To become a Pokémon Trainer, you have to put in the time and the work. First, you'll need to catch at least one of the little critters, but no trainer has just one Pokémon. You'll need at least a few to be taken seriously, and they'll have to be different types. After you've gotten yourself four or five Pokémon, you'll need to take the time to understand them. You'll have to learn what makes them special, what they eat, and how to properly train them. That's why there are schools for Pokémon Trainers.
Patience, dedication, empathy, and love. Not everyone has those qualities, and without them, you won't be a good Pokémon Trainer. But don't feel bad if you can't hack it, even some of the heroes in the Marvel universe would make terrible Trainers. But some heroes could be amazing trainers. Which is which? Here are five Marvel heroes who would be great Pokémon Trainers, and five who would be terrible at it...
10 Great Trainer: Kitty Pryde
Everyone's favorite phasing mutant has proven herself to be kind, loving, and more than a little patient. The youngest person to ever join the X-Men, Kitty Pryde has spent her life looking out others, from her fellow teammates to civilians in need of help, to her pet dragon Lockheed.
It's Lockheed that really shows how well Kitty Pryde could do with Pokémon. Both Lockheed and your basic Pokémon are small, cute, and full of ferocious power. If Kitty is able to take care of a dragon like Lockheed, a Hydreigon isn't going to be a big deal to her.
9 Terrible Trainer: Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a wonderful hero who very much believes that with great power comes great responsibility. The problem is that Spider-Man has shown time and again that managing those responsibilities are not his strong suit. He'll be there to save the day when needed, but Spider-Man's private life is always a mess.
The last thing a guy like Spider-Man, who is constantly late with the rent and missing dinners at Aunt May's, should have is a pet. And, at the end of the day, a Pokémon isn't much different from a pet. Sure, Spider-Man can keep them in their Poké Balls, but that really just means he'll forget they're around most of the time.
8 Great Trainer: Captain America
Trained by the US military to live a life of a regimented routine, Captain America would certainly understand the importance of training and taking care of his Pokémon. His inner moral compass would assure us that Captain America would also care for his Pokémon, feeding them well and showing them the affection they need to feel loved.
And when you think about it, a Pokémon trained by Captain America is sure to be one of the greatest Pokémon of all time. Cap's skill for strategy mixed with a Pokémon's natural abilities could make for an unbeatable team. As long as that Pokémon isn't Psyduck.
7 Terrible Trainer: Wolverine
They say that those who can't do, teach, and those that can't teach teach gym. As a member of the X-Men, Wolverine is often used as the gym teacher for the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. That pretty much tells you all you need to know about what kind of Pokémon Trainer he would be.
While he works with a lot of teams, Wolverine isn't great when it comes to playing with others, and he sure stinks at expressing how he feels. He may be able to teach his Pokémon how to fight, but if they don't feel appreciated or cared for, they'll never give one hundred percent, and Wolverine's style will just make his Pokémon sad.
6 Great Trainer: Colossus
Born and raised on a farm, Colossus knows how to take care of animals. More than that, the metal man has shown his great capacity for love and hope time and again as a member of the X-Men. Colossus is a cuddly Russian bear who would rather hug it out than fight it out, but that doesn't mean he won't fight - and win - if he has to. The elements that make him one of the most popular X-Men are exactly why Colossus is a perfect candidate to be a Pokémon Trainer.
5 Terrible Trainer: Punisher
This one doesn't even need any explanation, but we'll give you one anyway. Filled with an undying need to kill everyone who breaks the law, Punisher stands out as one of the great anti-heroes, but spending all his time murdering criminals, oiling his guns, and hanging out in a battle van are the exact things that would make him a horrible Pokémon Trainer.
Can you imagine Punisher having the patience to deal with a Togepi or an Eevee? While it would be awesome to see the Punisher riding on the back of a Tyrantrum, we all know he wouldn't be taking care of the poor thing.
4 Great Trainer: Gertrude Yorkes
A member of the Runaways, Gertrude Yorkes has been raising herself for quite a while, all while helping taking care of Molly Hayes - the youngest of the Runaways - and being the owner of Old Lace, a genetically engineered dinosaur. Gertrude can be snarky and a little temperamental, but her heart is always in the right place, and that's what really matters when it comes to being a Pokémon Trainer. Obviously, Gertrude would be best suited to train Pokémon like Rampardos or Bastiodon, but her experience and big heart would make her a great owner for any Pokémon.
3 Terrible Trainer: Hulk
As we said, a great Pokémon Trainer needs to have a lot of patience, and that is one thing Hulk is not known for. The big green guy who becomes stronger the angrier he gets would not be well suited to raise and train a Pokémon. He could still use one though. Having a Jigglypuff around could be useful when Hulk gets really crazy. Instead of sending out the Avengers or the Fantastic Four to contain the brute, a simple song from the big-eyed pink Pokémon would calm the Hulk down faster than you can say "gotta catch 'em all!"
2 Great Trainer: Thing
Made of orange rock and able to lift mountains, the Thing's greatest strength is his big heart. A lover of animals and the best babysitter Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman could have ever hoped for, the blue-eyed hero is known for his compassion. His patience could use some work when it comes to the Human Torch or the Yancy Street Gang, but besides those palookas, Thing is always able to keep his calm. As a Pokémon Trainer, Thing would care for his Pokémon like few others. He would encourage them to do their best and help them find ways to reach their full potential.
1 Terrible Trainer: Iron Man
All the money in the world can probably get you a lot of Pokémon, but that doesn't mean you'd be any good at taking care of them or training them to be their best. Iron Man would go through Pokémon like he goes through armor, moving on to the next one before he's barely spent anytime with the ones he already has. For the richest hero in the Marvel universe, it would be more about collecting than it would be about training. If anything, Iron Man would hire a team of Pokémon Trainers to do the training for him, but without a personal connection to the Pokémon, what's the point in having them?