Pokémon Quick Start Rules

Starting The Game

  1. Flip a coin to decide who goes first. The winner of the coin flip decides which player goes first.
  2. Shuffle your deck and draw the top 7 cards.
  3. Check to see if you have any Basic Pokémon in your hand.
  4. Put one of your Pokémon face down as your Active Pokémon.
  5. Put up to 5 more basic Pokémon face down on your bench.
  6. Put 1 card for each 10 cards in your deck to the side face down as your prize cards. (A deck has 60 cards, unless you are playing a demo or prerelease event)
  7. Both players flip their active and benched Pokémon face up to start the game!!
What if I don’t have Any Basic Pokémon in my starting hand?

If you don’t have any Basic Pokémon, reveal your hand, shuffle it into your deck, and draw 7 new cards. Repeat until you get one. Each time your opponent redraws for this reason, you may draw an extra card.

Let’s Play!

Each turn has 3 main parts and a checkup phase.

  1. Draw a Card
  2. You can do any of the following actions in any order on your turn:
    • Put a Basic Pokémon from your hand onto your bench. (as may as you want up to max bench size)
    • Attach an energy card from your hand to one of your Pokémon (once per turn)
    • Evolve your Pokémon one evolution stage (as many as you want) except Pokémon just played that turn
    • Play trainer cards (as many as you want, but only one Support and 1 stadium card per turn)
    • Retreat your Active Pokémon (once per turn)
    • Use Abilities (as many as you want)
  3. Attack!! Then, end your turn.
  4. Perform Pokémon Checkup!!
    • Check for Special Conditions
    • Resolve any abilities or special trainer cards that happened during your turn.
Board Setup
Image of pokemon play area, with locations of bench, prize cards, active spot, deck, and discard pile.
First Turn Rules

The Player who goes 1st

  • Cannot attack on their first turn
  • Cannot play a Supporter on their first turn.

Neither player can Evolve a Pokémon

Special Conditions

Special Conditions cause a Defending Pokémon to become Asleep, Burned, Confused, Paralyzed, or Poisoned. Retreating to the Bench, evolving, or some item cards remove all Special Conditions, so only your Active Pokémon can be affected.

Poisoned (Place poisoned marker)

During Pokémon Checkup, put one damage counter (10 damage) onto your Poisoned Pokémon.

Burned (Place burned marker)

Between turns, during Pokémon Checkup, put 2 damage counters on Pokémon, then flip a coin. If heads, remove Burned.

Asleep (turn your card to the left for AsLeep!)

Cannot attack or retreat. Between turns, flip a coin. If you flip heads, the Pokémon wakes up, if tails, it stays asleep.

Paralyzed (turn your card to the right for PaRalyzed!)

Cannot attack or retreat. A paralyzed Pokémon recovers automatically at the end of its owner’s next turn, during Pokémon Checkup.

Confused (turn your card upside down for confusion!)

Flip a coin before attacking. If heads, attack works normally. If tails, the attack does nothing, and you place 3 damage counters on your Pokémon.  

Victory!

There are 3 official ways to win a Pokémon match.

Taking all your prize cards

For each Pokémon you Knock Out you get to take prize cards. Taking all 6 of your prize cards secures you the victory!! (Regular Pokémon 1 prize, EX Pokémon 2 prize, Mega Pokémon 3 Prizes)

Knocking out all your opponent’s in-play Pokémon

If your opponent has no Pokémon left on their bench after their active Pokémon is Knocked Out, they instantly lose.

Decking your opponent out

If your opponent begins their turn with no cards in their deck and cannot draw a card as required, they lose the game!!