How to Play Pokemon Trading Card Game

Did you know Pokemon Trading Card Game? It's a collectible card game based on the Pokémon video game series, first introduced in Japan in October 1996, then North America in December 1998. It was initially published by Wizards of the Coast, the company that produces Magic: the Gathering.

The game is centered on the concept of the Pokémon battle. All Pokémon have attacks and hit points (HP); by doing damage to the opponent's Pokémon equal to its hit points, or greater than its hit points, the player can "knock out" the opponent's Pokémon, sending it to the opponent's discard pile. After, you collect one of six prize cards.

Starting the Game

Flip a coin to decide who goes first. You can use your special Pokémon coin, if you have one. Shuffle your deck and draw a starting hand of seven cards. Put the rest of your deck face down in front of you. You and your opponent each choose a Basic Pokémon card from your hands and put them face down. These will be your starting Active Pokémon. Each player may, if he or she wishes, choose up to five Basic Pokémon cards from his or her hand and put them face down on his or her Bench (this is where Pokémon wait when they're not Active Pokémon). After each player has put down his or her Basic Pokémon, put the top six cards of your deck face down in front of you. These are your Prizes, which you take when your opponent's Pokémon are Knocked Out. You can't look at a Prize card until you take it. Then show your hand to your opponent, shuffle it back into your deck, and draw seven new cards. Your opponent can then choose to draw an extra card. If you still don't have any Basic Pokémon cards in your new hand, you repeat this process, but your opponent can draw an extra card each time! Flip over all of the Active and Benched Pokémon that have been put on the table.