The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a two-player strategy game. Each player builds a deck around Pokémon, Trainer cards, and Energy, then develops a team while trying to Knock Out the opposing Pokémon. Every Knock Out usually earns a Prize card. Take all six of yours, remove every opposing Pokémon from play, or leave the opponent unable to draw at the start of their turn, and you win.
The theme is easy to recognize, but good play comes from managing limited resources: one normal Energy attachment, one retreat, one Supporter, finite Bench space, and the cards left in your deck. This guide teaches the current core rules first, then shows how those constraints shape beginner deck-building and turn-by-turn strategy.
The shortest useful version
How Pokémon TCG works in 60 seconds
Prepare
Bring a legal 60-card deck. Shuffle, draw seven, place a Basic Pokémon Active, add up to five Basics to the Bench, and set aside six Prize cards.
Draw
Draw one card at the start of every turn. If you cannot draw at that moment, you lose the game.
Build your board
Bench Pokémon, evolve them, attach one Energy from your hand, play Trainers, use Abilities, or retreat. Most of these actions can happen in any order.
Attack
Your Active Pokémon attacks when it has the required Energy. Resolve the attack text and damage, then your turn ends.
Take Prizes
When an opposing Pokémon is Knocked Out, take the number of Prize cards stated by the rules and any rule box on that Pokémon.
Win
Take all six Prizes, leave your opponent with no Pokémon in play, or reach a turn when they cannot draw.
Before you shuffle
What you need to play Pokémon TCG
Each player needs a complete 60-card deck. You also need a fair way to track damage and random results, plus the markers required by the current Special Conditions. A preconstructed deck product normally includes guidance and the core pieces for a first game, but always check the listed contents of the exact product.
A 60-card deck per player
Every constructed deck must include at least one Basic Pokémon and follow the name-based copy limit. The six Prize cards come from this deck during setup; they are not extra cards.
Damage counters and markers
Use counters or dice to show damage in clear 10-damage increments. Keep distinct Poison and Burn markers available whenever cards can create those conditions.
A coin or legal randomizer
Many cards ask for a coin flip. A suitable six-sided die can serve as a randomizer when both players can clearly distinguish the even and odd outcomes.
Playmat, sleeves, and a deck box
A playmat organizes Active, Bench, Prize, deck, and discard zones but is optional. Sleeves protect cards and should be uniform for organized play; a deck box keeps the deck together.
Know the table
The Pokémon TCG play area
Both players have the same zones. Your Active Pokémon occupies the front line. Up to five Pokémon wait on your Bench. Your deck remains face down, your discard pile is face up, and your six Prize cards begin face down and separate from your hand. One shared Stadium can sit between both sides.
● ● ●
Cards in play are not in your hand
A Pokémon becomes “in play” when it is Active or Benched. Its attached Energy and Pokémon Tool are also in play. Prize cards, cards in your deck, and cards in your discard pile are separate zones and cannot be used as though they were in your hand.
Keep information readable
Both discard piles are public information. Keep attached cards visible, damage counters clear, and your zones distinct. Do not look at either player’s face-down deck or Prize cards unless a card effect specifically permits it.
The three ingredients
Pokémon, Trainer, and Energy cards
Pokémon
Your team. Basic Pokémon enter play directly. Evolution Pokémon are placed on the matching earlier Stage. Pokémon have HP, attacks, and sometimes Abilities, Weakness, Resistance, and a Retreat Cost.
Job: attack, support, and absorb pressure.Trainer
Cards that search, draw, switch, recover, or change the board. Items are broadly reusable in a turn; Supporters are normally once per turn; Stadiums remain in play; Tools attach to Pokémon.
Job: make the deck consistent and flexible.Energy
Cards attached to Pokémon to pay attack and retreat costs. Basic Energy can appear without a copy limit. Special Energy has its own text and follows the normal four-copy rule by name.
Job: power the actions that advance your plan.Trainer subtypes at a glance
| Subtype | Normal limit | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Item | Any number per turn | One-time utility such as search, switching, recovery, or disruption; discard after resolving. |
| Supporter | One per turn | High-impact draw or utility. The player going first cannot play one on their first turn. |
| Stadium | Play one per turn; one in play | A shared ongoing effect. A newly played Stadium discards the Stadium already in play. |
| Pokémon Tool | Normally one per Pokémon | An attachment that grants an ongoing effect. It remains attached until an effect removes it or that Pokémon leaves play. |
Before the first turn
Set up a Pokémon TCG game step by step
- 1
Greet, prepare, and randomize
Each player brings a 60-card deck and the counters and markers the cards require. Shuffle thoroughly. Decide who calls the coin flip; the winner chooses who goes first.
- 2
Draw seven cards
Draw an opening hand of seven. Check privately for at least one Basic Pokémon. You need a Basic because Evolution cards cannot begin the game by themselves.
- 3
Handle mulligans
If your hand has no Basic Pokémon, reveal it, shuffle it back into the deck, and draw seven new cards. Repeat until you have a Basic. Keep count of each mulligan. If both players mulligan, finish the process before awarding bonus draws.
- 4
Choose your starting Pokémon
Place one Basic face down as your Active Pokémon. You may place up to five additional Basic Pokémon face down on your Bench. A cautious beginner usually wants at least one Benched Pokémon so an early Knock Out does not end the game.
- 5
Set six Prize cards
Place the top six cards of your deck face down as your Prize cards. Do not look at them. They are not part of your opening hand; you normally take them only after earning Knock Outs.
- 6
Resolve net mulligan draws
Compare mulligan totals. The player who took fewer mulligans may draw up to one card for each extra mulligan the opponent took. A player may Bench eligible Basic Pokémon drawn this way before the game begins. If the totals are equal, neither player receives bonus cards.
- 7
Reveal and begin
Both players turn their Active and Benched Pokémon face up. The chosen first player begins. No one draws an extra card between setup and that first turn; the normal start-of-turn draw is the next card drawn.
The repeatable game loop
What you can do during your turn
Every turn starts with a mandatory draw and normally ends when you attack. Between those points, your actions are not locked into a fixed sequence. You can search before attaching, retreat before evolving another Pokémon, or use an Ability before playing a Supporter. Think ahead, because you cannot rewind information revealed by a draw or search.
Draw 1 card
Mandatory. If you cannot draw, you lose.
Take actions
Use legal actions in the order your plan needs.
Attack
Resolve the attack. Your turn ends.
Pokémon Checkup
Process conditions, then the other player begins.
| Action | Normal frequency | Important condition |
|---|---|---|
| Bench a Basic Pokémon | As often as legal | You need an open Bench space. |
| Evolve a Pokémon | Each eligible Pokémon once | Not on your first turn or the turn that Pokémon entered play. |
| Attach Energy from hand | Once per turn | One normal attachment total, not one per Pokémon. |
| Play an Item | As often as legal | You must be able to carry out any required effect. |
| Play a Supporter | Once per turn | The first player cannot do this on their first turn. |
| Play a Stadium | Once per turn | You cannot play a same-named Stadium already in play. |
| Use an Ability | As its text allows | Some are once per turn; others are automatic or conditional. |
| Retreat | Once per turn | Pay the Retreat Cost and have a Benched replacement. |
| Attack | Once, at the end | Your Active Pokémon must meet the attack cost; attacking ends the turn. |
Evolution keeps your investment
To evolve normally, place the matching Evolution card from your hand on top of the Pokémon. Keep its attached Energy, Pokémon Tool, and damage counters. Remove its Special Conditions and effects from attacks. The stack is now the new Pokémon: use the new card’s name, HP, attacks, Ability, Weakness, Resistance, and Retreat Cost. A Pokémon with damage remains damaged, so evolution is not the same as healing.
Evolution lines consume deck space and need the right pieces in the right order. A thick line such as four Basic, three Stage 1, and two Stage 2 cards improves access but uses more slots; a thinner line saves space but is less reliable. Search cards and shortcut effects can change that balance, which is why deck lists are built as systems rather than piles of favorite Pokémon.
Energy pays costs—it is not spent automatically
An attack cost is printed to the left of an attack. Match each colored symbol with Energy that provides that type. A Colorless symbol can be paid with Energy of any type. Once attached, Energy normally stays on the Pokémon through attacks and between turns. If an attack says “discard an Energy,” that discard is part of the instruction; without such text, leave the Energy attached.
Your single normal attachment is one of the most valuable actions in a turn. Attach with a future turn in mind: powering the next attacker can matter more than adding unnecessary Energy to the current one. Cards that attach Energy through an effect are called acceleration and can operate in addition to the normal attachment.
Turn preparation into pressure
How attacking and damage work
- 1Choose an attack. Your Active Pokémon must have enough Energy attached to satisfy every symbol in its cost.
- 2Declare it and follow the text. Make required choices, flip coins, and carry out instructions in the order written. If the attack has a condition you cannot meet, you may be unable to use it.
- 3Calculate damage. Begin with the printed damage, apply effects on the attacker, then Weakness, then Resistance, then relevant effects on the defender.
- 4Place damage counters. One standard counter represents 10 damage. Do not subtract HP on paper; the counters show accumulated damage.
- 5Check for Knock Outs. If damage is at least the Pokémon’s HP, discard that Pokémon and its attached cards, award Prizes, and promote a new Active if possible.
Example only: an attack that does 60 damage hits a matching ×2 Weakness for 120 before applicable effects on the defending Pokémon. Use the multiplier and modifiers printed on the actual cards.
Weakness
Weakness usually multiplies damage from an attack against the Active Pokémon. It does not change damage-counter placement or other effects that are not attack damage. Read the printed Weakness type and multiplier on the defending Pokémon.
Resistance
Resistance normally subtracts the printed amount from attack damage after Weakness. It cannot reduce damage below zero. Like Weakness, it usually does not apply when an attack damages a Benched Pokémon.
Change the matchup
Retreating and switching
To retreat, announce the action, discard Energy attached to your Active Pokémon equal to its Retreat Cost, and switch it with one of your Benched Pokémon. You may normally retreat only once per turn, and you cannot retreat without a Benched Pokémon to promote. Asleep or Paralyzed Pokémon cannot retreat.
Retreating is not a consolation action. It can preserve a damaged attacker, remove Special Conditions, deny an easy Knock Out, or put the correct Weakness matchup Active. The new Active may attack that turn if you have not attacked yet and it can pay the cost.
Retreat
A rule action
- Normally once per turn
- Pay the printed Retreat Cost
- Cannot be used while Asleep or Paralyzed
- Requires a Benched Pokémon
Switch effect
A card-driven move
- Does not use the retreat for the turn
- Does not pay the printed Retreat Cost
- Can work through conditions if the card permits
- Must follow the exact effect text
Whenever an Active Pokémon moves to the Bench, remove its Special Conditions and effects of attacks currently affecting it. Damage counters and attached cards remain unless the switching effect says otherwise.
Pokémon Checkup
Special Conditions explained
Special Conditions affect only the Active Pokémon. Check them between turns during Pokémon Checkup, then check for Knock Outs. Evolving the affected Pokémon or moving it to the Bench removes its Special Conditions. Asleep, Confused, and Paralyzed cannot coexist with one another—the newest replaces the previous one—while Burned and Poisoned can remain alongside them.
| Condition | What it does | Checkup / recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Asleep | Cannot attack or retreat. Turn the card counterclockwise to mark it. | Flip a coin during every Checkup. Heads removes Asleep; tails leaves it Asleep. |
| Burned | Place a Burn marker on the Active Pokémon. | Put 2 damage counters on it during Checkup, then flip. Heads removes Burn; tails keeps it. |
| Confused | It may retreat. If it tries to attack, flip a coin. Tails stops the attack and puts 3 damage counters on it. | No routine Checkup flip. Turn the card upside down; evolve it or move it to the Bench to clear it. |
| Paralyzed | Cannot attack or retreat. Turn the card clockwise to mark it. | It recovers during Checkup after its owner’s next turn. |
| Poisoned | Place a Poison marker on the Active Pokémon. | Put 1 damage counter on it during every Checkup. It does not clear on a coin flip. |
Three paths to the result
Prize cards, Knock Outs, and winning
When a Pokémon is Knocked Out, its owner puts it and every attached card into the discard pile. The attacking player takes the appropriate number of Prize cards into their hand. If the Knocked Out Pokémon was Active and its owner still has Pokémon in play, that player chooses a Benched Pokémon to promote before play continues.
Take all 6 Prizes
Most Knock Outs award one Prize, but rule-box Pokémon can award more. Plan the sequence of targets, not just the next attack.
Leave no Pokémon in play
If your opponent’s last Pokémon is Knocked Out and no Benched Pokémon remains, you win even if Prize cards are left.
Opponent cannot draw
If your opponent cannot draw a card at the start of their turn, they lose. Failing an effect that asks for a draw does not by itself cause this loss.
Why some Knock Outs take more Prizes
Most Pokémon give up one Prize card. Powerful Pokémon with a rule box can change that exchange. In the current game, Pokémon ex and Tera Pokémon ex generally give up two Prize cards, while Mega Evolution Pokémon ex give up three. Historical card pools include other multi-Prize mechanics. Read the rule box on the exact card—the printed rule determines the award.
This creates “Prize mapping”: the plan for which opposing Pokémon you need to Knock Out. Against only two-Prize targets, three Knock Outs can take six Prizes. A one-Prize deck may force an opponent to earn six separate Knock Outs. Your strongest attacker is not automatically your safest choice if losing it gives away half the game.
Build a system, not a stack
How to build your first Pokémon TCG deck
The four-copy rule is based on card name, not artwork or set. Different printings of a same-named card still share the limit. Basic Energy is the exception. Special Energy is not Basic Energy and therefore follows the normal copy limit. Format rules and a card’s own text can add restrictions.
Choose one main plan
Start with an attacker you want to power reliably. Identify its attack cost, Evolution needs, and ideal number of turns to become ready. Add a secondary attacker only when it covers a weakness, attacks for a different cost, or improves the Prize trade.
Use a compact Pokémon lineup
Too many unrelated Pokémon produce hands that do not cooperate. Favor Pokémon that attack, search, draw, accelerate Energy, or protect the main plan. Every Bench slot and deck slot should have a reason.
Prioritize search and draw
A powerful card is not useful if you cannot find it. Search cards locate the right Pokémon or resource; draw cards refresh the hand. Together they let the deck repeat its plan instead of hoping the top card solves everything.
Match Energy to real costs
Count how many attackers need each Energy type, how quickly they need it, and whether effects recover or accelerate it. Avoid adding an Energy type merely because one optional attack displays its symbol.
Include mobility and recovery
Switching effects rescue awkward starters and clear Special Conditions. Recovery returns key Pokémon, Energy, or Trainers from the discard pile. A small number of flexible outs prevents a single setback from ending the plan.
Test ten games, then change a few cards
Record what stayed unusable, what you searched for repeatedly, and which opening hands failed. Change a small group of cards and test again. Large rebuilds make it difficult to learn which adjustment helped.
A preconstructed Mega Battle Deck is designed as a complete 60-card starting point with what you need to play. A League Battle Deck adds a more strategy-focused preconstructed option. Booster packs contain randomized cards for expanding a collection; a single pack is not a playable deck and cannot guarantee a particular card.
Make each turn intentional
Beginner strategy that survives beyond your first game
Plan before you reveal information
Scan your hand, board, discard pile, remaining Prize count, and likely response before acting. Search first when you need a particular piece; draw first when any of several cards would help. Once you shuffle, draw, or reveal cards, a casual take-back may no longer be fair.
Use the normal Energy attachment
Missing an attachment often delays an attack by a full turn. Even when the Active Pokémon is ready, consider attaching to a Benched follow-up attacker. Avoid placing extra Energy where a Knock Out will discard all of it unless the payoff is immediate.
Protect your Bench space
Benching every Basic can feel productive, but five occupied slots can lock out the support Pokémon or attacker you actually need. It can also expose easy targets to effects that pull a Benched Pokémon Active. Bench with a next step in mind.
Sequence around your Supporter
You get one Supporter per turn, so decide what problem it must solve. Use guaranteed resources before a hand-refresh effect discards or replaces them. If a Supporter can find everything you need, avoid spending narrower search cards first.
Count Prizes, not just damage
A huge attack is valuable only if it advances the win. Identify the fewest realistic Knock Outs needed for six Prizes. Sometimes attacking a smaller support Pokémon is correct; sometimes preserving a two- or three-Prize attacker matters more than dealing modest damage.
Track resources openly available to you
Inspect discard piles and count copies of important cards you have seen. Your deck and Prize cards remain hidden, but public information can reveal whether a recovery card, switching card, or Energy still has a reasonable chance of being available.
Build a two-turn plan
Ask what happens after your Active Pokémon attacks or is Knocked Out. Prepare a replacement attacker, maintain a draw option, and preserve a route out of an unfavorable Active spot. Pokémon TCG rewards the player whose board keeps functioning after the first exchange.
Common beginner mistakes—and the fix
Attack only after completing every useful action, because it ends the turn.
Leave Energy attached unless a cost or effect specifically says to discard it.
Build a consistent physical routine: untap the turn marker if used, then draw before actions.
Place the Supporter you used sideways near the discard pile until the turn ends if that reminder helps.
Track which Pokémon entered play this turn; they normally must wait.
Keep the categories separate. A switch effect can preserve your normal retreat.
Reserve space for a follow-up attacker or support Pokémon central to the deck.
Use more copies of the cards essential to your plan so you see them reliably.
Before promoting a rule-box Pokémon, know how many Prizes the opponent gains for Knocking it Out.
Check the current format, regulation mark, reprint rules, and banned list before tournament play.
Casual tables and organized play
Pokémon TCG formats and card legality
At home, you and your opponent can agree on the cards and house rules that make the game enjoyable. Official events need a shared card pool so every player knows what is permitted. The two best-known constructed formats are Standard and Expanded.
Standard
A rotating format built around recent regulation marks rather than set names alone. Rotation keeps the competitive card pool changing and makes the printed regulation mark the clearest first check.
Expanded
A larger physical card pool reaching back to the Black & White Series, with a banned list and reprint rules. Pokémon TCG Live may not support every physical Expanded card.
What to bring to an event
Bring your legal deck in opaque sleeves if the event requires them, spare matching sleeves, damage counters, a legal randomizer such as a translucent six-sided die, and Poison and Burn markers. Know your deck list and arrive early enough for registration. During a match, communicate actions clearly and call a judge whenever an interaction or procedure is uncertain. Asking a judge is normal and does not accuse an opponent of wrongdoing.
Put the guide into practice
Your next Pokémon TCG game starts here
Find cards and sets
Explore the Pokémon catalog by era, expansion, card, or exact printing.
Browse Pokémon TCGTrack your collection
Mark Owned and Wanted printings and follow checklist completion.
Open My CollectionFind a place to play
Use KLXCards store and event discovery to continue beyond the kitchen table.
Fast rulings for real games
Pokémon TCG rules FAQ
Do I discard Energy after my Pokémon attacks?
No. Energy normally stays attached after an attack. Discard or move it only when the attack, an Ability, another card, or a cost specifically tells you to do so. Retreating is a common separate reason to discard Energy.
Can a Benched Pokémon attack?
No. Only your Active Pokémon attacks. A Benched Pokémon can still use an Ability if its text allows it, and attacks or effects can sometimes damage the Bench, but it must become Active before it can declare an attack.
Can I evolve a Pokémon as soon as I play it?
Normally, no. You cannot evolve on your first turn, and a Pokémon cannot evolve during the same turn it came into play. If it was already in play when your turn began and it is not your first turn, you may usually evolve it once that turn. Card text can create exceptions.
Can I evolve a Pokémon twice in one turn?
Not by the normal evolve-from-hand action. A Pokémon that evolved this turn cannot immediately evolve again. You can prepare a Basic on one turn, evolve to Stage 1 on a later turn, and evolve to Stage 2 on a still later turn unless an effect explicitly changes that timing.
How many Pokémon can sit on the Bench?
Normally five. If your Bench is full, you cannot Bench another Pokémon unless an effect changes the limit or creates space. A full Bench is strategically important because it can prevent you from playing a needed support Pokémon.
Does switching count as my retreat for the turn?
No. A card effect that switches your Active Pokémon is not a retreat, so it does not pay the printed Retreat Cost and does not use your once-per-turn retreat. You may switch by effect and still retreat later if all other requirements are met.
Do Weakness and Resistance affect Benched Pokémon?
Normally, no. Apply Weakness and Resistance when damage is done to the Active Pokémon. Damage to a Benched Pokémon usually ignores both unless the card doing the damage says otherwise.
Are Prize cards part of my opening hand?
No. After drawing a seven-card hand and choosing your starting Pokémon, place six cards from the top of your deck face down as Prize cards. They stay separate until you take them by earning Knock Outs or through a card effect.
What if an important card is in my Prize cards?
That can happen because Prize cards are placed randomly. You do not normally inspect them. Build with redundancy where possible, identify what may be missing as the game develops, and adjust your plan until you can take the relevant Prize card.
What happens if I have no Benched Pokémon when my Active Pokémon is Knocked Out?
If the Knock Out leaves you with no Pokémon in play, your opponent wins. A Bench is therefore both a development area and insurance against losing when the Active Pokémon falls.
Can the player going first attack?
The player going first cannot attack on their first turn and cannot play a Supporter on that turn. The player going second may attack and may play a Supporter on their first turn if the relevant costs and card requirements are met.
How many Energy cards can I attach per turn?
You may normally attach one Energy card from your hand during your turn. Abilities, Trainer cards, and attacks can provide additional Energy acceleration; those are effects, not extra uses of the normal attachment.
Can I play more than one Item card in a turn?
Yes, under the normal rules you may play as many Items as you want. Supporters are limited to one per turn, Stadiums to one played per turn, and your Pokémon normally holds only one Pokémon Tool. Always follow restrictive card text when it applies.
What if both players take mulligans?
Both players repeat the mulligan process until they have a Basic Pokémon. Compare the total mulligans afterward. The player who took fewer may draw up to the difference; equal totals produce no bonus cards.
Can I use older Pokémon cards with newer cards?
For casual play, agree on the card pool with your opponent. Organized play uses format rules. Standard is based on current regulation marks; Expanded reaches farther back and has its own restrictions. Check current legality before an event rather than assuming age alone decides it.
Does card text override this guide?
Yes. General rules describe what normally happens, while a card can create a specific exception. Use the exact wording and current official rulings. At a tournament, ask a judge rather than trying to settle a disputed interaction from memory.
Do I need expensive cards to start playing?
No. Learning requires two complete decks and basic game markers, not rare or expensive cards. A current preconstructed deck is a simpler starting point than opening randomized booster packs. Upgrade only after you understand the deck’s plan and know which changes would help it.
Keep the vocabulary close
Beginner Pokémon TCG glossary
- Ability
- A Pokémon effect used as its text instructs. Using an Ability is not attacking unless the card says otherwise.
- Active Pokémon
- The Pokémon in the front position. It attacks and is normally the target of opposing attacks.
- Bench
- The area for up to five additional Pokémon that are in play but are not Active.
- Basic Pokémon
- A Pokémon that can be played directly from your hand and can begin the game as Active or Benched.
- Damage counter
- A marker representing 10 damage. Damage and placing damage counters can be treated differently by card text.
- Discard pile
- A face-up pile of used, discarded, and Knocked Out cards. Either player may inspect either discard pile.
- Draw
- Take a card from the top of your deck and put it into your hand.
- Evolution
- A Stage 1, Stage 2, or other permitted card placed on its matching Pokémon to make it stronger.
- Knock Out
- What happens when a Pokémon has damage equal to or greater than its HP, or an effect directly Knocks it Out.
- Lost Zone
- A face-up area separate from the discard pile. Cards sent there are normally not recoverable during that game.
- Mulligan
- Revealing and redrawing an opening hand because it contains no Basic Pokémon.
- Pokémon Checkup
- The between-turns step when Special Conditions and other between-turn effects are processed.
- Pokémon Tool
- A Trainer subtype attached to a Pokémon. A Pokémon normally has no more than one Tool.
- Prize card
- One of six face-down cards set aside at setup and normally taken after earning a Knock Out.
- Retreat
- The once-per-turn action of paying the Active Pokémon’s Retreat Cost and replacing it with a Benched Pokémon.
- Special Condition
- Asleep, Burned, Confused, Paralyzed, or Poisoned—conditions that affect the Active Pokémon.
- Stadium
- A Trainer card that stays in play and can affect both players. Only one Stadium is in play at a time.
- Supporter
- A powerful Trainer subtype normally limited to one played per turn.
- Weakness / Resistance
- Modifiers printed on a Pokémon that normally increase or reduce attack damage received while Active.
The authoritative trail
Official Pokémon TCG rules and resources
This guide was reviewed against the sources below on August 24, 2026. Rules and tournament legality can change. The newest official rulebook, rules documents, card text, and event judge take priority over any summary.
- Pokémon TCG Rulebook
July 2026 edition reviewed for the complete core-rules explanation on this page.
- Tournament rules and resources
Official hub for current Play! Pokémon documents.
- Current rules and formats
Live format, regulation-mark, and tournament-legality guidance.
- Pokémon TCG banned-card list
Check this live list before organized play instead of relying on a copied snapshot.