The rules of the card game.

These rules will tell you everything you need to play the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Your deck of cards represents your Pokémon as well as items and allies that help you on your adventures. Trading card games are strategy based and use collectible cards to let each player customize their game. The best way to learn to play the Pokémon TCG is with a V Battle Deck, a ready-to-play 60-card deck that comes packaged with a quick-start rules guide and everything you need to play! Once you’re ready, you can start building your collection of cards with Pokémon TCG booster packs. Trade with your friends for the strongest Pokémon, or collect all your favorites! Then, build your own 60-card deck, play with your friends, and show off yourown personal Pokémon team!

In the Pokémon TCG, your Pokémon battle your opponent’s Pokémon. The first player to take all of their Prize cards wins! Also, if your opponent has no Pokémon left in play, or no cards left to draw at the beginning of their turn, you win the game!

Pokémon Knock Out opposing Pokémon by using attacks or Abilities. To power their attacks, Pokémon need Energy cards. The Pokémon TCG has 11 Energy types, and you will find Pokémon matching all 11 types in the game. (Note that there are no Fairy-type Pokémon cards in the Sword & Shield Series, but they do exist in older expansions.) Each Energy type powers different attacks. Find the ones that match your personality! The Energy types are: Grass, Fire, Water, Fighting, Physic, Lightning, Darkness, Metal, Fairy, Dragon, and colorless.

You’ll find 3 different types of cards in the Pokémon TCG:

Pokémon-

Of course the most important cards are Pokémon! Most of these cards are Basic Pokémon, Stage 1 Pokémon, or Stage 2 Pokémon. Stage 1and Stage 2 Pokémon are also called Evolution cards. Look at the upper-left corner and you will see the Pokémon’s Stage and the Pokémon it evolves from, if any.

Energy Cards-

Most of the time, Pokémon can’t attack without Energy cards! You’ll need to match the symbols of the attack cost to the Energy card, but any type of Energy can be used for colorless.

Trainer Cards-

Trainer cards represent the Items, Supporters, and Stadiums a Trainer can use in battle. You can see the specific Trainer subtype in the upper-right corner and any special rules for that subtype at the bottom of the card.

PRIZE CARDS-

Each player has their own Prize cards. Prize cards are 6 cards that each player sets aside, face down, from the top of their own deck while setting up to play. When you Knock Out an opposing Pokémon, you take one of your Prize cards and put it into your hand. If you’re the first one to take your last Prize card, you win!

DECK-

Each player starts with their own deck of 60 cards to play the game. While both players know how many cards are in each deck, no one can look at or change the order of the cards in either player’s deck unless a card says so.

IN PLAY-
The in-play zone is shared by the players. Each player has two sections for their Pokémon...

ACTIVE SPOT-

The top row of a player’s in-play section is the Active Spot. Each player starts with (and must always have) one Pokémon in their Active Spot— this is the Active Pokémon. Each player may have only one Active Pokémon at a time. If your opponent doesn’t have any more Pokémon in play, you win the game!