Pokémon
Your fighters. Basic Pokémon go straight into play; Stage 1 and Stage 2 Pokémon evolve from them. Each has HP, attacks, a type, a Weakness and a Retreat Cost.
Learn to play
How to play Pokémon
Everything you need to play: how a turn works, what every kind of card does, how to build a deck, which cards to look for and which ones collectors chase. Watch the guide video first, then read on.
The guide video
The guide video plays here.
How to play
1
Take all six Prize cards
Each time you Knock Out one of your opponent's Pokémon, take one of your Prize cards. Knock Out a Pokémon ex and you take two; a Mega Evolution Pokémon ex is worth three.
2
Leave them with no Pokémon
If your opponent has no Pokémon left in play, you win.
3
Their deck runs out
If your opponent has no cards left to draw at the start of their turn, you win.
Prize cards ×6
Active SpotThe Pokémon that attacks and gets attacked.
Deck
Discard pile
Bench (up to 5)Pokémon waiting to come in.
The three kinds of card
Trainer
Tricks and help. Items (play as many as you like), Supporters (one per turn), Stadiums (one in play, shared by both players) and Pokémon Tools (attached to a Pokémon).
Energy
Fuel for attacks. Attach one Energy card from your hand to one of your Pokémon each turn. An attack's cost shows which Energy it needs.
Setting up
- Build a 60-card deck. No more than four copies of any card with the same name, except basic Energy.
- Shuffle and draw seven. No Basic Pokémon in your hand? Show it, shuffle it back and draw again (a mulligan). Each time, your opponent may draw one extra card.
- Place your Pokémon. Put one Basic Pokémon face down in the Active Spot and up to five more on your Bench.
- Set aside six Prize cards from the top of your deck, face down.
- Flip a coin to see who goes first, then turn your Pokémon face up.
Your turn, in order
- 1
Draw a card
Always, at the start of your turn.
- 2
Do any of these, in any order
- Put Basic Pokémon from your hand onto your Bench.
- Evolve your Pokémon (not on your first turn, and not a Pokémon that came into play this turn).
- Attach one Energy card to one of your Pokémon.
- Play Item cards, one Supporter and one Stadium.
- Retreat your Active Pokémon once, by discarding Energy equal to its Retreat Cost.
- Use Abilities.
- 3
Attack
Attacking ends your turn. The player who goes first cannot attack or play a Supporter on their very first turn.
Words you will see
- Knock Out
- A Pokémon whose damage reaches its HP is Knocked Out and discarded with everything attached. Its owner replaces it from the Bench.
- Weakness and Resistance
- Weakness usually doubles the damage from one type. Resistance takes damage away, commonly 30.
- Special Conditions
- Asleep Burned Confused Paralyzed Poisoned Affect only the Active Pokémon, and go away when it moves to the Bench or evolves.
- Pokémon Checkup
- Between turns, Poison and Burn deal their damage and sleepers flip to wake up.
This is a summary for new players. The official rulebook on Pokemon.com has every detail, and it wins any disagreement with this page.
Reading a Pokémon card
Every Pokémon card tells you the same things in the same places. Here is Blastoise from the very first English set, Base Set (1999). Newer cards move things around a little, but the parts are the same.
1234567- Name and stage. Blastoise is a Stage 2 Pokémon: it evolves from Wartortle, which evolves from the Basic Pokémon Squirtle.
- HP (Hit Points). 100. When the damage on it reaches 100, it is Knocked Out.
- Type. The symbol in the corner. Blastoise is a Water Pokémon, so its attacks hit Fire Pokémon (weak to Water) twice as hard.
- Ability. On this card it's a Pokémon Power called Rain Dance. Abilities work without attacking. (The Arena doesn't use Abilities yet.)
- Attacks. Hydro Pump costs three Water Energy. The symbols on the left are the cost, the number on the right is the damage, and the text says anything else it does.
- Weakness and Resistance. Blastoise is weak to Lightning: Lightning attacks do double damage to it. Many Pokémon also resist one type and take less damage from it.
- Retreat Cost. How many Energy you discard from Blastoise to move it to the Bench.
Pokémon ex, V, VMAX, GX and other "rule box" Pokémon are stronger, and when they are Knocked Out your opponent takes 2 Prize cards (3 for VMAX, TAG TEAM and Mega Evolution ex). That's the trade-off for their big attacks.
Every kind of card, and what it does
Basic Pokémon
The only Pokémon you can put straight into play. Every deck needs plenty, because your opening hand must have one, and you lose if you ever run out of Pokémon in play.
Stage 1 and Stage 2 Pokémon
Evolutions. Play one on top of the Pokémon it evolves from (Charmander → Charmeleon → Charizard). They keep the damage and Energy already there, lose any Special Conditions, and are much stronger. You can't evolve on your first turn, or a Pokémon that came into play this turn.
Item cards
One-shot tricks: draw cards, heal, switch, search your deck. Play as many as you like in a turn, then they go to the discard pile. (Older cards just say "Trainer".)
Supporter cards
Powerful help, usually lots of new cards, but only one a turn, and the player who goes first can't play one on their very first turn. Professor Oak (later Professor's Research) is the classic: discard your hand and draw 7.
Stadiums and Pokémon Tools
A Stadium changes the rules for both players while it's in play; a Tool is attached to one Pokémon for a lasting boost. (Both are coming to the Arena later.)
Energy cards
Attach one Energy card a turn to any of your Pokémon. Basic Energy comes in the types (Grass, Fire, Water, Lightning, Psychic, Fighting, Darkness, Metal, and once Fairy). Special Energy like Double Colorless counts as more, or does something extra. A ⭘ Colorless cost can be paid with any Energy.
The five Special Conditions
Some attacks leave the Defending Pokémon with a Special Condition. They only affect the Active Pokémon, and all of them go away when it moves to the Bench or evolves.
💤 Asleep
Can't attack or retreat. Between turns, flip a coin: heads, it wakes up.
⚡ Paralyzed
Can't attack or retreat for its owner's next turn, then it wears off.
💫 Confused
Before it attacks, flip a coin: tails, the attack fails and it takes 30 damage itself.
☠️ Poisoned
Takes 10 damage between every turn until it's cured.
🔥 Burned
Takes 20 damage between turns, then flip: heads, the burn heals.
Asleep, Confused and Paralyzed replace each other (a Pokémon only has one of them). Poisoned and Burned can stack with them.
Building a deck
A deck is exactly 60 cards, with no more than four of any one card (basic Energy is the exception). A good starting shape:
12–20Pokémon
One or two main evolution lines (say 4 Basic, 3 Stage 1, 2–3 Stage 2), plus a few extra Basics so you never open without one.
16–30Trainers
Mostly cards that draw and search (Professor's Research, Nest Ball, Ultra Ball), then switching, healing and Boss's Orders-style cards that pull your opponent's Pokémon into the Active Spot.
10–16Energy
Of the one or two types your attacks need. Older decks with costlier attacks used up to 25.
What to look for when you collect
- Whole evolution lines. A Stage 2 is useless without its Basic and Stage 1. Rare Candy lets you skip the Stage 1.
- Attackers that pay off. Big damage for little Energy (a 2-Energy attack doing 100+ is great), or attacks that hit the Bench.
- Draw and search Trainers. They are what make a deck work turn after turn.
- Few types. One or two types means your Energy always fits.
- Low Retreat Costs for your Basics, so you can get out of trouble.
Ready to play?
- Start right away with a practice deck. The Pokémon Arena deals you a free random deck. Swap any card you don't like (♻) and play the computer.
- Collect your own cards. Open your free Daily PlayPack every day. Every card goes into your PlayBinder.
- Play with your PlayBinder. Once your cards make a full deck by themselves (60 cards: every Pokémon and Trainer pulled in your Play Packs, plus the usual basic Energy, which is free), the Arena builds the best deck your collection allows. Until then, practice with a random deck: the Arena shows how close your deck is.
- Climb the ranks. Ten levels from Novice to Grandmaster. Beat one to unlock the next. Every level you beat makes your Pokémon streak bonus cards rarer.
The most wanted Pokémon cards
Some cards are wanted for how they play; many more are wanted for how rare and beautiful they are. A few that collectors chase (they can turn up in Play Packs from their sets, just rarely):
- CharizardBase Set, 1999
The card that started the craze. First Edition copies in perfect condition have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
LugiaNeo Genesis, 2000Famously hard to find well centered, which makes perfect copies very rare.
Shining CharizardNeo Destiny, 2002One of the first shiny Pokémon cards, from a short-lived set.
Rayquaza ★EX Deoxys, 2005Gold Star cards were about one in every few boxes. The Rayquaza is a favorite.
Umbreon VMAXEvolving Skies, 2021"Moonbreon", the alternate art that became the most wanted modern card.
Charizard ex151, 2023A Special Illustration Rare from the set that brought back the original 151 Pokémon.
Umbreon exPrismatic Evolutions, 2025The chase card of one of the most sought-after sets ever printed.
Giratina VLost Origin, 2022An alternate art that is great to look at and was a strong card to play, too.
Collector prices change all the time and depend on condition. Play Packs are just for fun: your PlayBinder cards aren't real cards and can't be sold.
How the Arena plays
The Arena plays the real game: 60-card decks, 6 Prize cards, one Energy and one Supporter a turn, evolution, retreating, Weakness and Resistance, all five Special Conditions and the three ways to win. Each card's real HP, attacks, costs and damage are used.
The most common card texts work too: coin flips, Special Conditions, healing, drawing, searching, switching, Bench damage, damage that grows with Energy or damage counters, Rare Candy, Professor Oak, Gust of Wind, Boss's Orders and many more. Card text the Arena can't play yet is still shown on the card: such Trainers can't go in a practice deck, and such attacks just do their printed damage. Abilities, Stadiums, Tools and a few special kinds of Pokémon (BREAK, LEGEND, Level-Up) are coming later.