Pokémon Trading Card Game

Not to be confused with the GameBoy Color video game of the same name.

Official logo of the Pokémon Trading Card game in the US.

TCG (Trading Card Game) (Japanese: ポケモンカードゲーム, Hepburn: Pokemon Kādo Gēmu, trans. literally meaning; Pokémon Card Game) is a collectible card game that is based on the Pokémon series. It was first published by Media Factory in October 1996 in Japan and has been published by Wizards of the Coast since December 1998. Nintendo took over the publishing of the card games since June 2003.

The playing card game became internationally popular and is holding tournaments around the world where fans can battle against different challengers from different countries. Also, they can play against each other online and even a video game has been based on the playing card game series.

Gameplay

Each player has a deck that contains 60 cards. Each player shuffles your deck and draws seven cards as a starting hand. If the starting hand does not contain a basic Pokémon, the player puts the seven cards back in their deck, reshuffles their deck, and again draws 7 cards, until one obtains a starting hand containing at least one basic Pokémon. Then each player places one Pokémon card as an active one face-down at the zone: "Active Pokémon" and then you must place 5 more active Pokémon on your bench. Each player then deals out six cards face down, to be prize cards. To start the battle, flip a coin with your opponent to decide who will start first. Then reveal your face-down active Pokémon card and begin the battle.

Ways to Win the Game

1. If your opponent is required to draw a card from their deck, but has no more cards in their deck.
2. If you win all of your six prize cards.
3. If you knock out your opponent's active Pokémon, and your opponent has no bench Pokémon with which to replace it.

Pokémon Arena Zones

Pokémon Battle Zones.

As both players are dueling with each other, they must place the card in zones. There are 5 different kind of zones containing: Deck – where you must place your deck, as already stated a deck starts off with 60 cards, Active Pokémon – the Pokémon you are using against your opponent, Bench – A zone where you can place 5 cards that can be your back-up, Discard Pile – Where you place cards that are out of play which can be Pokémons, Energy or Trainer cards and Prize Cards – 6 random cards dealt from each player's deck before the battle starts.

Deck

Each player's deck starts off with 60 cards, not less or more. The deck must be placed face down at the left on the field. The opponent or you cannot look at decks for the purposes of predicting what cards will be drawn. You must shuffle your deck first before you start drawing your cards.

Active Pokémon

Each player must start with one active Pokémon. If you draw only trainer or energy cards, then you must shuffle your deck and redraw again. You and your opponent must always have one active Pokémon as in the field or bench. If your opponent does not have an active Pokémon in play (either in the field or on the bench), then you win the game.

Bench

At the bottom of the zone: "Active Pokémon" there is a zone named: "Bench" which each player may have up to 5 Pokémon, Trainer, Energy cards after each turn. If your active Pokémon has lost the battle, then you can pick up another active Pokémon that you have on the bench. Same counts for Active Pokémon, if you have no Pokémon in play then your opponent will win the game.

Discard Pile

Each player has their own discard pile. The discard pile is meant for cards that are out of play which means if a Pokémon is knocked out, it is placed in the discard pile which also includes energy cards that were attached to the Pokémon. This can also be undone if there is a card that prevents the Pokémon from fainting.

Prize Cards

Prize Cards are six face down cards that each player deals at random from their deck at the start of the game. Each time a player knocks out one of their opponent's Pokémon, the player can take one prize card and place it in their hand. When a player takes their sixth and final prize card before their opponent, the player wins the game.

Types of Cards

There are three types of cards: "Pokémon", "Trainer", and "Energy" cards. These three are used in the Pokémon Trading Card Game to trade or to challenge your opponent.

Pokémon Cards

Card Information.

Pokémon cards are the important cards of the game, but are useless to attack if there are no energy cards attacked. You start with basic Pokémon cards and there are cards containing: "Stage 1" and "Stage 2" which means a certain Pokémon can evolve. There are important parts at a Pokémon card, such as: HP or Ability.

Pokémon Type

It contains the type of the Pokémon which can be one of the 10 energy cards. The eleven types are: Grass, Fire, Water, Lightning, Psychic, Fighting, Darkness, Metal Colorless, Dragon and Fairy.

Heal Points (HP)

Those are the Pokémon energy of battling. If they are attack with the points of the Pokémon attack, they will lose some Heal Points. If they got attacked and lost all of their Heal Points then the Pokémon is knocked out and sent to the discard pile, with all energy cards that were attached to the Pokémon.

Stage

Some Pokémon that contains "basic" got evolution forms. If there is a Pokémon with Stage 1 or Stage 2, then it means that it is the evolved type of Pokémon. But only if the Pokémon in the picture of the evolved Pokémon can be evolved.

Energy Cards

Energy Cards can be attached to Pokémon so that the Pokémon can use its attacks. (you may only attach 1 energy card to 1 Pokémon per turn)

TCG series

Original series

• Base Set
• Jungle
• Fossil
• Base Set 2
• Team Rocket
• Gym Heroes
• Gym Challenge

Neo series

• Neo Genesis
• Neo Discovery
• Neo Revelation
• Neo Destiny

Unknown

Legendary Collection

E-series

• Expedition Base Set
• Aquapolis
• Skyridge

EX series

• Ruby & Sapphire
• Sandstorm
• Dragon
• Team Magma vs Team Aqua
• Hidden Legends
• FireRed & LeafGreen
• Team Rocket Returns
• Deoxys
• Emerald
• Unseen Forces
• Delta Species
• Legend Maker
• Holon Phantoms
• Crystal Guardians
• Dragon Frontiers
• Power Keepers

Diamond & Pearl series

• Diamond and Pearl
• Mysterious Treasures
• Secret Wonders
• Great Encounters
• Majestic Dawn
• Legends Awakened
• Stormfront

Platinum Series

• Platinum
• Rising Rivals
• Supreme Victors
• Arceus

HS Series

• HeartGold SoulSilver
• Unleashed
• Undaunted
• Triumphant
• Call of Legends

Black & White series

Main sets

• Black & White
• Emerging Powers
• Noble Victories
• Next Destines
• Dark Explorers
• Dragons Exalted
• Boundaries Crossed
• Plasma Storm
• Plasma Freeze
• Plasma Blast
• Legendary Treasures

Sub-sets

Dragon Vault

XY series

Main sets

• XY
• Flashfire
• Furious Fists
• Phantom Forces
• Primal Clash
• Roaring Skies
• Ancient Origins
• BREAKthrough
• BREAKpoint
• Generations
• Fates Collide

Sub-sets

Double Crisis

Videos

Pokemon Trading Card Game -- 3DS Virtual Console Trailer