Rules of how to play the Pokémon trading card game

How to Win: You can win under 3 conditions. 1. Draw all of your Prizes (six cards are set aside at the beginning of the game from your deck, each time you knock out an opponent's Pokémon, you get to draw one) 2. Knock out six of your opponent's Pokémon. 3. Your opponent runs out of cards to draw.

Starting a Game:

1. Shuffle your deck and draw 7 cards. (You must have a basic Pokémon, or you will have to reshuffle and redraw, your opponents gets to draw 2 extra cards)

2. You and your opponent choose 1 Pokémon each as your "active" Pokémon and place it in play face down. You and your opponent may then choose up to 5 Pokémon to put in the "bench", which is like a reserve Pokémon area, also faced down.

3. Take the next top 6 cards and face them face down, this pile will be known as your "prize"

4. Decide on who goes first (flipping a coin, rock paper scissors)

5. Flip all your Pokémon in play and on the bench over.

Now that the game is set up, you and your opponent take turns. The turn goes like this.

1. Draw

2. Do any of these in any order any number if times.

- put a basic Pokémon on the bench
- evolve a Pokémon in play
- attach an energy card to a Pokémon (once per turn)
- play a trainer card
- retreat your active Pokémon
- use a Pokémon power

3. Attack with your Pokémon

4. Your turn is over

More Information:

Energy: cards that allow Pokémon to use their abilities (must be attached to the Pokémon). Only one energy card can be placed during your turn.

Attacking: to use an attack, you must have the available energy attached on the Pokémon. It tells you how much you need beside the attack and how much damage it does. Some abilities require sacrificing energy.

Weaknesses: some Pokémon have weakness, which are indicated on the card. If it is attacked by the type it is weak against, the damage is doubled.

Damage Counters: All damage in Pokémon are in multiples of 10. When a Pokémon takes damage, add the appropiate amount of counters (each counter is worth 10). When the counters add up to the Pokémon's toughness, it gets knocked out. For example, when an Abra (toughness 30) gets 3 counters, it dies.

Knock Out: when a Pokémon takes damage that adds up to over its toughness, it is knocked out. All cards on the Pokémon and the Pokémon itself are placed into the discard pile.

Retreating: all Pokémon have a retreat cost. You may pay this cost by sacrificing the equivalent energy cards (on it) during your turn to move this Pokémon to the bench and bring in another Pokémon.

Special Status Conditions:

Sleep: at the end of each turn, flip a coin. If it is heads, the Pokémon wakes up, if its tails, it remains asleep. While asleep, Pokémon cannot attack or retreat. The Pokémon is turned sideways to indicate it is asleep.

Paralyze: when paralyzed, the Pokémon cannot attack or retreat. It is turned sideways to indicate it is paralyzed. Paralyze lasts one turn, so the Pokémon would be back to normal the next turn.

Confused: when a Pokémon is confused, it may attack. However, when you declare an attack, you must flip a coin. If it is heads, it attacks as normal, if it is tails, then it does 20 damage to itself. To return a Pokémon, you must also flip a coin. If it is heads, it can be returned (you must still pay the cost), if it is tails, it stays in play. To indicate confusion, the Pokémon is turned so the top is facing towards you (upside down)

Poison: when a Pokémon is poisoned, place a poison marker on it. As long as it stays poisoned, the Pokémon takes 10 damage at the end of each turn.