be prevalent... Baby Pokémon and Stadium Cards!

-- Hackman