Pokémon Trading Card Game

For the video game, see Pokémon Trading Card Game (video game).

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

Pokémon Trading Card Game, known as Pokémon Card Game (ポケモンカードゲーム, Pokemon Kaado Geemu?) in Japan, int. TCG 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, 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.
4. Playing "Lost world" card

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:

1. Deck – where you must place your deck, as already stated a deck starts off with 60 cards
2. Active Pokémon – the Pokémon you are using against your opponent
3. Bench – A zone where you can place 5 cards that can be your back-up
4. Discard Pile – Where you place cards that are out of play which can be Pokémons, Energy or Trainer cards
5. Prize Cards – 6 random cards dealt from each player's deck before the battle starts.

Deck

Each player's deck starts off with exactly 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. 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 or 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 and Pokémon tools that were attached to the Pokémon. This can also be undone if there is a card that prevents the Pokémon from fainting. All cards in this pile must be placed face up.

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 attached (Unless you use an ability or a non-energy requiring attack). 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

Cards can contain the type of the Pokémon which can be one of the 10 energy cards. The eleven types are: Colorless, Grass, Fire, Water, Lightning, Fighting, and Psychic. Later on, the Darkness, Metal, Dragon, and Fairy types were introduced. However, the Fairy type was later removed and is not scheduled to appear on any future cards.

Health Points (HP)

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

Stage

Some Pokémon that contain the word "basic" have 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.

Trainer Cards

Item

The original type of Trainer card, a player can play as many Item cards as they want during their turn. Item cards have a wide range of effects and can be useful at any point in the game. Trainer cards that are not Supporters or Stadiums released before Black & White have been redefined as Item cards.

Pokémon Tool

When the main series introduced held items in Generation II, Pokémon Tools were similarly introduced with the first Generation II set, Neo Genesis. Pokémon Tools are a special type of Trainer cards which behave like held items; while a Pokémon Tool card is attached to a Pokémon, it provides the player or Pokémon with a special benefit. However, a Pokémon may have only one Pokémon Tool card attached to it at a time, and it may not be removed, unless specifically instructed. Up to the Sword & Shield Series, Pokémon Tools were classified as a type of Item card.

Supporter

Supporter cards were introduced to international players in the Expedition Base Set. They are usually much more powerful than normal Item cards, and as such, a player may only use one Supporter card per turn. Like Stadium cards, Supporter cards were initially a subctype of Trainer cards until Diamond & Pearl, where it became its own class of card, only to once again become a subclass of Trainer cards with the release of Black & White.

Stadium

Introduced in the Gym Heroes expansion, Stadium cards are used to affect the field of play. When a player plays a Stadium card, it remains on the field indefinitely and can usually only be removed from play when a new, different Stadium card is played, or if another card or effect says to discard the Stadium. When the Diamond & Pearl expansion was released, Stadium cards became their own class of card, distinct from regular Trainer and Supporter cards. However, this was reversed upon the release of Black & White, and Stadium cards once again became a subclass of Trainer cards.

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 (English)

Original series

Set №	Set Image	Set Name	Set Icon	Set Release Date
1	—	Base Set	—	January 19, 1999
2		Jungle		June 16, 1999
4		Fossil		October 10, 1999
4		Base Set 2		February 24, 2000
5		Team Rocket		April 24, 2000
6		Gym Heroes		August 14, 2000
7		Gym Challenge		October 16, 2000

Neo series

Set №	Set Image	Set Name	Set Icon	Set Release Date
1		Neo Genesis		December 16, 2000
2		Neo Discovery		June 1, 2001
3		Neo Revelation		September 21, 2001
4		Neo Destiny		February 28, 2002

Legendary Collection Series

Set №	Set Image	Set Name	Set Icon	Set Release Date
1		Legendary Collection		May 24, 2002

E-series

Set №	Set Image	Set Name	Set Icon	Set Release Date
1		Expedition		September 15, 2002
2		Aquapolis		January 15, 2003
3		Skyridge		May 12, 2003

EX series

Set №	Set Image	Set Name	Set Icon	Set Release Date
1		EX Ruby & Sapphire		July 18, 2003
2		EX Sandstorm		September 18, 2003
3		EX Dragon		November 24, 2003
4		EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua		March 15, 2004
5		EX Hidden Legends		June 14, 2004
6		EX FireRed & LeafGreen		August 30, 2004
7		EX Team Rocket Returns		November 8, 2004
8		EX Deoxys		February 14, 2005
9		EX Emerald		May 9, 2005
10		EX Unseen Forces		August 22, 2005
11		EX Delta Species		October 31, 2005
12		EX Legend Maker		February 13, 2006
13		EX Holon Phantoms		May 3, 2006
14		EX Crystal Guardians		August 30, 2006
15		EX Dragon Frontiers		November 8, 2006
16		EX Power Keepers		February 14, 2007

Diamond & Pearl series

Set №	Set Image	Set Name	Set Icon	Set Release Date
1		Diamond & Pearl		May 23, 2007
2		Mysterious Treasures		August 22, 2007
3		Secret Wonders		November 7, 2007
4		Great Encounters		February 13, 2008
5		Majestic Dawn		May 21, 2008
6		Legends Awakened		August 20, 2008
7		Stormfront		November 5, 2008

Platinum Series

Set №	Set Image	Set Name	Set Icon	Set Release Date
1		Platinum		Feburary 11, 2009
2		Rising Rivals		May 16, 2009
3		Supreme Victors		August 19, 2009
4		Arceus		November 4, 2009

HeartGold SoulSilver Series

Set №	Set Image	Set Name	Set Icon	Set Release Date
1		HeartGold & SoulSilver		February 10, 2010
2		Unleashed		May 12, 2010
3		Undaunted		August 18, 2010
4		Triumphant		November 3, 2010

Call of Legends Series

Set №	Set Image	Set Name	Set Icon	Set Release Date
1		Call of Legends		February 9, 2011

Black & White Series

Set №	Set Image	Set Name	Set Icon	Set Release Date
1		Black & White (TCG)		April 25, 2011
2		Emerging Powers		August 31, 2011
3		Noble Victories		November 16, 2011
4		Next Destinies		February 8, 2012
5		Dark Explorers		May 9, 2012
6		Dragons Exalted		August 15, 2012
6.5		Dragon Vault		October 5, 2012
7		Boundaries Crossed		November 7, 2012
8		Plasma Storm		February 6, 2013
9		Plasma Freeze		May 8, 2013
10		Plasma Blast		August 14, 2013
11		Legendary Treasures		November 6, 2013

XY

Set №	Set Image	Set Name	Set Icon	Set Release Date
0		XY Kalos Starter Set		November 8, 2013
1		XY		February 5, 2014
2		Flashfire		May 7, 2014
3		Furious Fists		August 13, 2014
4		Phantom Forces		November 5, 2014
5		Primal Clash		February 4, 2015
5.5		Double Crisis		March 25, 2015
6		Roaring Skies		May 6, 2015
7		Ancient Origins		August 12, 2015
8		Break Through		November 4, 2015
9		Break Point		February 3, 2016
9.5		Generations		February 22, 2016
10		Fates Collide		May 2, 2016
11		Steam Siege		August 3, 2016
12		Evolutions		November 2, 2016

Sun & Moon

Set №	Set Image	Set Name	Set Icon	Set Release Date
1		Sun & Moon		February 3, 2017
2		Guardians Rising		May 5, 2017
3		Burning Shadows		August 4, 2017
3.5		Shining Legends		October 6, 2017
4		Crimson Invasion		November 3, 2017
5		Ultra Prism		February 2, 2018
6		Forbidden Light		May 4, 2018
7		Celestial Storm		August 3, 2018
7.5		Dragon Majesty		September 7, 2018
8		Lost Thunder		November 2, 2018
9		Team Up		February 1, 2019
9.5		Detective Pikcachu		March 29, 2019
10		Unbroken Bonds		May 3, 2019
11		Unified Minds		August 2, 2019
11.5		Hidden Fates		August 23, 2019
12		Cosmic Eclipse		November 1, 2019

Sword & Shield

Set №	Set Image	Set Name	Set Icon	Set Release Date
1		Sword & Shield		February 7, 2020
2		Rebel Clash		May 1, 2020
3		Darkness Ablaze		August 14, 2020
3.5		Champions Path		September 25, 2020
4		Vivid Voltage		November 13, 2020
4.5		Shining Fates		February 19, 2021
5		Battle Styles		March 19, 2021
6		Chilling Reign		June 18, 2021
7		Evolving Skies		August 27, 2021
7.5		Celebrations		October 8, 2021
8		Fusion Strike		November 12, 2021
9		Brilliant Stars		February 25, 2022
10		Astral Radiance		May 27, 2022
10.5		Pokémon GO		July 1, 2022
11		Lost Origin		September 09, 2022
12		Silver Tempest		November 11, 2022
12.5		Crown Zenith		January 20, 2023

Scarlet & Violet

Set №	Set Image	Set Name	Set Icon	Set Release Date
1		Scarlet & Violet		MArch 31, 2023
2		Paldea Evolved		June 9, 2023
3		Obsidian Flames		August 11, 2023
3.5		151		September 22, 2023
4		Paradox Rift		November 3, 2023
4.5		Paldean Fates		January 26, 2024
5		Temporal Forces		March 22, 2024
6		Twilight Masquerade		May 24, 2024
6.5		Shrouded Fable		August 2, 2024
7		Stellar Crown		September 13, 2024
8		Surging Sparks		November 8, 2024
8.5		Prismatic Evolutions		January 17, 2025
9		Journey Together		March 28, 2025
10		Destined Rivals		May 30, 2025
10.5		Black Bolt		July 18, 2025
10.5		White Flare		July 18, 2025

Mega Evolution Series

Set №	Set Image	Set Name	Set Icon	Set Release Date
1		Mega Evolution		September 26, 2025

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